Halfway there... 500 miles

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.  That step began on January 1st.  My goal for this year is to run 1,000 miles.  Each year since I started back into running (in 2009), I have been able to surpass the total from the last year.  2009 & 2010 I was just short of 500 miles, and in 2011 I hit 500.65 miles.

Today, less than halfway through the year, I have made it to the halfway point in mileage.  As long as I can stay healthy, I'm confident that this will be the year.

In addition to the milestone, I'm in the middle of another streaking challenge.  Like last year's challenge, it's Memorial Day through Fourth of July without missing a day.  Minimum distance is one mile, but I'm trying to get at least 1.5 miles per day.  So far, 15 days into it, and it's all going well.

Today's totals  -  1.50 miles  /  500.27 total for the year.

Streaking again...

It's that time of year... time for streaking!!!  No, I don't mean running around in my birthday suit.  It's time for the annual Memorial Day to Fourth of July running streak.  I did this last year, and when I saw that Runner's world suggested it again, I thought "Why not?"

All that's required to keep a streak alive, is a minimum of one mile a day.  As long as it's on foot, it counts.  It should be running, but walking is okay too.

Last year, I made it the entire way, and then did another one in November-December.

This year, it seems that a few more of my friends are attempting it.  Let's see who goes all the way.



Today's totals  -  3.32 miles  /  455.14 total for the year.

Run 2 Remember

Today, for the second year in a row, I took part in South Hadley's Run 2 Remember.  This race is held to benefit the city's veterans programs as well as the USO.

With most of my concentration having been on long "slow" distance runs, I was unsure how I was going to do in a 5K.  I wanted to push myself, and see how fit I am, as this is the beginning of the summer racing season.  The course is neither flat, nor hilly, it's somewhere in between.  Two down hills, and two uphills, none of which are steep, but the hill in the last mile is about a third of a mile.

I started out with what felt comfortable, and picked up the pace.  I wanted to run hard, but not burn out.  I passed mile one with a 7:27.  Better than I had expected.  Mile two, and another 7:27.  Now the uphill, and a flat finish.  Official finish time 22:39, but was it actually a 5K?  I looked at my watch and saw 2.98 miles, a friend of mine had registered 2.97.  OK, so it wasn't quite 3.1 miles... not quite a 5K.  On the bright side, I did run a 22:39, and that worked out to a 7:36... My fastest pace since the "Flat Fast Westfield 5K" that I ran in March 2013.  It was also a minute and a half faster than the same course last year.

Maybe all this distance running will pay off in the long run.


Today's totals  -  2.98 miles  /  450.31 total for the year

Western Mass Mother's Day Half Marathon

Last year, I was looking for a local half marathon, and came across the Western Mass Mother's Day Half in Whately, MA.  This run was so enjoyable, that I wanted to run it again this year (even if it's only been three weeks since Boston).

 The weather today couldn't have been much better... mid 60's and clear blue skies.  Luckily the race starts at 8:00 AM, when the sun isn't at its strongest.

My plan was to treat this as a long training run, and not try to push too hard.  That just wasn't going to happen today.  I ran the first mile (the only significant hill on the course) in 9:06.  The second mile was even worse with it's downhills.  I ran mile two in about 8:35.  Change of plans... keep the good pace for as long as I could.  What that meant was a few walking breaks between the 8 mile mark and the finish.  No problem.

One of the things that I like about this course is that it is completely in Whately and Hatfield.  Two picturesque small towns in Western Mass.  Most of the course is rolling hills.  We run through the Historic section of Whately, and past small horse farms as well as open fields that are being prepared for planting (maybe corn?).

The final mile and a half has two slight uphills.  The first goes by the East Whately Cemetery.  This is symbolic to me, because my 6th Great Grandfather is buried here.  The second "hill" is the overpass to interstate 91.  On the other side of the bridge is a downhill finish for the last tenth of a mile.

All-in-all it was a great day.  Unofficial time was 2:07:42.  Official time was slightly more due to the "chip start" not working, and all finish times were by the "gun time".


Today's totals  -  13.1 miles  /  423.37 total for the year.

Post #100, and An Easy Five

Wow, this is my 100th post!

It's amazing how on some days it seems effortless to run.  On others, it's a chore from the first step.  Today was one of these in between days (more towards the easy side).

I had a five mile run scheduled, at an easy pace.  Right from the start, I knew it was going to be a little better pace than most days.  In spite of doing a multitude of "yard work" and other "chores" at work yesterday, my legs were feeling good.  Five miles at a 9:30 pace... I'll take it.

In addition, it was a day where the lights were in my favor.  The course that I was running has two lights (at very busy intersections), and both changed to green just as I was approaching!  What luck!  I should have bought a lottery ticket.  Oh well, maybe next time.


Today's totals  -  5.18 miles  /  406.28 total for the year.

400 Miles Complete

Another milestone!!  As Homer would say... "Woo Hoo!"

When I got back into running (back in 2009), I was only able to manage about 480 miles for the year.  Now, after four months, and a few days, I've hit the 400 mark.

I've established a goal of 1,000 miles for 2014, and as long as I can remain injury free I should be able to do it.


Yesterday's totals  -  3.31 miles  /  401.10 total for the year

That time of year

Today was the day that I had to take my Air Force Fitness Test for the ANG.  The test consists of an abdominal measurement, push-ups, sit-ups, and a 1.5 mile run.  Normally, I'd give 100% and see how high of a score I could get, but my goal this year was just to achieve a passing score.  With all the build-up to running the marathon, I was neglecting the other components of the test.  Now came the test... would I be ready.

Figuring that I wasn't fully prepared, and that I'm still in recovery mode from the marathon, I opted to "ease up" on the test.  Abdominal... check (a little better than expected).  Push-ups... check (one more than the minimum needed).  Sit-ups... check (I felt good, and did 10 more than I had planned on).  And a nice easy 1.5 mile run (13:13 without pushing hard at all).  Mission accomplished... test passed.

Later in the day, after the scores were input into the computer system, I found out that I had actually scored a 90% (rating of EXCELLENT).  If I can do this good without trying, what will I do if I actually prepare?  I can only imagine.



Today's mileage  -  1.50 miles  /  397.79 total for year.

Recovery runs...

For the next four to five weeks, it's recommended that I don't do any racing.  This is the school of thought for post marathon recovery.  Even though I might feel 100%, there is more than likely minor damages to many of the muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the legs.  The only thin that repairs those is rest, and eating right.

That said, I'm now starting a 30 day challenge to try and eat better. Food is one of my downfalls, well at least the bad food is.  So for the next month, food that is already in the house is still fair game, but I will be tracking all my calories.  Anything coming into the house must have some "healthy" dietary benefit.  Let's see how I do.

As far as the running goes, I still need target (goal) races.  Even if I run the races at about 75-80 percent and treat them as training runs, I feel that they will still give me "a reason" to run.  Next up is the Western Mass Mother's Day Half Marathon on May the 11th.

Yesterday's run was my first time back at Ashley Reservoir since November.  While it's nice to run on gravel roads, it's still interesting when you have to run across flooded areas.  Especially when the water is still very cold.


Yesterday's totals  -  4.82 miles  /  393.78 miles for the year.

Return to the road

Yesterday was my first day back on the roads since the marathon.  A nice easy 2.62 miles.  One-tenth of the marathon, and I felt pretty good.  Each day the pain (or should I say soreness) diminished by about 50-70 percent.  Three day off, and I felt refreshed.

Now it's time to start looking at my next races & goals.


Yesterday's totals  -  2.62 miles  /  388.96 miles for the year.

Boston Marathon 2014

Well, I've given myself a day to soak in the experience, and this year's Boston Marathon did not let me down.  It was an experience that I will never forget.  There were so many experiences, I'm not real sure how to begin.  So here goes...

The day started at 2:30 AM, that's when I woke up.  By 3:30 we were on the road, and arrived in Boston at around 5:00.  The buses were not loading yet, so we waited about a half hour for our Massachusetts State Police friend.  He's the one that invited us onto their buses.  Now I mention the bus because when you travel with the police, you go in style.  I'm talking a police escort for the 18 bus caravan.  Four of these buses contained active military that have served in Iraq & Afghanistan.  Some of them during the last year.  We arrived in Hopkinton about 7:30... now to kill four hours before our start.

The schedule for the day starts at about 9:00 with the mobility impaired.  The elite women start at 9:30, followed by the elite men and wave #1 at 10:00.  We were in wave #4.

While we waited we had several conversations with other individuals on (and off) the bus.  Without realizing it, one of the individuals on the bus was Jeff Galloway.  For runners, this is a real treat.  To listen him talk about some of his adventures was a real treat.

Finally it was time to head to the start line.  We worked our way towards the front to corral #3... our starting point.

As the gun fired to start our corral, we began to move ever so slowly forward.  Once we crossed the start line, the running began.  The crowds on either side of the road at the start were deafening!  I honestly can't ever remembering a crowd this loud.

The first 10 miles were great.  Legs felt good, breathing was right, and I was enjoying each and every moment.  During these miles, we averaged less than 10 minutes per mile.

Miles 10-13 were a little slower, but we were still making good time.  During these miles, we passed a friend (Amanda) who was watching the race from her normal spot.  Also during these miles we passed Wellesley College.  This is an experience that every guy has got to experience to believe it.  Hundreds of college girls cheering you on holding signs saying "Kiss Me I'm _____", or at very least wanting "High Fives".  Talk about an energy boost.  Sometime during these miles (it might have been mile 13, we also passed former Patriots Quarterback Doug Flutie.

As I hit the half marathon point, this is where I started having a few problems.  My knee started to ache.  We took a couple of extra walk breaks for me to work it out.  At mile 16 is when the hills began.  Now I'm usually good at hills, but after running 16 miles, and the heat now approaching 70 degrees, I started cramping in my calves.  This is when our State Police friend caught up to us.  I told Kyle to go ahead, and I'd see him at the finish.

My goal for the day had been 5 hours, and each mile, the more I walked the closer it was coming.  Once I hit mile 24, I realized that it wasn't going to happen.  But as long as I kept moving forward I would beat my time from Disney and set an over 40 PR for myself.

Coming by the famous Citgo sign, you have the crowds from Fenway cheering you on.  This give you another shot of adrenaline (not enough to run the whole way, but it helped).  Finally the last two turns on the course... Right on Hereford, and Left on Boyleston... 3 tenths of a mile to go... you can see the 26 mile mark, and the finish line.

I promised my self two things at this point... first, finish the last two tenths running, and second, pay respect (in my own personal way) as I pass the bombing sites.  I did both.  Finishing time was 5:03:35... just 12 minutes behind Kyle.

 

Yesterday's totals  -  26.2 miles  /  386.35 total for the year.

The Final Countdown (2014 Edition)

Two years ago, two days before the marathon, I had a blog entry titled "The Final Countdown"  at that time I had 36 hours until the race and I wrote about my excitement leading up to my first Boston.  Now, with only about 14 hours to go until my second, I'd like to do the same.

As I have always said, Boston is my dream come true.  With the "luck" of waivered entries, I'm able to run it for my second time.  When I finished the last one, I said I wouldn't go back unless I actually qualified.  That thought went out the window with the events of last year's marathon.  At that time, I was determined to go back.  I luckily received an entry through the Mass. National Guard.  I had already been training for the Disney Marathon when I applied for the entry, and didn't find out until I returned from Florida in January.  This left me about three months to recover from one marathon and prep for another.  Am I crazy???  Well the short answer is "YES".

Luckily for me, one of my friends also received an entry and we trained together.  For those from New England, you know how terrible this winter was.  As I HATE treadmills (and feeling like a hamster), I forced myself to run in single digit temperatures with wind chills in the negatives.  It was brutal, but I was able to keep my "hamster" runs to only two.

Now it's the evening before the race.  I feel nervous, but that's normal.  I believe that all my training has been enough, but only time will tell.  Tomorrow when I run, I will be doing it in memory of the four innocent people who lost their lives in the tragedy last year.  When I take the final two turns (Right on Hereford, and Left on Boyleston) I'll be able to see the finish line with a quarter mile to go.  I will pass by the two locations of the bombs, and I know my emotions will be out of control.  Boston is a strong city, and hopefully that strength will get me to the finish line.  #BostonStrong,  #WeRunTogether

Today's totals  -  0.00 miles  /  360.15 total for the year.

85 hours to go...

As I write this, I just realized that there's only 85 hours until the start of the marathon.  One more small run this weekend, as well as the marathon Expo on Saturday, and it'll be my second Boston.  During the last couple of days I took some time to reflect on the training that I did.

This is more miles than I did while training in 2012, and it's also more than I did for Disney in January.  My training has been more consistent.  Possibly from having a training plan to go by, but more importantly it was because I had a training partner.

On Monday, Patriots Day, I will be proud to be running in the marathon.  Proud to be part of the running community, proud to be representing the Air National Guard, proud to be from Massachusetts, and proud to be an American.

I'm sure that it will be an emotional day, and my heart will go out to all those whose lives were changed that day.  I didn't run last year, not because I didn't want to, but because I was unable to obtain a "wavered entry".  Maybe it wasn't meant for me to be there last year, but this year I'll be there, and I'll be thinking of Martin, Krystle, Lingzi, and Sean, four angels that will be watching over the race.

God Bless Boston.  #BostonStrong


Today's totals -  4.03 miles  /  360.15 total for the year.

Remembrance

Today was an emotional drain.  The one year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings.  It was a day of remembrance and reflection.  A day to honor those that lost their lives and those whose lives changed because of hatred.  Today we remember the fallen - Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell, Lingzi Lu, and Ofc. Sean Collier.  In honor of these four innocent lives, I ran four miles.  One mile honoring each of the victims.

I could have very easily had said no to running today.  It was a hard, driving rain, that at times felt like needles hitting my skin.  But I felt if I didn't run, it would have been disrespectful.

As I watched the memorials and the moment of silence today, I couldn't help but to get choked up.  I thought to myself, what if it was me?  What if I knew the people on a personal level?

Life is short, enjoy each and every day, and always let the one's you love know how you feel.


Today's totals - 4.01 miles  /  356.12 for the year

Final Long Run

So today was the final "long run" before the marathon.  We drove to Hopkinton, and then drove the course to mile 16.  Right on the border of Wellesley & Newton, we found a public lot that had plenty of parking (and it was free on weekends).

The course that we chose was starting at mile 16, and running to mile 21.  This would put us past "Heartbreak Hill".  At Boston College, we could turn around an run the same miles in reverse.

As we prepared to hit the road, Mother Nature decided that we needed a little liquid cooling (even though it wasn't hot).  The rain, not real hard, continued until we had about a mile left in the run.

I've never seen more runners our for a training run, than I did today.  In addition to those training, Boston College was running their "Bandit Marathon".  As we were on the return leg, we passed many of these college students.  It was awesome to see this many young people running the marathon distance.

With only 8 days left, now the only thins to do is short easy runs, and prepare mentally.


Today's totals  -  10.56 miles  /  352.11 for the year.

The week that was

Week # 1 of the pre-marathon taper is done.  The good news is that my legs are feeling much better than they have been, the bad news is I'm feeling like I'm not doing enough.  from everything that I've read, this is perfectly normal, but this is the first time that I've experienced it.  It's a feeling like you're forgetting something, but you can't put your finger on it.  Hopefully the training will all pay off.

Tomorrow, I'll be heading to Wellesley for a 10 mile run.  This will be the last double digit run before the marathon.  What we're running is the actual course from mile 16 to mile 21, and then return on the same route.  If you know anything about the Boston Marathon, you know that this is the "hilly" part of the course.  The Newton hills (including "Heartbreak Hill").  From running the race in 2012, I know that these hills aren't that bad.  The course map on BAA.org shows an elevation gain of about 200 ft (in 5 miles).  The last half marathon had about the same elevation change in four miles.

Now my biggest concern is the weather.  With the cold winter that we've had, I can only hope that we don't get a quick warm-up in the next week.


This week's totals:

Tuesday  -  3.36 miles
Friday  -  2.51 miles

Total for the year  -  341.55 miles

Quick note

Just a quick note today.  It's another work weekend, so my mind is a little bit tired.  Managed to get a three mile run in today after work.  Wind made it a little tough (22 MPH).  Starting the taper with just over two weeks until the big day.


Today's totals  -  3.31 miles  /  335.68 total for year.

Run Run Run

As I get closer and closer to Marathon Monday, I find myself getting more and more excited.  I've done more training for this marathon than I did for either of my last two (and the others were in the 80's so I can't remember that far back).

Today I came across this video and had to share it.  If you like it, you can find more about Michelle by clicking here.



Today was another long run... we chose a course that we've never run before.  It's always nice running a new route.  This one took us through the portion of Westfield that is known as Wyben.  Many of the houses on the main road were built in the early 1800's.  I noticed four of them that had dates of 1835.  I wonder the stories that those houses could tell.

Today's totals  -  12.09 miles  /  332.36 total for the year

Another Milestone

Most of the time when I run a half marathon I take the next day off, today was a little different.  Being that it was the last day of the month, I was faced with an opportunity.  Get in a three mile runs, and surpass 150 miles for the month.

Even though my legs were dead I managed to get in a short run to reach this goal.  Now I get to take tomorrow off as a recovery day.  Woohoo!


Today's totals -  3.32 miles  /  320.27 for the year


Totals for the first three months:

Miles:  320.27
Time:  53:53:48 (h:m:s)
Elevation gain:  7,830 ft
Avg Speed:  5.9 mph
Calories burned:  43,748

Westfield Half Marathon

2014 Westfield Half Marathon T-Shirt

Today was the Westfield Half Marathon (formerly known as the Oleksak Half Marathon).  I've run this race the last three years, and love it.  This year, they decided to change the course.  The change was mostly to keep it in the Westfield city limits, and I for one like the change.  It starts off near downtown Westfield, heads out through some rural roads (aka hilly), and finishes with a five mile stretch that's mostly flat with a slight downhill.  This flat portion runs past Westfield State University, Stanley Park, and into the downtown area.

While the course was great, the weather left a little to be desired.  It was 41 degrees (with a 12 mph wind) at the start with a mist.  The mist never let up, and the temp only rose by about two degrees.  Fortunately it stayed a mist, and never developed back into rain.

Finishing the 2014 Westfield Half Marathon

As this was still a training run for Boston, we planned on a 9:45 to 9:55 pace (about a 2:09:30 for the half).  While this was a good plan, most races are usually faster than planned, and today was one of those days.  The first three miles were at a 9:15 pace, but everything felt good.  A 9:46 for the next mile (uphill), followed by a downhill portion at 8:44.  Kyle & I both kept the pace ad a brisk run in which we could still keep a conversation.  The last two miles of the half we were able to run at 9:05 & 9:03.  When the race was over I had 2:03:12 as an unofficial time (official "gun" time was 2:03:26).  Six minutes ahead of my projected time.


I can only hope that I'm ready for Boston, but today does give me a bit more confidence.

Today's totals  -  13.1 miles  /  316.96 total for the year

300 Miles Down

Yesterday, I was a little tired so I never did my blog entry.  I should have taken the time, because it was another milestone for me.  300 miles complete (of my 1000 mile goal).  I find this to be amazing, especially with the winter that we've been having.  Two years ago (while training for Boston) we had near perfect weather, and I din't reach 300 until May 6th, and last year it wasn't until May 16th.  A big part of it is the mileage that I've had this month.  Right now, I'm at the highest total that I've had in a month, and I have a half-marathon to run tomorrow.

I do know that after Boston, I will cut back substantially on my mileage as I go back to my normal training.  But having this many miles at this point in the year is a great way to start my 1000 mile year.


Yesterday's totals  -  9.75 miles  /  303.86 total for the year.

A favor to ask...

So today's run was nothing out of the ordinary.  With a little under a month to go until the Boston Marathon, the training is getting a little harder and the motivation is lacking a little.

What I'd appreciate is if each person that reads this post, add a comment.  It can be as simple as your first name, and state (or country if not the U.S.) that you're reading it in.  If you'd like to give an encouraging word, that would be wonderful.  All positive thoughts are more than welcome!

Thanks in advance, Scott.


Today's totals  -  7.03 miles  /  294.11 total for year.

Run Around Westover

After yesterday's run, I was a little skeptical as to how today would go.  The route that we chose allowed for no "escape clause".  It was 16 miles or bust.

To try to simulate running in Boston, we decided that every three miles we would walk and take water.  The walk breaks would only be about 30-60 seconds, just like in the marathon.  This seemed to work great, I was able to keep a good pace for about 13 of the 16 miles.  The last three were a little bit of a struggle, but better than I had expected.  Twenty-two miles in two days, and both days had hills.

One of my high points for the day was the route that I chose.  Once I started tackling longer runs, I've had this desire to run around Westover ARB.  Not run around ON the base, but actually run all the way around it.  Today I achieved that goal!!


Today's totals  -  16.05  /  287.08 total for the year

Holyoke St. Pat's

One of the sure signs of spring is the annual Holyoke St. Patrick's Road Race.  Usually run the day before the St. Patrick's Parade, the race draws a large amount of runners and spectators.  Today's run was the 39th annual, and it looked like the weather was going to put a damper on things.  The hour before the race, the skies were grey, and there were some showers.  The predicted 50 degrees looked almost out of the question, as it was barely 40.  As the runners lined up in the starting corrals, it became clear the the luck of the Irish was going to be with us.  With almost perfect timing, the skies cleared up, the sun was shining, and the temperature began to rise.

My schedule has me running a long run tomorrow, so I wanted to take it easy today.  I decided to think of this as a training run with 6,000 of my closest friends.  My friend Tom & I decided to run together.  He's recovering from an injury, so he didn't want to push too hard.  This turned out to be a great move for me, because we kept the pace to between 9:45 and 10:00.  Hopefully, this will leave me the energy I need for tomorrow.


Today's totals  -  6.20 miles  /  271.01 for the year.

May the Wind Always be at Your Back

Being the week of St. Patrick's Day, I'm reminded of an old Irish blessing...

An Old Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

I can always relate this blessing to running... sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn't.  Today was a day that it didn't.

Long run day.  Scheduled was an 11 miler, so we opted for an 11.4 mile route.  The weather was almost perfect.  50 degrees (woo hoo shorts weather), but there was a breeze (13 mph).  Looking at the direction that the flags were blowing, we figured that we'd have a head wind about miles 5 thru 8.  For some reason we hit the wind during the first mile, and every mile after.  How the heck can you run a route that is a square and have the wind in your face the whole way?  Then at about 9 miles the sun went behind the clouds.  Apparently this was a cold front, because the temp dropped 5 to 10 degrees in the the next half hour.  That's the thing about New England weather... If you don't like it, wait five minutes, it'll change.

Saturday is the 39th running of the Holyoke St. Patrick's Road Race, hopefully the blessing will be in our favor.

Today's totals  -  11.38 miles  /  264.83 miles for the year.

Two in a row

After taking a couple of days off last week, I feel like I might be back on track.  Now I know that the cold I have is not 100% gone, I just need to ensure that I'm eating well, and getting the proper sleep so it doesn't get worse.

Today was the middle day of three in a row, and it felt good.  Hills yesterday, flat today, and tomorrow will be rolling hills.  All I need is to get through the next 5 weeks, and then it'll be time for a well deserved rest.

Today's totals  -  6.15 miles  /  253.45 total for year

Unstoppable - Motivational Video

33 Days left until Boston... it's time for a motivation check...




Today's totals - 7.04 miles  /  247.30 total for year.

Back to Work

After a couple of forced days off (due to sore legs & a cold), it was back to the roads today.

The schedule called for an 18 miler (no way am I ready for that).  I opted for an 8 miler instead.  My training partner mapped a route that came by my house, so I could join him in the middle of the run, and turn off when it looped back about 1.5 miles from the house.  This was perfect.  18 for him, and 8 for me as I'm still not 100%.  Both of our courses finished with uphills, so it was definitely a challenge.

The temp was a little cool, 26 with a wind chill in the teens, but it was a sunny day.  I don't know if the sunshine made a difference or not, but people that were driving seemed to be courteous, and not try running us off the roads.  All in all, it was a pleasant run.  We'll see how I feel tomorrow.


Daily totals  -  8.08 miles  /  240.26 total for year.

Rainy Days and Hump Day

Hump Day... the week is half way done.  with the training schedule that I'm using, it also means another long day.  Today was supposed to be 10 miles, but again I had a case of the "blahs".

3:00 PM I headed out for my run.  Right from the start I didn't feel right.  Heavy legs, and just not comfortable at all.  About two miles in, and it was evident to me that unless I felt great all of a sudden, I should cut the run short.  At three miles I made the decision to cut the run in half.  The temp was decent, but now it had begun to rain... and my legs still felt like crap.

I headed back to work, finished the run, and then headed out for a pasta dinner with my wife.  While eating dinner, I made the decision to take an unscheduled day off from my running.  If this is a cold, or a sign of over training, I want to end it as quickly as I can.  As the saying goes "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."


Today's totals -  5.13 miles  /  232.18 total for the year.

Another one of those days

Today's weather was absolutely beautiful, so why did I lack the energy needed for today's run?

Fifty-four degrees, with a little wind, and blue skies... it doesn't get much better than this.  But today I really didn't have the energy that I needed to go out for my run.  The schedule called for 5.5 miles, and it was tough just to get out the door.  My legs felt like lead from this weekend's runs.  Especially the 14 miles of hills on Sunday.

As much as I didn't want to, I forced myself to do it.  No training partner this week because he's in Florida for a conference.  After I was done, I felt a sense of accomplishment in completing the run (even though my body felt otherwise).

Hopefully tomorrow will be better!


Today's totals - 5.38 miles  /  227.05 total for the year.

Weekend Update...

What a great weekend!  Friday night, Bren & I headed down to Providence, RI for Saturday's St. Pat's 5K.  This is the second year that we took part in this race.  This is one of the few races in the area that gives a medal to all the finishers.  Last year I ran with Bren, so this year I wanted to push myself (especially since most of my training has been at a slower pace).


The weather was near perfect... sunny skies, 50 degrees, and just a slight breeze.  The race started, and because it's an out-and-back course, you're allotted the chance to see the lead runners as they're heading back from the turn-around.  As I passed the mile mark, I could see the leader on his way back.  It was Alistair Cragg (last years winner, and Olympic athlete).  At the point that we crossed, I was at 1.19 miles, and he was already at the 2 mile mark.  His finish time was 15:12, and he was more than a minute and a half ahead of second place... that's friggin' fast!

I ended up finishing 435th place (out of 2688) with a respectable time of 25:41.  Bren finished a little further back, but she finished and got her medal.


Today After our drive home, it was time for my long run.  The training plan had a 16 miler scheduled, but the course I mapped out ended up being a 14 mile route with hills.  The first 2.5 miles took me to the start line of the Holyoke St. Patrick's Day Road Race (which I'll be running on the 22nd).  From there, I followed the complete 6.2 mile course, hills and all, and a not-so-direct route back home.  The route home included a 3 mile hill (not steep, but it was 3 miles of an uphill grade).  Once I finished, I was spent for the day.  Time to lay on the couch and get ready for the Bruins game.  And yes, they won!!


Weekend totals  -  Saturday, 3.1 miles  /  Sunday, 14.1 miles  /  total for year, 221.67

200 Miles Done

Today I reached another milestone... 200 miles done.  I'm now 20% of the way towards my goal of 1000 miles this year.

When I started back running in 2009, i don't think I really could imagine that I'd be back to this type of mileage.  That year I had 474 miles and thought that it was a lot.  Each year since then, I've increased my mileage, and last year I had a total of 843.

When it gets tough running, I always try to remember "A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with One Step."  So keep moving forward, and you'll achieve any goal.

Today's totals  -  6.01 miles  /  204.47 miles for the year.

Mid-Week Long Run?

Week number six in the training plan, and now we start double digit runs on Wednesdays.  This week the plan called for a 10 mile run.  Using mapmyrun.com, we planned out a course that had minimum hills.  Unfortunately, we couldn't get it down to 10 miles.  The result, an 11.5 mile run.

The weather today was actually tolerable.  Not warm, just OK.  Luckily there was only a little breeze, so that had no factor.

It's interesting how when you run distances like this, you run through cold pockets that make it feel like the temp went down about 5-10 degrees.  This happened a couple of times on today's run.  The only explanation that I could think of is that these areas don't get too much sunshine.

The best part of a run like this is the feeling of accomplishment you get when you finish, and today was no different.


Today's totals - 11.43 miles  / total for year 198.46  -  Tomorrow is another milestone!

Motivation Time

There are times when we all need a little motivation.  I'm now in week #6 of the 12 week training program, and this is one of those times.  It's not that I can't get myself going, or that I want to quit, it's because we all need that invisible push to drive us harder.

If you have 5 minutes available, watch this video.  Listen to the words.  They are from some of the greatest sports movies ever.  I almost wish that I could find all these speeches, and put them in my ipod.  Maybe having one of them come on in a race might be the boost that I need.



Today's mileage - 4.55 miles  /  187.03 total for the year.

Flexibility

One of the keys to running is flexibility.  Physical flexibility is not one of my strong suites, but mental flexibility is another story.  Today's run was scheduled to be a 14 mile "easy" run.  Being that this was a work weekend, there was not way I could get in a long run today after work (and before darkness).  So I planned on taking Monday morning off from work, and doing my run then.  As the week went on, the forecast was calling for more snow on Monday... just great.  Luckily the precipitation was removed from the outlook, but it was replaced by colder temps.

I really didn't want to run in the cold, and spend the rest of the day trying to warm up (especially at work).  Time for plan #2 (or was this #3?).  On working Sundays I go in an hour early to help a few of my co-workers with their fitness program, and I never ask for the time back.  Today I thought, "What the heck."  I asked my boss to leave an hour early, so I could take advantage of the daylight and warmer weather (well at least warmer than the predicted high for tomorrow).  No problem.

A quick look at our options for routes, and Kyle & I we out the door.  We opted to go a little shorter than planned, but we did include a couple of big hills.  As we finished the workout, both of us felt that it was better to keep the basic schedule & go a little shorter than it would have been to manipulate it.


Today's totals - 9.03 miles  /  182.48 total for year

Just another day

Nothing exciting about today's run.  After working for the sixth straight day (out of 12), I went out for a "short" 4.5 mile run.  Kept a good pace, felt normal, and aside from the wind it was actually a nice afternoon.


Today's total - 4.38 miles /  173.45 total for year.

More Friggin' Cold

Another cold day.  Sometimes there just isn't anything to say about your run, except it sucks running in the cold.  At least it's not as bad as the conditions that Rocky faced while training for his fight against Drago.  Enjoy.




Today's mileage - 5.13  /  169.07 total for year

May The Force Be With You... and also traffic lights.

Sometimes I wish I had powers of the mind.  Not so much like the Jedi Masters from "Star Wars", but power to control things.  Like traffic lights.  Wouldn't it be great to never have a red light again?  Oh the joy!

The same rings true while running and today's run was a perfect example.  Seven miles, and I hit seven red lights.  At each of these lights, there was too much traffic to "sneak" across.  No, I had to wait. 10, 20, 30 seconds at each.  When you have to stop this much, you just can't seem to get into a good rhythm.  Even without the pace that I was looking for, I still accomplished my run.

Now if I can just figure out how to control those darn lights.


Today's totals -  7.43 miles  /  163.94 total for year.

Life'e Rewards

Some days, even though running is a part of it, it's not the most important part.  Today was one of those days.

One of my major life goals was achieved today, when I was promoted at work.  This is an accomplishment that I had worked 31 years for, and today was the culmination of all that effort.  When you have an event like this, no matter how much you enjoy running, it just takes a back seat.  But today was a training day, and out the door I went.

Another cold day, but after all the good weather that we had, the roads are in much better shape for running.  The ice has receded to the point that we can see the edge of the road, and whatever puddles that there were have evaporated to leave a dry running surface.  This is the shortest scheduled day this week, so it made for a nice easy run (with a tempo segment in the middle).  After this weekend's race, my legs felt heavy for the entire run.  Hopefully the kinks will work themselves out before next Monday's long run.


Today's total -  4.07 miles  /  156.51 total for year.

40th Annual Jones Group Realtors 10 Miler

Race day.  Second race of the year, but while I'm training for Boston I want to be conservative with my races.  Today was a 10 mile race, and I set my goal pace to 9:30-9:45.  This course/race has been a standard for as long as I can remember, but this year they made a slight change to the start & finish lines.  With these changes, they also adjusted the first and last mile of the course.  As with any race changes, there are bound to be a few glitches, and the main one I saw was a bottleneck at about 1/2 mile, as we took a turn onto a street that was impeded by a large puddle on the left, and ice that stretched across the road.  Had they not changed the course, we wouldn't have turned at this road.

On the up side, I did like that new finish location.  In the past you would finish about 1/2 mile away from the start (and the parking area).  Then you would have to walk back to your car across sidewalks and fields that were sometimes water & mud covered.  Now the finish was about 10 yards away from the parking lot.  Easy access to the cars!!

As the race started, I knew that I would go out too fast, so I planned on it.  Run what felt comfortable until the two mile mark, and then THE HILL begins.  THE HILL is about a mile long, and climbs about 250 feet.  Once you hit the top of the hill you have a quarter mile, and you enter Shutesbury, MA.  For some reason, Shutesbury has chosen not to pave this road, and the next mile and a half is on dirt roads (some spots covered in ice).  This year, the conditions were just about perfect... not too much ice, and the road was just soft enough to give you a little cushioning.  It actually felt nice running in the "mud".  As you pass the six mile mark, you're pretty much home free, with just a couple of small hills left on the course.

As well as watching my pace, I was also watching my heart rate.  Everything went as planned, and when I finished, I had a time of 1:35:30 (9:33/mile).  Exactly what I had wanted.

Once I finished, I proceeded to do a two mile cool down.  Normally I'd be done with the 10, but my training plan called for 12 miles today.


Today's total  -  12.01 miles  /  152.44 for the year.

Spring Fever

Today officially did it... I have spring fever.  This year, there was no "January thaw", so this week's warm-up has been well worth it.  Now I know that it'll get colder later this week, but at least I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.

A temperature of 43, sunny, and only a little bit of wind.  What a great day for a run.  Shorts, no gloves, no winter hat... I felt free.  The only negative was the puddles created by the melting, and that water is COLD!

This may not be the end of the cold weather, but I'll take it.


Today's mileage - 4.12 miles  /  140.43 total for year.

What a difference a day makes...

Yesterday, all I could do was complain about the unexpected snow.  Today, a mere 24 hour later, I was almost giddy about the "spring like" weather.  46 degrees, sunny, and mild winds... WOW!  February 20th and I was running in shorts!  As a matter of fact, I think I might have actually overdressed.

Today's run was a nice easy 5 miler and I almost wish that the schedule called for a longer run.  This was one of the best running weather days in a long time.

That's the great thing about New England.  For the most part... If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes ... It'll change.


Today's total - 5.09 miles  /  136.31 total for year.

Just One Of Those Days

Did you ever have one of those days where everything pisses you off?  That was my day today.  Everything that happened seemed to rub me the wrong way.

Thank God for running!  This is my way to relieve stress, and I needed it today.  The stress relief was only temporary, because it was one of those days.  Due to other people not knowing their schedule, I had to rearrange mine to fit in my running at an earlier time.  Later I found that I really didn't need to do this, because the person was off by a day on their appointment.  AAARRRGGHH!!!

The one good thing about running earlier was that I beat the "unpredicted" snow.  Just another thing to add to my list today.  The forecast called for 39 degrees and rain, not 4-5 inches of snow.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.


Today's total  -  6.06 miles  /  131.22 miles total for the year.

Lessons learned

When I woke up this morning, I felt like crap.  Running was the furthest thing from my mind, so after giving my body/head a chance to feel better (and they didn't), I texted my training partner and opted out of our 9:00 workout.

About 12:30 I was feeling better, and also feeling a little guilt.  I was supposed to run a 10 miler.  That's the training plan.  So, I made the decision to get out and run.  If I felt bad, I could always cut it short (sure I could).

A quick check of the weather... 28 degrees with 15 mph winds...  brrr.

Out the door I went.  I chose an out & back course to run.  There's a golf course about 5 miles from the house, I'll just run there and back.  Great idea, but I didn't totally think this out.

First lesson... Golf courses aren't open when there's snow on the ground.  Sure, the road was plowed by the maintenance crew, but that was probably on Friday.  Saturday we got another 1 to 2 inches of the white stuff, and last night the wind kicked up.  As soon as I got to the main driveway, I was running on a snow-drift covered road.  A little bit tough running in the snow, and in some spots there was ice underneath.  I took it slower and reached the clubhouse.  5 miles down, and 5 more to go.

Now the second lesson... When it's windy out, pay attention to the wind direction.  All the time I was running I kept thinking how warm it was.  Once I turned at the clubhouse I realized that this was because I had been running with the wind at my back.  Great... now I have 5 miles to go with it in my face.  And, I had worked up a good sweat on the first five miles.  By the time I got home, my face was red from the wind, and my body was cold from the sweat being cooled off by the wind.

It took me the rest of the afternoon to get myself back to feeling normal.


Today... 10.01 miles  /  125.16 total for the year.

More snow... yuck!

Another snowy day.  At least this one's not supposed to leave a lot.

Today's run was a workout.  Four miles, and after the storm on Thursday, the roads/sidewalks were terrible. Many of the places that were shoveled, still had about two inches of soft snow, and running on this is the equivalent of running on beach sand.  Of course had it been at the beach, I would have enjoyed it more.

Because it was snowing during the run, it became almost impossible to see through my glasses.  First was the snow melting as it hit the glasses, and leaving water drops, and then they decided to fog up.  Of course both sides don't fog evenly, only one side at a time.  Having one lens of your glasses with fog really does a job on your depth perception.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day, but I'm not counting on the weather to cooperate.


Today's mileage -  4.11 /  115.15 total for this year.

Snow Day

This morning, the snow started before I got up.  Our plan was to get in a run this morning before the heaviest of the snow started to fall.  So, I was at work a half hour earlier to get out on the roads.  Luckily we have a place to run with limited traffic, so that wasn't a worry at all.

The snow was falling, but wasn't that heavy.  About an inch of two was on the ground, and it was the kind of snow that's perfect for running (if there is such a thing).  Each step, and you could feel the snow compact and "crunch" under your foot.  When there's no traffic, you can almost hear the snow as it hits the ground.

The only negatives this morning, were the temp and the wind.  It was only 18 degrees, and with the 8 mph wind it was a wind chill of 7 degrees.  Brrrrr.  Worse than the wind chill, was the feel of the snow hitting my face, it felt like tiny needles as the snow came in contact with my face.  Thank goodness I wasn't running into the wind for the whole run.

Of course the fun part was the reaction of my co-workers once I finished.  They all thought I was crazy, but I guess today I confirmed it.


Today's mileage -  5.00  /  Total for year  -  111.09

Calm before the storm

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for our area all of tomorrow, and Friday morning until 7:00 AM.  Predictions have been anything from 6 inches up to 16 inches, so tomorrow's workout might be interesting if I don't beat the snow.  Because of this (and my scheduled workouts) I took advantage of the calm before the storm.

Today's weather, although a little below normal on the temperature, was actually a nice day to run.  The wind was at a minimum, which is a welcome change from the way it has been for the last couple of days.  The roads weren't in bad shape either.  Most of where we ran was down to the pavement, and without the temperature getting too high, there weren't a lot of puddles or slush.

A 5.5 mile "easy run" is what the training plan called for, so easy is what we tried to run.  I didn't feel like I was pushing it, but the first mile was a 9:23.  About 20-35 seconds faster than I wanted.  Once I'm in motion, I find it hard to forcibly slow myself down, so I just went with it.  When it was all said and done, I averaged a 9:35 pace (still 10-15 seconds per mile faster).  Some days you just feel good.


Today's mileage - 5.61  /  106.04 miles total for year.

First 100... done

Today's run was a bit of a challenge.  21 degrees with a 12 mph wind (wind chill of 9), and I needed to do a tempo run.  A tempo run is defined as a "comfortable hard" pace.  Basically you need to push at about an 80 percent effort.  These runs can be tough in good weather, and they're brutal in the cold.

Based upon the training paces that I have established,  I need to run a pace between 9:02 and 9:16 for a tempo run.  It's recommended to have an "easy" first and last mile while pushing the middle portion.   Today it was 4 miles, so the middle two would be at tempo pace.

The first mile was comfortable at a 9:19, then we needed to pick it up.  The rest of the miles were 9:05, 9:00, and 9:02... right on target.  The funny thing is that we felt like we had slowed down during the last mile.  I guess when the wind is at your back it'll give you that illusion.  One of my best workouts, both on intensity and feeling.

Today mileage - 4.02  

100.43 total for year  -  

FIRST 100 DONE!!!

Hills... The breakfast of champions.

No offense to Wheaties, but cereal doesn't make champions... hard work does.

Today's workout called for 7.5 miles, and the plan threw in the option to "mix it up" with a little hill workout.  So, with the Holyoke St. Patrick's Day Road Race a little over a month away, we decided to take on the course.  Being that the race is only 6.2 miles, I suggested that we do the "Old" course.  For anyone that was running back in the 80's, Holyoke was unique... it was the only course in the area that was 7.5 miles.  Their choice to shorten the course was a controversial one, but at the time 10K was the "popular" race distance.  To shorten the course, they eliminated two substantial hills on the campus of Holyoke Community College.  Now this made the course easier, but it was still uphill for most of the first 3 miles.

We parked the cars at about mile marker 1, and began from there.  This made the first two miles uphill.  Entering the college campus, we proceed to do a lap (down, up, down, up), and rejoined the current course.  After about 1/2 mile of somewhat level terrain, we now hit the biggest downhill of the course.  It's so hard to hold back on a down hill, and that made mile five the fastest of all my splits today.  The final two and a half miles are pretty flat, and the only thing that we had to worry about were "idiot drivers".  One that we watched "pause" for a red light after flying past us, and another that cut over two lanes just to get into McDonald's.  I guess it was a last minute decision to get that Egg McMuffin.

All-in-all it was a great run.  My longest since the Disney Marathon, but they're going to get longer almost every weekend from here until Boston.


Today's mileage - 7.60  /  96.41 total for year.

Idiot drivers...

Why is it that people just don't pay attention when driving?  Today was another one of those runs where everything felt good, and the run was really enjoyable.  That was until about 200 feet before I finished.

After the snow we had this past week, not all the sidewalks are free of ice or packed snow.  Most of my run I tried to keep in the road (in the breakdown lane), but on the final stretch there is no breakdown lane.  When this happens, I move onto the sidewalk (if possible).  About 1/4 mile form home, I got on the sidewalk for the final portion, and that's when it happened.  Another idiot driver.

The car was pulling out of the driveway for the church next door, and just wasn't paying attention.  First off, maybe she should have looked both ways to see if anyone was on the sidewalk.  Secondly, she should have stopped short of the sidewalk.  But no, she never looked and stopped right on the sidewalk.  Great, now I had 10 feet to stop on a slippery walk before running into her car.

Luckily I kept my balance, and didn't fall.  I had a few choice words for her, but I'm sure she didn't hear me, because she still never looked.  Next time, I think I'll bang on the roof so I can be sure that they know I'm there.  IDIOTS!


Today's total  -  4.08 miles /  88.81 total for year.

Just another day

Today was just another day.  Nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary.  You could say it was a boring day... and I enjoyed that.  Sometimes you want one of those days where life doesn't hand you any extra surprises.

This afternoon's run also wasn't very special.  No wild weather, no frigid temperature, no gale force winds.  Just a nice 4.01 miles at an average pace of 9:46/mile.

Boring days can be a nice change of pace.


Today's mileage - 4.01  /  84.73 total for year.

Does snow removal count?

Today was a scheduled "cross training" day.  My training plan called for a core strength workout, followed by 30 minutes of cardio (other than running).

Well, as many of you know, we got hammered with about 10-12 inches of snow in Western Mass.  So, my training had to be preempted by snow removal.  This included shoveling and snow blowing.  Shoveling took the place of my strength workout, and the snow blowing became my cardio workout for the day.

The good news is, only 41 days left until spring/

Easy ain't always easy.

Today's run was supposed to be an easy three. Unfortunately, I had a dentist appointment so I couldn't run at my usual time.  Best I could do was 6:00 this evening.  By the time I got out the door, the temp had dropped below freezing, and all the puddles that had formed from the melting today were starting to turn to ice.  Our nice smooth driveway felt like the local hockey rink.

Using all the utmost caution, I ventured out into the neighborhood.  Not wanting to deal with a lot of cars, I opted for as many side streets as I could.  I'm glad this was supposed to be an easy run, because speed was not happening.  My biggest concern was to just keep myself upright. After about 1.5 miles, I met back with the main road, and figured it'll be easier to avoid traffic than avoiding ice on the side streets.

Thankfully tomorrow is a non-running day, because we're expecting 8-12 inches of snow.  Oh the joys of New England.


Today's mileage - 3.05  /  80.72 total for year.

Lazy day... not!

Yesterday, I missed doing an update due to watching the Superbowl.

Today was a scheduled "rest day", after this week's "long run".  After working all day yesterday, I managed to get in a 6 mile run prior to watching the game.  The weather was great (43 degrees), and the run felt good.  I probably could have run today, but my training plan called for a rest day.

Now, what I planned for today was "being lazy", but unfortunately that wasn't meant to be.  First off, we had our main sewer line get clogged, and back-up.  Luckily it was just dirty water from the washing machine, but still.  Now instead of lounging around the house, I needed to go to the laundromat.  To top thing off, it was snowing.  Of course it wasn't a ton of snow, so it really didn't call for the snow blower.  Yeah... I get to shovel.  Needless to say, it wasn't a the lazy day that I wanted.

Maybe next week.



Yesterday's total mileage 6.03  /  77.67 total for year

January Review

The month of January has come to a close, and boy was it a busy one.  Two races in the month, the Walt Disney World Marathon, and a GSH Snowstorm Classic 10K.  Disney was a personal best for me (as an over 40 year old) with a 5:19:11.  Two weeks later, I ran the 10K in a 56:53 (9:14/mile).  While the 10K was not one of my fastest times, I was very happy with the results.  Especially with it being as close to the marathon as it was.

Another highlight of my month, was getting word that I'll be running the Boston Marathon for the second time.  This year will be an emotionally charged Boston, with the events that happened last year.  They've increased the field, and expect record crows to come out an cheer on the runners.  This truly will be something special.

My totals for the month were slightly below what I was looking for, but I'm sure that the marathon training over the next 80 days will put me on track towards (if not ahead of) my goal of 1000 miles for 2014.

Totals for January:  71.63 miles  /  12 hours, 39 minutes, 01 second  /  avg 5.6 mph  /  8544 calories

Daily mileage: 3.56  /  71.63 total for year

"I Just Felt Like Running"

Some days are better than others, some days you feel like you can run forever.  Today wasn't one of those, but those are the best.



Today's mileage 4.03 miles / 68.08 total for the year.

Dog Hearding 101

Today's training run turned out to be a little out of the ordinary.  About 1.5 miles into the run, we came across a man and his beagle.  It appeared that he was trying to train this puppy, but the dog had a mind of his own.  The beagle decided that he wanted to run with us, and ignore his owner.  Not wanting to get this dog lost, we turned around after about 50 yards, and ran back to the area that he joined us.  The man with the dog, was now about 50 feet off the main road, and the dog still wouldn't go to him and wanted to "play" with us.  The only way to get him to go, was to stop and wait him out.  Finally, the pup ran off to his owner, and we continued down the road.

Now today's course was an out and back, so guess what happened when we came back by that spot...  the same thing again.  Just our luck.  Finally, while the dog was distracted by two other people, we made a break for it, and finished up our run.

First time that I've ever had this happen to me.  The good part was the dog just wanted to play.

Also today, I received my confirmation e-mail from the BAA the I am officially in this year's marathon.  Now it's time for some serious training.

Today's mileage 4.63 miles / 64.05 total for year

Off and Running.

Today was the next step in running Boston in April.  I dropped off my entry to the BAA offices in Hopkinton.  It's pretty surreal to visit the offices, because they are located about 20 yards from the start line.  After delivering my application, and entry fee, I crossed the start line.  OK, it was in a vehicle, but for me this is symbolic of the start of my Boston Marathon adventure.  Twelve weeks from today, for the second time, I will be crossing that line for real.

Now time to start the training, and tonight it was the dreaded treadmill.  As much as I hate the thing, on some days I just don't feel like facing the cold.  So, off to Planet Fitness I went.  My training plan called for 3 miles, so that's exactly what I did.

Today's mileage 3.0 miles / 59.41 miles for the year.

A New Beginnng

Friday at work, I received great news... I received a wavered entry into the Boston Marathon.  This will be my second time running Boston.  The first time running Boston was 2012 when it was 85 degrees.  Last year, due to a mis-communication, I missed the deadline, and was not considered for a number.  I guess you could say I was lucky, because based on everything that happened I wouldn't have been able to finish before the tragedy struck (I'm not that fast anymore).

So now the training begins.  After my marathon in Orlando, I now know what I need to do in order to improve on my personal best.  Mileage, mileage, mileage.  At Disney, I felt great through 13-14 miles, then the legs started getting tired.  Hopefully with Boston, if I train right, I should make it through 18-22 before that tired feeling settles in.

With two weeks of recovery under my belt, my official training plan begins on Tuesday (Mon & Fri are rest days).  With that I decided to take in a GSH Snowstorm Classic race today.  10K around Forest Park in Springfield.  I figured I'd keep it to about a 9:30-9:45 pace... yeah, sure.  Three of the six miles were under 9:00, and I ended with a 56:53 (9:10 pace).

I guess I still need to learn a thing or two about pacing.

Today's mileage 6.2  /  56.42 total for year

8 Stages of Marathon Running

Ok... no running today (or tomorrow), they're scheduled "down" days.  But for anyone who has run a marathon before, you'll love this.  If you haven't, then you'll get a small glimpse into the way our mind works during that long run.

A Necessary Evil

For those who know me, you know how much I hate running on treadmills.  Like a mouse on a wheel.  But, sometimes it is a necessary evil.  Today was one of those days.  The temperature never got above 15 degrees, and at 5:00 PM it was 10 with a 12 mph wind, and you get a windchill of -5.

So, for the second time this winter, I headed over to Planet Fitness and proceeded to be that proverbial mouse.  The only thing that I haven't figured out is "What is the cheese that I'm chasing?"

Today's total - 3.96 miles / 50.22 total for the year.

Frozen...

Today was a non-running day, but with the cold snap that's coming in it'll be tough this week.

So as a "tribute" to that weather, here's a little video.  This is one of the songs that they used at mile 21 of the Disney marathon to help psyche the runners up.

Demi Lovato - "Let It Go" - from Disney's latest animated film "Frozen"

Back to Reality

Vacation's over, now it's time to get back to reality.  Tomorrow it's back to work.

Today however, I wanted to get in a good run before the cold front comes in.  At least the temperature wasn't that bad (32 degrees), and there was little wind.  The problem was many of the sidewalks were still covered with snow.  I know that we only got a small amount (abt. 2 inches), but would it really hurt people to spend about 15 minutes clearing a path on their sidewalk?  I did mine.

My goal today was an easy 3 to 3.5 mile run.  The easy part was there @ 9:55 per mile, but I judged the distance wrong and ended up with 3.77 miles.

The best part was that I felt good throughout the run.  Maybe I'll run an easy 10K on the weekend.


Daily mileage - 3.77 ---  46.25 total for year

Home. Sweet Home

Travel day #2 - Stony Creek, VA to Massachusetts.

For the most part, today was an uneventful drive.  Everything went smooth until we came ove the Tappan Zee bridge.  At the toll booth, I lined up with an EZ Pass lane, and had an idiot stop at the toll booth and look around trying to figure out how to pay.  What part of the "EZ Pass Only" sign did he not understand.  After he finally got the hint that he couldn't use cash, he moved out of the way so I could continue my trip.

Next up was the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut.  The ground was wet from a passing shower or flurry, and traffic was heavy.  For some reason at the one mile mark we were moving at about 25 mph (in a 55 mph zone).  After about three miles of this, I figured out what the problem was.  There were trucks sanding the roads.  It was 40 degrees with slightly wet roads, and they were putting salt down on the roads.  This went on for TEN miles.

Finally, as we got north of Hartford (in the Windsor Locks area) we ran into the actual winter weather that I expected.  Snow for the rest of the trip.  By the time we got home, there was about 2 inches of the white stuff on the ground.

1250 total miles in two days with only the last 130 miles being a pain in the butt.

So much for the vacation... back to reality!

0.0 miles run / 42.54 for the year

Homeward Bound

No running today, as I spent about 11 hours on the road.

Day #1 of the return trip.  Orlando, FL to Stoney Creek, VA.

Today was the first half of our trip home.  Compared to our trip down, the first day was uneventful.  We can only hope that tomorrow is more of the same.  The second half of the trip is the part that worries me, because that's where all the larger cities come into play.

Disney - Day #9

Final day at Disney... tomorrow begins the long drive home.

The day started with a two and a half mile run.  The temp at the time was 44 degrees.  Now I'm used to the temperature back home, but I was not prepared for cold like this in Florida.  It was another "easy" run, but this one was just a little under a 10-minute per mile pace.

In the afternoon, we took our final trip to the parks.  EPCOT was first.  While there we caught the "American Adventure".  For us this is a must see.  Next up we headed over to France, so Bren could get her orange grey-goose slushie.  Then over to Great Britain so I could get a Guiness.  This is the same way we ended our trip three years ago, but this time we had one more stop to make.

Magic Kingdom was last on our list.  While we were there the other day, we saw an Precious Moments statue that we liked.  After leaving the park and think about it a bit, we decided that we needed to go back and get it.  Just a memento to always remind us of the fun we have at Disney World.

As always, it's a bittersweet end to a great vacation.  I'm sad to end it, but I'll be glad to sleep in my own be in a couple days.

Day #16 - 2.63 miles / 42.54 total for year.

Disney - Day #8

No running today.  For the next couple of weeks it'll be no more than one day in a row running, and no more than two off days in a row.  This is the recovery period for the marathon.  That being said, walking is another story.

Today started off with another visit to Hollywood Studios and a return trip to the Toy Story Midway Mania.  This is by far the ride that give me the most entertainment.  It may not be a thrill ride, but it is a heck of a lot of fun.  Next up was Tower of Terror.  This was a second ride on this also, but each time is a different experience, and again I wasn't let down.  Oh, and by the way we ran into a couple of friends...

From there, we traveled by boat to Disney's Boardwalk for a beer and appetizers at the ESPN Club.  Great stop if you're into sports.  There's tons of memorabilia to look at on the walls, including two pairs of seats from the old Boston Garden.

After a small rest at the resort, we finished the evening at EPCOT.  Dinner at the San Angel Inn in the Mexico pavilion, a sake at the Japan pavilion, and then the Illuminations fireworks display.  While it may not be the best I've ever seen, it's right up there.  The fireworks, laser lights, and electronic globe make a great mixture for a show.

Disney - Day #7

First day to try running after the marathon.  Got up bright and early (well actually it was dark and early) and proceeded to run just over two miles.  The soreness from yesterday eased overnight, and on a scale of 1 to 10, it was about a 2.

Coronado Springs offers a nice running trail that's just under a mile, so it's pretty easy to get a short run in.  While I was out there, I saw about a dozen others that I assume also ran the marathon (or maybe they did the Goofy or Dopey).

After my workout, we proceeded to spend the day at Animal Kingdom.  The rides were great, even better than I remembered, especially Expedition Everest.  The animals weren't as active as they have been, but the cooler weather today certainly played a factor.  At least I was able to get a few great photos, especially one of a tiger.

Disney - Day #6

The day after.  This is the day with the most pain (I hope).  Just a few areas that are feeling sore.  My right hip (or IT band), my lower back, and my trapezius muscles.  Of these, the traps are by far the worst... they are even sore to the touch.  But as the saying goes (unless it's an injury) "Pain is temporary, pride is forever"

Today's "workout" was to enjoy the Magic Kingdom.  A lot of walking involved, but walking is the best thing to do the day after a marathon.  With all the movement, I made sure to get plenty of sitting time too.  The picture below is in the same area that I "rested" during our visit 3 years ago.

The picture below is for comparison:

 

Hopefully I can find the same chair in three more years when I come back to do the "Goofy Challenge"

 

Day #13 - 0.0 miles / 37.84 total for year