Mon- Treadmill, 6 mi, 52:16, 8:43/mi
Tues- Tripp 10K, 6.2 mi, 44:18, 7:09/mi
First 2 miles difficult to run on snow covered trail.
Evening: Upper Body Weights, 45 min
Treadmill, 4 mi, 30:00, 7:30/mi
Wed- Rest
Thurs- Rain Run (modified course), 8.3 mi, 58:31, 7:03/mi
Kept up with some faster runners and had a great pace.
Evening: Treadmill, 4 mi, 33:11, 8:18/mi
Fri- Treadmill, 6 mi, 51:33, 8:35/mi
Sat- Columns/Half Route, 10.8 mi, 1:32:07, 8:32/mi
Sun- Prathersville + Blueridge, 16 mi, First 8 mi 1:02:01 (7:45/mi), last 8 mi 59:21 (7:25/mi); overall, 7:35/mi
I’m very happy with this pace on a hilly course. I felt strong for the entire run. Temp was only 18F and a bit windy.
This week is my highest mileage week that I’ve run since 2005 when I ran 60 miles a couple different weeks. I felt strong all week with no aches, no morning stiffness, no muscle soreness, and good energy level all week.
Evening: Upper Body Weights, 44 min
Running: 61.3 mi
Weight-lifting: 89 min
YTD Running: 219.9 mi
February 3rd-Nut Race 5K
March 17th-St. Patrick’s Day 5K
April 1st-Hogeye Marathon
May 19th-Berryman Trail Marathon
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Training 1/15 - 1/21
Mon- Rest
Tues- Snow Route, 6.2 mi, 45:19, 7:19/mi
Temp was 3F and wind chill -12F, and some ice along the roads.
Evening: Upper Body Weights, 47 min
Tu/Th group picture before the run
Wed- Rest
Thurs- Snow Route, 6.2 mi, 47:30, 7:40/mi
New snow and slush along the shoulder of road.
Evening: Treadmill, 6 mi, 49:25, 8:14/mi
No energy when I started this run, but felt good by the end.
Fri- Treadmill, 6 mi, 54:03, 9:00/mi
Energy level felt good when I started, and the run cleared my sinuses.
Sat- MKT, 11 mi, 1:36:53, 8:48/mi
Trail was snow and ice covered.
Sun- Brown Station Rd, 16 mi, 2:11:46, 8:14/mi
I woke up about 7 am feeling fairly well rested. It had snowed as predicted and I was very tempted to wait until later in the day to run but got dressed and went outside to measure the snow. We had 4.5 in on top of the 2 in ice/snow that hasn’t melted. After ½ mile of running on a snow packed road, I decided to run a different route since I didn’t have time to complete a 16 mile run at a slower pace in the snow. The gravel road that I normally run had not been cleared so I stayed on the snow-cleared pavement and ran out and back. Most of this course doesn’t have a shoulder to run on, but there were very few cars. The paved roads had been cleared but were wet and slushy in areas. This course had a few hills but not as many as the course I had planned to do. Considering the wet and slushy areas, I’m very happy with the pace. It didn’t feel like I was running an 8:15 average but it has been awhile since I’ve done that on a long run. The cold that developed on Friday seems to have passed quickly. I’m feeling almost normal again.
Afternoon: Upper Body Weights, 38 min
Running: 51.4 mi
Cycling: 0
Weight-lifting: 85 min
YTD Running: 158.6 mi
YTD Cycling: 0
February 3rd-Nut Race 5K
March 17th-St. Patrick’s Day 5K
April 1st-Hogeye Marathon
May 19th-Berryman Trail Marathon
Tues- Snow Route, 6.2 mi, 45:19, 7:19/mi
Temp was 3F and wind chill -12F, and some ice along the roads.
Evening: Upper Body Weights, 47 min
Tu/Th group picture before the runWed- Rest
Thurs- Snow Route, 6.2 mi, 47:30, 7:40/mi
New snow and slush along the shoulder of road.
Evening: Treadmill, 6 mi, 49:25, 8:14/mi
No energy when I started this run, but felt good by the end.
Fri- Treadmill, 6 mi, 54:03, 9:00/mi
Energy level felt good when I started, and the run cleared my sinuses.
Sat- MKT, 11 mi, 1:36:53, 8:48/mi
Trail was snow and ice covered.
Sun- Brown Station Rd, 16 mi, 2:11:46, 8:14/mi
I woke up about 7 am feeling fairly well rested. It had snowed as predicted and I was very tempted to wait until later in the day to run but got dressed and went outside to measure the snow. We had 4.5 in on top of the 2 in ice/snow that hasn’t melted. After ½ mile of running on a snow packed road, I decided to run a different route since I didn’t have time to complete a 16 mile run at a slower pace in the snow. The gravel road that I normally run had not been cleared so I stayed on the snow-cleared pavement and ran out and back. Most of this course doesn’t have a shoulder to run on, but there were very few cars. The paved roads had been cleared but were wet and slushy in areas. This course had a few hills but not as many as the course I had planned to do. Considering the wet and slushy areas, I’m very happy with the pace. It didn’t feel like I was running an 8:15 average but it has been awhile since I’ve done that on a long run. The cold that developed on Friday seems to have passed quickly. I’m feeling almost normal again.
Afternoon: Upper Body Weights, 38 min
Running: 51.4 mi
Cycling: 0
Weight-lifting: 85 min
YTD Running: 158.6 mi
YTD Cycling: 0
February 3rd-Nut Race 5K
March 17th-St. Patrick’s Day 5K
April 1st-Hogeye Marathon
May 19th-Berryman Trail Marathon
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Training 1/8 - 1/14
Mon- Rest
Tues- Morning: Dreier – C Route, 5.6 mi, 50:05, 8:57/mi running
Noon: Laughing Out Loud Marathon, 26.2 mi, 4:55:56, 11:18/mi
Wed- Rest
Thurs- MKT bridge, 7.8 mi, 1:02:05, 7:58/mi
Fri- Rest
Sat- Prathersville loop, 13.3 mi, 2:12:52, 9:59/mi
18 F and 3 inches of ice/sleet/snow to run on which made a nice smooth running surface.
Sun- Upper Body Weights, 40 min
Treadmill, 4 mi, 30:00, 7:30/mi
More ice last night so too slippery to run outside.
Running: 56.9 mi
Cycling: 0
Weight-lifting: 40 min
YTD Running: 107.2 mi
YTD Cycling: 0
February 3rd-Nut Race 5K
March 17th-St. Patrick’s Day 5K
April 1st-Hogeye Marathon
May 19th-Berryman Trail Marathon
Tues- Morning: Dreier – C Route, 5.6 mi, 50:05, 8:57/mi running
Noon: Laughing Out Loud Marathon, 26.2 mi, 4:55:56, 11:18/mi
Wed- Rest
Thurs- MKT bridge, 7.8 mi, 1:02:05, 7:58/mi
Fri- Rest
Sat- Prathersville loop, 13.3 mi, 2:12:52, 9:59/mi
18 F and 3 inches of ice/sleet/snow to run on which made a nice smooth running surface.
Sun- Upper Body Weights, 40 min
Treadmill, 4 mi, 30:00, 7:30/mi
More ice last night so too slippery to run outside.
Running: 56.9 mi
Cycling: 0
Weight-lifting: 40 min
YTD Running: 107.2 mi
YTD Cycling: 0
February 3rd-Nut Race 5K
March 17th-St. Patrick’s Day 5K
April 1st-Hogeye Marathon
May 19th-Berryman Trail Marathon
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Laughing Out Loud Marathon
The Laughing out Loud Marathon was an idea that Jim Linville, a runner, and former smoker, came up with after the Columbia City Council approved the no smoking ban in restaurants, bars, and bingo halls. The ordinance took effect on January 9th so Jim wanted to have a marathon on that day. For Jim LOL, means “love our lungs”. You can read more about his concept of a marathon to celebrate the smoking ban in the Columbia Missourian article Marathon to Celebrate Start of Smoking Ban
Hugh and me planned to run to about mile 14.5 (his parent's house) and then get on our bikes to finish the rest. I had run 5.6 miles at 5:30 am with the Tues/Th group and Hugh had run with the dogs. The marathon start was at Athena, in downtown Columbia. Registration was $1 and all participants had to sign a waiver which Jim said his lawyer had approved. It must have been a very slow news day since several from the local news media (about 2 TV, 1 radio, 1 newspaper) were on hand to witness this crazy event. The weather was beautiful. Temps were in the upper mid to upper 30’s, quite windy (up to 20 mph), and sunny.
After a short speech from Jim, we were off. I’m guessing there were about 15 people that started. There was no course support for the marathon so we had to obey traffic laws although many people stopped and let us pass. The first part took us through downtown Columbia where I’m sure we received lots of strange looks with a couple runners dressed as cigarettes and a chicken skipping and running all over the place. Everyone pretty much stayed close together until about mile 5 and then we split up. I think the chicken collapsed and got on the tandem about mile 3 and gave runners rides if they wanted.
The course was very urban, and challenging with the traffic. We ran on the shoulder, close to the shoulder, and sidewalks. Some parts there were very little traffic and really not a problem. Up to mile 12 took us through the north part of Columbia and out of the city. At this point, I was saying to a couple other runners that I caught up to that I could probably finish the course running, but would evaluate when I got to mile 14.5. About mile 12 I caught up to Hugh (he had run ahead of everyone) and we ran together. He said that he was thinking about running the complete course and I told him I thought the same. We decided to make our decision when we reached our bikes at 14.5. We passed mile 13 and had been running for a little over 2 hours.
About mile 14, a radio interviewer started running with me and asking questions. Shortly after that we stopped at Hugh’s parents to use the bathroom and get water. I guess after having so much fun running 2 hours, and feeling relaxed not worrying about our time, all good sense left us and we decided to continue on for the entire marathon.
After mile 16, there was a big hill that we decided to walk. About mile 17, we stopped at Tryathletics to purchase some Sports Beans and drink water. There were several people biking as well as a tandem bike that the chicken was riding at this point, plus they had a cooler full of water, energy gels, and beer. After standing around for awhile Hugh took off and then N. and D. (using initials to protect their identity) and myself took off. They each had a beer and were going to try running and drinking. I didn’t get far (less than a mile) with them and D. decided he needed a bathroom and they stopped at The Starting Block
Ahead, I could see Hugh so caught up to him. While we were in Tryathletics, we had been passed by S. and he was running the entire course, and then L. also passed us since she was on her bike. After mile 20, Hugh decided he needed to walk. He wanted me to go ahead, but I stayed with him. We would run and then walk. At mile 21 we were passed by N. and D.
For the rest of the course, we would run a little, and then walk a lot. We wanted to make it by 5 pm and would be under 5 hours. Those last 4 miles seemed to take forever, but we made it to the finish in 4:55:56. We went inside Athena and we gave Jim our time, got our finishers ribbons and had some food. Jim said that we finished last and the prize was his ice cream maker that he won at Cross Country X-Treme.
We decided that we needed some more food, changed our clothes, and had dinner at the Bread Basket. My legs still felt okay last night, but this morning my ankle hurts a bit but I’m walking. Being out on the course for almost 5 hrs I can now more fully appreciate the accomplishment of those that take longer than I normally do to finish. This totally unexpected marathon was number 8 for me.
Today, there was an article in the Missourian Smoke Free and Breathless There were some close up shots of me and Hugh running ahead of the chicken in the print version. The picture online you can see our backsides. Hugh’s brother said he seen us on KMIZ news. We didn’t stay up late enough to see if we were on KOMU as well, but I will check my tapes later.
I carried my camera and have posted all of the pictures
You Tube Videos:
Chicken Dance
Pre-Marathon Speech
Start of Marathon
D. signing Jim's shirt
pre-race
N. warming up and Hugh assigning race numbers
The Starting "Gun"
Go chicken!
Chicken being King of the Mountain
Chicken still going
Hugh about at mile 12
Taking a break at TryathleticsSunday, January 07, 2007
Training 1/1/07 - 1/7/07
Mon- Boatman Hill, 6 mi, 1:00:30, 10:05/mi; legs very sore
Tues- President’s Hill, 7.5 mi, 59:37, 7:57/mi; felt better, 6th day in a row running
Evening: Upper body weights, 38 min
Wed- Rest
Thurs- Rock Quarry, 7.8 mi, 55:17, 7:05/mi
Fri- Rest
Sat- 19 mi, 2:17:09, 7:13/mi
The first 20K I ran the Columbia Track Club Runner’s Choice. The course was out 3.1 mi and back with really long inclines. For the 20K, we completed the course twice. After I finished I went out one more time and added enough to round up to 19 mi.
1st 6.2 mi, 42:30, 6:51/mi
2nd 6.2 mi, 44:55, 7:15/mi
3rd 6.6 mi, 49:44, 8:01/mi
Felt very hungry at the end. Replenished blood sugar with a filled long john from Dixie Creme.
Sun- Clay’s Fork out and back, 10 mi, 1:29:31, 8:57/mi
Evening: Upper body weights, 48 min
Legs very tired earlier this week, but managed a couple pretty good runs and hit 50 miles. Ankles feel great after long run yesterday and run today. I’ve been doing exercises and stretches for my ankles twice per week very consistently since Chicago. It seems to be working.
Running: 50.3 mi
Cycling: 0
Weight-lifting: 86 min
YTD Running: 50.3 mi
YTD Cycling: 0
January 9th-Laughing Out Loud Marathon I’m running about 14.5 mi and biking the rest.
February 3rd-Nut Race 5K
March 17th-St. Patrick’s Day 5K
April 1st-Hogeye Marathon
Tues- President’s Hill, 7.5 mi, 59:37, 7:57/mi; felt better, 6th day in a row running
Evening: Upper body weights, 38 min
Wed- Rest
Thurs- Rock Quarry, 7.8 mi, 55:17, 7:05/mi
Fri- Rest
Sat- 19 mi, 2:17:09, 7:13/mi
The first 20K I ran the Columbia Track Club Runner’s Choice. The course was out 3.1 mi and back with really long inclines. For the 20K, we completed the course twice. After I finished I went out one more time and added enough to round up to 19 mi.
1st 6.2 mi, 42:30, 6:51/mi
2nd 6.2 mi, 44:55, 7:15/mi
3rd 6.6 mi, 49:44, 8:01/mi
Felt very hungry at the end. Replenished blood sugar with a filled long john from Dixie Creme.
Sun- Clay’s Fork out and back, 10 mi, 1:29:31, 8:57/mi
Evening: Upper body weights, 48 min
Legs very tired earlier this week, but managed a couple pretty good runs and hit 50 miles. Ankles feel great after long run yesterday and run today. I’ve been doing exercises and stretches for my ankles twice per week very consistently since Chicago. It seems to be working.
Running: 50.3 mi
Cycling: 0
Weight-lifting: 86 min
YTD Running: 50.3 mi
YTD Cycling: 0
January 9th-Laughing Out Loud Marathon I’m running about 14.5 mi and biking the rest.
February 3rd-Nut Race 5K
March 17th-St. Patrick’s Day 5K
April 1st-Hogeye Marathon
Monday, January 01, 2007
Training 12/25 - 12/31
Mon- Rest
Tues- Dave’s Dirty Devil Run, 6.66 mi, 0:51:38, 0:07:45/mi
Evening: Upper body weights, 43 min
Wed- Rest
Thurs- MKT Bridge, 7.8 mi, 1:01:24, 0:07:52/mi
Fri- HOA course (hills), 18 mi, 2:20:12, 7:47/mi
Sat- Column’s, 10 mi, 1:28:12 0:08:49/mi
Sun- First Night 5K, 3.1 mi, 0:20:43 (M1-6:36/mi, M2-7:08/mi, M3.1-7:00), 06:41/mi
My legs were pretty much done before I started this race. I gave it my best effort.
Running: 45.6 mi
Cycling: 0
Weight-lifting: 43 min
YTD Running: 1937.0 mi
YTD Cycling: 575.6 mi
Running: 153 miles less than last year.
26 events included running for 200.8 mi
3 events included biking 53.8 mi
Janurary 6th-Runner’s Choice 10K/20K
February 3rd-Nut Race 5K
March 17th-St. Patrick’s Day 5K
April 1st-Hogeye Marathon
Tues- Dave’s Dirty Devil Run, 6.66 mi, 0:51:38, 0:07:45/mi
Evening: Upper body weights, 43 min
Wed- Rest
Thurs- MKT Bridge, 7.8 mi, 1:01:24, 0:07:52/mi
Fri- HOA course (hills), 18 mi, 2:20:12, 7:47/mi
Sat- Column’s, 10 mi, 1:28:12 0:08:49/mi
Sun- First Night 5K, 3.1 mi, 0:20:43 (M1-6:36/mi, M2-7:08/mi, M3.1-7:00), 06:41/mi
My legs were pretty much done before I started this race. I gave it my best effort.
Running: 45.6 mi
Cycling: 0
Weight-lifting: 43 min
YTD Running: 1937.0 mi
YTD Cycling: 575.6 mi
Running: 153 miles less than last year.
26 events included running for 200.8 mi
3 events included biking 53.8 mi
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 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
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
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
Monday, December 11, 2006
Famous Dogs
Thanks to Runner Susan for the mentioning this blog in her article Running with the Dogs
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
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.
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
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 tubSat- 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
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
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