Sunday, December 24, 2006

Training 12/18 - 12/24

Mon- Rest

Tues- Tripp 10K, 6.2 mi, 0:42:50, 0:06:55/mi

Evening: Upper body weights, 44 min

Wed- Rest

Thurs- Rain Run - Last 3 mi lactate threshold (6:46, 6:37, 6:21), 7.1 mi, 0:53:33, 0:07:33/mi overall

Fri- Treadmill - Four 1/2 mi 10% incline with 1/2 mi recovery, 4.5 mi, 0:40:56, 0:09:06/mi; those were tough!

Sat- MKT (flat), 10 mi, 1:19:23, 0:07:56/mi

Sun- Prathersville+ (hills), 16 mi, 2:05:37, 0:07:51/mi

Afternoon: Upper body weights, 40 min

Running: 43.8 mi

Cycling: 0

Weight-lifting: 84 min

YTD Running: 1891.4 mi (looks like I’m going to be about 153 less than last year)

YTD Cycling: 575.6 mi

December 31st-First Night 5K
Janurary 6th-Runner’s Choice 10K/20K
February 3rd-Nut Race 5K
March 17th-St. Patrick’s Day 5K
April 1st-Hogeye Marathon

Monday, December 18, 2006

Training 12/11 - 12/17

Mon- Rest

Tues- Jaira's Jaunt, 7.1 mi, 54:50, 7:43/mi

Evening: Upper body weights, 42 min

Wed- Rest

Thurs- Rain Run, 7.2 mi, 50:17, 6:59/mi

Fri- Rest

Sat- Column’s, 10 mi, 1:24:19, 8:26/mi

Sun- Prathersville Loop+2, 14.4 mi, 1:52:57, 7:51/mi

I am now officially training for my April 1st marathon so I increased my long run this week. This is a hilly course and felt it went really well. I backtracked 1 mile up the biggest hill on the course to add 2 more miles.

Evening: upper body weights, 39 min

Running: 38.7 mi

Cycling: 0

Weight-lifting: 81 min

YTD Running: 1847.6 mi

YTD Cycling: 575.6 mi

December 31st-First Night 5K
Janurary 6th-Runner’s Choice 10K/20K
February 3rd-Nut Race 5K
March 17th-St. Patrick’s Day 5K
April 1st-Hogeye Marathon

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Training 12/4 - 12/10 - Cheese and Sauerkraut 10 miler

Mon- upper body weights, 47 min

Tues- Snow Route, 6.2 mi, 46:40, 7:32/mi

Wed- Rest

Thurs- Snow Route, 6.3 mi, 46:06, 7:19/mi

Fri- Rest

Sat- Cheese and Sauerkraut, 10 mi, 1:16:39, 7:40/mi

This is a prediction race that is run without a watch. I did not take the snow on the trail into consideration and predicted 1:07:00 (my time for last year). We started on the trail. I was in the lead at the beginning and stayed in the lead for the entire course which is 2 loops. On the last part of the loop, we run on the trail again. The condition of the trail with the hard snow was treacherous. After the first loop back on the pavement, I seemed to regain my speed, but once I hit the trail again I slowed a lot. I ended up being the second worst predictor so I didn’t go home with the sauerkraut. I placed 1st out of about 18 people. My ankles and legs felt pretty beat up at the end.















Sun- Prathersville Loop, 12.4 mi, 1:50:32, 8:55/mi

I woke up at 6:30 am and tried to think of an excuse to put the run off until later since my legs were sore. The temp outside was 36F so I decided that I didn’t have any excuses. Although the pace was slow it was an enjoyable run as the sun came up.

Evening: upper body weights, 37 min

Running: 34.9 mi

Cycling: 0

Weight-lifting: 84 min

YTD Running: 1808.9 mi

YTD Cycling: 575.6 mi

December 9th-Cheese and Sauerkraut 10 Miler
December 31st-First Night 5K
Janurary 6th-Runner’s Choice 10K/20K
February 3rd-Nut Race 5K
March 17th-St. Patrick’s Day 5K
April 1st-Hogeye Marathon

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Rusty's Comeback: A Race to Bark About

NOTE: The following article was printed in the November 2006 Columbia Track Club Newsletter. Also, The Complete Running Network will be publishing an article about dogs and listing this blog in the article.

Related Link: Dog Jog 2003: A Day in the Life of a Dog

On October 7th, I ran the 13th Annual Dog Jog 5K Run (sponsored by the MU College of Veterinary Medicine Class of 2008) with my 9-year-old dog Rusty. Rusty loves to run and has only missed this race once since 1997. We call the Dog Jog "Puppy Christmas" at our house because it’s the most exciting day of the year for Rusty.

Rusty, a German Shepherd/Lab mix, was born in 1997 and has been running ever since he was a puppy. Rusty was just a puppy the first year we ran the dog jog, and I led him for most of the race because he could not keep up. He showed his competitive streak in 1998-2000 and pulled me during the race because I couldn’t keep his pace. I became a faster runner in 2001, and Rusty might’ve mellowed out somewhat, and from 2001 – 2004 we finished as the first place male-human-with-dog team with a minimum of pulling on either part.

I was out of town in 2005 at the time of the race but doubt Rusty would have been able to run very well; he had developed a problem with his left back leg in November 2004 and would not place weight on it. The vet took an MRI and found a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and prescribed glucosamine for arthritis and Deramaxx for pain. On some days Rusty seemed better, but then he would overextend himself running and limp and walk on 3 legs afterward. He still wanted to run during this time, and once he started running, he usually managed to run with all 4 legs, but he paid for it later.

The vet took another MRI in October 2005, and nothing had changed. Since Rusty wasn’t getting better and waiting would put him at risk for arthritis, we decided to try ACL repair surgery. An artificial suture was placed alongside the joint to "fool" the knee joint into thinking there is a ligament and permit it to move in a normal fashion. It was difficult to keep Rusty still during the recovery, but he recuperated quickly. Sometimes he would have a setback when he overdid it, but in the past year he seems to have made a full recovery with no major problems.

This year Rusty was at the start line, barking and ready for the race to start. We took off at a pretty good pace and were near the lead with 2 other dogs. Rusty kept a steady pace during the race and didn’t seem to slow down too much. He was not pulling me, and I didn’t want to push him, so I ran his pace. Near the last 250 yards, I decided to see if we could pass Mike Denehy and his dog Riley. Rusty pulled ahead with me, and we passed them crossing the finish line. We won by only 1 second, finishing with a time of 19:35. During the awards ceremony, Rusty demonstrated good sportsmanship by barking for many of the winners when the humans applauded.

Here’s a picture of Rusty and me sitting in the back of our Honda Element with all of our Dog Jog souvenirs.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Training 11/27 - 12/3

Mon- Rest

Tues- Dreier Dirty Dozen, 9.1 mi, 1:08:08, 7:29/mi

Evening: upper body, 40 min

Wed- Rest

Thurs- MKT to Bridge, 7.8 mi, 57:29, 7:22/mi

Fri- 14 inches of snow. I shoveled snow for about 2.5 hrs.

Bruno romping in the snow

Snow-covered hot tub

Sat- Jingle Bell Run was cancelled on Sat. morning.

3.7 mi in snow, 41:10, 11:10/mi

A few of us decided to attempt to do a run. We ended up running to the trail and then back downtown. Running in snow hard work!

Sun- Rest. Lower back hurt and no energy. I slept a lot today.

Running: 20.6 mi

Cycling: 0

Weight-lifting: 40 min

YTD Running: 1774 mi

YTD Cycling: 575.6 mi

December 9th-Cheese and Sauerkraut 10 Miler
December 31st-First Night 5K

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Training 11/20 - 11/26 & Thanksgiving Day Pie Run

Mon- Boatman Hill Rd, 6 mi, 53:24, 8:54/mi

Tues- Jaira’s Jaunt, 7.1 mi, 56:38, 7:59/mi

Wed- Rest

Thurs- Thanksgiving Day Pie Run

This year we arrived early so that we could run the 3.1 mile loop completely flat course once as a warm up. We ran at about a 9 min/mile pace and ended up at the start line about 5 minutes before the race started. Originally, I was thinking about running the 5K since I would have a better chance at placing in the top 3 in my age group. I don’t get many opportunities to run a 10K and I thought that I might have a good chance of setting a 10K PR again this year. I ended up registering for the 10K and Hugh ran the 5K.

The 10K start line was behind the 5Kstart line so I quickly caught up to the slower 5K runners so it was a bit crowded at first. The 10K course was 2 laps around the course. My goal was to run a 6:22/pace, but after the first mile I decided that maybe 6:30 was more realistic. I felt good the first loop and my splits were:

M1-6:30
M2-6:27
M3-6:39

The second loop I maintained my pace and no one passed me. I did seem to be gaining a bit on the runner in front of me, but never passed him. At 6 miles, I picked up the pace a little for the last 0.2 miles.

M4-6:22
M5-6:26
M6-6:37
M6.2-1:18 (6:30 pace)

Overall pace: 6:30/mi

My HR averaged 163 and I decided to run to cool down. At first I thought I would just run out a little, but I felt so good I decided to do the entire 3.1 mile loop again.

My time was 40:18, 53 seconds off my 10K PR which was on the same course last year. My next goal is to get my 10K under 40. I placed 4th in the 30 – 39 age group and 8th overall out of 43 runners in the 10K. Hugh placed 4th in his age group in the 5K and 37th of 159 runners with a time of 22:05. No pies (top 3 win pies) for either one of us but Hugh was only 4 seconds from 3rd in his age group. I should have run the 5K for a pie since 1st place in my age group was 20:42, but I ran the 10K to break a PR.

We didn’t win any of the door prizes which were provided by Walmart, Target, Coca-Cola Bottling Company, All N#1 Sports, and Larsigns Engraving. Chez Monet Bakery donated the award pies.

Fri- Rocky Fork Conservation Area, 6 mi, 52:40, 8:47/mi

Later morning: upper body weights, 36 min

Sat- Fulton City Trail, 9.5 mi, 1:28:00, 9:16/mi

Sun- Prathersville Loop, 12.4 mi, 1:45:56, 8:33/mi

Evening: Weights, upper body, 47 min

Running: 53.4 mi

Cycling: 0

Weight-lifting: 83 min

YTD Running: 1753.4 mi

YTD Cycling: 575.6 mi

December 2nd-Jinglebell 5K Run for Arthritis
December 9th-Cheese and Sauerkraut 10 Miler
December 31st-First Night 5K

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Training 11/13 - 11/19 and Cross Country Xtreme

Mon- Rest

Tues- Dave’s Dirty Devil, 6.66 mi, 50:46, 7:37/mi

Wed- Rest

Thurs- Rain run, 7.1 mi, 52:20, 7:22/mi

Evening: Weights, upper body, 40 min

Fri-Rest

Sat- Boatman Hill (7 am), 6 mi, 54:40, 9:07/mi

Cross County XTreme (9 am)-~3 mi, 28 min

This was my first Cross Country Xtreme and it was a fun event. Many people dressed in costume for the race. We ran through over creeks, in muddy creeks trying to dodge mud and trees, sawdust/manure uphill, and over big round hay bales. Along the way, we looked for 4 different buckets of wrist bands. Each bucket had a different color and we could take one from each bucket. We completed the course twice. Once we finished the race we received a raffle ticket and an extra ticket for each of the different color wrist bands. I found 3 wristbands and Hugh found all 4 wristbands.

After everyone finished they picked numbers for the first set of raffle prizes and we would pick something from a group of prizes. One of our numbers was picked and I chose a Bumble Bar. Next they picked one of our numbers for tickets to different groups performing at the Blue Note. I chose Los Lonely Boys.

There were also prizes for top 3 in each age group, costume, most muddy, most bloody. I would guess that Hugh came close to winning the most bloody with a scrape on his leg, but another guy had been cut by barbed wire. Hugh’s leg really wasn’t too bad there was a bit of blood. I just had a few minor scratches. Hugh wore overalls, and his nose from the flying pig. I think he placed 8th in the costume contest and was awarded a rubber chicken. I placed 3rd in my age group (30-39) which was a surprise since I stopped several times. The award was made from items you might find along the course.

3rd place age group award:



My muddy shoes:


Hugh as Farmer Pig Man


Me


Rusty and Bruno enjoying the rubber chickens:



Cross-Country Extreme - The Video!

Cross-Country Extreme - Photos.

Cross-Country Extreme - More Photos.

Race results were burned in the bon-fire!

Sun- Prathersville, 13.5 mi, 1:58:53, 8:48/mi

I woke up and legs felt fine from yesterday so I planned 13.5 miles. My HR averaged only 126 on this run. I counted at least 10 good hills on this course and felt good.

Evening: Weights, upper body, 45 min

Running: 36.26 mi

Cycling: 0

Weight-lifting: 85 min

YTD Running: 1700 mi

YTD Cycling: 575.6 mi

November 23rd-Thanksgiving Day Pie Run 5K/10K
December 2nd-Jinglebell 5K Run for Arthritis
December 9th-Cheese and Sauerkraut 10 Miler
December 31st-First Night 5K

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Training 11/6 - 11/12 and Cranberry Crawl 5K

Mon- Rest

Tues- President’s Hill, 7.5 mi, 57:36, 7:41/mi

Evening: Weights, upper body, 37 min

Wed- Rest

Thurs- MKT, out for 3.15 mi), 25 min, 7:56/mi, and then back 3.15 mi at 6:43/mi (goal 10K pace), overall 6.3 mi, 43:09, 7:20/mi

After this run we took our fall picture on the trail.
















Fri-Rest

Sat- Cranberry Crawl 5K, 3.1 mi, 19:54, 6:25/mi + 1 mile warmup

I enjoy running this course which is the hilliest 5K that I run. I slept well and was feeling ready to race when I woke up. Temperature was 32F and sunny so I decided to wear a long-sleeve wicking shirt and covered it with a cotton shirt, wore gloves and headband as well. I was a bit concerned I might be overdressed by the time the race started, but with the wind it felt just right.

Hugh and I warmed up for about a mile right before the race which started at 8 am. There were 91 runners which were down from last year. I lined up in front and when we took off it seemed like several people were starting really fast. I held back and still passed a few people the first half mile and a couple more in the latter half. First mile split was 6:14 and I felt good.

During the second mile there were more hills. I wish I had worn my data recorder since this race would have an interesting elevation chart since there are plenty of hills. During the second mile there’s a loop of streets we go around and we were directed the wrong direction, but it was still the same distance. However, the mile marker was off since we went the wrong direction. I did get my split from my GPS and second mile was 6:37 with hills.

I felt good on the 3rd mile, but there were still hills so I waited until we were done with the hills to pick up the pace. I could see a couple runners ahead of me but it wasn’t likely that I was going to catch them. Third mile split was 6:26 and then I could see the clock. Last year I ran the race in 19:55 and I was hoping to at least be sub-20. It looked like it was possible so I pushed and ran the last 0.1 in 37 sec. Total time was 19:54. Not a PR for the course, but still not a bad race. I felt like I could have kept running for a few more miles. My avg HR was 163 which seemed a little low for a hilly 5K.

Overall I placed 6th out of 91 and 2nd in my age group (35 – 39). Hugh had a great race running in 22:35, the second fastest time for him on this course, and first in his age group. We’ve been running this race course since 2000.

For prizes we were able to pick from several nice options. Hugh picked gloves and I picked socks. Race Results are posted at Cranberry Crawl

Sun- Prathersville, 13.5 mi, 1:56:29, 8:38/mi

The plan was to run 8 miles today. Before I set out to run, I decided I would run 10. The temps were in the 50s during this run and I felt so good I decided to go 12 miles. This is a very rolling course with some good hills and I was enjoying it so much I decided to run to the stop sign in Prathersville and turn around so I ended up going 13.5 miles. My heart rate only averaged 133 on this hilly course so definitely an easy run for me. It felt good to run some long easy miles. I’m looking forward to doing more of these runs.

Evening: Weights, upper body, 43 min

Running: 31.4 mi

Cycling: 0

Weight-lifting: 80 min

YTD Running: 1663.73 mi

YTD Cycling: 575.6 mi

November 18th-Cross Country Xtreme Off-Road 4-mile runNovember 23rd-Thanksgiving Day Pie Run 5K/10K
December 2nd-Jinglebell 5K Run for Arthritis
December 9th-Cheese and Sauerkraut 10 Miler
December 31st-First Night 5K

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Training 10/30 - 11/5 & CTC Cross Country Challenge

Mon- Rest

Tues- Tripp 10K, 6.1 mi, , 46:48, 7:40/mi

Evening: Weights, upper body, 37 min

Wed-Rest

Thurs-Grindstone, 7.8 mi, 1:01:48, 7:55/mi

Fri-Rest

Sat-MKT, 6 mi, ~48:00, 8:00/mi

Sun-CTC Cross Country Challenge 6K, 3.72 mi, 25:03, 6:44/mi

Evening: Weights, upper body, 43 min

This race started at 1:45 pm in Stephen’s Park. The grass course was 3 times around with one straw bale jump for each lap. I competed with a team called the Lumberjacks. We had 6 people so the top 5 scored. I was not able to keep up with my usual competition, but didn’t really expect to do so today. I didn’t have any expectations for this race other than to finish. I ended up finishing 2nd of our team members. There were about 55 runners and I placed 26th overall. Our team placed 4th of the 5 men’s teams.

This competition attracted some great runners from the area so it was not a good day to slack, but I just wasn’t ready to push that hard yet. I am looking forward to next week since it can’t be worse than how I’ve felt most of this week. I’ve been tired and down which is probably my body telling me not to push yet. Even though my legs feel good and I have the desire to run, I’m still in recovery mode.

Running: 23.62 mi

Cycling: 0

Weight-lifting: 80 min

YTD Running: 1632.33 mi

YTD Cycling: 575.6 mi

November 11th-Cranberry Crawl 5K
November 18th-Cross Country Xtreme Off-Road 4-mile runNovember 23rd-Thanksgiving Day Pie Run 5K/10K
December 2nd-Jinglebell 5K Run for Arthritis
December 9th-Cheese and Sauerkraut 10 Miler
December 31st-First Night 5K

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Training 10/16 - 10/29

Oct 16 - 22

Mon- Rest

Tues- Purdue, 4.5 mi, 37:50, 8:24/mi; felt sluggish

Wed-Rest

Thurs-MKT, 7.8 mi, 1:04:31, 8:16/mi; I slipped on one of the trail bridges and went flying/sliding. I immediately got up and continued running, but noticed something running down my leg. After I finished, I noticed my elbow had a slight abrasion and the side of knee was worse. It felt okay other than sore from the abrasion. Lesson learned is to be extremely careful the week of the marathon.

Fri-Rest

Sat-3 mi casual run

Sun-Chicago Marathon, 3:06:25 7:07/mi

Running: 41.5 mi

Cycling: 0

Weight-lifting: 0

YTD Running: 1593.21 mi

YTD Cycling: 575.6 mi

Oct 23 - 29

Mon- Rest

Tues- Ankle still hurt so not ready to run or walk.

Wed-Rest

Thurs-Rain Run, 7.5 mi, 58:22, 7:47/mi; I ran a little further than normal on this run since I didn’t turn and take the trail back. Run felt okay until the last couple miles quads and left calf felt tight.

Fri-Rest

Sat-Panera Group, 8 mi, 1:06:08, 8:16/mi; Legs felt good, but hills were tough!

Sun-Weights, upper body, 42 min

Running: 15.5 mi

Cycling: 0

Weight-lifting: 42 min

YTD Running: 1608.71 mi

YTD Cycling: 575.6 mi

November 4th-CTC Cross Country Challenge 6K
November 11th-Cranberry Crawl 5K
November 18th-Cross Country Xtreme Off-Road 4-mile run
November 23rd-Thanksgiving Day Pie Run 5K/10K
December 2nd-Jinglebell 5K Run for Arthritis
December 9th-Cheese and Sauerkraut 10 Miler
December 31st-First Night 5K

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Recovery and Planning

I've formulated a training schedule for my recovery and the 6 running events that are left for me this year.

11/5-6K Cross Country Run
11/11-Cranberry Crawl 5K
11/23-Thanksgiving Day Pie 5K Run
12/2-Jingle Bell 5K Run for Arthritis
12/9-Cheese and Sauerkraut 10 miler
12/31-First Night 5K

I'm not setting to break any PRs on these races so will just see what happens.

So far I have 10 weeks planned which takes me to the 1st week of 2007. Average mileage for these weeks is about 30 miles. By then I will have (hopefully) made a decision where and when I am going to run a spring marathon.

I reviewed my training for the past 20 weeks and it has averaged only 38 miles per week. I know I can do better than this! I'm estimating my mileage for this year will be about 200 less than last year. I really had hoped to do better this year, but it was a stressful summer. Most weeks I only ran 4 days so I have a lot of room to add some mileage. I think it will pay off.

After my "recovery", I am hoping to work my way up to a peak of 54 miles with an average of 47 miles per week over 12 weeks which will put me into March. I may go even a little higher depending on how I am feeling. Beyond that, I don't know, but it feels good to have some of this planned out even though it may change.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

2006 Chicago Marathon

We got in a bit later than we expected on Friday after fighting traffic for the last 45 miles of our drive. We went to the expo before it closed to pick up our race number and chip. Then, we arrived at Bar Louie about 8:30 pm. Some people had been there earlier and left, but we ate and had a good time until it hit us that we were exhausted so we headed back to our hotel to sleep. The run on Saturday was very relaxed, stopping to take pictures at several points and let others catch up. After the run, some of the group went to Starbucks. Someone mentioned we were more subdued than last year’s LCAR group and I am sure it is different every year. Hugh and I headed back to our room to shower and back over to the Expo to check out everything we missed the night before. I didn’t end up buying anything, but munched on all the free stuff. Then we had lunch and headed back to our room for a nap.

We had dinner at the Italian Village and thankfully, Jonguy made reservations or we would have had a long wait. Enjoyed talking to Letty’s sister and Leslie at dinner.

We set our stuff out for Sunday and then headed to bed about 10 pm and set the alarm for 5:30. I slept fairly well but when I woke up I felt like the room was spinning. We both had a pre-race shake and banana and used the bathroom 4 times each. Then we headed over the Congress and met Pappy and had our pre-race runner’s communion.

Hugh and I walked over to the starting area and I left him in the Preferred II and headed to the Competitive area about 7:20. There weren’t very many people in the corral for about 20 minutes and then it started to fill up. I’m standing there waiting with the 3:00 group and thinking about the race and wondering if it would be crowded, what it would be like, and trying to stay warm. I had an extra shirt so I wasn’t too cold. Before the marathon, I was thinking Chicago is flat and this will be much easier than other hilly marathon courses that I've done. However, I really wasn’t feeling ancy and ready to race like most races and this worried me.

Finally, the race starts and I’m not sure where the 3:00 pacer has gone, but see a few people with 3:00 on their backs so stay with them. I’m thinking there is no way I’m going to be able to keep this pace for 26.2 miles. However, I keep going and am on target mile after mile. I think I was even 50-something seconds ahead of schedule for awhile. I have several runners ask me if I am on target. I don’t really see a large amount of 3:00 runners so I am thinking I must have pulled ahead of them. Even though I was on pace, I never felt strong, relaxed, and in my groove the entire race. I would try to relax and it didn’t happen.

Half-way point, I am 1:29:22, which is right where I want to be. Before the race, I was hoping that I would feel good enough to pick up the pace after the first half. However, I make the decision to just try to hang on for awhile and see what happens.

I had been taking water at every station, and taking my Honey Stingers every 4 – 5 miles. The water stations were not that crowded for me but it took a bit of getting used to maneuvering in and out of them. After one water station about 18 miles, I notice a bunch of 3:00 runners in a pack. At this point, I also notice my left quad feeling a little tight. I feel a bit concerned at this point, but figure I’m fine since only 8 more miles and it may not get worse. I stay with the group for 3 miles and during this time notice my right calf, right quad, and right calf also tighten. Also, the left quad has gotten even tighter. At mile 21 I was still on target, but I really wanted the race to be over. I felt on the verge of having muscle spasms but thankfully did not.

I hung on for the last 5 miles watching my pace deteriorate and lots of people passing me. I figure at this point that it is best to keep running even though I really wanted to walk. It was a long 5 miles. Finally, I see the 800 meters ahead and then that bridge which earlier I didn’t think would be a problem, but really struggled to get up the small incline. I finished in 3:06:25 (1383 place), a bit short of my goal, but that's okay. I think I'll have better luck on a hillier course since that is what I am used to doing and am looking forward to trying for a sub-3 again.

As I was going through the finishing area, a guy from my Tu/Th running group walks up behind me. We talk briefly and I think he looks worse than I feel. He had finished about 3 minutes behind me and said he felt sick the whole race. I had badly needed to pee during almost the entire race so head to the bathrooms. Next I went to the EF area and waited for Hugh and nearly froze waiting.

About 12:45 he shows up. It took him a long time to get through the finisher’s area since there were a lot more runners. Hugh finished in 4:03:41 (12,468 place), a 17 minute PR for him! This is great considering his longest run was only 14 miles, he has had plantar fasciitis since April, and is walking better than me after the race. The marathon may have cured his PF?!

Here are the splits that I recorded:

M1 – 6:55 (HR-139)
M2 – 6:45 (HR-154)
M3 – 6:51 (HR-155)
M4 – 6:46 (HR-157)
M5 – 6:43 (HR-159)
M6 – 6:57 (HR-157)
M7 – 6:50 (HR-158)
M8 – 6:47 (HR-159)
M9, 10 – 13:32, 6:46 avg (HR-157)
M11 – 6:47 (HR-155)
M12 – 6:50 (HR-157)
M13 – 6:50 (HR-158)
M14,15,16 – 20:26, 6:49 avg (HR-158)
M17,18,19 – 20:40, 6:53 avg(HR-158)
M20 – 7:01 (HR-158)
M21 – 7:11 (HR-158) (my pace really starts to go downhill from here)
M22 – 7:25 (HR-157)
M23 – 7:37 (HR-154)
M24 – 8:07 (HR-150)
M25 – 8:41 (HR-147)
M26.2 – 10:38, 8:52 avg (HR-149)

After I found Hugh, we walk over to the Congress to sit for awhile. We probably sat for a half hour and then go back to Starbucks where he had coffee and I had hot apple caramel cider. We found a place to sit and talked to a nice couple for quite awhile. His boss had run the marathon and they asked us lots of questions. I was impressed with how nice everyone wherever were went, congratulated us on the marathon. We made it back to the hotel, took a nap and finally made it back to Bar Louie for dinner. Pappy gave a great speech on our accomplishments. After dinner we all said our goodbyes.

I’m feeling this marathon a lot more than my last. It was tough to walk yesterday but today no real pain but still difficult to walk. I decided to take an extra day off work to recover and spend time with the pets.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Training 10/9 - 10/15

Mon- Rest

Tues- President's Hill, 7.5 mi, 55:52, 7:27/mi

Wed- Rest

Thurs- Rock Quarry, 7.8 mi, 1:05:48, 8:26/mi (finally taking it easy)

Fri- Rest

Sat- Boatman Hill Rd, 4 mi, 32:34, 8:09/mi

Sun- Purdue, 7 mi, 1:02:54, 8:59/mi, planned to run 10 mi, but had to cut it short since I badly needed a bathroom

I'm not feeling very positive about the taper this week. I suspect the reason is the taper itself. One week until Chicago so we will see what happens.

Running: 26.3

Cycling: 0

Weight-lifting: 0

YTD Running: 1551.71 mi

YTD Cycling: 575.6 mi

October 22nd-Chicago Marathon
November 11th-Cranberry Crawl 5K
November 23rd-Thanksgiving Day Pie Run 5K/10K
December 2nd-Jinglebell 5K Run for Arthritis
December 9th-Cheese and Sauerkraut 10 Miler
December 31st-First Night 5K

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Training 10/2 - 10/8

Mon- Rest

Tues- MKT, 5.2 mi, out 20 min (7:42/mi), back 17:06 (6:35/mi), 37:06, avg 7:08/mi; This run was out 20 min and then back so we could all finish about the same time. The goal was to do tempo run on the way back so runners could head over to the big shoe sale at Tryathletics.

Evening: Upper body workout#2, 39 min

Wed-Rest

Thurs-Schaefer's Shuffle, 7.8 mi, 58:29, 7:30/mi; This was a new course and I liked it. Hopefully, we do it again since I didn’t get lost and wasn’t following anyone.

Fri-Rest

Sat- MU Vet School Dog Jog with Rusty , 19:35, 6:19/mi

Afternoon: Boatman Hill Rd with Bruno, 4 mi, 35:26, 8:51/mi; This was a guilt run since Bruno couldn’t go to the dog jog. He set the pace and the first 2 miles was lots of stop and go. He had to be coaxed to the 2 mile mark. On the way back he ran a good pace and didn’t stop at all.

Sun- MKT, 14 mi, 7:20/mi

M1 - 7:43
M2 - 7:22
M3 - 7:23
M4 - 7:15
M5 - 7:25
M6 - 7:15,
M7 - 7:21 (51:45)
M8 - 7:14
M9 - 7:08
M10 - 7:19
M11 - 7:23
M12 - 7:25
M13 - 7:26
M14 - 7:02 (50:57)

After the first mile, the pace felt pretty easy for me. It was consistent and I didn’t feel like that I was pushing myself to keep this pace.

Running: 34.1

Cycling: 0

Weight-lifting: 39 min

YTD Running: 1525.41 mi

YTD Cycling: 575.6 mi

October 22nd-Chicago Marathon
November 11th-Cranberry Crawl 5K
November 23rd-Thanksgiving Day Pie Run 5K/10K
December 2nd-Jinglebell 5K Run for Arthritis
December 9th-Cheese and Sauerkraut 10 Miler
December 31st-First Night 5K

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Rusty's 9th MU Vet School Dog Jog 5K - A race to bark about

Today was the 13th Annual Dog Jog 5K Run sponsored by the MU College of Veterinary Medicine Class of 2008. Hugh is out of town so only one dog could participate. Rusty has only missed this race once since 1997 so Rusty had seniority and Bruno stayed home. When it was time to leave I slipped Rusty into the garage when Bruno wasn’t looking. Up to this point, I’m not sure that Rusty suspected that we were going to a race. I had placed his leash in the car last night when the dogs were in another room.

Once we arrive, I left him in the car and retrieved our race packet and used the restroom. We had about 30 minutes to socialize with dogs and humans before the race began. It looked like a good crowd for the race and definitely a lot more people than 2 years ago. Pretty good considering there were 2 other 5Ks in the area going on at the same time today.

Rusty is a 4 time dog jog winner (1st male with dog) since 1997). Last year I was out of town so couldn’t run the dog jog. We did run the 5K Paws in the Park in May, but were beaten by a faster guy and dog. I really didn’t expect that we would have much of a chance of being a 5 time winner since I had to pull him the last part of that race.

Mike, and his dog Riley, from the Tu/Th running group was there so I favored him to win since he runs a fast 5K and has a dog that always seems to pull him. At this point Rusty is quite excited and barking. They lined us up and told the runners without dogs to get in front. I think this is a mistake at dog races and think it is better to line up according to speed regardless of whether the person has a dog or not. As I expected, the faster runners with dogs, had to break through the crowd at the beginning, but Rusty and me were up front with the lead dogs and runners.

The first turn came up quickly and at this point there were 4 runners together (3 of us with dogs). I glanced at my instantaneous pace on watch which said 6:09/mi. The runner in the lead was a female with a dog. Her dog was biting at the male runner beside her without the dog and also biting at Rusty and me and blocking us with the leash. The dog wouldn’t let us pass her. I moved over farther into the street, but her dog followed. It seemed like they were trying to run me off the course. Then her dog would go back and try to run the other guy without the dog off the course.

We had to cross the road using an overpass. The girl with the dog (she called it Elly), cut right through the landscaping and headed up the steps to the over pass completely bypassing the ramp we were probably supposed to take. Those of us with dogs pretty much had to follow. Once we crossed the road, Mike and Riley came up behind me and I told him to watch out for that dog.

Then Elly wrapped herself around a tree so we raced ahead and I noticed Riley had been distracted by a squirrel so we passed her as well. With so much going on and no one at all of the intersections, it was difficult to know where to turn. Fortunately, the no-dog guy knew the course and we followed him.

After wrapping herself around the tree, the dog from HELL-Y passed us. Then at the next intersection they cut through a circle drive instead of going on the road around the cone. I tried to stay on the sidewalk if Elly was on the road. If she was running on the road, I would move to the sidewalk. I was desperately trying to avoid her. She was gaining on us so it was becoming less of a problem, but I don’t think I would have dared to pass her. Rusty was just running straight ahead following beside me as I had to maneuver through all of this. He actually pulled pretty hard the first mile or so and then just stayed with me. At one point, Elly was running in the road and the guy without the dog was on the sidewalk. There were cars between them and she wanted to dart between the cars to get him. The dog seemed to pull more left and right than straight ahead. She was fast and had a fast owner, so stayed in the lead. I’m sure she could have gained the lead more if she would have worried more about running straight ahead than trying to run other dogs and runners off the course.

We raced ahead. There was no time to get splits today but pace still looked good at about 6:23/mi and we had about 0.6 miles to go. We crossed the road we crossed earlier except this time didn’t use the overpass, but there was someone to watch for cars. Elly and her owner at this point were a good distance ahead and I didn’t have to worry about being bitten or tripped. Mike and Riley passed us, but I stayed right behind them. Then the final turn to the finish line, he had pulled a bit ahead of me. I decide we are so close that Rusty and I need to make a move. He wasn’t pulling me so I didn’t know if he could keep up which is one reason I waited until near the end to see. I felt that I a kick left in the end and hope he would too.

I sped up and we passed Mike and Riley. Then a few seconds later crossed the finish line at 19:35. Mike and Riley were right behind us at 19:36! The first runner to cross was without a dog was about 19:12. Elly and her owner were about 19:17. I pushed so hard at the end to pass and stay ahead of Mike and Riley so I was really out of breath.

The prizes were the best I’ve ever seen at a race. They gave various gift certificates to the top 3 for the walkers, male and female without dogs, and male and females with dogs. Rusty would bark as if he were cheering each time one of the runner's with dogs won something. If people clapped, he barked. Rusty and I won $160 of Andy’s Frozen Custard (52 of them!), a Walt’s $45 bike tune up, and dog treats. Those prizes were so great I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Then I took Rusty to the dog park to run free, swim, and fetch a tennis ball. I had Andy’s Frozen Custard on the way home.

Rusty’s Dog Jog History

1997-(4 months old)-finished with me pulling him
1998-finished with him pulling me
1999-finished with him pulling me
2000-still pulling, but managed second place male with dog in 21:40
2001-19:30, 1st place
2002-19:49, 1st place
2003-20:14, 1st place
2004-24-something since we made a wrong turn and ran an extra 0.5 miles, but still 1st place; Bruno ran his first dog jog and was 2nd place.
2005-out of town
2006-1st place in 19:35 by only 1 second; course measured 3.124 on GPS.


The 5 time MU Vet School Dog Jog Champion and his running partner.

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Training 9/25 - 10/1 and Columbia Half Marathon Challenge

Mon- Rest

Tues- Jaera's Jaunt, 7,1 mi, 51:04, 7:12/mi; I had planned to take it a bit easy and we started out with about 1.5 mi warm-up. After warm-up , I picked up the pace a little, but didn’t seem too fast. However, everyone was staying behind me and not passing me which felt strange. Then on the first hill at Campus View Dr, the faster A group runners started to pass. After reaching the top of the hill, they weren’t too far ahead so I decided that I would try to stay with them. The next major hill in Reactor park everyone sped ahead of me on the hill. However, I slowly caught them on the longer but less steep hill going up Stadium Dr and passed all of them effortlessly. I ended up being one of the first finishers in the A group with the fastest time I’ve ever run on this course. I’m thinking that doing the Duathlon on Sunday instead of a long run probably helped me run faster.

Wed-Rest

Thurs-MKT, .7.8 mi, 1:06:04; 8:28/mi; I think a lot of people must have been tapering for the half marathon since only 4 runners went to the farthest turn around point. I kept the pace reasonable and slowed down quite a bit the last few miles since I badly needed a bathroom. We were supposed to do half mile intervals, but I think most people did not.

Fri-Rest

Sat-MKT, 6.0 mi, 45:00; 7:30/mi; I ran each mile at almost an exact 7:30 split.

Sun-Columbia Half Marathon Challenge

We left the house about 6:40 for the race which started at 8 am. I picked up my chip and then ran 3 miles since the plan was to run a total of 20 miles today. I ran the 3 miles at about a 9 min pace and arrived at the start line about 10 min before the race started. There were 268 people running the individual marathon, 75 more than last year. Temperature was a little warm at 62 F.

There were about 30 relay teams running so I figured there would be quite a few fast starters. During, the first mile a guy that runs on Tue/Thur was really surprising me with his starting pace. I think he started a little fast and eventually, I pulled ahead of him during the first 2 miles. At times my watch was saying I was running a 6 min/mi pace so I had to slow down. First mile split ended up at 6:17. I missed some of the mile markers along the way so used my GPS to get the splits.

I was attempting to keep the pace at about 6:30/mi with a goal of 1:25. Although, I realized with this hilly course maybe a more reasonable goal would be 1:30. My PR for this course in 2004 was 1:33:02 and last year I ran in the relay. I skipped the first water station and my first 3 mile split was 19:19.

Mile 4 included the first major hill and split was 7:19. So far no one including relay runners passed me. Mile 6 a female runner, Andrea, passed me and I passed a relay runner. I could also hear another runner, Cesar, behind me. He passed me after the water station, but I passed him back and stayed ahead of him for the next mile. Slowly, I was gaining on Andrea. Also, I noticed a guy that was stopped on the side of the trail ahead and then he started running again. Soon after that, he started walking and I passed him. He did not look well. I wondered if I should have asked if he was okay. I passed Andrea and then Cesar passed her as well. She said we looked like we were running a 5K. I told her she would probably catch us on the next hill.

Up the final hill which is about mile 12, Cesar caught up and passed me. After the top of the hill, I resumed my speed and picked up the pace. My split for mile 12 was 6:45 which seemed pretty good for the hill. After the beginning of mile 13, the sick guy caught up and stayed with me. We ran together with me pulling ahead of him once. About the last .2 miles he really picks it up and passes me. I figure he must be much faster and can’t catch him. The final mile which turned out to be 1.35 my split was 9:19. Several others GPS measured 13.3 – 13. 4 so the course may have been a little long. It was changed slightly this year as well. UPDATE: I just found out from the race director that a volunteer directed people around the quad on campus instead of straight across. This definitely would account for the extra distance.

Here’s my splits:

1 - 6:17
2 - 6:37
3 - 6:25 (19:19)
4 - 7:19
5 - 6:26
6 - 6:51 (20:38)
7 - 6:45
8 - 6:41
9 - 6:35 (20:02)
10 - 6:45
11 - 6:39
12 - 6:45 (20:09)
13.35 - 9:19
1:29:27

Here’s my splits, course map, and elevation from my data recorder which is always a bit different than I get on the watch Bones in Motion Blog

Looking at my 3 mile splits, my pace looks very consistent. Considering the hilly course, I’m happy with my time which is 3:35 faster than 2004 and I think the course may have been a bit long. My time is not a PR though. I ran 1:26:28 in March on a flatter course before the Flying Pig.

I waited about 20 minutes until Hugh crossed at 1:51:02. Then I headed out for a 4 mile run which I ran at about a 10 min pace. I returned to the park and ate my post race meal and the awards ceremony was held. I placed 2nd of 15 guys in the 35 – 39 age group. The guy that beat me was quite a bit faster. Overall, I placed 10th of 268 runners and 8th overall among men. Final results should be posted at Columbia Half Marathon Challenge website



My mileage hasn’t been that great for the past several weeks, but I guess that’s okay since I ran a marathon a month ago and several races. Hopefully, it is enough to have a chance at a sub-3 since it is now taper-time. I think I’m ready for it too since I didn’t feel very strong on the hills today.

Running: 41.25

Cycling: 0

Weight-lifting: 0 min

YTD Running: 1491.31 mi

YTD Cycling: 575.6 mi

October 7- MU Vet School Dog Jog 5K
October 22nd-Chicago Marathon

Finisher Medal and 2nd Place Age Group Award

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Training 9/18 - 9/24 and Sedalia Duathlon

Mon-Cycling – 22 mi, 1:27:56, 4:00/mi

Tues- Tripp 10K, 6.2 mi, 43:44, 7:03/mi; started out slower with warmup for the first 2 miles and easily running sub-7 miles the last 4 miles.

Wed-Rest

Thurs-MKT (progressively faster run), 5.9 mi, 44:55, 7:37/mi

Fri-Rest

Sat-Columbia Half Marathon Course, 13.3 mi, 1:49:52, 8:15/mi; We ran the end of the course incorrectly and ended up a little longer. This race is next week. Probably was not good to run this much the day before the duathlon, but felt I needed the mileage this week.

Sun-I woke up feeling sore which is unusual for a slower paced run. I was trying to run quietly (less impact) yesterday so maybe I used some leg muscles differently.

We left for the duathlon about 5:45 and picked up Hugh’s teammate on the way. We arrived in Sedalia about 7:20. I didn’t get a chance to warm up for the run and really didn’t feel that great. Once we started though I was in race-mode. First mile in 6:09, second in 6:23 and last 1.1 mile in 7:00 for a total of 19:32 for the first 5K. I passed at least one guy in the latter part but otherwise maintained my position.

Then off to the bike and I think I had a fairly quick (less than a minute) transition but didn't keep track of the time and the results included it in the bike time. I couldn’t seem to get my left foot clipped in for a few blocks but got off to a good start otherwise. The bike was out 9.3 miles with a couple turns and then back. The course was rolling but no severe hills. I didn’t see anyone close behind me until after the turnaround when I was passed by a couple guys. On the way back the wind was terrible and I’m sure I was slower than on the way out. By the time I was done with the bike I felt pretty spent. Counting the run to bike transition bike time was 59:23. Transition to the run wasn’t as quick as I would have liked (feeling shaky) since I was a little slow getting my running shoes on. Transition to the run was 50 seconds.

I didn’t have too much trouble getting into running mode and it was actually a relief to be running although pace was slower than first 5K which I expected. I passed one of the bikers that passed me early in the run. First mile split was 6:51, second was 6:50, and the last 1.1 (passed another of the bikers that passed me) was about 7:16 for a total of 20:57. Overall time was 1:40:42 which is 20 seconds slower overall than last year. My first 5K was faster 10 seconds faster than last year and my second was 13 seconds slower. I think the second 5K wasn’t so good due to the wind on the bike making me tired.

I thought Hugh’s teammate was surely going to pass me in the second half of the bike ride but she did not. However, they gained about 4 minutes on me since she is faster than me. Hugh ran each 5K in 22-something. Out of 3 teams, they placed first and won GOLD medals! Hugh ran the first 5K in 22:39 and the second in 23:28. Judy's bike time was 57:16 for a total of 1:43:23.

I placed second in my age group of 30 – 39 and won a SILVER medal plus a pottery mug. Actually, placed 3rd but the guy in my age group won. I placed 8th overall out 37. Last year I placed 9th out of 29 individuals and 4th in age group (got 3rd place award). So as far as placing, I seemed to improve.

Not real happy with my performance on the bike, but can’t do much about the windy conditions. I felt the running was good considering my legs did not feel fresh and I didn’t put forth all my effort on the first 5K. I felt like I recovered pretty well from the bike during the run and not a bad second 5K either.

The three of us went to Arby's in Sedalia to get something to eat after the race, and we wore our medals.

Sedalia Duathlon Course Map, Elevation, and Timex Data.

Running: 31.6

Cycling: 40.6 mi

Weight-lifting: 0 min

YTD Running: 1450.06 mi

YTD Cycling: 575.6 mi

By the end of the week, I felt pretty tired this week. I really need to take it easy next week so I’m ready for the half on Saturday.

October 1-Columbia Half Marathon Challenge
October 7- MU Vet School Dog Jog 5K
October 22nd-Chicago Marathon

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Training 9/11 - 9/17 and Chevy's 5K

Mon-Rest

Tues- Dreier Dirty Dozen, 9.1 1:06:27, 7:18/mi; It was raining a bit when we started and progressively rained harder. My shoes were thoroughly soaked. I was surprised my time on this course was the fastest this year.

Wed-Rest

Thurs-Rock Quarry, 7.5 mi, 57:25, 7:39/mi

Cycling – 22 mi, 1:14:30, 3:23/mi; I was planning to only go 15 miles, but then decided to complete the 22 mile loop since I was making good time. This ended up being the fastest training time I have done on this course. It’s amazing what a difference 1 mph can shave off my time.

Fri-Rest

Sat-Chevy’s Mexican Independence Day 5K

We decided to sleep in a bit and woke up about 6:30 to get ready to leave at 7:15 for the race. This is the 4th annual race and I have ran this one every year. Last year I ran, but didn’t race it since it was 2 days before the HOA marathon. We consumed our pre-race shake and headed out the door.

I’m not sure if I wasn’t awake, but didn’t feel real energetic. We picked up our race numbers and shirts and then had a few minutes to warm-up. After 1.5 miles of warm-up, I felt much better. At this point, it was about 5 minutes until the race started.

This year the race started in the parking lot of Chevy’s instead of in the road as in past years. This worked much better. Last year we had a false start due to traffic. I took off with the lead pack (me and 2 other runners). There was another super fast guy that was immediately ahead of us and definitely not our competition.

I knew one of the runners and in other 5K races we are frequently close, but he usually beats me. I’ve beat him at longer distances though. A race a few years ago, I used him to set my pace and finished one second behind him in a 5K. He wasn’t in my age group at that time, but he is now in my age group. I was running right behind him and then passed him near the beginning. He caught up to me and another guy as well so the 3 of us were running side by side. First mile split was 5:53.

The three of us continued to run side by side. I really didn’t plan this, but it felt like a good pace for me so I stayed with them. Second mile split was 5:59. I’m thinking this is feeling like a real race since I’ve never been that close with 2 other runners for that long. I’m also thinking that at this pace I have a chance of possibly setting a new 5K PR. Even though this is a pretty flat course, I usually run it in around 20 min. After feeling great for the first 2 miles, the third mile, I didn’t feel so energetic The guy that I know started to pull a bit ahead and left us in the dust, and then the other guy was a bit ahead of me too.

I think I erred at this point since I didn’t try hard enough to stay with either of them. I need to remember that the last mile in a 5K isn’t going to be easy. So at this point, I am in 4th place overall and just trying to hang on. Another guy catches me and passes me somewhere between 2.5 and 3 mi. At 3 mi, my split is 6:45. I think I could have run it faster. I push hard until the end and run the last 0.1 in 37 seconds for a total time of 19:14. The guy ahead of me is 19:07, guy ahead of him is 19:01, and the other guy that left us in the dust is 18:39 which I think was a PR for him. He ran a great race. I wish I had tried harder to stay with him. The guy that finished ahead of me was kneeling and dry heaving so I had to duck under the tape to exit the finishing shoot.

The guy that won the race in 16:51 was in my age group, the guy that placed second was in my age group, so I received the 3rd place medal for my age group. I feel like I probably should have placed at least 3rd overall as well if I had pushed a little harder. I wasn’t puking like the guy in front of me so he obviously ran a harder race. I felt good after stopping.

I was 5th of 157 runners and Hugh placed 24th overall and also 3rd in his age group. His time was 22:46 which he wasn’t real happy, but I thought he did very well. He thought he should have been faster than last year, but he was 10 seconds slower.

My time was a 40 second PR for this course so I can definitely be happy about that even though I truly feel I could have run a smarter race in that last mile. That last mile is very mental and I just didn’t focus enough.

3.1 mi, 19:14, 6:12/mi, avg HR was 162 (proof that I didn’t run hard enough!)

Chevy’s 5K Results

Sun-The plan for today was to do a 4 mi run, 22 mi bike, and a 4 mi run. However, it rained all morning and was still raining in the afternoon. Instead, I decided to do a 16 mi run and Hugh joined me on the MKT for a 14 mile run. By the time we started our run it was barely raining and stopped shortly after we started.

MKT (flat course), 16 mi, 1:58:52, 7:26/mi

I was very happy with my splits for this run:

M1-7:36
M2-7:33
M3-7:34
M4-7:21
M5-7:37
M6-7:20
M7-7:35
M8-7:26 (1:00:02)
M9-7:31
M10-7:27
M11-7:20
M12-7:27
M13-7:23
M14-7:15
M15-7:13
M16-7:11 (58:50 for the second 8 miles)

Felt great after this run and not totally spent.

Running: 37.1

Cycling: 22 mi

Weight-lifting: 0 min

YTD Running: 1418.46 mi

YTD Cycling: 535 mi

September 24-Sedalia Fall Duathlon
October 1-Columbia Half Marathon Challenge
October 7- MU Vet School Dog Jog 5K
October 22nd-Chicago Marathon

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Training 9/4 - 9/10

Mon- Heart of America Marathon, 26.2 mi, 3:07:42, 7:10/mi

Tues- Dave's Dirty Devil Run-Walked C Route, 5.2 mi, 1:14:51, 14:24/mi

Cycling – 22 mi, 1:34:00, 4:16/mi

Wed-Rest

Thurs-MKT, 6 mi, 51:03, 8:30/mi

Cycling – 22 mi, 1:18:30, 3:34/mi

Fri-Rest

Sat- ½ marathon challenge course, 12.8 mi, 1:46:36, 8:20/mi

Sun-Cycling, 16 mi, 59:39, 3:43/mi

Immediately followed by 4 mi run, 31:02, 7:46/mi

Running: 54.2 mi (includes 5.2 mi walk)

Cycling: 60 mi

Weight-lifting: 0 min

YTD Running: 1381.26 mi

YTD Cycling: 513 mi

September 16-Chevy's Mexican Independence Day 5K Run
September 24-Sedalia Fall Duathlon
October 1-Columbia Half Marathon Challenge
October 7-MU Vet School Dog Jog 5K
October 22nd-Chicago Marathon

Monday, September 04, 2006

2006 Heart of America Marathon

Today was the 47th annual Heart of America Marathon in Columbia, MO which I ran for the 3rd year in a row. This is one of the oldest marathons and attracts around 100+ people
each year. I set the alarm for 4:00 and slept pretty well for about 6 ½ hrs. I had my pre-race meal (protein shake with banana and yogurt, another yogurt, Clif Bar), hydrated myself until 5 am. At 5:20, we left home to head to the race which starts at 6 am.

The start is near the old basketball arena near MU. This year we parked at the Campus Inn and I was able to use the restrooms one last time before walking to the start.

There were 138 registered runners and it was difficult to see who was there, but I recognized and talked to several other runners before the race. Some were planning to run the first half and then drop out. Hugh and I entered most of the registrations into a spreadsheet last night so we would be ready to post times today. Quite a few runners wait to register until the morning of the marathon since there is no penalty and they probably wait to see if the weather is going to be decent.

Temperature at the start was about 60 F, 93% humidity and fog. My goal was to try to run as good a race as I did on this course last year when I ran it in 3:10:12 and placed 7th overall. As usual, it was difficult to see the watch for the first couple miles, but I held back the pace and let the faster starters go ahead. At mile 2 my time was 14:48 which I felt was a nice conservative starting pace. At this point, I decided to pick it up a little and see how I felt and ran mile 3 in 7:03. Miles 4 – 7 were all 6:45 – 6:58. I was told I was in 7th place at about mile 8 and then passed my first runner shortly after.

From this point until the first half (at the top of the worst hill), my pace dropped a bit on the hills, and on the worst hill it was 7:42 which was much better than last year when I ran 8:15 on the hill. I was wearing the Timex GPS and heart rate monitor today. Heart rate climbed to 160 on the hill. At 13.1, my time was called out at 1:33:00. I still felt pretty good so picked the pace back up to 7:06 for mile 14.

I passed 3 different people the rest of the race. I found it unusual that I was passed by some different people than the ones that I passed. There was no passing back and forth the same person. I alternated between 6th and 7th place. At about mile 19, the guy ahead of me was starting to walk and I easily passed him. The hill in mile 20 always seems to tire me on this course and my legs were starting to feel a bit fatigued. I had been taking Honey Stingers every 4 – 5 miles and quite a few times I used some of my water to cool myself. The cold water down my back always seemed to help pick up the pace a little.

After mile 20, I’m thinking if I can just hold on and keep the pace at least 7:10/mi, I should set a PR for this course. I’m just not sure if I can do it, but once the road flattened out, I was able to get back on pace.

I was dreading mile 24 since it is the last hill. It really isn’t that steep, but it seems really long. I managed a 7:34 on this mile. Before the race today I hoped I wouldn’t slow down the last few miles. I did slow down, but it was less of a slowdown than last year. Mile 25 was 7:29 and the last 1.2 was 8:43 so I ran all miles less than an 8 minute pace this year. Last year I had 2 miles at 8+. I pushed myself a little on the last 1.2 and it felt like a strong finish. I didn’t even see the clock at the finish, but checked my watch once I got my medal and plaque (3rd in age group of 35 – 39). My time was 3:07:42, 2.5 min faster than last year and a course PR. I was happy with this time and I placed 6th overall out of 113 people that finished. Both guys that beat me in my age group were 35.

There were water stations about every 4 miles and sometimes more often. I took water at all the stations except one even though I didn't always feel like drinking. A couple entertaining guys on the course riding their tandem bike gave me water once and also offered me a cigarette and some M&Ms at some point, but I declined.

The Timex Bodylink was very useful in helping me set a pace for the entire race it seemed to always have a signal. I also picked up the pace a little when the heart rate dropped into the 140s on the flats. Average heart rate was about 150 - 153.

Everyone always likes to run negative splits and I’m sure a few people did on this course, but it is tough since the second half has more hills than the first half. Although the hill at the end of the first half is the worst hill.

No pain or cramping issues until after the race. My left calf almost cramped when I took my shoe off to get in the ice cold pool at the finish. I couldn’t stay in there very long since it was too cold. My legs are feeling achy already, but muscles aren’t feeling tight as last year. After about half hour I ate a banana and grapes, and watched more people finish. It’s fun to watch people finish since some of these runners I know didn’t sign up until today.

We had 1 runner from Moscow this year, and several out of state. The race results
One of the local news stations covered the race and we posted the news video at the Google Video website. I spotted myself near the beginning, but it is difficult to see. At 1 min into the video to about 1:06, you will see some headlights ahead of a runner which is me. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any other pictures and I’m not sure if anyone was taking pictures or not. I also posted the data from the Bodylink to the Bones in Motion website BIM Blog which shows the elevation for the course and a map.

I have the day off work tomorrow to recover. I’m planning to walk tomorrow morning and ride the bike later. I may try running a little on Thursday depending on how the legs feel, otherwise I will wait until Saturday.

Here are my splits below. I must be improving since last year I only had 2 sub-7 min miles on this course and I had 7 sub-7 miles today. Often it is difficult to believe in your training when you are feeling so fatigued week after week, but it usually pays off every time once you taper for the race.

1-7:20
2-7:28
3-7:03
4-6:48
5-6:58
6-6:45
7-6:53
8-7:22 (Hill)
9-7:02
10-6:47
11-7:07
12-7:13
13-7:42 (Hill) (much better on the hill than I expected)

13.1-1:33:00 (last year I was 1:35:00 at this point)

14-7:06
15-7:16
16-6:57
17-6:52
18-7:10 (Hill)
19-7:04
20-7:32 (Hill)
21-7:08
22-7:16
23-7:04
24-7:34 (Hill)
25-7:29
26.2-8:43

3:07:42 - 2006, 3:10:12 - 2005, 3:18:59 - 2004

Columbia Tribune Article

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Training 8/28 - 9/3

Mon-Rest

Tues- President’s Hill, 7.5 mi, 54:43: 7:18/mi

Wed-Rest

Thurs- Rain Run, 7.1 mi, 53:24, 7:31/mi

Fri-Rest

Sat- MKT, 6 mi, 49:41, 8:17/mi

Sun-Rest

I feel more rested this week. I’m not sure what to expect tomorrow. I never know how I feel until the day of the race. I will just go out not too fast the first 3 miles and try to keep a fairly consistent pace as I get to race pace. I would be happy to run about the same race as last year except run the last 2 miles the same as the rest of the race. Last year I ran this course at about 7:16 average.

Running: 20.6 mi

Cycling: 0 mi

Weight-lifting: 0 min

YTD Running: 1327.06 mi

YTD Cycling: 453 mi

September 4th-Heart of America Marathon
September 16-Chevy's Mexican Independence Day 5K Run
September 24-Sedalia Fall Duathlon
October 1-Columbia Half Marathon Challenge
October 22nd-Chicago Marathon

Monday, August 28, 2006

Training 8/21 - 8/27

Mon-Rest

Tues- Jaera’s Jaunt, 7.1 mi, 56:56: 8:01/mi

Wed-Rest

Thurs- MKT Bridge, Intervals, 7.7 mi, 57:00, 7:24/mi

Fri-Rest

Sat- Panera, 12.5 mi, 1:48:46, 8:42/mi

Sun- Boatman Hill Rd, 4 mi, 31:33, 7:53/mi

I’m not sure if I’m getting faster. My paces for the same week last year are slower this year. Hopefully, I will feel energized by the end of the week. I seemed to sleep a lot this weekend with a 3 hr nap both Sat. and Sun.

Running: 31.3 mi

Cycling: 0 mi

Weight-lifting: 0 min

YTD Running: 1306.46 mi

YTD Cycling: 453 mi

September 4th-Heart of America Marathon
September 16-Chevy's Mexican Independence Day 5K Run
September 24-Sedalia Fall Duathlon
October 1-Columbia Half Marathon Challenge
October 22nd-Chicago Marathon

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Training 8/14 - 8/20

Mon-Cycling, 15 mi, 1:07:50, 4:29/mi

Tues- Dave's Dirty Devil Run, 6.66 mi, 46:30, 6:59/mi; Temps were
cooler and I felt like I was flying. Considering my recent long run
on Sun, I will very pleased.

Evening: Cycling, 40.3 mi, 2:32:25, 3:47/mi; This was an unplanned
ride and my first 40 miler. I had planned to meet with some other
people that were riding, but wasn't sure I could keep their pace 18 -
20 mph. I was about 16 mph avg for this ride so I couldn't keep up.
I enjoyed the ride, but was happy for it to be over. Definitely
pushed the limit. Hopefully, I can do some more of these longer rides
after my marathon in 2 weeks.

Wed-Rest

Thurs- Golf Course, 6 hill repeats, 6.7 mi, 1:02:19, 9:18/mi; The
distance is an estimate, but I did take it pretty easy and didn't push
too hard uphill. I probably should have run the flat trail instead.

Fri-Rest; had planned a bike ride, but it rained (very unusual this
year), Instead, I spent about 3 hours cleaning the house.

Sat- MKT, 10 mi, 1:19:10, 7:55/mi

Sun- MKT, 18 mi, 2:20:32, 7:48/mi, Avg HR 139; Legs were tired, but kept a very consistent pace.

I'm still getting familiar with the Timex Bodylink and will upload a
few of the courses I ran later. I think I am convinced that HR is
some good info and I need to learn to use the % effort function on the
watch. I have 30 miles planned for the first week of my taper, 24 the
next week, and then the marathon on Sept 4th.

Running: 41.36 mi

Cycling: 55 mi

Weight-lifting: 0 min

YTD Running: 1275.16 mi

YTD Cycling: 453 mi

September 4th-Heart of America Marathon
September 16-Chevy's Mexican Independence Day 5K Run
September 24-Sedalia Fall Duathlon
October 1-Columbia Half Marathon Challenge
October 22nd-Chicago Marathon

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Training 8/7 - 8/13

Mon-Cycling, 22 mi, 1:31:10, 4:09/mi

Tues- Tripp 10K, 6.2 mi, 43:25, 7:00/mi

Wed-Rest

Thurs- Capen Park, 7.5 mi, 54:35, 7:17/mi

Fri-weights, upper #1, 42 min

Sat- Columns Course Columns Run, 10 mi, 1:31:13, 9:07/mi

I used for the first time the Timex Bodylink that Hugh gave me for my birthday (not till Oct 31). It keep track of distance, elevation, HR, and pace. I found a free website Bones in Motion to upload the results except for HR. This device provides an amazing amount of data. I left the data recorder on a little long so the time that it gives for my run is longer than actual time. The map that it shows on my blog is static. However, if you are a member, you can search for routes created by andyman68 and see the Google Maps to zoom in.

Sun- HOA Course, 23.75 mi, 3:16:04, 8:15/mi, Avg HR-137

I’m experimenting with creating maps on other sites since you can’t view the maps on BIM unless you are a member.

HOA Course Map Test 1 (temporary link)

HOA Course Map Test 2 (slow)

To get to this point with the Timex I had to use GPS Visualizer Convert to convert the Timex TXT file to a GPX file.

I then uploaded the GPX file to MapMyRun

I also have a Google API Maps Key and will try embedding the maps on my own website. I think this will work better.

Running: 47.45 mi

Cycling: 22 mi

Weight-lifting: 42 min

YTD Running: 1233.8 mi

YTD Cycling: 398 mi

September 4th-Heart of America Marathon
September 16-Chevy's Mexican Independence Day 5K Run
September 24-Sedalia Fall Duathlon
October 1-Columbia Half Marathon Challenge
October 22nd-Chicago Marathon

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Training 7/31 - 8/6

Mon-Cycling, 15 mi, 1:09:10, 4:37/mi

Tues- Dreier Dirty Dozen, 9.1 mi, 1:09:02, 7:35/mi

Wed-Rest

Thurs- Rain Run, 7.1 mi, 52:27, 7:23/mi

weights, upper #2, 39 min

Fri-Cycling, 22 mi, 1:18:18, 3:33/mi; best training time on this course

Sat-Sandbagger 10K, 6.2 mi, 43:06, 6:57/mi

This is a race where you predict your time. You can “win” this race by grossly overestimating how long it will take to run the 10K. Since we stagger the start times from the slowest predicted time to the fastest, usually the person with the largest positive difference between the predicted time and the actual time (lying) wins the race. Theoretically, if everyone told the absolute truth about how fast they planned to run the race, everyone would cross the finish line together, but that never happens.

There were 15 runners that participated. The course is an out and back and quite hilly. I always try to predict my time accurately since I don’t want to win the trophy. In 2004, I was the best predictor for my time. This year I predicted to run it in 41:35 (about the same as 2004). Since I predicted the fastest time, I was the last person to start. I had to wait about 28 minutes from when the first person started.

There was one guy that predicted 25 seconds slower than me so I had someone to pace myself (didn’t wear a watch). I ran to the out and then back and it really seemed like it went quickly. As I was nearing the 6.0 mile marker, I passed a couple people between that point and the end so I placed 13 out of 15 runners.

As for my prediction, since I ran it in 43:06, I was off by 1:31. I was pretty happy with my time considering the 22 mile bike ride Fri night and no taper. I was not the best predictor, but one of the fastest finishers. The guy that started in front of me also had an actual time of 43:06. Hugh predicted 50 minutes and ran in 50:37. The best predictor was off by 22 seconds and the “winner” of the race finised 3:31 faster than he predicted.

Results will be posted at Great Sandbagger


Sun-MKT, 16 mi, (7:49, 7:25, 7:11, 7:16, 7:15, 7:40, 7:33, 7:23, 7:46, 7:27, 7:28, 7:24, 7:30, 7:49, 7:29, 7:10), 1:59:34, 7:28/mi avg

I started the run with 2 other runners since I had posted a message to our group last week. They ran out with me for the first 4 miles and then turned around. It was nice having someone to get me started. Goal pace for this run was between 7:15 - 7:30. It was just a little warm 77F when we started at 6:30 so I am happy with the result.

Mileage not quite as high as I planned this week, but I ran some fast paces every run. I also substituted a couple bike rides for recovery runs.

Running: 38.4 mi

Cycling: 37 mi

Weight-lifting: 39 min

YTD Running: 1186.35 mi

YTD Cycling: 376 mi

September 4th-Heart of America Marathon
September 16-Chevy's Mexican Independence Day 5K Run
September 24-Sedalia Fall Duathlon
October 1-Columbia Half Marathon Challenge
October 22nd-Chicago Marathon

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Training 7/24 - 7/30

Mon-Planned 4 miles but decided to rest.

Tues- President's Hill, 7.5 mi, 59:34, 7:57/mi; This was a tough run. I felt like I was going faster. Likely still recovering from the weekend.

weights, upper #1, 42 min

Cycling, 15.1 mi, 55:30 3:40/mi (fastest pace on this course) ; I’m wondering how I would do if I actually tapered for a bike race.

Wed-Rest and everything felt good.

Thurs- Capen Park, 7.5 mi, 59:46, 7:58/mi; I felt sore before this run which is strange since I felt recovered on Wed. I don’t mind running in the heat, but I think it really slows me down sometimes.

Fri-Again, planned a 4 mile run but decided to rest. We ended up going to the drive-in to see Cars and Click. I can’t remember the last time I went to a drive-in theatre. Cars was okay, but I liked click much better. It reminded me of It’s a Wonderful Life.

Sat-Since I went to bed at an insane hour, I didn’t get up until 11:30. It was already hot, but I went ahead and ran 4 miles (instead of the 10 I had planned); 41:43, 10:26/mi; took it extremely easy in the heat and didn’t feel like pushing it before my long run on Sunday.

Sun-I didn’t run the Show-Me State Games race since I wanted to get my long run out of the way early. Hugh ran the race and placed 3rd in his age group.

HOA Course (0.5 mi – 23.5 mi), 23 mi, 3:16:59, 8:34/mi; I felt pretty good even though the pace was slow. Temp was about 77 when I started at 6:30 am and up to 91 by the time I finished. I felt much better than during the hot run 2 weeks ago. Pace was only 3 seconds per mile faster though. I’m running the trail next week for my 16 mile long run so I can get some speed.


Running: 42 mi

Cycling: 15.1 mi

Weight-lifting: 42 min

YTD Running: 1147.95 mi

YTD Cycling: 339 mi

August 5th-Great Sandbagger
September 4th-Heart of America Marathon
October 22nd-Chicago Marathon

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Training 7/17 - 7/23; Smokin' Chicks 5K and Show-Me State Games Duathlon

Mon-Cycling, 14.5 mi, 1:06:13, 4:34/mi; I installed and tried out the aero bars that I purchased in May. First time on the bike June 12th.

Tues- Jaera's Jaunt, 7.1 mi, 52:04, 7:20/mi; 5:30 am and HOT!




















Wed-Rest

Thurs-MKT Bridge Tempo, 8 mi, 1:02:03, 7:45/mi; Took the pace a little easier. I felt I needed a rest from the insane pace.

Fri-Rest, planned a run but decided to rest after another extremely busy work week.

Sat-Bear Creek Trail, 6 mi, 58:20, 9:43/mi; Slept in an hour later than usual and ran at 7 am on the part with the big hill and took it easy since I was planning to run a 5K at 7:30 pm.

Smokin’ Chicks 5K-Temps were a little more reasonable than the 5K last Friday, but still about 82. This was the second year for this race and the first time I have run it. I started out a little fast for the temps. There were 88 runners and seemed like a big pack at the front. Seemed like a lot of fast runners. My first mile split was 6:03. The second mile had a hill where we turned around and I was feeling it. Second mile split was 6:47. 3rd mile split was a little faster at 6:39, and the last 0.1 was 42 seconds. Overall 20:11, 6:31/mi and placed 12th. Most of the age groups were 10 years. The overall winner was the same age group as me. Since they gave overall awards, he was dropped from my age group rankings, and I got the bronze medal.

Hugh ran this race too, but didn’t place in his age group. He did have a good time though. Smokin’ Chicks offered the runners a BBQ buffet for $6 and we took advantage of that before leaving about 9:30 pm.

Update: Smokin' Chicks Results

Sun-I decided last week that I would go ahead and compete in the Show-Me Games Duathlon if I felt okay on Sunday morning. I had everything ready to go on Friday night. I didn’t preregister so I arrived about 6:40 for the race which started at 8 am. The Triathlon also took place at the same time.

The swimmers started in 2 waves. The duathlon consisted of a 20.9 mile bike and a 5K run. We were supposed to start with the 1st wave of swimmers, but no one officially told us to start so they had us start with the second wave of swimmers and took 5 min off our clock times in the end.

I was a little concerned about the start with all the bikes together and not spread out, but we spread out pretty quickly. The nice thing about not having to run first is that a bunch of bikes didn’t pass me later. This is the hilliest course that I have ever raced. It went down to the Missouri River bottoms and there were hills on the way down and of course on the way back.

I passed back and forth a couple cyclists and was able to pretty much maintain my position the entire portion of the bike course although I was passed by a few of the fast people from the triathlon competing either as individuals or a team. I kept a good pace and averaged 18.4 mph (1:08 for 20.9 miles and transition about 1.5 min) which is a little faster than my last duathlon and this course was 6 miles longer and hillier. Due to my severe lack of training on the bike recently, plus a 5K the night before, I was pretty happy. I used the aero bars on the flats and felt pretty comfortable. I was not prepared for the hills but I think I have improved a little even without biking. Maybe running on all those hills helps? I think training on hills in the future will allow me to have some significant improvement in my average speed. I would also like to invest in some different wheels at some point. I’m just not sure what to get.

The 5K run course was on the MKT trail so it was completely flat. I was definitely feeling that bike race for about the first ½ mile of the run. Once I relaxed, I was passing lots of runners, the ones I couldn’t pass on the bike. I didn’t count but may have passed about 10 runners. I’m sure some were from the triathlon, but I wasn’t paying attention to how they were marked. I finished the run in 21:48 (7:02/mi). Overall time was 1:31:19 and I placed 2nd in my age group 35 – 39. The overall winner of the duathlon was in my age group with a time of 1:16. However there were no overall awards so he wasn’t dropped out of my age group. I’m looking forward to seeing the results in a couple days to see how many competed and how I placed overall.

Update: Duathlon Results

After lunch, I decided to go ahead and do the 14 mile run I had planned for today since I was feeling pretty good.

MKT, 14 mi, 1:59:17, 8:31/mi; I felt it wise to keep the pace reasonable and kept a consistent pace for the entire run which felt great.

Running: 41.3 mi

Cycling: 35.4 mi

Weight-lifting: 0

YTD Running: 1105.95 mi

YTD Cycling: 323.9 mi

July 30th- Show-Me State Games 5K
August 5th-Great Sandbagger
October 22nd-Chicago Marathon















The Hardware (and Nisa)


Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Record Number Attend Th/Th Run

Columbia Multisport Club’s Tu/Th 5:30 am running group broke our previous morning- run attendance-record of 72 people. This morning's goal was to get 100 runners and we exceeded that with 137 runners. The group includes runners and walkers of all speeds that run for a variety of reasons. Over 100 of the club's 500 members will be heading to Las Vegas, in October, for CMC’s bid at the National Triathlon Club Championship. For information about joining the group, visit Columbia Multisport Club

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Training 7/10 - 7/16

Mon-Boatman Hill Rd, 4 mi, 31:50, 7:58/mi

Tues- Dave's Dirty Devil Run, 6.6 mi, 47:39, 7:13/mi

Weights, upper#2, 39 min

Wed-Rest

Thurs-MKT, 6 mi, 51:00, 8:30/mi

Fri-Red, White, and Green Estate 5K (3.1 mi), 21:59, 7:05/mi

This first annual run took place at 7:30 pm in Mexico, MO with a temperature of 88 F and quite humid. It was sponsored by the City of Mexico, Mexico YMCA, and the Mexico Bulldogs Cross Country Team. The Mid-Missouri Road Runner had planned to run this race together, but only 4 of our small group participated. The race started near a lake and took place on the Green Estates. The course started on gravel and then meandered around a mowed grass path with a white line.

I followed a couple 18 yr olds at the beginning and they eventually pulled farther away once they were warmed up. I maintained my 3rd place position for about 1 mile. First mile split was 6:20. Then I was really starting to feel the heat. I was passed by one younger guy. My second mile split was 7:09, and then I was passed by 2 other guys, one the same age as me. Near the finish, I didn’t have much left and another guy sped past me so I finished in 7th place overall out of 50 people (mostly men). My last 1.1 mi split was 8:30.

Hugh finished in 25:19 and 14th overall. Our times were about 3 – 4 minutes slower than normal. We both placed 2nd in our age groups and received silver medals. Muffins and water were served after the race. Our friend Peggy in the 45-49 age group was first female overall due to the low number of female participants. She was quite surprised to win. James another MMRR, also was second in his age group.

Sat-Stephens Park/Grindstone, 8.75 mi, 1:14:57, 8:34/mi

Sun-HOA Marathon Course (Miles 4 – 22 - 20), 20 mi, 2:52:18, 8:37/mi
Temperature was 72 at the beginning of run and 88 by the end of the run. I expected pace to be slower and was pretty much wiped out by 15 miles, so took it slower the last 5 miles. I had water every 4 miles, but didn’t feel that was enough. Considering the heat and hilly course, it was a good run.

Running: 48.45 mi

Cycling: 0 mi

Weight-lifting: 39 min

YTD Running: 1064.65 mi

YTD Cycling: 288.5 mi

July 22nd-Smokin’ Chicks BBQ 5K
July 30th- Show-Me State Games 5K
August 5th-Great Sandbagger
September 4th-Heart of America Marathon
October 22nd-Chicago Marathon

Monday, July 10, 2006

Training 7/3 - 7/9

Mon-Rest

Tues- Tripp 10K (6.2 mi), 54:21, 8:46/mi; took it easy for the race

1 hour later: Parley P. Pratt Memorial Freedom Run, 4 mi, 25:39, 6:25/mi

Wed-Rest

Thurs-Capen Park/Mulch Pile, 7.5 mi, 57:11, 7:37/mi

Fri-Rest

Sat-MKT, 10 mi, 1:20:41, 8:04/mi; started out slower and picked up the pace; last mile in 6:50

helped friends move: 4 hrs

Sun-HOA Marathon Course (Miles 4 - 20), 16 mi, 2:05:29, 7:51/mi
Feeling just a little sore from the moving, but the run went very well. I felt strong the second half. This course has great hills, especially the second half. I like this course, but it can difficult in some places with no shoulder on the highway. I ran on the white line whenever a car approached me.

Running: 43.7 mi

Cycling: 0 mi

Weight-lifting: 0 (4 hrs moving instead)

YTD Running: 1016.2 mi

YTD Cycling: 288.5 mi

July 14th-Red, White, and Green Estate 5K Cross Country Run
July 22nd-Smokin’ Chicks BBQ 5K
July 30th-Show-Me State Games 5K

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Parley P Pratt Memorial Freedom Run (4 miler)

This morning about 1 hour after running with the Tu/Th running group for 6 miles, I ran the Parley P. Pratt Memorial Freedom Run. This is likely one of the few runs that celebrates a jail break and the only 4 mile race that I’ve ran. The entry fee for this race is only $1 and the run is 2 miles out and back on the MKT trail.

I took it pretty easy for the earlier run to save my legs just a little for the race. I was at least hoping to race if anyone showed up to run my pace. With the lack of sleep last night and still not feeling quite recovered from earlier runs, I was thankful there were no hills in this race.

Before the race, we learned a bit about the history of Pratt In Missouri, in 1838, there was an executive order issued by the governor that Mormons could be shot. Parley was arrested after agreeing to meet with militia leaders and placed in jail in Missouri for about 8 months until he made his escape on 4 July 1839. The executive order to shoot Mormons was rescinded 30 years ago in 1976. Scary, a person could be shot just because of their religion. Maybe, another reason for Missourians to be proud of their history? Not. Hopefully, our leaders have learned something from this mistake.

The race started about 7:30 am. It was raining earlier this morning during my run, and also started to rain during the race, raining harder by the end. I was hoping to place in the top 5. I planned in the beginning of the race to stay behind Matt D. (much faster than me) and started the race off in second place.

At about the 1st mile, I was passed by a male and then a female. About mile 1.5 I heard someone that sounded familiar behind me. It was Alison that runs Tu/Th. Usually, I can keep her pace and we stayed together up to the turn around catching up and passing the guy that passed me earlier. Alison slowly pulled away, but I maintained my 4th place overall position until the end of the race. I was second male overall out of 70-something runners. First place time, Matt was 22:55 and I was 25:39. Alison placed 25:11 and was the 1st female overall. I was okay with my time even though a bit (23 seconds) slower than last year. Hugh knocked 2 1/2 min off his pace last year running in 30:09!