Grinding it out 9/28 Saturday Long Run - 56 days from Tulsa

This was a routine run from the clubhouse, me fulfilling my usual 4:10 marathon pacing duties with the DRC.  I don't know why today seemed so much more humid than other days.  80 degrees with about 75% humidity at the start which we have run in worse before.  I hear people complain about the humidity all of the time and I understand it comes with the territory.  It's just part of living in the region of Texas that we do.  But, I found myself grumbling too after a while.  I was drenched in sweat even before we got to mile 5 of our 16 miler today.  Good thing I didn't run any extra miles beforehand as I usually do.  I think I only had 16 miles in me.  

Somewhere around mile 12 pacing the 4:13 Marathon Group, crazy humid day.

We lost several group members in the latter stages of the run.  At some points toward the end of the run, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it all the way back to the clubhouse myself.  Afterward, I didn't even go to our usual post run brunch.  I went straight home and crashed.  A total ass whippin' today.  But you know what, I wouldn't want it any other way.  Train tough, race easy.  At least I hope that is what will happen in the end.

-TNT-

Love the Half - Half Marathon (official time 1:54:55)

Frunners- Robin, Tim, Jeremy and Kate

I went back and forth on what to do with this race.  When registered for it early summer, I didn't know that there would be a 16 mile training run scheduled for me to pace the day before (and an extra two for me, making my scheduled endurance training 18 miles).  I first decided to use it as sort of a time trial and run at my marathon pace all the way through.  Problem was I really don't know what my marathon pace is.  I trained with the 3:50 group last spring and my marathon pace was 8:46 min/mile, but I wasn't sure if I was still at that fitness level.  Then I figured it may be best just to cruise through it and use it as a recovery run.  Hmm... but I have had 10-11 mile trail runs the day after long endurance runs and trail runs can be more difficult.  But I could get hurt.  

Dailymilers Jeremy and V.K.

Every reason I came up with to not race this, I came up with two more reasons to race it.  The weather at start was 61° with 85% humidity.  It felt really good out, AND today was my birthday and had I finally reached the next age group 45-49.  It was a small race.  When I arrived, I noticed that there were not very many people.  I thought to myself, I may just be able to finally place in a race and the course is pretty close to flat.  Let's see how this goes.  I arrived at about 7:20 am and on my way to the port-o-potty I run into my dailymile friends, the Fermo Brothers- Jeremy and William, V.K., whom at this moment I just realized I don't know her real first name and Tim Taggert, whom really these folks have become much more than dailymile friends.  We took a few pics and then the national anthem was sung.  Oh wow, the whole time I thought the race started at 8am and it really starts at 7:30.  Good thing I got there when I did.  Ended up skipping my port-o-potty visit hoping I wouldn't end up paying for it and found my place toward the start line.  The race started and I'm running trying to adjust my music - yes I still run with music, suck down energy gel and get in some more hydration.  About 30 seconds into the run I discover I didn't start my Garmin.  By the time I did start it, I notice I'm running at a 7:00 pace.  Slow down.  I catch up to the 2:00 pacers, Paul Agruso and Rick Johnson and ran with them for about half of a mile then started to pull away because my body just would not allow me to run at "only" a 9:09 min pace.  

Goodies courtesy of Love the Half

I tried a new energy gel, I've been experimenting with different ones, this one I used was a little inconsistent, seems like I had 'bursts' of energy along the route instead of a steady flow.  Not sure if it was the gels or if it was me.  Sometimes I would look down and I'm doing about an 8:00 min pace effortlessly and then other times close to a 9:00 min pace.  Once the sun came up, it warmed up a little.  It was harder for me to run in the sunlit areas just from the slight temperature increase.  Toward the end around mile 11.5 or 12 my legs started to tire.  Somewhere around mile 10 I had looked back and saw Jeremy and gave him a shoutout.  My overall average pace was at about 8:29 min mile at that point, I knew I would have to average about an 8:00 mile over the remainder of the race to break my P.R. of 1:50:09 which was doable, but I wasn't going to strain myself.  So I dropped back to see how Jeremy was doing.  He was on the verge of catching up with the frontrunner of the Clydesdale division.  Let's go catch him.  We weren't able to catch him but hopefully I helped pace Jeremy to finish with a better time than he would have if I wasn't there.  We chatted for a couple miles, then I let him go as I walked through the last water stand.  Jeremy ended up getting second in the Clydesdale division.  Way to go.  I ended up just missing placing in my age group, got 4th place and 46th overall.  Afterward, I caught up with all of the folks I greeted before the race.  Gotta love small races.  Legs still feel great, will do some stretching and foam rolling to make sure they stay feeling that way.  Now time for some football :)

-TNT-

Saturday Long Run

Leading the 4:10 Marathon Group 9/21 long run, 16 miles.

Today I returned to my regular pacing duties today with the DRC 4:10 marathon group.  We finally had fall like weather which allowed running some on the lower end of our pace range.  On the schedule was 16 miles.  The course was hilly of course, and the group fared well.  Everyone kept up for the most part.  I ran two extra miles with my extra mileage buddy Jackie C before the training run to make my total 18.  Feeling pretty good still, now to get ready for a birthday half marathon tomorrow.  Not sure how I will handle this half, when I signed up for it I didn't know I would have 18 miles on the schedule the day before.  I originally wanted to run it at marathon race pace and try to hold all the way through.  Instead it will probably be sort of a recovery run.  The course is completely flat.  My trail runs are probably more difficult.  We shall see.  In other stuff, almost have everything wrapped up for the trip to Tulsa.  Have a hotel booked, however it is 12 miles away from the race start.  There will be a carpool from Dallas to Tulsa, which I will have to hitch a ride there.  I may have to take a shuttle or taxi from the hotel to Downtown Tulsa the morning of the race.  That is if I don't find something closer.

Wednesday Recovery

I wasn't even planning to blog about this run however an event happened that may or may not affect me later.  I set out to do a 45 minute recovery run as the sun set.  Something told me that I should have taken my headlamp.  Ended up tripping over some uneven pavement about 37 minutes in, caught myself from falling however I think I pulled something in my lower back.  It smarted for about a minute, I couldn't run so I walked the last block home.  Stretched some and the pain went away.  However I have a feeling that I will feel it in the morning.  I sure hope not.  I usually have a Thursday run, but I am skipping it since I will be running 18 miles Saturday and then a half marathon on Sunday which happens to be my birthday also.  So I have a rare double rest day.  Crazy, I know.  I'll still end up with around 45 total miles for the week.

Tuesday Hill Repeats

This was the second go round at Flagpole Hill for hill repeats.  On the schedule was 7 repeats this time, we did 5 three weeks ago.  Hip flexor strain keeps reminding me that it is still there, however every time it reminds me it is a little more faint, so it is slowly fading away.  My 4:10 group handled the workout well and looked like pros.  Also my co-pacer Myriam is back from her vacation, so I was really excited about that and happy to see her. Got extra miles from running from and back to the DRC clubhouse with runner buddy Jackie and ended up with a total of 10.85 miles, probably the most that I have ever run on a Tuesday.  Very nice workout.  Glad that I'm on vacation from work, I get to sleep in tomorrow.  

Northshore Sunday Trail Run

I decided to use this blog as a diary of sort, so I'll be posting the majority of the details of my runs on here going forward rather than directly on dailymile or Facebook for those who care to read.  Hopefully the posts won't be too boring.  If I was to rate this run on a scale of 1 to 10, I would put it at about 9.5.  I think this may be my 2nd or 3rd longest trail run, I'm not sure.  I felt very good during and after the run which amazed me because I had just finished fasting Saturday evening from 24 hours of observing Yom Kippur.  That was a 24 hour fast from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday with no water and no food.  

Lake Grapevine at Northshore Trails

At 8:45-ish after the sun set I started hydrating and eating like crazy.  Before the run with my usual trail buddies this morning I took in some more hydration, was out of GU, all I had was one of those 5 hour energy shots, so it had to do.  I set out to do about 6 miles not knowing how I would be feeling. After 3 miles I felt mighty strong, so I figured I could do the whole 9 miles (as I thought it would be).  The course ended up being a little over 10 miles, I felt like I could have went a couple more at the end.  Not sure if it was the slightly cooler weather that helped or that 5 hour energy shot.  Afterwards had breakfast with the group at Fuzzy's Tacos, absorbed a little bit more knowledge regarding training and race strategy from my coaches conversation.  Pretty good start for Sunday leading to a weeks vacation from work.  Now time for some stretching, foam rolling and NFL Football.

Post-run brunch at Fuzzy's Tacos

-TNT-