alabama master

In Wisconsin with the family visiting my Mom. Today is my birthday, which means I get to do whatever I want. Last night we went to see a band and celebrate New Years with my brother and two of my sisters while Mom watched the kids. I knew I was going to run long so I limited the beers and drank water also. Still trying to get in some mileage so I don't completly tank at my up coming marathon and ultra. My training has been very hit and miss the last few months so I can't really expect much. Anyway, I ran the Lake Michigan lake front for 11 miles north out of town. It was about 34 degrees, sunny and very little wind. My plan was to even split and at 11 I was at 1:30. Made it back to the house in 1:30 also, goal meet. Now that I live down South it was refreshing to get out and run in the snow and cold, great run!

Traveling back to Alabama, no run

Through neighborhood and Oak Lea. Negative run, Avg pace 7:04/ 7:32, 7:28, 7:15, 6:38, 6:26. Last two miles seemed effortless, confidence that I still have a litte speed left over from last year. Marathon next Sunday

On Wheeler Refuge north truck trail, out and back with Brother (our dog). 1:24:27--8:27 pace. Had to stop and walk several in last 4 miles to let Brother catch up. He is a great sprinter, but looses it after 5 miles. Overall my legs felt heavy and I wasn't motivated to do this run.

This is a small marathon in Mobile, AL still trying to get better organized, but still fun to run, and a great cause. I did not put the training in to run great, but was still happy with my result. My right shin just above my ankle got extreamly sore at 14 miles causing me to run/walk the last 12. Thankfully I saw my family two times during the last 12 and they motivated me to keep moving. They give a lot of awards out for this race. The 4 masters in front of me got overall awards, so I ended up being 1st in my age group.

Shin hurts so bad it's hard to just walk

Pain in right shin finally subsided, easy run out and back on Pt Mallard trail. No watch.

Another shake down run to see if everything is working right. An out and back at Pt Mallard. I hope to make it through Mtn Mist somewhat respectfully.

I trianed for and ran this race in 2006 in 5:43. This year my training left a lot to be desired. I had some stomach troubles mid race and then just got really fatigued during the very technical 2nd half. It's a great race with excellent oranization. My goal some year soon is to break 5 hrs in this race.

ASICS 2120 TRAIL

Right shin pain and swelling again. Plans to run the Black Warrior 50K in Feb have been scraped. Complete rest for at least the next 2-3 weeks.

Sweeling and pain gone, but still forcing myself not to run for another week

Night run in neighborhood, easy pace, 8:17/mi. This is my first run since Mtn Mist 50K. Had some slight aches but overall felt good.

Night run @ 8:00/mi

Volunteered at the Black Warrior 50K, a race I was planning to run, but after 2 marathons and 2 50Ks since last Nov. my body said it was time for a break.

Ran at night 8:00 pace, slight tightness in right hamstring.

No work/school today so we all slept in. Ran at 10am, 46deg slight wind, 7:30/mi. Right hamstring tightness is lessening.

On Point Mallard trail out and back, 1:30pm, 50deg, windy. More base work at 7:30 pace, picked it up for 1/4 mile @ 3.5 miles. Still feeling a little tightness in my upper right hamsting, more so in the tendon area.

ASICS TRAIL-35

No run today. 12 hour work day and another one tomorrow. It's ok though, it keeps me from over doing it in this slow base building phase. Will do sit ups and push ups before bed.

Night run through Oak Lea neighborhood, flat and rolling hills. 7:40 pace but negitive split, 8:07-7:47-7:37-7:07, last mile had two downhill sections. Right hammy twinged during mile 2 but eased up as I increased my pace. Feels good to be running somewhat regularly again.

1pm run @ Delano Park(site of the 2nd annual Delano 12 Hour, www.delano12.com )Mid 50's,light mist, slight breeze. Avg 7:38 pace, Warm up mile @ 8:02 last 4- 7:34 down to 7:28. Felt easy, but still to early to start pushing it. Hamstring felt ok.

No Sat morning family activities so we all got to sleep in. Kelly (my wife) went to Wilson Morgan park and ran 4.75 miles. I ran around 11:30am (42 degrees, overcast) with Eric on The 8K Steeple Chase course. We took it easy @ around 8:20 pace. This has been the most consistant running week I've had in a long time. I hope I can continue to keep my motivation at the level it is now. Kelly and I decided that our first race of the year will be a 5K on March 23. I won't actually be racing it since I'm not in racing shape, but I am looking forward to the competition. 

At Delano park with Eric, Eric, and Bob, 50 degrees, overcast, light wind. The two Erics and two other runner friends will be running the Delano 12 Hour (relay division) in two weeks hopeing to eclipse the 100 mile mark. Bob will also be running, teaming up with 3 other runners from 3M. This is the 2nd year Eric and I have put on this race, it's really a great day of running and then a lot of eating.

7 loops of Delano(53:24--7:38 pace) starting with a 8:27, 7:51, 7:39, 7:48, 7:15, 6:10, then a cool down of 8:14. We all ran together for 5.75 miles then the pace quickened and we got spread out. I was planning to drop down to about a 6:45 pace for the 6th mile, but I felt pretty good, so I ran how I felt.

I've got four 12 hour work days ahead of me this week. I'll really need some motivation to get me out the door to run on those days. My wife Kelly ran another 4.75 miles at Wilson Morgan today. Two big milage days for her, I'm really proud of her.

No run today. Felt a little achey in upper back and neck all day at work. Attributed it to the last fast mile mile from yesterdays run, so a rest day  worked out well. Stayed up late to watched the Oscars and was glad see that the only film I saw, No Country for Old Men, won big time.

In Oak Lea area, night run, 35 degrees with blustery n/w wind and sleet/snow. 29:21, 7:20 pace, negative split, 8:05, 7:29, 7:09, 6:37. This is a great 4 mile course with a good mix of hills and flats. The last .5 is downhill so you can finish up flying. 

Ran at 1pm. Cold with snow flurries all morning, then a break in the clouds allowed some sun. Never got much  warmer than 36. By the end of the run clouds moved back over and more flurries. Did a flat 6 from the house to Delano Park, one lap then back home. 45:23, kept an even 7:35 pace. Felt a little sluggish due to a small early breakfast and no mid morning snack or fluids. You think I would know better by now.   

Was a great day to run, but I didn't. Rest day to make sure I don't ramp up my milage too quickly.

Night run through area neighborhood. Flat, 34:32, 7:49 pace. High knees, butt kicks and skips in the last 200 yards. 30 sit ups, 15 pushups. I have to start logging this info or I'll never increase the reps.

Easy run w/ Eric downtown at 6:45am, sunny, 45 degrees calm winds. 34:25, 8:22 pace. Met up with Danny afterwards to drive traffic control while he biked to certified the Steeple Chase 8K.

11am run thru neighborhood, oak lea and the hills of montclair and montevallo rd. 70 degrees 25-35 mph south winds. 50:59, 7:17 pace. Ran in short sleeves and shorts for the first time in 3 months, felt good.

Called into work 6 hours on my off day. Had organizational meeting for the elementary and middle school track team I coach to prepare for in the afternnoon. Looks like I'll have about twice as many kids as last year. Went over to Fleet Feet Huntsville to pick up water bottles and gift certs. for the Delano 12 Hour this weekend.

Night fartlek run around home and Oak Lea area. 38 degrees clear and calm. Saw a lot of stars. 39:38, 7:13 pace. Ran 1.75 warmup then alternated .25 fast(5:30), .75 easy (7:30), finished with a 1/2 mile cool down. Felt comfortable during the pick ups, kept them short to keep from over doing it too soon. Good workout.  

Busy day with work and kids activities. Plan to run at least 10 combined Fri/Sat. Keep the milage building gradually.

Easy run at Delano while measuring for the Delano 12

Ran some laps during the Delano 12. Two easy warmup miles at 7:40 pace then five at 6:30 to 6:50 with the 4 Guy Century Relay Team.

No run today. Full day with church, and family activities and still tired from Saturday's Delano 12 activities. Top male,  Jack McDermott (Tallahasse) ran 78 miles, top female Liz Bauer-Walker ran 67 miles. Both set new course records. Top relay, 4 Guy Century ran 103 miles. Full results will be on www.delano12.com  and in Ultrarunning .

Kelly ran 8 miles!, her longest ever, at Wilson Morgan Park.

Long day at work and time change has me very tired. Planned to run tonight but fell asleep early.

Night time easy run thru neighborhood. 44 degrees no wind, 7:40/mile.  

Bird Spring 10k plus Harris Mtn Dr hill. 47:41, 7:19 pace. 1/2 mile with kids at track with plyometrics. 

Easy 5 at Pt Mallard trail. 38:55, 7:47 pace. Kept pace even throughout run. 1 mile with kids at track practice including plyometrics. Last year I did plyo with the team for the six weeks leading up to Boston and I'm convinced it helped me run as well as I did.

Night run in Oak lea. Tempo run.  41:20, 6:53 avg pace. 7:33, 7:05, 6:28, 6:29, 6:41, 7:01. With two days off I felt I needed to push a little on this run, felt good.

Rest day, legs a little heavy from yesterday. Kelly and girls off all this week for Spring Break. Took a road trip out in the county to Eva. It's a very small community with a cross roads for a down town. Kelly and the girls had never been there. We ended up at the community park that had a nice walking trail with a lot of elevation change. If it was closer to a city it would be a great loop course for an ultra event.  

Night run in Oak Lea using Danville  and Modaus rd with a loop through Braswell neighborhood. Worked in yard most of the day between the girls and my own dental checkups. I was tired by the evening but wanted to get a run in anyway. Decided after first mile(7:31) to go tempo again, but it turned out to be more like MP for the next three miles. 6:55, 6:54, 6:47. I was pretty much spent by then and eased it back in at 7:45 pace.

Evening run from home to Wilson Morgan park (one loop) and back. 45:34 even pace throughout, 7:35.

No run today. After work met the family at Church for Maundy Thursday service then went to eat at Panera Bread. Watched The Painted Veil with Kelly when we got the kids put to bed. Kelly liked the movie, I thought it was well acted but somewhat predictable.

Evening run with great weather. Did flat course around Sandlin road neighborhood. 29:34, even 7:23 pace. Worked in the yard a little while Kelly ran her two miles in sub 20 min. After lunch we took the kids to Hurricane Creek Park to hike the trails. In the fall they host a 5K trail race on mountain bike trails. We hiked most of the hikers only trails today, then went to the Daily Brew in Priceville and had gelato.

Tomorrow is race day. A 5k over in Hampton Cove. I hope to break 19 min and I think Kelly will go sub 30 min for the first time.  

Had a great day with  family and friends that included a lot of running. The family went to a small 5K in Hampton Cove. I haven't been doing any track speed work so I was interested to see what kind of pace I could hold for a 5K. Was quite happy to avg 5:52/mile. Actual splits, 5:45, 5:51, 6:01, :33. The course was very flat and the weather was perfect. Kelly ran 31:01, one of her fastest 5K's. We had to leave right after she finished to get the girls to our Church's Easter egg hunt. I did two easy miles at Delano Park before the hunt to ease some of the lactic acid build up. Eric and his family were at the hunt, and he said he planned to do some cruise intervals in the afternoon and it worked out that I was able to join him. A 16 mile day, thankfully broken up, but my legs felt better after the afternoon workout than they did after the 5K. I had a 90 min nap before the afternoon session so that helped recovery a lot.

Had a great Easter service at our church and spent the rest of the day at the In-Laws. Back to work tomorrow, and I think it's time to do more speed work.

Night run through Oak Lea easy pace, 7:43/mile. After work and a Session meeting at church I meet up with the family at the In-Laws. Kelly's sister and her two little girls are vistiting  for the next two days. Ate a big meal @ 7pm and took my run at 9:30 with stomach distress the whole way.

Speed work on my 1/4 mile in the neighborhood. 2 mile warm up then 10x .25 @ 75-80 with 80 rest. 1.5 mile cooldown. I will have to get comfortable running 72's if I'm going to break the Alabama 1 mile for 42 yoa male. This was a good start I think.

Remainder of the milage was run with the kids at track practice along with plyometrics.

Easy 5 at Wilson Morgan. 38:34, 7:43 even pace. Very windy. Ran a little with the kids at track practice, plyo also.

Last night after Kelly ran she asked me about shin splints. She is feeling a little tightness in her shins. I remember getting them a lot back in my high school running days mainly at the begining of seasons, and sometimes the day after hard workouts. So I get out of bed this am, walk a few steps, and my left shin  tinged with pain. Is this sympathetic pain? Well I took it as sign to move my run to the afternoon and also to run easy. I'm pain free now, we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Evening run after work.8X hill repeats on Jessie Dr. The hill is .18 mile, times 1:13-1:20. I was sucking wind big time on the last two. Warm up, recovery and cool down. Total time running 58:56.

12 hour work day then went to church fellowship dinner at the Hallmark's. Ate way too much. No run, but no ill effects from yesterdays hill work.

Afternoon track workout. 12 x 200m @ :36 with :46 recovery. This was hard. I started out with ambitions of running 200m in the recovery of :46, but that only lasted 3 times. The remainder of the recoveries were at a slow jog/walk. I did hit my goal each time on the fast 200's. My Garmin had me active @ 7:12 for 1.54 miles, 4:40 pace. That is a good indication of where I want to be. Still more work to be done to make running fast easier.

Worked out with the kids at track practice, we have our first meet this Sat.

Late morning run at Pt Mallard on trail and bike path. 5.76 miles, 43:06, 7:29 avg.

Ran a little with the kids at practice. We have a leap frog bungee cord and small parachute that they got to use for the first time today, we also practiced soft ball throw. 

Work day with church afterward took up my day and night. While waiting on 2 of my girls to get back from a church function I watched a race between a marathoner and a new Fiat car on the London Marathon course on You Tube. They ran/drove during morning rush hour. The runner(a 2:30 marathoner) beat the car by 11 min. Very cool.

10pm fartlek run thru neighborhood and oak lea. 5.5 miles 38:55. 7:00/avg. Here's the breakdown: 1.3 @7:45 pace(p), .7 @ 4:57 p, 1 @ 6:40 p, .25 @ 8:00 p, .5 @5:05 p, .25 @ 8:00 p, .25 @ 5:10 p, .5 @ 6:40 p, .25 @ 4:57 p, .5 @ 9:08 p.

3 quality workouts in the last 6 days and no signs of injury. It is about time to get new training shoes though.

Easy 7.21 with Eric thru neighborhood, oak lea, and the hills of montevallo. I pushed hard on the hills. Then 2 x .5 w/2min rest on the home loop. 2:32, and struggled thru a 3:04. Rest was too short and I was tired.

The kids did well at their track meet despite some organizational problems and it being 48 degrees and windy. Relay meet coming up on the 10th.

Night tempo run thru oak lea and dunbarton. 55:40/ 6:58 avg. Middle 3 miles at 6:00 pace.

Easy 5 in neighborhood and oak lea. 36:07 / 7:14 avg. Negative split 7:32 down to 6:59

Ran and did plyo w/kids at track practice. Meet tomorrow.

At the track meet, chasing kids around an cheering them on. The kids did well in the field events and ran strong in their relays. The team is mostly 4th graders and were competing with 5-6th graders. A little out matched but we all had fun.

At the 3M River City Run 10K. This is a race our club has put on for the last 28 years. Eric and I did course set up and assisted the "race director". Kelly ran the new event this year, a 3.5 mile run in 33:40 avg 9:35/ mile. The girls and Kelly also ran the kids 1/2 mile fun. Later in the afternoon she got out and did 6 more miles. She got more miles in this week than I did. She is training for her first 10K at Jesse Owens on May 17th.

Evening run thru neighborhood and Oak Lea. 34:14/ 6:51 avg pace, last two 6:33, 6:23.

Late morning run w/Brother on the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge north river trail. 8 miles, 1:01:04, 7:38/mi. 31:05 at four mile turnaround. Kelly has been running w/Brother so his endurance has built up. The last time I took him out on the trail he stayed with me for 5 of the 10 miles I did, then I was having to slow down and walk to allow him to catch up. We're getting our last (hopefully)  gasp of winter, with temps only in the mid 40's and a strong north winds. Should be back up to 70 by tomorrow afternoon. 5K race this weekend, will see if speed work has been worth it. Would like to go sub 18.

Ran and did plyo with the kids at track practice. We gave the kids clinics on shot put, softball throw and standing long jump.

Afternoon interval workout at Pt Mallard. Rick Doke, the track/cross country coach at Decatur HS has marked off 1/4 mile marks on a 1 mile stretch of the park access road.

7 X .25 @ 72 w/90 sec rest. The first 4 went well, the fifth was a little harder and by the last 220 inthe sixth my arms were feeling very heavy and I had a difficult time keeping pace. I skipped the 7th in favor of a longer recovery and was able to bring the last one in at 72. It gave me confidence that I can stay strong through the one mile mark at 4:48 pace. Will have to reduce the reps to 5 and shorten the recovery time.

Ran and did plyo with the kids at track practice, but was feeling the effects of the hard running.

Easy 3 after work. 23:05/ 7:42 even pace. Still tired in the legs from yesterdays workout. I would normally take days off after a hard workout, but will try run everyday this week.

Easy night run with Eric over on the SE side of town. 33:36/ 8:24 pace. I have been feeling a strange movement in tendon or ligament in right knee. No pain or swelling, just something not moving correctly as I run. It lessens as I go farther and get warmed up. I choose to ignore it now, hoping it will correct itself. I'm getting new trainers this weekend, should hopefully be the fix.

Easy 3.5 thru neighborhood and oak lea at 7:30 pace. Ran w/kids at track practice and did 1 x .25 at 4:50 pace.

Kelly and I will run a 5K in Huntsville tomorrow before the girls Track meet. I'm hoping to go sub 18, Kelly sub 30. 

Kelly and I raced in Huntsville this morning. I was on 5:40 pace and in 2nd place behind a 17 yr old up until the 2 1/2 mile mark when I started to fade. My 3rd mile was 6:06 and Marty passed me. I held on for 3rd but missed my sub 18 goal. Kelly ran well, 30:14, a new PR.

I had no time for a cool down after the race. Two of my girls and I had to get to their track meet in Madison. All the kids ran great.

Ran an easy 5 thru neighborhood in the evening.

Rest day. Went over to Eric's to watch the womens marathon trials. Then a busy day of church, Eric's daughters birthday party, coached a kids soccer game, and then had to work 3 hours OT.

10 on the refuge with Brother. 1:17:29/7:45 pace  negative split.68 degrees at 9am.  Too much for Brother still wearing his winter coat. Saw 2 snakes,a turtle, and numerous water fowl. Brother injured fore paw and rough gravel section of trail.

Ran w/kids at track practice. Raced them in a shuttle run relay, with me being my only team member. Only made it thru 6 of 8 shuttles.

Ran easy with the kids at track practice.

Evening tempo run thru oak lea. 38:17/ avg 6:58. Did 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 mile track speed pickups. Left glute a little sore from running with kids yesterday.

Evening run thru neighborhood and oak lea. 37:47/7:12 pace. Took 3 miles to loosen up my left glute. Afterward had some left shin soreness as well. 

8am - Bird Sping 10K+.  47:25/7:18 pace. Cool temps, great run but still a little stiffness in left glute.

ran with kids at track practice

Late morning run at Pt Mallard. Warm up and cool down with 4 x .25 miles w/60 sec active recovery.  78, 78, 70, 75. I could'nt find a rhythm in my stride. During the warm up I felt sluggish and my left hamstring was tight. I need to be running consistant 72-73 splits in order to have a chance of breaking the record.

Kelly and I will race gain this weekend at a 5K here in town. She looks very good fr breaking 30. I think I'll take it easy the rest of the week and then try to break 18 on Sat.

It almost 10pm as I write this. I should be out doing 3-5 easy miles but am opting to do none. I'm going to rest my sore left hamstring (it was my glute, but now it has moved down) and try to get a good nights sleep. I used to be able to sleep solid thru the night, but now I find myself waking up every two or three hours. My work schedule/life! really disrupts my natural pattern.

Evening run through neighborhood and oak lea. 35:24/7:05 pace, 1 mile pick up at MP.

Another 5k another low 18 time. Can't seem to get through that 3rd mile fast enough. I was able to warm up from home to the race, but hamstring was still bothering me a little as I raced.

Kelly goes sub 30!! in a big way. 29:01 a huge PR for her. Her 1st 10K is less than 2 weeks away. I thinks she'll go sub 60

Night run in neighborhood and oak lea. 44:02/7:20 pace, negative split. 8:21, 7:37, 7:31, 7:15, 6:36, 6:42. Very little remnant of hamstring pain. Night running has a psychological boost for me. I run w/o my glasses and the darkness hides the hills, so I just power on through.

Late morning run at Pt Mallard. 4 mile warm up for a 1 mile time trial. Garmin had me at 4:56:37 while the markings on the road had me at 5:01. I perfer the former, although the accuracy of each is relative.On thedrive home I started experiencing waves of nausea and thought that I was going to have to pull over and puke. I made it home got a snack and passed out on the couch. Felt a lot better when I woke up.The workout was a good indication that my training is going well, the aftermath shows that I'm not getting in all the milage and speed work I need.

Mileage was accrued as I was running around the infield of the track while coaching the kids at their last track meet. I had one boy (8yrs old) run a 6:51 1600 meters. All the other kids performed well too.

Kelly ran the Steeple Chase 8K finishing in 47:31, she should have no problem going sub 60 at the Jesse Owens 10K next Saturday

11am- 10 mile tempo run, 1st mile easy warm up, remainder at MP. 1:08:11, 6:49 pace. This was one of those runs that had no fore plannining. I just went out and ran how I felt. I made it a point not to look at the garmin during the run. I like to judge my fitness level on a 10 mile run. If I can do it 1:10:00 I know I'm in a pretty good zone.

8:30pm- 4.27 with Eric in his neighborhood at an easy 8:30 conversational pace. Great start to the week.

Jesse Owens 10K this Saturday 

Morning run thru neighborhood and oak lea at modeate/easy pace. 44:56/7:03 pace.

Jesse Owens 10k, ran well and even had a kick at the end due to the 6th place finisher closing on me in last .2. Did however have a small bout of the heaves in the finish chute, luckily nothing came out. After I finished I ran out to pace Kelly in the last mile. She ran great and finished in 59:21. Her first 10K and sub 60, AWESOME. All the girls ran well in their races as well.

AM 6 miles on Cotton Row course at mile 3 Mountainwood Hill area. Done in 2 mile intervals while working the aid station for training runners. Ran the hill 3x. Last 4 were later in afteroon from Eric's house back home after watching The Adidas track meet on ESPN.

Fartlek and hills in oak lea and montevallo rd area. 3rd mile at 5:42. 51:62/6:52 avg pace. Last .5 were plyo and strides.

Upset stomach and very tired after lunch. no run today.

Cotton Row 10K and 5K this weekend. A hard double, but I need the Grand Prix points. Hopefully whatever is bothering me subsides by then.

This was actullaly raced on Monday as part of a 10K/5K doulble. Had to rush my warmup and still not fully recovered from last weeks illness, but still happy with results. Earned some good Grad Prix points.

Second part of the days double. Not a great time for me, but alright coming off a 10K 80 mins before. Got more Grand Prix points.

Kelly PR'd once again. 28:50 for her 5K !!  My pacing her at the end is getting shorter every time.

Woke up with slight chest congestion. It rained all day, no run.

Down in Mobile for a beach visit. Ran at 8am, 75 and humid, easy 7:20 pace.

This month left a lot to be disired for milage and speed training. Now that it's starting to get uncomfortably hot to run unless its pre-dawn, it'll take an extra effort to keep up my training.

Easy 7 on another hot and humid Mobile morning. 52:05/ 7:27 even pace.

3 miles in a laid back cross country race at Huntsville Track Club's Summer cross country runs. Ran sans watch so not sure of my time, est. 19+/-, good for 5th place out of 59. Ran w/o my contacts on roots and rocky trails in heavily shaded woods making the footing a bit precarious. Other three were running out and back to pace Kelly and a shag/walk with my two older girls in the 2 mile race. Good family time. HTC puts this event on every Tuesday night throughout the summer, so we wil hopefully get out to more of them.

Am run in neighborhood. 2 mile warm up w/Brother then 7 X .5mile @ 2:40-2:47 with 2 min rest, on my home loop. Ran the middle 3 the fastest. 1 mile cool down. Felt OK, probably should have gone a little bit faster.Drank and dumped a lot of water on head btw intervals.

Night run in neighborhood and oak lea area. I didn't have any fatique from yesterdays intervals so I did a fartlek ladder run. 6 miles in 42:00 with milege breakdown of 7:44, 7:05, 6:16, 6:39, 6:50, and 7:24. The whole run felt pretty effortless, a good sign.

Hey, I ran a marathon in milage this past week and I feel great! If only the real thing were that easy.

I biked to work today (7.12 miles round trip)and plan on doing it every chance I can over the summer. My route has an out of the saddle killer climb right at the end going up to the center, so I think I'm getting a good fitness benifit from it even though it's a short ride.

7.12 miles on bike to work and home

Normally I would have the day off today, but got called in for 9hrs of OT.  7.12 miles on the bike. 75 deg at 5:30 am, 88 at 3:00 pm. HOT!

Evening hill workout on Jessie Dr.  6 X hill plus warm up/cool down. Still HOT!

7.12 miles on bike.

Easy evening run through neighborhood and oak lea w/o Garmin.

7.12 miles on bike

Easy run at Delano Park on the 1 mile loop. Ran right after a light lunch while the girls were playing at the splash pad. No stomach troubles. It was nice to get an immediate cool down in the splash pad right after my run.

Alabama A&M 10k tomorrow. Kelly is running also. A very tough, hilly course. I've never run it before so I'm going conserative with my time prediction,  40:00.

A hot and humid morning to run a 10K. I was happy with my time even though I positive split, THE HILL the second time humbled me. Earned some good points in the Grand Prix. Kelly ran well, 1:04 wich is a great time for her on this tough course.

Eric and I did a little over five after the awards. His endurance is far above mine at this time and my legs were acheing by the time we finished at the top of THE HILL.

Free samples at Costco helped refuel after the long morning of running.

7 miles on the bike as Eric and I measured the Spirit Run course.

X-C runs at the running park in Huntsville. Warmed up with a 7 min mile, then ran a 5:23 in the 1 mile race. Had a short recovry for the 3 mile race which I labored through in 21:00, splits of 6:44, 7:25(step hill climb), and 6:49. Two weeks ago I ran it in 19:00 but w/o the speedy mile before. After the 3 mile I was able to get in a 1 mile recovery run in 9:15. Last race was the 2 mile in 12:50, splits 6:42 and 6:08. After the 3 mile I thought I was done for the night, it felt good to be able come back strong in the 2 mile. Did a 1 mile cool down run(8:45) with Dink Taylor, ultraruner extrodinaire. A good nine mile night

Met Eric at our church as he was running home from work. Ran the last 2.33 with him just under 8 min pace. He had also run to work and helped pace some co-workers to reach fitness goals, so he ended up with a 20+ milage day. Had a 45 min rest break at Eric's house before running back to the church (2.29 miles, I cut some corners) @ 6:34 pace. Short milage day but I ran with a friend and got some good quality in.

Night run, 1st time I ran with MP3 player that Kelly and the girls got me for Fathers Day.  I haven't run with headphones in over 20 years. Back then it was a Sony cassette walkman that when you ran fast the music would drag or drop out. We're all digital now, light weight and no moving parts. I found myself running to the beat many times, I was listening to They Might Be Giants, Here Come the ABC's (not just for kids). My plan was to run an easy even paced run, but it turned into a progression run, splits 8:11, 7:23, 7:00, 7:00. I made a point to not look at my Garmin along the run and was surprised at the pace of the last two miles, they felt effortless.

No race in local area tomorrow so a track workout is planned. 

14.5 on bike getting to and from the start of my runs. It is getting hard for me to justify driving somewhere to run(except for races), so I'll either train from home or bike to and from the start of my runs.

9 AM- Track workout at Austin High. 2 mile warm up on track then changed shoes to my DS Trainers and did 10 X 200 @ 34-36 with a 200 shag in 70-72. I met my time goal on each one, only feeling a little arm strain on the last two. I'll do this workout again but I'll need to shorten the recovery to get a better benefit. Pre used to do a workout simular to this but he ran 30 for the first 200 and 35 recovery for the second 200, and he did it til he couldn't hit the goal times. After the 200's I was still feeling pretty good so I ran a 400 in 67. This is faster than needed(74's) for my quest for the mile record(4:57), but I want to set the record with a new one that"ll be harder to beat. 1 mile cool down on the track.

2 PM- Mostly easy run w/Eric and Bob from Eric's house, on refuge trails, Point Mallard trails, soccer fields and roads. My plan was to meet up with them and run a relaxing 6 or 7 miles(8 min pace). Well... we did that but were still 2.25 from Eric's house and he decided to pick up the pace (6:30), I hung on for a little bit, but the mornings workout had my hamstrings twitching and I dropped back. He did however back off and let us catch back up and we finished up back at 8 min pace. It was in the mid 80's with a 55% humidity, not too bad, but when we got back to his house I couldn't cool off and wasn't feeling too good. I hosed  myself down and tried to rehydrate (I carried a bottle on the run) but I think I was working from a deficit from the mornings workout. 20oz of cold chocolate milk does wonders and I was able to bike home w/o any problems 

Easy four on a 1/2 mile loop at Aquadome Park while my youngest was at swim lessons. They discourage the parents being around the pool during the lesson, so I took the opportunity to get in a short run. 29:14/ 7:19 even pace.

X-C runs in Huntsville  6:01 mile, 18:51 3 mile, 12:33 2 mile. Last mile of 2 mile was 6:08

2 easy cool down miles

Evening run thru neighborhood and oak lea. 37:09/7:04 pace

7 miles on bike

Race prep and family activities all day. I have registered for my first TRI. It's a short one,(400m swim, 15k bike, 5k run) so as long as I make it out of the water alive I'll do well.

At Spirit 5 mile while co-directing race. We age/gender graded the start for a change this year. We had  a lot of good feedback and will do it again next year, expanding it out to our older runners (Jim Howell-86!), and adding more awards. Check out the results at:

www.rivercityrunners.org

Kelly ran the 1 mile fun run in 8:23, a PR!

night run thru neighborhood @ 7min pace, temp and humidity has dropped so it was comfortable.

7 miles on bike. Saw Kathy Nevels running at 5:30am on my way to work. She has the right idea running at that time it was mid 60's low humidity. I'll try to get some speed work in tonight.

PM- Met Eric at the track. 6 x 300 m @ 53-56 w/72 sec 100m jog recovery. After the last one I did a 400m jog recovery then 400m in 68. I tempted fate by trying to do another one but only made it through the 200 before lactate slowed me down, 78 at the 400. Good workout.

10pm run through neighborhood @ 7:30 pace

I will be running a certified 1 mile race on the 11th in Florence, AL.

7 miles on bike, Holiday weekend and work made it difficult to get in any more runs. But I guess I can be tapering for the 1 mile on the 11th.

In Hartselle in the evening after work. No garmin but it felt like a good 5 miles. Ran the Depot days 5k course then did some loops on the hilly walking trail at Sparkman park then a cooldown around the in-laws neighborhood.

Had plans to get in a last speed workout before Fridays race, but got called into work @ 8am. The girls and I were supposed to see a movie as well. Luckily I got out of work at 3:30 and the girls and I made it to the last matinee of Wall E (very good movie).

Ran at the X-C park, HOT and HUMID! Got there early enough to run 3 miles before the races started. Ran the first two as a warm up; 8:13, 7:42, then a hard last mile in 5:45. Ran the 1 mile race with my girls and they finished youngest to oldest, with Avy (6) clocking a 10:30. Ran the 3 mile race in 19:26 splits of 6:06, 6:44, and 6:35. I was hoping to have more legs in the last mile but it wasn't there. I ran the 2 mile race as a cooldown, but I did neg split, 7:53, 7:23. Another great night of running in Huntsville.

8am run in neighborhood w/Brother. Hot and humid. 3.25 easy then 2x .25 @ 72 w/30 sec rest. 1/2 mile easy cooldown. Felt good. Also got some time in on Eric's road bike and a easy swim at a friends pool to get ready for my tri on Sat.

1 mile attempt tomorrow evening.

Goal #1 for 2008 has been met! I ran the 1 mile race at the St. Jude run in Florence this evening, setting the Alabama State record for 42 yr old male- 4:55.86. I placed second overall with the winner, a 21 yr old male, clocking at time of 4:38. It worked out well as I had someone to chase after. Many thanks to Eric Schotz for helping me out during some key workouts and at the race as my split timer/motivator. Also to the Tenn River Athletic Club based in the Quad cities for helping to put on a well run event. It feels nice to have that behind me, as now I can start on my next goal of a sub 3hr marathon this Dec at the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville.

Tomorrow I have some fun in my first sprint triathalon.

My first Tri went pretty well I think. As I thought, my swim (400m in 10:53) would put me at the back of the pack. Thankfully they staggered it, letting only two at a time into the water and putting the slower swimmers at the rear. It was an out an back swim in the backwaters of the Tenn River here in Decatur and as soon as I was able to touch bottom on my way in I was running. I passed I few swimmers in the water doing this. I also passed about 10 people by running from the the rivers edge to the bike transition. Eric had loaned me his road bike for the race and I completed the 15K bike in 30 min, again passing many on this leg of the race. My transitions went pretty smoothly and and I was happy to be able to run a 19:24 5K to finish everything up. I was a great experience and I'm sure I'll do another one.

7am run thru neighborhood and oak lea 40:07/ 7:32 even pace. Great morning for a run, 70 deg and low humidity.

As part of my jump into marathon training I will be heading over to Decatur, Georgia on Aug. 2 with Eric to run in the Hot to Trot 8 Hour. It's a loop course of 1.12 miles. I will most likely not compete the entire 8 hours, but I still would like to get some good miles in. Eric has a very good shot at winning the whole thing. It promises to be hot and humid, but also a lot of fun.

night run thru neighborhood and oak lea. Ate a large dinner and was feeling the effects, kept the pace nice and easy 7:30-7:45 

9 miles on bike doing a race course certification

7.2 on bike

At the Twilight 5k in Huntsville. The girls ran the 1 mile fun run and Avanelle proved she is a force to be reckoned with on the roads as well, beating her two older sisters. She ran a 9:39, Lily was close behind @ 9:51, and Camille finished strong with a 10:20.

I ran well despite going out too fast (5:30), earning top master honors and 100 pts in the grand prix standings.

The male and female races were separate which allowed me to run with Kelly during her race. She clocked a course PR of 29:53 good for 7th in her age div.

We scored some nice door prizes and awards of tech shirts and resturant gift certificates as well. A good family night of running.

7 miles on bike

7 miles on bike

am run thru neighborhood, oak lea and dunbarton. First 2.4 with brother. Easy pace throughout, 1:18. Felt good to run long and slow.

new asics 2130's and powerstep insoles  

7 miles on bike

Rain kept me off the bike to work today.

After work met Kelly and the girls at our neighbors house for a pig roast. Lots of great food. I was surprized with a pig statue award for being the "Fastest Pig",  in reference to my 4:55.86 AL state record in the 1 mile for a 42 yoa male.

7 miles on bike, will hopefully get in a run after work.

Didn't happen. I got lazy and watched a couple of episodes of Dexter on netflix.

Broke the milage into three runs of 5 miles each with a 10-15 min rest/aid/clothing change in between. It was hot but there was a breeze. Pace was 7:45-8:10 throughout.

Tuesday night at the running park in Huntsville with the family. Kelly and I ran the 1 mile together then I got in another mile before the start of the 3 mile which I also ran w/Kelly. I ran ahead of her a couple of times and doubled back to get some extra in. Overall pace for 5.3 was 9:30; great ultra pace. I ran the 2 mile race for speed @ 6:10 pace. The girls decided it was too hot and humid for them run (it was).

7 miles on bike

7 miles on bike

In Decatur GA right outside of Atlanta. 8am to 4pm in mid 90's temps and high humidity. I was happy with my effort. I had not been training for any sort of ultra distance run so to be able to rack up 40+ miles was quite nice. For the first two hours I stayed on pace of 9-9:30 min per 1.12 mile lap, by 10am I had 13 miles in. The heat started to take a toll even though the loop was mostly shaded. I wasn't there to run myself into the ground so I started taking longer aid breaks which involved changing shirts, shorts, socks and shoes. I don't like to run soaked in my own sweat that has no chance of evaporating due to the humidity. At 11:03am I had 19 miles in, still ahead of my planned 6 miles per hour for as long as I could goal. I started  feeling  the effects of my lack of ultra training in the next hour, coming thru 23 miles at 11:50am and 24 miles at 12:11pm (a 21 min lap,ouch). Looking back at my garmin now I must have taken an extended aid stop on that lap because mile 25 was 9:35 (well rested). I went through the marathon at 4:37 and was not feeling very strong, but I was there to at least run an ULTRA distance so I trudged along determined to make it to 50K. My pace had dropped to 11 - 14 min/mile and by 1pm I had 28 miles in, at 1:41pm I  was through the 50K mark. I told myself in those last 3 miles that I would be content with that, but me being the competetive sort I couldn't bring myself to stop with over 2 hours left in the race. I decide to walk it out and by 2pm I had 32 miles in. Then I started to feel better and was run/walking, Mile 35 was done in 9:37, mile 38 in 10:49. A lot of runners had dropped out by this point so the trail was pretty quiet. I finished feeling good being able to walk the last 1/2 mile with Eric.

The end of the race was a bit of a let down as the lap counts for several runners were wrong, and Eric Schotz, the actual winner, was placed in 3rd. We politely disputed the results and by the Thursday after the race we received an e-mail from the race director rectifying the results. Eric's total laps went from 39 to 46 (51.52 miles in 7:49:50) making him the winner and new course record holder.

7 miles on bike

Morning run thru neighborhood and oak lea. First run post ultra and I wanted to see if my speed was still there. 34:24 with the 3rd and 4th miles at 6:30 pace. Still waiting for cooler morning temps.

Bird Springs 10K at 7:30 pace with a stop at the spring at 3 miles for a wter break. I ran just after a storm cooled the temps down to the low 80's but the humidity was still high.

5K midnight run on Friday night in Cullman

warmup before midnight run

A rolling hills course that the entry form describes as mainly flat, but running hils in the dark seems much easier to me. Used this as another post Ultra speed test and was mostly happy with the results. 1st mile in 5:40, 2nd in 5:50, and only faded in the last 1/2 mile(uphill) to finish. A great night for a run with much cooler temps than we've had recently.

Took the girls to school then watched the olympics ALL day

Home to Wilson Morgan park (2 loops) then home. This is a good flat run, good for building up some milage. Marathon specific taining will be starting soon. I plan to use the same plan as I used for my build up to Boston 2007 but peaking with a little more milage.

Volunteered at the Huntsville Sprint Triathalon in the am. Napped and watched the Olympics the rest of the day. This week was pretty low milage, but I did schedule out my upcoming marathon training plan. I'm race directing The Brooke Hill Run for Awareness 5K next Saturday, so between that and the Olympics my milage will probably be low next week as well. I've got one more race in the HTC Grand Prix, a 5K or 10K or both on the 30th. I guess I could call it a looooong taper. 

Morning run through neaighborhood and oak lea. 7:37 warm up mile then 4 at 7:05 pace. Cool temps but humid. Made the rest of the day go better knowing that I got my run in. Watched the Olympics the rest of the day. 

Last race of the HTC Grand Prix. There was a 10K right before so most my competition in masters had run that race also. I didn't. As you can see from my time it wasn't anything great, but I also haven't run much the two weeks prior to the race, and was down with a nasty head cold. Kelly also ran and lowered her PR to 28:20 and also took 1st in her age group!

Easy run thru neighborhood right after work. 23:48/7:30 pace. Will slowly start to build milage toward start of marathon training.

Night run thru oak lea, 27:18, 7:50 pace. Had a bouncy stomach from dinner but that helped me keep the pace reasonable.

Night run thru neighborhood and oak lea. 30:53, avg 7:30.  Progressed from 8 to 7:30 to 7:05 to 7:08 then 8 min pace for last .14.  Felt good.

My only off day from work this week and I still couldn't manage to get my run in during daylight hours. Ran at 10:15 and only did so to to fill in some milage on my log. I kept it at 8 min pace, so essentially it was a rest day.

Kelly and the girls went down to Mobile after school today for the weekend and new nephew Peters' Baptism. I've got to work. After work I ran from home to Wilson Morgan and back with the middle two miles at 6:46 and 6:18, 7:16 pace overall. Feels good getting back into the swing of things.

Ran after work w/Eric thru neighborhood, Montevallo hills and oak lea area.We kept the pace easy (8-8:30) for the first 5 miles then did a 1 mile p/u @ 6:30 then eased it back to 8 for a 1 mile cool down. It is still warm and very humid, but we are getting a lot of cloud cover from the outer bands of the hurricanes and tropical storms that keep rolling thru the gulf.

Hey a marathon distance in six days, not bad for a re-entry back into regular training.

Another day of work. Kelly and the girls are back from Mobile, they had a great time.

No run today.

Easy neg split run 7:47 down to 7:09. I had the day off but again could not manage to get out and run in the daylight. I ran @ 10pm. I was a little cooler but the humidity is still too high for comfort.

Got a run in during a lunch break from a training class at work. Easy neg split run 7:44 to 7:15 with a 1/4 mile cool down.

Easy run after work thru neighborhood, oak lea and dunbarton area. Kept it steady at 7:24 pace. Still hot and humid, waiting for the break.

Work and them met Kelly and the girls downtown for the Austin High Home Coming Parade, then busy at home afterwards, no run.

3 X 3 mile loop plus 1 mile around the block  in neighborhood. Kept pace easy at 8min/mile. Stopped at the house after each loop to get ade and check on the girls. Kelly was also running 10 over at Wilson Morgan park, she had the Garmin. Later that day we all went to visit some friends at their lake house down on Smith Lake. We swam, boated and rode the wave runner. We had a great meal that evening. A relaxing time spent with good friends and family. 

Morning run thru neighborhood and oak lea. 34:22, 6:53 avg. First mile easy warm up at 7:21, the next four ran at 6:45 pace. Felt comfortable and strong on the hilly roads. I ate and drank(beer) a lot yesterday and knew I needed a fast run to sweat out the toxins. It helped that the humidity was 80% as well.

14 weeks out from Rocket City Marathon, will try to get milage up to 30-32 this week.

Night run thru neighborhood and oak lea. 45:10/7:17 avg pace. Kept the pace pretty steady after an easy warm up mile.The switch has been flipped and the nights are cooling off and humidity is is back to comfortable levels.

Night run in neighborhood thru oak lea then past fairground onto modaus bike lane and danville rd back thru oak lea and home. A nice cool night run. 50:23/7:33 avg pace with nothing faster than a 7:13. Building that foundation.

Fartlek run at Delano Park . Ran the easy paced parts with Kelly as she put in her 5 miles.

Morning run on my Bird Spring 10K route with the addition of Chestnut Mtn Rd hill and Jessie Drive hill. 53:00/7:34 pace.  The first two miles of this run are flat then the terrain starts to roll followed by a good climb in the 4th mile. My legs felt a little flat for most of the run. I don't know if it was the less than 24hrs between runs or the running for the last 5 days in a row. I usually take a rest day or real easy day mid week. It looks like Friday will be a rest day, as I work 12hrs then have family activities afterward.

Ran after work from home to Wilson Morgan did two loops and back home. Kept it at an easy pace 7:15-7:20 but with one p/u at 6:30 pace for 1/2 a mile. This run is all flat and easy to keep a steady pace.

Kelly ran the Depot Days 5K this morning and once again PR'd with a 27:14 taking 1st place in her age group. Lily ran the 1 mile and was 2nd overall and 1st female with an 8:06

Mud Tavern/Chapel Hill 10 miler in AM. This is a great run for long flat sections as well as some good climbs and decents. The big dog that normally chases me was not out today, but one of the dogs on a different road charged at me three times. Thankfully I had refilled my bottle (hose water) and was able to keep the dog back with diluted red gatorade, a hydrater and dog repelent, maybe they should add that aspect to their marketing campaign.

1:15:00/7:16 avg pace, 75 deg  59% humidity, sunny

7.5 mile fartlek at Wilson Morgan after work. Ran about 2 w/Kelly then dropped in 3 X 1 mile pickups at 5:45 pace and 2 X .25 near the end at 6 min pace, took ample recovery pace between. A lot of people out on the trail. When I got home I couldn't decide what to have for dinner so I opted for chocolate chip cookies dipped in peanut butter and a glass of milk.....protein and carbs.  

Tempo run at Pt Mallard. 4 @ 7:30 pace  then next 4; 6:44, 6:43, 6:21, 6:09. Last 4 at 8:10 pace.Great run but I had my two aid bottles(one my favourite UD bottle) stolen from behind the front tire of my van. Someone had to be watching me and waited until I made my aid stop and went on to sneak in and take them. They even took an empty GU packet (which I recycle). Weird. The whole incident caused me to loose a little more faith in mankind.

Morning run w/Eric in Hickory Hills, Priceville and and on the Wildlife Refuge trail. Some of Eric's co-workers were balloning and we chased them for about 4 miles to their landing spot at Priceville town hall. I has been about a year since I have run on the refuge trails. It's a great place to run, someday I hope to throw together a Fat 50K out and back on the trail.

Night run thru neighborhood and oak lea. Easy w/u then 3 at MP. Felt relaxed, although I was a bit heavy from eating way too much Sat dinner and Sun lunch. Cooler temps are here, this is a great time to run in our area,  I need to find a race on the 11th to test my fitness level.

Work day, plus Chuck, Heros, and Life conspired to keep me off the roads.

Ran after work while the girls were with Kelly in Huntsville at their soccer games. Did my favorite 8 miler over to Dunbarton and back. Started with an easy 2 to w/u then dropped down to MP for 3, then dropped a 6:18, finished with an easy 2 c/d.  55:57/7 min avg pace.

2 mile warm up then 8 X .5 @ 2:45-2:54 with 2 min walking recovery between, 2 mile cool down. I did this workout on the block loop in front of my house. It has a slight incline and decline so it mimics road racing conditions fairly well. I was not overly taxed during the workout, which leads me to think I should have shortened the recovery time.

Two runs of 4 miles each with a two hour break in between. I ran over to Eric's house to watch Iron Man, then ran home  7:28 pace/7:45 pace.

Work day. After work Lily, Camille and I went over to our friends to help them move. Actually they played with their friends and I helped load boxes and furniture into the van. A good upper body workout.

I was planning on getting in 12-13 today, but it wasn't meant to be. After work Kelly and I met her parents at Logan's for her Mom's birthday dinner. I thought my stomach would be good to go for a run by 9pm. About one mile into the run I got terrible cramps that would not let up. I bagged it at 6 when my pace dropped to 9:30 and dinner threatened to come up.

Avy got a sore throat Friday morning and missed school. Kelly took her to Dr on Sat morning, he found nothing serious and she was back to her normal self by that afternoon. Kelly  missed the Elkmont 10K she had signed up for, but her running continues to go well. We both plan on running the Monte Sano 15K on the 11th.

Easy 8 from home over to Almon Place and back through dunbarton and oak lea. 59:47/7:29 avg pace which included a 2 min stop to give directions to a lost motorist. 68 deg., sunny, carried bottle

Night fartlek run thru neighborhood and oak lea. 1 mile warm up then dropped in some pickups at 5:30 pace. 43:18/6:55 avg. Another off work day that I could just not motivate myself to run during the day.

Ran from church to bike path down to GE entrance and back while the girls were at their activities. I only had a 35 min window of run opportunity by the time I made it across town from work. Only one other biker was on the trail, but many rabbits hopped along. 34:00/ 7:23

Accomplished what I set out to do, run +/- 6:30 pace throughout race. Ran up thru 7 with Eric then he gapped me over the last 2+ miles by 35 seconds. Great day for running. I ran back and meet Kelly and finished w/her. She ran 1:32. Then did some trail running w/Eric. By the time I was done my legs were feeling the effects of a 16 mile day with a race thrown in. After my post race nap I felt a lot better.

Easy evening run from home thru the neighborhoods over to Julian Harris Elem. The garmin was out of battery power so I was sans chrono on this run. I did however take my MP3 player along listening to NPR, Coldplay and REM. I had planned on going 8, but the weather was great and I really zoned out with the music. I contemplated going further but I had not brought any aid along and Kelly and the girls were waiting dinner on me. It was a good to feel that recovered after yesterdays run to be able to run that pace. I did however note my start and finish time and mapped the run for distance. 1:25:00/ 7:23 

New 2130's

Night run thru neighborhood and oak lea. 4 miles of tempo work. It has warmed up again with high humidity as well

On the refuge truck trail from Mussel Camp to Hickory Hills and back. A refreshing morning run. Kept it just under 8 min pace, but did drop in 3 miles at 7 min pace from 12-14. The majority of the trail is now seasonally closed to vehicle traffic so it makes for a great solitary run. 2:08 with a two min aid break at 8.3 miles.

Night run from home to Point Mallard and back, aid stop at Eric's house.

Kelly ran Liz Hurley 5k...   26:59  awsome!!

Good afternoon run while the girls were doing their homework. Weather was ideal. Two warm up miles (7:34,7:00) then four at an even paced 6:45 thru the hills and flats of oak lea. MP is starting to feel easy to maintain (good sign). 41:29/6:55

Runner spotted: Kathy Nevels

Great morning run in neighborhood and oak lea. 58 deg/sunny. 5 mile warm up then did 4 hill repeats on montclair/montevallo roads. I had another theft of my water bottle, but this time the perp was caught. As I came down the hill after my first circuit I was met by a large shaggy dog. He didn't bark and looked more like he wanted to play. He followed me over to where I stashed my bottle. I refueled and stashed my bottle back then took off for the 2nd curcuit. As I was running up the hill I thought to myself, that dog is probably going to take my bottle. Sure enough when I got back down, the dog was laying by his driveway with my bottle at his feet. He let me pick it up with out challenging me for it. I then stashed it up in a tree and continued my workout. There is 1/2 mile flat section of road at the top of the hills and I concetrated on getting back to MP before the decent.

Ran after work at Delano,(site of the 3rd Annual Delano 12 Hour www.delano12.com, open for entries now). 37:00/7:24

Afternoon tempo run to dunbarton and back 58 deg, overcast with a light mist.

Morning run w/John Nevels on the refuge truck trail . We ran from Mussel Camp east to Charest road and back then added on the out and back to the Tenn. river. John is tapering for the Pinhoti 100 miler (Nov. 15) so this was a short day for him. We ran at +/- 7:30 pace then picked it up over the last 4 miles. A good progression run for me in my prep for Rocket City in Dec.I went thru 2 bottles of gatorade and ate 2 GU's, John did the whole run with nothing but water for aid. Thankfully he had 3 calls of nature that allowed me to slow to a walk or ultra pace until he caught back up. Good run, good company, good day.

Easy run thru neighborhood to clear lactic legs from yesterdays run. 30:00/7:03

A cold weather run. Ran at 10pm, 41 deg, clear and calm. Ran easy for first 3 to get warmed up, then ran 3 at MP. MP felt really easy and I contemplated on going longer but knew I needed the sleep. 41:46/6:58  

Ran 5+ w/Kelly at Delano then headed over to the high school track and did mile repeats. 5 X 1 @ 5:45-6:00 with 2 min/200 meter walk in between. Then ran back home. The run home was a little bit painfull and very slow. I wasn't rehydrating during the extended work out and it really hit me on the run home.

7 miles in bike

Night run thru the 4 neighborhoods. Avg 8 min pace for the first 7 miles, then dropped down to 7:15 pace for 3 miles, 11-14 were @ MP, and finished up the last 2 back at 7:15 pace. The temp was in the upper 50's with very little wind, but I would get warmer when I was is an area with a lot of brick homes, and colder when I ran along a road that was undeveloped... Radiation in practice. 1:59:32/7:28

Noon-time run from Church on bike trail into Pt Mallard then back through SE part of town. I jumped right into MP pace for the first 6 miles. I had to make a nature stop at 6 and an aid stop at 7 then  finished with progression, 7:45 down to 7:00 for the last 4. 1:19:00/7:10

I picked up a slight head cold last Saturday, took Sun,Mon off, still don't feel my best but knew I had to run.

1/2 marathon coming up on Saturday. Word has it that the concurrent 5K will have The NesQuik Bunny participating. Now who would be foolish enough to run a 5K dressed as a rabbit?

Night run thru neighborhood and oak lea. Kept it pretty much even pace. Head cold now moved to a slight chest cold, but nothing to slow me down. 1:09:23/7:32

neighborhood run at 7:30 pace

This was the year I was going to run a smart half marathon, and I nearly did. My plan was to run between 1:20 and 1:25 (+/- 6:25 pace).A quarter mile into the race I found myself behind Candace Jacobs, the 2nd place female running in the top 20 overall. The pace (6:05-6:10) was a little faster than planned but it felt good so I just kept cruising along. Last year my plan was to run @ at 6 min pace and see how long I could hold it, I made it 8 miles then slugged it in. So this year when I went thru 10 miles in 62 min I was feeling pretty good. I had passed Marty Clarke and two other guys  and was still staying on the heels of  Candace.

 At 10.5 my stomach decided to revolt against me and give me the heaves. The only thing I could figure out was that the gatorade at the aid staions had been tasting a little too strong and I had too much sugar on my stomach. So between 10.5 and 12 my pace dropped considerably and at one point slowed me to a walk. Thankfully the nausea passed and I was able to get my pace back down to 6:30 over the last 1.1 miles.  

So, overall a good run, a little on the high side of my goal, but none the less the goal was met.

Ran the 5K course as a warm up- 23:14, and ran a little over 4 - 33:14 with George Dewitt after the Half.

Kelly ran the 5K in 26:58 palcing her 3rd in a 10 year age group. We both came home with coffe mug awards. A great day of running and family time.

Night run thru neighborhood, oak lea and dunbarton. Kept it pretty easy. My cold has moved back up into my head and body aches have started as well. Probably should have taken the day off from running. 1:13:15/7:20

Too achey, sneezy, drippy, snotty to run, its official, I have a dwarf cold. 

Speed workout aborted after on rep due no legs. Tried to do 4 X 2 mile at sub 6 pace and was able to do only one at 11:45. I was hoping my cold was getting better, but I think I would have been better suited to staying in bed today. Easy miles were a must because I had to run back to church from Pt Mallard.

Night Tempo run thru neighborhood and oak lea. Legs felt really quick after long lay off. My cold is nearly gone. 45:00/6:26

This was planned as an easy 13 miler.I was cruising at 7:15 pace for the first 5 miles then my GI tract revolted against me and forced me to seek shelter at the bathroom at oak park middle (luckily it was close). After taking care of business I couldn't get my rhythm back and had lost  my body heat and got cold. I cut the run short and headed home. 1:16/7:39

10pm cold run thru neighborhood. 24:39/7:35

Afternoon run to wilson morgan park for 3 loops then home.  1:13:00/7:07

Dam Bridge 10K tomorrow, would like to be around 37:00

We woke up to temps in the teens to low 20's in North Alabama today, but were still able to rouse the kids and head over to Florance for the 4th annual Dam Bridge run. The race gets it name from its course that goes out over the Wilson locks and dam and returns across a nearly mile long bridge over the Tennesee River. Despite the cold, 180 intrepid runners competed in the race. I was happy with my effort, sub 37 would have been nice, but my pace dropped a little during miles 5 and 6. Splits: 5:48, 5:50, 5:57, 5:41, 6:04, 6:09, 1:36. Miles 5 and 6 were all rolling hills and some sharp turns as well which got me out of my rhythm. Still I  took top  Masters honors and put in some nice speed work for next months marathon. After I finished I did a quick shoe change and put on my breath thermo pants and ran out to meet Kelly. I didn't have to go far as she was on a PR pace, 55:48, which placed her 1st in her age group. I then got in some easy miles re-running the course with Shane. We timed it just right, getting back in time for the awards ceremony. We checked out the resort and made plans to come back in the summertime. There are a lot of good trails (paved and dirt) across the river from the resort on TVA land.

PM - 5.54 miles thru neighborhood and oak lea before dinner to work out the lactic acid. 41:40/ 7:31

A great day with family with a lot of good running.

Easy run with Kelly on Aldridge Creek Greenway in Huntsville. Picked up a new pair of racing shoes, Asics Ohana, that my orthotics fit in better than the DS trainers. Turky Trot 5K tomorrow. 23:57/ 9:15

Masters win at the Turkey Trot. I felt pretty comfortable during the race and just tried to maintatin 5:40 pace. Kelly ran another PR, 26:36, and finished 4th in her age group. After we got home I changed into some fresh running clothes and ran to Thanksgiving dinner in Hartselle. The route was pretty and hilly staying on the rural roads, but not as long as I planned, 11.25, I was hoping for 14-15. I was getting low on fluids by the time I got there, and after I realized it was not going to be as long I thought I picked up the pace. (Hartselle run: 1:25:56/7:38)

Night run while the girls were at play practice. Last long run before marathon. Ran from The Church of the Performing Arts down town over to the bike path out to Pt Mallard, got on the River City 10K course for 2.5 then headed back downtown and did 2 loops of the Old Decatur 5K course. Ran first 9 in 1:08:15, 2nd 9 in 1:04:19.  2:12:34/7:22.

Afternoon tempo run thru neighborhood and oak lea with montclair and montevallo hills as well. 45:45/6:56.

The Frosty Freeze lived up to it's name this year. 32 degrees or colder at the start and it never really warmed up. I got a 5K warm up in w/Eric during which we saw Donald Bowman who would be my main competition for top Master. Eric had asked me to pace him to a sub 18, so we went out at a comfortable 5:37 1st mile. I had Donald in my site at all times and as we went up a small hill at 1 3/4 mile I could se I was gaining on him. Eric had dropped back a little by then but still was on a PR pace. I pulled up on Donalds shoulder at about the 2 1/2 mile mark and we ran together shortly and then past the lead back and forth a few times. I was able to get a small lead on him as we crested the last hill before the 3 mile mark, but when the course flattened out he put on a kick that I couldn't match and beat me by 2 seconds. I was still happy with my time, and a 1st place age group win. Splits: 5:37, 5:44, 5:37, :38. Eric Finished 9th in 18:12 a big PR for him. We are both in good shape to run a fast marathon next Saturday.

easy taper run

Great run, my 5th Rocket City and favorite marathon experience to date. Boston 2007 was great, but running sub 3 in my home state combined with a well run event, the cameraderie of friends and fellow runners, and most importantly having my family there with me made this race one that I will always remember. Looking forward to number 6 next year.

A 12 hour work day the day after a marathon is not condusive to muscle recovery... so afterwards I got out for and easy 3 thru the neighborhood. Legs were predictably sore. I was in the mid 50's at 8:30pm, perfect for a plod around the house. I felt much better when I was done than I did before. 24:02/8:01

Night run thru neighborhood and oak lea. Still pretty damp out from all the rain over the last two days, but the temps have been tolerable. 49 degrees when I went out and the rain had stopped. 35:04/7:01

I had very little soreness Monday but had a busy off day, plus Lily recuperating from a stomache bug tha kept her out of school, so no run. The only soreness I have now is a small touch of shin splints on right leg. I was dealing with minor plantar fac. in my left foot only since the half marathon and came to the conclusion it was caused by racing in my DS Trainers that my orthotics didn't fit into. I also ran a 10K in them and knew I had to have something new for the marathon. Asics Gel Ohana Racers did the trick, they are even lighter than the DS's and my orthotics fit in them perfectly, but alas the shoe has been discontinued. Hopefully it's replacement will work well for me. 5K race this weekend.

We haven't seen the sun in North Alabama for the last 12 days and it's been raining almost all of those days as well. Thankfully the rain took a break this moring and the family went over to Huntsville to run a 5K and 1 mile fun run.

This was my last chance to PR in a 5K this year, and with it being one week after a sub 3 marathon I probably had my sights sets too high. I have recovered remarkably well with still just a touch of right leg shin splints. I went in in 5:30 and felt pretty good, the first mile was mostly downhill. I went through 2 miles at 11:10 still feeling good. I was running by myself and was the only master up front, so I had no one to chase for the top masters place. The race starts and finishes in the same place so we had to ascend pretty much the last 3/4 mile and that took its toll on my tireing legs. My 3 mile split was 16:59 (fading) and the last .1 mile was uphill. Knowing I couldn't run that in 34 seconds, I just put my head down and pushed on through and finished with a 17:44. 6th overall, 1st Master.

Kelly ran well, 26:38, just a little off her PR. We all ran in the 1 mile fun run with Avy going out like lightning while carrying a teddy bear and wearing antlers, she faded at the half and Lily and Camille caught up to her. Lily also handed her antlers off to me and Camille made it through half the race with a blinking red nose over her nose. I made her take it off when her breathing turned into wheezing. I looked like a pack mule by the time I finished. This was a fun event and they raised a lot of money for Blount Hospitality House, the local Ronald McDondald House.

Now begins the training for Mountain Mist, see you on the trails.

So Eric got this idea that we should do a crazy long run during Christmas week. We had both recovered well form the marathon on the 13th so in Christmas Eve day we set off from his house in SE Decatur at 6:12am with the plan to run to the Fleet Feet store in Huntsville; 39+ miles away.

The Fagerman Bros. and Larry Dickerson joined us for the first 13.1 out of Decatur and through the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge to Mooresville. This route added mileage but kept us off busy state highways with no shoulder.

We kept a steady, comfortable 7 mile/hr pace with breaks for aid and nature. Running out of Mooresville to Madison we made good eastward progress but were more exposesed to a SE wind running on an accces road along I565. My right shin started to give me problems about 19 miles into the run, getting tighter and tighter so I had no flex in my ankle, making running very painful. I did manage to hold out until 26.5 to get my ultra in (4:15), but the last two miles were all walking. Thankfully one of Eric's co-workers had come out to give us an aid stop and I gladly accepted a ride and called Kelly to pick me up early. Eric on the other hand was still moving strongly and getting faster. Kelly and I met him over at Fleet Feet at 12:12pm. Nearly 40 miles in 6 hours and he looked like he could've kept going. His endurace amazes me.

I will do this run again in the future and finish it.

I hope everyone has a joyous holiday season.

I'm doing the RICE thing to rehab my shin. My co-workers had my at work birthday party today and gifted me "The Stick". It came in handy to massage my shin. I might run a race in Wisconsin on the 31st, if the weather cooperates.

In Wisconsin.

Woke up to 3 inches of snow and 10 degree temps with a good wind as well. I had planned to head over to Fond du Lac and run a 5K this afternoon, but self preservation and a still mending shin says it not a good idea.

I've lived in Alabama for 16 years now, Wisconsin is a nice place to visit but I couldn't live here anymore. I do not miss snow and freezing temps.

1339.06 miles in 2008       111.58 avg per month