Getting back to Boston

Worked from 6:30 to 11, then tried to take a nap (unsuccessfully), then we met T for a late Mexican lunch, then I fixed our leaky washer. Only then did I get a chance to run. Started at 4:15 at the Mud Creek trailhead. Down Mud Creek to Scull Creek, then to Frisco Trail. At the end of Frisco, turned right on to MLK and headed for campus. Turned up Garland and ran up the hill behind T's dorm (calling him as I did so, and he saw me running out his dorm window). Wound around campus, back down Razorback to MLK (only then reaching the halfway point) and back out MLK to the end of Frisco. Then returned from whence I came. When I got back to the car, the Garmin read 18.9. So, being the OCD I am, I kept going, 0.55 up Old Missouri and west on Joyce, then turned around and ran back to the car. A little extra loop around the parking lot at the trailhead left me at 20.06 in 2:57. A definite negative split -- first 13 miles were a little over 9:00 pace, last 7 were well under 9, and some of it approximated GMP.

A pretty darn good 20 mile run, IMO, especially given that I worked both days this weekend and went to the football game and did a few other things other than run both days (which I also did).

Easy run, followed by 10 hill sprints. I get back in the door and my wife exclaims, "that was fast!" Well, actually it was 56 and change for 6.09, including the hill sprints on the street outside the house. I'm encouraged by how easy it is to run at decent pace; that pace tonight felt really easy, even up the hills, of which there were plenty around JBH.

Got a tad tipsy last night on wine when Deb and Brian came over for dinner. So instead of running, I went to bed and slept it off. (Yes, I'm a lightweight, although not normally THAT bad.) After 11 good hours (which I really needed to put some Zs back in the sleep bank), I felt better today and tonight took it out for a hard interval run, what Jack Daniels calls an I run. Six 600-meter intervals at something under 5K pace. Warmed up for two miles (the second one of which was sub-GMP), then hit the intervals. Paces were 6:50, 6:42, 6:28, 6:32, 6:46 and 6:47. Then the last tenoth of a mile coming home was also at I pace, purely by accident. Overalll, 9.18 in 76 and change, with 2.40 of that at I pace. Good VO2 max run, I think, another confidence builder. It's a little hard for me to adjust to the idea of quality rather than quantity being the key to a marathon, but it seems to be working so far.

Weird day at work. I was basically thereby myself for most of the day. like from 11:30 on. Entered patients in the computer, and answered the phone, solo. Strange.

Got home and went for a late run, 5.39 at 9:23 average. Easy, but not too easy. Hopefully I can get out and do my 22 tomorrow, then it will be basically taper time after that.

Wow. Just wow.

Turned on my computer a few minutes ago and my arms were shaking so hard I could barely type my password or make a note in my handwritten log. My fingertips are still numb. Not sure why all of that is happening, but one thing I do know: I ran 22.2 today and it was BRUTAL.

Several reasons for the brutality. One, it's 75 freakin degrees in the Ozarks in November. What the heck is up with that? Two, I ran a new route for me. Online description said there was 2.75 miles of path and 2.75 miles of trail, total of 5.5. Well, what is a trail? Is it flat, packed gravel like in Lincoln Park in Chicago? Is it just a dirt path through a field? Or is it rocks, ruts and roots? You guessed it: Rocks, ruts and roots.

I had planned to run four laps of the total trail for my 22 miles. Lap 1 changed that plan quickly. I I figure the two-plus miles fr RR&R used as much energy as at least three miles of path, maybe more (and that was the warmest and windiest time of the run too). Revised plan became one full lap, three trips back and forth on the paved/flat gravel sections to finish the 22. And even that posed problems. I hadn't eaten enough for one thing, and two gels and a bottle of Gatorade did not correct the caloric deficiency. I was unloading plenty of electrolytes, too, as the dried sweat on my shorts when I stopped at 16 miles showed, and the left calf started going into the familiar twitching that plagued me at Memphis and Newport, fortunately stopping short of full-blown cramp. But if I'd tried to go 23 or 24, I bet there would have been some humongous golfballs rolling around in my gastrocs.

I also suspect another part of the problem is that it had been only about 114 hours since I finished my 20-miler Sunday night, and about 45 hours since the hard interval run on Wednesday. Not enough recovery time, in other words.

Anyway, it's now taper time. Work out some kinks tomorrow to cap off a high-60s to 70-mile week, than start the 28-day sharpening phase for Memphis. And hope it's not 75 degrees on December 5 in Tennessee. 

Nice day. Good time at the football game with Pam and Tyler, nice family dinner at BW3 at which Pam had a bit too much Stella Artois, and a good 7.5 miler after dark. Surprised at how little soreness I had today, as bad as I was hobbling last night. Legs felt even better after about 4 miles. I  remember thinking I could have gone another 5 miles, then thinking, nah, no reason, you've already had a 30-mile weekend and a 70-mile week. Now for taper time.

Double today, five in the AM, five in the PM. Put me at just about 40 this weekend and more than 2200 this year, with 27 days to go to Memphis (and 53 to go this year). I'm figuring I'll wind up somewhere around 2500 for the year.

DOMS finally hit this morning. Legs very stiff and sore. In spite of that, went out for an 11 a.m. run which was redirected because somebody hit a power pole and knocked lines down across Cheyenne Ave. behind the park. So I turned around and went back through the park instead of completing the run with the West End-Backus loop. Legs loosened up pretty well after a couple of 10:00 plus miles and I was able to pick it up to probably 9:20 pace later on.

Tonight, skipped the park and did the Backus-West End-Pump Station loop backward (power lines repaired by now). Didn't quite get me to the 5 I wanted, so ran up the park driveway to the top of the hill, then turned around and headed home.

Another interesting side note to last night's run I forgot to mention. Went down and looped Lake Springdale early in the run. About halfway around, I saw some sort of animal on the trail beside me. It was too dark to tell exactly what, maybe a rabbit, maybe a possum. Wasn't a skunk, fortunately. But it became startled, and because the other side of the path dropped off into the lake, it ran at me -- actually ran THROUGH my legs as I was running. I made some sort of evasive maneuver (surprised I didn't pull something given my level of stiffness/fatigue) and somehow didn't trip or kick the animal or step on it -- or fall into the lake.

Tried the Stultz route again tonight -- the West End loop, continue past the park, up Stultz all the way to Shiloh nursing home, and in this case past Shiloh to Thompson. Then back on Stultz, over on Pump Station and back on Silent Grove. The Stultz route in this case was about 6.8, so I added hills to the end, which I needed to do anyway, to get it up to 7.3. Ran it progression style; the last three miles plus were sub-9. the last .8 of the main run was at GMP, then the hill sprints after that at I pace or faster.

 Probably will take off tomorrow, or just do a 4-mile kink-shaker, before a big tempo run Wednesday. 

Had originally plannned not to run tonight. Decided to get in a short, hard run, and succeeded. First two miles moderately hard, then put the hammer down, with the last .76 well under GMP. We'll see if that messes me up for tomorrow's tempo run, but tonight that's what I felt like doing.

Tempo time tonight: 5 X 1200 at what was supposed to be 7:00 pace. As we'll see, that's sort of what happened.

Nice night for running, coolish, felt like fog might develop at any minute, and I'm not sure it didn't toward the end. Warmed up running up to the park and then 2.5 laps. Decided I would run half-lap recoveries between the LT sessions, instead of longer recovery intervals.

First LT was 7:26 pace, although I didn't find that out until after the run, I knew it didn't feel quite right. Trotted my half-lap, then decided to go a little harder. This one felt more like it, but again I didn't know the pace until I sat down here and checked the Garmin. Another half=lap, try again. This one felt pretty good too. Another half-lap, then another good one. One more time, pushed the last LT run pretty hard, then a lap and a half and return home.

LT #2: 7:08 pace. #3: 7:02. #4: 6:59. The last one: 6:51. Amazing how many times I do that, run each and every interval faster than I did the one before (of course, if my pace judgment was better I wouldn't need to do that).

Felt kind of interesting as I returned home. Park sits atop a hill near my house, then I run down the hill and a half-mile on flat roads to get home. As I came down the hill, it became noticeably cooler, maybe 3-4 degrees, and there may well have been some fog foring in the dark down there along the creek at the bottom of the hill. And the Garmin clicked over to 10.00 miles as I stepped onto the front porch -- exactly the distance I wanted.

Twenty four days to go. When I sit down to write my race report, will I be glad, mad or sad? We shall see.

Little different run tonight. Explored some new territory in the neighborhood I had not yet run over, although I'd certainly driven it. Started looping in the park -- short loop, medium loop, lake loop, then went out the back and down West End. But instead of turned back onto Overo off Backus, I kept going all the way to Silent Grove, then down the big hill. it ended up being a pretty good progression run. That big hill helped; because of it, my pace for the final .46 was 7:09. but my pace for mile 8 without benefit of the hill was 8:32.

Have to work all weekend and there's another football game, so I'm gonna have to work my runs in around those items. Probably will do 12 tomorrow after work, 6 Saturday afternoon between work and the game, and 18 Sunday afternoon after work. Good thing I really don't care about the NFL (also good thing it's supposed to really cool off Sunday, although I have no complaints about the temp right now -- 51).

Figured out last night that as the training schedule works out, I'll go over 2400 miles for the year DURING the race in Memphis. Appropriate, I think. Also figuring out a pacing schedule, with a conservative start and a slight fade. Let's see if I can make myself hold to that conservative start.

I'm having a really hard time figuring this one out. Ran on the Fayetteville trail system today, which is well marked with signs every quarter-mile. Headed out six miles as confirmed by markers and by my Garmin, turned around, headed back. When I got back to the car, the Garmin read ... 10.5???? The trail does go under a freeway and you lose satellite signal while in that tunnel, but losing a mile and a half??? Weird. Anyway, a good run, once the legs loosened. Needed an MLR, and today I got one.

Last tough LR of the cycle. I hoped I would feel up to pushing the pace today. Fortunately I did. Relatively good night of sleep considering I had to be at work early today, work was done in 2.5 hours, and the weather was OK -- a little warm for my taste for mid-November, but bearable with a breeze (and later some rain). Plus a rest day yesterday, as a long day of work, a visit by Scott and Tammy and the football game prevented me from squeezing in a few miles.

Started about noon. Decided I'd do this run a little differently -- three loops coming back by my  house, so I could put some Powerade outside on the porch and a change of headbands and not have to wear the Amphipod. Only thing I carried was the old electronic leash, since I'm on call (again). First loop, 6.2 miles to Shiloh and back, was basically a warmup, but all six miles were sub 10. Stopped for a drink, a gel, a dry headband and a pitstop, then set out again. Same route, slightly past Shiloh this time, about 6.65, and all of this loop was sub-9, with the last mile or so at GMP. Stopped again for a drink and a dry headband, not that I needed that; about five minutes later the rain that was supposed to arrive at 11 a.m. arrived. It poured for about 10 minutes, then drizzled, then quit. But I had decided that this last loop, which was going to be 5.4 miles through JBH, was all going to be GMP. And it was, rain or no rain. Thus 7.07 miles (at least) at GMP. That's what I wanted.

Twenty days to go now. Unfortunately, I have to work the first 10 of them consecutively, so I get to squeeze in my weekend runs around work again. No football trip this time (Little Rock game completely undoable because of work, so T's going with his roommate instead), which makes it a little easier to get everything in, and the LR is only 14. Maybe I can do that Saturday afternoon after the game ends on TV. It's strange that I feel the pressure's off now. I can't get in for 2010, so I don't feel like I HAVE to run 3:30. I'd like to, but I don't have to. All I have to do is run the same time I ran a year ago at the same place and I'm good to go for 2011. I can do that. Been there, done that.

Finally, something resembling seasonable late-fall weather in the Ozarks. After the rain stopped, the cold air arrived -- upper 20s and blustery. Actually felt the need to bundle up a bit for tonight's easy 6 -- sweatpants, long tech shirt, headband and those lovely brown cotton gloves, $1.15 at Harps. I guess I needed some weather like this just to acclimate in case it's 35 and windy in Memphis again. Run felt easy, but darn if I didn't average low-9 pace. I guess the cold air was stimulating. I hope the fact 9:07 felt easy means 8:01 will feel relatively easy in 19 days.

Legs felt pretty good tonight, so after a mile and a half I decided to do tomorrow's planned tempo run tonight instead of a short easy run. That in spite of the weather -- 38 and raining, just the kind of night that makes my wife question my sanity for running in this stuff. Took the first 600 meter interval to get going, then I knocked the others off in well below 7:00 pace. Pretty much what I was hoping for. Then jogged it home. Overall average was 8:39. And only 18 days to go. Shoes ordered, electrolyte supplements ordered, race registration done, room secured, work schedule rearranged. Now I just have to get to Memphis healthy and in peak shape and give myself a chance to spend a bunch of money in Boston in April 2011.

Easy 5 around JBH tonight, after a trip to the Fleet Feet store to get gels and BodyGlide. Singed up for their email list; they also have running groups which may come in handy after Memphis. Not yet, though. I still got 17 days of plan to work here.

One of the advantages of having run St Jude last year is I can visualize the course. Tonight, I was visualizing the last mile and a half -- going down on to Danny Thomas Blvd, up the ramp from DT to Union Avenue, and up Union, hang a right, down into the ballpark. As I visualized it, I ran faster, and my easy run turned into sub-GMP. Wound up with a 9:00 average for 5.5.

Pushed the pace tonight -- hard. Probably would have pushed it even harder except that raisin snack fueled a bear attack at about 7 miles, which necessitated a little trainus interruptus. When the GI settled down, went back out, had to warm up again, but ended up running the last three miles REALLY hard. I figure I ran the first 13.11 in about 1:53, which ain't bad considering a 1:48 pace in Memphis would be BQ pace, and probably would have been 1:50ish without the bear visit.

Easy 6 tonight. Legs still stiff and sore from last night's hard run, so took about 3.5 to really get loose. Kept plodding though and eventaully was able to pick up the pace a bit. I'm having to fight the urge to run too much too fast. May step down a couple of runs later this week. Oh yeah, pretty sure today got me to 2300.

Interesting run tonight. It was supposed to be an easy/GA type of run -- just get out and pile up some miles. Jogged up the hill into the park, turned left and set out on what felt like a comfortable pace. First streetlight I reached, I looked at the Garmin, and it said I was at GMP lap pace. I said, hmm, this feels good, let's try to maintain it. I did more than maintain -- I got faster. Mile 2, 7:73. Mile 3, 7:40, Mile 4, 7:23, Mile 4.9, 7:17. Finished 4.9 in 38:57, sub 8 average pace even with the 9:22 warmup mile. I was supposed to do 3 X 1600 intervals later in the week, but this may take their place. I'll see  how I feel on Wednesday.

Easy three laps of the park tonight, then back down the hill for sprints. Seemed like I was running faster on the sprints, whether that's taper or just rest last night and a short run tonight, dunno. Maybe both. But I was getting past the neighbor's mailbox in 10 seconds, which I don't usually do. Nice and chilly tonight. Ran it in shorts, t-shirt, no gloves. Probably need to acclimate a little since race morning in Memphis may well be below freezing.

I won't know for another 9 days if my legs are ready to go 26.2 miles. But I already know my legs are ready to go fast. The interval work has gotten better and better. Today I had just planned to do 3 X 1600 at somewhere around 7:00 pace as part of an 8-miler. Got up around 8:30 (first day I haven't had to get ready for work in 18 days), had some breakfast, goofed around on the Internets, then went out just after 10:00. Beautiful, clear, cold day in the Ozarks, probably 38 degrees, breezy, not a hint of a cloud.

Ran over to the park, then warmed up with two laps, hit the timer and accelerated. Each mile is 1.25 laps, but the Garmin made it easy, since it would show an end of a lap at the right time. Looked down and saw 6:41. OK, a little fast but OK. Trotted around the rest of that lap to recover, then hit the lap button and took off again. This time, 6:38, but it felt a lot harder than that. Wind was picking up, for one thing. Trotted the rest of the lap, and by this point I was tired enough that I wasn't sure I could push another entire mile, but I decided to do what I could. So I hit the lap button and off I went. This one was HARD, but I kept pushing. Got to the end, looked down, 6:31. Basically I'd just run 3 miles in less than 20 minutes; considering my 5K PR is 21:57, I think I would have smoked that PR.

Really easy 5 today at the park while the fam was at the movies (they've given up on getting me to go; I just don't like going to the cinema). Then Ty and I took advantage of free basketball tickets to go to the game -- which was ugly. The basketball game was more painful than going to the movie, or than the five-mile run for that matter. But at least we got our money's worth... :( Ten tomorrow to cap off the last full week of training.

Routine 10 miles this morning. Tried to maintain sub-9 pace and was pretty much successful. Not a great run, but not a bad one. I'm tapering now, not building; just want to maintain what I've already done, and I think today meets that requirement. Seven days to go now. Race will be over in less than 168 hours.

Easy 5 today in JBH and West End loop. Turned considerably colder and breezier since last night, which was OK with me. Fighting the wind actually distracted me from two stiff legs. Still wound up at a pretty good pace overall despite trying to slow down.

I'm kinda confused about tonight's run. Plan was for 5 easy. That usually means four-plus laps of the park, plus to and from the park. Unless I completely lost count,.I was in the middle of lap three, look down at my Garmin which reads 42 minutes and 4.5 miles. Garmin acted weird at the start of the run, not locking on to the satellite quickly, but that should not have affected the clock. Maybe I did lose count. I was thinking about some junk my boss is pulling on me and what I can do about it. Anyway, it was a nice easy run. Dress rehearsal tomorrow.