What ever it takes!

No run today, I just wanted to give a shout out to Ryan Jonson running the Dublin Marathon tomorrow. Wish I could be there.

Good luck!

5:00 am.  My schedule has me running only 7 miles each day,  I don't ever feel like I even get into the run until mile 4 so 7 miles doesn't quite do it for me.  I decided my new plan this week is to race the treadmill, just see how far I can go in the 1 hour before the treadmill resets.  Very short warm-up at 7:00 pace for 2:00 minutes then went to 6:40 then bumped it up .1 mph every 5 minutes for 1 hour.  which worked out to 5:50min/mile pace for the last 5 minutes.  

9.56 miles in 1:00:00, 6:18 avg pace.  

I'm feeling really good lately, lower miles has really helped.  Feeling the fastest I've ever felt.

5:30 am.  Woke up 3 times last night with an icky stomach, I sure hope I'm not coming down with that stomach bug everyone is talking about.  Anyway, icky stomach = icky run.  Very happy to stick with the scheduled run this morning, every once in a while I would try to bump up the speed but quickly turned it back down when my stomach started flip flopping.

7 miles in 46:17, 6:36 avg pace.  pretty decent on paper considering how I felt and a 10 minute warm up, but it really wasn't an enjoyable workout.

lifted weights for about 20 minutes, then hot tub and steam room for 20 more.  Tomorrow is a hard run so I hope I'm feeling better by then.

5:30 am.  Wow, that was an insane workout, I have been dreading today since I put it on the calendar 3 weeks ago.  Schedule called for a 5 mile tempo run at 5:50 pace,  So I did a 2 mile warmup at 7:00 pace and then set the treadmill to 5:52 pace, first mile felt good so I bumped it up each mile.  After about 4 miles I was really amazed how easy it was, it gave me confidence knowing I could run more than a mile at this pace.  Decided to make it a 7 mile tempo run at that point.  Actually could have gone further but didn't want to push my luck.  splits went like this.

Mile 1     5:54

Mile 2     5:49

Mile 3     5:46

Mile 4     5:42

Mile 5     5:39

Mile 6     5:36

Mile 7     5:30, really pushed myself this final mile.

Total tempo run 7 miles in 39:55  5:42 average pace. 

Came home and filled the bathtub with fresh snow and cold water, 15 minute ice bath.  Brrrrrr!!

1600 Meter swim in about 37 minutes today, then lifted weights back, legs and core.  May get a 4 miler in today but just taking it easy.

10:00 am.  did 4 easy miles with Britt at 8:19 pace, she was angry cause she thought my course around Thanksgiving point was to hilly and hard and wanted to get a fast run in.  I told her that is my fast route, not a good thing to say.

6:00 am.   Planned late start due to work schedule.  Wanted today to be a good hard run, and since I wont be able to run tomorrow I wanted to get my long run in.  Thought 6:30 pace for 15 seemed hard enough, so that was the plan.

Things not moving as fluid as they did last Wednesday, but I pushed through it even though it hurt a little.  Just to make sure I was totally destroyed at the end I ran the last mile in 5:42

15 miles in 1:35:45  6:22 avg pace.

K' can I get my supportive husband medal now?  Woke up at 4:30am, got the kids out of bed, dressed and in the car with drinks and snack, drove Britt and her friend to the finish line to catch the first bus up, went to Krispy Kreme donuts for breakfast for the kids, yeah I'm a good dad.  Drove home, made "Go Mom Go" signs with the kids to hold up. Watched it's a great pumpkin Charlie Brown, got every one back in the car, drove up to Bridal Veil falls in time to watch to leaders, only had to wait about 25 more minutes before Britt came by, right on schedule behind the 1:45 pacer.  Ran back to the car and drove to the finish line to get more pictures and hold up our signs.  Britt ended up finishing with 1:48:?? not to bad for her first 1/2 marathon and longest run ever.  I think my first race was probably only 1:46 or something, I better watch out.

I wore my Steve Prefontaine costume at the finish line, side burns and all.  I don't think anyone knows who "Pre" is.