Big Racing Weekend!

New York Marathon field starting to shape up, some good runners doing ESPN's Body Issue, Makau aims for Olympic title, Chicago Marathon's elite field, Geb wants an earlier start to the Olympic marathon, higher temps suck, Sally Kipyego, Kenyan Olympic team needs to pick 1 more male (very controversial - many deserving runners that will be left out), Geb is motivated for more, German Fernandez on the comeback circuit, and the USA 10 Mile Championships this weekend.

Wednesday, September 28 - 9 miles (1 up, 7 mile tempo (45:50), 1 down). Important run for me, as I missed last week's tempo and needed to get in a good long tempo to see where I was at. Big River Wild Wednesday workout with Crystal and Tim on Grant's Trail. Nice weather, but the air was noticeably heavy. Kind of felt like poop, but made it out there and hoped to get in 6-8 miles at 1/2 marathon pace. Quick warmup with the group, then got under way. Felt great the first couple miles and ran with Crystal, but hit a few traffic lights which disrupted my rhythm. Fell off a little bit, and made the turn around feeling ok. Hit both stop lights again, which were killer, and was working hard to hit pace coming in. Last mile, felt a little better, but had some stomach pains which sucked. Made it in, thought about killing myself for 1 more mile, but called it a day. 1 mile cooldown with Crystal and Tim, and called it a day. Tempo splits were: 6:25, 6:26, 6:32, 6:41 (eek! Turn around, lost a few seconds from being lazy), 6:38 (stoplight), 6:35, 6:27. Feel ok about this workout, but was beating myself up a little bit for falling off pace (final avg was 6:32 min/mile). Big kudos to Crystal for hitting her 10 miler right at 6:25 min/mile avg pace, and Tim for hitting his 3x2 mile at 7:45-8 min/mile average pace.

Thursday, September 29 - 5 miles (44:53). Out and back on Old Faithful on a brisk fall evening. Ran with Pat and Crystal. Legs were heavy and left knee was bothering me a little. Negative split this every mile, albeit we started with a first mile of 9:12. Went 2 out and 2 back, but looped around the neighborhood for an extra mile. Original plan was 6 total, but both of us have some collective fatigue so cut back slightly.

Friday, September 30 - 4 miles (36:28). Early morning run with Crystal. Kept it at recovery pace to have fresh legs for tomorrow's 5K. Amazing how dark it is at 6 a.m., and this morning was cold and windy. Legs felt exactly the same as yesterday, which isn't the best sign, but glad to have the run out of the way. Skipped drills to conserve some energy.

Had a dream last night that Crystal and I finished 1-2 in tomorrow's 5K (Race for Lymphoma 5K). Would be awesome if that came true. Big weekend of races with my teammates Brian and Margaret Lyons running the Twin Cities Marathon for an Olympic Trials berth. Both have been killing their workouts, and have a great chance to do so. The USA 10 Mile Championships is also this weekend - Stephen Pifer is competing, so hoping he can finish high there. Good luck to all!

More Boston Commentary

Kenya's Olympic selection issues, Patrick Makau's rise to fame, Paula having surgery, chat with Nick Symmonds, almost a world record in Berlin, Moses Tanui predicts sub 2 hour marathon sometime in the future, high school rankings in Illinois, and the Boston Marathon registration breakdown.

I was upset about the Boston Marathon breakdown, but upon further thought I am 70% ok with them taking the best of the best within each age group range. My biggest beef with this is skimming from the 3:10 qualifiers - they should be rewarded! Toughest qualifying time to hit, and you are penalizing runners who ran 3:08:47 and giving runners who ran a good 5 minutes (and a lot more) and opportunity to get in. Just makes no sense to me. I understand that the age groups are given prorated times to give themselves better chances, but 3:10 equal for a 34 year old does not equal 3:15 for a 35 year old (ok I am being a little dramatic, but trying to make a point). So they should allow all the 3:10 runners to run the most prestigious road race in the world - reward the BEST runners, not just the best of the age groups.

Monday, September 26 - 5 miles + drills. Did SIUE Mud Mountain XC course run with Stephen and Brad on pretty dead legs. Their idea of easy run is not the same as mine, and the XC course is pretty hilly so was very challenging towards the end. Ran a loop of the course, then came back in and hit a couple more miles on it. Met up with Crystal at the track for drills afterwards - legs were pretty dead. Total mileage: 5 miles or so (36:02).

Tuesday, September 27 - 6 miles. Met up with Tim impromptu in Forest Park for a run around the perimeter of the park. Tired, so wanted to keep it slow. Absolutely gorgeous night out, and lots of people out and about. Kind of sucked that it is starting to get dark by 7, but I'll take what I can. Ran for an hour or so? Afterwards, went to some dumpy bar and grill (don't remember the name) to watch baseball, and made friends with the owner who gave us free shark appetizers!

Tempo run today. Pray for mojo

Makau - New World Record!

Stud - beat arguably the greatest runner ever in his world record efforts. Here is a cool look at his efforts versus the former world record - not taking anything away from Makau, but he did slow down a bit coming in, but still a world record nonetheless. Paula finishes 3rd in her comeback race, qualifying for the Olympics. Controversy with the women's world record, and Lagat and Simpson triumph in the Fifth Avenue Mile.

Friday, September 23 - 6 miles, too fast. Needed to get in a quick run before dinner, so headed out and did my Troy out and back loop. Felt pretty good, went waaaaaaay too fast and was more of a workout then it should have been. Went to Pi for my birthday dinner, then spent a fun night downtown which ended up in a very late night at Lumiere Casino. Last 4 mile splits were: 7:07, 7:07, 6:55, 6:08 (eek!).

Saturday, September 24 - 8 miles, too fast. Crapped out on trying to get in my tempo, so settled for 8 miles. Slept most of the day away, and got out pretty late. Same loop as yesterday, with a Village Circle mile and a mile added at the end. Pretty much was rolling out there, and never slowed down. Last mile, forced myself to slow down because I was going waaaay too fast. 7 mile split was 51:09, if that gives any indication.

Sunday, September 25 - 16 miles. Forest Park run with Crystal, Mike, and Coach Tim. Started from the Visitor's Center, went about 2.5 miles out on Lindell, then jumped on and toured the Rock n Roll STL 1/2 course. Legs felt pretty crappy starting out, and didn't get much better. Started picking up pace a little bit, then rolled through most of the back portion of the course which was rolling hills. Coach Tim broke off to head back, and we finished out the course then started it back up. Ran through the hood and many "fun" hills that should make the first 5 miles of the race pretty tough. Felt like complete garbage 11 miles into the run, and questioned if I could even make it in, but pushed through and got my second wind. Great morning to get out, had Rooster for breakfast with Megan and Crystal afterwards, then football at my place for the rest of the day. Berlin Marathon viewing party was a bust, as Universal Sports showed maybe 15 minutes of coverage and it was basically showing highlights. Still, a fun day. Total mileage: 16 miles - total time out was: 2:06:57 (7:56 average pace), Crystal mapped our workout out on Garmin Connect for those who are interested in the loop.

52 miles this week - very good, despite missing a key tempo workout. But plan on making it up this week, and have a 5K race at the end of the week in STL that will be a good speed tuneup.

Happy Birthday to me!

Blazing Philly 1/2, more about Philly, Rudisha loses in the 800?!?!, more success with Rupp/Salazar team, 44:34 in the 10 miler, chat with Galen Rupp,

Marathon rankings, year by year (awesome!!!), Paula, Paula, Mo, Mo, Mo in the marathon?, Jenny, Jenny, Jenny, 5th Avenue Mile this weekend, more about the 5th, and the Berlin Marathon this weekend as well.

Friday, September 16 - 6 miles. Did Troy route and back. Tired legs, intended on being pretty slow. Looked down at my watch and realized I was hitting 7:40 pace for a while, and needed to slow it down. Coming back home, spotted a bright neon yellow jersey and noticed that I was gaining. Saw 2 bikers in annoying orange jerseys and decided I was going to catch them. Hit a sub 7 minute split, then decided to maintain going in the last mile. I ran a 6:24 last mile - failed brilliantly in my endeavors, but a great easy run/impromptu workout nonetheless. 43 something - splits were: 7:40, 7:45, 7:20, 6:52, 6:24.

Saturday, September 17 - 4 miles. Went to go watch Pat and Crystal run the Run for the Hills 5k - PR's for both and the win for Crystal - congrats!!! Went home and ran a quick 4 before heading back out to St. Louis for Schlafly's Hop in the City beer festival. Awesome times, had a few too many adult beverages.

Sunday, September 18 - 0! Rain, rain, more rain, then just crapped out. Ugh

29 miles this week, terrible

Monday, September 19 - 6 miles + drills. Big River group run with Crystal and Tim. Drills at Dubough. Felt pretty tired, but got through. Timmy kicked hard at the end, so worked a bit to finish the workout.

Tuesday, September 20 - 6 miles. Caught up with Tim after work, and headed to Forest Park and did a loop around the park for an easy 6. Gorgeous evening, was fun to see so many people out. Very easy pace, we averaged 9-10 minute/mile pace.

Wednesday, September 21 - 46:51 on the Watershed Nature Trail. Got home late, my buddy Stephen Pifer was in town and texted me to see if I wanted to run, so met up with him impromptu and got in some miles with him and his friend Brad. Have been worn down from work, and the "easy" 45 minutes at high 6/low to mid 7 minute pace seemed a little more difficult lol Fun times regardless, and good to catch up. Got in somewhere between 6-7 miles I am guessing.

Thursday, September 22 - 4 miles. Happy Birthday to me! Easy run after work. First day of fall, overcast and cool. Loved every step of it (nice and slow, no watch). Out and back towards Troy, pretty standard. Afterwards, ran down to Global Tap with Pat, Crystal, Stephen, and Megan for a couple birthday drinks. Fun times!

Have delayed and put off this 8 mile tempo run, and hoping it gets done at some point this weekend. Feeling worn down from a rough work week, and ready for a relaxing weekend!

Rupp!

Galen Rupp is a stud, Great North Run this weekend, marathon training recipes, Chi Marathon field starting to bulk up, Paula, Berlin Marathon showdown, Mr. Kara Goucher chases Olympic qualifying, Deena Kastor running this weekend, Bolt aims for a fast time to end his year, and a Runners World chat with Tyler McCandless.

Wednesday, September 14 - 0! Major I.T. Band issues plus torrential downpour all day equals much needed rest day. Could barely walk, this happens from time to time where my I.T. bands flare up so stretch, stretch, and stretch.

Thursday, September 15 - 7 miles (2 up, 3 x 1 mile, 3 x 400, 1 down). Fall is right around the corner, and loving this cool weather! Worked late, then headed to South City to do my track workout at Bishop DuBourgh High School with Timmy. Dreading this workout, but the weather was awesome and had good company. Felt ok on the first mile, blah on the second, then was hanging on for dear life on the last rep. Legs were destroyed and was chafing like no one's business, so changed the scheduled 1000's to 400's. Felt progressively better as the reps went on - last one, went out quick, then turned on the jets on the last 150 meters for a fast split. Always fun to do that. Tim ran every other quarter with me (thanks Tim!), and did the 400 meter repeats as well. Slow cooldown back to his place. Good workout, I will take it. Mile splits were: 5:52, 5:49, 5:41. 400 meter repeats were: 1:28, 1:25, 1:14.

Easy mileage the rest of this weekend. Had thought about racing, but opting for basic mileage and resting my legs for an aggressive October!

Jenn-ay!

Jenny Simpson, Ryan Hall, Yohan Blake continues his mastery, U.S. strives for 30 medals in London, How money came into running, and the state of the marathon. Carbo loading rules, Bolt wins again, NYC Marathon field starting to shape up with Martin Lel and Emmanuel Mutai throwing their names in the hat, and Boston registration continues (as does the controversy).

Friday, September 9th - 10 miles (3 up, 6x1 mile tempo, 1 down). Planned workout with Crystal, and the rain made scheduling a little tricky. Wanted a 1 mile loop (as opposed to running circles all night), so settled on my trail 1 miler, since it was flat and no turns. Jogged down with Crystal from my place, and did an extended warmup thinking it would be better for later (it was - Good call C!). Planned workout was 7x1 mile at tempo pace (6:25-6:30) with 1 minute rest. Felt really good on the first few, but started to struggle afterwards. 5th rep - crashed pretty hard and had an awful split, and died a horrible death on the 6th mile. Stopped at the halfway point, ran it in with Crystal on her 7th rep at a pretty blazing pace. Legs were done, yuckity yuck. Not the best workout, but got as much out of it as I possibly could. Definitely still feeling the after-effects of Shane's wedding week(end), and it was a shock to my system to be running like this. Mile splits were: 6:23, 6:24, 6:23, 6:29, 6:34 (ouch!), 6:15 (3:20, 2:55).

Saturday, September 10th - 6 miles + drills. Late morning run with Crystal, legs were absolutely demolished. Drills felt awful. Very difficult run, amazingly done in 51 minutes or so but it was definitely rough. Sun was brutal coming in, but made it ok. Wedding over in Chesterfield - one of the coolest receptions I have ever been to at Kemp Auto Museum. Not a big car buff, but very classy and saw some awesome vintage automobiles and had a great evening.

Sunday, September 11th - 14 miles. Devin was home for the weekend, so we did an out and back on Old Faithful at 9 a.m. Legs were still mush, so made it a point to keep it slow. Weather was a little bit of a factor, as the heat moved back in. I knew this was going to be a struggle, as I still felt like crap 2 miles in. Kept a decent pace, and made it through ok but was definitely tired at the end. Kept thinking of 9/11 and the events of 10 years ago, and wasn't going to quit for one second. My watch strap broke with 1.5 miles to go, so was pretty pissed about that. Don't remember total time, but kept 8:40 min/mile pace. Spent the rest of the day welcoming back the NFL on my couch and enjoying every single second of the NFL Sunday Ticket! 47 miles this week - will definitely take it, considering travel week!

Monday, September 11th - 6 miles + drills. Delayed this one as long as possible because of the weather and crazy U.S. Open men's final (Djoko is ridic!), but eventually made it out with Crystal for our customary 6 mile run and drills. Not much to say - felt ok, a little better than the weekend for sure. 51:34 total time.

Tuesday, September 12th - 6 miles. Woke up to some painful I.T. band issues in both legs. Tried stretching, but definitely felt crippled throughout the day. Finally at 9 p.m., dragged my lazy carcass outside for some mileage. First mile was rough, but eventually settled in as I did my 4 mile Glen Carbon road loop for the flatter ground. Got chased by a dog, and ran into a dead skunk. Got home, did a very slow 2 miles (out and back to the trail) since I still felt like crap. Glad to get this in, long stretch session afterwards. 31:59 for the 4 miles - shut off the watch and jogged the final 2 miles at a really slow pace.

Legs are a mess today, and so is the rain. Planned track work is probably getting shifted back a day, as I recover from these nasty I.T. issues.

Mother Nature is no longer a hooker

Whew! Much to catch up on, so here we go! Is Bolt trying as hard as he can?, World Champion Jenny Simpson, Sarah Palin (my former employer) runs in Iowa, Hall is 4th in Virginia Beach, Geb goes for another Olympics, Mo Farah, and Boston registration opens on Monday :(

Monday, August 29th - 6 miles and drills. Had to think back about this one. Crystal, Tim, and I ran to the track on a muggy, humid evening. Kept it pretty slow, pretty tired and felt like poop. Don't remember the time.

Tuesday, August 30th - 10 miles (1 up, 4 x 1 mile tempo, 4 down). Late work dinner in St. Louis, so got ahold of Gabe and met him in Francis Park to work with him on his workout. Another warm evening in the 80's, and was battling some stomach issues from just having had dinner. He was hitting 10x1 mile at 6:00 min/mile pace, so after a small warmup I caught him halfway through. Tired, and had to work hard for the last one, especially as Gabe was taking off for a fast last mile. Long cooldown around the park a few times, nice night to be out and glad to get this workout in. Mile splits were: 5:50, 6:04, 6:00 (split), 5:58.

Wednesday, August 31st - 6 miles. I don't remember this run, but remember I was pretty militant getting in mileage before heading out to Washington D.C. for Shane's wedding.

198 miles for the month of August, 1389 for 2011.

Thursday, September 1st - 0! Planned on trying to get in some afternoon treadmill mileage, but alas work was too busy. Travel day, made it to D.C. with Megan and Tim for a fun wedding weekend!

Friday, September 2nd - 9.5 miles. Was staying at Josh's who lives in Columbia Heights (3 Northwest of the Mall). Intended on running out and back, but got sucked into the awesomeness of the Washington Monument, then decided to run the Mall towards the Capitol Building before heading back. Realized we were on Pennsylvania Ave., so ran over to the White House before heading back. Awesome morning of sightseeing, and hit up a few major points in the area. Running back was rough with the stop and go traffic, and going literally straight uphill for 2+ miles. Megan and Tim went with me, so a fun crew and we kept it at a slow pace. When we got back, probably walked at least another 3-5 miles in further sightseeing around D.C. (many, many more monuments, awesome times). Overcast day, but humid.

Saturday, September 3rd - 2 miles. Rehearsal morning, slept in too late because of a late Friday night, and did a quick 2 miles around Columbia Heights with Tim. Warm morning, felt like poop.

Sunday, September 4th - 0! Wedding day, just ran out of time from sleeping in yet again. Awesome day with all my friends, and got to stand up at the altar for one of my best friends. Congratulations Shane and Katie!!!

34 miles this week, not the best but not awful considering travel week. Scheduled off week, so not very upset.

Monday, September 5th - 0! Recovery day, the wedding and reception and bar crawl afterwards was pretty crazy.

Tuesday, September 6th - 4 miles. Long travel day back, but to some ridiculously AWESOME fall-like weather! Got out late, and jogged it slow. Felt like crap.

Wednesday, September 7th - 4 miles slow. First day back at work, felt like crap (residuals from the weekend?). Determined later that it was my allergies, and change of season. Time for a refill of Singulair! Auditioned for a Scottrade commercial (very random) in Webster Groves, then headed over a few miles to meet Timmy at Schlafly Bottleworks for dinner and drinks. Stayed late, as a result had a late night run that was very slow and very tiring.

Thursday, September 8th - 9 miles - 4 miles a.m. treadmill, 5 miles p.m. with Crystal (still need to be done). A.M. treadmill sucked - felt like complete garbage, and struggled to run. Absolutely zero energy. 30:44 total so probably a little fast, but haven't had a hard workout in almost a week and a half so shouldn't have been so bad.