Idle Running Banter

2009-09-27T17:57:00.002-04:00

8 Miles on Forbidden Drive this afternoon. The weather was cool but extremely humid. I am really looking forward to the cool dry days in the fall.

It's nice not to be training and following some damn plan. At the start it was an easy run, in the middle I got the pace into the 7 flat range and in the end, headed up Rex, I took my time. The park is beginning to empty out with the deteriorating weather. There will be a big bump in when the fall foliage hits and then I'll have most of the place to myself, especially on the trails on weekday evenings.

I've thought about running with a head lamp when the days shorten. It would enable me to run in the park at least once in a while in the mornings or evenings during late fall and winter. The idea unnerves me and excites me at the same time. The thought of hitting those trails with a shaky narrow beam of light leading the way sounds cool. I do worry about injury and the chance of running into some idiots that are up to no good. I've kicked it around the last couple of years. Maybe this time I'll pick one up.

2009-09-26T18:51:00.003-04:00

I am listening to the baby cry... again. It seems that Zachary has colic so the crying times way out number the calm times. This makes running just a little harder because I hate to leave Heather at home long with such a fussy infant. Instead I am running at work and for the 40 minutes when Heather feeds him. He is always quiet then.

So today that is just what I did. 30 minutes on the trails with Boomer. Overcast skies and a cool breeze, it is officially autumn and it feels like it.

On Friday I joined some guys from work for a tromp through the woods. We start in our corporate complex but within 10 minutes were on an old rail bed and then making our way up a horribly steep hill where the trees have been cleared for power lines. It's a meandering trip back down the hill on some very rustic trails and soon were back at work. 60 minutes.

2009-09-25T08:36:00.001-04:00

I headed out for a quick run yesterday evening before dinner. Despite the sore legs from a 45 minute session of "Boot Camp" at work on Wednesday, I actually felt good. 4.3 miles in 31 minutes.

Philadelphia Distance Run

2009-09-20T16:06:00.004-04:00

PDR was the first race I ever ran in 1999, so today was like my 10 year anniversary. I can remember feeling intimidated by the whole running scene and very unsure about my fitness. It was a beautiful morning, much like today, and it was a great race. I finished somewhere around 1:38 or maybe 1:42. I missed 2 years in the there somewhere so this is my 8th running.

Anyhow, I was excited to race today. I was tired, not much sleep these days. It is amazing how quickly the definition of a decent night's sleep can change once you have a kid. Six hours of broken sleep was decent. I got to the race early, took my time, warmed up with a few miles and took in the scene. I was happy to spot American marathoner Ryan Hall before the start. He and a few buddies were warming up and he stopped to give the Rocky Statue a slap for good like I guess.

When the gun went off I just ran at what felt like the right pace. First mile 6:33. It took a bit to get going at the start so I was happy with that. In mile 2 I bumped into Luke, a guy I ran several long runs with over the winter, we chatted for a bit and I was surprised to see mile 2 go by in 6:16. Great. I was settling in as we made our way through Center City. I felt decent and the pace felt manageable mile 3 and 4, 6:20 and 6:19. Wow. This was going nicely.

We cruised back to the Parkway, passed the Art Museum and onto MLK mile 5 in 6:31. I really didn't think I was going to keep up that 6:20 pace but I felt good and was happy with the way the race was progressing. I almost felt like I was saving just a bit for the trip back down the river and miles 6,7 and 8 went by in 6:28, 6:27, 6:37.

I was now on Kelly Drive, and had 4 miles remaining. I did not however feel like I had that extra gas left in my tank. I could feel my speed slipping away and people slowly started to sneak by me. Not a horde of people but a few here and there, almost nobody had passed me on MLK.

Mile 9 went by in 6:35. I was trying to do the math on the pace I needed to hold to get under my PR but the answer escaped me. I look now and I had 20 minutes. I had run the first 5K of the race in under 20 minutes but I knew this last 5K was not going to be there. Mile 11 in 6:38 and I am starting to hurt, my turnover feels slow and my face was strained. Mile 12 in 6:53. Ugh. The last mile up the hill towards the Art Museum was all to familiar, pushing hard and slowing down. Mile 12 in 6:57. Finished in 1:25:43.

That time is slower than last year. I really wasn't surprised, the runs leading up to this race warned me that I wasn't in the shape needed. I never really felt like my fitness was increasing greatly during all the interval workouts over the summer. I wanted to give speed work a good shot but it just isn't my thing. I need miles on miles with a few harder workouts thrown in. I suspected that in the spring and this result kind of hammers that fact home.

Hopefully I can get a big block of base training in over winter but for now running will take a back seat to Zachary and Heather.

2009-09-15T08:20:00.001-04:00

Last night was my first run since last Wednesday. An 8 miler on Forbidden Drive that left my legs feeling much more tired than an easy run of 8 miles should. The big blocks off from running over the last few weeks have not been great for keeping up my fitness as the half marathon approaches this Sunday.

Unfortunately the reason for missing miles this time around was because of a nasty Staph infection that Zachary picked up last week. I thought it would be just a stop at the pediatrician on Friday morning but she sent us directly to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The hospital admitted him, ran a bunch tests and placed him on IV antibiotics. Thankfully the infection quickly started to retreat and it wasn’t an antibiotic resistant bug. By Sunday morning they were sending us home. Zachary is no worse for wear. He never even spiked a fever, we caught it early enough that with a little help his body was able to fight it off. Definitely a scary couple days.

All this time off does mean I’m going to have to scale back my race plans. I can guarantee that a sub 1:23 half marathon is out of reach. I’ll instead shoot for breaking my PR of 1:24:34. But to tell you the truth I am just not feeling it. There is no sense of increased fitness on my runs over the past several weeks. I am curious to see what happens on race day.

2009-09-09T12:31:00.001-04:00

It was back to the track last night on legs that were still tired from Sunday’s workout. All the interval workouts in this training program have taught me you can still have a great track workout on legs that are tired from a long run. That was in my head on my way to the track although I was still feeling doubtful.

The workout was 2 x 1200 (400 recovery), 6x200 (55 recovery), 2x1200 (400 recovery) all at 5K pace or 5:47 pace. What the hell is a 55 meter recovery? How do you accurately measure that on the track? You don’t. I just ran the 200 meter intervals for 40-43 seconds and ran the recovery in 30-40 seconds. 6000 meters at 5K pace with limited recoveries.

The workout when like this:

4:23 (2:01), 4:23 (2:12), 39 (30), 40 (33), 43 (43), 42 (33), 42 (43), 39 (1:57), 4:24 (2:24), 4:25

I would have liked to run the 1200’s in 4:21-22 but a couple seconds isn’t bad. Halfway through the 200’s I was already bargaining my way out of the final two 1200’s. I decided to just keep pushing and whatever happened, happened. The last 1200 felt like I was finishing a 5K. Overall a very tough workout that I am glad is in the books.

2009-09-08T15:40:00.002-04:00

I ran 15 miles on Sunday. The plan was to run middle 5 at half marathon pace. I decided to run to the bottom of Forbidden Drive from my house and then the length back up to Northwest at 6:20 pace followed by an easy 2.5 miles home.

I didn’t start running until 10:30 am but the day was relatively cool, especially compared to the last couple long runs, so I didn’t mind. I split the first couple miles on Forbidden Drive and although they felt like 7:50 pace my watch kept reading 7:20. I am not normally 30 seconds off on pacing and it was pleasant surprise and a good sign for the real workout ahead.

After 51 minutes and about 7 miles I was ready to hit the gas. I knew 5 miles at this pace was going to be difficult but if I could average under 6:30 pace I would call it a success. I don’t have my watch with me but the first split was in the 6:35-40 range and I was working. The second mile was no better and knew it was pointless. I struggled through a couple more but things just got worse. In fact, I was having a hard time even keeping up the 7:20 pace that was so easy just a few miles ago.

The 2.5 miles back to my house were tough, especially that climb up Rex. I refused to walk and ran at a comically slow pace. I was dehydrated; the thick pasty saliva in my mouth was a sure sign of that.

So what do I take away from this? Does this mean my sub 1:23 goal is unreachable? I still think I have a chance.(Maybe I am being stubborn about this especially after re reading that horrible workout but I really don’t trust the results) This workout was run on a warm morning, dehydration played a big role, my sleep had been poor for 10 days leading up to the run and my legs really are a little out of practice with the week off. I’ll continue with the training program and see if I can get some positive signals.

For now my race day plan is to run the first 3 miles at sub 1:23 pace . In a half marathon I think you have a good idea if the pace is sustainable by then. If not, I slow down to try and PR. If I feel great or decent or a small chance that this is doable then I keep it up. If I implode, oh well, there will be other races.

2009-09-06T08:43:00.002-04:00

I am playing catch up on the week I lost in training. I felt that breaking 83 in the half-marathon was on the edge of my fitness. I had a very solid 6 weeks of training and if I can stay consistent over the last couple weeks I still have a shot. Of course I am not in total control of my running schedule any longer so I'll just have to take what I can get and make the most of it. Luckily we have the support of Heather's mom one more week so I can still get most of my runs in.

To catch up on my runs since my last post on August 25th.

A quick 3 miles in 21 minutes on Sunday Aug 29th. Heather was still in the hospital and I wanted to head straight there once I got up in the morning but Heather's mom said she was going for a walk and that I should get out there for a run. So I did. Beautiful morning and plenty on my mind to keep me busy.

Thursday - 3 miles with Boomer and then just under 4 miles on my own. I felt decent and picked up the pace on the trails. I ran a hard 1/2 mile in 5:55 pace once I got back on Forbidden drive and felt good. 6.8 miles in 53 minutes.

Friday - 6 easy miles on Forbidden Drive. Except for the middle two miles I didn't feel great. Once you get out of that running rhythm, even if only for a week, it takes a few days to wake your legs up and get them used to the miles. 49 minutes.

Saturday - I didn't have a ton of time but squeezed in 3 miles before dinner. I expected to feel tired again but had a nice spring in my step and let my body dictate the pace instead of my head. The summer is waning and the sun was lower in the sky, streaking through the trees and making for a scenic run.

I hope to get out for a long run today. 15+ miles. I am obviously not following my normal sleeping routine and I'm afraid it is really going to knock me out in the later miles. We'll see.

Zachary John Wesner

2009-09-02T12:31:00.005-04:00

... or, as his close friends call him Z-dubs. Born Friday August 28th 2009 at 9:58 pm. 6lbs 13.7 oz and crying his head off.

He was a long time coming. Heather and I were hoping to have a completely natural labor. We hired a Doula (labor coach) had read books, watched movies and felt we were totally prepared for things. Of course not everything goes as planned and on Wednesday after a routine visit to the OB Heather was admitted to the hospital because of pregnancy induced hypertension. It wasn't horribly high but enough to cause concern and enough to make the docs want to induce labor. Heather and I were tempted to go home, monitor the blood pressure on our own, and hope for normal labor to begin but we decided it wasn't worth the risk.

At 6pm on Wednesday they started induction with a mild drug that is supposed to get things going. 12 hours later, after a night of little sleep for Heather and maybe a couple more hours of sleep for me, they checked how things were progressing and nothing much had happened. It was time for the next step.

We were both nervous. Every intervention they need to perform usually leads to further interventions, less natural labor and a more likely C-section. The staff was very receptive to our requests and took things very slowly so Heather did not have to deal with the extra painful contractions that can be caused by some medications. So after allowing Heather to eat an Au Bon Pain breakfast, a rarity in in the hospital when you are in labor, they took another small step and this got things going.

By 3 pm Heather was 3 cm dilated (the goal is 10cm) and having regular contractions that were becoming more frequent and more painful. We kept in touch with the doula, we used all of the pain coping techniques we practiced and let things happen. Heather was amazing, from the very start she dealt with the contractions gracefully.

By midnight things were really going and we called in the doula to help us out. She had Heather walking, squatting, lunging, bouncing and swaying to try and get that baby moving around into the right position. All the while it was contraction after contraction anywhere from 2 to 6 minutes apart. We spent a lot of time on the Jefferson Hospital bridge which connects two buildings across Sansom street. Right there on the 7th floor. Watching the city wake up, the day proceed, evening rush hour, sunset and then back to night.

I was beginning to tire and can only imagine what Heather was going through. We kept it up all night. We were now 24+ hours in and it was beginning to seem endless. In the morning they checked for progress again and Heather was at 6cm and the baby was further into position. not as far as we had hoped but getting there.

Friday morning was much the same as the night. I could see the fatigue on Heather's face. I was feeling ragged, emotional and a little like this was hopeless without more intervention. I know she was dealing with way more then me and I can't believe how well she held her composure. Never complaining, nothing more then a whimper on the more painful contractions. I seriously was in awe of my wife. I thought I knew what she was capable of but I didn't.

By noon things were slowing down. Heather had been in active labor for 30 hours and in the hospital on little sleep for 44 hours. The contractions were slowing down because she wasn't in natural labor and the inductions techniques used so far were no longer driving labor. It was time to move to Pitocin. A manufactured form of the normal hormone Oxytocin that your body produces to drive labor. It makes contractions longer, the peak of the pain is higher and sharper.

Within minutes of starting the drug Heather was in much more pain but still held her composure. For a few hours she managed to deal with these harder contractions. By 7 pm she was falling asleep between contractions, and just could not take it anymore. We decided to get an epidural to to remove the pain and hopefully get Heather some time to relax. We were both afraid that it would cause labor to stop and she would be forced to have a C-section. They finally placed the epidural at 9:00 pm. Heather was now comfortable in bed but it didn't last long.

Within 20 minutes she was feeling the urge to push. I couldn't believe it. I was elated. This was really going to happen. All the hard work that Heather put in was going to pay off. Minutes later Heather was actively pushing. I can't describe the excitement I was feeling.

From here things moved very rapidly. First the water bag started to emerge, it had never broken and the baby would be born in the bag. A rare occurrence in modern medicine, most of the nurses there had never seen it. I had never even heard of it. It's called being born in caul. And depending what culture you look at it either means the baby will never drown, will be a vampire, or will have prophetic powers. I'll take the first one.

Within 35 minutes after Heather started pushing Zachary was born. A beautiful baby boy. The birth went perfectly and Heather bounced back on a huge high caused by hormones released during birth. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. To go from such a tired low caused by hours and hours of arduous labor to such a high in less than an hour was spectacular.

Heather and Zachary left the hospital on Sunday afternoon and everybody is doing very well. I am losing a lot of sleep and today went for only my second run in the past week but no matter. They'll be plenty of time to run in the weeks and years to come.

2009-08-25T09:23:00.000-04:00

Finally a beautiful morning for a run, clear sky, cool, lower humidity, I was excited to get to the track for my weekly workout. The fact that I was looking forward to the workout is a big jump forward for me. The plan called for 4x1200 at 10K(6:00) pace with 200 recovery followed by 6x400 at 5K (5:47)pace with a 100 recovery. This workout would have scared me 6 weeks ago but now I didn’t think it was going to be so bad.

As usual the track was locked so I hopped the fence. A woman jogged up and asked how I got in there; I then helped her hop the fence. The workout went like this.

1200s: 4:28 (67), 4:30 (63), 4:27 (71), 4:29 (81).

400s: 86(47), 83(61), 80(67), 84(50), 90 (47)(accidentally ran the interval to long), 86 and done.

The third 400 was quick because I was interrupted by the guy who unlocks the gate to the track. He wasn’t happy I was on there.

“Why do you think you can run on the track this early?”

“Because the sign behind you reads Requires use during daylight hours so I thought it was open from dawn till dusk.”

“It opens at 7:30”

“Sorry”

And I was back on my way. Seriously they should post the hours. Obviously I hopped a locked fence but I assumed that whoever was supposed to unlock the gate was late. Also the sign reads use is required during daylight hours. To me that means someone must be using the track while the sun is up and I guess use is optional when the sun is down. Looks like this might be my last morning workout on the track because 7:30 is way too late for me to start.

On the brightside the workout went really well and I felt great all the way through. I do have a hard time running 100 recoveries. The turns are longer than 100 meters and the straights seem to short. I just ran until the time elapsed and then looked for a marker to accurately split the lap. 7.5 miles in 53 minutes

2009-08-23T19:38:00.003-04:00

I am behind on posting and I wish I could say it was because Heather and I have a new baby boy but that hasn't happened yet. We still are nervously waiting.

I ran an easy 5 on Wednesday morning through the Wissahickon. Thursday was an unplanned DNR because a doctors visit with Heather turned into more than a visit but then ended up being nothing. Thursday another DNR because I put the run off over and over again, then suddenly it was 9:00 and I didn't feel like running.

Saturday morning was a planned 16 miler that didn't happen because of some heavy downpours. I instead ran a hilly 11+ miles with Wissahickon Wanderers. Not to fast but not slow. A wet and soggy run because of the humidity and the rain. I like running with these guys, they are about the most laid back group of people you'll meet. A hilly run that ended with a few crashes of thunder.

Sunday 16.8 miles on this route. Seebo and I headed out at 7:30 from the Art Museum and kept a fairly relaxed pace for most of the route. Despite the humidity we were both feeling good as we wrapped things up on Kelly drive and hit a 6:35 and 6:26 mile before easing up for the last mile in 7:10. Overall a great run that was a little further than I had planned. Running 11 hilly miles on Saturday and a fast finish 16 on Sunday means I must in at least half decent shape for 13.1 hard miles in a few weeks.

2009-08-18T09:16:00.000-04:00

The World Championship 10K was held in Berlin last night. American Dathan Ritzenheim finished in 6th place in 27:22:28. 6th place may not sound great but considering the competition (including the great Bekele who won his 6th championship 10K in a row in 26:46:31) it was a great showing. The fourth fastest ever by an American and close to the American record. He ran the second 5K in 13:32. I can’t imagine be able to run that fast. LetsRun.com has decent write-up of the event here http://www.letsrun.com/2009/10k0817.php

I ran my own 10K on the track this morning. It was a workout with recoveries and I was a little off the American record at 41:50 but it was a great workout.

The plan was 2X [2x400@5:45 pace (100), 1200@6:00 pace (200), 2400@6:20 pace (800)]. Confusing but it means I run 2 laps at 5K pace, 3 laps at 10K pace and 6 laps at half marathon pace with some short recoveries and repeat.

I’ll refrain from writing all of the numbers down as I am sure nobody wants to read through them. I nailed every interval. I was really dialed into the paces and nearly every lap was just at or under the target pace. I felt great on the final 2400 at half marathon pace and pushed through the last lap in 84 seconds with still a little gas in the tank. I was very pleased, especially on a warm and humid morning. Today was the first time I felt that all this interval work is paying off. The heat and humidity sap your energy and I think mask any fitness gains I am making.

2009-08-16T21:13:00.003-04:00

Overall it's been a great summer for running but the past few weeks have been pretty brutal. Friday night I ran 3+ miles with Boomer in the Wissahickon. We were a half mile from home and Boomer decided he didn't want to run anymore so we walked it in with him dragging behind me. That was two runs in a row for Boomer and the picture below is what he did for the rest of the weekend.

Saturday I met Seebo at the AM for long run out to the Three Bears and back through West Fairmount Park. The sun was blazing at 7:45 and I was sweating from just walking up the hill to the AM, it was going to be a hot run. The pace was easy and the first several miles were enjoyable, catching up with Steve and not really thinking about the heat.

We hit the three bears and took them harder then we probably should have. By the time we got to City Ave I was beginning to feel cooked and wasn't looking forward to the 20 minutes of half marathon pace that we planned through the park. Seebo thought I would be pulling him through these fast miles but we switched roles and I was just trying to hang on in the heat. I called it quits at about 14 minutes and we took it in slow from there. 14.3 miles in 1:53. I needed a few minutes to sit in the shade and drank three bottles of water after the run. It knocked me out for the rest of the day.

I slept in this morning and delayed my run until the sun went down. A sweaty but easy 4+ miles around Chestnut Hill. I was surprisingly springy and really enjoyed the run. 33 minutes.

40 miles for the week.

2009-08-13T13:05:00.002-04:00

Ryan Hall to run PDR. http://philadelphia.competitor.com/press/ryan-hall/#more-1014

At least I will now have rabbit. If I can just stay 23 minutes behind him I should PR.

2009-08-12T15:08:00.000-04:00

Another Tuesday another speed workout. Unfortunately last night’s workout was in high heat and humidity which really took a toll. The plan called for 3 x 1.5 miles at 6:00 pace with 400m recovery. Challenging but doable. After a one mile warmup into the Wissahickon I ran the first rep in 8:55, recovered with an easy 2 minutes and then hard again. I wasn’t able to split the miles exactly because the 400 recovery put me between markers so I just hit the split and ran hard for 9 minutes and judged my pace by the intermediate splits. I think I was just about on target.

The second rep hurt a lot more than the first and I knew the last rep was iffy even with a longer, 3 minute, recovery. I made it 2/3 of a mile and at the crest of a small hill I had to take a 40 second walking breather. I started again and hit the last ½ mile in 2:55. I was spent and a little nauseous. I took a long break at the water fountain and ran the 2 miles home at an easy pace. Given the conditions I was happy with the workout.

I have found that I’ve been finishing my runs strongly without giving it much thought. I don’t even think about the hill at Rex Avenue and by the time I get back to my block I feel like I am cruising and itching for a few more miles despite the heat. 8 miles in 58 minutes.

2009-08-12T11:16:00.003-04:00

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/phys-ed-can-running-actually-help-your-knees/

10+ years and not a single knee problem, I knew all those running naysayers were wrong.

2009-08-09T10:42:00.002-04:00

I really wanted to run a 5K per the plan on Saturday morning and I spent a while hunting around on the internet but the closest race I could find was in Wilmington, DE. 1 hour from my house and starting at 8:45 am. I bounced the idea around but decided to skip it.

I instead headed for 5 miles with a some hard stuff mixed in on a sunny and warm nut not humid Saturday afternoon. I ran an easy mile into the park and then hit 1 mile of trail hard. It felt good, I felt fast, I felt like I should have driven to Wilmington in the morning. Who knows if the way this mile felt on the trail would have translated into anything fast on the race but I was curious. I ended up running about 2.5 miles near 6:00 pace in a run of 5 miles in 35 minutes.

This morning I hoped to be running by 8:00 but it was pouring. I delayed till 9:00, it was still raining but not so hard and I headed out. I'll take the cool rainy morning over the 90 degree heat expected later in the day. No headphones, just me and my thoughts as I ran an extended Chestnut Hill loop.

My mind wandered to a new baby boy that should join Heather and I very soon. We have less then 2 weeks until the Aug 21st due date. Me a father. I still feel very much like a kid in many ways but I would imagine most people do. Could my father have felt much more adult when he had me at 27, I doubt it. I've found a spectacular birth to 5K plan on the internet that should have him racing by nine months. I just wonder if I can supplement breast milk with gatorade.

2009-08-06T16:05:00.001-04:00

Wednesday night - 4 miles with 6 x 100 meters strides. My legs were tired and I didn’t have to much oomph.

Thursday morning – 5.5 miles around Chestnut Hill. It was nice to get out early as the temps were in the upper 60s and the run was enjoyable. The plan called for 4 miles at half marathon pace which at first seemed impossible the way my legs were feeling but I hit the gas after the first mile and settled in. I just tried to run by feel and not push too hard. There obviously are no mile markers on the street so I just ran for 25+ minutes which if I ran at my goal pace of 6:20 would give me four miles. I stopped the tempo portion after 25:17, feeling like I was in good control and could actually run the pace for a half marathon on more rested legs. It turned out to be 3.9 miles and 6:25 pace, a little off my goal but altogether encouraging given the way I felt, it was a rolling course and I completed the workout before 7:00 am on tired legs.

My legs are now started to feel beat up and have been tight all day especially my right calf. Tomorrow is an off day and Saturday calls for a 5K. I can’t find one in the area. The closest one I did see was in Asbury Park, NJ. I actually though about taking a trip up there with Heather to check the place out and run the race but I am doubting it will happen. I’ll either bag it or try to run a hard 5K on my own which really will be no approximation of a race.

On a sad note, a young woman was killed by a falling tree limb in the Wissahickon Park on Wednesday evening. Apparently it was a 30 foot limb and had fallen from a tree 50 feet above. Oddly it was a calm evening. I saw a lot of police activity in the park that night and was hoping it was nothing bad, unfortunately it was. What a freak accident. The police say she was wearing an iPod which was still playing when they found her and it is likely she never knew what happened because the limb broke her neck. This is my second encounter with a falling limb hurting someone and makes me even more nervous about running in there on a windy day or in a storm. My thoughts definitely go out to the family.

2009-08-05T07:52:00.002-04:00

Heading to bed on Monday night I was sure I would run in the morning to beat the heat. I slept in, didn’t run and pushed it off to the afternoon. When I got home it was 90 degrees and humid so I pushed it off until 7:30 hoping that the few degrees drop in temp would turn an unbearable workout into doable. I got wrapped up making an au gratin potatoes recipe that promised to devour 2.5 pounds of the tomato explosion from our garden and wasn’t able to get out the door until 8:00. The track closes at dark and I was afraid I wasn’t going to get the workout in.

The plan was Fatigue Fighter Intervals, the plan reads "Combine speed and pace intervals nearly back to back, very short recoveries, to work on maintaining pace and staying relaxed as you gradually tire. Yes there challenging. 2 x [400 SI (100), 1200 CI (200), 2000 PI]”. For me this meant 400s in 87 secs the 1200 in 4:30 and the 2000 in 7:55. Just reading this workout on the calendar I felt it was going to be impossible but when I actually starting running it, things weren’t so bad. It went like this.

400 - 84 (47)
400 – 83 (52)
1200 – 4:25 (66)
2000 – 7:51 (2:04) there was no guidance so I ran a 400 recovery here with a quick stop for water.
400 - 87 (60)
400 – 85 (50)
800 – 2:59 (79) somehow I ran only an 800 here instead of 1200. I didn’t even realize until I got home that it was short. A definite lapse.
2000 – 7:51 and done.

It was very close to dark when I finished, some light on the horizon but not enough to read my watch by. I was ready to plead for a few a extra laps at the end if I had to, luckily I got in the workout before they closed. I was pleased to really nail the workout. I would say the second set felt very similar to the first.

I devoured some the potatoes au gratin when I got home. It was good but next time I’ll use more cheese.

2009-08-02T11:23:00.002-04:00

Wow, is raining out there. I was hammered with rain halfway through my planned 14 miles today. Forbidden Drive was temporarily changed to Forbidden Creek. The plan called for a fast finish which means I have to run the final 15 minutes at 10k K pace. When I first read that it didn't sound to bad but while running I realized it meant 2.5 at nearly 6:00 pace after already having run 11.5. It suddenly sounded impossible.

I got to the 10.3 mile mark in 1:16 and the lightning started, somehow the rain increased and it was time for me to ratchet it down to 6:00 pace. Sure. I hit the first somewhat downhill half mile in 2:54, this was not sustainable. The mile went by in 6:08 and then I literally stopped and said "Fuck it." I continued on at an easier pace for the remainder of the run. The lightning became so intense that I was getting scared and ducked under a pavilion with about 7 other runners. Who else would be out in this?

It seemed to let up and I decided to cut the run a mile short while I was still alive and get the hell home. It was the right decision as the lightning is insane right now, enough to make nervous. 13 mile in 1:36.

I also ran an easy 6+ miles with some strides yesterday in 45.

2009-07-31T11:05:00.002-04:00

I deluded myself into thinking that the weather really wasn't too hot or humid as I made my way into the Wissahickon yesterday morning to repeat the workout I did last Thursday. By the time I had finished 3 miles at 6:20 pace, reality had set in in the form of a sweat drenched shirt and shorts. It really was thick out there and despite the more difficult conditions and the fact that my 3 mile spilt was slightly slower, I do think that overall the workout was an improvement over last week. I just felt stronger through the tempo portion, the 2 x 800 and the 4 x 100 strides at the finish. This plan might actually be working. At least at getting my body used to running intervals. Unfortunately I am wavering on my ability to run the sub 1:23 goal in the half but I can't make any decision on that just yet. Especially with the hot weather. 8 miles in 1:01

I also ran recovery miles in the park on Wednesday evening. I've been good about keeping these easy days slow. For one, I have more discipline to keep the pace easy and save it for the harder days and two, I really don't feel like going any faster. 4.5 miles in 37 minutes.

2009-07-28T09:18:00.001-04:00

Half-Marathon training is going well, so far so good. I am only nine days in and I thought my legs would be crying at this point, they aren’t. I am going to go on with training as if Heather and I aren’t going to have a baby sometime over the next 4 weeks. I’ll keep it up until that happens and adjust from there. If it means I barely get to run then that is the way it’ll be. If I can still find a way to squeeze in workouts on 4-6 hours of sleep each night then that is something I’ll do. This will definitely be a learning experience, I can’t wait.

I have to catch up from last Friday.

Friday – DNR. The schedule calls for 4 miles or rest. I rested.

Saturday - I met English Mike and Yellow Shorts (Yes Yellow Shorts) for a long trail run in the Wissahickon. Mike described the route on the Philly Runners message board and I knew it was going to be tough run, it didn’t disappoint. The pace remained easy but the relentless hills, rocks and roots just tire you out. Top that off with a warm and humid morning and by two hours it becomes a run of attrition. It actually took us nearly three hours and although none of us were in great shape, we all finished in front of Johnny Mananas Mexican restaurant in one piece and then ordered a beer.

I am going to say it was 16 miles in 2:56 but the distance is just a conservative guess.

Sunday – 5 easy miles with 4 x 100m strides. I kept the easy part real easy and I was surprised that the strides felt decent. 42 minutes.

Monday – An official rest day on the plan. Instead of a run I took a look walk with Heather and Boomer on a beautiful evening.

Tuesday – I got my butt out of bed for a track workout this morning. 4 x 1600(400) at 6:20 pace and 6 x 200 (100) at 5k pace. I was on limited time so I shortened my normal 2 mile warm-up to 1 mile and got busy.

6:23 (2:06) Just a little slow but it was my 1st rep at 6:00 am, that was just fine.

6:15 (1:58)) A little fast because I was looking at my watch too much and thought I was behind in the last lap.

And then the rest...

6:20(2:01), 6:20 (2:07), 41 (47), 42 (47), 41 (46), 41 (49), 42 (44), 44

I ended with an easy mile home. Overall a good workout but those mile intervals are boring. This workout might be better done in the park. I can’t split the 200s there but I think I’d be safe with 40 seconds fast and 40 seconds slow. I’m happy I was able to get up and get this done.

2009-07-24T07:36:00.000-04:00

Day 4 of the training program was yesterday and I am now fairly sure that it was created by a sadist. Or maybe in the first week they are trying to weed out the people who aren’t ready for it, like Physical Chemistry in college. The day read “3 miles PI, 2x800 CI (200) + 4 x 100 S” Or 3 miles at 6-15-6:20 pace, then 2 x 800 at 5:57 pace followed by 4 strides of about 20 seconds. Progressively shorter and faster intervals.

It wasn’t extremely hot last night but it was soupy out there. I think the humidity kicks up a few more notches in the park along the creek. After a quick mile warmup into the park I started the 3 miles. That went by in 18:52, exactly where I wanted to be but I had to work hard to get there, harder then I would have liked. To keep that pace up for another 10 miles seems impossible right now but that is why I am training. Also, I was running on tired legs and as my mother likes to say, I was sweating like a stevedore. Not conditions for an optimal workout.

I next knocked off the 2x800 in 2:45 (way to fast) and 3:00 which I ran on an unmarked 800 meters so I just ran to three minutes and stopped. I was ready to call it a day and forget about the 4x100 strides but I find it harder to ditch a workout when you’ve promised to follow the training program. Dashing for 20 seconds didn’t feel so bad until I stopped. I was spent and was eager to get to the hill heading out of the park because it meant I was done.

2009-07-22T07:39:00.001-04:00

Yesterday marked the first workout of the 9-week half marathon training program leading up to PDR. My legs were beat up from a work picnic on Monday that featured a half hour of Ultimate Frisbee. That short bout of sprinting and stopping, with a lot quick turns was enough to make everything ache. I thought about bagging the workout last night because of it but that would be no way to get the ball rolling on training. I was tight on the 2 mile warmup to the track but once I started my workout I felt fine and didn’t think about it.

There is a ton of interval work in the training program, all different lengths and all different speeds. The mess of numbers and abbreviations on the calendar makes my heads spin and requires me to memorize everything before I head out. This type of training is completely opposite from the low heart rate stuff I wrote about a while back but I am going to give it a shot.

Last night called for “4 x 1 mile PI (400), 6 x 200 SI (100)”. That means 4 miles at half marathon pace with 400 recovery and 6 x 200 at 10K pace with 100 recovery. I just realized that I made a mistake last night and only ran 800’s at half marathon pace (How did I miss that?) half the required distance. I guess I’ll consider that easing into the program. Half marathon pace is roughly 6:18 so I was aiming for 3:05-3:10 for the 800s, not too bad. I just tried to run hard on the 200s and hopefully run around 43 seconds.

800s - 3:07(1:55), 3:08(1:55), 3:08 (1:56), 3:04(2:04)

200s – 41(40), 41(21), 40(47), 43(44), 45(40), 41(40)

I thought I knew how to split 200s on the track but I made a mistake on one of the recoveries (21). I thought the straight-aways were 100 and the turns were 100 but obviously not so I corrected the next time around.

Overall the workout wasn’t that hard and it really shouldn’t have been based on the slower 800s. Of course, had I run the proper 4x1 mile, things would have been much more difficult and I am aggravated that I made that mistake. I’ll just have to study a little more next time.

2009-07-21T11:51:00.002-04:00

Running is still going well. I had streak of 15 day streak of running, biking or swimming which ended yesterday. I don’t have a record of these things but it’s been a long while since I’ve gone 15 days in a row.

I’ll catch up on last week…

Monday - 1200M in the pool with Heather. No specific workout but back and forth using different strokes and the kick board.

Tuesday – I actually made it down to the Philly Runners Tuesday night group run. I got there a little early and put in 21 minutes on a sunny and warm but not so humid evening. I bumped into Devon at the start and he was planning on 6 x 1/2mile with a ¼ mile recovery with a few others at 6:00-6:10 pace. My plan for the night was to mix in some faster stuff and this was great, in fact I felt it was a little ambitious.

I quickly fell into pace with Emily who is from San Diego but in town for school. She ran for UCSD and like me is training for the Philly Distance Run. We started the first interval and I hit what seemed like 6:10 pace, Emily started to pull away so I thought I might as well go with it.

- ½ mile in 2:59 and I as was working.
- Second interval 2:59 but this felt easier despite a persistent head wind.
- Third interval 2:57 and now it was time to turn around and get the wind at our backs.
- Fourth 2:52. We had the wind and the downhill at the Columbia Bridge helping us here.
- Fifth 2:56
- Sixth – There is no half mile split on the way back to the Art museum so we just ran 3 minutes and called it good.

Overall it was a great workout that buoyed me in my aspirations to break 1:23 at PDR. This workout also made me long for more evenings with the Philly Runners; I never would have done this on my own.

Wednesday 6.3 Recovery miles in the Wissahickon. 52 minutes

Thursday 10.5 hard miles on my Mountain Bike.

Friday 3.6 very easy miles on the trails.

Saturday 12.4 mile up and down the length of Forbidden Drive. I felt good and picked up the pace in the middle miles to just below 7:00.

Sunday 3.6 mile on the same trail loop as Friday.

34 miles for the week plus a hard bike ride and an easy swim.