Hays in the bale

I got my last long run in Sunday, its 3 weeks to go. I wish I felt ready. But I got a shin splint. I thought it was doing better but not has good has I thought. I probably be taking a few more days off this week then I want to, even though its the taper. I have to get this taken care of. SO next couple days will be lots of stretching and icing. Dont look like there will be much running this week. I kept thinking it would be ok, I had to get last long run in. I got it in and in a day or 2 if this is doing better I will feel good about it. If not IM not sure what I will do. Till a week ago I felt real good about my training. I thought I had a real good chance at making my goal in the marathon. Of course I may still do it, but hate the thought of taking too many days off right now. True I am tapering so hopefully the extra days off wont hurt. I wouldnt be running today any ways, but would be nice to be feeling good right now. If I had regular soreness from running long yesterday I would be feeling lot more confident.
Yesterdays run just didn't go has good has I had hoped. I my right calf cramped up, (not the one with the shin splint) I had a stomach problem (could of eaten fig newtons too fast) and then felt dead the last couple miles. Other wise it went great. I actually thought I was running strong for 15 or 16 miles. I do know we were slower the second half of the run. It was 10.5 miles out and back. Well time to taper. Like I say, Hays in the bale, so nothing I can do now but taper and go race on the 18th in Cleveland.

Wonky

It might not of been the smartest thing to do but I ran tonight. I am not even sure how to describe it. Some times I think its the knee, other times my ankle, some times the shin. And this morning all of them. But thru the day it seemed to get a little better. And after a couple miles running seemed to loosen up. Now I hope its just something that works it self out in a few days. No way im going to miss my last long run, even if its a bloody stump I will find a way. So I have deleted any speed work this week, and will try to do 3 or 4 easy runs and my long run on Sunday. I iced it alot, and will try to do some more stretching later and rest of the week. Right now it feels ok, of course Im sitting, but walking it just feels unstable. Wait and see how it feels in morning.

Today I got in 12 miles at Mill Creek Park. Overall a good run, but it rained most of the time, was a dreary 55*. Blah. I seemed to wake up with a headache and its hung around all day.

This week I totaled 33.5 miles, longest run was the 12 today. Did a tough hill run thursday so some sort of speedwork. Overall I just didn't feel it was a great week. I do think if I can get a good week in this week I should be in good shape. Either way I have to be ready, I start the taper in a week. I plan to run about 45 miles, with a long run of 21 on Sunday. I want to do some sort of speedwork, intervals or tempo, whichever is fine. I hope to do a mid week 8 miler also. Overall I think this year has gone better then last year. May 18th we will find out if it pays off.

There will be hills

I got in 5 miles today, Rick came over and we did my Infamous Masury Hill Run. Its about a 5 mile run, with 2 huge hill. The first mile and half is basically flat then its a big hill. A half mile up hill, steep enough thats its tough to even walk it. It flats momentarily and then down a big hill. Then for fun we go back up the other side, till we reach stateline road. Yep its a 2 state run. Then a easy run just over the last mile or so. The second hill isnt quite has long has the first one but a real tough 5 mile run. Only third time I have ever done this run. All 3 times were during marathon training.

A good run

I went to Buhl park to do 3 loops around park, 2.5 mile loop. I had considered some speedwork of some sort then decided if I could do it in marathon pace I would be doing good since I was still sore from Sundays long run. I shouldn't still be sore from 20 miles should I?? Yea right. Any ways, I would need to do a 9:45 pace to do at marathon pace and with the big hill there wouldnt be that easy. I started off about right or a little slow, lap one in 24:31. Second loop I picked up a little and got it in 24:00. Going good so far. Third and final loop got up the big hill and just tryed to hold the pace rest of the way. And I finished last loop in 23:34. Overall I thought it was a pretty good run on a beautiful sunny day!

I updated my race schedule. I am tentatively doing Akron Marathon. Alot if it has to do with how Cleveland goes. I have a few other races I definitely plan to do. A couple of 5K's I always do and The Presque Isle Half is becoming a regular event. If I do Akron, theres a series of four 5K races on Wednesday evenings during summer and I was going to use them for speed work. Nice theory huh? But I could change my plans and just give up running and racing. Or go back to being a 5K addict. Or just run enough to irratate Donna. Hard to say for sure.

Quest for 50

I completed my week with 51.6 miles. I set out this week to make it to 50 miles and I was able to break it with a rest day even. I had it in my head I needed to make it to 50 miles, seemed like a good number. I still feel it was a quality week. First, I got more miles then I ever did before. Secondly, I got in a 20 mile long run at Mill Creek park, plenty of hills. And thirdly, a tempo run on Wednesday went well.
This year my training has been different then last year.

• More MPW this year during training.
• An 18 week plan over 16 last year.
• Less speedwork in the form of intervals. Mostly Yasso 800's last year
• More long runs. 3 20 milers planned this year over 2 last year.
• Tempo runs. I need to check but dont think I did them last year.
• I toped out last year at 43 miles. I have been over that 3 times now.

With 5 weeks till marathon, 2 weeks still I start my taper I just hope for 2 more good weeks. I think I jumped miles a bit this week, so next week will do a slight cutback week and try to get in the 30-35 range. The week after that I hope to be in the 45-50 range before I start taper.

Unplanned tempo run

This evening I went to Buhl Park. My only plan was to run 8 miles. I decided to run on my 1.6 mile loop. The first loop started off so good I decided to try and make it a Marathon Pace run. THen the second loop was going even better, it was at the high end of my tempo pace. (I base all paces on running a 4:15 marathon from Mcmillan calculator) So I turned it into a tempo run on the run. Literally. Next 2 loops went real well my best loop was 14:36. I think if I was doing a short run I could of done better. Or if I was even planning to do it might of helped. Ended up running 5 loops total, eased off the last loop. Total time 1:15:02. It must be this weather we been having helping me, 68 and sunny today.

Total miles for week is at 21 miles. I might be wrong but for Monday thru Wednesday its a probably a mileage PR. In real good shape for my 50 mile goal, with a 20 planned on Sunday long has I got 9 plus miles Thursday thru Saturday I got it.

Day 2

I got in 8 miles this evening. Yesterday I did 5 miles. So in my quest for 50. Im planning it all around a 20 miler thats scheduled for Sunday. So that gives me 6 days to get 30 miles, or average 5 miles a day. Since I have 13 in 2 days im ahead of schedule. When I got home from run I weighed myself, good time to do that huh. I was at 184.4, at beginning of year I was 193. I guess theres hope I can get under 180 before May 18th.

A couple race pictures from Saturdays race my daughter Megan took with her cell phone.

Quest for 50

This week I felt like I had another good week of training. 35.5 miles overall with a long run of 11 miles which is what I had planned and it went well. Did a tempo run on thursday that went well. Ran a 3 mile race, that was a strong effort. So I feel things are going good. (knock on wood)

I keep thinking I need to top out at 50 miles. Not sure why 50 but its the number I keep thinking I need to run in marathon training. I have no idea why but its the number I picked. I figure I have 2 more realistic chances for it while training for Cleveland. I have 2 more 20 milers planned next sunday the 13th and Sunday the 27th. With a 20 miler means I need 30 miles on the other 6 days. Now the most I have ever run in a week is 43.2 so it will be a bigger then I should do increase in mileage according to the 10% rule. But I think I can get it. And I can do the next week has a small cutback week. Then do another good week before I start taper. Now can I carry out my plan...............

Cougar Challenge almost 5K

I got up this morning and started to get ready for my race this morning. I ate some pancakes, glad I got up a little earlier then normal. My daughter woke up just in time to go, it had been along time since she's gone to a race with me so it was a rare treat. She doesn't run but likes to go and watch. I got there got my shirt. I thought it was supposed to be a windshirt but was just a cotton long sleeve tshirt. I did about a mile warm up. The 2 people that told me they were going to be at the race didnt show up but I saw about a dozen people I knew.

I knew this was a tough course with a few real goo hills. I got to start line and was ready to go while the starter went over the course. And off we went, it started flat, hitting the first big hill about a half mile into it. I kept even effort up it and felt ok at the top. I decided to try to run it at what felt like an even pace, there were no mile markers. I caught up to a runner I know Tom "Kquicky" and ran with him for a while. We kind of pulled each other along. We hit the next big hill, I knew it was up the hill and back down. I also knew kquicky was a strong finisher so I figured if I stuck with him I might finish good. We got back down the hill still together and I knew the next section wasnt a bad hill more of a long small slant. And it also was about a half mile to finish line. You went down this section then looped to the left and had a short straight away of about 100 yards or so lined with the cars parked for race. Kind of cool. Kquicky had pulled ahead of me and I just tryed to hang close. Then I saw th clock and tryed to sprint to the finish. Well for me its a sprint, I crossed the finish line clock read 23:53. I thought I had run a PR I never been in 23's before and been a while since I had even been in 24's. I knew this was a tough course so I was shocked.

But the joy was short lived. A couple of people with GPS watchs said it was short. And talking to how many people had run a good time on this route made me think it may be short. Then at the awards the race director said they thought it was short a tenth of a mile. I figure it was between .1 or .2 of a mile short. So I guess I put it down has my 3 mile PR instead of 5K PR. I am in a tough age group, finished 40th overall but didnt place. I had a good time just wish the course had been measured correctly. But given the hills on it I think I might do good on a flat course. I have no more races planned till the Cleveland Marathon this one just fell at the perfect time, The Glover schedule had a 5k race this weekend.

New route

Today I did a 7 miler with 3 at tempo pace. It had potential to be a real good run. But I had a few problems. First I hadnt run this route before, I had done it has a 6 miler so I knew most of it. Its a out and back so figuring out where exactly to turn around. Plus in the warm up theres a huge hill. I took it real easy on the hill. Then I started the tempo part and figured I would try to run it between 9:00 and 9:15 pace. I ended up doign the 3 in 27:58 so I was close. Of course I think it was slanted more then I realized. Then I had same problem I did last time I ran from park, the runners trot. Didnt happen till last mile so guess I was lucky and made it home in time. Just ruins a good run.

Im signed up for a 5K on Saturday and while im not actually training for it and not going to taper but going to go all out in it. I dont think I will have a good time per se because its a real hilly tough course. Great way to get a speed workout for the marathon.

6.5 mile Tuesday

I got in 6.5 miles this afternoon. I actually didn't feel has bad has I thought I might. I held a good pace, maybe there is something in those "recovery" runs.

I got an email from president of the local road runners club (Ok it was sent to all members that gave their email address) saying they were going to start a Fall half marathon this year. They have a winter one held in begining of March I have done the last 3 years (4 if you count the year I did the 5K). He had asked a couple of us about it around a month ago, and I suggested early September or late August. They have picked September 21st to hold it. So much for my opinion. Of course I missed the meeting so I guess its my fault. Then again I probably would of kept opinion to myself. I have 2 problems with the half idea in general. First they are planning to use same course has the other half. Its such a great park and they could have better options why not show off the park more and give it something different. Secondly, I think they could of done a better date. You have a winter half why not go summer?? End of August?? And the closest marathon to the Youngstown area is Akron Marathon on September 27th. If they did it right would of been a good training run. Has it is now I think you basically elimanate alot of fall marathoners. Ok I am done ranting about it. I think I will just not worry about it and do my thing. I just think its got alot possiblities but dont think he's getting it started off right. Ok now im done. I think. No guarantees.

162.3

Last week I thought was one of my best weeks of training ever. I got in 43 miles, a tempo run, intervals and a long run of 20 miles. Not bad. I was worried yesterday I over did it cause I was real sore. But woke feeling a little better today, so time will tell. See how I feel later when I try to run. Might not get has much in this week has I want but I will try. Mostly wil just try to do miles. I am signed up for a 5K on Saturday. According to Glovers training plan thats what I should do. But still want to get good mileage in this week.

In march I got 162.3 miles in running. I did a 3 mile recovery run on monday. You should do a recovery run after a long run right?? I know I shouldn't be mileage obsessed like that and it was already a all time high for me. Hopefully I eventually get to the point I dont worry about things like that but it might still take a while yet.