Unexpected Marathon accolade

I attended the CARA-Wheaton Post-Marathon celebration party last night. It was held at a pizza restaurant in Naperville. Really nice deal - and a fun way to celebrate with all of the others who were out there on Saturdays putting in major mileage to get to our goal.

I was quite surprised when the our group leader, Jim, announced that there were awards to hand out. My name was the first to be called for the group's "Fastest Male".

Pretty cool wall ornament, right? And my second ever running trophy - after my 5k second place age group finish back in July.

I guess I should keep at this running thing.
OK, enough celebration… I’ve got to get my ass in gear back to running for this half marathon, which is in 5.5 weeks.

OK, Right after tonight’s numerous Captain Morgan and apple cider cocktails and beer and chili at the neighbor’s. I’ll get right on that mileage tomorrow AM. (sigh…)

Today's e-mail bag

Dear Ryan,

This is to notify you that your entry into the 111th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 16, 2007 has been accepted, provided that the information you submitted is accurate.

We look forward to seeing you in April!

Sincerely,
Boston Athletic Association
------

Love how they throw that disclaimer in there "provided that the info...".

Translation: Don't try to mess with us and submit a misleading entry when you haven't shown that you can run with the big boys and girls.

What, you don't trust me? Check that Chicago results page. I made it, people!

Reflecting on 1,376 miles so far this year

On Friday night, I laid out the six-week training plan for Las Vegas without much consideration for the prior commitments I had made. There will be adjustments (starting this weekend as we visit my alma mater and running will be low priority). This is to be expected, so I'll do the best I can.

Today was the one of the more tranquil runs I have had in a long time. I did some research to locate a new running trail. I found one described here called the Indiana & Michigan Canal Trail, just west of Joliet.

Jen and I drove the 13 miles from our house on a gorgeous autumn day. She ran the first mile with me and I then went off on my own to run along the river canal for 4 out and 4 back. Truly beautiful scenery and the perfect weather made it all that much more enjoyable.

I tested my legs on the final mile 8 at 6:45. Felt pretty good, but I won't be doing that tomorrow.

Time: 1:02:12 - 8 miles

Recap of recovery week of 10/23/06

Mon-Thurs: REST
Fri 10/27: 4
Sat 10/28: 3
Sun 10/29: 8
TOTAL: 15 miles

This evening, I did a lot of reflecting by reading my blog entries over the past year. Amazing, really, some of the stuff I found.

I found numerous posts that flirted with the idea of running a BQ in Chicago, but I could read within my own statements that I wasn't truly certain I could do it. I know now that I shouldn't doubt myself. [I know, I should shut up about Chicago. Hell, it's been a week now.]

I also know why know (but not then) that I drew a collective chuckle from the run blog community after my Jan 1st post. In it, I courageously proclaimed that my 2006 total mileage goal was 1,200. Real ambitious, wasn't it?

The below image shows a chart of mileage YTD. I tallied it up today, and I am at 1,376 miles before hitting November.

Next year: Will I try for 2000?

Back To Business

I ventured out on to my first post-marathon run this evening around 5:30 PM. It is the soonest after a marathon that I have ever run, which may be an indication that I am excited to get back into it.

I did an easy 4-miler in my residential surroundings. Upon starting out, I looked down at the Garmin with interest to see my first first mile pace. 8:14. This is fine, actually faster than I had planned. However, it struck me as funny since it felt like 7:45.

Total run time was 32:34 - 8:08 per mile for 4 miles.

All and all, I felt really good, but I was content doing only 4. I will do some easier mileage over the next two days.

The next goal is the Las Vegas Half Marathon. Days to race: 44. Goal: 1:29:30 -- a PR by 56 seconds. Why this goal time? It seemed like a nice, round number; a realistic, yet stretching goal given only 44 days to recover and train.

I did a little research to see if I could find a worthwile 1/2 marathon training program that I could jump onto for 6 weeks to get me ready. I didn't really find anything that really fit with my circumstances or desired schedule.

I decided that I am going to create my own schedule based on my own experience. I know my body and am still at a decent level of fitness, so I can run my own show.

I will consider this an experiment. I am not going to follow Pfitz, Hal, RW, Coolrunning or any other pre-designed plan. I am going to follow my own plan.

Here is the rough draft (click on the image below to see the mileage):

Mondays - Easy, comfortable pace (7:40-8:00)
Tuesdays - Speed work - vary btw Yassos (3:00 800m repeats) and Tempo runs (6:50 pace)
Wednesdays - Rest
Thursdays - Warm-up with 2, then Run half the schedule distance at race pace, finish easy
Fridays - Recovery runs (8:40-9:00 pace)
Saturdays - Long runs - Pace range: 7:40-8:00, finish last two miles around 7:30
Sundays - Rest

So, what's next?

I am cognizant that I have been a bit schizophrenic on the aesthetics of my blog as of late. I've been searching for a newer, bolder and more compelling blog identity. My commitment is to maintain some degree of continuity in layout going forward.

The race on Sunday was a real turning point. (How nice that I haven't run a step as yet since crossing that finish.) The past 72 hours have been a time of real reflection for me.

I started this blog gig on September 5th, 2005 with this introductory post.

First, it was just an experiment to see if a blog would improve my training focus and inspire me to new running heights.

Then, it was to use as a motivational tool to deliver a strong result at the Tampa Marathon.

When the PR streak ended in Tampa, I was at a turning point. I knew I had not given my best to running, but it was a choice (maybe sub-conscious to an extent) because I wasn't sure if I wanted to give more.

My wife and I moved from Connecticut to the Chicago area at the end of April. I knew I would have to run the big one here. And if I was going to run Chicago, I would need a landmark performance for me to really feel like marathoning was worth it. I achieved my goal.

Now I have to decide what is next.

I've got the Vegas Half in December. I think I am going to try for a PR there, which will make me feel like I am running shape.

For Boston, however, I can't decide if I truly want to better my Chicago time. Of course, I want to run sub 3:10, but do I want to train through the winter to do it?

Or should I save my next best for a future marathon? I want to be able to enjoy Boston and soak in the atmosphere.

Plus, I've got a wife who wants to have a baby soon (Read: Keep your schedule open, Ryan). So I can adjust my running habits to such a major life change?

For now, I'll try for PR's on my upcoming two races (5k and half) and not worry about Boston for a few weeks or any major life changes. We'll cross that bridge... as they say... later.

Chicago Marathon Race Report

BLOG LOCATION UPDATE: Yes, we are back to my original blog location. Blogger Beta has worked out the kinks and will now accept non-beta posts. Please re-direct yourselves to this site going forward. Sorry for the back-and-forth motion!

CHICAGO MARATHON RACE REPORT - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22ND, 2006

Jen and I arrived at the Monroe St. Parking Garage at 6:15 AM. Meeting up with my friends Steve and Aaron proved to be more challenging than I initially expected. We tried to meet at Charity Village, but that was further from the start than I expected.

We finally found each other at the gear check and had to shuffle into the Preferred Start 1 zone pretty quickly around 7:45 AM.

The plan was for Aaron and I to run together and have Steve ditch us after Mile 1 to chase his sub-3. He did and Aaron and I stuck together for as long as we could.

The first mile felt like the running of the bulls in Pamplona (or I am guessing, anyway). It was chaotic. I didn't have a traffic-free lane. I couldn't grasp the 7:20 pace. I wanted a slow first mile, but not a 7:43 like we got. We made up for that on miles 2 and 3 -- almost dangerously so.

Miles 2-10 were pretty solid. I couldn't get a sense early if I was going to nail this BQ. I just wanted to keep running even splits as best as I could. It was a constant battle.

I did see the Jason and Leah fan club at mile 7.5. What a raucous entourage they had. That drew a smile for me, as I felt like I knew them yesterday. Aaron had to pee already and I was concerned about stopping so early. He darted off and I carried on.

After passing mile 15, I took a chance and detoured to a port-a-john. Surprisingly, I must have made up for it because my mile 16 split was a 7:31. That was an ultra-quick pee. I caught Aaron right after this.

I was so focused on delivering the result I wanted with this race that I probably missed out on some of the fanfare that I could have experienced if I paused to looked around more. First half was like clockwork. I ran a 1:34:43 half. Right on target for 3:10, but it would require a solid second half.

I was disappointed to see Aaron start to fall back around 18-19. I tried to pull him ahead but he was struggling. When we crossed 19, I knew I had to focus on my own splits or I'd be out of a BQ. I learned later that it was not in the cards for Aaron to qualify for Boston.

I GU'd up at 6, 11.5 and 18. I was trading off water and Gatorade at basically every stop through 22. After that, I didn't need nor could I afford any more water stops. I needed to nail the final splits.

I drove on like a 1-man army. Chinatown was very powerful. I have to admit that the techno Chinese/drum music that was pounding and resonating through the streets was a bit overwhelming. It was as if I was in a dream running for my life through some foreign death zone trying to escape the wrath of the evil dragon. It was surreal.

Late miles, I kept my eyes and mind focused on my splits. When I hit 20, I knew that I was slightly behind 3:10 pace by about 20 seconds. This was the first of several moments of truth. It was a matter of whether or not I would have the resolve to demand a 7:14 per mile 10k out of my body.

Check my split at mile 23 of 7:20. I knew that if I continued to slip that I would be in trouble. Michigan Ave was a real test. I saw others around me try to combat the final head winds. I couldn't think straight and figure out exactly what I needed to turn in for the final 3.2, but I was pretty sure that with 7:14's, I would get in under the wire.

Once I hit 24, there was no way I was caving in. I was hurting badly, but I knew I could hang on. I keep searching out the next mile marker as far in advance as I could.

The final 2.2 miles I ran in 15:40 or about 7:07 per mile. This is a miracle to me that I could muster the strength. I just wanted it. I knew I had earned it.

Finally, over the final 0.2, I was able to pump my fists and wave my arms to get the crowd cheering for me. They responded and I let the cheers carry me to the finish. I looked at my watch to read 3:10:05. Thank God for the 59 seconds grace the folks at the BAA grant people like us.

When I crossed the finish, the fact is that I was just about too tired to cheer or cry. I finally wept after about 30 seconds in the chute as I tried to propel myself to the medals area. I was spent. I couldn't believe I had done it.

Moments later, I found Steve waiting for me in back section of the finishing area. He was going for a sub-3. He wasn't sure if I had made it. I said nothing and showed him my watch. He smiled, we slapped high 5's and I asked him of his outcome. My jaw dropped when he uttered 2:57. Finally, I found my wife and we enjoyed the moment.

We both registered for Boston yesterday - my first, Steve's second.

To anyone who thinks that they have a goal too lofty to achieve, don't doubt yourself. Devise a plan that you think will get you there. Commit to it and give it your all. I can speak from experience.

7:43 - Mile 1
7:04 - Mile 2
7:06 - Mile 3
7:09 - Mile 4
7:13 - Mile 5
7:26 - Mile 6
7:18 - Mile 7
7:03 - Mile 8
7:05 - Mile 9
7:07 - Mile 10
7:04 - Mile 11
7:20 - Mile 12
7:13 - Mile 13
7:14 - Mile 14
7:22 - Mile 15
7:31 - Mile 16
7:16 - Mile 17
7:15 - Mile 18
7:27 - Mile 19
7:18 - Mile 20
7:09 - Mile 21
7:15 - Mile 22
7:20 - Mile 23
7:14 - Mile 24
7:10 - Mile 25
8:31 - final 1.2

RYAN'S BLOG HAS MOVED (TEMPORARILY?)

Due to technical difficulties, I have started a second blog to keep the training log alive. Please click below to visit. Thanks for your understanding.

http://smoothrunner99.blogspot.com/

Duped into Gmail blogger - Cannot comment! :(

Sorry, folks. It appears as if I am sucker. I responded to the Blogger marketing that prompted me to move my Blogger account to my gmail account (which I just set up, thinking this was a cool, technologically progressive thing to do).

Now, it will not let me comment on any of your blogs! It says that I am not allowed to use my account to post to a non-beta blog, or some bulls*#t.

Anyone else get sucked in and figure out how to find their way out?

"I CAN RUN... 55!" - Week 11 complete - 7 weeks to go

Think Sammy Hagar circa 1984. Guitars and drums blazing. "I CAN RUN... 55!".

Granted, slightly lame, but I needed some sort of anthem to celebrate. I now know that I can run 55 miles total in a week. I just did it.

Recap of week 11 - PR for weekly mileage

Mon 8/28: 6 miles w/6x100m strides - Celebrated my 31st year
Tue 8/29: 12 miles w/Yasso repeats - track work at Plainfield Central HS
Wed 8/30: Rest
Thurs 8/31: 12 miles med-long - Ran strong in 1:35 - Local Plainfield routes
Fri 9/1: Recovery 5 miler in 44:30 - Completely ran on feel - no idea of pace, but it feel just around sub-9
Sat 9/2: TWENTY large in 2:36:45 - Wheaton CARA running team heading West and North on the Prairie path. Miles 1-10 were mostly 8's. Average pace on miles 11-20 was 7:39 - Kevin B ran me to a 10:36 on our last 1.5 miles (~7:04 pace).

Total for the week: 55 miles - MILEAGE GOAL REACHED.

Week 12 Plan - Target of 49 miles

Mon 9/4: 8 miles - V02 max workout - 5x600m @ 5k race pace - jog 90 sec in btw
Tue 9/5: 11 miles - Medium-long general aerobic pace
Wed 9/6: Rest
Thu 9/7: 4 miles - Recovery+speed - 6x100m strides
Fri 9/8: 9 miles - Supposed to be tune-up race, but will run lactate threshold pace to simulate (6:55)
Sat 9/9: 17 miles - Long run
Sun 9/10: Rest

I finally caved... The Garmin Forerunner 305 is on order. After my Polar RS200's heart rate function faultered, I felt a little lost over the past couple of weeks. When I saw Buy.com pushing it for $259 with free shipping (down from $349), I pulled the trigger.

Week 11 update - Yasso me, baby!

First, thanks to all of you for all the birthday wishes you gave. Only 4 more years and I can focus on a cakewalk time of 3:15 to get into Boston. (hardy har...)

I also want to thank my lovely wife, Jennifer, for the great gift she gave. She created a binder with all of my posts printed since I started this blog last October -- which also includes all of YOUR comments. So all your words of encouragement have been captured in hard copy. Not to mention Jamie Cullum concert tickets for downtown next month. Sweet.

I was leafing through the book last night. It's really remarkable to see how far I've come just since last fall. Back then, 25 mile weeks were near-heroic for me. I've not tasted sub-30 in 4 months, but I suspect I would see it as a failure.

He doesn't know it, but it was Zeke who gave me a "gentle push" after I hit the wall towards 3:31 in Tampa in February. (Read Zeke's comment to my Tampa race report). Now, here I am tearing up the Pfitz program. Thanks for the push, Zeke.

OK, on to business...

Monday, 8/28 - 6 mile recovery with 6x100m strides

School is in session and the traffic is crazy! I did six miles recovery. The route was the all-too-familiar up 248th to 119th and back. Ran barely sub-9 pace. Blah, blah, blah...

Tuesday, 8/29 - 12 miles total - YASSO REPEATS

I decided to very slighly deviate from Pfitz's plan because I was unable to get in my VO2 max workout last week. The program called for 12 miles with 7 miles at LT. Since I have already done a couple of races and other LT workouts, I decided I wanted to focus on faster intervals. I had heard a lot about Yasso's and how some swear by them, so I wanted to give them a shot.

The first challenge in doing interval work on the track is actually finding an open track. I drove to Plainfield North HS. Damn... track is locked up. I then drove to Central. F*&#! Locked again. Do they want me to climb fences? I wanted to be civil and respect the property.

Note to self: Call the local Athletic Director to get an explanation and solution. I pay my taxes, dammit!

As I fumed, I headed out on a 5-mile EZ'er on the nearby bike path. I was resigned to the fact that I would need do some guess work to get to LT pace, or just do the speed work with the CARA group later that evening.

Well, as luck would have it, I had just finished my 5 and was getting ready to drive out. Then some dude walked over to the locked gate and opened her up. "Yes... Yasso, here I come...."

I knocked out eight Yasso (800m) repeats with the usual recovery 400m lap in between. Since my MP goal is 3:10, I was trying to make sure I ran the 800m in 3:10 or less. Suprisingly, I was a bit fast. I was running most of them in 3:05-3:07. For the recovery laps in between, I was doing a slow jog/walk thing at just about 2:50.

I was psyched. Amazed, actually, that I could run these splits with relative ease, especially after running a decent 5-mile warmup. I cooled down with an easy four laps on the track at 8:00 pace.

Oh yeah, and I didn't get to work until 8:30.

Wednesday, 8/30 - Rested

Rest of week plan:

Thurs: 12 miles EZ. Fri: 5 Recovery. Sat: 20 miles LONG. Sun: Rest - 55 MILES COMPLETE!

Week 10 complete - Ready to climb to the mileage peak in Week 11

I must say that it was a successful week under the circumstances. I knew that my mileage would be slightly lower this week. However, I set a target of 40 miles and I hit it. I achieved it despite a highly hectic and time-crunched week and lots of foreign territory.

Pfitzinger called for 43 miles this week - and I was able to do 40 despite having 7 plane rides in 6 days and visiting 3 countries for work.

Yesterday's 19-miler back here in Chicago was a gritty performance by all of us that were out there. The humidity was brutal and we could all feel it. We ran 9.5 miles eastbound on the Prairie Path from Wheaton to just past Elmhurst and back. My last 5 miles ranged from 7:30-7:50.

I'm back on the home turf this week just in time to attempt my highest ever weekly mileage target. Time to suck it up. We're about to climb to the peak of the training mountain. The plan is for 55 miles this week.

The beauty is that none of these runs faze me anymore. After all, I've already done runs of 17, 18, 19 and 20 so far. And I've had three 50+ weeks to this point. What's another 5 miles, right? Just an additional recovery run. Big change upcoming will be an strong focus on speed work.

I continue to keep my goal in distant view. 3:10 in Chicago and an April trip to Boston. I received an e-mail blast from our CARA group leader asking for our input on what hotel we wanted book in Boston in April. Seems a bit presumptious, right? I suppose, but perhaps locking down the room will keep me even that much more focused.

A mere 56 days until the marathon, friends. It will be here before we know it. Below is this week's recap and the plan for week #11. Run strong and keep chasing your goal for Chicago.

Recap of Week #10

Mon 8/21 - Landed in Heathrow at 8:00 AM London time - no running
Tue 8/22 - 10-miler - near Stansted airport in Great Britain
Wed 8/23 - No running - Geneva, Switzerland
Thu 8/24 - No running - Holzminden, Germany
Fri 8/25 - 7-miler - 8AM - around Heathrow Airport in London
Sat 8/26 - 19-miler - Eastbound on the Prairie Path with CARA group - strong run despite high humidity levels (2:32)
Sun 8/27 - 4 miles - recovery on treadmill at gym
Total: 40 miles for the week - GOAL REACHED

Plan for Week #11

Mon 8/28 - 6 miles - with 6x100m strides - celebrate birthday
Tue 8/29 - 12 miles - 7 at LT pace
Wed 8/30 - Rest
Thu 8/31 - 12 mile med-long run
Fri 9/1 - 5 miles recovery
Sat 9/2 - 20 miles long
Sun 9/3 - Rest

Target: 55 miles total for the week

European trek update - Back in the USA tomorrow

I currently am writing this on a flight from Hannover, Germany to London Heathrow. I am pretty tired. Here is a run-down of my week since leaving PIT on Sunday.

Monday 8/21 – Arriving in London

I arrived at Heathrow around 8AM local time at Heathrow. I found my car service and headed up to the Stansted airport Hilton – 5 minutes from our office. Feeling the “body clock time” of 2AM, I napped, showered and hit the office from 1PM to 7PM. No running today, which was planned.

Tue 8/22 – 10 miler around Stansted Airport

I rose at 6:00 AM after a very long day on Monday. I needed to get in decent mileage, as I knew it would one of the few opportunities this week.

I headed out around 6:30 AM from the Hilton Stansted. I must say that this was one of the more dangerous runs I have had. Here’s the scenario: London Stansted airport is some 40 miles north of the city, so it’s quite rural. It’s all country, which is good, right? So I figured I could run along the roadside from the hotel with no issue.

Well, despite the country setting, these streets were windy, narrow and tree-lined – and brought many speeding drivers – not to mention that I couldn’t remember which side the cars would be flying at me. I didn’t like my first 5 miles due to this danger. My heartrate and pace was all over the place as I kept checking my back and my front for inattentive drivers. I ran to the village of Bishops Storford and back – about 41 minutes.

Out of fear, I almost didn’t go back out – until I pressed my self to try the other direction, which was much better – wide streets and side walks. I ran near the airport for another 40 or so minutes.

Total estimate: 10+ miles – 1:21

Tuesday evening brought a late flight to Geneva, Switzerland. I have been eating like crap. Either not enough, or the wrong things. We got to the hotel at 11:30 PM on Tues – and the restaurant was closed. What gives? So we went to the bar and had peanuts and beer, which left me quite unsatisfied. Luckily, I ate 1.5 Clif bars that I had in my case before sack time.

Wed 8/23-Thur 8/24 – No running in Geneva and Hannover - just work and travel

As I expected, getting in any mileage today or yesterday was just not feasible. I have been on planes, in airports, cars, taxis – or in meetings seemingly non-stop over the past 72 hours. Not to mention 6 hours or less of sleep each of the last 2 nights.

Wed – all day meeting at our Geneva-based supplier. The eve brought a two-leg flight from Geneva to Frankfurt to Hannover, Germany. Again, we arrive around 11:30PM to the airport hotel. And AGAIN, the restaurant was CLOSED. No dinner AGAIN. This time I’m a little pissed. So, AGAIN, it’s peanuts and beer for dinner – except, no clif bars to be found. Ugh. Late to bed around 1AM for a 7AM wake-up.

Thurs – Quick breakfast this time as our contact picked us up for the 1 hour drive to Holzminden, Germany our next supplier's headquarters.

Lesson for the day: Running is universal. I met one of our supplier’s sales reps today named Bjorn. I had heard about his remarkable cycling endeavors from my USA-based sales rep. Apparently, this dude bikes all over Germany for days on end and does ultra-biking events in the Alps. He is maybe 27, easily 6’3, ultra lean and super long legs. I see his massive Polar watch (2x the size of mine) and we start chatting.

He’s fairly inexperienced in the marathon but says he ran a 3:29 with very little training last year. He’s now gunning for a 2:59 on 70 MPW. I’ve never seen this guy run, but I’ve got a feeling he’s got a shot. He’ll be running in Geneva in Oct, for this goal – with a warm-up marathon 4 weeks before.

It’s about 8:15 London time as we circle toward Heathrow. I’ll stay at the airport tonight.

I’m wondering what my chances are that I will find a safe place to run tomorrow morning. I’ve got some time before my flight back to Chicago at 12:15 PM and I’d love to get in 7 miles. Worst case, perhaps I can find a treadmill if running around the airport area is unrealistic (which it may be). Keep in mind: The dedicated marathon runner finds a way to train.

The goal for the week is 40 miles, and right now I'm at ten! But 7 on Friday, 19 on Sat and a recovery 4 on Sunday will get me there.

Week 9 complete - Another 50 in books - on to London today

The 50-mile weeks are becoming standard for me. This is my 3rd consecutive 50-mile week. Picking up since Tuesday's post...

Wed 8/16 - 14 miles EZ - I think this is the most mileage I have ever done before putting in a full day at the office. Not bad. I did these in 8's most of the way and finished strong. Total time was about 1:51. I felt decent considering I was still recovering from Sunday's 1/2 marathon race.

Thu 8/17 - Nike Run Hit Remix 5 miler - What an awesomely fun race! Nike sponsored this super fun race downtown right at Balbo and Columbus in Grant Park, which started at 9PM. Really fun environment. I ran by Young MC, Digital Underground, a U2 cover band, bag pipers, some sort of drum corps, Elvis. I could feel that my legs were tired. Conditions were really humid. I warmed with about 1/2 mile or so of running. My time was 34:30 or 6:54 per mile. I ran a half marathon earlier in the week at about the same pace.

Fri 8/18 - Rest. Flew to Pittsburgh in the afternoon

Sat 8/19 - 20 miler at Pittsburgh's North Park - I met up with Steve and another Chicago Trainee named Aaron at 6:20 AM ET (which felt like 5:20 for me). Aaron gunning for 3:10 with me, while Steve has hopes of a 2:59. North Park is a popular running course locally because of its 5-mile running/bike loop and relatively flat pavement.

We knocked out 20 miles with really only short 3 breaks. We did btw 8 to 8:10 pace for the majority of the early miles and our pace crept up to sub 8 for the late miles. This was a very good workout for all of us - and our FIRST 20-miler of the program. Total time: 2:40:00. My average HR was in the low 140's.

So Steve does a 20-miler with us and heads straight to the golf course to start his bachelor party. I told him no way was I going to play golf after the run. I needed to rest. So he plays all day with some other guys. Then we meet up with the extended group later that evening for dinner. He's half in the bag already and the night is just starting. We do dinner at Ruth's Chris, then booze at a Cigar Bar and then onto one of Pittsburgh's finest gentlemen's club -- all with a constant flow of drinks. He's the first person I've known to run 20 miles; play 18 holes of golf; drink all day with probably a min of 5-7 jager bombs in the evening; and also get a number of lap dances -- ALL in the same day.

The miles will drop down this week 10 upcoming. It's a recovery week. I fly to London today and have flights to Geneva and Hanover mid-week.

My hope is to get a total of 16 miles in during my trip - in any combination I can. I just don't know how, when and where I will do them.

I land on Friday 8/25 back in Chicago at 2:40 PM. I will be running with the CARA group on Saturday to do the 19 miler. I figure I'm OK to do this even though I'm supposed to step back slightly on the long run because my mileage will be down mid-week.

I hope to get 40 miles in during week 10. The following week will bringing my all-time high of 55 miles.

Run strong this week all...

Week 9 update - Euro-tour in week 10 ahead

First, thanks to all of you who posted the wonderful comments to my race report. I really feel rejuvenated and more committed than ever before to making my Boston goal a reality. I hope I can provide you the same motivation that I feel when I have reader support. I will do my best to track your progress and keep you focused with comments as well.

Brief update on race recovery

Mon 8/14 - Eased into a 10k recovery run. Didn't have much problem, but could definitely feel the soreness. I was proud of myself to even get out there. Easy 55:00 - ran 8:50's, which is my standard recovery pace.

Tue 8/15 - Originally planned to do 14. But on Monday night, I still felt soreness and didn't want to push it. I was leery and decided 14 too early may cause to much stress on the legs - especially since I want to be sure to have a good 20 on Saturday. I was about to rest completely. Then, around 6:20 AM after waking up, I stretched and saw that it was a marvelous 59 degrees outside. I said, "how about just a short 4 recovery pace?" And so I laced them up and it felt good. Did an easy 4 - or maybe a little longer.

WTD Mileage: 10+ - all recovery

Plan for the rest of the week

Wed 8/16 - 14 miles - 5:15 AM start before work. Excited to get back onto the training ground. These will be steady miles. Not going to push too hard. Want to keep them around 8-8:15 if I can. We've got great weather planned!

Thu 8/17 - Morning will bring no miles for me. Evening: The Nike Run Hit Remix is downtown, right at the very place the CDC was held - as well as where the marathon will be held. (I'm starting to get to know the terrain!) This will be a fun 5-mile run, with tons of music and a whole lotta people. It is a 9:00 PM start, which is kind of neat. De La Soul is the headliner ("Me, Myself and I" - one hit wonder). I won't be running for time here, but I may plan to run 7's just to do a little bit of tempo work this week. Will warm-up with 1 for a total of 6.

Fri 8/18 - Rest. Travel to Pittsburgh for Steve's bachelor party and to hopefully meet my new niece, Haley (who is still unborn and 3 days late and counting!).

Sat 8/19 - Knock out my first 20 miler this program with Steve (the bachelor) at 6:15 AM ET at North Park - the best training ground in Pittsburgh (lots of miles logged here for my first three marathons in '01-03). We're going to do steady 8:00's on the 20. Then get Steve good and drunk later that evening.

Sun 8/20 - Rest - Fly from Pittsburgh to London Heathrow for business travel in Europe through Friday

Mileage target for this week: 50

Next week...

I will be in Europe most of the week on business. I will travel to North London to our Global tech center on Monday and Tuesday. I then travel to Geneva, Switzerland and Holzminden, Germany on Tues eve through Thurs. I have meetings with suppliers in these two wonderful cities in Europe.

With the logistics of flying, driving and then conducting meetings, running will be on pause between Wed and Fri until I get home in the afternoon on Friday.

It's going to be an extremely busy week. I planned far in advance that this trip would fall on my recovery week, so my mileage will be lower.

I will be back in the USA by Friday afternoon next week, so I will make the Saturday AM 19-miler with the CARA group. Initial goal for next week's mileage will be in the range of 36-40. I want to get in at least 13-14 in Europe on two runs if I can.

Beautiful CDC PR! I believe Boston is possible!

"Chicago is a breathtakingly beautiful city." This is what I thought to myself on Mile 9 as I looked for that 10-mile marker along the Lakefront path. I was in fine form. The sun was reflecting off the lake and the cityscape was directly in front of me with McCormick Place to my left. I felt awesome.

This was as close to a perfect race as I will ever run. I trained. I set a goal time. I had a plan by the mile. I exceeded my own expectations.

To all of you who read this blog and have watched my progress, this for me is a great day in running. Thank you for keeping me focused on my goals and giving me a reason to keep trying.

The CDC was extremely well organized. The weather was perfect. The course is beautiful. These races are why I run. Running on the Chicago lakefront for the first time with such velocity and ease today was a remarkable experience.

I wanted to heed the advice I had received from the articles I had read. Don't blow this race by going out to fast, I said to myself. Run a 7-minute first mile. Ignore all else and keep the emotions in check. And I did. I watched my pace like a hawk and exercised great discipline. I felt truly in control of my destiny today.

Here are the splits of my race today - an earth-shattering half-marathon PR for me:

Mile 1 - 7:02 - 166 Heartrate
Mile 2 - 6:48 - 168
Mile 3 - 7:01 - 171
Mile 4 - 6:57 - 169
Mile 5 - 7:01 - 171
Mile 6 - 7:02 - 165
Mile 7 - 6:54 - 169
Mile 8 - 7:03 - 170
Mile 9 - 6:47 - 170
Mile 10 - 6:55 - 174
Mile 11 - 6:50 - 169
Mile 12 - 6:51 - 172
Mile 13 - 6:36 - 177
Last 0.1 - 0:36 - 182

OFFICIAL RACE TIME: 1:30:24 - 6:55 per mile

Here is the official results site.

No porta-pottie breaks. I drank at every aid station (10 of them) while keeping the feet turning over at consistent pace. I felt strong for most of the race. The HR was higher than I expected but I didn't feel winded until the last mile (which was 6:36, thank you very much).

My goal was to be at the 10-mile mark with a time of 1:09:45. I arrived there at 1:09:31 and had fuel in the tank. I turned on the jets. I was picking off victims left and right.

I laid out the goal statment and I exceeded it. I am absolutely thrilled with my progress and my performance.

I know that the reason to run in my life is not only about achieving a specific time, but I have to say the personal satisfaction I feel today is wonderful. I feel so fortunate to be able to do this.

When I hit that 13 mile mark, I started waving on the crowd for cheers. I was pumping my fist in the air as I sprinted toward the finish. This is exactly what I want to feel in 10 weeks time.

With this race performance, McMillan's "world famous" calculator is now predicting a 3:10:39 marathon for me. This would get me in to Boston.

Even more interesting to me is that if you look at McMillan's predicted 5k race pace after entering a 1:30:24 for a half marathon, the chart says I should be able to run a 19:33 5k. Guess what I ran less than 3 weeks ago? a 19:32! Guess McMillan knows what he's talking about!

I know that I have 10 more weeks of very hard work left to achieve my ultimate goal, but I am starting to feel like the BQ is actually possible. I always believed I could do it but I have to be honest and say I wasn't sure if I was working hard enough or if I would get there on this particular try. As of today, I am beginning to truly believe.

I did not get my after-race recovery in because I was hanging out with my fellow Wheaton runners and I didn't want to leave my wife alone for more miles. So we celebrated, went to brunch and then headed over to Niketown to pick up the race packet for Thursday's Nike Remix Race 5-miler.

However, I wanted that 50+ for the week and I feel good. So I decided to run a recovery at 12:20 PM after we arrived home. I ran 3.2 miles in 25:40. The only disappointment of the day is that my lovely wife forgot to bring the camera out of the car for post-race pics! :(

Recap of the week:

Mon - 6 mile recovery
Tue - 12 mile general aerobic
Wed - Rest
Thu - 10.5 mile general aerobic
Fri - 6.5 mile recovery
Sat - Rest
Sun - Half Marathon + 3.2 mile recovery = 16.3

Total mileage for the week: 51.3

Preparing for the Distance Classic - Race goal statement

I reluctantly got out Friday morning for my recovery run. I say "reluctantly" because a piece of me said "rest so you can rock the CDC on Sunday. You need your legs to be fresh!". However, I decided that I needed to focus on the longer term goal of the Chicago Marathon and getting in the recovery miles would be good for me.

Fri 8/11 - Recovery 6.5 miles around Plainfield - 58:00
Today - Resting peacefully
Mileage WTD: 35

Devising a half marathon strategy

I decided to do some research to give me some ideas on how to race the half tomorrow.
I found this article posted on the NY Road Runners site. I found it provided some good advice. Then this one by some dude named Waldo, who seemed to know what he was talking about. Both caution against the fast start, which I will do my best to avoid.

I can't tell if I am ready to run as fast as I want. Do I have the fitness level needed? What about my eating habits, which have been "OK" at best? Yesterday, my legs felt a little sore. Today a bit better. Perhaps it's nerves. I just want this race to go well so I know I am making progress toward my goal of the BQ.

I have no fear of failure - because failure is not possible in this situation for me. All the work I have been putting into this 7th marathon endeavor has been a huge personal success for me. Never thought I'd be knocking out 50 mile weeks with reasonable ease.

Running is about fun, health, competitive spirit within oneself, pride and accomplishment. It gives me confidence and a capability to endure and persevere, whatever my circumstances may be. Now that I've reminded myself of that, it's time to specify my goal for tomorrow's race.

What would be the perfect race for me tomorrow, you may ask?

1 - 7:00
2 - 6:58
3 - 6:58
4 - 6:57
5 - 6:57
6 - 6:57
7 - 6:57
8 - 6:57
9 - 6:57
10 - 6:57
11 - 6:55
12 - 6:55
13 - 6:55
13.1 - 0:39

GOAL FINISH TIME: 1:30:59

That's right, 1:30:59. That is my goal time. One second better than 1:31

I'm putting the goal in writing and I will give it my best shot. It's out there. It's a stretch goal but I know I can do it.

The weather is going to just about perfect. Forecast says 64 degrees at around 6-7AM. Lights out is 8:30 PM. Wake up is 4:30 AM. Small mini-meal and then out the door around 5:00 AM.

Best wishes to all fellow racers tomorrow!

Week 8 Update - 28.5 miles WTD - Here I come, CDC!

Reflecting on the plan I posted on this past Sunday, I was targeting 52-54 miles for the week. As I got into it this week, I realized that a reasonable target would be the lower end of that range - actually even slightly less. I've decided the mileage goal is 51 this week. Because of the 1/2 marathon, even this I am concerned about. I am going for 51.

I need to race this weekend and there's no taper here this week. I'm damn near peak mileage for the season (55 will be as high as I go, folks), so I am a little concerned about how much juice I'll have on Sunday AM. I know it's not the Marathon, but I do want to test my speed and fitness.

Mon 8/7 - 6:25 AM - 6 miles Recovery pace - Super easy - nothing sexy about this run -

Tue 8/8 -- 5:35 AM - Super proud of this run. Knocked out TWELVE straight - with no stopping. Yep, that's right. No breaks - not even to hydrate. I ran with my pack, drank on the run and kept my feet movin' . You can check out my 12-miler course at MapMyRun. I rocked it in 1:34:49, which is about 7:52 per.

Wed 8/9 - Rest, rest, rest - no cross training - skipping it won't hurt me, right?

Thu 8/10 - I planned 12 today, same exact route as Monday. The weather looked dicey this AM in Plainfield, IL. Though there was no rain, the lightening was in plain view in the distant clouds. I said to myself, "ah, let's try it anyway... may be it will dodge my route". I started right on schedule at 5:30 AM flat. A half mile in, I was startled by a big super-bolt and some thunder. I hesitated but kept on going. About 2 min later as the sky darkened, I said to myself "it may be time to turn back up here". I hit 1 mile and did a 180 back towards the house. About 3 minutes later, I got hammered on by the rain. It was pouring. I darted back to the house to complete 2 miles and find refuge from the rain.

BUT... patience is key! I took shelter for about 15 minutes and the showers passed. The sky cleared up very quickly and I headed back out. I knocked out another 8.5 miles before I had to come in to get ready for work. I simply ran out of time. I couldn't be late today due to a meeting at a local hotel. Total for the run: Estimated 10.5 miles in 1:26:10 - avg HR 144

Remainder of the week plan...

Fri - 6.5 miles RECOVERY - slow and easy, daddy...
Sat - Rest and mentally prepare - going try to hold 6:55's for 13.1 on Sunday
Sun - Warm up with 0.9 miles - RACE HARD - Add on 2 miles recovery - total 16

This will get me to 51 for the week.

Heading downtown tomorrow evening to pick up that CDC race pack and number. It will be interesting to see how the body responds on Sunday morning for that 6:30 AM shotgun start.

Looking ahead: Week 8 plan and beyond

I believe that one of the key success factors in traning for a positive marathon experience is PLANNING. I have been doing a lot of planning and it has worked out so far.

The biggest challenge is balancing my commitment to follow the Pfitzinger 18-week schedule while dealing with race schedules, different long run schedules with the CARA group than what my plan says, work travel and general life happenings.

Next Sunday is the CDC. "The plan" (i.e. Pfitz) says I am supposed to run 20 miles. But I want to race the CDC . I'm not naive to think that I am going to be able to do an effective 6+ miles after going all out on the half marathon. I plan to leave it all out there -- with one caveat: If the weather conditions are poor, I will likely scale it back and run marathon goal pace.

Below is a snapshot of this coming week with adjustments for the CDC, as well as a look at the following week. The 8/21 week will get real interesting, as I am going to Europe for work. I purposely scheduled the trip during the 8/21 week since it is considered a "recovery" week.

This week
Mon 8/7 - 6-7 miles w/ 6x100m strides
Tue 8/8 - 12-13 miles med-long run
Wed 8/9 - Rest
Thu 8/10 - 11-12 gen aero (no speed, going to save it for Sunday)
Fri 8/11 - 6 miles w/st
Sat 8/12 - Rest
Sun 8/13 - CDC Half marathon - warmup 1 mile before + recovery 2 after = total 16
Targeted total mileage = 52-54 miles

8/14 week
Mon 8/14 - 4-5 recovery
Tue 8/15 - 12 med-long
Wed 8/16 - 6 recovery
Thu 8/17 - rest
Fri 8/18 - 5 recovery
Sat 8/19 - 20 miles in Pittsburgh
Sun 8/20 - Rest - Leave for Europe
Targeted total mileage = 46-48 miles

The 8/21 week will get tricky with meetings and travels that will take me through London, Switzerland and Germany.

PS - Does anyone know what I did to my blog to cause all of the lists to drop way down to the bottom of the page? It's a mystery to me. Appreciate any tips/clues you may have. thanks

Week 7 Recap - SUCCESS: 50 Mile Week Complete

I'm pleased to report that I have recorded my first "genuine" 50-mile week ever.

I say "genuine" because I did complete 56-mile week during Tampa training early on this year, as my January 21, 2006 post would explain. However, put an asterik next to that one. That was because we had a blizzard the weekend before and my long run was forced to Monday. I did 56 after a week of a measley 21 miles the week before, which had no long run.

This week, however, was genuine since I followed the plan. I scaled back last week to 37. Week before was 46. And this week... the half-century mark!

Thursday - Rested like a champ.
Friday - Knocked out 7 miles with 10x100 strides. Great stuff. Beautifully cool weather. Guessing mileage here.
Saturday - 18 miles: CARA Group - Wheaton - Ran 16 with the group. We headed east on the Prairie Path. Added 2 on my own - Total time: 2:21:00 - 7:50 pace. Felt great.


Nice pre-long run dinner on Friday night:
Spinach Salad with tomato, onion, pepper, raisins, almonds and light rasp vingarette dressing
Grilled chicken sandwich
Rice-a-Roni Pilaif - plenty of it!

I wanted to write down this dinner so I could remember it. It worked well. No upset stomach. Had a Quaker granola bar this morning with some Gatorade. I am steering clear of Clif Bars, as I am theorizing that the 4g of insoluble fiber is sending me to the porta-cans on my run.

NEXT WEEKEND: The Chicago Distance Classic

I need to tweek next week's schedule, as the Chicago Distance Classic Half-Marathon is set for Sunday, Aug 13th. If the weather is like today way, I'm going to go for broke and test my speed. I've wishful thinking for around 1:31, but it scares me to think about the pain I may need to endure to run this kind of race.

Two questions I have:

1. Cross training for me has been virtually non-existent. However, I am getting in ALL the miles and getting them in with good tempo and pace. Will lack of cross-training hurt me on race day?

2. The group long runs have several breaks (2-4 min at a time for Gatorade, etc) . My concern is that my heartrate has a chance to recover. I am fine with this in training, but do these interruptions reduce the effectiveness of the runs? We won't breaking on Marathon day!

I'll post the week #8 plan tomorrow.

Week 7 update - 25 miles down & 25 to go for the week

Monday, July 31 - 10 miles with 5 miles at tempo pace

6:20 AM CDT -- Track. Running on a track - round and around. In 80+ degree temperatures with 90+% humidity. I ran up to Plainfield North HS (brand spankin' new, never been taught in), which is 2.5 miles from my house. I knocked out twenty, yes 20, 400m laps at tempo pace. Lap averaged ranged from 1:42-1:45. All told, the tempo miles were 6:54-6:59. The non-tempo miles were far slower - especially the last 2.5, which had some walking inter-mixed.

It's worth noting that I have never sweated this much in my life. Sweat, gallons and gallons of sweat. I am typically a low-volume perspirator. Not so any longer.

My return trip of 2.5 miles back home was tough. I felt dehydrated. Sure, I had a water bottle at the track, but I don't think I drank enough. My 24 oz water bottle was empty by the time I completed my 10 miles total.

I went to work satisfied and re-hydrated. Later in the day, I boarded a plane for Atlanta.

Total time: 1:16:50 - est 7:41 pace for all 10 - Avg HR: 156

Tuesday, Aug 1 - Alpharetta, GA - 4 miles recovery

6:40 EDT - Marriotts are so cozy, right? Also over-priced. News to the midwesterners and east coasters: It's also hot as usual in Hot-lanta and other parts of the south.

I decided I would "try" to do my easy recovery 4 in the fitness. The first 2 miles at 8:50 pace on the 'mill in the tight confines of the mini-gym seemed like an eternity, so I jumped off the 'tread and headed outdoors. I guesstimated a one-way mile at 8:55 and headed back to the hotel. Total workout was about 35:20.

Wednesday, Aug 2 - Plainfield, IL - 11 miles Med-Long run

6:00 AM CDT - Out the door at 6:02 AM with much determination to crush 11 miles. I knew right from the get-go this would be a "cover the distance" type run. I did a MapMyRun to plan out the path to hit 11 miles - a minor add-on and deviation from the prior 10 mile trek.

In short, I struggled with the heat and felt fatigued. But, I covered the distance. With no GPS or Pod, I am estimating my distance and using MapMyRun. MapMyRun verified my thinking that I did 11 miles on the nose in damn near 1:28 flat. This is 8 min miles.

Total time: 1:28:09 - Est pace: 8:00 - Avg HR: 155 (pretty impressive, considering!)

Worth noting: Number of stops or walks: Zero. Here's is this morning's route.

Up next....

Thurs: REST Baby! Cross-training??? Doubtful.
Friday: 7 miles with strides
Saturday: 18 miles
Sunday: REST

I slugged a 20 oz Gatorade in 2.2 when getting back into the A/C of my house.