So it is cold again today: 10 degrees, mild wind, and sunshine. Good thing
I was able to get out for a noontime run. It is nice running in the
sunshine. The roads were clear and I was able to take my hat off for a
stretch when I ran with the wind.

I ran in a new pair of Brooks Radius '05 today. It is still early, but my
initial impression is that these are nice shoes. Brooks has another winner
here.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 8.0 miles
Shoes: Brooks Radius 2005
WTD running: 8.0 miles
WTD total: 8.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 6:33 PM | 0 comments  

Today I ran my second of four marathon pace runs. I am running these at 6:45 as I have high hopes of breaking my 12+ year old PR. That is definitely a long shot, but you have to set high goals.

I was not originally planning on running this on my Boston Simulator course as it is quite hilly and I was worried that 12 miles at MP might be a bit much for me at this stage. Well, I managed to talk my wonderfully patient wife into letting me run at noon instead of my usual 5:50 AM start time. It was relatively warm (10 degrees) and sunny as I headed south with a good 10 MPH wind from the north behind me. After a 2+ mile warm up I was ready to start on my Boston simulator loop.

I was wearing my Garmin Forerunner 201 as usual and also the Polar S625X, with the foot pod. I have not calibrated it yet and was eager to see how its mileage compared with the Forerunner before calibration. Here are the splits:

Mile-------201 Split---------S625X Split---------HR
1------------06:25---------------05:46-------------165
2------------06:29---------------05:40-------------167
3------------06:44---------------06:12-------------170
4------------06:36---------------05:52 ------------167
5------------06:39---------------06:04-------------168
6------------06:42---------------06:14-------------168
7------------06:38---------------06:02-------------170
8------------06:43 --------------05:58-------------172
9------------06:57---------------06:24 ------------171
10----------06:47---------------06:14-------------170
11----------07:11---------------06:36-------------169
12----------07:00---------------06:22-------------171
Total------50:51

Obviously, the Polar S625X was measuring the miles short. When I first noticed this phenomena, in the first two downhill miles with the wind, I figured the Polar was just under estimating the miles on the downhills as it overestimated them yesterday up hill. I was also running much faster than yesterday, but I was hoping that would not have so much of an impact on the mile estimation. After all, who wants to recalibrate the foot pod for the pace of the day. In addition to the pace, I also changed the shoes (from the heavier Nike Pegasus to the lighter Asics GEL Flash) and moved the foot pod so it was lower down on my foot closer to my toe. If the movement of the foot pod to closer to the toe is the reason for the different measurement of distance and pace, then all is well. If it simply different from shoe to shoe or for different paces, then I think the S625X has some problems.

As soon as it warms up to above 14 degrees, I will try to isolate why the S625X's measurements seem to vary from run-to-run.

Anyway, more about the run. The first 5 miles, after the 2+ warm up, are generally downhill, although most of mile #3 is level with one slight uphill. Mile #6 is a very gradual uphill. At the end of mile #6, I turn around and head back. The first five miles went pretty easy, although I did not realize how strong the north wind was. Mile #6 was work and it was when I turned around and into the wind that I realized I was going to have a tough time staying under 6:45. At the end, my pace was exactly 6:45, although I probably pushed too hard and should have taken it easier.

My feet did hurt wearing the Asics GEL Flash. These are probably not going to be my marathon shoe.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 16.5 miles
Shoes: Asics GEL Flash
WTD running: 60.5 miles
WTD total: 76.5 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 8:12 PM | 0 comments  

I started out today's run with the equivalent of one mile rowing and one
mile spinning and then went out for 6 miles with T. I wore the Polar S625X
foot pod for the first time today. I have not calibrated it yet because I
wanted to see how accurate it was without calibration. It measured 5.8
miles for a 6 mile run. That translates into 97% accuracy without
calibration. Not bad. I should mention that I ran slower than usual, it
was a recovery run after all, and that the loss of 0.2 miles came in the
first mile. I ran this mile very slow as it include a 0.4 mile steep
uphill. Tomorrow I should be able to test it on a more typical run.

I think I laced the foot pod too high up on my shoes. The top of my foot
hurt slightly after 4 miles.

Victor

Cross-training: 2.0 miles
Running: 6.0 miles
Shoes: Nike Pegesus
WTD running: 44.0 miles
WTD total: 60.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 8:45 PM | 0 comments  

Not much to report today, nothing exciting. Oh, it was -15 degrees this
morning. My beard froze to my balaclava.

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 12.0 miles
Shoes: Brooks Radius 2005
WTD running: 38.0 miles
WTD total: 52.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 6:58 PM | 0 comments  

No chance for a noontime run today so I am constrained to the equivalent of eight miles of cross training: rowing, strength, spinning.

Cross-training: 8.0 miles
Running: 0.0 miles
Shoes: n/a
WTD running: 26.0 miles
WTD total: 40.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 5:02 PM | 0 comments  

I was fully prepared to head to the local club's treadmill today. I was going to do some 400 repetitions today during the course of a 15 mile run and had no desire to even attempt that on sloppy roads. I had my shorts and singlet all laid out for a trip to the club, but when I looked out the window the moon was bright so I figured there was no new snow. I suited up and headed out the door only to find a couple inches of new snow and a decent snow still coming down.

Given that I was all dressed, was out early, and was wearing my screwed shoes, I decided to go for a few miles to see how the knees felt. Although the roads were sloppy, I was getting decent traction and the knees felt fine. After about a mile I turn onto a half-mile stretch of road that has a lot of traffic and poorly plowed shoulders. At that point I nearly turned around, thinking I would go snow shoeing. But I pushed on for that difficult 1/2 mile to turn onto a road that is usually well maintained. It was! There is little traffic on this road so I was able to run down the center line where I was usually touching pavement for most of the next 12 miles.

I never got my 400's in, but I did have a good 15 miles. The pace was miserable, but I felt good.

I'm still looking forward to warmer weather and clear roads.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 15.0 miles
Shoes: Mizuno Wave Riders w/ Sheet Metal Screws
WTD running: 26.0 miles
WTD total: 32.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 4:59 PM | 0 comments  

I had an 11 mile run planned for this morning, but after about 1.5 miles of running in the sloppy snow, I turned around and went home. My knees were hurting after all the slipping and sliding of last week and I felt it was time to give them a break.

When I got home I rowed and spun for the equivalent of 6 miles for a total of 9 today. Tomorrow I will head to the local club and get a one month membership, so I can use the dreadmill, if there is even a hint of new snow on the road.

Victor

Cross-training: 6.0 miles
Running: 3.0 miles
Shoes: Asics Eagle
WTD running: 11.0 miles
WTD total: 17.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 1:56 PM | 0 comments  

It is days like today that make running in the winter so wonderful. It was cool (15 degrees) but there was no wind and the sun was shining on the new snow. I suppose my pleasure in 15 degree temperatures reflects the ugliness of the weather recently.

Today is a recovery day. All the muscles felt great, in spite of yesterday's effort. My left lateral knee was a bit sore on the downhill stretches but felt fine going uphill. My left foot, however, felt fine going downhill but was a bit sore coming back up. Something to watch.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 8.0 miles
Shoes: Asics GEL GT 2100
WTD running: 8.0 miles
WTD total: 8.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 3:13 PM | 0 comments  

The weather has been tough this week. Mostly it has just been cold but the pavement has been good. Today, it was cold (-5 degrees) and windy (15-30 MPH) and snowy. The roads had been plowed, but there wasn't an inch of dry pavement anywhere. It is too cold for salt, so all the plows could do is scrape of the loose stuff on top. This left a half inch or more of generally hard, crusty snow. Fortunately, the screws I put in my Wave Riders gave me enough grip no fear falling, but not enough grip to run at any reasonable pace.

I had planned a 16 mile run with 12 miles of MP, but with the road surface being so slick, it seemed pointless to try to run at any predefined pace. So instead I ran a TLT run. I started out with 3x1 mile at tempo effort. Note that I said effort, since the pace was well off of temp pace. These three miles were run into the wind and were mostly uphill. The worst mile was at 7:30. That is usually easy run pace for me. After that I continued into the wind for another 4 miles before turning around. The wind was really amazing in places. There was one stretch where the wind was blowing the snow across a field and onto a road. When the snow would hit the road it would swirl up like a “pillar of cloud”, pushing me back home, but I kept plugging along.

After turning around, I ran easier, although the lack of traction kept me slow. Near the end, I ran 2x2 mile at tempo effort, and was actually able to get one the first one in at 6:22. Of course this one was gently downhill and with the wind, although I still could feel my feet slipping with every step.

Overall, it was a good run. The pace was slow (one mile was over 9:00!) but the effort was where it should have been. The cold didn't bother me except for the last mile. My balaclava had frozen to my hair in place making it difficult to adjust. But no frozen eyelashes.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 17.0 miles
Shoes: Mizuno Wave Riders w/ 14 sheet metal screws in each shoe
WTD running: 58.0 miles
WTD total: 58.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 4:00 PM | 0 comments  

Nothing exciting today. Just an easy 6 miles with T today. No pains or strains. I embedded a bunch of sheet metal screws in an old pair of running shoes today. If the roads are slick tomorrow, I'll give them a try. If you are interested in trying this go to Team Oregon or Skyrunner.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 6.0 miles
Shoes: Nike Pegasus
WTD running: 41.0 miles
WTD total: 41.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 4:16 PM | 0 comments  

OK, I'm ready for shorts and t-shirts.

-15 degrees with 5-10 MPH winds from the north. I was never uncomfortable. Well, except perhaps when my eyelashes started to ice up to the point where I was running along with little icicicles hanging from my eyes. But that was quickly fixed by taking my hands out of my mittens and melting the ice enough to pull them off. Oh, and when by beard started freezing to my balaclava.

But other than that I was fine. I am, however, getting tired of wearing all this clothes. It is bulky and heavy and takes a long time to get on and off.

I did get a chance to run in shorts and singlet later. I went in for VO2 testing. I've misplaced the report, so I'll have to relay the results later. But it was a worthwhile test. I confirmed where my LT is (160 BPM) but not where my VO2 Max HR is. The tester, who was really quite good, kept having a hard time getting a heart rate. Same trouble I keep having with HRM's in the winter. Perhaps it is me. Perhaps my body changes in the winter so it doesn't send out the normal signals.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 10.0 miles
Shoes: Asics 2100 (8), Asics Racers (2)
WTD running: 35.0 miles
WTD total: 35.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 8:19 PM | 0 comments  

My noontime run was sunny and bright and cold: 10 degrees and about 15-20 MPH winds. The wind was really ripping along from the north, but the sun was bright so whenever I was out of the wind or had my back to it, I was warm.

Six easy miles with no attention to pace.

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 6.0 miles
Shoes: Saucony Azura
WTD running: 25.0 miles
WTD total: 25.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 3:13 PM | 0 comments  

Today my toes go cold for the first time.

My 11 mile run this morning takes me up a hill where I can catch a lot of wind from the south. As I crested the hill I got blasted with -10 degree 15 MPH winds. I was pretty bundled, but was wearing my Nike Pegasus instead of the trail shoes I usually wear on such cold days. My toes got cold for the first time ever while running.

Of course, as soon as I turned the corner and got out of most of the wind, my toes warmed back up.

Overall, I had a decent run, although I hate wearing all that clothes. My shoes actually get a decent grip when the snow is so cold and has a chance to set up over night.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 11.0 miles
Shoes: Nike Pegasus
WTD running: 19.0 miles
WTD total: 19.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 11:59 AM | 0 comments  

Today was supposed to be much colder. Forecasts were for -5 to -15 degrees, so I was ready for it: long socks, trail shoes, expedition weight long underwear, running pants, poly t-shirt, poly turtleneck, fleece, wind shell, thin had, and balaclava. Man it is hard running with all that clothes. Not to mention that I was sweating like a pig. I guess I'll be ready for hot weather in Boston.

I managed to get in 8 miles at a slow pace. I didn't wear my Forerunner or even a watch. I was tired and didn't push it. It is a rest week after all.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 8.0 miles
Shoes: Asics Eagle
WTD running: 8.0 miles
WTD total: 8.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 1:42 PM | 0 comments  

In my never ending attempt to keep hydrated on long runs in below freezing temperatures, I decided to give a Camelback a try. I purchased the smallest and sleekest model available: the Siren by Camelback. This sleek and aerodynamic model still holds a healthy 50 ounces of water.

Normally, I hold a water bottle in my hand, two if I am going more than 18 miles. But when the temperature gets below 20 degrees the bottles always freeze up. I thought that with the Camelback I could wear it under my wind shell and keep it from freezing up. I have also tried wearing waist based hydration systems, but I don't like belts around my waist.

In my first test, I ran a hilly 10 miler with it. Although I didn't like the sloshing, I felt like I could wear it for longer runs. So I faithfully filled it up this morning and went out for a run. I had a gel in my pocket for around mile #10 and carried a small water bottle of Accelerade in my hand. Cleaning a Camelback is difficult enough when you only put water in it. I was not about to put a sports drink in it.

A typical bike water bottle holds 24 ounces, so I had the equivalent of two water bottles on my back and a smaller 20 ounce bottle in my hand. That was way too much liquid. I had a good 20 ounces left in the Camelback when I got home. Overall, I really didn't like all that extra weight sloshing around on my back. It seems to go directly down to my feet. When I run with bottles in my hand my arms absorb most of the shock. So I’ll give it another try but will only fill it half way. I can't imagine using it when the temperature is above 25 degrees. Water bottles held in the hand are so much easier.

So how about the run. Today's 19 miler was on my Boston simulator course. It is plenty hilly with it being mostly downhill on the way out and mostly uphill on the way back. Except for the first two miles and the last one mile, most of the miles were close to 7:15. I pushed the final uphill miles, not to MP but pretty close. Two of the last uphill miles were at 7:00.

I was tired today, but otherwise felt OK with one significant exception: my feet hurt. Especially my left foot. I'm going to blame that on lots of miles and on 50 ounces of water in the Camelback. My feet feel fine today, so I don't think any permanent damage was done. My left ITB also hurt at mile 3. This was not the typical constant low ache or tightness that I usually run through. It was a sharp twinge that came for a few steps and went away, but then came back. I stopped and stretched and the twinge went away for the rest of the run. I do notice that my left ITB is a bit tender to the touch, so I will have to focus on message and some ITB stretching.

Add a mile walk to today's mileage to make it 20 combined miles.

Yesterday I rowed for 10 minutes, worked on core strength exercises, and then went for a five mile run for a total of 7 miles.

Cross-training: 2.0 miles (Saturday) + 1.0 mile (Sunday)
Running: 5.0 miles (Saturday) + 19.0 miles (Sunday)
Shoes: Nike Pegesus (Saturday) + Asics GEL Flash (Sunday)
WTD running: 67.0 miles
WTD total: 76.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 5:47 PM | 0 comments  

Man did I suffer today. Quite a contrast to yesterday. We all suffer on occasional runs, like I did last Friday when I was so tired that I could barely manage 8:00 miles, but this run didn't fall into that class. I wasn't tired, I was not sore, and had no injuries. Instead it was the weather and my not preparing for it properly that did me in. I headed out the door this morning at 5:30 when the temperature was just under 40 degrees. It was poring and my only thought as I stepped into the rain was "cruel". I quickly warmed up even as I got soaked through. No Gortex was going to keep out this rain. At about 2 miles I turned into the wind and I said to myself that I was going to be in trouble if the temperature dropped. But then how much can the temperature drop in 90 minutes? Seven degrees is the answer to that question.

When I started running it was poring. When I got to mile five I was headed into a strong head wind coming off the lake. The rain was coming so hard it stung my face even though I wore a hat with a good brim and a beard covers the lower half of my face. I swear there were pins and needles coming down with the rain. There is one stretch on this route that runs right next to a wall along the lake. Today the waves were crashing into that wall and sending a spray of water into the road and onto any insane runner that happened to be going that way. Not that it really mattered. I was soaked anyway and I was soon to be headed east with the wind at my back.

At mile seven the wind started to pick up (at least it seemed that way) and shifted to the north. I started to get cold as I no longer had the wind at my back; it was coming at me from my left. Mostly just my hands got cold. The stinging rain now felt soft as it struck my face. It was still dark so I couldn't see it, but I figured the rain had started to turn to snow. I put my water bottle in my back jacket pocket and made fists in my wet gloves. At about mile 9 of 11, I had to head north into the wind for a short stretch. The rain had completely changed over to snow at that point. My hands were now quite cold, and other things started to get cold too. (I leave to your imagination to decide what "things" were getting cold.)

When I got back my hands were sold cold I had to use my teeth and palms to unzip my jacket. When I looked at the clock I was surprised at the time. I was wearing my Forerunner but hadn't looked at it after the first few disappointing miles. I looked at it and it showed 7:15 miles. That is not unusually fast for me but I usually know it when I am running at that pace. I figured that with the wind and the sloshing through puddles and lack of attention to pace that I was probably running 7:45. Must be I subconsciously wanted to get home fast. Anyway, after I showered and warmed up I felt great. No aches, no pains, no strains.

Victor

PS: 2 mile walk at lunch time.

Cross-training: 2.0 miles
Running: 11.0 miles
Shoes: Asics GEL GT 2100
WTD running: 33.0 miles
WTD total: 49.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 3:04 PM | 0 comments  

In addition to my usual Thursday morning cross training and strength workout I went for a noontime eight mile run today...in shorts! Yes the temperature got up to over 50 degrees and I was not going to miss the opportunity to bare my legs, ugly as they are.


Cross-training: 4.0 miles
Running: 8.0 miles
Shoes: Asics GEL GT 2100
WTD running: 22.0 miles
WTD total: 36.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 8:10 PM | 0 comments  

No snow today so my shoes actually made contact with the pavement for the whole run!

Although this morning's 14 miles was not as fast as last week, it felt better and I am more satisfied with it. The goal was to run 14 hilly miles with 4x200 repeats near the beginning and 3x1 mile LT intervals near the end...the same as last week. The difference was that I did not push the middle miles. So although the overall pace was slower I was more able to push the LT miles. Overall my pace was 7:15 and the LT intervals were between 6:15 and 6:20. Well, except for the second LT mile, which is a series of four steep steps. I would have been happy with a 7:00 on this stretch but managed 6:45.

I originally headed out wearing the Saucony Azura. After a hundred yards I realized that I needed to go back and change shoes. These shoes have most of the cushioning under the heel and relatively little under the forefoot. My feet have been sore lately so I went back home, put on the Asics Flash and felt fine. The Azuras have a very built up heel. They will be great for heel strikers but should be avoided by more efficient mid-foot or forefoot strikers.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 14.0 miles
Shoes: Asics GEL Flash
WTD running: 14.0 miles
WTD total: 24.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 4:42 PM | 0 comments  

I just could not get out of bed yesterday morning, so the 6 miles of cross-training I had planned never happened. I was not injured in anyway, just tired. I have made a commitment to get plenty of sleep as I train for Boston and have not been good lately, so I felt an hour of sleep was more important than 60 minutes of spinning.

Today, I did manage to get out of bed and onto the road for ten hilly miles. I pushed all the uphill stretches and took the rest easy. Generally, I did not feel any ill effects of my long and slippery run on Sunday and felt pretty good, managing to hold a 7:20 pace.

I wore my Nike Pegasus today. I have not worn them for a while because they are a bit narrow on me. These are nice shoes except for the fact that the sole wears out so quickly. I have about 200 miles on them and the nubs under the forefoot are all worn down. I had hoped to wear these on snowy days since the original tread is rather aggressive, but I guess that I'll have to stick to trail shoes for that.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 10.0 miles
Shoes: Nike Pegasus
WTD running: 10.0 miles
WTD total: 10.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 11:42 AM | 0 comments  

I was a bit concerned about this run giving Friday's lack of energy and the amount of miles I have put in this week. Still this morning's 18 miles were not bad. I had intended to run my usual Boston Simulator route, but it takes me into the town of Charlotte. They do not believe in using salt on their roads so with the snow we go yesterday the roads in Charlotte were not fit to be run on. Even here in town I had to pretty much run on the yellow line in the center of the road to find pavement.

To get in the mileage on decent roads I had to pretty much patch together a bunch of other routes.

Generally my pace was pretty good. Only on the uphills did my pace slip below 7:30 and I had a few miles close to 7:00. I ran miles 14-16 at MP. The first of these three is up a pretty stiff mile long series of hills on which I managed only a 7:09; the second was mostly downhill at 6:38; the third MP mile is generally flat and was run at 6:41. The last two miles were slow. Overall, 18 hilly and occasionally slick miles at 7:18.

78 miles is by far record mileage for me.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 18.0 miles
Shoes: Asics GEL Flash
WTD running: 66.5 miles
WTD total: 78.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 9:17 PM | 0 comments  

I need to make sure I have energy for tomorrow's long run so I also cut back on today's run. Not that I had much planned. I had planned only six and ended up running four with T. I feel better but still I think it best to keep things light today.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 4.0 miles
Shoes: Nike Pegesus
WTD running: 48.5 miles
WTD total: 60.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 8:18 PM | 0 comments  

OK, so now I'm paying for Wednesday's run. Yes, it does occasionally take two days for a hard workout to catch up with you. I had intended to run 10 miles at 7:30. I ended up running 9 at 8:00!!! Yuck. I just had no energy and no will to move any faster, so I didn't.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 9.0 miles
Shoes: Asics GT 2100
WTD running: 44.5 miles
WTD total: 56.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 11:06 AM | 0 comments  

Given that I had such a hard workout yesterday I'm surprised I feel so good. Today is a recovery day so some rowing, weights, and spinning in the morning for the equivalent of 6 miles plus six at lunchtime for a total of 12. The noon run was at an easy pace, but the road was rather slippery due to the new snow. Day number two of running on somewhat slick roads.

Victor

Cross-training: 6.0 miles
Running: 6.0 miles
Shoes: Asics Eagle
WTD running: 35.5 miles
WTD total: 47.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 4:15 PM | 0 comments  

This was a good run. Given the lack of snow, I was able to run my favorite summertime 10 mile loop, except that I ran a 2 mile portion of it three times instead of just once. After a warmup I ran 3x200 meter intervals and then maintained a 7:15 or better pace through mile 9. The next three+ miles were LT one mile intervals with a minute rest between each mile. Since it had started to snow just before I set out for my run, the roads were getting a bit slick at this point. That combined with the mostly uphill sections on which these intervals were run and the fact that I had been working pretty hard up to this point led to a pace of just under 6:30. I'm pretty confident that these could have been 15+ seconds faster on a better surface, without the hills, and if I had been fresher going into them.

Overall, I ended up running a 7:03 pace for 14 miles. My foot felt pretty good and the only pain was a minor pain in both ITBs on the last mile.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 14.0 miles
Shoes: Asics Flash
WTD running: 29.5 miles
WTD total: 35.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 3:45 PM | 0 comments  

I did not run these hill hard as I am now starting to feel the impact of Sunday's hard run. My right outer bunion is still sore, even with the modified insole, and I am generally tired. Even so, I was able to cruise these 10 hilly miles at 7:30 without too much effort.

I also walked for 2+ miles in the afternoon.

Cross-training: 2.0 miles
Running: 10.0 miles
Shoes: Sacouny Azura
WTD running: 15.5 milesW
TD total: 21.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 1:49 PM | 0 comments  

Today was a pretty easy day with 3.5 miles of cross-training, including rowing, core strength, and spinning, followed by a lunchtime 5.5 mile run. My muscles and joints all feel pretty good with one exception. My right bunion is a bit sore. It only hurts when I land on it so I am trying to land more on my midfoot or even my heel for now. I'll need to modify an insole to take the impact off my bunion.

Victor

Cross-training: 3.5 miles
Running: 5.5 miles
Shoes: Asics GT 2100
WTD running: 5.5 miles
WTD total: 9.0 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 12:23 PM | 0 comments  

This was a nice way to finish a recovery week! I started out with 5 miles at an easy 7:30 pace. These miles are rather hilly but mostly downhill. I threw in a few surges here in there. After the first five, I ran eight at MP. My target pace was 6:45 and I ended up running 6:43, mostly uphill and against a light breeze. Here were the individual miles:

Mile 6: 6:38 gently downhill and with the wind
Mile 7: 6:37 rolling, but mostly downhill and with the wind
Mile 8: 6:53 rolling, but mostly uphill and some of them pretty steep, against the wind
Mile 9: 6:41 rolling, but mostly uphill
Mile 10 6:39 mostly flat
Mile 11 6:59 a short downhill followed by a 3/4 mile uphill, against the wind
Mile 12 6:42 mostly level with a 4/10 mile hill at the end, against the wind
Mile 13: 6:32 downhill

Miles 14 and 15 were run at recovery pace.

Although I was pleased with the pace, I had to really work at it, especially on the hills. The MP miles were mostly uphill and against the wind, so such a pace will feel easier on the mostly downhill Boston course. Still, although I could have maintained that pace for a couple more miles, there is no way I could have maintained it for another 16 miles. A 6:48 Boston pace may be unreasonable, although there are still quite a few weeks between now and then. I will need to focus on more LT runs.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 5.0 miles
Shoes: Asics Racers
WTD running: 48.5 miles
WTD total: 54.5 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 3:38 PM | 0 comments  

Yesterday's 10 mile run took me south for 4 miles directly into some rather extreme wind. At times the gusts would come at me so hard I almost stopped moving. At other times I felt like I was pool running, the resistance was so great. When I turned east for a mile the wind was frequently blowing my recovering right (southerly) leg into my left leg. When I finally turned around to head back north, I felt like I was getting pushed forward a foot whenever the wind would gust along from behind. It makes for very exciting running.

Today I ran 5 miles on trails with T at an easy recovery pace.

Victor

Cross-training: 0.0 miles
Running: 15.0 miles
Shoes: Asics GT 2100 (10 miles-Friday), Asics GEL Flash (5 miles-Saturday)
WTD running: 33.5 miles
WTD total: 39.5 miles

posted by Not So Competitive Runner at 2:54 PM | 0 comments