New Beginnings

So Maybe it's time to start jotting down some training musings again.

For the record, the Boston Marathon went well in April, fulfilling most of my hopes. No PR or anything, but requalifying for Boston and a definite Boston PR. 3:50:19. A bit of walking with bad stomach cramps after probably too little water with my gel just after Heartbreak Hill, but easily the best of my three attempts. I was in the top 25% of my age group, which given the competition at Boston, I'll take. It was really nice to have Chris to help me home from the finish.

So next up is the New York Marathon on November 7th. It's a lottery deal because of the number of applicants they usually get, but they accept some folks on times. It turns out that my 3:47 in Chicago last fall is fast enough to qualify me for New York, so that does that. Now comes more training with the new cycle starting this week.

Just to change things up a bit, help with core strength and hopefully ease my chronic work related back pain, I decided to enter a series of three "sprint" (read "short") triathlons in June, July and August. The first of these was last week and let's just say it will serve as a baseline. Of my age group of seven guys, I was 6th in the swim, 4th in the bike and 2nd in the run. Second in the run in a laughable 27+ minutes. Third overall.

Anyway, the plan is to put a little more time into swimming and biking workouts in the next couple of weeks and hopefully do better in the next one. Austin wants to build me a decent road bike to use in place of my mountain bike hybrid which he says will take five minutes off my bike time. Workin' on that.

Runningwise, I ran a PB 5K a couple of weeks ago at the USATF certified Plymouth YMCA race--22:06 and hope this means my speed overall is now back more to last summer levels after feeling slowed by last November's sprained ankle for many months. Mile splits were 7:25, 7:03 and 6:58. Once again, going out slow proved a successful strategy.

Summers are great in Michigan!

Off To Boston

Well, we're about to leave for Boston with no apparent volcano plumes to impend us. It's been a busy week with a group of last little four mile runs more for the brain than the legs, but really nice to run in this warmer weather able to drop more of the clothing and simulate the likely race conditions better. I feel lucky training has been able to be as consistent as it has this cycle. Few runs had to be modified or shifted because of snow, ice and rain, not to mention injury and now I just hope it can all come together reasonably well on "the day".
The weather forecast at the moment for 45-52 degrees and partly cloudy sounds pretty good. If the gusting 40 mph quartering tailwind/crosswind doesn't blow us off the road or dehydrate us too much all should be good.
I head off with the usual amount of trepidation, but a more positive feel than the past two years. Still, this course deserves all kinds of respect. The plan will be to start slowly and build if it's there. Off we go!


Tues 4 miles 8:56 pace HR 150
Wed 4 miles 8:38 pace HR 149
Thurs 4 miles 8:25 pace HR 149
Fri 4 miles 8:48 pace HR 142

Race And Last Long Run

It's been a busy weekend with Annie and Brian in town and baby Leah's arrival. I did manage to get to the Martian 10K in Dearborn on Saturday and was very satisfied with the run. I think I was 3rd in my 60-65 agegroup with a 46:25 at 90% effort or so.
Yesterday was one last time around the lake at Kensington. Very nice at about 50 degrees. Now it's very little addition running this week, heal the niggles up and don't do anything stupid.

Sat 6.2 miles 7:28 pace HR 163
Sun 8 miles 8:24 pace HR 149

Roller Coaster

Publish Post

The emotional roller coaster rocketed up this morning with the birth of Elizabeth's and John's little girl Leah Marie just before 6 AM this morning. Welcome joyfulness. And just in time for Annie and Brian's arrival later today. Liz really knows how to do these things.

Oh, and the running. Four easy miles each on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday dodging raindrops. Wednesday morning at 5 AM it was a muggy 68 degrees (April 7th) and lots of perSPI-RAtion for the first time this training cycle. A skunk encounter fortunately remained odor free.

If everything is good with Liz and the baby, I'm planning to go down to Dearborn tomorrow morning and run the Martian 10K at 85% effort for a last tuneup for Boston.


Tues 4 miles 9:09 pace HR 148
Wed 4 miles 8:50 pace HR 152
Thurs 4 miles 8:59 pace HR 148

Really Tough Week and Peep Tower

Tough week here with the incredibly sad passing of my brother on a rainy Saturday juxtaposed with the Easter family get together on an absolutely gorgeous Sunday. Mary, Jessie, A.J., Brian, John, Liz and Zach. And a player to be named very soon. Eggs were hidden for Zach, beer for the older "kids" and a peeps tower for a centerpiece surrounded by a fine pizza meal. Christine has been amazing, once again.

The running got mostly done.


Tues 4 miles 9:43 pace HR 150
Wed 4 miles 9:02 pace HR 152
Thurs 4 miles 8:26 pace HR 148 Newtons no long pants
Sat
7 miles at 8:21 pace HR 152
7 miles at 9:51 pace HR 145
3 miles at 8:22 pace HR 157
Sun 3 miles 9:39 pace HR 141

Weekly Total 32 miles HR 149

Best Laid Plans

A pain free back is always a challenge in my profession, and recognizing that, I had set up appointments with my chiropractor and the massage therapist (thanks folks) Thursday night after the work week and Friday afternoon to try to optimize things before today's scheduled last long run before Boston. Good in theory. Unfortunately, something freaked out in my back between the two appointments on Friday mornin and even a quick extra trip to the chiropractor and Chris's Friday evening massage left me still in sharp pain with any movement as I headed to bed Friday night. This morning it felt about 50% better when I got up, and with rain in the forecast for tomorrow, getting the long run in today if possible seemed like the best option.

Well, I laid out my GU Gel and water at Kensington at five, ten and fifteen and waited for it to warm up a bit from 26 degrees. At about 9:00 I started walking to the start and once again, POW, the searing pain in my back returned with a vengeance. Yikes! Well I decided that I was committed to at least give the thing a try and see if it was feasible at all. The first mile was really totally miserable and slow, but the pain eased to a manageable, if strength sapping dull roar and I did eke out 23 miles which I stubbornly had as my goal in my mind. Things got even slower at the end, and with no refueling the last eight miles and never being able to shed the long pants, hat and gloves, I was actually just very grateful to be able to finish the run. I wore the mouthpiece the entire time. It felt as if I was clamped down on it just about the entire run and is now significantly indented. My bite also felt altered for a couple hours after taking it out at the end.
A problem that I hadn't foreseen-- since I can't get my top and bottom front teeth together with the mouthpiece in, stripping the gel out of the foil packet every five miles ain't so easy. Oh, well.

Time now to rest, taper and heal.

Sat 23 miles 9:04 pace HR 149 28 degrees at the start 10 mph winds partly sun Kayanos

Weekly mileage 35





Blisters, but no other immediate injuries as a result, thankfully.

Last Run Before The Last Long Run

A rain pattern was about to move in according to the radar this morning, so I arrived at Kensington a bit earlier than usual in no wind, 46 degree conditions and got the run in before many drops fell. Warm enough for no long pants felt liberating. Day of rest tomorrow, then twenty to do on Saturday.

Thurs 4 Miles 8:32 pace HR 152