Week 3 - NYC

July is supposed to be filled with 100 degree runs, exhausted bodies, and dehydration.  The past couple of weeks, I was running in Naples and that's exactly what I was given.  Now a week at home and I'm met with the Polar Vortex.  What?  It's July....what on earth does that mean?  Well, to me, it means amazing conditions for running and a good opportunity to find out where exactly the bar is set, and hopefully raise it!

Monday - 5 x Hills

The vortex hasn't yet arrived and mid-day temps were in the low 90s.  At lunch I decided to get in a swim at the Y and try to work out some of the soreness in my lats and shoulders from the prior couple of days.  Just what the doctor orders and the abs are starting to feel more normal now.  Back home and working, I kept an eye on the radar and could see that the rain would be arriving around 4:30-5:00 p.m.  By 6:00 I was jonesing to get out of the house and started checking my lightning detector to see how just how close some of these strikes were.  After a few minutes and lightning more than 6 miles away, I decided to start a run.  With a light rain and a temp that had dropped into the 70's, these conditions were perfect for a great workout.  Hill repeats at paces of 6:31, :29, :28, :25, and :28.  Exactly where I wanted to be.  Warm up miles at 7:41 and 7:24.  Cool Down miles at 7:39 and 7:26.  Workouts like these make me feel like a 'real' runner.

Tuesday - 8 Miles

I had planned to take this one slow after another great swim workout at lunch.  I managed to stick to that plan for about a mile.  The temp was 80 degrees and humidity was extremely low.  This was a great afternoon for a run.  Just over 3 miles in I ran up on Mark Buckreis and we ran together for a mile or so.  Like me, he was out for a longer mid-week run simply because the weather was so good.  Finished with 8.6 miles at 7:36 pace.  This run felt very, very good.  

Wednesday - 7 Miles

East Nasty!  I haven't been able to run with this group for a couple of months and was very excited to do so.  It's always great to see so many like-minded, positive people.  To see all those familiar faces and even the new ones.  It is especially motivating to see those people involved in the 'Potato to Tomato' 5K training program.  I believe it takes a ton of courage to take that first step toward some level of fitness.  Christopher and I ran 3.5 miles prior to the East Nasty route for a good warm-up.  The plan was to go around 7:30-7:45 for the 4.22 miles with East Nasty.  With a temp of 77 degrees, this very quickly turned into a pseudo race.  Erin and I quickly pulled away from the 8:00 group and were joined just after the first mile by Beth Meadows.  Anyone that knows Beth knows that she's the one guilty of pushing the pace!  ;)  4.22 miles at 7:07 pace.  Stoopid!  Overall  7.76 miles for the day. 

Thursday - OFF DAY

This was a stressful day for me.  Working remotely during the week meant working from the house.  Having an off day meant no run, no swim, and really not much of anything in terms of physical activity.  Add to that another perfect day for running and I felt like a drug addict in search of his next fix.  

Friday - 7 Miles

Friday is my 'marathon pace' run day.  I'm getting closer and closer with each week that goes by.  Thankfully the polar vortex is sticking around to help me out.  I know that these temps won't last much longer, so I'm pushing it a bit on these runs.  7.2 miles at 7:16 pace.  The last 3.2 miles were sub 7:00 pace.  Runs like this give me confidence to believe that maybe I can break that 3 hour mark.....maybe.  Still a lot of hard work to be done.  

Saturday - 14 Miles

My alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday mornings.  Usually this gives me time to eat, drink, use the facilities, brush my teeth and drive to wherever I'm meeting people to run.  Not on this morning.  As I got out of bed I could hear it raining and decided to check things out before starting my routine.  I opened the door to look outside and saw a 'frog strangler' going on.  I then went to my computer to look at the radar.  Green and yellow everywhere!!  3 minutes after getting up and I'm back in bed!  YES, I get to sleep in!!!  I woke up about 6 hours later (yes, 6) and knew that I needed to get my run in.  The rain had cleared and the temp was starting to climb.  I decided to do the route that was planned by PR Bandits for earlier in the a.m., just because I knew of a couple of water stops along the way.  Bongo to Bongo it was.  I took my time and enjoyed a trip through the heart of Nashville.  14.07 miles complete at just over 8:00 pace.  

Sunday - 7 Miles

An early flight to Naples to start the work week.  The plan was to spend the afternoon on the beach and I knew that I needed to run as soon as I got checked into the hotel.  I clicked my heels together to find out that I was not in Tennessee anymore and that the polar vortex had not reached south Florida.  90+ degrees and 70% humidity.  It only took me a few hundred yards to realize how fortunate I was for the past week to have such amazing running conditions.  I would not need to remind myself that this is a Sunday 'recovery' run and to take it easy.  7.34 miles at 7:56 pace.  Random Thought: One of the coolest things about running in Naples is that there are sidewalks and bike lanes everywhere.  I was able to change up my route and run as far as I wanted without being concerned with being forced into traffic because the sidewalk/bike lane ended abruptly.  

This was an overall great week of training.  I'm feeling good about where I am physically.  Mentally, I have a bit of work to do and still need to find more motivation on some of these more 'challenging' runs.  3 weeks complete, 15 weeks to go.  

Week 2 - NYC

Summertime is very much here and training is underway.  Physically, I feel good, not great.  I'm struggling a bit with motivation right now to keep pushing through the miles.  I almost feel like my mileage hasn't yet reached that threshold of 'serious' training.  I know that I have to work on this and get to a complete focus if I want to achieve my BHAG (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal). 

Monday - 30 Minute Tempo
I haven't done a real tempo run since last November and really didn't know what to expect as I started out.  I had planned to see if I could drop the pace down to about 7:20 and hold that for 30 minutes.  I had also planned to get this run done before heading to work on this morning.  It was pouring rain when the alarm started blaring at me and I got in an extra hour or so of sleep.  Luckily, the sun didn't come out until late in the day and I was able to do this run at lunch in somewhat comfortable conditions.  After a warm-up mile (7:54), I started dropping the pace to see what I could do.  7:29, :30, :22, :18, :12 and a 'cool-down' half mile at 7:23.  The 7:12 seemed to be the mile of least effort.  Maybe I need to re-evaluate my paces for these runs?  6.47 miles.

Tuesday - 6 Miles
The training calendar calls for 6 miles.  The weather calls for something more.  Again, great conditions for a run.  It was very hot when I started but a big storm cloud rolled in bringing a cool breeze that begged for me to run.  Doing 'out & back' routes for me is a good thing.  I'm always aggressive and confident in the first few miles (and not very good at math), but know that have to get back and running is the only option.  After coming off a faster run, I didn't expect to run this fast.  7.45 @ 7:30 pace.  Now I know that I need to re-evaluate my speed paces.

Wednesday - 6 Miles
The heat returns.  Heat Index of 107 as I leave the office to do this run.  I knew after two faster days of running that I must take this one slower and the heat reinforced this.  6.57 @ 7:54.  This one hurt.  Probably more than it should.  Not sure if it was the speed of the prior couple of days or if the heat really hurt me that much.  Either way, I was glad when this one was done.  

Thursday - OFF DAY
Very quickly, this is becoming my favorite day of the week!  ;)

Friday - 7 Miles
Back home and glad to be able to unpack the suitcase for a week.  Word is that the 'Polar Vortex' is returning.  Good timing to be home for a week.  Luckily, the humidity is low, whereas the temperature is not.  90'ish degrees for a late afternoon run on the greenway after my first swim of the training season.  My body is beginning to question what the heck we are doing!  I once was very bored with this route because I ran it way too often.  Now with the incredibly flat ground of South Florida as my weekday training ground, I'm excited to run this.  Friday's are marathon pace runs and this one got a bit closer.  7.18 miles @ 7:31 pace.  Felt a bit 'weak' in the core, but I attribute that to the swim.  

Saturday - 13 Miles
Decided to run with Christopher, Lindsey, Emily and others.  The route would be opposite of the PR Bandits, PWP to Radnor route.  We altered the route a couple of times, even from the start.  The first 5 miles were pretty good and then we stopped for what seemed like an eternity for a water break.  I feel as though I drank too much water while we were stopped and never really recovered from this.  I was also feeling this run in my core from the prior day's swim.  Very quickly this became miserable and I just wanted it over.  12 miles @ 7:52 pace.  I think I needed one of these difficult mental runs to bring me to a more complete focus.  Walking away from a run where I come up short on the mileage haunts me until the next day's run when I can get it out of my system.  This one would be no different.  It was there, at the forefront of my mind, the remainder of the day.

Sunday - 6 Miles
The intent for Sunday is simply time on the feet and to get the legs moving again.  I feel like I type that sentence every time I write one of these things, but it's very important for me to remember and focus on during these runs.  6.59 miles @ 8:00 pace.  This felt surprisingly good considering the temp, the swim two hours earlier, and the prior day's mental struggle.  

Overall a very good week.  I know that I need to re-evaluate my training paces for my faster runs.  I also know that I need to start focusing on some core strength.  Being home for a week gives me an opportunity to do both.  With a polar vortex moving in, I should be able to determine what a true pace feels like and adjust from there.  Just over 46 total miles for the week with a couple of good swims.   

2 weeks down, 16 to go.  

NYC - Week 1

Wow, it really is here.  The TCS New York City Marathon is 17 weeks away.  That seems like forever as I sit here writing, but I know that it's coming quick and it's time to get ultra-focused and start paying attention to the details of my running, diet, and rest schedules.  I've said for the past couple of years that I don't want to start out my training plan struggling to complete the workouts.  For me, I want the first 3-4 weeks of the training plan to be about the daily run and dialing in my paces for specific workouts.  That said, the week prior to the first week of training resulted in a 48 mile week with a 14 mile 'long' run right at 8 minute pace.  This was the highest mileage in a week for me since mid-November and thankfully my body felt really good after this.  I needed this week for the confidence that it gives going into the first couple of weeks of dedicated training.  

Monday - 4x1 Mile Repeats @ 6:30'ish
Really, is this how we're going to start this out??  Actually, the training plan called for hill repeats, but working in Naples doesn't exactly create easy opportunities for hill repeats, so, to the track I go.  I've also been trying to run in the heat of the day down here to acclimate my body to those conditions.  It's getting a bit easier, but I know that it'll never be truly easy.  It was 92 degrees with a heat index of 106 when I left the office.  I knew this was going to be tough but, after a 1.25 mile warm-up run from the hotel to the track, I nailed the first two miles and was just a bit off on the 3rd and 4th.  I'll take it for the first hard workout of the plan.  Then I had to drag my butt back to the hotel 1.25 miles away.  That might have been the hardest part of the workout.  Total elevation gain during the run..........5 feet! 

Tuesday - 6 Miles
Another lunch time run.  90 degrees with a heat index above 100.  I took this one nice and easy as the legs were feeling the prior day's workout.  Just under 6.5 miles at 8:00 pace.   Total elevation gain......10 feet!  WooHoo!!! 

Wednesday - 6 Miles
This was supposed to be a bit of a faster workout, almost like a tempo run.  The heat however had other ideas for my body and the run. Another 90 degree day with a heat index above 100.  After a mile to warm-up and ease into it, I tried to pick up the pace and there was absolutely nothing in the tank.  Two miles in I was soaked in sweat again and frustrated.  I decided to pull the plug on this workout and run again later in the evening when the temp wasn't so intense.  4.3 miles.  Total elevation gain......10 feet! Seriously....can a brotha get a hill to run???

After work I got back to the hotel and took my time getting back out on the street.  I could very much tell a difference in the conditions when I finally got back out.  The plan was to only do the two miles necessary to get my 6 for the day, but what's the point of getting all sweaty for just 2 miles, right?  3.6 miles and just under 8 total for the day.  Total elevation gain.....9 feet.  I am not amused!  

Thursday - OFF DAY - TRAVEL DAY

Friday - 6 Miles (Half the distance of the long run)
Welcome home.  I tried to gather a couple of people to run on this morning because I knew the temp would be nice, but most everyone was either racing or complained about my planned pace.  I wanted to do 6 to 8 miles at 7:30 pace.  I like to try to get my Friday runs down close to marathon pace.  While this isn't quite marathon pace yet, it would give me a good idea of how out of shape, or not, I am.  So, when no one wanted to join me, I decided to sleep until I woke up.  Hello 11:00 a.m.!  Guess I was wiped out.  I took my time, grabbed a coffee, had some breakfast, started some laundry and then decided it was time to knock out my run.  I ran from my house and through the neighborhood for 6.5 miles at 7:25 pace.  That felt incredibly good and was a huge boost of confidence.  I really didn't think I could pull off that pace.  Total elevation gain.....280 feet.  I really love running some Tennessee hills and think my body does too.  

Saturday - 12 Miles
During my first 3 years or so of marathoning, I always did my long runs alone.  Now, I don't know why I chose to do that.  A couple of summers ago a 'Facebook group' was started called PR Bandits.  A group of people that simply wanted to continue to run long following the Country Music Marathon and through the summer.  It's turned into a great group of people that are there for all sorts of reasons; training for the next marathon, triathlon, or just trying to stay in some sort of shape.  There are all different paces and everyone fits in somewhere.  This weekend's run was in my backyard and I had to make this one.  Friday night ended up being a bit later than planned because of firework related traffic, but I was up at 4:30 a.m. to be there and running by 6:00.  The group was small on this morning as most people raced or were out too late the day/night prior, but it was 57 degrees at start time and I wasn't about to miss this.  Christopher Murrey has become my Saturday morning pace partner.  Today, he's in much better shape than I and could probably drop me very easily if he wanted.  We ran together the previous Saturday and did so again on this day.  We decided we wanted to be at about 7:45 average pace for the day and proceeded to get after it.  12.34 miles at 7:44 pace.  I'd say we nailed it!  Great run.  Total elevation gain..........542 feet.  That's better!!! 

Sunday - 6 Miles (Half the distance of the long run)
The Sunday run is supposed to be a nice, easy recovery effort.  I'm not very good at this as I tend to get loose and just run with what's comfortable.  That tends to become a much faster run that a 'recovery effort' is intended.  One thing I want to focus on during this 18 weeks is the execution of each workout.  I was very intent today on keeping this slow and easy while mixing in a few more hills.  6.6 miles with 281 feet of elevation gain.  

Overall this was a very good start to the training.  I'm very much satisfied with my efforts and my willingness to adjust on the fly.  I like being very regimented and try to stick to the plan come hell or high water, but I've got to learn how to relax with that a bit and do exactly what I did in the middle of this week.  46.5 miles for the week.  One down, 17 to go!  

....and so it begins

The one thing that is constant is change.  It seems that since my last writing here, I've been reminded of this almost daily.  Sometimes change is bad and it forces each of us to take a focused look at what we're doing and figure out how to do it better.  Sometimes change is good and it gives us an opportunity to be thankful for the blessings that we've been given.  In some ways, over the last six months, I've experienced both of these.  Now, running season is upon me and it's time to see if I can chase down another PR.  

Just a short recap of the past six months or so.  Baseball season started (good change), layoff from my job (bad change), started new contract position (good change), running miles very low (bad change), incredible new job opportunity (good change), baseball season ends (good change), travel every week for work (big challenge).  As stated earlier, the one constant over the past six months has been change.  Slowly I'm figuring it all out.  There was panic at first, then rejoicing, and now just settling into what is becoming the routine.  

As I'm writing this, the Boston Athletic Association (BAA), administrators of the Boston Marathon announce the registration procedure for the 2015 race.  As I scan through the website I get cold chills when I see that Monday, September 15th at 10:00 a.m. ET is the date that I can officially commit to running the Boston Marathon.  That doesn't mean that I'm in just yet, but it does mean that I have a chance.  It seems so surreal to think that I ran my first marathon in October of 2009 as an overweight, out of shape guy that just wanted to check something off the bucket list and to try to get into shape.  I had a shape alright.....round.  Wow, what a significant turn around.  

So, speaking of marathons, two weeks from now I will officially begin my training plan for the New York City Marathon on November 2nd.  For me, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in one of the world's greatest races.  Millions of people (yes, plural) line the streets of NYC to cheer on the 50,000 runners that take on the challenge that is the marathon.  Can you even imagine a million people?  I can't!  And then two or three times that???  WOW!  Just wow!  New York......I'm coming for you and I'm bringing my best to tame your streets in less than 3 hours.  

Last summer during my training for Chicago, I took on the challenge of raising my mileage to a maximum of 80-85 miles per week.  Fortunately, that worked out extremely well and produced a 19 minute PR in Chicago and qualified me for Boston.  This summer is going to present another challenge.  My work schedule now has me in Florida Monday through Thursday.  Fortunately, I travel on Sunday evening, which shouldn't interfere with my training assuming I get my butt out of bed, and on Thursday evening.  In my training plans, Thursday is typically that built-in off-day.  It will become a challenge however when my weekly mileage gets close to that 80-85 mile mark when I need to run on Thursday just to get the miles.  There is also a missing element here in Naples.....HILLS.  One of the workouts that I most enjoy during marathon training is a good hill workout.  It's sadistic to say that, but when finished with a hill workout, I know I'm a better runner because of it.  I've spent the last month scoping out bridges and parking garages for something that resembles a hill.  Seriously, a parking garage??? haha!

And so it begins.  Running season is upon us (me).  People are starting to train for fall/winter races and the temperatures are rising.  To all my runner friends, I wish you the best of luck in whichever race you decide to take on this fall/winter.  

While running a couple of days ago in Naples, I passed an elderly lady on the sidewalk who said "It's too hot for you..." in a very thick New Jersey accent.  I responded by saying, "Oh honey, we're just getting started!!", and with a smile I was gone!  As Lou Holtz once said, "No one ever drowned in sweat."  Let's get this party started!!!  

Till next time, to steal a line from my favorite sock-maker, Swiftwick, "Do What Moves You!"

This and that.......

It's been a good long while since my last blog post and the past couple of days I've felt compelled to write about something, but I'm not exactly training for anything and that's really the reason I started this.  So, let's hit the highlights of the past couple of months.

Baseball
FINALLY it is baseball season.  By the end of each season I'm so ready for it to be over.  I'm ready to sleep in my own bed during a weekend and I'm ready to just sit down with friends and watch baseball.  No, I never get tired of watching baseball but I do get tired of the work that it is and the balancing act that is the real job, baseball, travel, running and attempting to have some form of a social life.  By the time January rolls around, I'm like a cocaine addict that needs a fix.  Jonesing for the 90+ mph fastball and the filthy slider, the smell of fresh cut grass, warmer temperatures and the roar of a small or large crowd. I'm blessed that some of my best friends understand the need for a fix like this.  I'm also blessed that some of my best friends are umpires too.  While I love the game of baseball, if I didn't enjoy most of the guys that I work with, I'm not sure I would have stayed with it all these year.  Valentine's day weekend is typically always opening weekend of the NCAA baseball season, thank goodness!  While some guys get suckered into another commercialized holiday, I get to put on the gear and get a much needed fix!

Running
Well, now that it's baseball season, and the fact that it's been so stinkin' cold, I haven't been doing a lot of running.  I'm still getting in 20-30 miles a week, but that's a relatively low number for me.  This week could see an increase in those numbers.  The first couple of weeks of baseball season have me traveling about locally, require a daily drive, and I find myself out socializing with the guys.  Wouldn't have it any other way.  This weekend begins the weekend long travel and I'll at least be in the city where I'm working all weekend.

I did however buy a new gadget.  Since the Garmin 620 was released I've been drooling.  On a weekly basis I would research the product to see new reviews, look for issues with it and drool more over all the features.  I decided that I 'needed' this one, so the purchase was made.  I'm overwhelmed with the amount of data that it gives me to review.  I'm slowly figuring it out and will begin to work toward making changes that could reduce/increase some of my numbers and improve my running efficiency.  Today however, I think my new Gadget had a glitch!  I went out for a 7 mile stroll (8:00 pace) and in trying to figure out the watch looked a few of the new screens.  The 'Race Predictor' is one of the new features of the 620 and I hadn't yet seen it.  I absolutely laughed out loud when I saw that it was predicting a 2:53 marathon for me!  I almost stopped what I was doing and took it back, asking for a refund!  While I'm not certain that's a fair prediction, I'm not going to argue with it and maybe, just maybe it knows something I don't!

Mom and Dad
As I sit here typing, I have huge smile on my face.  My parents have reached retirement age and Dad has been retired for a couple of years now.  Mom went to work one day last week to tell her boss that it was soon to be her time to retire.  Well, seems the boss had a bit of news for Mom.  Retirement was going to unofficially begin earlier than planned.  Mom was being laid off.  My phone rang mid-morning the next day.  Now, Mom doesn't make a habit of calling during the work day, so when I saw her name I immediately answered.  I can't tell you the last time I heard so much joy in my Mom's voice.  How many people you know that are happy about getting laid-off?  One, Uno, Un!  My Mom!!!  I could see her smile through the phone line.  And honestly, I hope that she could see mine too.  I'm so happy for both Mom and Dad that every day when I think about them I can't help but smile or laugh.  My parents have worked hard their entire lives to make sure that my brother, sister and I had everything we needed and then some.  Enjoy your retirement Mom and Dad!  Love you both so much and absolutely could not be happier for you!

What's next......
Well, the next few months are all about work, baseball and trying to stay in some sort of running shape.  My next attempt at the marathon will be the New York City Marathon on November 2nd.  That gives me a bit of time to relax after baseball season before really increasing the mileage to chase down the next marathon goal.  I still believe that I have a lot to learn about my training and even my abilities.  I need to continue to be a student of running and listening to those that are either faster or more experienced than I.  And thanks again to all of you that have answered and continue to answer my questions.  That goal you might ask?  3 hours is very much in sight.  I think 2:59:59 is the magic number.  

Oh, and now that you've read my ramblings, check out the tweet in the window to the right.  Let's make Opening Day of Major League Baseball Season a National Holiday, as it should be!  Click on the URL and sign the petition!

Walking away from 2013......

It is here!!!  The end of another amazing year.  Full of new experiences and life changing decisions, 2013 has been all I expected and in some cases even more.  At the end of 2012, while on a flight to the Dominican Republic and reading the latest issue of Runner's World, I started writing down some of my 2012 accomplishments and once I finished, I wrote down some high-level 2013 goals.  I held onto that Runner's World and a few weeks back found it while looking for something else and took a few minutes to assess how I had done with those goals.  

The 5K
Shortly after deciding to run my first marathon in 2009, I ran a 5K as a fun run just to experience that 'race' feeling again.  That day I ran a 25:26.  A month later, I ran another at 25:15.  As a new 'runner' (if that's what you would call it), I was tickled to death with these results.  In both 2011 and 2012, I focused on running the marathon and ran a total of three 5K's.  In two of those three races I was beaten by 15 seconds by Jim Schwan.  Jim is a good friend but that doesn't mean I'm gonna let him continue to beat me.  I decided I needed to commit to running the 5K more often so that on Thanksgiving Day of 2013 I didn't finish 15 seconds behind Jim again.  So, goal #1 was to run a 5K per month for the year.  This got a little tough during the summer of crazy mileage marathon training, but I pulled it off!!!  And, I didn't finish behind Jim on Thanksgiving Day because he never made it to the start line. (He completed the Flying Monkey Marathon 4 days earlier).  GOAL #1 - CHECK

Goal #2a was also a 5K related goal.  Since that initial 25+ minute time, I had reached a point where I was consistently just above 21:00.  In my mind, this is pretty good for a 5K, but I really wanted to break that 21:00 barrier and with 12 chances to do it this year, it had to be possible, right?  In March I ran the Mt. Juliet Middle School 5K on a snowy Saturday morning.  I was very surprised by the number of people that showed up for this race considering the snow that was coming down.  The cold air must be the trick.  20:59.  Good for 3rd place overall that day.  GOAL #2a - CHECK.   So, considering this was the 2nd day of March, I felt the need to add another goal.  Let's break 20:30.  Why not right?  I really didn't think this was possible, but the week prior to the Chicago Marathon, I ran the Shelby Bottoms Boogie and crushed a 19:40.  WHAT???  Yeah, I looked at it twice too!  GOAL #2b - CHECK  (I've raised the bar awfully high here, so there will not be a 5K goal for 2014.)

The Half-Marathon
Toward the end of 2012 I ran the Music City Marathon and posted a very respectable 1:36 time.  In my 'overly aggressive' goal writing, I decided that I wanted to break 1:30 for the half-marathon.  This one gets carried over to 2014 simply because there wasn't enough time for me to schedule a half-marathon. I feel really confident that I can do this considering I ran a 1:32 front half during the Chicago Marathon.  This one should be easy pickens' for 2014.

The Marathon
When writing down my goals, I was three weeks removed from a 3 minute PR (3:29), which was preceded a 14 minute PR (3:32) from September.  I seriously wondered if there was any improvement left in my body.  I mean, I'm not 22 anymore, right?  (I'm really only 27, but don't tell anyone!  Shhhh!!!)  I guess though, without a goal, or something to shoot for, one will never know.  On the cover of that Runner's World, I wrote down "Sub-3:20 Marathon".  That would amount to another 9 minute plus PR.  In previous marathon attempts, I've seen big number improvements like that (13:00, 16:00, 9:00, 14:00), but as you get a bit faster, the amount of time that comes off becomes more difficult.  In my mind 9 minutes at sub-3:30 is twice as hard as 16 minutes at 4:30.  I may be wrong, but that's just the way I see it.  In February I got into the Bank of American Chicago Marathon and it was ON LIKE DONKEY KONG!!  Hahaha!  Or whatever the cool kids say these days!  I'll spare you the race recap as you can read it here in an earlier post, but with a 3:10 on Marathon Sunday, I not only crushed the sub-3:20 goal, I destroyed it and qualified for Boston in the process.  GOAL #4 - CHECK (DESTROYED!!!) 

Goal #5
During 2012, I ran 1623 miles.  A number that I looked at almost in disbelief.  At the same time, I wondered if I could possible get to 2,000 miles.  I was planning some significant changes to my training that I knew would add mileage and if I stayed healthy, I could surely get close, right?  On Saturday, December 7th, I surpassed the 2,000 mile mark.  With more than 20 days left in the year I would say that I crushed this goal as well.  GOAL #5 - CHECK

Walking Away.......
As I started planning how to get to the marathon goal of sub-3:20, I wanted to make sure that I had more than one chance at this during the year.  Getting in two marathons during a fall racing season is a challenge, both physically and mentally.  After having such an incredible race in Chicago, mentally I don't think I ever 'checked back in' to my training.  I completed the each of the runs and went through the motions, but never got to that determined point of focus needed for me during marathon training.  Physically, I was a little nicked up as well.  All of the miles and the hard workouts for the past 6 months were starting to hurt.  Pain that was tolerable, but ever-present.  I knew that I needed time off and that certainly didn't help my mental state.  On 12/14 I was to run the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, AL.  I had run this race last December and knew the course was one that I could post a good time.

Saturday morning the rain started pouring about 3 a.m.  At 6:00 when I got up for coffee and breakfast, still pouring.  At this point physically I'm still in for the start.  Mentally I checked out months ago! At 7:00 still pouring as I start putting on my running gear.  7:15 while looking out the window of my hotel room, I see that the empty lot across the street looks more like a lake than it does anything else.  I decided at that point that mentally I was not prepared for 26.2 miles on that day.  I sent a simple text message to Nate that read "I'm out! Heading back to bed."  30 minutes later we were both walking away from the start line looking toward the next year of running, the next race and the next goal to fall on the list.  I found myself 'justifying' my decision throughout the day before finally coming to peace with it.  Knowing deep down that the marathon is something that I expect to be able to give my best effort and anything less can be a greater disappointment.  

So, as I walk away from 2013, and prepare to run into 2014, I am incredibly thankful for the health that I have and the ability to even try these things.  I'm also very thankful for the incredible experience of 2013.  I'm extremely thankful for the friends and peers that I've met through running.  Most of them inspire me in one way or another to be better at what I'm doing.   Others of them teach me how to be better.  And all of them, and I mean all of them, will gladly talk your ear off about running!   

Merry Christmas (Yes, Christmas! You know, immaculate conception, the manger, wise men, 'franken-scent' and baby Jesus) and Happy New Year to you all.    

Reflecting on Goals

While cleaning up around the house tonight I found the Runner's World magazine that I read while on a plane to the Dominican Republic for my New Years vacation last year.  On the cover of that, I wrote down some 2012 accomplishments and 2013 goals.  It's very interesting to look back and see that 2012 was full of personal records just as 2013 has been.  I see a trend here.........and I like it!  In 2012, I set new PRs in the 5K, Half-Marathon, and Marathon. Two of which I updated this year (didn't attempt a half-marathon).  I look back on those times and recall how happy I was with that success and how eager I was to continue to work hard and find out how much improvement is left in this body. It is almost time to start thinking about goals for 2014, but, there's still a month left in 2013 for some hard work and hopefully improvement.   

I skipped writing about my training last week because things got a bit crazy with another high mileage week and work related deadlines.  The end of the year is coming and you'd think that the sky is falling.  Just so you know, it ain't fallin'!  That said, let's start with last Saturday's 'long run'.  

Saturday

This is the run that I like to treat as a race.  The training plan calls for 15 miles and my goal is to get to marathon pace, or better.  So, why not race?  The Viva La Diva 10 miler was this day and I recall Jackson Miller, Kevin Christian and Courtney Terrell running this race last year as a training run.  By golly, if you can run this course at or better than your goal marathon pace, you can run a marathon even faster. Lower your goal pace buddy!  Holy crap!  10 miles up, down, up, down and up more.  2.5 mile warm-up followed by 10 miles of hills into the wind.  3rd place overall, 2nd overall male, 1:10:31 for a 7:03 pace.  I'll take it.  Notice, no 2.5 mile cool down to get to 15 for the day.  It was cold enough and that race freaking hurt!

Sunday

The weather on this day just plain stunk.  I was a bit banged up from racing the day before and only really needed 8 miles of running.  I decided that I'd stay indoors and mix up my training with an hour on the bike.  Good call.  The knees and hips needed this one.

Monday

Start of the last high mileage training week of the year.  2 Mi. WU, 7 x 1 Mi., 1 Mi. CD.  Wasn't able to get this in at lunch when I wanted because of a dentist appointment.  Got to the track after 4:00 p.m. and knew I was going to finish in the dark.  Had my headlamp ready.  Temps started dropping as dark came and this workout got tougher with each progressive mile.  I did learn that I'm capable of pacing myself pretty well without being able to see my watch.  

Tuesday

Another day of running in the dark.  I really hate training this time of year!  10 miles in and around, and around, and around my neighborhood.  Ugh.  Took it pretty easy, but really just wanted this one over with as quick as I could.  

Wednesday

I had a little time in the schedule and the temps cooperated.  I had to escape the office. Ahhhh!  What is that in the sky?  Oh, it IS the sun!!!  55 Degrees and 10 miles later I'm eating lunch at my desk.  Hate doing that, but it was so worth it on this day!!!

Thursday

Another good weather day.  64 degrees for a nice and easy 6 miles.  Typically, Thursday is an 'off day', but in my highest mileage weeks, these miles are for volume only.  I try to work on different things as I work through these miles.  Stride length, foot fall, lowering my hands and running relaxed.  

Friday

Cold air is starting to move in again and by Sunday it will barely reach the freezing mark for the high.  11 miles today at 7:30 pace.  Friday runs are supposed to be faster and hopefully as fast as marathon pace, but in a high mileage week, this is very good for me.  Nice confidence builder.

Saturday

The last really long training run of the year.  22'ish miles and the goal is to be done in less than 3 hours.  That brings me in at about 8:00 per mile.  Not trying to set land speed records, but not trying to slack off either.  This is a comfortable pace that I know I can hold for a good while.  Temp was 35 at 6 a.m. when we started and the first day I've broken out the running tights.  Have I mentioned that I hate training this time of year???  Daniel, Katie, Chris and I went out together and at about mile 5 ran into Jackson, Ashley Evans and Emily Mack.  Of course, they were getting after it a bit faster than we were and rather than slowing down for us, we sped up for them.  Even at this :30 per mile faster pace, I felt very comfortable and that I could hold it all day.  It was good to catch up with each of them even if for just a couple of miles.  This turned out to be a really, really good run.  Chris decided in the last 3 or 4 miles to push the pace.  While Katie and I didn't exactly keep up, we stayed on the gas pedal and brought this thing home.  21.6 miles at 2:53.  I'll take it!

Sunday

After laying on the couch most all day Saturday and sleeping late on Sunday, I needed to get moving. It wasn't going to warm up at all today so let's go. Sort of like taking a band-aid off, the quicker you do it, the less it hurts.  33 degrees when I started and 11 miles at 8:15 pace.  The first 10 of these miles sucked, each one progressively worse.  As I passed the 10 mile mark, I remembered that I was closing in on 80 for the week.  This last one might have been the easiest, most enjoyable mile of the week. 

Grand total of 80.04 miles for the week and a boost of confidence after finishing the week in some tough weather conditions.  I told a friend that's a new runner that the distance makes you physically stronger, but the elements make you mentally stronger.  I may have gotten a bit stronger mentally this week.  Maybe the time off my feet the previous Sunday helped, but I didn't feel like I'd been run over by a Mack Truck yesterday when I wrapped things up.  My favorite time of the training cycle is here....Taper Time <insert sarcasm here>.  Less than 3 weeks till we blast off in Rocket City.