Is it really Friday already?!

First, this is pretty cool - Ryan and Meb are both running in Boston this April!!! No American runner has won since Greg Meyer in 1983, so I would say there is a great chance it may happen in 2010. Excited to run with these guys, and will be an event to remember!!! Second, Brooks sent me an email yesterday renewing my sponsorship for 2010! This may have been the kick in the butt that I needed, as I am suddenly very motivated to get in some good miles despite battling some illness and lingering Vegas hangover! So I am in the process of reaccessing my goals for 2010, and after I figure it out I will lay them out for all to see...

Yesterday, was on cloud 9 with the Brooks news, so actually got in my run immediately after work instead of waiting till the last second of the evening. Weather was sunny and cold with a little breeze, somewhere in the 30's. Strapped on my new Adrenaline 10's, and decided to do a progressive tempo run. Wanted to hit somewhere in the low 7 first mile, then decrease times each mile until I couldn't do anymore. Felt pretty good starting out, hills always a pain to try to get into a good rhythm but I was watching my Garmin and splits. Hit the first mile exactly where I wanted to, and kept forging on. Was initially thinking I could get in 2 miles on the trail, but it was so cloudless that I thought maybe I could really battle the sun and try to get in a few extra miles. 2nd mile, looked at my watch and was booking, so forced myself to slow down the last quarter. Was a tad fast on the mile, but still felt fine. Third was more of the same - felt decent, was trying to do the math in my head to find out where I should be every half mile. Slowed down a little at the end to catch up. Fourth mile, had the turnaround so felt myself picking it up a lot initially to make up for the lost 5 or so seconds. Was coasting, and it was starting to get pretty dark so I think my body too off. Was not pleased to see me hit 14 seconds faster despite slowing it down a bit, so I knew the miles moving forward were going to be a challenge.

Fifth mile was a beast, but it was flat and I knew I was racing the sun to get off the trail. Finally got a mile where I ran consistently the entire way, but the mile times were getting pretty fast at this point so I really couldn't slow down. Contemplated stopping at this point and doing a couple mile cooldown to end it, but had some gas left in the tank, so decided to try to hit the hilly 6th mile hard. Brain wasn't having much luck computing numbers at this point, so did my best to approximate my half splits. Last 0.15 is uphill, and wasn't feeling too hot so eased up. Hit a good split, so I knew I had to keep going since the next mile was a slight downhill grade. 7th mile just sucked. My form was suffering, and had to battle minor traffic. At this point, if I stopped, would have killed me so had to make a few swerves. Was pretty tired at this point, and knew this was my last mile, plus I could do a nice 1 mile cooldown upon completion. Was monitoring my watch, and knew towards the end of the mile I had developed a good cushion, so sort of eased up. Maybe a little too much, because I beat my 6th mile split by a whopping 1 second! Oops!, but nailed the workout parameters so was extremely pleased. Did 1 mile cooldown home, sort of raced the cars since traffic bunches up big time around that area due to rush hour and a quick light. Stretched out like mad afterwards. Total mileage: 8 miles - splits were: 7:05, 6:49, 6:40, 6:27, 6:24, 6:15, 6:14.

The workout was a beast, but I crushed it so was very happy. Hit the last 10K right around 40 minutes, so I feel that my speed shape is ok considering my lack of speedwork this winter. Going to try to hit the next couple weeks hard and get faster, and maybe squeeze in 1 more 5K to end the year. TGIF!!!

Leaving Las Vegas

and recovering big time. I am pretty behind in updates, so let's get right to it. First, Ryan Hall is running a couple of the early Rock n Roll races this year - PF Chang's in Arizona (Deena Castor is doing this as well), and the Mardi Gras 1/2. I actually am considering doing a spring 1/2 for Boston prep, so kind of mulling the idea of making an NO trip. Another option would be Shamrock 1/2 in March over in Virginia Beach, so I'll figure something out.

Well, Vegas was a big mess as usual, but so much fun. Nonstop drinking, gambling, and all around debauchery. Was awesome to see Shane, Tim, Marc, and Josh again, as well as the rest of their crew. I ran 0 miles on Thursday, 0 miles on Friday, 0 miles on Saturday, and a whopping 0 miles on Sunday for an impressive 12 miles last week. Monday, pretty much was dead so didn't do much. At night, attempted to quit feeling sorry for myself, so did a late night run. Felt like death, weather was cold and windy. There isn't much to say other than it seemed like it was never going to end. Did a loop around Glen Carbon, legs were beat mainly from lack of sleep over the weekend. Total mileage: 6 miles - no watch, no concept of time and could have been anywhere in the mid 7's to high 8 minute range.

Tuesday, came home to receive a package from Brooks - my new Adrenaline GTS 10's came in!!! Was FREEZING outside, but it's a new pair of shoes so had to give it a whirl. After a few more days, I will give a more thorough review, but I was pleased to see the shoe was lighter and I really like the sleeker design. Was strapped for time since I was going to the Blues game with Jessica later, so just wanted to get in a quick 2 miles. Shoes felt pretty snug, but good, and did an out and back to the trail. First half, felt pretty good and was moving about 7 minute pace which felt surprisingly easy. At that point, had somewhat warmed up to the 15-20 degree conditions, so picked it up a bit. At the turn around, decided to give it a hard effort and try to hit low 6's. Coming back is net uphill and just in general hilly so not the easiest. Could tell that my legs were just plain tired from lack of rest, so tried to push through it. Didn't want to kill myself on the last hill, so was aggressive but laid back. Very pleased to see the last mile split. Total mileage: 2 miles - splits were: 6:39, 5:55.

Wednesday, procrastinated around when I got home, didn't get in a run till late when I decided to kill 2 birds with 1 stone and run to Jared's so I could hang out with him since we hadn't in forever. He lives about 2.5 miles away, so jogged there and back. Felt like I was going fast, but have no idea. Both legs took less than 20 minutes, so was somewhere in the 7 minute range. Legs felt ok, lungs were on fire from the cold air and possibly my cold. Total mileage: ~5 miles.

So here I am, trying to motor through a good week before the holiday travels, so hopefully I can keep up. Aiming for a long run this weekend (~16 miles), so would be pleased to hit that. Going to officially start my half marathon training in hopes of hitting sub 1:25 next year, so time for speed, speed, and more speed!

Jess and I at my movie premiere!

Tim, Shane, Marc, and I right before winning in roulette


99 cent Newcastles = bad news

At Red Square in Mandalay Bay, best vodka bar

Next stop - Vegas!!!

Has been a quick week - let me fill you in on my running. Monday, completely crapped out and ran out of time. Went to dinner after work with Pat, Crystal, and Stacy, and was exhausted by the time I got home so nothing happened. Tuesday, the weather started to go nuts. Rained alllllllllll day/night, but fortunately squeezed in a quick run before lunch. Did a loop around Maryland Heights - hilly as crap, windy, and drizzling. Felt ok, and didn't push it too much. Total mileage: ~5 miles - total time out was 38 minutes.

At night, hung out with my buddy Dave. We did one of his P90X DVD's, which was plyometrics. I don't do plyometrics too much, but totally need to more. Did the entire DVD, which was roughly an hour long. My God, it absolutely tore me up!!!! It's just a series of quick drills - squats, lunges, etc., and just nonstop. I was hobbling around like an old man afterwards, and my hammys were just shot. Wednesday, went for a run after work in some AWFUL conditions. Temperature plummeted to arctic like conditions, and was as windy as I have ever seen that day. Not to mention, I was so sore I could barely move. Did a quick warmup, then suffered through a rough run. High teens, 40 mile per hour winds, not much to report other than it was a survival of the fittest. Almost quit after 4, but plodded along. Legs were failing, but need to get in mileage. Finished, and stumbled inside to get away from the cold and wind. Total mileage: 7 miles - total time out was around an hour.

So got in some ok mileage so far this week, and a spectacular drills session. We'll see how running in Vegas goes - crappy weather predicted (rain), but will have plenty of running partners around so hopefully can squeeze in 2 solid runs out in Sin City!!!

Vegas Prep Week

Headed to Vegas this weekend to reunite with my partners in crime, Shane and Tim. So after shockingly seeing my weight balloon up quite a few lbs., I finally found decent motivation to get my fat butt up and start running decently again. Finally got in a good weekend of running, so here we begin:

Friday, decided to do a couple runs since I missed Thursday's workout. Ran at lunch at work in hilly Maryland Heights, and didn't really push too terribly hard. Did a loop around my office - weather was cold and windy, and I was tired. The hills here are long and steep, so it was quite the workout. Happy to get it over with, but felt kind of beat up. Total mileage: ~6 miles - no idea the splits, but guessing in the 8 minute range. Run 2 - went over to my buddy Dave's apt. over in U City. I beat him there, but he left me a key so I could change and get on my way to run. I have run a route there before in the past, and was just in that area for my movie screening, so just looped around the neighborhood and Washington University campus. Was still really cold, but having a ton of houses and trees blocking the wind so felt good. Total mileage: ~ 4 miles - once again, all in the 8-9 minute range.

Went out over in Central West End area, had a late night and was regretting scheduling our long run on Saturday. We had a couple extras to our group - Mike and Tom (Crystal's coworker who had run with us before), so was nice to have the extra company. Weather was windy and cool, but sunny. We did the Glen Carbon Trail to Meridian, then looped around the neighborhood to tack on some more miles. Felt pretty sluggish starting out, but got more into it later. Hit Meridian and wasn't too bad so went with it. Got back onto the main road which is not as sheltered, so battled the wind a bit which made it 20 times colder. Came back through Meridian, which is much better going back because it's net downhill. Last big hill sort of sucked, but battled through it. Got back onto the main trail, and was certainly getting fatigued from the run. Last mile, was coasting through and Crystal started to pick it up true Paula style. Mike asked me, "is she really doing this?!" and we picked up the surge leaving Tom behind. Well, competitive instincts took over, slowly sped up, then kicked the last quarter. Last mile was blazing fast which I guess is good. Felt good overall, was tired from the run but happy to get in some good distance. Total mileage: 14 miles - splits were: 8:58. 8:59, 8:13, 8:43, 9:50, 8:45, 8:48, 8:35, 8:16, 8:15, 8:38, 8:28, 8:38, 6:43.

Ate a huge meal, crashed out for a while, then headed over to Nick's house for a long day/night of football and beer. Slept most of Sunday, woke up to watch football, then dragged my useless carcass over to Pat and Crystal's to get in a small, easy recovery run. Did 4 miles on the trail, didn't bring a watch, felt pretty good but certainly tired. Awesome week of running - got in 45 miles, and intend on keeping this train rolling while I can!!!

Thank GOD It's Friday!!!!

Loooong week, glad it's the weekend! Here are a couple articles I found on World Marathon Majors Champion Samuel Wanjiru that are pretty awesome: Wanjiru is defending his London Marathon title, and a great article talking about him in general and the impact he may make when his career is done. Also, for people who want a great alternative to massages, use a foam roller. I will vouch for them that they are awesome and will kick the living crap out of you, but helped immensely with my IT band problems and saved another year's running for me :)

Trying to remember my runs this week, not really coming to mind very easily. Tuesday night, ran with Pat and Crystal after work. Weather was cool and chilly, but still perfect conditions to get in a run. We did about 3 out and back on the trail, then 1 more around their neighborhood. Surprisingly felt ok from Monday's inpromptu tempo, but was getting tired towards the end. Pat pushed the pace so didn't get too comfortable :) Total mileage: 4 miles, didn't have a watch but was in the 8's. Wednesday, rain, rain, and more rain. Totally wimped out, asked Pat if I could use their treadmill which I normally despise. Was watching some good reality tv, so the miles went by quickly. Got pretty bored after a while though, quit while I was ahead and feeling ok. Total mileage: 4 miles - total time on treadmill was 29:17. Yesterday, failed miserably and got in 0. Went to an advanced screening of "Up in the Air" with Jessica, Pat and Crystal, and just ran out of time (pics later). Considered going when I got home, but was just tired from the long day and was ready for bed. Will make up for this with a couple runs today!

Just got around to posting this, but wanted to send out a big congratulations to my buddy Marc who just competed in and finished his first Ironman in Cozumel!!!! Absolutely amazing performance by him, and I am totally in awe of his achievements. He, Shane, Tim, and I will all be in Vegas next weekend, and have much to celebrate with our recent Chi Marathon performances and Marc's IM. Congrats Marc!!!!!!

Thanksgiving Weekend Update

Some quick news before moving on to my running reports. Paula wants a baby by 2012 - not a surprise here, she's been saying this all along and the timing makes sense as she makes one more push for a gold medal in 2012 London. My buddy Charlie Sunderlage made his marathon debut in the Seattle Marathon last Sunday, and WON - congrats on an amazing time (2:32) and an amazing victory!!! And finally, Ryan and Sara Hall were named Humanitarians of the Year, quite a great honor.

Friday night, made it home from a good week in Peoria. The weather here was the complete polar opposite than cold, rainy P-town, and enjoyed a nice run on Saturday. Went out in the late afternoon - perfect 60 degree weather. Did a quick out and back on the trails, was amazing to be running on more flatter ground which I was just flying on. Made it a point to run "comfortably" and not worry about time and splits. First couple miles felt pretty good, and just got in my zone. At the turnaround, ran slightly downwind which made me want to take off but didn't. Last mile, let my body have fun and picked it up. Never felt out of control, definitely a refreshing run. Total mileage: 6 miles - splits were: 7:18, 7:18, 7:33 (slightly long mile), 7:17, 6:42.

Sunday, 0!!!!!!!!!! Went out Saturday night with some friends that were in town, and had problems getting up. Ended up meeting up with Barrel and Trisha (who was in town briefly), so missed my small window of getting to run. Was pretty disappointed in missing yet another long run, and really wanted to hit high mileage this week. Got in 36 solid miles, but getting closer to where I want to be. Monday, got home and had PERFECT fall running weather. 50's and breezy, exactly what I want. Was supposed to do easy mileage, but hit a fast 1st mile and was feeling good, so let myself pick it up. Blazed through the second mile with no problem, decided to keep going another mile out on the trail since weekday trail runs are pretty much done now with it getting dark so early. Plus, I was forced to race the sun since the sun was already setting, and who wants to be in the woods in the dark? Flew through the 3rd, 4th, and 5th miles feeling pretty good, and tried to figure out how far I was going. 6th mile is very hilly, no problems and was cruising. Looks like all the hill work is paying off as my legs are definitely stronger. 7th mile is net downhill, let myself relax and decided to quit while I was ahead. Jogged 1 mile cooldown back home, stretched and was very pleased with my run. Total mileage: 8 miles - splits were: 6:55, 6:35, 6:29, 6:32, 6:35, 6:30, 6:31.

Actually technically PRed the last 10K, kind of wondering what I would have hit with race conditions. As stated before, my favorite run are the fast tempos that feel effortless. Need to get in a solid 9 more days, as my Vegas trip lies around the corner so need to get my butt in shape!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cool interview I found with World Record holder Zac Freudenberg. Still amazing he could run 2:32 with a stroller - wow!

Quick recap of my running over the holiday week. In a nutshell, my entire week was run, sleep, eat - pretty disgusting. Wednesday, slept in and woke up to get in an easy run. This was my designated easy day, so didn't push too hard. Did a small loop around town, was very groggy and it was overcast and windy. Middle miles were flat which was extremely nice as the area around my parent's house is all long hills. Cruised through it all, felt pretty good. Total mileage: 4 miles - splits were: 8:32, 8:24, 8:14, 8:04. In the p.m., did a quick 4 mile run. Since it was dark, stuck to the sidewalks and pretty much ran through all hills. Legs were tired, so didn't push very hard. Was slightly raining, never fun but this workout needed to be done with the huge day of eating which awaited. Total mileage: 4 miles - total time was 35 minutes flat.

Thursday, Happy Thanksgiving! Slept in again, Anne made it in and we all hung out for a while. Ate a ton of food early, and pretty much vegetated through the day. Shane texted me, and he ran a 5 mile Turkey Trot in 32:27 PR which is absolutely amazing! Congrats Shane!!! So got my lazy butt up later in the afternoon., and decided to get in a hard tempo. Weather was cold and windy, low 40's/high 30's. Legs felt ok, but certainly wasn't looking forward to the nasty hills. First mile felt pretty good, but hills started to get me by the 2nd mile. Completely lost my desire and shut it down after the 2nd mile which I was not pleased about. Jogged the next few miles, and pushed it hard the last 1.5 miles. Happy to get in some miles, not happy with the effort. As it has been over the last month, made the excuse of it being a holiday and already running a ton this week, plus the monster hills. I wish I was more motivated right now. Total mileage: 6 miles - splits were: 6:12, 6:34, next few miles were 8 something, last mile was 6:30's.

Ate a billion lbs. of food, spent some quality time with the family, very nice holiday. Friday, slept in, woke up to get in a quick run. Needed to work off some of the calories from Thanksgiving, plus was a little mad at myself for lack of running effort in yesterday's tempo. Supposed to be my scheduled day off, so didn't really push it. Did an out and back, ran slow and just enjoyed the nice sunny day, despite the cold. Total mileage: 2 miles - no watch, but slow.

So still on pace for a monster week, have done some good corework and good stretching, so feel pretty decent right now. Would like to get in some miles after work today (yes I am at work). Just got word that Ken is not in town, so sucks I won't be able to see him/run with him, but still on track for now for a 15 miler. Hope everyone had a great holiday!

Long update...

Let's blaze through this update, I have been running around like a mad man trying to prepare for the holiday week, and in Peoria to hang out with the family for the week. Here's a great article from the Wall Street Journal on Meb. A very interesting local story on local elite runner Zac Freudenberg who recently set the world record in running a marathon with a baby stroller - he ran it in 2:32 with baby Liam, and beat out the former world record holder by 2 minutes! And by the way, he won the overall race too :)

Friday, very crazy day. Got home from work, got in a quick 4 mile run to make up for the crappy beginning of the week. Just did a loop around the neighborhood which was hilly, but never pushed too hard and felt solid all the way around. Total mileage: 4 miles - time ran was 23:33. Stretched, then headed to South County to pick up my new car! I bought a black 2009 Nissan Altima, absolutely beautiful :) I love the car, and it is awesome - not much more to be said.


Had a few celebratory beers with Nick, then crashed out early. Saturday morning, woke up bright and early to do a long run with Crystal and Mike. Met at Crystal's - weather was nice and sunny and cool, and felt awesome. Did the Glen Carbon trail, and started out fine and slow. Felt good, but the Crystal decided we should navigate the hilly Meridian Hill route (blah!), which was not expected. Could feel us pushing the hills, and our splits were getting faster. I tried in vain to yell at Paula Radcliffe/Crystal to slow down, but never really succeeded. Kept getting faster and faster, and I finally gave up and went with it. Legs weren't feeling that bad, but not great either, and I knew it was only going to get better once we did the 4 nasty miles on Meridian. Finally got off the trail, got a second wind and started to cruise. Was pretty much locked in at this point. Could feel the pace slow down on the 11th mile, but pushed it at the end to finish strong. Legs felt good, but probably couldn't have done much more. Total mileage: 12 miles - splits were: 8:46, 8:02, 8:12, 8:21, 7:54, 7:55, 7:36, 7:29, 7:30, 7:36, 7:47, 7:18.

Happy with the workout, but was harder than anticipated. Hung out with Pat and Crystal for a while, then had a quiet evening at home. Sunday, went and played golf with a couple buddies on an absolutely gorgeous day. Played arguably my best round of the year, and had a great time. Didn't get in a run, but walked a ton on a hilly golf course so got in some cross training. Hit 31 miles this week, wish it was more. Monday, worked a short day, then hit the trail for a quick run. Weather was overcast and cool, and windy. Hit the trails towards Troy, made it a point not to push it at all and just let my body get in a good rhythm without too much stress. First couple miles were ok, 3rd was dead into a wind which sucked. Came back home and could feel my body wanting to go, but restrained myself. On the 5th mile, let myself speed up a bit but to the point where I was totally fine and could easily conversate with someone - last mile, just let my legs have fun and take off. Breezed through the last mile, felt so easy. Very pleased to see a great split to end the run. Total mileage: 6 miles - splits were: 7:33, 7:30, 7:44, 7:28, 7:08, 6:38.

Hung out with Pat and Crystal for dinner, ping pong, and wii, then home to bed. Woke up this morning to another overcast, crappy day, and got in a quick morning run despite my body begging me not to. Did a quick 4 on the trails, nothing special to note other than I felt pretty good and ran pretty slow. Drove home to Peoria, ate a crapload of food, then set out for an evening workout. Wanted to do track work, but it was raining so settled for hill work since the roads around my parent's house are pretty hilly. Did 1 out easy in the rain, found a nice hill a little less than a quarter mile long, then did repeats. Once again, nothing special to note - made it a point to not overly push it, try to keep good form, and just run smart. The reps went flying by, and definitely felt like it wasn't too bad of a workout. Did roughly 4 miles, felt great.

This week, will probably hit 2-a-days when I am home since I will have a ton of time to do so, then gear back for a good long run tentatively scheduled with Ken and Crystal.

Kara Goucher and Crappy Tempo Runs

Here is a nice interview from the lovely Kara Goucher (we miss you!!!!). The running world is less without her presence, so nice to find this! And an interesting interview by the Boston Athletic Association executive director Guy Morse talking about Boston closing for the earliest time ever! They have considered two options moving forward, neither of which I particularly agree with. Adding more runners to the mix, and lowering the qualifying time. I think by limiting the field to a smaller number, it gives the race a more elite feel and just the struggle of getting in and competing with the world's best runners is something that one can't do everyday. Boston is bragging rights, and not primarily a running spectacle like New York or Chicago. Of course by saying this, I would be absolutely livid if Chi filled up, and I couldn't compete in 2010 so I may be slightly biased. As for the qualifying time, I have mixed feelings too. The qualifying time for men is difficult, but doable, and amazingly sweet when you hit the number. It's the hard work you put in when you look back at after hitting a great time that makes it all worth it in the end, especially trying to hit a BQ which is the top of the mountain. If they were to soften the standards, they couldn't do it more than 5 minutes, but I think it's fine the way it is.

Last night, got in my scheduled tempo run. It FINALLY stopped raining, but was a bit chilly (40's). Bundled up, strapped on my Ipod, light jog to start out, and away I went! Did a loop around my neighborhood (hilly), then wanted to settle in on flat roads to get into a good rhythm. Went through the first couple miles somewhat comfortably but slightly slower than I usually go on tempo runs, wanting to save energy for the later miles. Had to stop at a stop light, which sort of killed momentum but conversely allowed me to catch my breath for a second. Took off down Glen Carbon Road, saw my 3rd mile split was 10 seconds slower despite harder effort. For some reason, that mentally killed me and just let my mind win over my body from that point. Tried to pick it up on the 4th mile, but was getting really tired and started to feel like garbage. Hit a decent split, but was done. Walked/jogged a mile, was sort of in the dumps and questioning myself why was I doing this? Reamed into myself for a few minutes, picked up the pace, then decided to hit the last mile hard. Ran a controlled effort but hard, and wanted to hit my fastest mile here - of course, it ended up being my 2nd slowest, and was royally pissed off because of it. Stretched, had a few beers afterwards in complete frustration. Total mileage: 6 miles - splits were: 6:37, 6:38, 6:48, 6:34, something slow, 6:42.

Not at all pleased with the workout, but later realized that bad days do happen. I think I was more mad at myself for letting me quit during the actual workout, which I don't want to happen again. Hit my 5 mile tempo last week a minute faster than my timed 5 miles this week, so I know I'm capable of more - just need to stick with it and work hard. Last week, I said I thought that a hard tempo run (when feeling good) might be my favorite workout - well, after last night's debacle, might now be the workout I least look forward to!

Almost the weekend!

Hilarious new Sportscenter commercial with the fastest man alive, Usain "Lightning" Bolt!

Last night, waited around for the rain to let up and went out for my easy run. Tacked on a couple extra miles since I had skipped Monday and had low mileage on Tuesday. Did an out and back towards downtown Glen Carbon, and was raining slightly and cold (40's). Felt ok starting out, and was probably moving a little faster than I would have liked. Funny how the rain has ways of speeding you up! I was pretty bundled up, so decided to let my body temperature gauge if I was going too fast (i.e. if I was getting hot, then slow down!). First mile, hit low 8's which felt phenomenal, and kept plodding along. Was getting faster on the 2nd mile, and 3rd mile has a pretty long downhill and I ended up hitting a fast split which was to be expected with the downgrade. Hit the hill coming back, and pushed through without trying to get too out of control. Totally let up when it flattened out, but still ended up going fast. Put myself in cruise control over the last couple miles and just coasted home - was pretty damp, but could have been worse. Thank God the rain didn't pick up, would have been a miserable run. Total mileage: 6 miles - didn't wear Garmin, but total time running was 46 minutes flat (8:09 first mile, roughly 7:40 average total so picked it up in the middle).

Planning on tempo tonight if weather cooperates, then something easy on Friday to make up for Monday's 0. Hopefully can pull my head out of my butt and get in a solid weekend running for once, before the holiday week (aka 5 lbs. weight gain). Headed to Peoria early in the week to hang out with the family, and would love to get in some solid miles in hilly Peoria.

Playing Catchup

Quick Q/A with Meb, and an interesting piece from the Wall Street Journal about compulsive running. They compare compulsive running to any other obsession like drinking or doing drugs - unreal! A picture from Sarah Palin's Runners World shoot made the cover of Newsweek in controversial fashion might I add - we will be hearing a TON about this, I'm sure. And finally, the Boston Marathon registration is closed in record time!!!

Weekend running went pretty well, but ended up on a crappy note. Friday, went for a quick, easy run after work. Legs felt good, and the weather was cool and breezy. Basically tried to not push it at all, but surged on a few points because of oncoming traffic and hills. Never got out of control, was a little shocked to see the time of the run which was a few minutes faster than I thought it would be. Legs are getting stronger. Total mileage: ~4 miles - total time running was 30:41. Surprise birthday party for a friend that night, had a TON of fun hanging out with a good group of buddies and certainly ate/drank more than I would have liked.

Saturday, weather got HOT all of a sudden. Ran some errands, decided to go for a run in the early afternoon. Because it is November and has been cool, wore a long sleeved shirt but within 20 steps called an audible and changed into a short sleeved shirt. Sun was BRIGHT, and there was a small breeze but really not much. Temp was in the 70's, so felt like a spring day. Did the Troy route, wanted to make it a not so hard effort with the long run looming on Sunday, so started out moderately slow. Hit the trail, started hitting faster splits which wasn't planned but hardly felt any effort so kept plodding along. For some reason, started to get really fatigued around the 3rd mile, but still felt like I was slow jogging even though my splits were good. Was running into the wind and into the sun, so maybe that took a lot out of me? At the turnaround, decided I wanted this run over with since I was just felt like garbage, so exorcised any evil thoughts of stopping and just headed back. Coming home was more of the same - felt like I was running on fumes, but really the run was easy. Pretty much my body was failing me, was the weirdest feeling. Happy with the run though, even though I struggled a ton. Total mileage: 8 miles - splits were: 7:49, 7:26, 7:27, 7:22, 7:13, 7:15, 7:12, 7:07 (avg. 7:22).

Stretched a ton, took nap, then headed over to Pat and Crystal's for game night (Stacy joined in too!). Fun times as usual, slept in forever on Sunday and headed to see the St. Louis Rams game with Pat and some other friends. Wanted to get in an early run, but it didn't happen. When we got home, the weather had turned completely the opposite - cold, windy, and rainy! Since I wasn't feeling too hot, completely missed a run which was a shame because I had a great running week going - ended up with 32 miles with some decent workouts in there.

Monday, 0 miles!!! Started raining, and didn't stop (and actually hasn't stopped in 3 days!). It wasn't sprinkling either, which made it impossible to run outside. Spent the majority of the evening car shopping, so pretty much ran out of time. Yesterday, got home a little later, had scheduled track work which quite frankly wasn't going to happen with this type of weather. Finally got a slow pocket of weather where it was just slightly raining, so got in a really quick short distance run. Ran to the trail and back, which is hilly. Wanted to run fast, but controlled, which I thought would be around half marathon pace. First mile felt pretty decent, and didn't push too hard. Coming back was fine too - started to get a little tired from the hills, but didn't feel too much harder than a tempo run which I didn't want to push past that effort. Rain was not ideal, but glad to get in something small and quick. Very pleased with my splits. Total mileage: 2 miles - splits were 6:10, 6:06.

So here I am, pretty much on a weird running schedule but getting my legs back. As long as the weather cooperates, plan on getting in a monster long run this weekend which I desperately need right now!!!

Thursday Tempo Work

A few quick articles I found - first, a goodbye of sorts to Brian Sell from his Hansons teammate and friend Patrick Rizzo - very well written, might I add. Second, a NY Times piece on running in the winter and the "shocking" allegation that it is tougher to run in the colder conditions. And lastly, marathon legend Catherine Ndereba intends on becoming the oldest marathon winner at the 2012 London Games at age 40.

Wednesday night, gave in to feeling like crap and general laziness and postponed my easy run until tonight. Sort of regretted it, but I slept so well that night that it was probably in my best interest to do so. Yesterday, got home after work and immediately pushed out thoughts of waiting to run. At this point, it is so easy to take a nap when I get home since it gets dark so fast, and the longer I wait the less likely I am to run. Put on my shoes, ate some raisins, and got ready to run. Weather was nice outside - 60's and breezy. Sort of following the Runners World 1/2 Marathon Training plan developed by Toby Tanser for the next couple months, which should help me develop speed again, but with faster splits. So the plan was 5 mile tempo, and I intentionally picked a somewhat hilly route to help develop strength for my legs.

First mile, felt pretty decent and the legs were responding well. Ran out towards the trail, and was really aggressive the first half so had to slow it down a bit. Made an impromptu decision to hit a couple miles on the trail despite it getting pretty dark, but figured it would motivate me to keep up the fast pace if I was racing the sun/moon. On the trail, it's a lot more flat so settled into a good rhythm and just got lost in my own world. Breathing was under control, turnover was also good. Made the turn around, which is never fun to literally come to a complete start then restart, but got back into it pretty fast. Freaking animals scurrying in the dark always make me a little antsy, so pushed it midway on the 3rd mile to get the heck off the now dark trail. Made my way back out to the "wonderful" 1.5 mile hilly finish, and was feeling pretty decent. Pushed it a little and had fun with the run in general. Last half mile stretch is net downhill, so picked it up even more and hit my fastest mile split. Did one mile cooldown, stretched out a bit, felt awesome. Total mileage: ~6 miles - splits were: 6:26, 6:34, 6:39, 6:27, 6:17.

I think when I'm having a good day, the tempo run is my favorite run to do - conversely, if you're feeling like crap it's the most strenuous and evil run of all, but I nailed it today. Hit 6:29 average, and had plenty left in the tank to have pushed it more so the last couple weeks of speedwork is starting to show. I am still looking for a 5K to do within the next couple weeks, but will continue on with my current schedule. Wanted to do the Alton 10 Miler on Thanksgiving weekend, but not going to fit in my schedule so will find some other race to do. Tonight, will do my Wednesday easy run (legs feel fantastic right now), then hit up a long run and a medium sized run over the weekend. TGIF!!!

Change of Season...

is messing up my system. With the time change, soooo difficult to get motivated to run, so I am thinking I need some race in the near future to get myself going. I promised myself this week would be the official beginning of my new training segment, and it has happened despite my body fighting against it!!! Hopefully I can snap out of this funk and get myself into gear, frustrating not to have that burning desire to push myself!

Monday, got home and checked the mail to see that the Boston Athletic Association had sent me my official confirmation for the 114th Boston Marathon, so that was very exciting news! In celebration, went out for a short run. Legs were pretty sore from Sunday's race, so didn't want to push too hard. Weather was pretty much perfect and a bit breezy, so did an out and back through town. Took about a mile for myself to feel pretty good, and never pushed it too hard. Nothing special to note, stretching afterwards felt heavenly. Total mileage: 4 miles - total time was 33 minutes.

Tuesday, blah. Am starting to get sick, so was a complete zombie at work all day despite a solid 8+ hours of extreme hibernation. Got home from work, completely passed out. Woke up, and had evil thoughts of pushing the run back which I knew would never happen. Had scheduled track work, but changed it up to medium distance run with strides at the end. Finally got my lazy butt outside, and felt decent. Weather was cool outside and windy. First mile felt pretty easy, and pushed it the 2nd mile. Stepped on a log which I couldn't see due to the complete dark, and twisted my ankle slightly which wasn't cool. Worked it out though, and slowed it down the next couple miles since was starting to breathe heavier than I would have liked. Felt better after the 4th mile, and decided to push it coming home. Hit the last 2 miles in what I thought was a fast clip, only to find out in complete disgust that I was running in low 7 minute pace which is just unacceptable for hard effort. Maybe being sick slowed me down? Who knows? But was happy with the run and decent effort, and will take it for now. Cooled down, then did 10 strides afterwards at hard effort, stretched like a madman. Total mileage: ~7 miles - the 6 mile run was roughly 44 minutes.

Tonight, something easy then will do more speed on Thursday pending how I feel. Still on schedule for 40+ miles!

SIUE Harvest 5K Recap

Last few articles concerning NYC - first, nice inspirational article about some disabled Koreans running and finishing the NYC Marathon. Makes you realize that with hard work, anyone can accomplish anything. Here is SI's article about Meb's win. Here is part 2 of Ryan Hall's blog concerning NYC. Finally, the Running Times created a "what went wrong" log to take a closer look into why a particular race might have went wrong.

Weekend running was pretty much nonexistant, as my motivation is at an all-time low right now. We had some amazing perfect fall days, but failed to capitalize partly because the weekend was pretty much log-jammed with car shopping and events. Friday, went car shopping immediately after work and took the entire evening. Saturday morning was more of the same, then cleaned up and got ready for my friend Steve's Diaper Dash bar crawl. For those who are not familiar, a diaper dash is the male equivalent of a baby shower, only the male participants bring diapers and we pretty much go out for the rest of the day. An added theme/contest was who had the best moustache, so I did my best Brian Sell impression and our group of 15 or so guys proceeded to creep out everyone all around town. Broke away from that group a little earlier to recuperate some, then met up with Tim and Erin at a local bar for a couple of drinks so we could catch up. Went to bed somewhat early (considering Tim and I's previous track record), then crashed out for the night.

Race Morning

Woke up Sunday morning feeling tired and dehydrated, so went crazy on water and Gatorade. Had a couple cups of fruit and lightly stretched out while waiting for Tim and Erin to come over. Started mentally thinking up strategy for this course - we ran this earlier in the summer, and it is a typical cross country course full of nasty hills, so I knew my times would be slower. There are a couple really steep inclines on the 2nd and 3rd mile, so I needed to be patient starting out - those hills are hard to recover from if I expended too much energy early. Got to SIUE a little before 8, registered and got our shirts, then went back to the car and did a quick 10 minute shakeout run. Weather was sunny and in the 60's, and we had a pretty stiff breeze to contend with.

At the Start

Talked with some of the people there to figure out the course, and found out there were some changes because of all the rain we have had lately which made some of the course unrunnable. First mile weaved around more and we didn't have to contend with some of the major hills which was good. Did some strides to loosen up the fast-twitch muscles. Found out that the race started at 9:30 instead of (doh!), so had a little more time to kill. Lined up at the start, wished Tim and Erin good luck, then the gun went off!

Mile By Mile Report

Mile 1 - Started out pretty quickly, nice downhill to start out the race and ran pretty hard. Went out with the lead group, but could feel that the pace was going pretty quick. Not smart to be pacing myself with the university cross country team runners who run this course a lot more than I do. My Garmin was all over the map with the hills, so impossible to really keep a constant pace going. Weaved around for a bit, effort was pretty high so slowed it down and laid back with some of the runners in the group behind. [Mile Split - 5:47]

Mile 2 - Course flattens out for a little bit, so ducked in behind a couple runners and let my legs recover. We made a turn, then hit a series of rolling hills. The terrain was wet and muddy, so had to be a bit careful manuevering at this point. Started to lose a few runners in our group, and was getting gapped by one of the SIUE girl runners, but tried to keep her within 10 yards of me. Caught back up to her on one of the massive hills, but had lost everyone else at this point. Ducked behind her and let her dictate the pace for a while. [Mile Split - 6:20]

Mile 3 - At this point, was tired and getting beat up by the hills, but was definitely taking in the benefits of working off the SIUE girl runner. We make a hairpin turn a little past the mile marker, and saw 1 person about 30-45 seconds behind us so wasn't too worried about him. The people ahead of us were too far up, so decided that breaking away was not in my best interest since (a) I wasn't going to catch anyone but the girl I was running with (b) felt good enough that I was going to beat her so might as well let her do most of the work (c) my only time goal was to break 20 minutes, and that was essentially in the bag. Continued to work off her as we made our way out of the woods and kept going. When we popped out onto the mainland, could see all the runners ahead of us, and was a lot easier to visualize the finish. The last mile, could hear all the SIUE people cheering on their teammate, which just fueled the fire so I just sat patiently until the final hairpin turn. The last 1/3 of a mile is pretty much uphill, and had enough juice for a kick so made my move there. [Mile Split - 6:30]

Finish - Bounded up the hill, didn't look back in fear of losing any momentum but wasn't hearing as much cheers for the SIUE girl runner. Put myself in cruise control, and coasted across the finish. [Final Time - 19:21]

RESULTS

Peter Kim M30
Clock Time 19:21
Overall Place 9/77
Gender Place 8/40
Division Place 1/8

Pace 6:13/Mile

Final Thoughts

Felt pretty happy with the race, but wasn't overly pleased with the inconsistency of my mile splits. But a lot of that was from the crazy terrain, so wasn't too mad at myself. Probably went out too fast early, and the last mile was ridiculously slow but more from me tucking behind and waiting patiently to make my move. It never computed in my mind that I would have broken 19 minutes had I gave it more effort, but that is a moot point since I haven't done much since Chicago and slowly getting myself back to good speed shape. Ended up getting some water, then went back to the finish to watch Tim and Erin finish. Saw Tim bounding up the hill, so cheered him on to his strong finish. Erin finished shortly after, and we got some food and waited for the awards ceremony. Turns out we all did very well, because we all won age group prizes! Erin won 3rd in the female 20-29 category, Tim won 3rd in the male 30-39 category, and I won 1st in male 30-39. So was fun to sweep up some awards, and all in all a very successful effort by all!

Afterwards, picked up some breakfast food, beer, OJ and champagne, then headed over to Pat and Crystal's for Sunday Funday! Spend most of the afternoon playing ping pong, cards, and Wii Bowling, and passed out the rest of the day to end a very fun weekend. Had a pedestrian 27 miles this week, but was race week so that is my excuse :) Back to hard work finally - am envisioning a 40 mile week, and am looking to get back into good shape again!

3rd place in the Moustache Contest, and my best Brian Sell impression!

Post race group photo

Age Group Prize Winners!

The Science of Marathoning

This is a really cool article talking about the science of marathoning. Basically, they have shown the progress of winning times in the World Marathon Major races (Chi, NYC, Boston, Berlin, London) - for the flat courses (London, Berlin, Chi), the winning times have progressively gotten faster but there isn't much variance on the hillier venues (NYC, Boston). But the winning times in marathons in 2009 have shown that ultimately the times are getting faster! Britain is looking at the American ways of training in their hopes of pushing their athletes. Hilarious spoof article on Meb's NYC victory. Here is a letter from Meb's brother Merhawi that he wrote talking about Meb's preparation for the race. And finally, Letsrun.com did a nice follow up on the New York Marathon.

Last night, did my scheduled track work. Weather was a little breezy but overall gorgeous outside. Did a quick warmup on the track, then hit up the reverse ladder. Mile went pretty well - first couple laps, was cruising waaaay too fast, so pulled in the reigns on the last half. Definitely could feel myself working on the 3rd lap, but totally slowed it down to save some energy for the later reps since I wanted to hit faster splits. Tried not to take longer than half of the previous rep time in between splits, so sort of slow jogged/walked after the rep. The 1200 was eh - legs were getting more tired, and my quarter splits weren't as consistent as I would have liked. The 800 was ok - first quarter, had the dead leg feeling but took off on the last lap. And the 400 was pretty nice - forced myself to get into the zone, hit an aggressive pace that was fast but manageable. Stride felt really loose, and finished on a high note. Did quick cooldown and quick stretch, then went home and tacked on a couple more miles. Total mileage: ~6 miles - splits on the reverse ladder were: Mile: 5:37, 1200: 4:13, 800: 2:38, 400: 1:14.

Speed is slowly coming back, and I am pretty happy with where I'm at considering I haven't really gone at it too much. So the XC 5K is coming up this weekend, which should be interesting. I know the course pretty well, so that isn't the issue - it is the massive hills and the lack of hillwork I have done over the last few months which will ultimately destroy me. So will probably go out a lot more conservative in this race, and not push it too much. I looked up times for people running about the same ability as myself, and noticed the variance in times to be about 1-2 minutes slower on this course than a roadrace 5K, so I hope to run sub 20 on Sunday and I will be pleased. Tim is back this weekend as well, so looking forward to some good running and some good times!

Shalane - 2010 Marathon?

She is clearly hinting at it! Pretty cool if she jumps on board, obviously was enamored a bit with Kara and Paula's duel in NYC last year. Here is a quick followup on Ed Norton's marathon on Sunday - great time for him - 3:48:01!

Last night, went out for a pretty easy run around town. Brought my Timex, but screwed up on the manuel splits at some point when I was scrolling through looking at them postrun. Perfect fall weather again, I can't believe how nice it is right now! I can't do the trail running I am used to, so pretty much doing road running at the moment which is fine because it is more scenic around town and pretty much brings me to my roots when all I did was run on the roads. Ran for about 30 minutes or so, pretty easy pace and felt like I could have ran forever. Total mileage: ~4 miles - no splits handy.

Tonight, will do some track work and see what the state of my running is (for shorter distances). Thinking of one of my favorites - the reverse ladder. Would love for my mile time to be in the 5:40's without pushing too hard, but we shall see!

Happy Birthday Crystal!!! Hope you and Pat are having fun in Mexico :)

NYC afterthoughts...

Here is a ton of stuff concerning the NYC marathon. First, another quick recap about the big race. Second, Ryan Hall updated his blog talking about his disappointing 4th place finish. Next, article about women's winner Derartu Tulu - not very comfortable in the spotlight. What will Meb run next year? Boston or London? Sounds like winning Boston is pretty high on his priority list! Geb is shooting for the world record next year in Dubai. Interesting article talking about if Meb is truly "American enough". Come on, he is an American citizen, and he never even started training/racing competitively until he was in the U.S. I think people look for anything to criticize these days. Great interview with the winners of the NYC marathon, and finally Meb reads the Top 10 on Letterman last night!



Last night, decided to do a longer run. Was feeling pretty good, so strapped on my shoes in the evening and went at it. Wanted to do a more challenging loop, so did my Glen Carbon/Edwardsville loop which is pretty hilly. Weather was nice - 50's, cool and windy. Kind of a bummer that trail runs won't happen much in the week now that it gets dark so early. Started out feeling pretty good and was maintaining decent pace. Hit the dreaded hills of Meridian Rd. but worked through ok and never really lost much pace there. Got through 5 ok, but started feeling nagging quad and calf pains, so just tried to work through it. Made it to downtown Edwardsville and was running on the sidewalks which were thoroughly covered with leaves, making me feel sort of uncomfortable since I couldn't see any potholes/weird cracks. Stopped at Jared's house since I literally pass it on my route, said hi for a few minutes, then took off. Not the best decision, as my legs started to cramp up from stopping and starting. Made it through 11 miles, before I threw in the towel. Was getting cold, and was feeling better and could have kept going but was just mentally fried and wanted to be done. Last mile was my fastest split, and felt really easy. Stretched and took it easy the rest of the evening. Total mileage: 11 miles - splits were: (will update later, avg. was 7:43 I think)

Signed up for a 5K this weekend, since Tim was in town and he wanted to race. This is a local race at SIUE, and I believe it is the same trek as Mud Mountain which we did in July. Will be ready to get my revenge from my earlier loss this year ;)

Meb and Tulu Win!!!

A big congrats to Meb Keflezighi for completing his heroic comeback by winning the New York City Marathon yesterday! And congrats to Derartu Tulu who won her 2nd marathon with an impressive kick in the last quarter of Central Park to win the women's race! Meb's story has been well documented, and he returned to NYC where 2 years earlier in the trials he suffered a stress fracture in his hip, which shelved him for quite a while which many thought would end his career. But he worked hard, and had a phenomenal racing year, culminating with unbelievably his first marathon victory. Ryan Hall finished a disappointing 4th in this race - he started out conservative, far different from his Boston Marathon performance where he took off like a jack rabbit and pushed the pace from the start, only to fall off due to the severe head winds. This time, he tucked in the lead group and was being as patient as I have ever seen him race, but could not respond to Ramaala's surge off the Queensboro Bridge and ultimately fell too far behind to catch up. But the Americans have everything to be proud of, with six of the top ten finishers and a very successful debut from Jorge Torres. Hopefully, many Americans will be inspired by these amazing performances, and this will be a successful push for American running. On the women's side, Paula Radcliffe suffered through an annoying hamstring injury to finish fourth, but definitely is far from over in her career despite a little break for baby Radcliffe #2.

A couple of other really cool articles I found on the New York Times website about the marathon. First one talked about fluid stations for the elites, and the chaos that ensues in the split second those great runners pass through. And an awesome piece on the Kenyan runners and their developing race strategy for yesterday's big race.

So got in a couple good runs over the weekend, but ended up with an impromptu rest day yesterday with the craziness of the weekend. Friday night, got in my switched tempo work. It FINALLY stopped raining, and decided to give it a good go since I hadn't really pushed the pedal to the medal in a while. Pretty windy outside, and did 1 up to the trails where it was going to be a little more shaded from the wind. Went out pretty hard, and certainly could feel it. Got past the one mile mark where the trail opens up quite a bit, and pretty much suffered a terrible death out running directly into the wind. Stopped at the 2 mile split, waited a couple minutes to catch my breath, then motored on back. Was going slightly downwind on the way back, and certainly felt a billion times easier so just rolled with it. Finished hard, was pleased with my splits but there is a ton of work to be done. 1 mile cooldown on the way back, stretching. Total mileage: 6 miles - splits were: 6:06, 6:10, 6:01, 6:04.

Hung out with my buddy Nick and his neighbors, handing out Halloween candy to all the kids. Had a pretty long night, slept in forever as a result. Saturday, woke up a noon (my God), ate a quick lunch and decided to switch out my long run till Sunday since I wasn't feeling too hot! Weather was GORGEOUS outside, and dressed up in a long sleeved shirt and shorts - just perfect fall running! Just bought a new Timex Ironman running watch with Ipod control (pretty awesome watch!), so wanted to try it out. Just let my legs dictate the pace, since I didn't have my Garmin to tell me how fast I was going. Felt great going out, no issues at all. Was windy again, so that was sort of a pain but worked through it. Turned around, was just cruising along clipping off miles. Last 2, saw a couple people on the trail ahead of me, competitive instincts took over and breezed past them. Kind of slowed down on the last mile, but saw my hot neighbor and her sister walking ahead so sort of picked it up again in my stupid ways. Did a quick cooldown, heavy stretching afterwards. Total mileage: 8 miles - splits were: 7:40, 7:33, 7:40, 7:35, 7:30, 7:25, 6:44, 6:45.

Went to the Blues game that night with my buddy Ryan from work, then met up with a group of people to go out for the Halloween festivities. Saw some pretty crazy costumes, and wished I would have been more proactive and dressed this year! Stayed out way too late, and Sunday was pretty much a wasted day as a result. Didn't run as I should have, but lost most of the day to picking up my parents from the airport and hanging out with them all day. Went to bed early to recover, and I will do a long run tonight since the weather is fantastic yet again and my legs feel good.

Central Park from above
Meb outkicking Cheruiyot past Columbus Circle

Happy New York City Marathon Weekend!

For those running enthusiasts everywhere, here are some last minute previews/interviews of the biggest marathon in the world! Here's a pretty thorough one, interview with the top American runners, Universal Sports preview (btw, you can watch streaming on Sunday via universalsports - men's race, women's race), Ryan Hall interview (he's in the best shape of his life), Meb interview (finally injury free), and an article with the lovely Miss Kara Goucher talking about pushing past the pains of marathon exertion.

My predictions of the race? I think it's Ryan's time, and look for him, Jacoub Gharib, and James Kwambai to finish on the podium. Wouldn't surprise me to see Robert Cheruiyot or Patrick Makau do some damage. And defending champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos has surprised me twice already in his wins, so you can't count him out. NYC is fun, because they don't allow pacers anymore which makes it truly a race. Hendrick Ramaala is going to push the pace no matter what - that's how he runs. It will be awesome to see how everyone reacts to it!

On the women's side, it's Paula, Paula, and Paula. No chance she loses, barring any catastrophic injury. Salina Kosgei and Yuri Kano will finish distant runner up to finish the podium, but Paula doesn't have any true competition quite honestly :)

It's been raining, raining, and raining over here. No run yesterday, and hopefully it clears up tonight so I can get in some sort of speed work/run. Long run and medium run on the weekend will finish out a solid 30-40 mile week! On a fun, personal note, Shane, Crystal, and I were all officially accepted into the Boston Marathon!!! Just waiting for Tim's charity acceptance to round out the group, then it will be on!

Good luck to all runners in NYC this weekend!!!!!

4 days till NYC!

Cool video by Runners World on Ryan Hall doing last second race prep, and work of his new foundation. Also, USA Today does a cool piece on Meb and the upcoming marathon. Lastly, a cool article from the NY Times that Tim sent me talking about how the human body is actually built for distance running. It has the coolest example that on a hot day, humans could defeat a horse in a marathon - how crazy is that?!

Can't believe the NYC Marathon is this weekend, and will certainly be watching it on streaming video. NYC is still one of the greatest memories ever, and I remember almost every detail. From the pre-race dinner with family and friends, to walking through Times Square at 5 a.m. looking for a cab, to riding the Staten Island Ferry, to the couple hours hanging out in Fort Wadsworth, to the CRAZY start to the Verrazanos Narrows Bridge, to passing the cheering NYC Police and Firefighters (still brings chills), to the quiet intensity of the very uphill Queensboro Bridge, to the most deafening roar coming back into Manhattan, to seeing myself on the Jumbotron in Harlem, to seeing my cousins, Shane, Marc, and Anne at mile 23 (pushing me home), to me feeling like I was floating through Central Park, to crossing the finish line. Wow, just an amazing experience, and was so happy not to have crashed and burned at any part of it too so I could enjoy all of the race :) It is something that every serious runner should experience, as you will never experience anything like it!

Last night, got in a very easy 4 miles. Felt myself wanting to push, but sustained the urge not to. Weather was very overcast and fall-like, but got warmed up fast and felt fine. Hammy was pretty stiff coming home, so stretched it out a ton afterwards. Didn't wear a watch, but went S-L-O-W. Tonight, scheduled tempo, but heavy rain is looming in the forecast so considering switching my off-day tomorrow with tonight in case of inclement weather.

Rain, rain, go away!

First, a plethora of articles! With the NYC Marathon this weekend, there are tons of stories being circulated. First, another cool piece on Brian Sell talking about his career. Next, a cool little story about one of the current marathon greats James Kwambai who will also be participating this weekend. Here is a good article about Ryan Hall and his aspirations past running - very inspirational. Liz Robbins, author of the book "A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles Through the Streets of New York"does a Q and A about the upcoming big race. I must mention this is an awesome book for any running enthusiast, more particularly for any NYC alumn out there. Here is an interview with Jorge Torres, and a quick tidbit about defending champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos. Last, but not least, Martin Lel withdraws from the NYC Marathon! This is a shocker, considering his recent triumph last month but apparently he is not over his leg injury. This really opens up the field, and really anyone can win it!

Got in some good track work last night (8X400). Legs were complete mush after the hard weekend running, plus it has been raining here nonstop for the last couple days so opted out of Monday's easy run for rest and stretching. Kept raining, and raining, and raining some more so I tried to wait it out a little after work but to no avail. Decided I had enough, strapped on my storm fit jacket, a hat, and some running tights and drove to the track. Weather was cold and rainy (low 50's/high 40's) and a little breezy but not too awful. Did the quickest, crappiest warmup possible because of the rain, and was checking out the track conditions which were pretty crappy and a lot of standing water on it, especially on the inner part of the track go figure. Cut my stride a little shorter than normal to adjust, and away I went! First one felt pretty crummy - was very tight from the very fast warmup, and just wasn't in synch. Was taking a whopping 1 minute break in between reps because of the rain, so certainly wasn't the easiest. 2nd rep was better, but the effort was a little more than I would have liked. Finally settled in a little, and breezed through the next few quarters. Tried to relax on the turns, and hit the straightaways hard, and was consistently hitting the first 200 pretty quick, thus made myself slow down on the last 100 meters every time. I need to work on better consistency, but I think the combination of the rain and me just wanting to finish probably made my body want to push harder. Last couple reps, let myself run through the last straightaway a little more, and let myself push the last rep. Did 1 mile cooldown on the track, stretched and went home, then did the rest of my cooldown as soon as I got back. Felt pretty good when I was done, stretched like a madman when I was done, then retired to the couch for the evening. Total mileage: 5-6 miles - 400 splits were: 1:20, 1:17, 1:17, 1:17, 1:16, 1:17, 1:14, 1:12.

My goal with 400 repeats this fall/winter session is to make the 1:20's seem like 1:30's, so was pleased to see I pretty much hit sub 1:20's on this workout. Legs feel pretty decent after the hard workout, and will enjoy the easy mileage tonight and plan on going pretty slow and enjoying the fall day, assuming the rain ever stops!

Post Marathon Fatigue

Here are a plethora articles that have been accumulating in my internet cache that I thought were interesting. First, a good RW interview with Brian Sell, talking about his final marathon this weekend. Sad that this great runner is at the close of an amazing career, and he is truly an inspiration to all out there. On that same tangent, here is a nice little tribute piece for Sell, and basically who he is as a runner. Brian is a great guy and deserves the best, and I hope he goes out with a great marathon in NYC! Running times did a nice little article on the science of running and aging - pretty much after the age of 30, you lose the ability of VO2 consumption, so you have to adjust your training to this. Pretty interesting stuff though, and breaks down the science of it.

Next, an article by the NY Times pretty much criticizing slower marathoners, compromising the ideals of racing in a marathon. I do agree that "running" a marathon in 6-7 hours is pretty much a joke, and people need to understand that it is not just about walking 26.2 miles to get a t-shirt and a medal. The average marathon time has gotten slower and slower as the popularity of the event has increased, but hopefully there is still a great appreciation for the effort it takes to run a sub 4 hour marathon. Awesome interview with former NYC champ Hendrick Ramaala, as well as one with American running great Abdi Abdirahman. And finally, a CRAZY article about a 70 year old man that ran 18:11 in a 5K in England.

To the running - this weekend, got back at it with a pretty aggressive 3 days of running. Took Wednesday and Thursday off, so felt a bit guilty and definitely got in some mileage. Friday, weather looked crappy, so did a treadmill workout at Pat and Crystal's. I forgot how much I detested treadmill running, and I never felt comfortable. Started out at a decent clip, but increased speed as I went. Legs were deadened by the 4th mile, and my cooldown felt pretty hard. Just felt like I was running forever, and it shouldn't feel like that when I am doing a short tempo run. I will be minimizing treadmill work moving forward. Total mileage: 5 miles - splits were: 7:19, 7:08, 6:57, 6:46, 8+.

The parentals came in for a short stay before their trip to Hawaii, so had a nice dinner with them on Friday night. Drove them to the airport bright and early on Saturday morning, and went back to bed as soon as I got home. Woke up to some amazing fall weather, and went out on the trails to get in some work. Wanted to get in 8 miles, ended up doing an improvised 2X4 miles because I decided within the first couple miles I wanted to do it all around marathon pace. Put in a quick break in between just to alleviate any running stress. Felt pretty good, but then during the third mile started feeling some fatigue. At the turn around, stopped for a quick 3-4 minute breather, then took back off. Went out waaaay too fast coming back, tried to slow it down a bit but failed in my endeavors. Last mile was borderline tortuous, and was T-I-R-E-D coming in. Negative split was nice, but shouldn't have felt that tired - I have done this workout before pretty easily. Total mileage: 8 miles - splits were: 7:03, 7:05, 7:07, 7:04, 6:49, 6:55, 6:54, 6:39.


At night, went to Powell Symphony Hall to watch the cello God Yo Yo Ma perform. Absolutely AMAZING, I don't know how to explain perfection but if there ever is a musician that can sustain such levels it is him. I was absolutely spellbound and inspired by a man who exhibits such passion through the cello. His music is so complex, yet he makes it sound so simple, but it's so perfect. I wish everyone could see how he captivates audiences with his talents - it's spellbinding! After getting home, listened to his music on my Ipod while hanging out, then bed. Slept in, woke up and got ready for the long run. Weather was warm, and kind of windy. Did our typical GC trail route, but Crystal threw in a curve ball and wanted to get in hill work in the process so we went over to Meridian Rd. which is just all rolling hills. Legs were tired starting out, and wasn't feeling the best by the time we got to the crazy hills. Progressively got faster, and was not feeling too good. Had thoughts of stopping to rest, but kept going. At the turn around, felt the deadened feeling so told Crystal we had to slow it down coming back. Felt a little better, because it is somewhat net downhill coming back, and finally made it back on the trail where I could get a better tempo going. Got my legs back eventually, and had a little second wind with 3 miles to go which was nice. Last mile was not easy, and played all the mental games with myself. 3rd consecutive hard workout, 3rd consecutive workout where I had nothing left at the end. I don't remember having too many of these during our marathon training segment - too much, too soon perhaps? Total mileage: 12 miles - splits were: will update later, started at mid to high 8's, progressively got faster to 7:20's, last few miles were 7:40's then hit last mile in 7:11.

Ugh, 36 tough miles and was definitely a hard week. Will lay off the gas for the next 2 weeks and get in good workouts, but concentrate on getting good rest and getting my legs back!

Barrel and I at the Go St. Louis Halloween 10K last weekend which led to the craziest Sunday Funday ever!!!

400 repeats...

A few good articles I found this morning - first is about Kenyan marathon great Robert Cheruiyot and his aspirations for a NYC win. He has won multiple Chicago and Boston titles, and ran the Big Apple once in 2005 when he finished 4th. Next, is quote an introspective blog entry from Ryan Hall, who JUST missed being in a potentially nasty car accident during his training. Scary stuff for road runners everywhere, as you never know what can happen, so please be careful!!! Finally, a great Runners World interview with Meb Keflezighi. Meb is just a stand up individual and an amazing talent, and I hope he runs well in a few weeks in New York!

Yesterday, got in a nice workout after work. Scheduled 400 meter repeats, so was a little anxious to see where my legs were at after a week and a half of rest and light running. Weather was cool and windy, but just perfect fall weather. Did 2 up to the middle school track, and didn't push it at all - just listened to my IPOD and ran a reasonable pace. Got up the track, did a quick warmup, then hammered out my repeats. I am sort of following Hal Higdon's marathon recovery plan, where you basically do a reverse marathon taper, so only had 4X400 today. First one felt pretty good - felt fast, but in control. Hadn't really run this hard in a while, so felt different. Intentionally waited for my heart rate to drop to normal (~2-3 minutes in between reps) to make the workout a little easier - next week, I won't cheat as much. Settled in fast, flew through the 2nd repeat with no problem. 3rd, could feel myself losing form, so slowed it down the home stretch and worked on proper technique. Last rep, had a little fun with it, took off hard, then just settled in down the last straightaway without getting out of control. All in all, a very successful workout, and was pleased with my splits. Did 4 back - was only going to run back home, but was absolutely gorgeous outside and wanted to take advantage of the perfect weather :) Did a loop around town, picked it up a little on the last half, and enjoyed every step. Total mileage: ~7 miles - 400 splits were: 1:20, 1:18, 1:14, 1:11.

Legs were a little tired at the end, and my right glute and hamstring were sore most likely from the hilly route. Stretched a ton afterwards, felt pretty good otherwise. Tonight, will do some easy, slow mileage and hopefully enjoy some more nice weather :)