Week of March 29 - SPRING BREAK

Mon - 30 minutes at practice with the team
Tues - 50 minutes (last mile at 6:52) with Rob at Queeny
Wed - 30 minutes around Kirkwood and Vianney
Thurs - 45 minutes from my condo to Manchester and back'
Fri - 30 minute night run at Vianney's track
Sat - 60 minutes on Grant's Trail
Sun - 30 minutes around Vianney

I felt pretty good this week. Since I did not have school this week, 7 runs in 7 days was no problem.

NEW GOAL

Since I was able to run under 3:20 at the LCFB marathon, my next goal will be to run under 3:10:59 at the LCFB marathon in 2011 and qualify for the Boston Marathon. I met with Tim shortly after the marathon to talk about what it would take to achieve the 4.5% improvement and qualify for Boston. I plan to train consistently during the De Smet Track & Field Season, then over the summer I will train more seriously and incorporate pylometrics and weight training. I may run a half marathon over the summer to give me a race to focus on before next year.
As most of you know, Liz and I are PREGNANT, so life is about to change. I still plan to run, but I will be forced to do so with less sleep and will have to be super organized to get everything in. I am motivated to take on the challenge and can't wait to be a dad. I soon will be one of those dads running behind a "jogging stroller."

THE BLOG IS BACK

After a month hiatus, the marathon training blog is back. I know a lot of people are excited about this....
Since the marathon on February 28, I have been running at an easy pace for a certain amount of time (usually 30 - 60 minutes). I haven't worried about pace or distance, but instead have been focused on getting my training runs in consistently each week. I rested for 6 days after the marathon then ran 17, 21, 27 miles per week for the rest of the month. The training plan I will use for the next couple of months looks like this

Week 1 - 6
30 min
45 min
30 min
45 min
30 min
45 min
off or 30 min

I am currently finishing the third week of this cycle and have completed each of the runs. Due to our track schedule, I typically change the order of the runs depending on when I have time.

Week 7 - 12
45 min
30 min
30 min at marathon pace
30 min
45 min
30 min
60 min

Since most of these runs are rather uneventful, I will be posting each week rather than each day to allow for more interesting posts and avoid constant repetition.

NEW MARATHON PR - 3:19:14 - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

One last blog before GO time

Liz and I checked the course today and it is what is says it is - a one mile flat loop. There isn't much scenery to speak of, as it takes place in a business district, so you run by office buildings, occasional trees and some hotels. Since I am not here for the scenery, the course is just what I had hoped for and should race fast as long as the snow holds off. They have a lot of snow here, but the roads are clear. There is a chance for snow tonight, but I think it will be plowed in time.

Liz and I jogged the course a couple of times and did some short sprints. I feel great and I am anxious to get this thing going. Today I ran my 603rd mile since the training plan began in mid -November. I have done all I can do, now it is time to race...

Only a couple of days until RACE TIME

Well over the last few days, I have really cut back on the running, to allow my body to recover just in time for Sunday's Last Chance for Boston Marathon in Dublin, Ohio. On Wednesday, I ran my last marathon pace workout, it was pretty simple. I started with a 15 min jog, then ran 2 miles at marathon pace, and finished with a cooldown jog. I felt good and I am looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead. From Thursday to Saturday, I will jog 15-30 minutes with some short quick strides to help me stay sharp. I have been focusing on rest, eating healthy and drinking enough water.
As for the marathon, at this point the weather forecast calls for about 30 degree temperatures and a chance of some light snow. I am confident that the course will be clear so I am not too concerned about the weather and I am thankful that there is no wind in the forecast at this point.
The plan for race day is to run the first half of the marathon at 7:30 pace which is about a 3:17 marathon pace. After the first 13 miles, I plan to slowly pick-up the pace towards 7:20, which is the pace I have been training. Even tough the original goal was to break 3:30, this training plan has gone so well, I am optimisitc that I can run under 3:20.
Thank you to all who read the blog, wished me well and most of all those who trained with me - Liz, Kevin, Kati, Kevin A., Ryan and especially Rob. I couldn't have done it without you. Also, thanks to Tim for designing the plan and keeping me motivated. Finally, thanks to Liz again for supporting me during these last few months and for putting up with me while I train. I am confident and ready to go!
This may be my last post before the marathon, altough I may try to post on Saturday if the hotel has wireless. Our plane leaves Friday night at 7:45.

Thanks again and stay tuned for race details....

Last Long Run

After three days of easy short runs, the plan on Sunday was to run 12 miles total and the the last 10 at marathon goal pace - 7:20. It rained almost all day on Sunday, but Kati, Kevin and I managed to get all but the first two miles in without much rain at all. My splits were 7:22/23/21/17/21/22/20/16/15/12 for a total average of 7:19. I felt strong again today especially for the first 6 miles or so. I picked up the pace a little toward the end to really test what I could do. That pace for 26 miles will be a challenge, but I am ready to go. Thanks Kati and Kevin for running in the rain and getting me going.

Final Tempo Run - perfect pace

After a 30 minute jog yesterday, I ran today's six mile tempo at Creve Coeur Lake with Rob. The goal pace was 6:55 and I ran 6:54/56/47/49/50/52 for a final time of 41:08 which is a 6:51 average. I am feeling stronger than ever and was able to hold the pace without any real difficulty. Only two "workouts" to go!

Another encouraging sign

After a snowy Sunday, I decided to complete the 18 miler on Monday since I did not have to work due to President's Day. Rob and I ran a 4 mile subdivision loop in Kirkwood several times. I averaged 8:30 per mile and finished the last 2 miles at marathon pace. I ran the last 2 miles at 7:17 and 7:18 and I felt great! I am feeling as fit as ever and look forward to the final few workouts.

Easy afternoon jog

Today I jogged four miles on Vianney's track. The plan was to rest the legs for tomorrow's 18 miler, and I did just that

Marathon 6

After an easy 4 on Wednesday, Kevin and I ran at Grant's Trail for a 2 x 3 mile run at 7:20 pace. I am really starting to feel comfortable at marathon pace and for the first time, I actually had to hold back rather than push to hit 7:20. My splits were 7:18/7:19/7:25 (3 min rest) 7:12/7:18/7:18 for an average of 7:18. Today was definitely a confidence boost for me!

6 mile tempo run

In addition to a warm-up and cooldown, I ran 6 miles at tempo pace on a loop in a neighborhood near De Smet. The loop is always plowed well so it is a great spot to train when we get snow. My goal pace for the 6 miles (with 1 minute rest) was 6:55. I ran 6:46/6:49/6:54/6:53/6:55/6:51 for an average of 6:51. I had some stomach pain today but overall I felt pretty well. The hardest part of the workout was the 1/4 mile up-hill start. After that I felt pretty strong.

Another uneventful treadmill run

I ran 4 miles easy on the treadmill and it went fine. I have three big workouts coming up on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, so my easy days are very easy.

Treadmill Monday

Another easy 4 mile run - I decided to do this one on the treadmill after school since I was free during the last period. It was nice to be done early.

Super Bowl Sunday

After yesterday's 20 miler, today was a breeze. I jogged four miles at an easy pace in the afternoon before our party. My legs felt pretty good even after yesterday.

Weekly total - 60 miles - another big week for me with 2 quality workouts close to target pace.

Right on Target

Saturday morning I ran my 20 miler/marathon pace workout. I was a little worried about the conditions but aside from the slush/ice in a few spots, the course was okay. I arrived at 7:30 and ran 7.5 miles before the race, then quickly changed into my racing flats for the 15k (9.5 mile) race. The plan for the race was to average 7:20 per mile (my marathon goal pace). My splits were 7:22/7:21/22/16/14/16/17/15/17 for an average of 7:18. I actually felt pretty strong and the 9 miles went by quickly. Right after the run, I grabbed some water and started my 3 mile cooldown which brought the total to 20 miles. I must say a race as part of a 20 miler is one way to break things up and makes the total mileage less intimidating.

Morning Treadmill Run

I have to score the basketball game after school so I came in early today and ran 5 miles on the treadmill. I kept the pace easy again today in prepartation for tomorrow's frostbite race. The plan tomorrow is not actually to race, but to do a marathon pace workout. I plan to arrive about 90 minutes before race time and run a 9 mile warm-up, then I will jump into the race and run the 9.5 miles at marathon pace (7:20-7:30) followed by a 1.5 mile cooldown. So by the end of the run, I will have completed a 20 mile run and another marathon pace workout. This one should be quite a challenge. Of course, this is all weather permitting. Check back tomorrow for more details...

Nice and easy today

After yesterday's workout, I kept the pace relaxed today. Pat and I jogged the "mailbox" three mile loop together. After we got back, I ran the remaining two miles on the track.

Solid Effort (Wed)

Today I ran a 2 mile warm-up, then 2 x 4 miles at marathon pace (7:20ish) with a 4 minute break, then a 2 mile cooldown for a total of 12 miles at Katy Trail. It was a pretty tough workout especially for a mid week one. I started off a little slow but quickly found the pace. I averaged 7:24 for the first 4 miles and 7:23 for the second 4 miles. I am still working on feeling comfortable at that pace and hope that with a few more workouts I can improve my strength. Thanks Rob once again for helping get me through this one.

Just another 5 (Tues)

I ran an easy 5 miles today at 9:00 minute pace. The weahter was good but legs felt a little sluggish. Hopefully I'll be ready to go for tomorrow's 8 mile marathon pace workout.

An easy 4

I felt okay today, not too bad considering how I felt yesterday. I expected to feel worse but still kept the pace at 9:00 minutes or so. On a side note, I fixed the GPS!

14 miles with a fast finish

The plan for today's workout was to run 12 miles easy then 2 miles at 7:00 pace (half marathon pace). I met Rob at Forest Park at 8:00 and we planned to run 2 loops around the park which would be about 11.3 miles, then head over to the half marathon course in the park and run the 2 miles in the park. Unfortunately, we had one minor problem, my 250 dollar GPS watch that is 6 weeks old stopped working -it "froze" at 7:59.41 and would not switch to the training mode. Needless to say, I was very frustrated. So we had to run the whole thing without a watch. We knew how far to run but I like to know my pace. Good thing Rob was there to keep me from getting too angry. After about 4 miles, I could tell that today was going to be a struggle. My legs were really sore but we got it done. Rob picked up the pace for the last 2 miles and I think we were running at least 7:00. As it turns out we ran about 2.4 miles (I measured it with my car afterward) at 7ish pace so I got a little more of a workout than I planned. Overall, it was a good workout - thanks again Rob!
On a side note - I bought the extended warranty on my watch - so they better send me a new one!

Weekly total - 53 miles. I have not run more than 50 miles in a week since I was 17 so needless to say, I am feeling a little sore, but luckily not injured. Next week will be quite a challenge, but I am ready to take on the 60 mile week with a 20 mile run and another marathon pace (8 mile) workout.

Night Run (Sat)

Today was a bit of a challenge to get this one in. I had the opportunity to travel to Bloomington to see one of my former runners, Connor, run at the Indiana Relays. I met his family at 7:00 am, made the 4 hour drive to the meet, watched him race, and returned to my place at about 7:30 pm. I really enjoyed seeing him compete at the colliegiate level and he ran a great time of 15:19 for 5000 meters (indoors). That's an average mile pace of 4:56 - nice job on the PR Connor!

When I returned I debated skipping this workout, but I did not want my streak to end. I have not missed one workout on the plan yet, so I had to get it done. Since it was dark and icy, I ran the 5 mile run on Vianney's track. Needless to say, it was boring, but I got it in and the streak continues...

8 miler at Grant's Trail (Fri)

Kevin and I met Friday afternoon and ran 8 miles in the cold along Grant's Trail. My legs felt really strong today as we ended up running at a pretty good clip. We averaged 8 minute miles and ran the last one in 7:24. I felt great and it went by really quick.

After school 6 (Thurs)

Today I ran six miles and decided to stay close to school just in case I encoutered any ice. Luckily I didn't as I completed the 3 mile "mailbox" route twice. The legs actually felt pretty strong after yesterday's marathon pace workout.

First Marathon Pace Workout

Today was my first attempt to train at my specefic marathon goal pace. Tim and I determined that I will train at 7:20. While that may be a little fast, the marathon pace workouts range from 6 -10 miles, so it is doable. Rob was kind enough to join me which made the workout much more enjoyable. Despite the snow and wet ground we actually ran pretty well. The course consisted of small rolling hills the entire way so I thought it was a good place for a training run. We ran 7:23/7:23/7:25/7:21/7:13/7:19 for an overall average of 7:21. The pace felt fairly comfortble but I still have to get used to running that pace for long periods of time without laboring too much.

back indoors

Today a six mile run on the treadmill while listening to Jounrney's greatest hits sounded more appealing than six miles in the cold wind, so I stayed indoors for this one. I actually felt pretty good today, though by the end of the run I was wondering if outdoors would have been a better option. Either way, the run is done and I look forward to tomorrow's workout because it is the first "marathon pace" run. After a discussion with Tim, we decided that I will train at 7:20 pace as my martathon goal pace. Whether or not I will stick to that pace remains to be seen. The race day strategy at this point is to start the race conservatively (above 7:20) and hope to run a faster second half, thus decreasing the total average pace.

Still a little sore...but only for 4

After a much needed day off, I ran 4 miles today in the cold wind. I still felt sore from Saturday's run but luckily I only had to run 4 miles.

Previous Week total - 43 miles. Overall it was a great week with a strong tempo run on Tuesday and a PR in the Half Marathon on Saturday.

NEW PERSONAL RECORD IN THE HALF MARATHON

Today was a big step in the right direction. The conditions were pretty favorable, 40 degree temps. and only a light wind, so I knew that it was a great day for a PR. In addition, our top runner, Kevin came out to help keep me on pace. I didn't have a great feeling early on in the race because we were having trouble finding an even pace as we kept fluctuating from 6:30 to 7:30 from mile to mile. I had to believe the mile markers were a little off but I tried not to let that bother me. The total distance appeared to be accurate so I just paid attention to the total time. Since I wanted to average 7:00, it was easy to do the math each mile to see if I was over or under an even pace. (14:00, 21:00, 28:00, 35:00 etc.) We were just about even until mile 10, where I came through in 1:10:19 (19 seconds over). At that point, I decided it was either going to be a bad day where I would continue to slow down each mile and fail to run a PR or I could run as hard as I could and try to stay with Kevin and make up the 19 seconds over the last 3 miles. I really thought about taking it easy, but only for a few seconds. I made the decision to make it a good day and picked up the pace, running the last 3 miles in sub 7:00 min pace. I finished just under goal pace with a 8 seconds to spare - 1:31:38 ! I was 53rd of 275 total runners. Special thanks to Kevin - couldn't have done it without you.

Next I will talk with Tim and figure out what a reasonable marathon goal pace will be based on this performance. On Wednesday, I have my first "marathon goal pace" workout. Sunday is a day of rest - the first one since the day after Christmas!

Super Easy 4 with Liz

We jogged around Meramec at very slow pace in an attempt save my legs for tomorrow's Half Marathon. Tomorrow's goal is to run the Half Marathon at 7:00 pace for a total time of 1:31:46.

Back to Grant's Trail for a 6 miler

I hadn't been to Grant's Trail for a while so it was nice to get back to the flat trail. Kevin and I jogged 6 miles in about 8:45 pace followed by 4 x 100 meters of strides. The legs felt great today which should mean a strong performance on Saturday. Between now and then I will focus on rest and hydration.

6 miles in the fog

My legs felt surprisely well considering yesterday's workout. I cruised along the "Chasselle" loop near De Smet at about 8:40 pace. It was actually a pretty nice run, cool temperatures, no bright sun and no real wind.

A Solid Workout

Today scheduled workout was a 5 mile continuous tempo run starting at 7:00 min pace then dropping to 6:56,6:52,6:48,6:44. My times were very close to the target times. I ran 6:59/6:55/6:53/6:45/6:43. I was a bit intimidated by the workout but once I got going, I felt strong. About 10 laps into the run I knew I would be able to complete the workout on pace. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come in Saturday's Half Marathon. Thanks to Rob for coming out to De Smet to run with me!

Typical heavy legs on Monday

Today was an easy run of only four miles. I jogged a two mile loop twice near my condo at about 9 minute pace. The legs felt sore but that is to be expected after 14 miles yesterday

14 miler in Forest Park

I hadn't run the outer loop at Forest Park in a long time so today was a nice change of pace from the typical Grant's Trail run. The loop is 5.6 miles so we did a little more than 2 loops. At the beginning of the run it was a little chilly but by the end of the run at noon, it was actually a really nice day ideal for running. The pace wasn't exactly consistent but Forest Park contains some flat and fast miles and others that are hilly so that is to be expected. I ended up averaging just over 8:30 per mile and felt strong throughout most of the run. My legs didn't really feel fatigued until the last 2 miles. Thanks to Kevin and Kati for joining us for another long run!

Weekly Total - 50 miles and a couple of encouraging workouts. The tempos at 6:55 with one minute rest and the 5 x 800 at 3:15 were both good signs.

5 miles through downtown Kirkwood

After yesterday's interval workout my legs actually felt good. I ran 5 miles at an easy sub 9:00 min pace through the streets of downtown Kirkwood. Up next....14 miles at Forest Park in the morning

Felt great to run at a faster pace

Today I ran a 2 mile warm-up with Liz around Meramec and then went to a road loop near Vianney for the "interval" part of the workout. I was supposed to run 5 x 800 at 3:15 pace with a 2 minute jog for recovery. My legs felt strong from the beginning and I actually enjoyed running at a much faster than usual pace. I ran 3:15/3:14/3:15/3:11/3:13. I decided not to do this run on the track so I would not know exactly how far I had run until the end of the 1/2 mile loop. This forced me to actually feel the pace instead and relying on the track to calculate my splits. One of the things I need to work on is the ability to judge my pace based on feel and I think this workout was a step in the right direction. After the 800s, I ran a 2 mile cooldown for a total of a little over 7 miles for the day.

Another nice day and another easy 6

I ran in shorts and a t shirt again! Nothing much to report - just a "Spoede" loop near De Smet at about 8:45 pace. Tomorrow's fartlek should be a good workout.

Another Good Workout

Today I was supposed to run a 2 mile warm-up, followed by 4 x 1 mile at 6:55 pace (with one minute rest) then a 2 mile cooldown. Today was the first warm day in about a month. It was near 50 degrees during the run and I wore shorts and a t-shirt! It felt awesome! The only thing that slowed me down was about 50 meters of snow covering the track. I still was able to run 6:56/6:55/6:55/6:57. I felt strong - thanks to Kevin and Kati for joining me for the workout.

6 miles easy

I scored the basketball game after school so I had to run on the treadmill again. I am looking forward to tomorrow's tempo workout on the track.

Lunch 4 miler

I was able to run during the lunch period which means I get to leave early so I can run numerous errands. The run was pretty basic - 4 miles easy on the treadmill.

A slow sore 8

Today I ran 8 miles at a slow, 9:00 minute plus pace. Thanks to Ryan and Rob who joined me for the run as it made it much more enjoyable. We ran a couple loops through Kirkwood and I enjoyed catching up with my former runners. It's also great to see them and even better to get a chance to run with them especially since they are still at it 5 years after they graduated. I wish I would have felt better but that is to be expected the day after race day.

Weekly total - 49 miles. Overall it was a successful week despite the snow. I completed every workout as assigned and raced at my target time. The plan is half finished - 7 weeks down and 7 weeks to go!

Encouraging sign - Frostbite 20k (12.4 miles)

I ended up running the Frostbite Series 20k as the event certainly lived up to it's name. The temperature at race time was between 0 - 5 degrees. It actually wasn't that bad once we got started, the coldest part of the day was the 10 minute wait on the start line. My hands were frozen for the first two miles. The goal pace for the day was an average between 7:10 and 7:15 per mile. I came through the first mile at 7:15 and decided to push the pace closer to 7:00 pace to see what I could do. I felt fairly strong the entire way and ended up at an average of 7:11 per mile for an official time of 1:29:05. This equates to a 1:34 half marathon which is about 1:30 slower than my PR so I am getting close to "PR" shape. The run was certainly a challenge due to the weather but it beats running 13 miles on a treadmill. I would say the day was a success as I finished 23rd out of almost 200 runners. I am scheduled to run the Frostbite Series Half Marathon in two weeks. The goal is to break 1:32 so I will try to run 7:00 minute pace for as long as I can.

4 miler on the treadmill

Another uneventful day - just a quick 4 mile run at 8:30 pace on the treadmill. I am scheduled to race a 20k (12.4 miles) in the morning. I am not sure at this point, if I will compete in the race. Check back for more details....

Had to be a treadmill day

The snow made a treadmill run the only option today. Actually, for whatever reason today's run went by very quickly. I ran 6 miles at about an 8:30 pace and felt pretty good. It looks like I'll be on the treadmill for the next few days.

Great Workout

Today I was supposed to do a 2 mile warmup, 4 miles at "tempo pace", then a 2 mile cooldown. I ran to Grant's Trail from my place and ran the tempo miles at Grant's trail before running the cooldown back home. Matt and Rob joined me for the workout which provided a much needed boost. Anytime I get to run with other people it just seems easier. The goal pace for the tempo miles was 7:15 and I ran 7:13/7:11/7:05/6:59. I felt great during the workout and even though the miles times were getting faster, I did not feel like I was running any harder. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come...

An Easy 4 on the treadmill

Today I needed a break from the cold, so I opted for a four mile run on the treadmill. As I have stated I do not particularly enjoy running on the treadmill, but when it is under 15 degrees for several days in a row, it is a bit a of relief to run indoors.

Another COLD six

Today was another cold day and my legs felt very sluggish. I am noticing a pattern in my training - every Monday is a slow run. I expect this pattern to continue as my legs recover from the Sunday long run. The good news is, I have 8 weeks to go until the marathon and I am still healthy and motivated to continue to train.

COLD 14 miler

This afternoon/evening I ran 14 miles in about 10-12 degree weather. I don't know that I have ever run that far without sweating. I was very cold and never really warmed up. The good news is I ran all 14 miles completing a the "Meramec Loop" nine times. I averaged about 9 minutes per mile.

Weekly Total - I completed 45 of the scheduled 50 miles this week. Altough I did not run all of miles, I consider it a successful week considering I skiied for 4 days and had two 14 hour plus car rides to fit in. All and all, I think this was one of the most active weeks of my life. I don't know if I have ever burned more calories in one week, at least not since high school.

Interval Workout

Today was the first "interval workout" on the plan. An interval workout consists of short distances repeated at fast pace (near 5k pace) with about 3 minutes rest in between each interval. For this workout I ran a two mile warm-up, then ran 4 x 3 minutes fast at 6:30 mile pace on Vianney's track. In other words I ran hard for about 3 minutes completing almost 2 laps. After each interval, I rested for 3 minutes before starting the next one. I actually felt pretty strong during the intervals and was able to hold the fast pace without too much of a problem. After the intervals, I ran a two mile cooldown.

"Move it or Lose it 5k" Breckenridge

On the way out of town Liz and I stopped at the Breckenridge Gold Run Nordic Center and ran a 5k in the snow. The run was definitely a unique experience but was anything but easy. It was a lot like running in the sand only slippery. The snow combined with the 9000 feet elevation made this quite a workout. I did not race the 5k and instead ran with Liz. It was a great way to end our vacation. Now I can say I have run a race in Colorado and in addition ran a 5k through the snow.

Quick 4 miler on the last day of skiing

After a long day of skiing with Liz and a New Year's Eve Dinner at 5:30, I could only manage to run 4 of the 6 scheduled miles on the treadmill. I am looking forward to getting back outside soon, the treadmill is getting old.