My Running has Become a Millennial

Some of y'all know this and some of y'all don't.......So let me clear my throat!  I'm feeling a bit like DJ Kool right now! haha!

  

 

You millennials won't get that reference.  No honestly, I need to clear my throat.  Probably several times as I write this.  This isn't gonna be a fun one to write. 

Last Saturday, I walked to the start line of the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon.  My training leading up to the race had been good, not great.  I struggled through the summer heat and had a couple of bad, shorter races.  That said, I felt in the past month I had built a good bit of both fitness and confidence.  I was as prepared physically as I've ever been for a race.  It was an absolutely perfect weather day for racing.  A day like I haven't seen since 2013 in Chicago.  

The gun goes off, I run a slow'ish first mile and then find a groove.  I don't feel as though I'm working hard at all, 7:11, 6:54, 6:46, 6:45.  I'm chatting with Kevin, who happens to be right behind me pacing the 3:05 group.  .....and all of a sudden the thought runs through my head that I'm not doing this today.  A mile later, still on pace, I look for Tricia and decide that if I see her, I'm quitting. Where the heck is she?  What the hell?  I keep running, another good mile and then BAM!  I'm on the side of the street..........Done.  I quit!  I turn and wave at Kevin, tell him to have a good race and to keep it up.  What kind of freaking hypocrite am I???  7 miles in and I'm standing there as a spectator.  Margaret Jones runs by......"Hagan, you ok?"  Yep, I'm good.  I ask a spectator to borrow a phone to text Tricia to tell her I'm done and begin walking back to the hotel. 

I've spent the last 4-5 days beating myself up over this.  What has happened to me as a runner?  When it comes to running, I've become a millennial.  There's an excuse, with a plausible argument, for every run that goes bad.  As a runner, I've become what, as a person, I despise.  I've become the guy that will take all the credit when things go great, but if it's a tough day, it ain't my fault. I've stopped owning responsibility for my own failures.  Something else is the problem.  The heat and humidity......the remodel of my house...........I didn't sleep well.........I just don't want to be here. 

As a point of self-reflection, it's important to me to try to identify where this slide started.  Amazingly enough, I think it all started following the most successful day of my running life.  October 10, 2013.  Chicago Marathon.  I run my marathon PR by 19 minutes and qualify for Boston the first time.  As I was running today, I started chronicling the excuses I've used for my performances.......here's a sampling.

• 2013 - Rocket City Marathon (DNS) - Raining, This was my 'B' race, I already qualified for Boston
• 2014 - New York - Cold, 25-40 MPH winds (this one might actually be legit), logistics suck
• 2015 - Naples Half-Marathon - Too hot to race hard
• 2015 - Boston - Cold, rainy, windy
• 2015 - Franklin Classic - Stomach issues (I ate Hot Chicken 2 days before), Hot.
• 2016 - Boston - HOT (It was 60 degrees.  That ain't hot!!)
• 2016 - Watertown Half - Humid, it's a training run, I don't want to be doing this
• 2016 - Indianapolis (DNF) - My summer training was terrible, I've got no confidence, I don't want to be here. 

It goes beyond just race day.  It goes to the daily runs as well.  When doing interval work, if I'm running faster than pace, great!!  When it starts to hurt, rather than miss my pace, I'll stop to catch my breath.  On hot days this past summer, I'd slow down when approaching a traffic light hoping it would change to keep me from crossing just so I could stop.  Or, even if I could cross, would stop anyway just because I wasn't feeling it.   The long run..........pshhhh!  I bailed out more this summer than Free At Last Bail Bonds.  Do I get the same number of miles as I would if I executed the way I should, yes.  What I miss though is the confidence to know that I can push through when things get tough.

So, how the heck do I get out of this horrible habit and start owning my success AND failures?  Andy Grove, the former CEO of Intel, said "Success breeds complacency.  Complacency breeds failure.  Only the paranoid survive."  I've said before that I've gotten complacent with my running.  I've achieved things that most won't dare attempt.  I'd say that even among runners, I've achieved a state of 'accomplished' as an age-group athlete.  Heck, on a good day this past summer, I actually won a small 5k in my hometown.  And, for what its worth, there were no excuses on that day.  What I had not considered until reading his quote is that my complacency has bred my failure. 

For me, getting out of this habit begins with a reminder about why I started running and then clearly identifying my goals.  I must be brutally honest with myself about how committed I am to achieving those goals.  

I started running because I was eating poorly & drinking too much, I was over-weight, and life, as I know it now, was running away without me (no pun intended).  I decided to do "something absolutely ridiculous to get into shape." I'll never forget the day I registered for my first marathon and the feeling of 'What did I just do???"  The feeling of excitement that followed for the monumental challenge of a marathon.  Nor will I ever forget the first thought that went through my head when I crossed the finish line.  "I CAN DO THAT FASTER!!!!"

My goals today are a lot different than they were when I started running.  Today, there are basically two goals.  The first is to always be in good enough shape that I can run a half-marathon tomorrow.  Not necessarily for a great time, but that I can actually do it.  The second is to be able to run Boston any year that I want.  This goal........uhhh, it requires WORK!  It requires that I find a way to mature as a runner and accept responsibility and ownership for both my successes and failures.  It requires that I remember or re-learn how to push through when things get tough. 

How committed am I to these goals?  Its a good thing I'm answering this today.  Last Saturday, I was finished with running for a month or two, and was seriously evaluating if I wanted to even make the trip to Boston in April.  Those who know me best, know that when I experience a failure, there's usually a 'Redemption Race'.  After I finished beating myself up for a 4-5 days, I registered for that Redemption Race.  In a month, I'll toe the line again in Huntsville at the Rocket City Marathon.  Ironic it's the first in the list of the 'excuse' races.    I hope I'm able to find the determination I took with me to the start line in Chicago in 2013.  I hope that I'm able to work my way out of this excuse making habit.

 

I sent to my coach a screenshot of my race registration confirmation.  He asked if I was getting a bit of the fire back.  My response was a resounding yes, in very clear, direct and explicit terms!  I'm a grown-ass man and need to start acting like it.  Especially when it comes to doing something I love. 

I don't know if anyone will read this or not, but let's assume for a minute that all my friends do......I need everyone to hold me accountable to this.  Do not coddle me.  Call me out on my BS!  The excuse making guy is not me and it's darn sure no who I want to be.  

I am responsible for and own the effort that I put into every workout.
I am responsible for and own the success AND the failure of those workouts.

I am responsible for and own the effort I put forth on race day!
If I do all these well, the results will take care of themselves.  

Let's hope the next time I write, we're talking about successes again. 

Training (March 28 - April 3)

Another good week of training in the books.  I found myself really tired at the end of the week and I'm sure a lot of that has to do with the grind that it's been for the past 6 months.  However, after a couple of days away from it, I feel like I'm as ready as I've ever been for a marathon. 

Monday - After getting home late from Fayetteville, Monday was to be an easy day.  Since the time change, I've been trying to run on Monday night with the Tin Roof 2 Running Crew.  This is good because I see some familiar faces and get to run with some people that are as fast, if not faster, than me.  This day would be no different.  Alex and I got in 4 easy miles prior to starting with the Crew.  I needed 9 total miles for the day with some strides on the end.  After 3 more steady miles, Kyle McPhee and I take of on strides by ourselves.  Kyle is a former collegiate runner that claims to have some extra weight on right now.  He can run circles around me but at the same time push me to go just a bit harder on each of these strides.  Great workout.  9.4 total miles @ 7:45.

Tuesday - Easy, breezy miles.  Seems all my miles lately have been 'breezy'!!!  8.23 @ 7:59.  With a baseball game scheduled for the evening, this one happened at lunch.  Rushed again to get from meeting to run to meeting.

Wednesday - Coach has said a few times that he'd be glad to pace me over a few miles if I was interested.  I've always said yes, but until this day, we hadn't been able to work it out.  As I'm getting closer to my race, Coach decided we'd run a tempo pace over some hills.  We did a short warm-up and then dropped the pace just below 7:00.  Coach talked the entire time and gave me a play-by-play of the route as we went.  Don't you just hate those guys that can run and talk???  haha!  While I'm back behind him dying, he's carrying on a very one-sided conversation!  We finished with 11.24 miles @ 7:02.  This includes both warm-up and cool-down miles. 

Thursday - Another day where I'm cramming miles in at lunch because I'm traveling for baseball in the evening.  This time, I'm driving to Atlanta.  Not so bad and I could run after work, but there's the expectation of some thunderstorms.  8.23 @ 8:01.  Easy, breezy!

Friday - Friday's have turned into a very hectic day.  By traveling on Thursday evening, I'm able to work most all day on Friday, but I have to be at the ballpark before the end of the work day, in most cases.  Slipping in a run at lunch is tough, but I'm finding a way to make it happen.  Did a couple of easy strides on the end of this one.  7.07 @ 7:49.

Saturday - Long run in another city.  While this is challenging to coordinate and learn, this has been a lot of fun.  Atlanta is no different.  Just a mile from my hotel is the Noon Day Creek trail/greenway.  It connects on the far end to the Kennesaw Mountain trail/greenway. On Friday, I figured out there was no water on the trail so I stashed a small bottle on my way out.
I've also been doing long runs on minimal nutrition in an effort to familiarize my body with the feeling of running in a carb depleted state.  This time I took a gel prior to starting and then one at mile 6.  A 20 mile run on low cals/carbs is freaking tough but it's a bit easier today than it was a month ago when I bailed out half-way into a run.  20.5 miles (5 Mi. Fast Finish) @ 7:40 (last 5 @ 6:55).

Sunday - In this blog I've mentioned several times that I need to learn to run slow!  This is still a work in progress and I expect it to always be.  Saturday's run, followed by 9 innings of plate work, left me sore and stiff.  I managed to take this one very slow.....for me.  6.13 @ 8:31. 

70.9 miles for the week.  I like this as a final, high-mileage week for my training.  I feel good about my fitness and excited about the possibilities of a good showing in Boston.  Now it's time to start stalking the weather report!!! 

Catching Up

As my marathon training has continued over the past several months, I’ve thought often of writing about what’s been going on.  I realized a while back that I hadn’t written in this blog since my race recap from Boston last year.  Wow, almost a full year since I’ve set down to projectile vomit my thoughts into words.  Tricia has asked me every couple of weeks when I’m going to write again.  I haven’t really had a good answer for her, but here’s a go at it. 

So, 2015 turned out to be a pretty good year.  I didn’t accomplish all of my goals, but here’s a quick recap.

1.    2500 Miles – 2,091 Miles.  I came up a couple hundred miles short on this one.  After being a hundred or so miles ahead of schedule when I got to Boston, I quickly lost this momentum and ran only 135 miles in April, 65 in May, 81 in June and 103 in July.  I guess you could say I took some time off. 

2.    A New PR in every distance – I ran 1 full, 1 half, 2 10k’s, and a couple of 5k’s.  Taking time off definitely decreased my chances of succeeding at this goal.  I did however PR in the 10k and 5k. 

3.    Help someone else achieve a PR – I’m going to call this a success.  When 2015 started, Tricia and I had just started dating and she appeared to have no interest in running.  After sitting at the finish line in Boston waiting for me to get there, Tricia had an itch that she needed to scratch.  She decided to run her first 5k, then another faster, then another one even faster.  She ran her first 10k and then her first half-marathon.  I told her from the beginning that I was going to do my best to stay out of her training but that I’d be there every step of the way.  I can only hope I did a good job of staying out of her way while encouraging her and giving her accurate, solid advice.  We’re still dating, so I guess I did. 

 

4.    Re-Qualify for Boston – DONE.  CHECK.  Man ‘o man, was it good to check this one off the list. 

5.    Cross-Training – Yeah……I got off to a horrible start with this one and never got back to it.  Training for Boston was intense, I took time off, and when I did get back to it, I had a lot of work to do just to get into running shape. 

Now, let’s take a look at 2016.  My only goal for 2016 is to run faster than I ever have.  Considering it’s such a small, little goal for an old guy, I think this is the only one I’ll have for the year!  Haha!!!  Actually, I’m also carrying over the 2,500 miles goal to this year also.  Had I not taken off so much time last year, I would have destroyed this goal.  I need to achieve this once in my life, just to say I did. 

One thing I’ve done to help with these goals is enlist the help of a coach.  I reached a point last year of thinking I had gotten everything out of my body that my knowledge of running would allow.  I’d questioned and studied all I knew to and was beginning to run out of answers.  I asked a lot of the people that I run with who are working with coaches about their guy/gal.  I even asked those that don’t have coaches if they’d considered anyone and if so, who and why?   Everyone had their guy or gal for a reason and made compelling arguments for why I should consider them.  While I was in line at Whole Foods getting lunch one day, I see Susan Wenner.  Susan and I chat running every time I go in and I mentioned to her I was considering a coach.  Before I could finish my sentence, she says ‘Oh, you have to go with Scott!’  I could physically feel the enthusiasm with which she said this and for the most part, my mind was made up.  Scott Wietecha would be my first choice to work with if it was an option. 

Scott is easily the Nashville area’s most decorated runner: a professional runner, Olympic Trials qualifier, and 3x winner of the Rock n’ Roll Country Music/Nashville Marathon, I think Scott knows what he’s doing.  After a few conversations, we started working toward an April 18, 2016 peak date.

Back to running fast, I started working with Scott in late September and immediately ran 45 consecutive days.  Wow, that wasn’t what I had in mind, but I quickly remembered why he’s even involved.  He’s the coach, I’m the athlete and I need to trust everything he suggests I do.  If I buy in fully, I may be able to improve on the hard work I’ve already done.  After a day off, 53 more consecutive days to finish up the year.  In December, I ran a 5k and PR’d by almost 30 seconds.  My last 5k PR came the week prior to Chicago in 2013.  I like this as a good sign.

2016 has started off extremely well.  In February, I ran the Cedars of Lebanon Half Marathon as a training run.  I went in with relatively low expectations and while I was hoping to PR, didn’t expect it would be by much considering the course.  After 13.1 hilly miles I had a new PR by just over three minutes.  WHOA!!!  Coach, whatever you’re doing, it’s  working!!!  A month later, I ran the Tom King Half and ran another minute+ faster.  I like this trend and hope to keep it up.

I’ve been given the chance to run Boston again, 21 days from now.  I’ve work extremely hard for the past 6 months and feel like I’m in the best shape of my life.  I told a friend last night I thought I was a better runner now that I was in my 20’s.  Granted, I didn’t run a lot in my 20’s because I was busy with other things.  But, while I know I’m more committed to it, I also feel I’m stronger both physically and mentally.    

I’ve said for a long time now that I want my best performance in the marathon to come on the world’s biggest stage.  I’ll never have the opportunity to run in the Olympics or even the Trials.  I’ll never compete for prize money at one of these big races.  But, that big stage still awaits for all of us.  Mine just happens to be on Patriot’s Day and I’m taking a whole sack full of grit and determination with me, along with 6 months of hard work and fitness, and I’m going to find out just how good I can be on one day. 

 

2015 Boston Marathon - A Race Recap

It seems normal to me to wait several days before writing a race recap.  There are so many thoughts and emotions that go into a race and effectively processing all of them is a challenge for me.  Following a disappointing result in New York last November, I wanted to make sure that I fully evaluated this performance and the experience that it has been.

My final evaluation is that this race was a complete success.  Period.  No doubt about it.  Did I have the race that I wanted or expected?  No, absolutely not.  Were the conditions tough and getting tougher with each minute that passed?  Yes, absolutely.  That said, I ran a tougher course, on a tougher day, only 2 minutes slower than a PR that I posted on a flat, fast course on a perfect day.  OH, and I did the one thing that was most important to me for this race.......RE-QUALIFY for BOSTON!

Race day started out like most all do.  Up early, BodyGlide and Vaseline, coffee, and start the feeding process.  I had discussed a feeding plan with Jessica in the days leading up to the race.  With the addition of a bus ride to the start line, the timing of my food intake was very important.  We agreed that I needed to eat 2 hours prior to my scheduled start time.  So, I bagged up my bagel, peanut butter, granola bars and Gatorade/Water and took it with me to the bus.  As I'm getting out of a cab near the bus loading spot, I hear someone yell my name.  Ladies and Gentleman, it was the one and only Beth Meadows!  Those of you that know Beth know the infectious energy that she possesses.  A big hug and we were off to catch a bus.  Running into Beth was a bit of a God-send.  If you've ever run a big city race, and specifically one where you are transported to the start line, you know the alone feeling that you get when you know no one and are simply being herded like cattle to your destination.  We laughed and talked the entire way to Hopkinton.  Thank you, Beth.  Your timing could not have been better.  (Read her race recap here...... https://ultramarathonoflife.wordpress.com/2015/04/22/boston-marathon-ok-it-was-cool/)

When we arrived in Hopkinton, it started raining.  I had truly thought of everything that I needed to pack heading to the race start.  Throw away clothing, gloves, hat, food, water, toilet paper, and a.......garbage bag......not so fast my friend.  I left the garbage bag in my backpack.  DANG IT!  Luckily Beth and I only had a short walk and the rain mostly stopped.  We found a spot in a tent where I continued to eat my bagel and peanut butter.  If you ever want to be the envy of every runner around, have a bagel and peanut butter in a crowded area prior to a race.  According to Beth, for every person that asked me where I got mine, there were 10 more than were staring at it.  My response to the question of where I got it became, "At Dunkin' Donuts, 26 miles away."  haha!

As we started funneling toward the start line, I had one last chance to get in line for a porta-potty.  I walk into this open area where there are literally thousands of runners and walk right up on Greg Kyle, Jackson Miller and David Canas.  So great to see these guys prior to the race.  I hope they know how much they helped to quell the nerves that were starting to build.  While we were standing in line, the National Anthem began and a sense of urgency took over.  Everyone started moving faster and faster.  Finally walking toward the start line again, I was quickly routed into my corral and heard the announcing of the elite runners.  I knew we were only minutes away.

I was in the 8th corral of Wave 1.  Wave 1 contained about 7,500 runners.  With 7,000 people ahead of me, it took about 5 minutes to get to the actual start line.  This 5 minutes seemed like an eternity.  As you approach the start line, it narrows significantly.  It really is a two-lane road from Hopkinton to Ashland.  Based on what I had been told, I knew it was narrow and down-hill, but don't think I was prepared for this.  Felt like I was running down the middle of Old Glasgow Road. It was hard to believe that 27.000+ runners were going to 'fit' through this section of road.  But, they've been doing it for 119 years, I think they know better than me.

And I'm off.  I knew to be patient during the first mile and things started to open up a bit during the second.  I rattled off a couple of really good miles and settled in.  I took a gel at mile 4 and grabbed a sip of water.  I took another gel at mile 8 and another sip of water.  I felt as though I needed to use the bathroom again and as I approached mile 9, I had to stop and find a tree.  Yes, guys are lucky and we don't necessarily have to wait for a porta-potty.  I lost about 30 seconds or so during this stop but was quickly back underway.  The course seemed to be fair at this point and I rolled through miles 9 to 13.  I made it half way at 1:32.  I was hopeful of a bit faster, but knew that I could still drop a PR if I stayed after it.  Speaking of mile 13.  This is where the all-girls Wellesley College is located.  About a quarter mile away, you can hear the roar of the crowd and it grows and grows as you get closer.  It seemed that the bulk of the runners were making their way to the right side of the road.  This is where ALL the girls were.  Sensing this, I made my way to the left and found a good bit of open space to run in for about a half mile.  This was also about the point where it started raining lightly.  I took another gel at mile 13 and grabbed a sip of water.  This time I actually walked through the water stop to ensure that I got a good bit of it in me rather than on me.  I am not good at managing those cups and drinking water from them while running.

Miles 14 and 15 were not good.  I don't know if I lost focus during this time or what, but the results of those miles seemed to set a tone for what was to come.  By the time I got back to running hard at mile 16, the rain picked up and the wind started to blow.  By the time I reached the Newton Hills, it was pouring and the wind was in my face at 25 mph.  This is not what I had in mind for this day.  Seriously, can a brotha get a good weather condition race day???  I took another gel at mile 17 and grabbed a quick sip of water.  I knew then that this would be my last gel because I really needed to get after it to get close to the PR and re-qualifying.  There are 4 Newton Hills but the only one that gets any talk is 'Heartbreak Hill', the last of them.  Don't get me wrong here, Heartbreak Hill is tough given that it's the last of the 4 and mile 21 is at the top of it, but, in my opinion, it wasn't the toughest.  The second hill which was shorter, but much more steep, was more difficult.  When I got to the top of Heartbreak Hill, my thought was, 'surely that isn't all'.  Seriously, that's all you got???  Maybe they should rename it 'Heartbreak Hump' 'cause where I come from, we don't call that a hill.  hahaha!!!

Mile 21 and realizing that I'm losing hope for a new PR.  The rain continues to pour, the wind blows harder and now the temp feels like it's dropping.  It's downhill from here but I need to get after it.  Somehow, from somewhere, I found a little zone where I just ran as hard as I could for the last 5 miles.  Mentally I checked out.  I remember seeing the Citgo sign and knowing I was close.  I remember seeing Fenway Park off to my right.  Aside from those landmarks, I don't remember much at all about this part of the race.  Mile 25 and I realize that no PR is coming and I need to hustle if I'm going to re-qualify so I dig a bit deeper.  The crowds are picking up as we are now in Boston.  And then I see it........Hereford St.

Likely the most famous statement in marathon running is, "Now a right on Hereford and a left of Boylston."  I feel like these should be within a few short feet of each other when I hear that said.  When I turned on Hereford, I expected to almost immediately turn left.  Nooooo.....it's more than a quarter-mile and seemed even farther.  The crowd was even louder!  I turned onto Boylston and could see the finish line.

Oh My!  The crowd roared!  They were 4 or 5 people deep on each side of the street.  I'm running down the most famous street in ALL of running and I'm about to requalify to be able to do it again.  AMAZING!  If I wasn't actually doing it, I'm not sure I would believe it.  I know that Tricia and Judy are going to be on the right side of the street.  I work my way to that side hoping to see them.  I see Tricia and she's yelling at the top of her lungs with an enormous smile.  I can't help but smile just a little bit.  I cross the finish line at 3:12:19.  2 minutes 41 seconds under the 3:15:00 needed to qualify for Boston in my age group.  BAM!

The finish line chute was a zoo.  I've never seen so many people using wheelchairs and being moved to the medical tent.  As I slow down, I begin to shiver.  The farther I walk, the more uncontrollable the shivers.  I can't open my banana, or my water, or the protein bar because my hands are so cold.  I'm soaking wet and by the time I get to my heat sheet, I'm freezing.  I meet up with Tricia who has dry clothes for me.  I'm so wet and cold that it actually hurt to put on dry clothes.  I tell her that I've got to get warm and we decide to start walking to get to a cab.  After walking a half block, we see a building that the lobby is open.  She suggests ducking in there for a few minutes for me to warm up.  Great idea.  We do exactly that as she walks to figure out how far I've got to walk before we get to a cab.  Ten minutes later we walk 2 blocks, hail a cab and back to the hotel.

There is something very special about this race, in this city, on this day, Patriot's Day.  I knew when I toed the line that I was surrounded by runners that were better than me.  I knew that everyone around me had earned the right to be there and that none of them were going to take that opportunity for granted.  I've been incredibly lucky to run some incredible races.  After this race, when someone asks me which is my favorite, I have a new answer.

Rain & Ice & Snow, Oh My

48 days until dreams come true.  

Ever have one of those 'real' moments where you know that 'shit is about to go down'?  I had one of those yesterday when I receive a text message from my Nutritionist stating that we needed to soon discuss my nutrition plan for Boston.  Cold chills covered my body as if I was standing at the start line ready to race.  With every day that passes, I get more excited.  The workouts are getting tougher, but I believe that I am as well.  

I missed out on writing this past week because things have been extremely hectic.  Baseball season is fully under way and as I learn better each year, Baseball Coaches like to play Weather Man too.  Not a good idea.  Stick to what you know, or in some cases, don't know.     

Running in South Florida definitely has advantages.  As an Ice Storm hit Nashville on Monday the 16th, I was in sunny and 75 degree Naples.  That day's run was to be a tempo run.  I've openly admitted that I'm not very good at the execution of a tempo pace.  I've searched for and read every definition.  I've asked runner friends about how they execute these runs and still I struggle with this.  That said, I like how this run turned out.  After a warmup mile, I dropped below 7:00 pace, leveling off at just below 6:40 pace for 3 miles and then knocking down the last mile at 6:24.  A good,  hard, 7 mile effort with enough energy in the tank to finish strong.

The next day was an easy 7 miles to shake off the sting of a fast prior day.  I feel like I'm getting better at this kind of running as well.  I tend to keep dropping the pace until I find myself putting out a significant effort on an easy day.  I didn't do that on this day.  I'm also finding that my 'easy' pace is dropping down to about 7:30.  I like very much!

Wednesday of that week was scheduled for 6 miles with no particular pace assigned to it.  I'm not really sure why I didn't assign a pace, but I've been trying Wednesday runs at or near marathon pace, so I went out with the intent of going faster.  After a couple of warm-up miles, I put down 4 averaging 6:46.  I'm beginning to enjoy this 'fast' running.  

Back home on Friday (and for the next week) and things get complicated.  Snow, and mostly Ice, still blanket Middle Tennessee and baseball for the day was already cancelled.  Friday was to be 11 miles at marathon pace.  It turned into 11 miles at 'just don't bust your ass' pace.  A 50 degree temperature change definitely makes me better understand the 'Snow Bird' mentality.  I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't try the distance/pace, but please that I got out on a 25 degree, icy day and got the miles.  Saturday's baseball was cancelled early as it was 40 and pouring rain.  Not even a chance to get outside to run so I went to the Y for an hour in the pool and then back home for an hour on the bike.  Missing a long run is near disaster in my mind.  I hate situations like this.  

Sunday was to be a 10 mile 'recovery' pace run.  I was able to talk Jenifer and Alex into 13+ instead.  We had planned on doing a 'Tom King' like route, but decided that if the Shelby Bottoms Greenway was still covered in ice, that we'd improvise and make it up as we go.  And we did.  13+ miles at 7:53 pace, while not busting my ass is a success.  All this before heading to the ballpark for a double header.  This turned out to be a very, very long day.  

Monday would be another day of baseball and running while dodging ice.  The paths still aren't clear and with a temperature of only 28, it wasn't going to happen then either.  9 miles @ 7:47 pace is a win for this day.  Monday is typically a 'speed workout' day for me, but I changed this up because of the previous day and the remaining ice.  

Tuesday.  Hill Repeats.  Oh how I've missed you!  You suck!  Yes, those are exact thoughts that went through my head on this day.  I felt sluggish.  Legs were tired.  3 baseball games in two days, on top of the mileage, was taking a toll.  8 x Hill Repeats, 4 x Down Hill Repeats.  A total of 8 miles and I didn't hit my paces a single time.  Either my feeling of sluggishness was dead on or I grossly miscalculated my paces for this workout, which is highly likely.  Did I mention another baseball game?  Yep.

On Wednesday, I would have yet another baseball game and needed 9 miles.  I knew that I wouldn't be able to do this one fast, but still went out with 'good intentions.'  9.3 @ 7:34 on this day was a very good run.  

By Friday I knew that Baseball Coaches turned Weather Men are shitty Weather Men!  On Tuesday of this week, a decision had been made to cancel due to impending bad weather.  By Friday, it was gorgeous.  Thank goodness.  This weekend was a high mileage weekend.  11 Friday, 22 Saturday and 11 Sunday.  I really didn't know how I was going to pull that off and work baseball at the same time.  Luckily I didn't have to worry about it.  Friday was 11 quick miles @ 7:12 pace.  Saturday's long run was miserable, in part because I hadn't gone long in a couple of weeks, other part because it was still freakin' cold.  22 miles at 8:09 pace.  Not bad, but I really struggled in the last 4+ miles.  Sunday's 11 miles were the first time in 10 days that I had run with the temp above freezing.  Break out the shorts!!!  Woo Hoo!!!  Those 11 miles wrapped up a 71 mile week.  My highest mileage week since October.  The body is feeling it, but its also a nice accomplishment.  

Even with all of the improvisation of the past week or so, training appears to still be going well.  The miles are adding up and I'm becoming more comfortable with those faster paces.  It feels really good to execute some of these longer distances at faster paces, something I haven't tried regularly in prior training plans.  I'm also ahead of pace on my 2500 mile goal for the year and expect that gap to increase through April.  Soon I'll get to work on some of the other running goals for the year.  

Opening Day is upon us!

Wow, time is flying by.  I can't believe we are now less than 60 days until Boston.  When I qualified for this race in October of 2013, eternity was the only word to describe how long it felt it would be.  Now, it's creeping up on me.  Let's hope they clear a bit more of the snow there prior to April 20.

I'm a little late writing this week, but have a few minutes and thought I'd get these thoughts out before embarking on another busy weekend.

The week started off with a very hard, mile repeats workout.  I have a love/hate relationship with these workouts as I know they are painful, but I get better each time I run one.  I'm getting better about pacing myself in these workouts with the use of specific paces assigned to them.  The self-prescribed pace for this was between 6:16 and 6:27.  5 miles repeats, the first one 3 seconds too fast, the last one 4 seconds too slow.  Yep, just goes to show you that going out too fast impacts even the shortest workouts.  I can live with this, but beat myself up a bit about not hitting that last mile's pace.

Tuesday was a nice easy run.  It was a gorgeous 65 degree day in Naples and this turned out to be one of the more consistent runs I've ever done.  7.1 miles.

Wednesday turned out to be another nice easy run.  I was hurting a bit from the fast work on Monday and decided that I just needed to settle in for the miles.  6.3 miles.

Thursday - Travel/Off.

Friday - Opening Day of the college baseball season.  I've been looking forward to this for a long while now and, of course, the weather takes a turn for the cold.  A week earlier it was 60 degrees and gorgeous.  Now that the season is ready to open, we are going to deal with extreme cold temps.  First thing Friday morning I learn that our weekend series (Fri. thru Sun.) has been altered to avoid playing on Sunday.  This means two games on Saturday.  An appointment with my 'Witch Doctor' to get worked over for the case of Plantar Fasciitis left me with fatigued legs.  The workout was to be 8 miles with 7 at marathon pace.  I got 6.5 miles with 6 of them very near (10 seconds) marathon pace.  I just could not get down to that pace on wobbly legs.  A bit disappointed in myself, but satisfied that I made the best of this.

Saturday - Friday night's baseball game took a lot longer than it should have.  Being on tired legs already and adding a 4 hour baseball game didn't make things any better.  In order to get in my run, I would need to start at about 6 a.m.  That didn't happen and physically felt exhausted.  I started my run by 7 a.m. and two miles in realized that it just wasn't going to happen.  I did 6 miles at a very slow pace and then made my way to the ballpark for 18 innings (actually 19).

Sunday - Luckily, I got to bed at a reasonable time Saturday evening and was able to sleep in a bit.  This also allowed the temps to warm a good bit prior to running.  Even more lucky, this was a step back week in mileage so I only needed 12-13 miles for a long run.  The temp never really warmed, so I started at around 1:00 when there was at the very least some sunshine.  12 miles at 8:00 pace.  I'll take it.  Home to pack and a flight out of town to beat the Snopocalypse, Snotastrophe, Snomaggedon that's heading Nashville's way.

This was another good week of training.  As I look back on it now, it is probably exactly what I needed given the conditions, my health and schedule.  I'm going to have to learn over the next 8-9 weeks how to be more flexible with my weekend running, but still get in my miles.  While I was more than a bit disappointed about Saturday morning's effort, it probably turned out best considering the work that I had to do that day.  Being rigid and dedicated to my training makes change a challenge for me.  While I want to remain extremely focused on each workout, I must be flexible enough to move them around when necessary.

"How many laps did you run?"

4 days away from the beginning of another College Baseball season.  I'm going to find out very quickly if I'm able to manage that work along with training for a marathon.  I've never actually tried to do this, so keep your fingers crossed for me, say a prayer, send me a protein bar, a foam roller and some melatonin!  hahaha

When I'm in Naples and have track work on the training plan, I go to Naples High School.  I spoke with a grounds guy there last May to ensure that I wasn't 'trespassing' and that it was cool that I use the track.  On Monday nights, I get to 'borrow' a lane while the Gulf Coast Runner's Youth Group has their practice.  For the most part, this means that I'm dodging kids that are clueless to their surroundings, but in some way, it motivates me to keep pushing a bit harder.  Heck, if these little guys/gals can get out there to run, this old dude can show 'em how it's done, right?  

This Monday night was no different.  Dodging kids, but it seemed there were more of them.  Maybe even a few kids that were older than I had recalled previously seeing.  After dodging kids for 5 mile repeats, I was catching my breath and putting on my shirt for my run back to the hotel.  All of the kids started gathering in the same general area for their next exercise.  One little girl looks at me with bright eyes and a huge smile and asks, "How many laps did you do?"  My immediate response was that I didn't know, but then we started doing the math together.  "How many laps make a mile? And I did 5 of those and add 4 more laps.  So, 24."  Her eyes light up with amazement as if I've just solved world-wide hunger or something.  I ask her how many laps she's done.  "3", as she shows me with her fingers.  Of course, I immediately think to challenge her to do more.  "I think you should go one more to get to four. What do you think?"  Everyone around can see the wheels turning in this little girl's head.  Before she has a chance to respond I say, "If you want to go one more, I'll do it with you."  Instantly the wheels land on 'Ask Mom'.  We walk over to her Mom and she asks if she can run a lap with me.  I explain to her Mom what's going on.  The other kids are lining up to run the 100.  Her Mom tells her it's her choice and I ask her if she'd rather run the 100 or run with me.  "With you!", she says with no hesitation and off we go.  We start out slow as I had no idea whether she was a poser or a runner.  She's a runner AND a talker!  Instantly she turns into 'Chatty-Cathy'.  Wow!  She's 9, thinks running is tiring, her Mom runs marathons, is only there to get her little sister interested, and would rather cheer, dance or sing.  Oh, and she's pretty good at the cheer, dance and sing.  

We run the first 3/4 of the lap relatively comfortable and as we approach the last 1/4, I tell her we are going to pick up the pace.  Gurlfren dropped it like it was hot!  haha!!!  We jet the last 1/4 lap and finish in plenty of time for her to catch her breath to run the 100.  She is now glowing with energy (as if she wasn't before).  I give her a high-five and thank her.  Her Mom thanks me and little sister asks why I'm so wet.  Before I can answer, Mom tells her she'd be the same way if she was out there running instead of playing with an umbrella!  haha!  Thanks Mom!  (BTW, Mom has only done a couple of 5k's.  I forget the innocence a child and their concept of distance).

Perspective is something I struggle with often.  I find myself getting absorbed into my own workouts or my own day and lose sight of other things.  I had just finished a difficult workout and on one hand was beating myself up for finishing the last mile 5 seconds off goal pace, while on the other hand congratulating myself for working hard and pushing through the pain, when this little girl completely changed my day.  As I ran back to my hotel from the track, I couldn't get the look of excitement on this little girl's face out of my head.  She reminded me of the joy that I get from a good, hard run.  She reminded me of the energy with which I should be running.  Run like a kid at recess!!!

And seriously, how does that happen?  Her timing could not have been better.  Is this a case of me simply having my eyes open to this sort of thing or some sort of divine intervention?  I'm not sure that's for me to decide, but whatever it is, I'm extremely thankful for this reset of my perspective.  Thank you, Ms. Chatty-Cathy.  You definitely had a bigger impact on me than I had on you.  

Ok, so it's now less than 10 weeks until #MarathonMonday.  Here's a little recap of last week's training.  

Monday -  7 Miles at Tempo pace.  Started out too fast, but rather than backing off, I chose to run till I almost puked.  Thankful for a couple of traffic lights that kept that from happening.  5 of these miles averaged sub-6:30. 

Tuesday - 7 easy miles.

Wednesday - 6.5 miles.  This one turned into a 'Progressive' run with each mile getting faster.  1st mile @ 7:40, the last @ 6:47.  

Thursday - Off/Travel Day

Friday - 10 miles followed by 6 innings working the plate in a baseball scrimmage.  Nice quad burn!

Saturday - 19 miles, the last 4 by myself and a bit slower than I wanted, but I was spent.  This was following by 9 innings on the bases of a baseball scrimmage.  Legs were barking by the end of that one.  

Sunday - 9 mile recovery run.  Slowly I'm learning how to do these.  Typically I go way too fast after I loosen up.  This one was pretty steady.  

I feel as though I continue to do a good job of focusing on each workout individually and not getting ahead of myself looking at the full week or even the totality of the training.  

Goals Update:

2500 miles - As expected a couple of weeks ago, I'm slightly ahead of pace on this one and should be for the next 3 months or so.

Cross-training - I'm failing miserably at this.  I have to get this mixed into my routine and can't be slacking.  I know that this will help with injury prevention as well as being able to execute my running workouts.  

New Race PRs. - No attempts and nothing on the calendar.  The schedule is a bit full right now, so these will have to wait until later in the year.