Getting back to Boston

70 laps at MAFC after work, while the outside temp was 110. Even an easy fish was hard after 72 miles last week, but I got 'er done.

Up at 4:30 tomorrow to join the 5 a.m. group at Marketplace, then maybe do a double after work. Hopefully I sleep better tonight than last night, for sure.

Today was the hottest day recorded in Fort Smith history. So what did I do? I ran in it. Temp at 7 p.m. when I got off work: 113 (high was 115). I changed clothes at MAFCm, drove down to Creekmore Park and ran six laps, which really weren't all that bad. Very hot, obviously, but next to no humidity and a little breeze. Could have gone farther, and actually did stretch the run from four laps to six, but that was plenty to prove to myself that I could. Drove back to MAFC and did four miles on the track, with the last mile at MP. Very good run overall, completing 7.65 in less than 70 minutes. And the legs don't feel bad, almost an hour later. I'm pretty pleased.

133 lovely laps at the MAFC track after work. I got off to a rollickng start by forgetting to bring a headband, thereby ensuring I'd be half-blinded and/or have to carry a towel with me (both proved to be the case). Legs felt pretty good after yesterday's "double", so I stretched the originally planned 10K to 10M (plus I knew I didn't have to cook afterwards; Tyler and I had agreed to meet at a Mexican restaurant). So I probably needed to run 10 to make up for all the calories I was about to eat.

Anyway, maintained about 9:00 pace throughout until I put the hammer down in the last 16 laps or so. Not sure if it was MP or not, but it felt like it. Finished 10 in approximately 88 minutes, maybe a touch less.

Another Badwater run at Creekmore, this because I (a) worked late and (b) forgot to take running clothes and (c) MAFC closes at 8 on Friday. So I didn't have time to go home, get clothes, drive back and run. Thus I went to the store, got stuff for dinner, went home, changed, drove to Creekmore and ran seven laps. About 106 at the start, maybe 102 at the finish. Still hotter than, well, you know. But got it done.

5 a.m. at Chaffee, predawn fun. It was only 88 when I got out there. Fortunately, not too humid. I just finished last night's run at 8:30, so too quick a turnaround, and shut it down after 6.3 instead of going 8 or 9. That's OK. Twelve hours of work lie ahead. First, a short nap...

94 laps at MAFC this morning. Back and legs both very stiff at the beginning, so started very slowly. Took a stretch break after one mile, felt much better afterward, but still was barely under 9:00 pace. Until about five miles left, when some kid jumped on the track, started running and passed me. He got about 40 yards out front, slowed a bit, and I decided I was going to slowly reel him in. Which I did in about a half mile. When I passed him, he quickly stopped, but I kept going at the same pace, which felt about MPish. That took me the last 1.8 to the finish, roughly, at ~MP. Felt pretty good, actually. Total of 7.09.

Right after the run, T called me; Pupe had arrived to move him up to UA. So I showered, went home, we loaded the vehicles, took them to Fayetteville, unloaded and carried everything up two flights of stairs to his apartment (and then much of it up more stairs to his bedroom). A fairly concentrated 45-minute workout, but amazingly the back behaved. My foot slipped off the curb as I was carrying T's big TV back to the car (no place for it), but somehow I neither fell nor dropped the TV. I couldn't do that again if I tried.

Called the fix-up elves for more of their magic, plus I have a promise from Kay of a meeting and some other options I'm considering on my own. Just have to carry through with them. Somebody's out there; I'm pretty sure of that.

I'd planned to do 20 tomorrow, but I have to take the Prius in to get the dashboard display screen replaced. Maybe I run afterward, maybe I wait to Wednesday. We'll see how long it takes. After 7 plus a move, I'm quite pooped right now.

Easy 7.5 on the mill. Legs felt better afterward than before. Briefly thought about going ahead and doing the 20 today, the legs felt so good. We'll see tomorrow if I should have.

Some of this run might actually have been at MP, but if it was, it would have been the first eight miles or so. After that, the legs got very heavy very quickly. Definitely an HTFU type of run. Even had problems with the cartilage in the left knee for the last four miles, but sucked it up and got it done anyway. All I can say is I got the run done. Garmin wasn't charged and I didn't have a watch, but I think the run took roughly three hours. Will I be ready to run a good race in 38 days? Dunno.

Going to run with Cindy tomorrow. We'll see how that goes -- and how the legs work at 5 a.m. after 20 today. Don't think I need to worry about holding back to stay with her.

Up early to run with Cindy and two of her friends on Phoenix. Thunderstorm had blown through earlier, so it was fairly humid, but cool with a bit of a breeze. Really a nice morning for a run. Scenery wasn't bad either :) We ran about 9:45 pace going out, about perfect for a recovery run, then Cindy and Rose, I think her name is, put the hammer down for the last mile and I couldn't let them run off and leave me. So the last mile was sub-9. That's OK. Legs feel pretty good. I'll do a second run later, probably on the mill at MAFC. I'd like to get somewhere over 70 miles again this week.

Second run in the books, 6.42 on the mill in exactly an hour. Or should I say, I ran for an hour and the distance happened to be 6.42.

Easy 106 laps at MAFC. Don't know how easy, because I didn't wear a watch, but didn't seem to be any strain. I'm guessing it was probably 9:30ish average.

Went to Chaffee this morning and ran with the WAR crew after not much sleep. Temps were nice, around 70, although very muggy after overnight rain. I got 9.36 done at reasonable pace. May do a double this afternoon; this didn't seem to take much out of me other than that I'm ready for a nap. As it is, up to 62 for the week. With a double, 75 or even 80 is a possibility for the week.

Run 2: Easy run on the track at MAFC, squeezed in before they closed at 5. Got me to 15 miles for the day, but felt much easier that if I'd done 15 all at once. Three-hour nap didn't hurt either.

Back to MAFC today. Warm up for 1.5 miles, then mile reps on the mill: Four at HMP, one at 10KP, with 440 jog intervals. Then warm down on the track. Went better than I expected. Legs protested for the first rep, then got in gear, and cranking it up on the last rep was no problem.

Total for the week: 78 miles. Definitely feel better about my chances in Logan after this week. I still need a lot more speed work, including prolonged MP work, that I haven't done to date. But the speed work can start this week when my volume comes down.

Easy progression on the indoor track (pretty soon I'll be back at SHS; probably could be now, in fact). Started off really slow, 10:00ish, and gradually got faster. Last 0.7 were at MP or faster. Legs felt pretty good, once I got loose, didn't sweat too awful much, and I felt strong as I accelerated. So a pretty good run to follow up on 78 last week. Tomorrow, a double; Phoenix with Cindy and the crew in the AM, something at the gym in the evening.

5 a.m. run on Phoenix with Rose and Keith (Cindy didn't make it). Able to comfortably negative-split it, finishing with 9:21 average that didn't feel that fast. Distance 4.06. Probably a fish after work. Shower and nap first though.

Got in that fish, treadmill run with hills thrown in to spice things up (and because I've been short on hill work). Also did some weights before the run, working on the calves. Hoping a little extra strength will ward off the calf cramps. We'll see. Total of 5.31 miles in 50:00 even, 9.37 for the day. Both runs in the new Asics Speedstar shoes that arrived yesterday.

Not sure if I'll run tomorrow. That may depend on whether Cindy will be out for dawn patrol Thursday morning. I'm getting close to needing a day off, though. Have another new pair of shoes to try out, Kinvara 2s. Starting to wish I'd gone to 10s instead of 9.5, but maybe they'll stretch just a tad.

4 with the crew at Marketplace, including Cindy. Rose decided to pick up the pace with about a quarter mile to go, then we all did. Keith ended up outsprinting me, but it felt kinda good to go all-out like that. We'll see if I have anything left to do HMP on the mill tonight after work. We'll also see if Eve is at work after yesterday's little incident. Didn't get to talk to Cindy, so no update on status, but her quick exit afterward may not be good news. Or it just may mean she needed to be at work early. Dunno.

Tempo run after work, 4 miles at HMP in a 7-mile run on the mill. Went pretty well. Then I heard from Cindy. She's back with the ex, and has asked me not to run with the 5 a.m. group any more. So I guess that's over. Not a surprise, but still very disappointing.

Moderate progression on the track at MAFC. Felt pretty comfortable; close to MP for the last quarter mile but not quite. Work unusually light for a Friday, which is nice. Could use two more days like this to ease out of the week. Hoping to get about 10 tomorrow at Chaffee before work and 6ish on Sunday, which would put me close to 50.

Oh, man, this was ugly. No energy, no breakfast, no breeze, high humidity. Major, major bonk. A 10.6-miler felt like 30. Barely got to work on time after starting at Chaffee at 5 a.m. But it's done. Thinking very strongly about skipping tomorrow, but we'll see how I feel in the morning.

Mid-day, work day run (you figure it out). After first mile in 9:07, last six miles in 47:50. That would equal six miles at MP. Actually felt pretty good, one of those runs where I felt stronger after I finished than before I started. Fortunately, V didn't call (and if he had, my phone was dead) and no one paged until I was in the shower afterward. So that catapults me into the last week before TAPER MADNESS (Vinny Price laugh). Thinking a couple of good interval runs, an MLR maybe Tuesday, a long run next weekend with a nice chunk of MP, then cruise into taper for Utah. As if I'm not insane already.

Easy afternoon run on the track at MAFC, followed by whirlpool and a trip to stock up on gels. This evening, I may run to SHS and back. An easy double, but that will be 11 miles plus. Tomorrow, probably 15.

Yep, did that double. Really, really sweaty going to SHS. The new turf looks nice, but it's got ads painted all over it. I understand the economic necessities, but sheesh. High school football shouldn't be on sale to the highest bidder like that.

Progression run at MAFC. Felt really tight and slow for the first four miles, and the split confirmed it: 37:09. Then 35:18, 34:40, and the last split was 33:33. Total 2:20:42, average 8:47. Now to get horizontal for a while.

Morning workout consisting of some XT followed by easy 5.25 on the mill. Going back tonight for 6 or so with some hard progression.

I'm finally starting to feel like I'm going to be ready for TOU. My body feels like a marathon body again. About time, I'd say.

Body felt a little older when I went back this evening to finish the double. Really, really stiff. In spite of that, started to push the pace at about 4 miles and I'm pretty sure it was down around MP, although wasn't wearing a watch to confirm it. Did 81 laps, 6.11 miles, then got in the whirlpool. Again.

Good tempo intervals on the mill at MAFC. Warmed up for 1.5, stretched a bit, then did 3 at MP, recovered for a mile, 2 at HMP, another mile recovery, 1 at 10KP, then 1.5 cooldown. Total of 11 in less than 94 minutes. It really went better than I expected, especially when my legs were really tight during the warmup. That one-minute stretch break did the trick, and I had no further problems for the rest of the run.

That's also 84 miles in the last 8 days. If I'm not ready to run a good race at Logan, it won't be because I didn't put in some miles.

Got out this morning for a hill route: 66th, FF, behind Trinity, back home on Rogers. Back and legs were both very tight at the start. Back loosened, legs didn't. Hills ate me up. Might need to go to the gym this afternoon for 3 or 4 plus whirlpool. Right now, I'm at 55 miles. I should absolutely get 80+ this week.

I hate typing mileage in the "Easy Miles" box after a day like today. There was absolutely nothing easy about it. Struggle from start to finish. Humid, sunny, not much breeze, and I didn't feel good to start with. Just a miserable/sucktastic morning. But it's done, it's in the books, and it's TAPER TIME!!! In three weeks I'll be in Logan, and hopefully I'll be off the course and scrambling to find a computer to get registered for Boston by now.

But I'm also aware that I could have a bad day on the 17th, just like I had one today. Part of what goes with this obsessive pursuit, especially for us silverbacks who don't recover like we once did. Hopefully 20 days of taper is enough and the legs will be fresh on the 17th (cross fingers, knock on wood, etc.). Yeah, it's silly, but I'm just grateful to have a diversion in my life. And as of next Saturday, I'll have two: Razorback football season begins.

T's driving down from Fedvul some time today, don't know when. I'm willing to bet (it's 12:10 p.m. now) he's not even awake yet.

I seem to always follow a crappy run with a good one. Today was another example. Went to MAFC for a fish to shake off yesterday's 20. But as I got going, I felt pretty good, I went a little faster, and I felt a little better. So I ended up doing 110 laps, with the last two miles or so at basically MP or less. Wound up with a sub-9 average in spite of a cautious start. It also put me at 83 miles for the week, my second highest ever unless I'm forgetting something.

Legs felt every one of those 83 miles last week this evening. In spite of that, got in an easy fish on the track at MAFC. Pace was right at 9:00, which is just what I felt comfortable running tonight. Tomorrow, I'll try some 3K intervals at HMP on the mill and see how those work. Reserving the right to go to Plan B, of course.

Tempo intervals on the mills: 3 X 3K at 8.1 mph, with 440 jog intervals and 1.5 warm/cool. Went pretty well, legs felt comfortable and didn't have to strain to maintain pace. I feel like I need a rest day pretty soon, but probably will wait until Thursday just to get one more run in August, being the compulsive that I am. But I have to get up early to get to work by 7 for a meeting, so maybe I won't feel like running by 7 p.m.

Schedule said 9 with 3 at moderate progression. Wasn't sure I'd do any at mid-afternoon; my back was a bit sore. That eased off, and I decided to go ahead and run. But then the legs were really dragging. In spite of that, started off at about 9:00 pace and progressed, and the last two miles were at MP. But I started getting stomach cramps in the last mile, and given that I was not anxious to undergo a brown bear attack, I decided to shut it down after 8. Which got me to 270 for the month. Not bad for an old guy.

Probably a fish tomorrow, then take off Friday before AM runs on Saturday and Sunday to wrap up the first week of taper.