2008: By The Numbers

Week 32: 673.5 Miles Down

Back to reality. Back home and realizing my 4-hour marathon goal is likely not gonna happen. My Friday morning long run on a trail near the Berkshire Mall started fun and scenic but turned arduous by mile 11. This on a flat, mostly shady, out-and-back course with killer scenery and nary an interruption. My plan was to keep a steady 9:40 mile pace. No problem through mile 8, mile 9 lagged, mile 10 was on target. Miles 11-13 were all 10+ mins, as I felt I'd rather be sitting in the living room entertaining Mom's chihuahua. The end in sight, I dashed determinedly home, posting a final mile 9:38.

I can make excuses-- I only had Gatorade (twice) and a Powerbar, no water. This was unfamiliar terrain, a "flat" course still not as flat as Chicago. Dad and I drove for a half-hour-plus before the start. Training program and race-day adrenaline should make me faster. But... what if my body's trying to tell me something? Like how the last 8 or 10 miles are really hard and slowing down is natural. Like how I can't completely blame my slow Pittsburgh race on heat and humidity. Like shaving 50 minutes off my marathon time in 18 weeks is a pipe dream.

Here's my nomadic ninth week:

Wednesday

- Central Park's East Drive-West Drive loop is almost exactly 6 miles, 1 mile warm up and 5 miles way off-tempo. It's HUMID out there! And New York is hillier than you'd think.

Friday

- Berkshires visit: Stepping around the wall on my 14 miler. Is it too much to ask the regional authorities to install a dinky water fountain or two?

Monday

- Back home for more speedwork. 8 x 400M with a rest at the halfway point. My splits were on target, some were a few seconds faster. 4.5 miles total

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Week 32: 24.5 miles

YTD: 637.5 miles
On pace for: 1039 miles

Week 31: 613 Miles Down

Greetings from the road! I'm blogging from Western Massachusetts, the fourth and final stop on my longest vacation in years. My itinerary grew out of a planned reunion with college friends in the DC area and the opportunity to visit family here in the Berkshires. Add a few extra days to see North Carolina friends and tool around New York City and I'm one happy, tired camper. Training in new and exciting destinations means finding the trails. Plenty of winding, shady trails in Durham but, let's face it, the South in late July is humid, the sun's strong even at 7:30 a.m., and I wilted.

DC was slightly better, except for a severe lack of water fountains along Rock Creek Parkway which I swear were there ten years ago AND a Georgetown neighborhood conspiracy to shut off their beautiful drinking fountains for no discernible reason. By Mile 9 1/2, I snagged some refreshing and otherwise suspect ice water from the Key Bridge Exxon and downed a Power-gel for the roller coaster ride home. Where'd that beverage come from? Don't ask.

Hey, I'm on vacation. Not gonna stress about this. Scenes from the enigmatic eighth week:

Wednesday - Beaten down by sun and swampy daybreak in heat over 8 miles in a Durham, NC, subdivision. Could barely sustain 9:30 miles, a whole minute off pace. Let us never speak of it again.

Friday- My Arlington/DC adventures started at 7 a.m. and took me past the Iwo Jima Memorial, the Cemetery, that killer view of the monuments as you approach the Potomac, some majestic Italian sculptures, historic and inexplicably dry Georgetown, the morning rush on Canal Street, and the windier than expected Custis Trail. That was definitely more than my intended 13 miles, to be safe I'm calling it 13.25 miles. Let us never speak of the Exxon station water again.

Monday - 4.25 miles to, from and around a school track near Ballston. 1 mile warm up + 4 1/2 mile dashes + jogging in between + 3/4 mile cool down. Splits were 3:40-3:45, right on target. Speak of it if you'd like.

Week 31: 25.5 miles

YTD: 613 miles
On pace for: 1034 miles

Week 30: 587.5 Miles Down

A confession: I have freakish feet. My heels are narrow and my arches are wide. Plenty of shoe brands cater to either condition, virtually none accomodate both. Best I could do was the pair of Saucony Progrid drying out across the room. As they break in, I'll need to see the good Dr. Scholl's for some help.

Scenes from the sultry seventh week:

Tuesday - Comfortable speedwork, 5 1Ks, each around 4:40, with 400 meter rests + warm up & cool down for 6.5 miles

Thursday - I swear I'm not rigging the mile splits. 4 miles at tempo pace: 8:30, 8:30, 8:30, 8:26. Goal is 8:30, mission accomplished. 6 miles total

Saturday - 12 miles, more heat, humidity, and wet shoes. Again the assignment was marathon pace + 45-60 sec, I improved to 9:59/mile, only 3 of which were way off pace. .

Monday - A comparatively gentle 3.5 miles on a milder Wicker Park morning. 1 mile warmup + 5 "2-on, 2-off" intervals + 1/2 mile cooldown.

Week 30: 27.5 miles

YTD: 587.5 miles
On pace for: 1024 miles

Week 29: 560 Miles Down

Last week I bitched about schvitzing through a long run after a storm, in swampy humidity. This week I can bitch about enduring a slightly shorter long run during a storm, in what must have been 100% humidity. At least I didn't get overheated.  My new post-run mantra: mid-October is bound to be better than this.

Scenes from my soaking sixth week:

Tuesday - Daunting-at-first speedwork that's helping me breath deeper and make breathing more automatic. Yes, I know breathing usually seems automatic, but, well, it makes more sense if you're training. I did three 1-mile repeats of 7:22, 7:31, and 7:30, with 3 mins. rest between sets. Add a 1 mile warm up and 1/2 mile cool down for 4.5 miles

Thursday - More tempo training in the gathering heat and humidity. 2 easy miles (Ha! Nothing feels easy when the heat index is already pushing 90!) + 3 tempo miles at 8:22 (whoa there!), 8:34, and 8:33 + 1 mile cool down (anything feels cooler after that) = 6 miles total

Saturday - 10 miles intended for marathon pace + 45-60 sec and, averaging 10:10/mile, I just barely did. So much rain, from refreshing spritz to massive storm. As if that wasn't enough, I had to deal with curb swallowing puddles, pedestrians with huge umbrellas, and ill-advised cotton socks.

Week 29: 20.5 miles

YTD: 560 miles
On pace for: 1045 miles

Week 28: 539.5 Miles Down

Summer took it's time getting here, but we're deep in it now. I headed out for Saturday's 12-miler, my longest outing in 8 years, a half-hour or so after a thunderstorm let up. Meaning everything was wet, wet, wet. 68 degrees at the start, mid-70s by the end, but that barely matters when the sweat and damp are funneling down to your squishy socks. Maybe you've heard how runners use vasoline to prevent chafing? Now imagine carrying the lovely mixture of petroleum jelly and human saline through the last 3 miles.

OK, I promise that's the last time this training blog will gross you out. On to my formidable fifth week:

Tuesday - Took the speedwork to Lane Tech High's professional grade track, 6 x 400 meters (scaled down from 800 due to the heat and humidity). I went out too fast but found my groove by the third try, with an extra 800M in the jogging intervals, plus 1 mile warm up and cool down = 4 miles

Thursday - I've got tempo down! 6 miles total; 1/2 mile easy, 5 miles at tempo (8:28 avg, with a quick water stop along the way)  then a 1/2 mile recovery; heat creeping in so I kept mostly to the shady streets

Saturday - 12 moist miles at marathon pace + 45-60 sec; Despite the conditions, I finished in 2:00:45 or exactly 10 mins/mile. Mapped an exact distance on this site, including 3 miles on the lakefront. Still no sign of the Gatorade stations.

Week 28: 22 miles

YTD: 539.5 miles
On pace for: 1007 miles

Tuesday - Took the speedwork to Lane Tech High's professional grade track, 6 x 400 meters (scaled down from 800 due to the heat and humidity). I went out too fast but found my groove by the third try, with an extra 800M in the jogging intervals, plus 1 mile warm up and cool down = 4 miles

YTD: 539.5 miles
On pace for: 1007 miles

Week 27: 517.5 Miles Down

How not to do speedwork:

1) Go out faster than you should, exhausting yourself after 4 of your prescribed 12 intervals.

2) Do your workout after 8 a.m. on a warm summer morning when there's no shade left.

3) Wear any old T-shirt, maybe a dark cotton blend which has you carrying your sweat around the track. Don't bother to tuck it in, aerodynamics means nothing.

4) Do all this in the neighborhood park, where the track's actually 80 meters longer than you thought. Oh, and it's a gravel surface with a couple puddles still left from last weekend's storms.

That's how I started my f**ed up fourth week:

Tuesday - Dreaded speedwork, 4 x 400+ meters, then 8 x 200+ meters, 1.5 miles warm up and cool down = 6 miles (maybe more)

Thursday - Rebounded with an excellent tempo run. 6 miles total; 1 mile easy, 4 miles at tempo (8:31 avg. pace, right on target!), then a 1 mile recovery; weather was cooperative, shade was plentiful

Saturday - Including a section of lakefront trail meant my 11 mile run became an 11.25 mile route at marathon pace + 45 sec; Did 11 miles in 1:48:something, a 9:52/mile pace. Couldn't find Fleet Feet's beverage stop, will have to hide a bottle somewhere on the route next weekend. 

Week 27: 23.25 miles

YTD: 517.5 miles
On pace for: 1001 miles

Tuesday - Dreaded speedwork, 4 x 400+ meters, then 8 x 200+ meters, 1.5 miles warm up and cool down = 6 miles (maybe more)

YTD: 517.5 miles
On pace for: 1001 miles

Week 26: 494 Miles Down

Note: This report is for the week ending June 30.

These are my faithful running shorts. They're durable, aerodynamic and a great fit. But after an hour on the road on a warm day, pools of sweat gather at the hem. My legs feel unusually moist. Seven miles or so into last week's long run, I actually found myself wringing the bottom of my shorts while stopped at a light. I just hope the good people of Wrigleyville weren't too offended. Aw heck, they've seen worse.

And with that imagery, I give you the thrilling third week:

Tuesday - 4 sets of 3 min speed bursts and slow recoveries, 10 mins. of warm-up and cool down = 4 miles

Thursday - 6.5 miles; 2 miles of easy, 3 miles at tempo (8:30 pace), then a 1.5 mile recovery (1/2 mile bonus since recovery was not so quick this morning

Saturday - A really solid 10 mile run at marathon pace + 30 sec; Did it in 1:36;13, a 9:36/mile pace, with seven of my mile splits within 5 seconds of that time. Can't quite explain the outliers: a 10:02 mile just after the water stop and a 9:12 early on. I can explain the sweat wringing, but you probably don't need any more about that.

Week 26: 20.5 miles

YTD: 494 miles
On pace for: 991 miles

Note: This report is for the week ending June 30.

These are my faithful running shorts. They're durable, aerodynamic and a great fit. But after an hour on the road on a warm day, pools of sweat gather at the hem. My legs feel unusually moist. Seven miles or so into last week's long run, I actually found myself wringing the bottom of my shorts while stopped at a light. I just hope the good people of Wrigleyville weren't too offended. Aw heck, they've seen worse.

And with that imagery, I give you the thrilling third week:

Tuesday - 4 sets of 3 min speed bursts and slow recoveries, 10 mins. of warm-up and cool down = 4 miles

YTD: 494 miles
On pace for: 991 miles

Week 25: 473.5 Miles Down

Each training week gets slightly more challenging, as I up the distance and pace. But it's not like I can push a button and automatically go slightly faster than my 10K pace or 30 seconds slower than my marathon pace. So I've gone by instinct, which is to say, I've gone faster.

The sensational second week:

Tuesday – Getting the hang of running fast and respirating right: 4.5 miles; warm-up, 4 x 2 min. speed bursts, cool-down

Thursday - 6 miles around Logan and Palmer Squares, and the 8:30/mile tempo is completely manageable; 2 miles easy, 2 miles tempo, 2 miles easy. Maybe I should aim higher?

Saturday - Long run at marathon pace + 15 sec = 9:24/mile. I catually went out faster, got even faster in miles 4-6, then held back in the final of my 9 miles, ended up at a 9:18 pace, on a humid morning where the drizzle in the last 1/2 mile was a welcome site.

Week 25: 19.5 miles

YTD: 473.5 miles
On pace for: 990 miles

Each training week gets slightly more challenging, as I up the distance and pace. But it's not like I can push a button and automatically go slightly faster than my 10K pace or 30 seconds slower than my marathon pace. So I've gone by instinct, which is to say, I've gone faster.

The sensational second week:

Tuesday – Getting the hang of running fast and respirating right: 4.5 miles; warm-up, 4 x 2 min. speed bursts, cool-down

YTD: 473.5 miles
On pace for: 990 miles

Week 24: 454 Miles Down

Are you sitting down? Big news: Last week I started training for the Chicago Marathon!  It was a distant possibility when I started this blog, pending good health and strong running in June. Check and check.

I'm using the Furman Institute of Running's "FIRST" Training Program. Only 3 runs per week, each a true workout intended to improve pace. No mileage padding here. Three other days are reserved for cross-training (like the cycling I'd do anyway). Friday's a day of rest.

The program (PDF) throws out terms like PMP and "slightly slower than your 10K race pace", which this pace calculator helped me decipher. Basically, my goal's to run a 4 hour marathon, which requires 9:09/mile or better. (unless I say otherwise, all these pace figures will be time per mile) So my 10K pace is 8:14/mile, the Tuesday "speed bursts" are at a 7:30 pace, my Thursday "tempo" runs are at an 8:30 pace and Saturday is 15-60 seconds slower than planned marathon pace. The challenge is not only increasing your weekend mileage but going progressively faster.

The fantastic first week:

Tuesday – Training begins on a warm summerish evening: 4.5 miles; warm-up, 6 x 1 min. speed bursts, cool-down

Thursday - 6 miles through a busy, indifferent Lakeview; 2 miles easy, 2 miles "tempo", 2 miles easy

Saturday - First long run's an easy one. Good thing too, since they'll only get harder from here. 8 miles, at 9:40 pace, on the type of late spring morning that inspires bad poetry.

Week 24: 18.5 miles

YTD: 454 miles
On pace for: 990 miles

Are you sitting down? Big news: Last week I started training for the Chicago Marathon!  It was a distant possibility when I started this blog, pending good health and strong running in June. Check and check.

I'm using the Furman Institute of Running's "FIRST" Training Program. Only 3 runs per week, each a true workout intended to improve pace. No mileage padding here. Three other days are reserved for cross-training (like the cycling I'd do anyway). Friday's a day of rest.

The program (PDF) throws out terms like PMP and "slightly slower than your 10K race pace", which this pace calculator helped me decipher. Basically, my goal's to run a 4 hour marathon, which requires 9:09/mile or better. (unless I say otherwise, all these pace figures will be time per mile) So my 10K pace is 8:14/mile, the Tuesday "speed bursts" are at a 7:30 pace, my Thursday "tempo" runs are at an 8:30 pace and Saturday is 15-60 seconds slower than planned marathon pace. The challenge is not only increasing your weekend mileage but going progressively faster.

The fantastic first week:

Tuesday – Training begins on a warm summerish evening: 4.5 miles; warm-up, 6 x 1 min. speed bursts, cool-down

YTD: 454 miles
On pace for: 990 miles

Week 23: 435.5 Miles Down

These are my new shoes. Or, more accurately, they're last year's model. The only damn pair conforming to my wide feet and freakish arches. In these first few crucial runs, I'm feeling more relief than pinching. We've got a winner.

Once again, only 3 runs last week, but the mileage was closer to normal. Gearing up for the best running summer ever!!! (Hey, a guy can dream...)

Thursday – 4.5 miles, back to the roads after extended early week leisure, shoes nearly broken in

Friday - 5.5 miles, determined run on a tight schedule, shoes feel good

Sunday - heroically steady 8 miles, marked by 1/2 mile intervals of easygoing and kickass; even the creeping humidity couldn't stop me, shoes are conquered

Week 23: 18 miles

YTD: 435.5 miles
On pace for: 990 miles

These are my new shoes. Or, more accurately, they're last year's model. The only damn pair conforming to my wide feet and freakish arches. In these first few crucial runs, I'm feeling more relief than pinching. We've got a winner.

Once again, only 3 runs last week, but the mileage was closer to normal. Gearing up for the best running summer ever!!! (Hey, a guy can dream...)

Thursday – 4.5 miles, back to the roads after extended early week leisure, shoes nearly broken in

YTD: 435.5 miles
On pace for: 990 miles