Puttin' Money In The Bank (L.A.D.)

1pm and 65 degrees. Finally, some relief from the heat! I actually had to take 3 days off after Saturdays race to let my 'tweak' heal. It still a little tight, but my approach to injuries is never to run through them. Better to miss 3 days now than 3 weeks 2 months from now. So today's run was mostly to test out the hip/groin/thigh area. It responded well, but we'll see how I feel tomorrow.

Today's run was 9 miles over absolutely and completely flat terrain. One is hard pressed to find a hill in Dundee, Michigan, my 2nd stop on my annual Michigan trip. Last summer I had the humerous pleasure of working out UFD (UnFit Dog), but I haven't been running here so I haven't had the opportunity to jog that thing around the block a few times. I'm sure he's as glad as can be as last summer once around the block nearly killed him. At any rate, today's 9 miles was in 1:05:09 (7:14s -- if we take out the cool down mile it was 7:10s). A good quality run with a progressive build towards a 6:50ish mile, then a slight back down and another smaller build up to a 6:45 mile. Splits as follows:

7:35, 7:24, 7:22, 7:06, 6:49, 7:17, 7:07, 6:46, 7:45

55 degrees at 8:30am for my last day in Dundee. Humid with drizzle sort of hanging in the air. Perfect running conditions. Did a 10 miler today mostly in the Steady State zone. Again, as all of Dundee is flat as a pancake, this run was also. Splits as follows:

7:39, 7:25, 7:18, 7:13, 7:13, 7:10, 7:15, 6:49 (nice pick-up here), 7:21 (bit of recovery here), 7:10

Total 10 miles in 1:12:17 (7:14s)

9am, breezy, temps in the low to mid 50s. Drizzle. Saw 4 deer on my run this morning. Cool.

Garmin is acting up a bit in the woods. Garmin had me at 8.77 with 1 of my miles at 8:42, but the rest of them around 7:30ish. Double checked it with the car afterwards and the car odometer came out to exactly 9.0. I'm thinking in this case the car is probably more accurate, the Garmin may be struggling a touch with the signal out here. 9.0 in 1:08:13 (7:35s). Garmin had me at the following splits for 8.77:

8:00, 7:37, 7:38, 7:29, 7:33, 7:35, 8:43, 7:44, 7:43 (.77). Looks like it was doing ok until mile 7. I'm pretty sure the pace effort was steady throughout the run. Last 2 miles contained more hills than normal. The entire run was rolling, nice to be back to some variation.

1:30 pm, sunny and 75ish. 10 miles aerobic base today. Total running time 1:14:20 (7:26s). Same rolling route as yesterday. No significantly noticeable Garmin failures, but I suspect the actual run was probably again about .1-.2 longer.

8:00, 7:25, 7:21, 7:24, 7:18, 7:14, 7:14, 6:45 (including the last half mile significant uphills), 8:00, 7:39.

1pm, quite windy, sunny, mid-60s. Did a 5 mile out run (splits:7:55, 7:39, 7:35, 7:24, 7:18) mostly into the wind a couple very solid and long uphill climbs. Took a 2 minute rest and turned around and hit 2 miles hard. This section was with the wind. The first mile was downhill, then up and the 2nd mile finished with .4 miles downhill (6:09 and 5:50). Finished with an 8:22 recovery mile and then some with the boys.

7.1 mile recovery run today. 6 laps around the lake. Windy and 60 degrees. Terrain was considerably hilly with each lap containing 4 fairly steep hills in the 50 meter range for a total of about 24 hills. Running time 53:38 (7:33s). Splits as follows: 7:43, 7:35, 7:38, 7:40, 7:38, 7:31, 7:15

Well, 2 weeks of vacation are starting to take its toll and, although I don't have a scale, I'm suspecting my weight is up by 5-7 lbs. I've decided today and tomorrow will be strictly fat-burning miles allowing me to rest up a bit going into Saturday's race.

7.91 miles today in 1:03:58 (8:03s). Comfortable temps and morning run. I'm doing this on Sunday night, so I don't remember conditions really. Splits as follows:

8:11, 8:23, 8:07, 8:08, 8:01, 7:52, 7:56, 7:17 (.91 -- 8:02s). Standard run for the area with moderate hills.

Another fat-burning morning run, temps again in the low 60s. 9.54 miles in 1:14:40 (7:50s). Another moderately hilly run. Finished this run with a .66 mile "Sasha Fat Mile" @ 6:20 pace. Splits:

8:06, 8:05, 7:51, 7:51, 7:49, 7:53, 8:32 (this is off by about .1 I think and more like 8:15 uphill), 7:40, 2:12 (.29 miles @ 7:28), 4:09 (.66 @ 6:20), 4:17 (.5 miles @ 8:40).

Good race conditions in my book today. 63 degrees, but over 90% humidity at race start. By race finish conditions were nearing 70 degrees and 70% humidity. Coming from St Louis, I'll take this in July any day. Did a 1.54 mile warm-up over to the start. The goal was to try to break 60 minutes, but I was pretty sure it wouldn't happen on account of 1) my mileage over the last 5-6 weeks has been poor at best with most weeks 50 mpw at best and 2) this is day 17 of vacation and I have to be carrying 6-7 extra pounds (actually when I got on the scale Saturday night I was in fact 8 pounds over my normal weight, but I guess that's what 2.5 weeks of vacation does). My estimate finish time based on these facts is 1:01:30 ... and what do you know ... I ran a 1:01:21. In fact, this is a 2:15 PR at this distance over last years PR. All things considered, weight, poor training, and that its really still base-building (as crappy of a job at that as I'm doing, it still technically is) I'm fairly happy with this time. The course is entirely flat with the exception of Mt. McKinley, a massive hill, the worst of which I've ever faced in a race ... 1/2 mile up, 1/2 mile back down and of significant grade (the hill rises over 200 feet within about 500 meters and drops down the back side even quicker) and then flat as a pancake again to the finish.

Started out a touch fast in 6:08, but made friends quickly with 2 guys from Toledo in their 20s shooting to break 60 minutes. I ran with them to the base of Mt McKinley, where I had a pretty good idea they'd drop me. Had my fitness and weight been better I probably could have hung with them, but oh well. My brother-in-law found us at mile 2 (his calf was hurting, so he opted out of the run) and rode his bike along with me through about mile 7. I must also say this is one of the most scenic of races, running along both east and west bay of Grand Traverse County. At any rate I got a cramp after the hill along West Bay that hits straight at the solar plexus which killed my backside effort. I was able to fight that off and pick up the pace again, finishing very strong down the .3 mile stretch of the parade route lined with people (The parade starts about an hour after the race finish) to the tune of 5:49 pace! Given this, I should have been able to run much stronger through miles 6, 7, and 8 .. but the cramp was holding me back. After the race I got the chance to speak to a couple of people I went to high school with as well as my cousin Joe. All in all it was a great day ... splits as follows:

Warm-up (7:45 pace)

1 - 6:08

2 - 6:37

3 - 6:35

4 - 6:28 (I was right where I wanted to be to crack 60 minutes, but I knew the hill would take away some time and I'd have to make it up on the back side)

5 - 7:08 (that's the hill baby!)

6 - 6:38

7 - 6:49 (cramp really kicked in here)

8 - 6:44 (I'm starting to breath it out of me)

9 -6:26 (back on target pace, but the cramp has killed any chances)

9.3 - 1:44 (5:48 pace -- strong finish)

All things considered, can't ever complain about a 2+ minute PR on a 15k course. That's 2 PRs in 2 races early in the beginning of my 2nd training cycle this year. Things are looking good to crack my 1/2 marathon goals in the fall.

Quick aerobic base run this morning in Dundee, MI before heading home from the vacation. Temps in the low 70s at 9am. 8.0 miles in 1:01:11 (7:38s). Nothing special here, just a normal base run. Splits: 8:04, 7:34, 7:35, 7:29, 7:46, 7:41, 7:41, 7:17 (I wanted to keep this mile a touch slower, but I had to drop a duece! -- lol, vacation weight comin off baby!)

Did ye ole "Run to work, run home" thing today. 5.5 miles each way. Not sure the conditions exactly, but I would guess temps in the mid 80s with the run home being considerably humid. On the way to work I did a bell curve pick-up. On the way home I concentrated strictly on trying to keep my miles fat-burning miles (7:45-8:00). I was at work about 6 hours.

Splits to work: 5.5 in 40:31 (7:20s) -- 7:42, 7:23, 6:47, 7:24, 7:36, 3:38 (.5 -- 7:16)

Splits home: 5.5 in 43:01 (7:49s) -- 8:14, 7:44, 7:50, 7:42, 7:36, 3:51 (.5 -- 7:46)

Very difficult run tonight. To start with the conditions were tough -- 75 degrees and 90% humidity at the start of the run (9pm).  Additionally, I just don't do well in the summer, especially when its humid, if I haven't had 4-5 hours to digest dinner. Tonight's run was 3.5 hours afterwards. I should have been good, but I was dealing with some GI issues from miles 4 to the finish causing some rough cramping and such. At mile 8 I began to feel a touch humidity sick. At mile 9 I wanted to stop and rest for a touch, but I knew if I did I'd never get going again and I was 2 miles from the house still. I muscled through mile 9 and was going to alter my route (originally I had planned to do 12) and walk the last mile, but when I got through 10 miles I decided to try to gut it out to within .5 miles of my house. When I got there I gutted it out to the finish. I noticed something in addition to all the issues that were going on. When a fat-burn run starts to get tough I have a tendency to want to speed up. It dawned on me tonight that this is probably my bodies response to the fat burning, begging me to bump into carb burning. All in all, I was able to grind out a few more miles than I thought I was going to be capable of at mile 8. Glad its over and tomorrow is an 8 miler.

Fat-burn splits: 11 miles in 1:27:01 (7:54s) -- 8:20, 7:46, 7:58, 7:45, 7:54, 7:47, 7:56, 7:46, 7:49, 7:51, 8:04

66 minutes of stadium stairs at work tonight. Rough road equivalent: 9 miles.

First long run of significance since Boston. Temps in the mid 70s with moderate humidity. 15.5 miles in 1:56:09 (7:29s). First 9 miles progressive building to the last 3 miles or so at MGP. Immediately switched into 6.5 miles coasting in the 7:30 range. At mile 13 or so I was thinking of just heading home and calling 13.5, but I forced myself to turn on a route that would add an extra .5, during the course of that turn I determined that I could gut it out to my originally planned 15 miles and even got an extra .5 on top of that. Route was fairly rolling hills. Splits as follows:

8:13, 7:43, 7:37, 7:31, 7:37, 7:02, 6:44, 6:42, 7:51, 7:39, 7:32, 7:37, 7:35, 7:28, 3:48 (.5 -- 7:40).

Ugh. Its been so long since I've had to do a day-after run I've forgotten how hard they are. 7.5 miles recovery/fat burning pace, lumbering away.

Splits: 8:13, 7:59, 7:48, 7:50, 7:56, 7:51, 7:34, 3:46 (.5 -- 7:34)

Ye ole run to work, run home today. Intended on the way there to do a completely progressive 7 miler getting down into the low 6:00s by the finish but hit it too hard in the 3rd mile. Was forced to stop, rest and then do it again. On the way home I ran with my backpack (5lbs) and hit steady aerobic base miles of 5.45.

To Work Splits: 7.05 miles in 49:11 (6:58s) -- 7:48, 7:05, 6:32, 3:56 (.61 -- 6:26s) [rested and then began with easy pace building quickly back to pace] 7:24, 6:32, 6:09, 3:41 (.43 miles recovery 8:31s)

From Work Splits: Garmin went janky on me and only came up with 5.31 miles, but I've tested this run in the car and with googlemaps multiple times, so I know its 5.45 miles; did it in 42:08 (7:44s) -- 8:16, 8:07 (Garmin was showing some seriously high pace rates in this mile, so I suspect it had troubles here and I think it was more along the lines of a 7:35-7:45 pace), 7:36, 7:47, 7:49, 2:31 (.31 miles @ 7:59s).

First hot day I've faced in 4 weeks as temps in Michigan and St Louis my first week back were in the low to mid 70s. 85 degrees and high humidity. 10 miles fat-burning aerobic base work (stopped multiple times to slow my heart rate down as a result of increased temps I'm not accustomed to so to keep these miles faster fat burning). 10 miles in 1:17:35 (7:45s). Splits as follows:

7:52, 7:44, 7:53, 7:47, 7:47, 7:44, 7:40 7:41, 7:34, 7:46

AM:   Plan today is a double. 7am and temps in the low 70s with high humidity. This run was a tough one, felt sluggish and really had to push through it. I suspect that my body was fat burning as a result of still recovering from yesterday, but at a faster pace. I hope anyway. Stopped at mile 4 and 6 to get a slight rest in. I think the Garmin was acting up a little on the run there. The 4th mile felt much faster than the Garmin showed, and the run back (this was an out and back) marked off at .08 miles further than the route out. I also thought that maybe my 4 mile marker was closer than the garmin showed when I was reaching that point. As such, I think this was 8.16 miles in 1:00:19 (7:23s -- garmin shows 7:28s for 8.08). Splits as follows:

8:08, 7:42, 7:28, 7:14 (mostly downhill and I felt I was running sub 7:00s), 7:21, 7:19, 7:09, 5:14 (.75 miles @ 6:59s), 2:41 (.33 recovery miles @ 8:11s)

PM: 5pm, high 80s, high humidity, sunny. Tough run here. My body has still not re-aclimated to this kind of heat and humidity and I'm fairly drained from the last 2 days. Had planned on 8 miles tonight, but there was no way it was happening. Got 4 Fat Miles in around 8:00/mile. 8:09, 8:00, 7:59, 7:49 and .5 miles walking. I finished at the community pool and went straight in for a dip to cool off.

Nice night for a run. 9pm and probably 70 degrees, humidity wasn't too bad. Did 4.2 out and 4.2 back. My garmin is completely shut down, so I had to get the watch back out. I think the entire run was probably progressive through 7.4 miles. I know I hit the first mile in 8:15 and miles 2 and 3 were around 7:30s, which would put the next 1.2 in 8:45 or 7:18s. Next 1.2 on the way back was in 8:12 (6:50s). Next mile was somewhat uphill and I may have been off on the mark, but I think it was pretty accurate. I hit 6:57 on this one and finished with a 6:18 mile. Then did a cool down mile in 7:52. Time out was 31:58 (7:37s) and the 3.2 before the cool down on the way back was 21:27 (6:42s). Total run was 8.4 in 1:01:16 (7:18s)

Some easy base miles tonight, humid but mostly cooler (mid-70s). 8:30pm. 7.03 miles in 54:44 (7:46s). Splits:

8:19, 7:58, 7:46, 7:44, 7:44, 7:23, 7:31 + .03.

12pm, humid and low 80s. Ran home from the car dealership. First mile downhill, 2nd mile uphill and mile 6 and 7 uphill. While this was officially in the aerobic base pace range, the run felt more like steady state. I think I'm losing a bit of base from the decreased mileage I've had the last 2 months. Kids go to school in 3 weeks, things should get back to normal. Splits:

7 miles in 51:39 (7:22s) -- 7:39, 7:27, 7:22, 7:17, 7:18, 7:20, 7:12

Upper 70s and humid at noon. Ran to the car dealership to pick up the mini-van. First 6.85 was progressive in 50:20 (7:21s -- Garmin was actin up again and I couldn't use it) then cooled down for 1.3 in 9:47 (7:32s). I was probably running around 6:45s, so 7:30s was a reasonable cool-down pace. Total run was 8.15 in 1:00:07 (7:23s). Today felt a bit better than yesterday, the end was a touch of a push, but most of it felt like aerobic base instead of steady state aerobic.