running

Easy on the trainer. Concerned that hip injury might be a stress fracture, although I doubt this. Waiting for it to be pain free then will start running again very slowly.

1/2 hour on the trainer. Something today just felt better in the hip.

Easy on the trainer. Plenty of stretching after. Hip is tolerating it.

On the trainer. Plenty of stretching after. No pain at all. Really want to run, really don't want it to hurt. Will try one very slow mile on Thursday.

On the trainer. Single digits here glad I'm not running outside. Hip feels fine. No pain. So far this week I have biked what I will do in June in the half ironman, but I bet I won't have 4 days to do it.

In the pool testing out the finger. It didn't feel bad - it didn't feel good either. And it didn't hurt afterward. So time to start swimming again. Biked for about 10 min before running. Tried a slow mile. Hip started to hurt at the end. Not happy at all. At a loss as what to try next.

On the trainer. Friend who is a PT helped me with stretching back, gluts, and hams yesterday. Hip hurts much worse today. I hate not running.

Ran 1/2 mile. Walk about a quarter then run 1/2 mile. Then hip hurt. 10 miles on the trainer. Starting to run again. Will work up slowly and try to stay out of pain.

On the trainer. Hip kind of sore everywhere from stretching and massaging. Will try another mile tomorrow.

Hip quite sore after run. Feels like bursitis more than anything. Resting it doesn't seem to be help.

1 mile on treadmill. No pain. At least I don't think so. Could be the Motrin or the hot tub. Whatever it is I will take it.

Easy one mile.  Hip hurts some, but running not making it worse or better.

Still trying to run without pain. Today good. But bet when I run more it will hurt again.

On the trainer. Then some core work

Slow and uphill felt hard. Not really running for a month has certainly hurt my conditioning. Afraid it's going to take a long time to get back to where I was, which wasn't even that fast. On the upside no pain.

Easy ride on the trainer.

First one pretty easy. Dropped down to 8 min per mile for last 1/2.

Trying to slowly bring up mileage. Have been stretching hip which makes it hurt more. Pretty sure it's not a stress fracture or bursitis. Just seems tight in a musculoskeletal kind of way.

Hip sore trying to work past it. Have apt with a guy for ART figure I should get it really sore before I see him so he can tell me what's wrong.

Hip bothers me no more and no less if I run. So now I am just annoyed that I took so much time off. Was running 10 miles at 9:00 per mile. New starting point today 1 mile at 9:00. Weight up 3 pounds since injury. So hard to eat less. Still not one to wallow in self pity. I am incredibly lucky to be able to run. Will just start from where I am and work from there. BQ a bit further away than it was. Training would have needed to go perfectly for me to take a shot at it this spring. It didn't. So maybe next fall. Still won't do much more than long slow miles until hip is better. Mentally I can live with 3-6 mile range 4-5 days a week. Less than that my sanity suffers.

On the trainer. About a foot of snow today. Trees losing big branches. Kids thrilled to have the day off. Me, not so much. Ready to run outside without fear of falling. Tomorrow's going to be another treadmill day.

Treadmill. 1 mile at under 8:00. Just trying to do something. Between the hip and snow and ice and school and gym closings I just haven't done anything this week.

On trainer. More snow coming. More workouts skipped. Groan.

On the trainer while watching it snow. ART last night. Can't tell if the hip feels better or not cause I can't even get out to run. Working all weekend then planning on next week being better weather and getting back to regular running.

On the treadmill.  Dizzying trying to run and watch skeleton olympic event.  Almost fell off .  1.5 at under 8 min pace.  Hip didn't hurt while running but did after stretching.

Legs very sore from ART but once things warmed up it felt good. Out of shape for sure but no hip pain while running. Now if the weather would just cooperate I need to pick it back up again. Gained 5 pounds in the last 2 months. Mostly stopped running but did not stop eating. Need to get more serious about the swimming and biking also. Swim coach pointed out that PFDs are illegal in ironman events.

Signed up for this race a while ago otherwise would probably not have done it today. I haven't run more than 3.5 miles since early Jan. But since my hip was feeling ok I thought I would do it as a long slow run. I started out in last place. I was the last one to cross the timing mat. Being so far back in the pack worked well. The race was on pretty narrow streets so hard to pass for most of the race. I started very slowly and picked up the pace as the race progressed. I ran 9:22/mile which considering how little I have done lately is pretty good. The very best thing about the race is that my hip does not hurt.

Really need to get back in the pool.

Nice and slow trying not to fall down on the black ice.

3 miles at 9 min per mile.  This is the best run I have had in almost 2 months.  Hip feels good.  Absolutely nothing hurt today running.  I am encouraged that I have run 3 of the last 4 days and have been pain free.  Now have to start the slow progression of add frequency, add distance, add speed.  Need 26 9 min miles in a row to qualify for Boston.  That's gonna take a while, but at least I am back on track.

On treadmill 2 miles at 8 min. Felt ok but couldn't have gone much faster today but could have continued at that pace. Hip still feeling good. Have to remember increase frequency then distance then speed. I am impatient to get back to where I was two months ago and progress from there. I do know that I am not running a marathon this spring.

It is weird to be this interested in training. I have spent my whole life just running for fun and doing pretty well. Usually top 5-10% of age group. I did spend 1 summer in college training with some fast girls but the expectation of 100 mile weeks and the weight loss demands weren't that much fun. I thought qualifying for Boston would be fairly easy. But it did not come easily in my first marathon so now I have to work at it. Including losing weight! That seems weird at this age.

Too cold for me outside so on the treadmill. Nothing exciting just miles in the bank. Hip feeling good. More miles this week than anytime since Christmas. It's a beginning I guess. But the good news is I saw robins and a pair of cardinals today so in spite of the foot of snow coming tomorrow Spring is coming!

Plan was for 5 but felt good and won't be able to run tomorrow so kept going. Pace slow but good to get some distance in. Hip good!

16 on the trainer

Cold and icy here so 4 on the treadmill. 1 8 min mile. Then easy 700y swim. Finger not bothering me swimming. Hip not bothering me running. So will keep increasing both slowly. Now about the biking. . . Funny how when the running falls apart everything else does too. Two months of minimal running should have been a great opportunity to get in a ton of bike miles but I did the minimum. I will regret that this summer during the triathlons.

Might have slept in today, but the dog is so used to getting up at 5 AM that she started barking to go out so since I was already awake headed off to the gym for 4 on the treadmill. I am so bored on the treadmill I could never sustain running if I had to run there every day. Fortunately I believe today was the last day of the season that I will have to do regular runs there. Will still do my Thursday runs there due to work constraints.

4 today ave 9 min mile. Only need 22.2 more of those in the same run.

On the treadmill. Tried to run a little faster today but it just wasn't there. Mostly between 8-9 min per mile.

Legs feeling heavy and tired today. Still feels great to get out and run outside. One mile in under 9 min. The rest just easy. Broad Street in 8 weeks.

This has been a very good week overall. Hip not bothering me, milage increasing, and ran 5 days which is about what I can sustain with kids and work and swimming and biking.

8:34 per mile by my watch. Not so great but improving and pain free. Course was downhill out and uphill back. I love these little runs sponsored by restaurants with real food and beer afterward.

Just an easy morning run. Not trying to run faster until I have more longer milage weeks without pain. So far so good.

Was only planning to run 4 but I just couldn't stop. A non runner would never understand that feeling. 

Distance pretty easy. Was thrilled to run my favorite route again. It is finally free of ice and snow, mostly. Thought I was going a little bit faster than my watch reported but I was up all night sick wed then up all night thurs with sick kids. Guess it had an impact. Hip feels good. 

I don't like it when work gets in the way of running. I can usually work around it but when work, weather and car trouble all conspire against me it is difficult. I missed the last two days hopefully no more this week, but all of the above are still in play so I might.

Six felt good today. Battery died during run so perhaps it felt good cause I was going so slow.

Nice easy run. Pace not what it was in Dec but ok.

Same run as yesterday. Felt a little easier. Not any faster.

Felt pretty good. Increased pace last three miles quite comfortably. Average heart rate 130, max 155. Wasn't working very hard. I guess that's a sign of getting in better shape again.

Back on the treadmill. Roads icy in spots and just can't risk it. Kids and I pretty sick Monday night so didn't get out yesterday. I hope we are soon done with the bad weather and all the winter illnesses. Drawing for NYC marathon today. I want to go back for redemption. I have never walked in a race before and I don't intend to again. If I don't make it in via the drawing I will have to make other plans to get in. I am pretty close to the qualifying time and would just need to run it in a nyrr race to guarantee entry.

On the treadmill at work.  5 miles 8:45 average.  Kept picking up the pace throughout.  I kept waiting for it to get harder.  It didn't, whole run felt really good and easy.  Maybe last quarter at 7:30 was work but still felt good.  Happy about this run it's the first time it has felt easy and relaxed since December.

Nice easy run. Last 4 miles picked up the pace to 9 min miles. Felt comfortable. Felt a little too good at the end. Will add some distance next week.

Cold, wet, sideways rain, but happy to be able to be outside and off the treadmill. Very slow miles today.

Got a late start so that's all I had time for. Tried to run a bit faster than usual sleepy am run. Two miles in the middle at 9:00 pace. Effort was comfortable, maybe it shouldn't be so easy. Still working on distance and frequency. Faster when base is solid.

Way too busy at work to get in a run. Swim is just a guess watch recorded time not laps and I can never keep track in my head.

Mostly slow sleepy run. One mile faster just for fun. 8:20. Would be nice to do 10 of those in a row in a month but not there yet. In the last five years I have always run Broad Street between 1:25 and 1:30. Beats almost everyone I know which makes me happy. I always feel about this time of year there is no way I can run that fast. My training just doesn't support it. Same is true this year. Ran 1:24 for ten miles in a half last fall definitely not there. Guess it's time to cut back on the ice cream.

Nice easy run. I find I get bored with the longer stuff. An hour is about right for my mental health needs. But if I want to run a faster marathon then I need to do the longer runs, and a lot more than I did last time. The first time I ever ran more than 10 miles in training was last July in preparation for NYC marathon. It was a long enough build up to finish but not to break four hours. Considering taking a shot at Philly marathon this Nov.

Wanted to do a 5k yesterday but legs a little sore from Saturdays run. Today felt good. Conditioning coming back nicely average heart rate 127. Running by feel seems like I always feel like running slow. Need to add a little bit of faster stuff now. In three weeks my boys and I will run in a school fundraiser. They haven't beat me yet. They could easily if they had any strategy. They could just run with me and out run me at the end, but no they blast off and run the first mile as fast as they can and then die. I shout words of encouragement as I pass them vomiting at the side of the road.

Nice easy miles.  About 10 min slower than I was running in Dec., but not pushing at all and just feeling better.  Will probably start to drop the pace for the last few miles soon.  Today in the rain was not the right day.

3 miles at 8:00 per mile. Felt pretty good. Need to be careful about pushing too hard too fast cause I am too old.

Legs were a bit tired to start but felt better as run went on Pretty happy this week with some consistent runs.

I am a runner not a triathlete. I have a slew of runner and race director friends and we talk about all the local races. I know when something changes. I can tell you who has best food, music, bathrooms, t shirts, costumes you name it. Tri's I am so out of the loop I just found out that a big race I am doing in June, Eagleman, was in danger of being canceled. For the last month and a half no one knew if it was going to go on or not. Organizing group ran out of money. No worries now, ironman took it over. Point is I am so out of that loop I had no idea there was even an issue.

relaxed and easy.  Last 4 @ 9:00.  Last 1 at 8:27 a bit of a surprise that I had that much left  Maybe I shouldn't be taking it so easy.  Still legs are feeling the increase in milage so afraid to increase the intensity yet.  I guess that's fine I am not aiming for anything specific other than just a solid base for now.  Wondering what is the minimum number of miles I can run and still acheive my goal.

No time for much today so ran the middle two miles faster. 8:20. Felt ok, not all out, but not effortless either.

It got cold again, but I am not complaining, no snow or ice is good . 7 easy miles. One at 9:08 thought this is comfortable could run 10 miles here. How do I get that to be comfortable enough to run 26 miles there? A rhetorical question really. More miles, faster miles. The finesse is how to do that without getting hurt or divorced.

9:38 average just getting in the miles. About a min slower than I was in December. Two months off is very bad for older runners. Two months off, two months back should have same conditioning as before, right? Seems like no. I guess it doesn't really matter I am happy to be running pain free.

Slow but steady. Not a surprise was on my feet all day yesterday. Must have walked ten miles in New York with the kids. Eating on the run wasn't so good either, yummy but not healthy.

Ran this at a pretty good effort. 9:20 average. Will probably do this run again in a month to see where I am. I should be able to run under 9 on a flat course after breakfast on rested legs. So feeling pretty good about my conditioning for Broad Street. After tomorrow's long run I will shorten the runs and speed things up a bit.

Slow didn't even try to pick it up at the end. It's been a whole week of lots more walking and standing and eating bad food than I am used too. I need a couple of days off to recover from vacation.

Did some faster quarters today.  Garmin was nice.  Although I was on a measured course it worked well enough that I could use it for either time or distance anywhere.  Basically a quarter fast then jog a quarter then repeat.  Did 6 sets.  Times were not great and a bit slower than I expected (1:55 average) but on the money consistant.  Fastest and slowest within 2 seconds of each other.

Treadmill .25 fast .25 slower .5 fast .25 slower repeat x 3. Faster pace was 7:40. Rest was warm up and cool down. Working but not straining so overall happy with effort. Could have managed with shorter rests. Next time I do this I will keep that pace but extend the times and shorten the rests.

Very slow. Average heart rate 114. Could feel the fatigue from yesterday so no need to push things and get hurt. Not feeling like I have either the conditioning or the speed to break 25 for a 5k on Sunday., but at least I can do better than 26:45 which is what I ran last 5k.

I am one of the luckiest people alive. I have a great family, great job, enough money for everything we need and am healthy enough to still be running. Still it is hard to slow with age. In a week I am running Broad Street. I have run this race off and on for 25 years. I will never again run those carefree low one teens that I ran in my late 20's. I may never again run those high one teens I was so determined to get back to after the twins. I will at least try to stay in the 1:20's where I have managed to stay for the last decade in spite of the other kids, major surgery and this years 2 month long injury and all the other impediments that life puts in front of all of us. I wish I was faster and stronger and had more endurance, but how can I not be happy for all the great years of running with which I have been blessed.

Not thrilled with this one.  Did manage to beat one of my boys but the other one played with me like a cat with a mouse.  He would run a little bit ahead then walk and let me catch up.  Then he would run ahead again and walk and wait for me to catch up.  Last quarter mile he just took off and ran.  I don't know how much faster he could have run today but he executed his race perfectly and beat his mom.  That was his mission.  I am so proud of my guys for running with me they much prefer the mud runs.

I can't really explain why I didn't have more in the tank today.  I expected 8:20 to 8:30.  Two faster workouts last week might be the problem.  Too much cake and ice cream might also be a contributing factor.  I am about 5 pounds heavier than when I last ran this course.  Still the last 5k I ran I was just coming off an injury and had done much less training and ran in almost exactly the same time as today.  Now I just want to find another one to run soon.

9 min per mile average.  Fastest I have run since before hip injury.  Ran the first 5 miles purely on emotion.  I was angry about not running better on Sunday, angry that I will probably need surgery on my finger, angry that our house isn't bigger and cleaner, angry that there just isn't enough time in the day to get everything done, angry that I am so fat (BMI 23) and old...  It felt good to just let all of that go in the run.  Life is good and my complains are truely silly once they are put into perspective.  Last two miles I was no longer angry.  I decided to maintain the pace and it became much harder without the emotion driving me but I finished.

Hoping that I didn't leave next Sunday's race out on the roads today.

Middle 4 at 8:41, 8:34, 8:27, 8:21. So easy to do that on the treadmill. Wanted to run fast enough to get some benefit but not so fast as to burn out on Sunday. Will see if I was successful. Not sure what I expect to run. I guess I will try to keep it around 8:45 in the beginning and see if I can pass some people at the end.

Nice and easy.

Awesome race. High fived Mayor Nutter at the start and had a great time during the race. Lots of local bands were out and some colorful people from the neighborhoods. This is a fun race and I have done it many times.

As far as the running part it was as good as I could expect. I thought 8:40 pace would be about right. I wore a watch for the first time in a race like this and it really helped. I usually just run by feel and usually feels too good at the start. Last year I ran the second mile in 7:40 and crashed at the end. This year I was pretty consistent between 8:20 and 8:30 for the first five miles. It felt easy up to that point. From about 6 to 8 it got harder to maintain the pace but because of the watch I did. Mile 9 I was out of steam and could not hold the pace slowed down to 9:00 but was able to hold that. Last mile I was able to get back to 8:40.

Overall I am happy. It was the best effect I had. I was spent at the end and I am not too sore today. Time is consistent with what I usually run. I have been 1:25-1:28 for the last decade. I do wonder what happened mile 9. Is that a lack of conditioning or a nutrition issue. I didn't eat or drink anything during the race. When I slowed down I wasn't breathing hard I just couldn't move my legs any faster.

5 at 8:36. Legs were a bit tired still. Little bit sore now but no injuries after race.

Now what is next? Loss weight and attempt to qualify for Boston or not. I can do the running piece and think I have a pretty good idea how to train to not crash in a marathon. The weight loss thing is hard. I am about 15 pounds heavier than I should be to run intensely and it is difficult to drop down to and maintain a lower weight. It is easy to sit here and say yes I will lose weight and harder to not invite the kids out for ice cream tonight. Perfect night. Homework done, everyone home, 80 degrees, sunny...

Slow and easy. Various sore spots but nothing major. Need to keep it that way.

Tired today. Wanted to run further but legs just didn't have it. 

Still feeling effects from the race.  Legs just felt tired today.  I think I have a plan for a fall marathon.  Long runs on the weekends are a pain no matter what but they are much harder when on vacation.  Should be easier then.  We are away two different weeks so that ties up 4 weekends.  So I need to figure out how to get in the long runs I need and then pick a date for the fall.  Then I need to run my medium runs faster consistantly.  Thinking of hard days 3 times a week and then just miles the other days.  Runcoach says I should run my long runs at 9:23.  I am not sure I am at that level right now.  Also want to add in some 5k's to keep it interesting.

3@8:10. According to some calculator my lactate threshold pace should be 8:30 so that is what I was trying to hit. Missed pretty badly wonder what that means. First mile felt ok. Like work but doable so just kept same pace. So is my LT closer to 8:10 or did I run this too fast? And does it matter at my level.

Want to run under 4 hours in a marathon doing as little extra work as possible. Minimal family disruption and no injuries. The strategy I have used for the last 25 years is to run by feel. This workout felt right so I am going to go with it and say that it was the perfect workout for me today.

Easy, no watch. Felt a little tired. Maybe yesterday too fast.

8 @ 8:50. Not sure what that was supposed to be. Runcoach thinks I should run my long run at 9:23. I think I should be closer to 10, and some part of me says there is no way I will ever run 9 min miles in a marathon if I don't run long runs at 9 minute pace. So here I am. Wondering about it. It felt like a challenging but doable run. Feel totally fine now. Guess we will see what next week brings. The thing that bugs me the most is that I have no sense of pace. I was trying to hit 9:23 and was so far off. I definitely need to figure out how to lock in 9 min miles.

6 x quarter @ 1:52. I still think I should be faster than that. But I am where I am and six consistent repeats say that is exactly where I am today. Wondering how to pick up a little more speed.

6 miles @ 8:28.  Faster than what I was planning.  Was planning on a nice 6 mile 9 min pace.  Somehow I just started out faster and then did not want to slow down.  At least not until mile 5 and 6 when I did want to stop.  Still mile 5 and 6 felt like where I need to spend some time.  Really tired and just wanting to stop because my legs felt done.  I was able to maintaIn the pace and last mile was 8:18 so did not fall apart.  That might be where I need to be to build strength and to learn to continue running when I am tired.

Raining for most of the run. Middle three miles at 8:08 pace. Same as last Thursday.

Slow and easy

Easy miles 8:50 ave

First few miles seemed hard. This is a course with lots of up and down. Mostly in the first 5 miles. Once I got past mile 5 it got easier. A little flatter but mostly mental, more than 1/2 way through feels easier. 8:54 ave pace.

6 quarters at 1:48 average.  Not bad considering all the benadryl I took last night.  Poison ivy is not fun.

Easy miles, could run this pace forever feeling. Unfortunately that pace was 9:45. Need it to be 45 seconds faster. When I was younger I used to bring down my pace in longer races not by building endurance but by building speed. I have always had plenty of endurance. Not quite sure if the same theory holds in a marathon. Trying to do a little bit of both and will see how it works out.

Middle 3 @ 7:50. Working pretty hard but steady sustainable pace. Now maybe I can break 25 in a 5k.

Yesterday's workout was too fast. Could feel it in my legs all day. Took it pretty easy today. Had planned to run 8 but taking it easier was the right thing to do.

Mud Rukus. Not really sure how far this was. Billed as a 5 k mud run. But significantly longer. Best thing was running with a good friend who is 60. She is amazing. I want to be her when I am 60. She does a fair number of trail runs and she was much faster than me on both uneven ground and on all the obstacles. I hope I am that nimble in a decade. Beat one of my boys and the other ended up way ahead. Mud runs really aren't my thing. I don't really like getting wet and cold. Could also do without the bricks on my feet. Was afraid of a misstep and an injury the whole time. But it was great to do something that my kids enjoy and see some good friends and raise money for a good cause.

Easy no watch. Needed a slower one after last week and yesterday. Feeling good today. Nothing hurts. Will keep slowly increasing the miles.

Legs felt really bad at the start. Combination of too fast run last week, mud run on sat and 12 miles on Sunday. Was very discouraged at the start. Too many things felt bad - feet, Achilles, hamstring. It all slowly loosened up and it turned out to be a good run. Last 3 under 9.

Same loop as yesterday. Slow start only achilles hurt. Last mile 8:08. Not as much faster running as I was hoping for this week. But staying injury free is way better than a couple of faster runs. Have trusted how the body feels and it's kept me going for a long time.

Raining out this morning. I was a total wimp and didn't want to get wet. So I ran on the treadmill instead. 6 miles. It is so boring on the treadmill so I just make stuff up as I go. I felt pretty good again but know that the 3 7:50's I did last week were too fast. So started at 9 min miles and dropped the pace a little every mile. Last half at 7:50. Good and challenging run but not so much that I will feel it tomorrow.

Annoyed that my watch ran out mid run. It's not charging right. Anyhow shooting for 9 min miles. First 6 8:45 average. Not sure about last 6. Think I slowed down on the last 2.

Just a quick run to loosen up.

Ran around Annapolis. It can be hard to find a good route in different cities. It took a while but I eventually found some nice running. Pretty slow run overall but last mile 8:43. Trying to make sure tired legs know what 9 min mile pace feels like.

Legs feel tired. Not a surprise since I have been increasing milage. Last 4 in 8:45 average.

Last 5 in 8:39 average. Felt pretty good. Usually when I lose focus while running I slow down a lot. Interesting that today I did not at all. I think that is a good thing. Achillies is bothering me now. Didn't while I was running.  

Raining off and on for whole run.  Pretty slow and easy for most of it.  Not motivated and trying to rest for tomorrow.  Last mile in 8:14 just for fun.  Nice consistant runs this week.  Happy with that.  It should get even easier next week when I don't have to worry about getting home in time to make sure the kids are awake for school.

I am so lucky to be able to run. I am always filled with gratitude standing at the start line of a race, happy to be with others who are running and thinking of others who cannot.

Pretty happy with the time, on target for what I expected. Unhappy about pacing 7:30, 7:40, 8:10. It was a bit of a downhill out and uphill back and no one passed me on the way back so maybe effort was more even than it looks. But I was more tired the last mile than I wanted to be.

Mostly felt good, just long and boring. Last 6 miles 8:50 average. Last mile 8:30. Just wanted to be done already. Could not have sustained this for 26 miles. Not even close.

Not sure how to get from here to there. Well that's not true I know run further, run faster and lose weight. The devil is in the details of that. It's the how fast, how far and how soon that is the issue. I feel a long way from being able to sustain 9 min miles for a marathon. Typically when I have increased training it felt like I struggled with the new level for a few weeks then it got easier. Seemed like fitness came in jumps not gradually. This time that doesn't seem to be happening. Perhaps it is because the last time I tried to do anything more than run for fitness it was over 20 years ago. I need those 9 min miles to feel effortless. Then I will be ready.

5 easy. Just trying to stay lose after weekend

Could not wake up this morning. 5 on treadmill. 3 in under 8 min/mile.

Hot and muggy. Bailed after 3.5. Hoping to do more on the treadmill but just never had time.

Started slow but then felt pretty good. Last six in 8:34 average. Wasn't really trying to run that fast. That is just what the legs wanted to run. Overall not a great week. Not nearly as consistent as I need to be. Was basically shooting for a long run and the rest 8 milers. I couldn't make it happen this week.

Slow

Wasn't so bad. 8 miles in I was thinking 8 left that's not so bad a little over an hour left to run. Maybe that's the mindset that the long runs develop. Wanted to run last 4 miles at 9 min per mile. Body decided that 8 miles in was a good time to start running that pace. I finished the run at the same pace. The last two weren't easy. After I finished and looked at my watch I realized that I actually ran last ten at 9 min mile pace. Pretty solid run. Pretty tired now.

Slow and easy. Things tight at the start but loosened up ok.

3 in the middle at 8:42 pace. The rest was pretty slow. Some thoughts of the run.

1. One marathon I am considering running is in 11 weeks. Given where I am I don't know if that is doable.

2. Sundays run was too hard. Still feeling tired and flat today. Need to get strong runs in during the week. Every other day is ok, but not once a week.

3. I read a study that said for mid pack runners it is more reasonable to add almost a min per mile to your half marathon time than to use the pace predictors. Results were based on a bunch of runners who did halfs then fulls 6-8 weeks apart. So I should run 8:10 pace for half? 1:47. Seems like a reasonable goal. But not there today.

4. I have been running more and cross training less. Probably should do more core work, stretching, and weights. But where will the time come from.

5. Since I have been at the gym less I haven't been in the hot tub. Is it wrong to go to the gym just for the hot tub?

Felt pretty awful. 75 degrees, 100% humidity. Run itself was good. 8:30 average for last six miles. I was working at keeping that pace but felt fine once I stopped. An hour later ready to do it again. That is how a hard but not too hard run is supposed to feel to me.

Slow and easy.

Much stronger run than I expected. Last 7 miles under 9/mile. Last one in 8:10. Surprised a little coming at the end of a long week. I probably won't run tomorrow or Monday because of work so glad I got this in.

Pretty solid run after two days off and expecting to be off tomorrow due to work.

8:48 average.  After a mile warm up I was running 8:30's for 5 miles.  Then I hit the hills and the sun came up and it got very hot.  I could barely hold a 9 min mile pace after that.

77 degrees 100% humidity. Slogged through this one. Legs tired from Tuesday. There was a time when I would have been quite happy with 9:30 miles but not anymore. Still it's done, I am not hurt and I can run another day.

8:56 average. That's good but I was really tired doing it. Legs just have no pop. Expecting them to feel better already. But nothing hurts so I am just going to keep running through it. I need to come up with a more specific plan than long run on weekend, increase milage to around 50/week, and throw in some faster stuff when feeling good.

I have decided to run Philly marathon. I think it's 20 weeks from now. Wish I knew how to best use that time.

Legs sore from Thursday faster run so cut it short.

I was happy to finish this one. Legs were sore yesterday and I ended up cutting my run short to hopefully be able to do this one. Started out slowly and nothing hurt so managed to get it done. After ten miles my watch kept giving me a distance alert. Don't know why. A boredom alert was more appropriate. Only ran last mile at marathon pace., but did get the distance in.

Pretty slow today. Tired from yesterday still. Running 16 miles then 8 hours at the beach.

Legs still a little sluggish. Do I wait until everything feels good before I try to push faster? Decided that if I am training to improve things aren't consistently gonna feel great until it's time to race. So did some intervals at 8 min pace. Workout overall was pretty easy.

20 weeks until philly marathon. I could probably benefit from a plan. None of them fit where I am and where I want to go. Guess I should find something close and modify it. As summer vacations approach I need to make sure my long runs are in the schedule.

Easy. Legs felt pretty good. Last mile 8:16

Nothing fancy just getting in the miles. Slow and steady. Nothing hurting, but hot and humid no zip. Last one at 7:57.

I ran as hard as I could in the heat and the sun and that was just the best I had today. I slowed down in the end but so did everyone else. No one passed me last 2 miles. But I dropped off the 8 min pace I was running. It was a hilly, sunny and hot course. I would like to think that I can run 8 min miles for a 10k. Today though I had 4.5 miles at that pace then I was just done. Sides were crampy for most of the race.

The advantage of being old is that time still won a pie.

Steady 9:30 pace. Wasn't even going to run today but dog woke me up at 6. I was going to sleep in. Family reminded me that since I have trained the dog to get up every morning at 5 that she did sleep in and so did I.

Hot and Humid.  Legs did not want to go so mostly very slow run.  Last mile 7:43.

Severe thunderstorms passing through this AM so headed to the gym.  After a 3 mile warmup I did intervals at 7:53.  It feels harder than I think it should.

Pretty slow overall. Last mile in 9 min. Needed to move long runs to mid week due to upcoming vacations and travel. Unfortunately didn't make plan until yesterday after hard run.

A little bit cooler and much less humid today.  Legs were tired from yesterday.  Average 9:23, last mile under 9.

Wanted a solid faster run. Started out shooting for 9 min miles. Was feeling ok so kept going at a pace that was hard but sustainable. Averaged 8:30. Ran last 6 miles at a faster pace than the 10k race I did last week. This is the kind of run I feel like I need to do a lot of. 6-12 mile range 8-8:30 mile pace. It's not the kind of run any of the training plans call for on a consistent basis.

On the hotel treadmill, boring. Pretty slow but that was the plan. 

Don't usually count the odd tents of a mile but it was uphill. I want credit.

Run today was incredible, I am on vacation and watching the sunrise over the mountains was amazing. I was almost crying with joy just to have the opportunity to see that.

Other thoughts: why am I not doing Lake Placid ironman? Seeing some of the other folks out there today made me annoyed that I decided not to do it. I realized a few months ago that I couldn't both train for ironman and also run a boston qualifier. So I made the runners decision. Maybe next year.

Up and down the hills. Nothing fast, just putting in the miles. Everything feels good.

Nothing fast, too many hills, cars and other people. Part of the run might have been one of the top 10 places I have ever run except oft the traffic which dropped it way down the list.

A couple of 9 min miles. Felt good and easy. Now that my distance is up where I want it and the body has adapted to it I need to start working more on speed. That probably won't happen in the planned and consistent way I want it to until done traveling in mid august.

Other thoughts. There are lots of young thin and very fit looking young men and women wearing the blue wrist bands that signify they are doing ironman on Sunday. That doesn't bother me one bit. The ones that bother me are the folks who aren't so fit looking. If they can do it why can't I. Well the simple answer is because I didn't devote the time to it. Still makes me angry that I can't do everything. Full time job, 4 kids, train for marathon. No time to add significant biking and swim time. Will shoot for next year.

Decent run. A couple of 9 min miles. Hard to do more than that with all the hills, cars and people.

Ran down to start of ironman Lake Placid. What an incredible event. A serious thunderstorm rolled in right in the middle of the swim. Lightning was everywhere and people were still swimming. I couldn't believe how long it took them to make the call and get folks out of the water. I stayed for some of the bike leg as well. Those top guys are seriously fast. Would have loved to be at the finish at the very end. The courage average people have to keep going after 16 hours is amazing.

Realized that to run a 1:49 half I need to run 8:20 per mile. Ran a few of those today.

Wanted to go further but just didn't have it today.

Things felt pretty good so I was pushing the pace for the first 4. 8:10 per mile. Second 4 were more hilly so I planned on slowing down a bit. Still averaged 8:22 for the whole run. The first few miles I kept thinking I could run 2 seconds per mile faster for each pound I lose. I could afford to lose 10 pounds, but I love eating.

Pretty slow. Could feel the fatigue from yesterday's run. Last mile 8:15.

I like running on vacation I get to try some new routes see different wildlife tour new cities. I don't like it when I can't find nice safe roads. Today was a mix of both. After 2 miles on narrow road with no shoulder I came to a nice wide road right along the shore. I was able to stay on that for the next three. Then headed back to hotel.  

Timewise it was a solid run 8:58 average. Pretty solid week overall. Three faster runs and milage in the right ballpark. U

Solid 8 miles up and down the hills in North Carolina. Beautiful run on a remote country road. 9:02 average pace.

AM 6 miles up and down the hills here. Great sunrise over the lake. 8:54 average.

PM  5k. This was awesome for so many reasons.  I got to run with a very dear friend. We ran our first race together over 35 years ago. She is an amazing woman. I beat both my 14 year old boys. It was hot and hilly and they just couldn't stay with me. My time wasn't great but considering the heat and hills and 6 miles this morning I am very happy. We couldn't stick around for awards but I think I was the first masters female and my friend won her age group. 

No watch. Just taking it easy today.

Slow again today. Last mile 8:50. The run was worth it because I rescued a box turtle from the middle of the road. Hope I relocated him to the side he wanted.

Legs still flat today. Got the run done but nothing to be excited about. The heat and hills are taking a toll on the legs. The sun, swimming, eating and staying up late isn't helping either. Vacation is hard work.

Legs felt much better today. 8:55 average. Not bad considering the hills.

Boring miles on hotel treadmill. Headed home. 6 weeks until Philly R&R.

Tired legs. Not enough sleep on vacation. 

Still slow. Annoyed that I can run consistently faster. Last mile 8:40 rest around 10. 

Wanted to do a long run today. Not ideal timing but 1PM was the only time I could get out. 84 degrees and sunny. I thought I would try a gel. Never did before. So I ran 8 miles then had a gel and a bottle of water. Didn't notice much difference in running until mile 12. I have never had a cramp in my leg until today. Calf just balled up. Couldn't stretch it out. Couldn't walk it off. Just limped home at a very slow jog.

Run was ok until then about 9:20 miles. That is about what I was shooting for.

Not idea what happened. I have run faster longer and hotter runs so I guess I am going to blame the gel. But it could also be leg massage this morning or 8mm drop shoes, or too many days running in a row.

Pretty slow. Calf still sore. Took about 3 miles to warm up then felt ok but not lose. Last mile under 9 min. I think this is a run through type of strain. Have a few easier/off days coming up. That should help.

Calf still sore but less than yesterday. Takes a long time to loosen up. But then feels ok.

Happy that this one is in the books. It was an ok but not great run. Calf is still sore so taking it pretty easy for most of the run. Kept dropping the pace a little bit every few miles. Last three under 9:00. Last one 8:36.

5 weeks until half. Wish I could start adding some faster stuff but feel like I need to keep it pretty easy until calf feels better. Need what is a minor strain not to turn into a major issue.

For unknown reasons watch stopped working. Steady run. Calf much better.

Finally a run that felt good. Calf was essentially pain free, just a little tight when I started. Was able to run some faster (for me) miles. 8:44 average. Last one 8:10. Feel like now I can start adding some speed work and some hard runs.

Decent run.  Not feeling peppy but got it done at a reasonable pace.  Last mile under 9 min.

Another solid run. 8:41 average. Some nice observations I was daydreaming and was running 8:15. Usually when I zone out my pace gets slower. I wanted to run the last mile in 8:20 so I was resting a bit on mile 7. Resting at a 9 min mile pace. That is how I want those 9 min miles to feel. Overall a good run. Still significant doubts remain. 8 miles is a long way from 26 miles. I will have to keep running for more than 2 1/2 hours longer.

4 weeks until Philly half. Will try to get in some faster runs in the next couple of weeks. Will back off a little the week before. But since I am shooting for a time that will be taxing to get I will need an easy week after too. Don't want to take too much of a break.

Feel pretty good about this one. It's done, that's the best part. I can afford to eat a lot today :) Ran around 10 min/mile for first 15. That felt pretty easy. Last 5 I ran 9 min miles. Mostly it felt pretty good. Tired when I dropped the pace but very doable. Still have significant doubts about 26 miles. But on race day unlike today I won't have run 17 miles in the last two days and won't have run 7 yesterday under 8:32/mile.

Just a run to loosen up and check and see how things feel after yesterday. Things felt pretty good. Left hamstring a little slow to loosen up but felt fine when it did.

Talked to a serious runner who thinks I am in a very good position training wise for a marathon three months from now. That was nice to hear. I am training as hard as I can while respecting an older body. Planning on adding some faster stuff tomorrow.

Three mile warm up. Two would have been ok. Then 4 interval miles. Wasn't sure what to expect because other than racing I haven't done any faster work for a while. Was shooting for 8 min miles. 8:20, 8:05, 8:25, 7:59. Jogging quarter between. Interesting. I must have fallen asleep in the third one. It felt pretty easy to hit those times I wasn't really breathing hard, but was glad to stop when I finished. One mile cool down.

2 mile warmup. Then 5 @ 8:10 average. Was shooting for 8:20 but it was too dark to consistently see my watch to stay on track for the first 3. Kept trying to go a little faster so I could be sure to come under time. Feels good to finish the planned workout. Feels good to be running well without any worry some niggles. Still don't feel confident about meeting my time goals for either the half or full marathon. And maybe I won't but I am still incredibly grateful that at 50 I am still able to be out there running.

Just wasn't feeling it today. It was colder than I am used to (52). Legs loosened up ok but then got tight about 6 miles in. Headed home and called it a day. I was aiming for 10 today but just didn't feel like it. if have run pretty hard all week so it's ok.

Nothing fancy. Would have run more but couldn't get up any earlier. Last two under 9 min per mile.

Worked all weekend so not much time or energy for a run.  Did 4 at 8:20 pace.  Between tired legs, lack of sleep, 85 degrees and 100% humidity this wasn't easy.

Last couple at 9 min mile pace.  Pretty easy run.  running 9:25 was feeling effortless.  Thats nice.

Was not feeling good today. Could have pushed through a few more miles but since I was going so slow it didn't seem all that beneficial. Tomorrow is another day.

Glad I took it easy yesterday.  I was able to do the run I wanted today which was I think more important than another slow 8 miler.  2 mile warm up and then 6 miles at 8:18 average pace.  Other than the 1 slightly downhill mile I was within a couple of seconds for each one.  It felt hard but I could have kept going.  Not sure if i could keep going for another 7 miles but we shall see.  One mile cool down.

Still not feeling great physically.  Whole family is complaining of back to school malaise - sore throats, headaches, tired.  Will try to get some extra sleep this weekend and shake it off.

Not sleeping great. Kids back to school schedule is throwing everything off. This week wasn't a great week milage wise but perhaps I needed an easier week. Today's run was ok but I had to be back early to get kids up for soccer so had to cut it a little shorter than I planned. I really have nothing to complain about. Kids are great. Running is going well.

Still feels hard at the end. Mainly running 9:30s's from 5 miles on. Tried to drop down to 9 for the last six but after about a mile I got a rock in my shoe that had to come out. Sitting down for 30 sec really threw me off. Finished at about 9:15 pace but couldn't seem to get below that. Need to run more longer runs so that I am not so tired. No idea where to find the time for that.

Pretty easy. The legs were still a bit tired from Sunday. Last 3 miles at 9 min pace.

2 warm up them 7 at 8:18 average. Last hard run before the half.

An arbitrary distance. Just wanted the weekly total to be 50. Slow and easy.

Easy with a few pickups. Everything feels pretty good. Just need to let a few sore spots heal up for Sunday.

Easy the whole way. Cold enough to wear tights. Things feel good

Easy pace today.  A few short pickups.  Everything feels good and my pace is dropping with the same effort.  That is a good sign that there is less acumulated fatigue in my legs.  I used to know I was ready to race when I would go on a run and just want to run fast.

I would love to run with a pacer for this race so I could just show up and not waste energy on doing it myself.  The closest pacer is running 4 min faster than what I think I should be aiming for.  Might go out the first mile with the pace group so that I don't go out too fast and then drop off.

It's going to be a bit on the warmer side which should be ok for me.

Pretty easy run.  Some guy came off a side road and joined me.  He was running about the same pace (10 min/mile) but he didn't want to have a nice conversation about running routes, upcomming races, kids or anything.  He just wanted to out run me. He clearly couldn't.  He kept speeding up and I just matched his pace.  After about a mile when he was really sucking wind I went by him, wished him a good morning and sped up.  I know this was quite immature on my part but I just couldn't help it.

Things feel pretty good.  Not happy about the lower milage this week but need to rest up to run a decent half.  Weather looking pretty good.

Just enough.

Well... Not at all what I hoped for but the best I had today.

Came into the race fairly well rested and better prepared than last year so I fully expected to run faster.

Started out right on target. Was shooting for 8:18 per mile. My watch was off and that made it harder to judge. Second and third mile also right on pace. Working to keep that pace but well within myself. Then I started to get side cramps. I hung on until 6 miles but then needed to slow down. Frustrating cause I have run that pace for longer in workouts. After that I just kept getting slower and slower. Legs just refused to move faster. I wasn't running with a smooth stride from the hips. I was just gimping along. My goals kept shifting. First I wanted to break 1:49. Then 1:50. Then I just wanted to beat my time from last year. Then I just didn't want to walk. Finally I came up with a goal that I was able to achieve - I finished before they ran out of chocolate milk.

Rethinking fall plans. I have no desire to run a marathon if I can't break 4:00 which it looks like I can't.

That all sounds pretty pessimistic. It's not meant to be I am grateful to be a part of the running community and at 50 to simply be able to finish a half is a precious gift.

Just enough to loosen up. Legs felt pretty good. The folks I talked to today about the race all ran slower than last year. I am still disappointed.

Easy run.  Legs feel pretty good.

Raining today so headed to the gym.   Pretty easy run on the treadmill.  Last 2 miles faster.  Thinking that if I want to run faster longer I might have to run faster shorter first.  The run time predictors don't seem acurate for me.  Maybe they aren't so good for older runners.

Trying to keep it under 9 min miles.  Fairly easy run.

Still up in the air about running marathon.  Have to decide today if I am gonna change to half.

9 min miles. Pretty comfortable.

8:50 average. Legs feeling much better now. Really took two weeks to completely recover from the half.

Lots of  other things on adgenda today.  4 miles at 8:08 pace.

Ran with a group for the first time in years, since collage.   I have off and on done a couple of miles with some groups when our paths accidently cross but this is the first time I showed up at the start of a run with the intention of running together.  It was an okay change of pace for me.  I didn't have any trouble hanging on to the pace, average was around 9 with a couple of 8:30s.  Not sure how it fits into my training.  Not sure right now how my training fits into anything.  I think I am trying to shorten the distance and drop the pace some.  Then add back more distance.

4 miles at 8:05 per mile.

Average 8:44.  One in the middle at 8:06.  I cannot run 9 and 10 min miles every day and then show up and expect to race 8 min miles.  Over the next few months I am gonna work on getting that pace down and worry less about overall distance.  Working on getting this old body to go faster without getting hurt.  When I was younger I had plenty of speed and my only training for distance events was to run about 2/3 of the distance at a slow pace and then just show up and run fast.  30 years later that strategy does not work at all.

5 on the treadmill. 4 at 8:00 average. No more work weekends for a whole. Should make running more consistent again.

8:50 average. Legs a bit tired from yesterday.

8:45 average. I have been running pretty well, increasing milage and doing some faster stuff since June. I am puzzled that I don't seem faster.

50 but windy. Wish I had worn more than shorts and a tee shirt. Why when it's windy is it always a headwind. No matter which direction I run the wind is always blowing toward me. 8:35 average. Want to keep pushing that average down without making these hard runs.

Went with the group again. Was challenging. Ave was 8:50, but first two were slow last 4 at 8:30. Better workout than I would have done on my own.

Ran with the group again. It's like a who's who of the local masters women. It is not easy to hang on their pace the whole way. They chat and gossip, laughing and carrying on like they are in a Starbucks over a cup of coffee. I am gasping for air the whole way. Can sometimes grunt out a "no it's good" when they ask if the pace is too fast.

8:47 average. Legs a little tired.

8:51 average. Pretty flat today. I am not sure why but I seem less fit than I did earlier in the summer. In late June I ran a 5k that I was pretty happy with. Feels like I have gotten slower since then. Will see tomorrow, running a hilly 9 miler. Not expecting much. Ran the course last weekend in 8:50 average. Guess that is what I am shooting for tomorrow.

Thrilled with my time on a hilly windy course. This is the kind of run I expected in the half. Last mile in 8:30. That's all I had left. Didn't even place in my age group. There are a lot of "fast" over 50 year olds that live in the area.

Slow. Just couldn't find a comfortable pace.

Under 9 min per mile average

Ran with the group today. Challenging pace at times. Under 9 average.

Raining today so on the treadmill. Mentally tired. Hard to be uncomfortable today so couldn't really push as hard as I wanted. Just kept increasing the pace to 7:30 miles

Tried a workout called orange therapy. Not for me. Squandered half of my my running hour on rower.

Pretty easy. Cold but tolerable.

Nothing fancy, same loop as yesterday.  9:05 average

easy pace with the group.  Thinking about spring marathons.  Need one that is about 50 degrees and downhill and within driving distance of Philly.  So far no options that I love.  Perhaps first I need to get myself into a position where I can run the time I want to and then worry about where I can do it.

9 min average. A few in the 8:30 range. That is a bit fast for me but I will not get dropped when running in a group. There might be one woman in the group who is slower than me, out of 15 or so. It was a hard run but not so hard that I will be sore.

Getting colder.  Polar vortex or something.  Worried about ice the whole way but didn't find any. 

A bit further than I planned. Was running down to meet a group and ran into some who were doing extra miles. So ended up doing the extra miles. About 6 miles under 9 min pace. Overall good effort. Still looking for that downhill spring marathon.

Went for a hilly course today. The legs were tired from yesterday. Not a great run but what I needed today.

Cold and windy. Went for the treadmill. I theory I plan to use indoor days on the treadmill to work on speed. But it is so boring. Going from 8:20 to 8:12 kept my heart rate around 150. I think I should be faster. That really wasn't a speed workout. More of a 10k pace.

Pretty hilly run. 8:30 to 9 min pace. Struggled to stay with the group on some of the hills.

Slow and easy

Did not run the Philly half for a number of reasons.  Mainly its too big a time commitment to run it as a training run.  I am not in a position to shoot for the time I want so wouldnt have raced it and needlessly came away with sore legs.

Ran 10 miles at 8:48 average.  Felt pretty strong until last mile and a half.  Still able to hold the pace without increasing physical effort.  Mentally it was work.

nice recovery run.

With kids and work this is all I could get in today.

8:30 average.  Last mile in 8 min.  This might have been a bit too fast especially on a pretty hilly route, but it felt good and I needed to get back to cook.

Seems like yesterday was a little too hard.  Resting heart rate was up by 10 today.  Nice easy run today.  Cold but I shouldn't complain about 27 degrees when others run when it is so much colder.

It's hard for me to know where that sweet spot is to train.  Thirty years ago I just ran every workout as hard as I could.  Now I have been trying to get in 2-3 hard workouts a week.  After almost a year of this I expect to be getting better.  It doesn't really seem like I am.  I have picked up the intensity of my training again after the half.  Been running shorter workouts faster but have dropped the 16 milers.  So am I any closer to my goal?

Too cold outside so 6 on treadmill.  4 ave 8:30.  Last quarter 7:30

Around 9:15 average. Nothing exciting but the miles are in the bank.

Pace with the group felt easier today. Not sure if that means I am in slightly better shape or it's just part of the ebb and flow of workouts. Garmin still put me in zone 5. I don't buy that. I wasn't working that hard. I think it miscalculates max heart rate for older runners then it's zones are off.

Easy

Another local race to humble me. Course is challenging. First mile is all downhill. Second mile is up hill. By the third I just hope I can hang on. A few local races use this course so I have run it a few times. Today was the fastest by almost a min. 17 sec per mile faster than last year. Happy with effort. Spent at the end but won't be sore tomorrow. Came away with age group third place.

Felt pretty good considering I raced yesterday. Was carefully listening for any twinges. Injury would be bad. But there were none so I ran 8 miles at 8:40 average. Probably faster than I needed too but it's done.

Feeling more enthusiastic about training again. Was pretty burned out after half. Thought it was more emotional than physical. Need to figure out a plan that I can follow that gets me some strength and speed training, more core work, stretching and upper body weights, and more time in the hot tub. I can do all that but I have to also be flexible with work and weather.

Just enough to loosen up.  Stretching and weights at the gym today.

7 miles on treadmill.  6 under 8:40.  Felt pretty easy.

So windy I felt like a cartoon character running in place at times. Watch ran out of battery in the middle but I know I was running pretty slow.

Slippery so pretty slow.

Pretty slow. Legs do not like the cold they feel more sore after a run.

8:42 average. Not sure what to think about this one. Suggested training paces say it was too fast. I was shooting for 9 min miles but once I started rolling at 8:45 I just kept going. Pace felt right. Part of me thinks that I have to be able to run the shorter stuff faster than 9 min marathon goal pace so that when I run longer I will have the endurance to sustain it. Another part says I should devote a lot of runs at 9 min pace so I can lock in that pace. And the last part says I should follow the training paces because they must know what they are doing.

Basically I am gonna keep running by feel, trying to get faster and stronger while carefully listening to the body and trying to avoid injury. Given that - run today was perfect. Will go easy tomorrow.

Pretty easy pace with the group.

3 miles of faster running. A quarter on a quarter off. Watch wasn't working right. Only have mile splits. It was pitch dark and foggy. No way to adjust watch. They were at least under 8.

Thinking about Vermont marathon.

9:06 average with the group. Felt faster than that. Some long gradual hills on the run.

Didn't feel great. Too cold. Legs were sore and crampy. Still held 9 min mile pace.

What a difference a week makes. Ran about a min per mile slower than last week. Heart rate was in the low 130's the whole way. Just didn't have the drive to go faster. Guess the combination of cold and 9 miles yesterday made me slow today.

Easy run.

With the crew. A bit rainy but tolerable. 9 min ave.

3 mile warm up then 6 x 1/4 mile with 1/4 slow between. 7:30 on the fast part.

Pretty slow. Last mile 8:35.

It doesn't seem as far as it used to, but still sounds like a long way. I really don't mind the 7,8 or even 10 milers but longer than that I get bored and tired. Pretty relaxed today. Hilly course ran around 10 min miles last one in 9 pretty easily.

Ready to start bumping up the milage again. Looks like I will shoot for Cleveland marathon in May.

Just enough to loosen up today. Everything feels good.

Cold and slow.