Tuesday - 0

I didn't even try today. With the discomfort coming on so quickly yesterday, I figured at least a couple more days of rest and Ibuprofen will be beneficial. Maybe tomorrow.

Monday - 1/2 mile

I tried again today with no luck. At about a half mile I could feel some discomfort coming on so I went ahead and called it quits. I've got some text messages out to friends asking their opinion on how long I should rest. First response is wait until there is no pain. No specific timetable. I hate this!

Sunday - 1 mile

I ran a mile this evening to see if the IT Band flared up. It did towards the end of the run. Not enough that it made me quit, I probably could have run more. But more rest is definitely needed. Once I'm back to running, I'm going to try and keep the Su-F runs short (about 4 miles) and the Sat. run medium distance (7-10). I'm shooting for 35-40 mile weeks for the next 3-4 and allow myself (knee) time to adapt to the mileage before increasing. I can do this with consistent 4 mile runs and longer run on Saturdays.

I'm not going to be able to push the weekly distance like I thought I would be able to which means the races I've got planned will have to be done with my longest runs beforehand at about 55-60%. It doesn't give me the confidence I would like to have but at the same time it does play into the 'push my body past what I think is possible' mantra.

Saturday - 0 miles (Week Total - 16)

Rest.

Friday - 0 miles

Pretty sure my knee pain is being caused by an inflamed IT band along the outside of the knee. Symptoms are spot on plus the primary cause is increased 'physical activity such as an increase in mileage for runners'. Check. Rest, stretch, anti-inflamatory. I'm going to use my rest days walking. I figure I need to walk some anyway to prepare for longer races, so why not now?

Thursday - 2.0

Another day with knee pain. Again started out hurting and progressively got worse. Cut the run short. I am planning on taking the day off entirely tomorrow in an attempt to salvage my long run Saturday. I am probably naive in thinking one day will help, but...

Wednesday - 2.0

I had 6 miles on the schedule but a mile into the run my knee started hurting and continued to worsen. Actually it hurt from the start, but that is usual. It just normally warms up and the pain subsides, today it didn't. So I cut the run short and worked out a bit instead. I felt like a loser though. Since I took off Sunday it will be extremely difficult to get in more miles than I did last week. But I will try. Maybe a short couple of miles Saturday evening. My long run will be Saturday morning.

Tuesday - 6.0

Another 6 mile day. I think the first back to back 6 mile days so far. Not fast, extremely windy. A bad mental day, I had to talk myself thru the entire run. But in the end I'm glad it played out that way. Mentally I needed to get a run in where I didn't quit/come up short when I really wanted to.

Monday - 6 miles

6 miles on the treadmill. I'm diggin the treadmill thing. I can keep steady pace, intervals, progressions, etc. Tonite I did a new run. Mile 1 - last 1/10 at 4.0 grade, 2 - last 2/10 at 4.0, 3 - last 1/4 @ 4.0, 4 - last 3/10 @ 4.0/4.5/5.0, 5 - last 4/10 @ 4.0/4.5/5.0/5.5, 6 - last 1/2 @ 4.0/4.5/5.0/5.5/6.0. Went by fairly quickly and felt good the entire way.

Sunday - 0 miles

The 2 miles I had on the agenda for today was just to loosen up the legs. I did some work around the house and felt like that did enough to loosen up, no need to spend more time away from the fam.

Saturday - 13.0 (Week Total 40)

I didn't make up this morning to run. Everytime I tried to get out of bed Luke woke up and asked where I was going so I would lay back down with him. He's not feeling well. I ended up going to the 'Y' which I think was actually a good choice. I did 2 mile/.33 run/walk (inclined) intervals for the 13 miles (last 2 intervals were 1.5/.33). I felt really good, like a real runner, thru about 9 miles. This is awesome as 9 miles is still a long run for me. But then things went south. Everything started hurting; feet, hips, ankles. But I never lowered my pace, which was around 9.30. I did increase the last .6 mile to about 8.45. All in all a good workout plus I got in 40 miles this week!

Friday - 3.0

All 3 miles were slow today. I decided to scrap the plan on doing a fast 1 or 2 miles. Right before my run I allowed myself to get a little stressed and I wanted to be able to think on the run to clear my head. I can't do that while running fast as my focus is on, well, running fast. I'm at 27 miles for the week with a planned 13 miler in the morning. I will get this run in. Or I will come back later and edit this post. Ha Ha!

Thursday - 5.0

Five miles at 8.27 pace. Best pace for a five miler yet. I know it's slow, but I am dropping seconds off of each mile. And getting in more distance, so improvement is coming. Tomorrow's an easy 3 miles before Sat. long run. I think I may do at least one, maybe two, fast miles to get a better idea where I am. Last year at this time I also didn't feel fast and went out the same week and did a couple of miles at 6.53 & 6.33.

Wednesday - 4.7

I literally didn't have the time to finish the 0.3 during my run. I had to get back to the house as Nat and I were leaving to go to the 'Y' at 5:30. I should have known that Nat's '5:30' really means anytime between 5:30 and 7:00! But, I already had a 0.3 extra from earlier in the week so....I didn't feel 'with it' today. I mentally had to make myself continue running throughout the run. Pace was better than it has been, but still really slow. Kindof getting bummed about that. But 19 miles is the most at this point in the week so far (I've said that before) so I am being positive that this will be my best week ever. I'm looking for 40+ miles! My previous record is 34.

My old running partner, Randy, has just started back this week after several months off. I called him but he didn't answer. I think he is just what I need right now to push through to some consistent runs in the 5-6 mile range (my times will drop as well). He will complain about that distance right now, but I can always run a couple while I wait on him then run the three miles I know he will want to start with. If we can just work out the scheduling.

Tuesday - 2.0

Oh, and how quickly I can resort back to my old self. I had a faculty meeting today after school that ran for an hour so I ended up making my run short. As good excuse as I know, but still just that, an excuse. I could have found the time for another 25 minutes for the additional 3 miles had I really wanted to.

Monday - 5.0

Ran on the treadmill at the 'Y' today. 1.5 mile wu, 2 miles @ 7.40 pace, 1.5 mile cd. It may have been my best run so far this summer. It is the first time this summer that I've felt like a runner.

Sunday - 7.3 miles

I had a sore throat again this morning and slept in (8:00). I didn't get around to running 'til about 1.30 and it was hot! I felt good thru about 3 miles but then things started going south. By the time I got back home I was drained. Definitely not the long run that would grant me the confidence I need to attempt a 50k in 4 weeks. But I am going to try and alter my running schedule to up my mileage, or just make sure I get in my mileage. I'm doing too many (any are too many) ~2.5 mile runs. I'm going to transition and try to make sure each day is no less than 5 miles. There just isn't any justification in doing anything shorter. I'll attempt another long run, 15-18 miles again on Saturday and reassess.

Saturday - 2.6 miles (25.2 Week)

Woke up this morning with a sore throat and very tired after having been up 'til 2 Thurs nite. So I didn't get in my long run. I will have to get it in tomorrow morning. Ran an easy/quick 2.6 miles. First mile was actually probably the fastest mile I've run in some time, 7.43. Everything has been so slow lately. I think part of why I've not been with it mentally lately is because I am not running anything fast. I want to try to get in the runs and mileage so I purposely run slow so I don't dread the 'pain' of running fast, plus I know I can't keep the pace for the distances I want to run. This actually has a negative effect on me from time to time b/c I can't get into running mentally so I cut runs short, totally defeating the purpose of the slower runs to begin with. I mean, really, if I am only going to run 2.5-3 mile runs, why not run them faster and get them over with?

Friday - 4.0 miles

Stayed up 'til 2 AM last nite searching the internet for a mid-Oct 50k with no luck. At least nothing close to home. Watched a Team Hoyt vid on YouTube and some YouTube vids of soundtrack scores that I like and got pumped up. I needed it badly. Did some push-ups and crunches and woke up at 196 lbs. I'm feeling good about my weight and actually pretty good about running. I had a good run on the trails today at my best pace yet. I've been talking with Nat about moving up my 50k from late Nov. to early Oct. 8 weeks early! She told me to go for it, so I'm going to attempt a bit longer than scheduled run this weekend and take it from there.

Thursday - 2.4 miles

Aaaagh, wanted to go 6 today. Something mentally is not clicking right now and it should be since I just hit benchmark #2 Sunday. And I'm actually considering moving up the benchmarks sooner, a 50k Oct. 4th instead of a 17.5 miler Sept 28. Runs like today won't help my confidence that I can manage it. But I know I could have gone further last Sunday. I feel that I could have completed Big South Fork, and 4 weeks sooner than scheduled. Why not move things up on the schedule then? One of the reasons I'm progressing my distances is to see what I can accomplish. I don't feel like I was pushed enough from Sunday's effort. We'll see what the next couple of days look like. If I can extend Saturday's run from 13 to 15-16 and maybe find a 50k mid-Oct then it may be a change of plans. If not, then I'll probably stick to current plan.

Wednesday - 4.0 miles

I went to the YMCA and ran while Nat did aerobics. I wanted to run 6 miles, but only got in 4 before Nat was finished. Even with the two zero days Mon & Tues, I have in more miles thru today than I have had (thanks to the 12 miler Sunday).

Tuesday - 0 miles

Signed up for biggest loser today and weighed in at 198.5 (my scales before I left the house).

Came home after work (never a good thing if I want to run) and then talked myself into spending time with the fam (always a good thing) and running after I put Luke to bed. The problem is I NEVER get back out the door. Laid down with Luke and promptly went to sleep, too. ~8:00 PM.

Monday - 0 miles

Just didn't get out to run today. Legs felt quite good, though (or at least not too sore). Spent the day with Luke playing so I wasn't going to dash off even for a quick run since it would've been just a recovery jog anyway. Playing with Luke is a much more fun way of recovering. I will try to put up pics later in the week.

* Luke starts school tomorrow (two days a week at a local church)!

Sunday - 12.2 miles

Well, I finished the 20k trail run this morning. Finishing is always goal #1, especially right now as I am trying to progress in longer distances. Goal #2 was to run at a faster pace than I did a 6.5 mile trail run a month ago. I was on pace to accomplish that goal as well thru 9.3 miles (even further really) when I hit a 1.7 mile long hill. Ended up at a slower pace but today was a much harder course so I am confident I would have been faster (even with the longer distance) had the courses been topographically similar. One thing I also noticed today was that my feet didn't start hurting until around mile 9.5-10 (I wore my new inserts). A month ago they were hurting the last couple of miles of the race and it was only 6.5 miles! I'm a little bummed my time was slow but I definitely did not race today. Today was all about making that next step in my distance progression. My legs got tired but cardiovascularly I was fine most of the day. All in all a good day and mission accomplished.

With today's long run and a scheduled long run for Saturday, my weekly goal is 40 miles. The most I have ever run in one week is 34, so if I reach 40 I will have smashed that 'record'. Plus, Nat and I are starting the Biggest Loser this week which should be some added motivation to get out and run. I totally expect to be exhausted all week.

Saturday - 2.0 miles (17 week)

Two goals for today: 1) run easy to 'massage' the leg muscles before tomorrow and 2) try out a new pair of Keen trail running shoes and new inserts. I have plantar fiscitis in my right foot that acts up anytime I am running (not while I'm running but when my life actually involves running). The new inserts place the heel below the arch so I have high hopes that the pain will subside. I love the Keen's but will probably not wear them tomorrow. I'm not willing to risk running 12 miles on new shoes regardless how well I like them or how good they felt for 2 miles. I am, however, going to wear my new inserts in my old 'new' shoes (just got them 2 weeks ago). I've been wearing the inserts in both my Keen's and NB's around the house with very little pain. I don't know if they work that well or that quickly, it may be phsychological, but hey, I'll keep wearing them until time proves differently.

Weighed in at 199.5 this morning! Breaking the 200 mark is very satisfying.

Next up...the Norris Dam 20k Trail Run! Update tomorrow.

Friday - 0 miles

Had 3 miles on the schedule for today but life got in the way. Some errands after school, my nephew's b-day party (which I forgot was tonite) and putting Luke to bed (which I fell asleep with him) and the day was just over. But since the 3 miles were only for rest and recovery before Sunday's trail run, I feel o.k. The only thing I'm bummed about is not getting in 20 miles this week. This was one thing I wanted to avoid in my progression of training, not dropping back too much after having good weeks. Last week was 31 miles, my best week so far, and this week only 17 (assuming I get in the 2 tomorrow). I knew the week would be low because of the 12 mile run falling on a Sunday, but still wanted it to be out of the teens.

My weight is still hoovering around the 200 mark. Very little drop. Only 4 lbs in the last month. I looked in my logs from last year, though, and I was at 197.5 on the same day, which was a 6 lb drop. Not significant enough to punish myself over. I got to 185 by the end of November last year, running about 25-30 miles/week, and felt really good. Natalie and I are entering a "Biggest Loser" contest at our YMCA on Tuesday. We aim to win. We are not your typical BL contestants as I hide my extra weight very well. My students guessed I weighed about 155-160 and several co-workers said that I didn't have any weight to lose. And Natalie's extra lbs are from her pregnancy. But since the contest is based on % dropped and we are both starting relatively low, we may have a shot at winning. More importantly we aim to reach our goal weights, which would put us at almost a 15% loss. My goal is 168, which I haven't been since college. It's actually lower than Nat wants it to be.

And on a very positive note: my resting heart rate last nite (very resting as I actually dozed off while waiting for it to drop) was 46! Not bad for a 200 lb 40 year old. I think the lowest it has ever been was around 42 in 2001. Can I actually get it in the 30's?

Thursday - 3.0 miles

Today was slow. I meant for it to be so I can recover before Sunday's 12 mile trail run. But it was so slow that after 2.5 I quit, totally bored with it (it didn't help that I did a route that ended back up at the house after 2.5). Came inside and fed the dogs. Then forced myself back out to finish up the half I came up short.

I got smart (for lack of a better term) this week and told my classes what I was running after school. Their "job" is to ask me the next day whether I did the run. That's why I went back out to finish. Today's run was supposed to be 3 miles. I didn't want to go in to school tomorrow and tell them I wussed out. Whatever works, right?

Wednesday - 4.1 miles

4.1 miles went like this:
wu) 1 mile
fast interval 0.75 m
recovery 0.6 m
fast interval 0.75 m
cd) 1 mile

The faster intervals felt good, nothing blazing, just faster than I have been running. Three miles tomorrow. Probably an easy 3 as I try to rest up for Sunday.

Tuesday - 4.1 miles

Finally got back on track today and ran what I had on my schedule. Still a bit concerned that there is no speed to speak of in my running. I'm not trying to run faster but I feel like I couldn't if I tried. I vaguely remember having these same feelings last year about this time, although my logs reveal that I was running a bit faster than I am right now. Of course, this same week last year I ran 11 miles for the week and 16 the week before! Now, even in a down week, I will be over 11 miles tomorrow with 3 days to go during a rest week. My best guess, and hope, is that when I decide to (if I can flip my mental switch) I can run faster. I've got four miles on the sched for tomorrow. I might make 1-2 of them fast to see how it feels. Or maybe not. The thing I like about my running goals right now is that I am aiming for distance and not speed. It hurts in an entirely different way, but not nearly as bad, albiet a bit longer.

Monday - 2.5 miles

My schedule said 4 miles. I thought it was 3 miles. I ran 2.5??? Did not feel like running, which doesn't make sense, since it was the coolest day in weeks, but... Talked myself into doing some short 0.2 mile "bursts" at 6.33 pace for all six of them. Ended up with 2 1/2.

Goals this week are: 20+ miles, three 4 mile days, lose 1 pound to get under 200, rest for race Sunday.

Sunday - 1.3

Ran just to say I ran. After 12 miles yesterday I was quite fatigued. Not necessarily sore, though.

Saturday 8/23 - 12 miles

Ahh, first post in quite some time. I never really got back to running until about a month ago, so I wanted to make sure I was going to have some consistency before I started posting again.

So my last 4 weeks prior to this one have gone like this: 24 miles, 23.5 miles, 25 miles (10 mile LR), and 16.6 miles (zero LR b/c of Luke's BD). I finished up this week with 31.1 miles including today's 12 mile LR. I crashed today at about mile 7 and ended up walking about 1/2 total during the last 5.

This is by far the quickest I have ramped up my weekly mileage, ever, so something has obviously got me motivated. (I actually believe all motivation is internal but still something sparked my inner motivation.) I read the book Ultra Marathon Man by Dean Karnazes then followed that up w/ Running for My Life by Ray Zahab. Both books by Ultra Marathoners. I've never been a long distance runner before, but like I said, something sparked. So I've found some long distance trail runs that I am going to train for. I have laid them out in my training calender progressively, each one longer than the previous one. I started with a 6.5 mile trail run two weeks ago. My next one is a 12 miler in a week. Ultimately, the plan is to run an Ultra Marathon (50k trail run) this year then try to train for a 100 miler in the spring. The ultimate goal is to push myself to accomplish something far and away harder than anything I would have ever thought possible for myself.

Can I do a 100 miler? Unquestionably no. But I can run 12 miles next week. After that I feel certain I can run 17.5 miles at Big South Fork at the end of September. And if I can run 17 miles in September, surely I can double that in two months at the Winter Trail 50k. And if I can run 31 miles in November why not 100 four months later? That's my progression. Small or large attainable chunks at a time. I'm 40 now, so the big key is making sure no injuries creep in.

Thursday - ran 3.0

An easy 3 miles today. Yesterday was a moderate (effort that is) 4.0 miles and Tuesday was 4.0 miles with some 1/2 mile tempos mixed in. 2.3 miles of running and 8 miles on indoor cycle on Monday.

I will try to start keeping up with my blog. I went to Powerman Alabama this weekend (I was supposed to race Whistlestop, but didn't) and have gotten reguvenated. I have looked forward to every workout this week. I think that has been the biggest difference in the last couple of months. I also put together a 20-week training plan, so now maybe I can say "I'm back."

Tuesday - run 4.0 / bike 0

Ran a new 4 mile route today and didn't keep track of time, although I'm sure it was ~ 8 min pace. SLOW! But a run nontheless.

Monday - run 5.5 / bike 0

Ran wu 2 miles while waiting on my buddy, then another 3.5. We are both starting back after at least a month (more like 3 for him) layoff. So it was SLOW!

Saturday - ride 8.0

I didn't run today but I did spend 24 mins on the CycOps. Sadly, it's only the 7th time I've been on it since I got it, or $38/mile. Eight miles on the CycOps with a power output of 209. Now that's not going to get me my pro card anytime soon but what I find interesting is that my last outing was 206 for 10 miles. The interesting part is coming, I promise. The five previous rides, which were all done when I was still running some mileage were all ~160 watts for about 7 miles. That's a significant improvement with the only difference that I can tell is I have not been running. I'm beginning to think the time off may have been needed (probably not to the extent I took, but..) Oh well, nothing I can do about time lost now, so we'll say it was a positive. Except for the added 10 pounds. That's another post, though.

Friday - 3.1

Ran on treadmill today, 3.1 miles, 7.54 pace, HR 156 at finish. Pleased w/ the 3.1 & actually the 7.54, but not the 156. Way too high for an almost 8 min pace for only a 5k. It will come down, as will my pace and the mileage will go up. I have no doubt.

Thursday - 3.1

After almost a month layoff (no I'm not dead) I started back today. I'm usually wary of stating "I started back" until I get at least a few workouts in. But, I'm reasonably confident that I have the willpower to move forward.

The workout wasn't fast but not entirely slow, either, especially considering the layoff. It shouldn't take me long to get it back. Whatever it was...

Saturday - 5.0/0

Did a 1 mile loop course (Veterans Park) today. It was a bit windy and I wanted to quit during the first loop but kept talking myself into doing just 1 more. Ended up with 5 loops for 5 miles. The pace was about 7.49. As I told Natalie (wife), this was not what I was running back before Christmas, but it is faster (for ~5) than anything I've run recently, plus the wind. Very comfortable pace though; felt like I could have done several more. I've just not felt like running lately.

Friday - 4.3/0

I ran today without a watch. I modified a five mile run of mine thinking I was making it longer; hoping for ~6 miles. I was surprised when it only ended up being 4.3. Really felt pretty good, though. It was slow but I was thinking towards the end I could probably easily go another 3-4. Of course, I was thinking that would be 9-10, not 7-8.

Thursday - 0/0

I found out today that my wife and I are having another boy! It was just one of those days I didn't really think about running.

Wednesday - 4.0/0

Only got in 4 miles today. It was ridiculously windy and I just wasn't tough enough mentally to keep going.

Tuesday - 3.5/0

Repeats - Today was a couple of repeats, nothing serious. It went like this:

1m wu)
1m @ 6.12
1/2m @ 3.01
1m cd)

Tomorrow - 6 easy miles

It was warm today so I got on my bike to see if I still remembered how. I felt strong although it was extremely windy and my neck was hurting (I couldn't even lift it to see the road when down in aero). So I turned around and came back. Not even far enough to record distance (now that's short).

Monday - 0/0

I'm not planning on doing anything today either. I've gotten in bed late the last 2 nites and I'm going with the addage that anything I run today would definitely be "junk" miles. What I need is to rest today and start rested tomorrow. I've gotten in 4 weeks of running where I haven't used my watch (at least not much). I'm starting a program of sorts today (begins w/ a rest day) and will need fresh legs to complete. It's 8 weeks long which should put me completing it just before Whistlestop Duathlon.

Sunday - 0/0

Weekly Recap - 18.3 Running/26.1 Biking

It was rainy and I decided to do nothing. Kind of bummed I broke my streak which stood at 30 days.

Saturday - 5.3/0

Finally warm enough for me to run outside. 5.3 miles, I wasn't trying to go fast, but the comfortable pace was slower than I would have liked. But pleased I got outside and did 5+. I'd gotten into that old habit of mine of just running a couple of miles here and there. I have got to get out of that.

Friday - 5.0/8.6

I did a mini indoor duathlon today. 2.5 mile run on the treadmill, 24 min on the Lifecycle, and 2.5 mile run on track (all @YMCA). It was a good workout. Puts me within reach of an average week of running, nothing serious. But I have added some Lifecycle work in this week, so I'm not as down on myself as I might have been. Still need to up the run total while still getting in some cycling.

Thursday - 2.0/0

Well, at least I'm being consistent. Two miles is pitiful. I just didn't have time to run more today. The good news, my two miles is the fastest 2 miles I've put together this year and I didn't start out for that to happen. I was running on the YMCA indoor track and there were 3 walkers and 4 runners already on this tiny track. Running faster than everyone else was the best way to keep from getting bogged down. Ended up being really good and I felt great. A decent day tomorrow followed by two longer than normal runs (but not too long) Sat & Sun and I can still get in 30+ this week.

Wednesday - 2.0/4.6

Short 2 mile run on treadmill w/ ~12 minute ride on Lifecycle. Nothing to write home about but I actually got out my old logs (6 yrs ago) and noticed that I am doing more than then. Whatever that means...

Tuesday - 2.0/8.6

2 miles on the treadmill and 24 minutes on the Lifecycle bike at the YMCA.

Monday - 2.0/4.3

Monday is my rest day, so anything I run on Mondays is just to keep my streak going and a bonus. Also did a short 12 minute ride on the stationary bike. With January coming to a close, I have to start getting in some mileage on the bike while increasing my runs as well.

Sunday - 3.0/0

Weekly Recap - 28/0

Only ran 3 miles. The legs actually felt better than I anticipated (I really thought 1 would be tough) but not near good enough to do much more. I'm a little bummed I didn't come close to my goal (or even break 30) but my "short" week still ended up being 40% longer than my 8-week average just 3 weeks ago.

Saturday - 10.5/0

Well, I was able to put in something "special". Special to me is anything over 8 miles, regardless of pace or how. The how today came like this: run 3 miles on YMCA track (that's 57 laps), coach 4 year old basketball, run 7.5 miles on treadmill with a trip to the water fountain and 0.1 mile walk every 2.5. I would feel a lot better about the run had it been continuous, but I'll take it. It definitely taxed the legs which is what I wanted to accomplish, in addition to getting my weekly mileage up to a respectable total distance. Most of my running has been extremely slow for 2 reasons: 1) I've increased mileage so in order to keep coming back out day after day, my legs can't be too sore from hard running and 2) I'm trying to stay in that aerobic zone in an attempt to lose some weight. Anyway, I was barely able to step off of the treadmill and the legs feel very tired (coming off of 5 hours of sleep last nite makes me very tired). Now, the question is "Can I do it again tomorrow?" We shall see...

Friday - 3.5/0

Another short run. Seems this week is full of them. I am at 14.5 miles, where last week I was at over 21 by this time. I still have hope of reaching my weekly goal, though. But tomorrow is going to have to be something special, at least for me. Stay tuned.

Thursday - 4.2/0

Again, I had to change my planned workout. The YMCA was full of the local "Biggest Loser" contestants (I'm not making fun, they're actually having a contest)on the treadmills so I had to go upstairs to the indoor track. Which was perfectly fine, another day on the treadmill might have driven me batty. But I got started late and knew my planned 7 mile run would be impossible.

On a related topic.....I am tired!

Wednesday - 4.5/0

Not entirely what I wanted to accomplish, but longer than a mile. Around a 7.45 pace with 0.3 @ 6.11. It's going to take a good next four days to reach my weekly goal, but not unattainable.

It's supposed to be cold tomorrow so I know another treadmill day. I'm thinking intervals. Hmmm...

My streak hit 3 weeks today!

Tuesday - 1.3/0

I didn't feel as tired and sore today but from the moment I started my run I knew my legs didn't have it. Cut the run short. There is always tomorrow.

Monday - 1.0/0

A rest day. My entire lower body is a little tired. Especially my hips. I ran a mile just to keep my streak going, which is at 19 days now. Planning on taking another easy/short day tomorrow, like 3 miles.

My goal this week is 37 miles. Two back to back 30+ weeks for me have me fired up. I have a 10k coming up in 4 weeks, so I'm going to try an rev up the next 3 to about 43-45 miles then taper before the race. I'm really not putting much into the race, though. It's just another benchmark (the longest so far) to see where I am.

Sunday - 9.0/0

Week Recap - 33.1 run / 0 bike

I did it! I rebounded with a great workout today, especially considering it was inside. I ran 9 miles (4x2.25) on the treadmill. Some of it was actually at a fairly fast pace. My 1st two 2.25s were only at 7.53 & 7.47 respectively, but my 3rd 2.25 was all 7.30 or better with over a mile of it around 7.05. And about 0.6 of my last 2.25 (around mile 8) was at 6.40 pace. So, I was able to follow last week's record setting week with a new one this week, albeit barely. I'm happy I didn't allow my last 2 poor days drag down an otherwise good week.

Nutrition and biking need some work...

Saturday - 2.1/0

Yep. Followed up the stellar 1.6 yesterday with a whole 2.1 today. What was turning into my best week ever in terms of total mileage has gone to s@#t! I can still manage a 30+ week by having 6+ tomorrow.

Friday - 1.6/0

1.6!!! Do Zig & Ross know my friend/doctor Tim? The same 39-yr old friend who has for the past 3 weeks been on me to buy WARCRAFT. Which I did today; hence the 1.6 mile run. My wife and son were out of town until late, so I FORCED myself out of the house for even that. It's been cold so I went to the YMCA, where Tim met me with a game book on Warcraft!

Motivation - part 2

I've said before, motivation has always been a problem for me. I guess it really is for most people. I saw a quote today by Zig Ziglar, "Motivation is like bathing. It works a lot better if we do it every day" (or something to that effect) With that, I thought I would pass along a quote I'm using right now.

"I Do Today What You Won't, So Tomorrow I Can Do What You Can't"

I also came across something Ross Perot said about achieving success. It went like this -- After the moment of your greatest success, know that you will slack off. This is so true. I was actually talking to a colleague of mine about how I constantly do this (hit a high then back off, sometimes for years) with my athletic endeavors just the day before I read the quote. I hit a high for my weekly run mileage last week. So I am reminding myself that I may slack; pushing myself to have an even better week this week.

Thursday - 6.5/0

Easy 1.5, a 10 minute break waiting on my running partner, then another 5. Everything's easy right now while I try to get some mileage in. I'm already over 20 miles for the week. I've never done that by Thurs.

Wednesday - 7.0/0

wu) 1 mile, then 5 miles (slow, so is it a warm-up if you don't run faster?) and a fast mile to finish. I wanted to run a quick half mile (3.20 or so) just to remind my legs to go fast since everything I have done lately has been slow. Went thru the half at 3.10 so I decided to keep going. 1 mile in 6.17, the fastest mile I've run in a long time. And it felt good, not an all out mile.

Tuesday - 3.4/0

Just an easy 3.4 miles. Not much more to add.

Monday - 3.5/0

Easy run of 3.5. No training partner and grown-up type errands made me cut my run short. If I can make every run this week at least as long as last week's, then I figure I will total more, (I used to teach math). Oh, 12 days and counting!

Three hot dogs and two servings of chili AND pie for dinner. Ask me how my nutrition tracking is going.

Sunday - 2.2/7.2

Week Recap - Run 32/Bike 11.3

Only ran 2.2. Decided to take a rest day a day early, but was still able to get in my best week.

Short, but decent ride on the CycOps, too. Discovered watching Two and a Half Men makes the time go by.

Saturday - 5.5/0

Four days over 5 miles and 29.8 (only 0.2 behind my best week ever) with Sunday to go. I am feeling a little tired though. But not aweful.

I started monitoring my nutrition (NOT diet) today. I am tracking calories, carbs, protein, fat, and fiber intake and servings of fruits/veggies and water (oz). My BMR is 3,000 calories (with my running) so I am trying to keep my calorie intake to about 2,500 and my carb/protein/fat distribution to 50/25/25. My calories ended up about 2,650, which is good considering I had a brownie w/ ice cream at Ruby Tueday's tonite. My % were at 51/25/24. I didn't get enough fiber (about 75%) or servings of fruits/veggies, but I did hit my goal of 100 oz of water, though. So, all in all, a good first day watching my nutrition.

Friday - 6.0/0

I kept the momentum going today. Ran a 1 mile wu then another 5 with my running partner. It was slow, but that's OK. That's 9 straight days (42 total miles - 4.7 avg/day). I think it is enough of a streak to keep me from taking any days off.

Thursday - 5.0/4.1

Went to the YMCA and ran 2.5 on the treadmill, then hit the Lifecycle for a 12 min spin then back to the treadmill for 2.5. I'm still having a hard time running "long" on the treadmill, so I'm breaking my runs up. A good workout. I feel like I've lost a couple of lbs this week. We'll see in the morning. I'm feeling good about my week so far.

Wednesday - 7.0/0

2 miles on the treadmill this morning and 5 miles this afternoon. Finally got in a run at 5 or greater. It seems like forever (Sunday, but only the 3rd in 2 weeks). I got one of my running partners back today. It is amazing how just having him back gave me the boost to run longer. Luckily, after a 2 month layoff, he didn't seem to have lost too much. I have also ran 7 straight days. Nothing to celebrate, but I think the longest stretch in the past 6 months. It is not the end of my training week, but I have gotten in 31 miles in the past "week".

Now, the CycOps...

Tuesday - 3.4/0

Terribly windy today. I almost stopped in the first half mile but I kept going and kept making turns that took me farther away from my truck. I got started just a little late (as a rule, I wont run past say 4:40) but was pleasantly surprised at the 3.4. I was afraid it was only around 3. I am going to be off from work tomorrow, so I hope to get in 2 runs plus a spin on the CycOps.

I read a good article today, here, about nutrition, my weak spot (lol: like I've got only one). I really need to focus on this; may make a run (no pun intended) to the grocery, too.

Monday - 2.9/0

Ran from home. Slow and easy without my watch. Meant to run 5 today but I had a meeting that ran longer than expected. Any run on a Monday is a bonus, though, b/c it's normally a rest day. Just noticed I have run 5 straight days. It doesn't sound like much, but it is more than I can say for the past several weeks. My goals for this week are 30+ miles and at least 5 runs of 5+.

Sunday - 5.2/0

Ran 5.2 today. It was slow and easy, which is OK. My goal the next few weeks is to run without my watch in an effort to get my mileage up. I definitely need more consistency in my running. I only had one run this week over 5 miles (today's) yet, I finished the week with just over 23 miles; my best week since the end of November.

Saturday - 4.0/7.5

Did 4 miles on the treadmill again. Broke it up by doing some intervals though.

So, as I'm looking at my log I discovered something. My runs of 5+ miles have been steadily dwindling over the last 3 months. I like to tally running averages of my runs and pace (ie. average the last 4 runs by distance and when I log a new run it goes to top of the list, the fifth run falls out of the equation and the other 3 move down the list). I did this with my runs of over 5 miles each week. I used a 3 week average. Over the last 11 weeks the 3-week average of the number of 5+ mile runs during my week have decreased (or stayed the same) every week but one. Now I know with only 7 days in a week the most 5+ runs you can have is 7, so increases are out of the question once you max out, but decreases? I'm talking from an average of 4.3 at the beginning of the list to 1.7 the last 3 weeks. Do we think this affected my 5k earlier this week?

Rode CycOps for almost 23 minutes! Whoo Hoo! I still have tomorrow for the 30 minutes.

Friday - 4.5/6.7

Ok..I didn't get the 8 mile run in today, only 4.5. It's tough getting used to the treadmill thing again. Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer so a run outside looks promising. Even with 2 average runs this weekend I'll log my biggest week in over a month. I'm not actually saying how long I plan on running. I'm getting tired of getting on here and making up some lame excuse for my not completing my planned distance.

Rode the CycleOps for 20 minutes. This is getting easier. I'll try for 30 minutes this weekend. Darn! I did it again. Let you know later how it goes.

Thursday - 4/0

Ran 4 miles on treadmill (it was cold outside). Wanted to do 6 but random stomach cramps forced me off. Other than that I felt good, though. Look forward to my run tomorrow. Will try to do 8 to make up for today's short run.

Wednesday - zero

Bevan Docherty - This is Motivating

Tuesday - 3.5/0

am) Ran New Year's Day 5k - I suck! Way off the pace I wanted to run. But I'm actually happy with my poor time. Why? I would have probably continued my current training as normal with few adjustments had I ran what I wanted. This race, this time, revealed to me that I have a lot more work to do. I need to make several adjustments, not least of which is to increase my weekly mileage. I've also got to get my weight back down. I really felt the 8 lbs I've gained over the holidays.