Post Boston Workouts

Have been enjoying the recovery week, and have squeezed in a few runs. Before getting to that, found a recap from Ryan Hall's blog about Boston that I thought was pretty cool.

Spent the weekend in Chi, then headed home to Peoria. Had crappy, rainy weather on Sunday, so didn't run. Rained all day on Monday, so took another break. FINALLY got out on Tuesday - ran a short loop around my parent's neighborhood, which is all looping hills - very similar to Boston. Thought I was getting closer to fully recovered, but realized very quickly that I was still pretty sore in areas that aren't affected by running flat surfaces, and definitely felt some pain by the end of the run. Didn't go too hard, just felt like poop when I was done. Total mileage: 3.5 miles - was out there for roughly 30 minutes.

Wednesday, finally got home. Weather was pretty nice, and forced myself out the door after a long nap. Felt ok, did an out and back on the trail. Pretty windy, and it was super downwind coming home which was nice. Probably went faster than I should have, and started to feel slight fatigue. Last mile, some girl on a bicycle was riding and talking on her cell phone and going in the same direction, so I decided I didn't want this goofball going faster than me so I picked it up a few notches. Blazed by her, I think she was definitely surprised to see a runner going faster than her, so she noticably picked up the pace. Well, because I am retarded and waaay too competitive, decided to make a race out of it and pretty much dusted her. Albeit, she could have really picked up the pace at any point and probably easily smoked me, or maybe she was just that slow on a bike. Either way, was fun to run like that since I haven't really done speed since early March, but my stride felt awful and my turnover just sucks right now. Lots of work to be done. Total mileage: 5 miles - ran for 33-34 minutes.

Thursday, got home after work and did a ton of errands. Once again, had a nice day to run so waited for it to cool down a little. Super windy again, legs were pretty tired so made it a point not to go too fast. Of course, a mile into the run, I had to pull the reigns and force myself into going much slower. My body wants to go, but it can't - it's such a weird feeling. Did my regular out and back, felt decent but legs are still heavy and deadened. Total mileage: 4 miles - no idea how long I was out there, guessing I averaged about an 8 minute pace.

Will do some light running this weekend, hoping to get in a long run on Sunday with Crystal. Kind of targeting a local 5K in town next weekend, but really need to feel better if I decide to do so. Will do a basic track workout next Tuesday (actual workout TBD) to gauge if I'm somewhat ready to race again. TGIF!!!

Boston Reflections

Here are a few quick thoughts about this last weekend and the Boston Marathon:

1) I will be back in 2011, as I am qualified for the 115th Boston Marathon as well. I am officially announcing this, barring any freak injuries/incidents (knock on wood). Tim, get qualified, this is probably going to be my last Boston as I have no plans to run a hard marathon in the near future.

2) On that tangent, I will see you again Wellesley girls :) That was a pretty crazy scene, and it's difficult to explain in words that experience. You could literally hear the roars a mile past that section, and it was just insane! I'll be back, and bringing more friends this time. Yes, this means you, Tim!

3) The Boston race experience is absolutely all I would thought it would be, and more. The city is so passionate about this event, and the people are absolutely amazing. The spectating was out of control, despite not having the sheer mob-like numbers like New York or Chicago, and I was completely awestruck running through downtown. The intensity and passion were palpable, and I ran pretty much the last 8 miles of that race getting chills from the experience. It felt like I was floating down Boyleston down that final stretch. One of my greatest experiences in life ever :)

4) I had a lot of anxiety going into this race with the inconsistent training segment, but was proud to have run a decent race where I didn't kill myself, and run a very solid time. It was very special to run this race with Shane and Crystal, whom we all qualified together in Chi 09, and I was ecstatic to have Shane run with us for over 14 miles as that was not his plan whatesover - hopefully that didn't take away from his race experience to run a lot harder than he planned. I'm especially proud of Crystal for running a smart race, and really digging deep towards the end when she was struggling. Unless you've been there, you have no idea how bad your mind and body are working against you in that situation, and it takes strength beyond strength to power through that. Was especially poignant to run the entire race with her, and cross the finish line together with our hands in the air. It was very fitting, as we have trained for almost 3 years straight together, and hopefully more to come.

5) Thank you to all that supported me through this very difficult but fun quest. It seemed like a long time ago when I made my "stellar" 4:49 Chicago Marathon debut, and I feel like I've certainly come a long way since then. Thank you Ben for letting me wear the Big River colors to Boston, and for all the great advice/workouts you have given me the last couple years. You have truly made me a better runner. Thank you Marc, Josh, Barrel, Trish, and Katie for coming out to see us run and support us. We had an amazing group out there, and was one of the most fun weekends I have ever had :) I am lucky to have such great friends. A special thanks to Pat who has put up with years of the same conversations concerning Boston (jacket/apparel controversy, qualifying time arguments, etc.) but has been there to support for almost all my major races, and my sister who has been my main supporter and rock in my running career. I couldn't have done this without her.

6) It was always my Mount Everest to qualify and compete in Boston. Now this is accomplished. I still can't believe it happened. If this is a dream, I hope I never wake up.

Spending the weekend in Chicago to help celebrate Anne's birthday! Haven't done too much running this week, and am still basking in the glow of running Boston on Monday :) Stairs were an issue the first few days post marathon, but I have been walking ok. To be honest, I have gotten a little antsy, and recovery has been ahead of schedule so have worked in a couple runs.

Thursday night after work, went for an easy run with Pat and Crystal. Did out and back on the trails, more specifically the flatter route that we do. Legs were tired, and my quads were definitely still sore and very heavy. Kind of shook off some rust on the first mile, and picked it up slightly coming home. Felt better when we were running faster, for some weird reason. Glad to be running again. Total mileage: 2 miles - splits were: 9:23, 8:30 (I think?)

Drove up to Chi last night, and hung out with Anne, Ben, and met up with my boy Ryan down in Wrigleyville for some drinks. Woke up this morning, decided to do a quick Lakeshore run. Overcast and spitting rain over in Chi this weekend, but windy and cool. Felt pretty loose, hit the first mile a lot faster than I thought I was going, and just kept with it. Legs still have some residual soreness and basic fatigue, but felt nice to pretty much be running regularly again. Kind of got carried away coming back - downwind, and was just enjoying running on my favorite trail ever. Probably went way too hard, but felt loose and just great in general. I love Lakeshore - could run here everyday. Total mileage: 4 miles - splits were: 7:20, 7:25, 6:55, 6:23 (oops!)

Legs are slightly tired, but will stretch through it. Plan on easy running for another week, then start ramping it up again after this minor rest period. Thinking about racing a local 5K on May 8th to jump start my summer racing. But am in the process of reaccessing my goals for the rest of 2010, and enjoying post marathon rest time :) As most of you know, I am very goal orientated, and if I don't have something to aim for then I won't stay motivated too long. Because my marathon career is pretty much in the twilight stages, I need to pick a major fall/winter race to aim for and conquer. For now, looking like my 1/2 marathon time needs to be lowered a bit...

Boston Marathon Recap

Robert Kiprono Cheriuyot won the 114th Boston Marathon by SHATTERING the course record in 2:05:52. He dropped a negative split, and was a pretty damn impressive performance. Some are considering it one of the greatest races of all time, which I think it pretty accurate - Boston is net downhill, but it is punishing and not particularly a fast course. Ryan Hall finished 4th overall, but set an American course record in the process.

Well, you've been waiting for it, so here is the weekend recap from an AMAZING time in Boston. Friday night, flew in with Pat, Crystal, Barrel, and Trish. Boston was cold and windy, entirely what I wasn't expecting especially since we were leaving 70-80 degree temps from STL. Didn't pack much warm clothes other than my Big River jacket and hoodie. Checked in our hotel, then walked over to a restaurant called Joe's American Bar and Grill and had a great dinner :) Met up with Anne, and my friends Marc and Josh who had also made the trip, and had a few drinks at a bar closeby, and caught up in general.

Saturday morning, woke up early and ran to the Marathon Expo with Pat and Crystal. Pretty surreal, finally hit me when we were talking into the Hynes Convention Center that this was happening! Picked up our bib, did a little shopping in the process (bought the coveted Boston Jacket!), then grabbed a quick lunch. Met Steve DeKoker from Brooks, which was pretty awesome, and he hooked me up with some Brooks schwag that I will definitely be using! Pat, Crystal, and I went for a 3 mile run around the city, and was pretty cool running through downtown and just checking out all the buildings and general sights and sounds. Legs felt relaxed and good, and right where I wanted to be. After that, walked around the city doing the touristy stuff, ran by Mike's Pastry which everyone MUST go experience if you are in Boston! Had the most amazing riccata florentine cannoli EVER :) Met up with Shane and Katie, who bussed in from Cape Cod (they were with Katie's parents up there), and grabbed dinner with the group over in the North End of Boston. Drinks at a local bar afterwards, watched the thrilling 20 inning Cards-Mets game, and talked with some of the locals and runners - had a blast!


Boston Marathon Jackets over the years

Me, Josh, Marc, Pat, and Crystal in front of the Paul Revere Statue

Group dinner

Sunday, went downtown with Trish pretty early, since she was running the BAA 5K. Started and ended on Boyleston, where the marathon ends, so got to get an up close and personal look. Pretty fun race, Trish ran a PR and looked very strong at the finish! Josh Cox ended up winning in 14:30, and saw Joan Benoit Samuelson run around 18:20 as well. Got breakfast with her and Barrel over at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, which was conveniently located right across the street from our hotel. Within that huge area is a building called Quincy Market, which is pretty much an enormous food court with just a ridiculous amount of options to eat. We spent a ton of time over in this area doing general shopping and eating. Afterwards, took a quick power nap, then headed to Fenway Park for the Red Sox game! Fun times, very cold and rainy, but still got to experience a fun game and sing Sweet Caroline! Grabbed dinner at Tia's on the Waterfront, which was conveniently located right next to our hotel, worked out logistics for the race tomorrow, then crashed out pretty early.

Trish and I before her race

Barrel and I at Fenway Park!


Race Morning

Slept like a rock, first time ever on the night before a marathon. Usually a bundle of nerves, but was very relaxed and calm. Woke up around 5, walked outside and did a quick shakeout jog and tried to get a feel for the conditions later that morning. Looked like it was going to be pretty sunny and windy. Went inside and changed, ate a yogurt, then met up with Shane and took off for Boston Commons to ride the bus to Hopkinton. Got to Athlete's Village, chilled over there for a couple hours and relaxed. Eventually checked in our bags, then did the 3/4 mile walk to the start.


At the Start

Lined up in Crystal's corral - was smashed in there pretty tight. Very sunny at this point, then started to get the butterflies which was a good thing believe it or not. Shed my extra layers, then just tried to get mentally focused for the trek back to downtown. Felt good, talked a little with the other runners and just soaked up the moment. They did the national anthem, a fly by (wicked cool), then the gun went off!

Race Report

The beginning of the race is pretty cool - we walked up to the top of the hill, then started, then it is pretty much downhill for a while. You can see the sea of runners in front, and the roads are pretty narrow so it's quite the sight. Felt ok, there was so much congestion that is was difficult to pass people and spent a little energy weaving in and out. Started to sweat a bit around mile 2 and was getting nervous about it since I had hydration issues the last few weeks of training, but everything felt ok otherwise. [First 5K Split: 22:55]

You go through a few small towns, and the scenary is pretty laid back. Crowd support was decent, and was making it a point to high five all the little kids that were spectating. Was having fun running with Shane and Crystal, and we were pointing out weird things on the course and getting into a decent groove. At the 10K mark, took a great picture of us doing the Usain Bolt pose - was just having a blast in general. [2nd 5K Split: 22:56 - 10K Split: 45:51]

At this point, we were pretty much running exclusively downhill, with the exception of some slight uphills but basically running down a mountain. Legs felt ok at this point, and was making it a point to hydrate a bit (gatorade, then water) since it was really sunny and borderline hot when the wind wasn't blowing. Shane was wearing a green Shamrock shirt, which everyone and their mothers were calling out to him. Got a few Big River shout outs, actually saw a guy wearing a Big River shirt in the crowd and gave him a thumbs up. Just motoring along at this point - everything still felt easy. [3rd 5K Split: 22:48 - 15K Split: 1:08:39]

Course finally levels out a bit, but still not too bad. Was enjoying the run, and felt great at this point, and Shane and Crystal both were there. Noticed Crystal grabbing at her side, and found out later that she was cramping a bit. Finally made it to Wellesley and the screaming tunnel which was pretty overwhelming. Shane and Crystal both said I had the "deer in headlights" look, and I was just in shock at the sight of all these screaming coeds. Swooped in midway through to kiss one of the girls, then went in for seconds shortly after. Had so much fun, could have stayed there forever. I will certainly make a longer cameo next year :) Probably expended some energy starting and stopping like that, and could feel my legs getting tired. [4th 5K Split: 22:56 - 20K Split: 1:31:35]

Hit the halfway point, legs were starting to feel a bit beat up from all the downhill running. Crystal was looking strong, Shane told me he was probably dropping off around mile 15. Right around 14.5, lost him, and just kept moving forward with Crystal. My mind was starting to try to play tricks on me, and I knew I was starting to struggle a bit since my quads were tired and we hadn't hit the Newton Hills yet. Just hang on, one mile at a time, I kept telling myself. [5th 5K Split: 22:41 - 1/2 Marathon Split: 1:36:33 - 25K Split: 1:54:16]

Was starting to have a little mental breakdown, since I really didn't think I should be feeling this tired this early. Made it a point to try to navigate to mile 18 with Crystal, then thought I was going to let her go since I wasn't feeling too hot. Hit a big hill at 17, made it through ok and started to get a second wind, thank God. Crystal said to me that she wanted to not go too aggressively on the hills, which I was fine with since I knew we could make time up on the downhills coming up. Started to feel a little better, had to dig deep but was winning the battle. [6th 5K Split: 23:35 - 30K Split: 2:17:51]

Told Crystal we were breaking down this race into parts - let's get to mile 20, then we'll break it down mile by mile. She told me she was feeling nauseated on the hills, which we agreed to sustain our strategy of taking the hills easier. Hit Heartbreak Hill, which looks pretty intimidating after running 20+ miles and seeing the sea of runners climb up this beast. Was getting through it, picking out landmarks to get to along this mountain, but stopped with Crystal for a little bit to get her legs back. Climbed to the top, then hit a huge downhill which we completely flew down. I was scared to stop at any point, since I wasn't sure I could restart, but felt ok. Ran through Boston College, which smelled like a fraternity house the next day after a huge party, and looked on wistfully as the undergrads were doing keg stands. [7th 5K Split: 23:58 - 35K Split: 2:41:49]

Marc giving me a high-five at the top of Heartbreak Hill


Stole this from Scott Dunlap's Blog, but this is Crystal and I a little past Heartbreak Hill!

Knew Pat and Anne were going to be around mile 22, so braced myself for the adrenaline boost. It was jammed back everywhere at this point, so we thought we missed them but then heard Pat screaming our names, then saw them! Definitely picked it up slightly from this point on, and the course was pretty much downhill here on in. Our pace had dropped off slightly, but I knew we were golden once we hit mile 23. Was talking to Crystal, trying to keep her spirits up since I knew she was struggling a bit. Hammed it up with the crowd, was getting really jacked up and just enjoying the moment. [8th 5K Split: 23:53 - 40K Split: 3:05:42]

Looked at my Garmin, was doing the calculations for what time we could hit. Told Crystal that we were going to have to work a little the last mile or 2, but to stay focused and it was all heart at this point. Crowds were amazing, and I was applauding them along the way which was getting some fun reactions. Made our way past Fenway, then Crystal seized up and grabbed her hamstring which I was like uh oh. Luckily, was just a minor twinge/cramp, and after a short walk break she said she was going to finish this hard even if she had to throw up. Made the turn onto Boyleston, was overwhlemed at the sight and sounds. You could see the finish straight up, and I told her we worked hard for this moment and to enjoy it. Raised my fist in the air about 100 yards out, crossed the finish line with Crystal holding our hands in the air. [Marathon Time: 3:16:32]

Down Boyleston, realizing I was almost done!


Peter Kim M30

Clock Time 3:22:20

Chip Time 3:16:32

Overall Place 3877/28600
Gender Place 3490/?
Division Place 2175/?

Pace 7:29/Mile

Final Thoughts

Wow! Finished the Boston Marathon! Was everything I thought it would be, and more! Definitely on cloud nine the entire rest of the way, and couldn't wipe the grin off my face :) Shane met up with us shortly - he finished in 3:21:44, hell of a time for him! Excited to have done with all with him and Crystal, and couldn't have scripted out a better finish for all of us. Got our medals, met up with everyone else after an AMAZING meal at Atlantic Fish Company on Boyleston, and celebrated like kings. Talked to a lot of the locals and other runners that night, really had fun with it and enjoying our new label of "Boston Marathon Alumn". Got to meet the great Bill Rodgers at his running store the next morning. Super nice guy, gave some nice words of encouragement. Would like to see him next year :)

So had another successful group trip, and will rest up this week and reaccess my goals for later this year. I haven't had much time to really think about the weekend, but I will summarize my final thoughts later this week.

Jackets and Medals!

Kissing our team captain

Race night celebration!

Leaving for Boston tomorrow!

Well here we go, down to the last 4 days! Getting super pumped for Boston, and really looking forward to enjoying this experience that I've worked so hard to get to. Really excited about the elites - here are a couple Ryan Hall articles here and here. Hoping he can pull it together and pull off a win - would be the first American runner to win Boston since 1983!

Monday, ran with Pat and Crystal with the Big River Monday Group run. Did roughly 4.5 miles in 38-39 minutes. Felt pretty tight and definitely tired from my Sunday pacing duties. Weather was hot, but cooled down as we ran since it was getting later in the evening. Talked with Ben afterwards and adjusted our running schedule for the week per his advice.

Tuesday, changed scheduled 800's to easy run. Ran after work when it cooled down a bit. Just did an out and back on the trails - felt really tight and crappy in general starting out, but shook out the bad and felt 100% better coming back home. Picked up the pace a little, legs felt pretty loose which was nice. Total mileage: 5 miles - didn't wear a watch.

Yesterday, did our final Boston workout with Crystal on the trails. 2X3 miles at a little faster than marathon pace, 5 minute break in between. Weather was nice and sunny, and picked the Home Depot route on the trails which has rolling hills. Wanted to simulate a little, so thought this was a good idea. Went out feeling pretty good, tried to control the pace and really let my body remember what a solid 7:15 pace felt like. Short break, came back and felt pretty good. Turnover was solid, the only slightly alarming thing was I was pretty convinced we were flying back, but pretty much hit pace. My internal pacing clock is waaay off, as I haven't done much speedwork/pace work since early March. Slight negative split, workout felt pretty easy. Total mileage: 6 miles - splits were: 7:12, 7:08, 7:20, 7:15, 7:11, 7:07.

Well, all we have left is easy mileage. Going to try to get in something really easy tonight. Off-day tomorrow. Group run on Saturday (low mileage), then possibly easy on Sunday. Leaving for Boston tomorrow afternoon with Pat, Crystal, Barrel, and Trisha!!!

Almost there!!!!

Exactly 1 week from now, I should be in the wonderful arms of the beautiful women of Wellesley :) Can't believe we're almost there! Browsed through the running websites this morning - saw that Patrick Makau took victory in the Rotterdam Marathon in 2:04:48, which is becoming one of the fastest marathons out there with 3 of the top 4 fastest times ever! Here is a nice Runner's World interview with Meb, and finally a recap of the STL Marathon which was yesterday morning.

Not much running this weekend - Friday, scheduled day off. Did an abbreviated jog on Saturday, but didn't go too far because my back was killing me and was just blazing hot. Sunday, woke up early to go cheer the runners for the Go St. Louis Marathon. Met up with Pat and Crystal, and we went to Forest Park to meet up with Mike and Tom since Crystal and I were assuming pacing duties. Temperatures were pretty hot (70-80), and it was sunny outside so I quickly shed my shirt. We saw Mike not too far past the 3:10 pace group, so I jumped in and ran with him. He was cramping a bit, so we dropped pace and just tried to work it out for him. We weaved through Forest Park, through Clayton, then through U City all of which is pretty hilly. Not much shade, so didn't get easier. Got him to downtown, and let him take the reigns the last mile. Mike finished hard and really gutted it out when it was clearly not a good day to run. I've been in his shoes when your quads are just seized up and can't move, so I'm proud that he dug deep and finished strong in a very respectable time. Also, a hearty congrats to Tom who BQed by a whisker - coach Crystal worked him like a dog, but he dug deep and hopefully he will be joining me in Boston next year!!!

Hit a few extra miles later to get to around 15 for the day - when I ran back home, was very embarrassed to have the crowds cheering for me even though I wasn't racing! Ran into Ben on the course - found out that the Big River team had won both the men and women's race - congrats to Karl Gilpin and Julie Lossos!!!! (finish photos above) Got home, rested up and watched the thrilling Masters final round. Legs were a little tender after the hilly run, so thinking Boston may be pretty brutal since this was a good simulation. Talked with Shane and Tim, both of whom had raced that morning. Both dropped massive PR's in their respective races - Tim ran 1:39:21 in the Platte 1/2 Marathon, and Shane ran 1:07:27 in the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler - absolutely amazing performances by both, and absolutely jacked that they both killed it. Both are making huge strides in their running, and I really need to pick it up on my end or they will be kicking my butt in future races!

Doing easy mileage at the Big River Monday group run, then 800 repeats on Tuesday. Not pushing too hard this week - lots of food and rest and stretching. 1 more week!!!

Fall Marathons

Wow, just browsed through some of the running news - Saw that Meb and Deena are already committed to NYC, and Ryan Hall just committed to Chicago! Super cool, excited to see how the Americans fare in those later marathons.

On to running - Tuesday, got home pretty late from work. Didn't have to energy to do hills, so did a loop around town instead. Felt ok, was super windy and kind of humid so didn't push too hard. Total mileage: 5 miles - no idea of time or pace.

Wednesday, got home late again. Didn't really feel like doing hills yet again, but had a much cooler evening to felt pretty nice. Did out and back towards Troy on the trails, and pretty much ran very leisurely. On the way back, noticed a guy gaining massive ground on me, so picked it up and had an impromptu "race" since I didn't feel like getting passed and hadn't run much speed lately. He kept pushing, I kept gapping - had lots of fun with it, and felt good. Definitely hit sub 6 on that mile, jogged the rest in. Total mileage: 5 miles - not sure of time, but definitely averaged sub 8 minute miles overall.

Yesterday, got in a late workout with Crystal. Decided to do hills since it was such a nice evening. Hit up a newer part of the trail off the GC route, and jogged around there to check out the lay of the land. Found a decent hill that was a little less than a quarter, and did repeats on that. Tried to keep in 10K pace, but sped up as we always do. Ran 3 hills up and down, hit around 54-55 seconds up, 50-52 going down, felt really good. With the warmup and longer cooldown, hit about 4 miles total.

Day off today, something easy tomorrow, then pacing Mike in the Go St. Louis Marathon on Sunday (~12 miles at pace)! Supposed to be high 70's and sunny, not the best conditions for a marathon but we'll battle through it. Good luck to all the runners this weekend!!!

Massive Update

Sorry this is so tardy, has been a pretty ridiculous week so far, and doesn't look like it's slowing down! First, a few fun articles I found - this one is basically a "State of the Union Address" for marathon running in 2009. Marathon runners beat the recession! Next, a quick Runner's World interview with Ryan Hall - he hasn't had the most ideal 2010 yet, but he's working hard and hopefully he can pull something out in Boston. Finally, a preview of the elites for Boston. Very cool - not sure about the women, but thinking Merga and Hall have to be the favorites.

On to running - last Friday, went for a quick run after work. Sunny and warm outside, but felt decent for the most part. Did my customary out and back towards Troy, just went out there and felt amazing. Probably went a little fast, but really felt good. Total mileage: 6 miles - time out was 46-48 minutes.

Saturday, long run in the morning - last 20!!! Was supposed to rain, but we didn't get any of that - just a lot of sun later in the run. Started out pretty slow, felt decent and was moving ok. Had some stomach ailments, so made a quick rest stop and had to catch up with Crystal, much like our last 20. Picked it up considerably to catch up, and was kind of gassed when I caught her 5 minutes later. Started having some major cramps, and pretty much was hurting bad. To make a long story short, suffered through the next 6-7 miles with what could best be described as a knife pushing into my abdomen. Really had to dig deep, which is not ideal on what is usually an easy long run. Didn't want to stop for the fear that I wouldn't start again, so just tried to tough it out. Eventually got to the home stretch - felt better after GU and a ton of Gatorade, but was still considerably dehydrated. Picked it up the last couple miles, just wanted it done. Total mileage: 20 miles - splits were: 9:13, 9:05, 8:37, 8:42, 8:25, 8;28, 8:19, 8:22, 8:26, 8:04, 7:47, 8:17, 8:19, 8:19, 8:08, 8:02, 8:19, 8:04, 7:54, 7:41.

Easter Sunday, was supposed to do 10 easy, and started in the morning. Sunny, hot, and humid - quickly realized it wasn't going to be my day, and I just don't enjoy running in the humidity at all. Probably went out too fast - on the trails, was running directly into the sun so was kind of uncomfortable. Turned around early, decided to cut this run in half and maybe try to get the rest in when it cooled down. Starting to get to that point where I'm going to have to wake up pretty early if I want to get in a morning run. Last mile was way too fast, but I wanted to comforts of my air conditioning and WATER. Total mileage: 5 miles - total time out was 37:06 (last 2 miles were 7:20, 6:46). Had an amazing Easter dinner at Crystal's parents house, and was so stuffed I couldn't move. Thus, the run wasn't finished but I wasn't overly upset. 46 mile week - eh, I'll take it, but wish I could have pushed through 50. The week started off good, but kind of struggled towards the end. Marathon taper was officially underway!

Yesterday, ran with the Big River Running Monday Group - did the mid loop, roughly 4.5 miles. Ran with Pat and Crystal, didn't push too hard but legs were noticably tired. Ran for about 34-35 minutes. Tonight, hill work with Crystal - not going to push it too hard, and hopefully it cools down a bit!

Winding down this week...

This week is flying by, and it's crazy to think that my taper starts next week! I've been reading so much stuff about Boston online, and basically absorbing as much information as I can. This year's race for the elites should be amazing again, as the field is absolutely stacked! Just read the 4 time Boston champion Robert Cheruiyot is out for this year's race because of injury - when he is healthy and in shape, he has proven to be one of the greatest runners out there, so this is good news for the rest of the field. Found Ryan Hall's blog coming into this marathon, which I thought was pretty interesting. Also, an analysis on what kind of race Hall might run this year - I hope he goes out aggressive. That is the type of runner he is and if he is having a good day and feeling well, then you have to consider Hall a legitimate threat to win.

Running this week has gone ok for the most part. Ran with the Big River Group on Monday - did the 7 mile loop around South City with a few other runners and Crystal. Perfect night to run, in the 60's, and sunny. Pretty scenic running through the neighborhoods and surrounding community. Didn't really push it at all because of tired legs, and had good conversation with the people we ran with. Always nice to run with a group - everyone there is super nice, and I plan on doing again soon. Total mileage: 7 miles - guessing we averaged around 8:20-8:30 miles.

Missed Tuesday's run all together, and just switching off days with Friday. Yesterday, got out after work to do my scheduled track work. Weather was HOT, high 70's/low 80's, sunny, and super windy. Did 2 up to the track, then jumped into the 800's. Felt ok, but was struggling a little with the heavy winds. Encountered some problems with the family that was hanging out on the track. On my 1st rep, there was a kid that kept drifting into the fast lane, so had to avoid him on every lap. 2nd rep, his mom and daughters decide to start walking on the track (seriously who hangs out at a middle school track, go to a park or something!!!). Of course, the mother picks the fast lane to walk in, and the kids are running all around everywhere. Absolutely collide into one of the kids, the mother shoots me a dirty look (wtf), she refuses to give up the fast lane so I have to avoid her again. 3rd rep, more of the same - narrowly missed a bad collision with one of the kids, clip another one, and almost nailed the third. The mother is now in between lanes as I approached her, so I call "on your right" and what does she do? Moves right into me. Another dirty look from her (seriously, wtf). God forbid a runner is actually using running facilities to work out! I was obviously losing this battle, so do a quick 4th rep (zig-zagging everywhere, mind you), and gave up. Jogged back home, did 2 more miles with a few surges in there to make up for the abbreviated workout. Legs were pretty dead - stretching and corework afterwards, dinner at Pat and Crystal's to end my night. Total mileage: 8 miles - 800 splits were: 2:57 (absolutely screwed up the 2nd lap, went through 400 at 1:24), 2:51, 2:52, 2:49.

Pretty aggravated at dealing with all that yesterday, may just be doing track work late at night from now on to avoid these headaches. Lots of easy mileage the rest of this week, last 20 on Saturday, and getting closer and closer to taper time!!!