Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 36:42
Pace: 9:10 min/mi

Comments: Out early and into the muggy dark. Pretty much ideal conditions, to be honest. These weekday runs have become pretty solid now I seem to have made some strength gains. I got started at a solid pace and just cruised through the entire run. I'm gonna hold steady at this level for a little but doing one faster each week needs to be added to the mix at some point.

Long Run

Distance: 10 miles
Time: 1:37:09
Pace: 9:43 min/mi

Comments: This is my "dial back" week so the long run was for 10 miles, a distance I last did three weeks ago. Needless to say, this one went somewhat better. I knocked better than 1:20 off my pace between those two runs.

It was a surprise since I really did not want to go do this run. It's chilly, I didn't feel great and I wasn't sure what shape my legs were in. Once I got started and warmed up a little I just cranked it out. I am a little curious how consistent my splits were but that's not really important.

So with that done, time to get back on the distance train. Sixteen miles next Sunday.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 39:32
Pace: 9:45 min/mi

Comments: With rain promised tonight and tomorrow, I had to get this one done. Overslept so lunch run was the only option. Went pretty well. Not the fastest effort on my part but not a staggering slog either. I was pretty surprised at the reasonably robust pace. I probably did the second half a good bit better than the first for that.

Next run is Sunday. Although it's the "long"effort, I'll be shooting for a reasonably modest 10 miles. Then, back on the distance train next week.

Training Run

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 55:26
Pace: 9:15 min/mi

Comments: So the cold front came through and temperatures went down quite a bit. Heading out was pretty brisk but not really cold. The best part was that I never got too hot during the run despite the bright sunshine. Tomorrow morning is slated to be in the 30s so I didn't want to feel forced to get one in then.

This was a very good run. All the miles this month are starting to pay off. I started strong and held steady the whole way. And my overall pace turned out to be very nice indeed (although I really wasn't pushing for that this run). I want another four miles tomorrow or Friday and ten when the weather gives a chance this weekend.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 38:58
Pace: 9:44 min/mi

Comments: A much better post-long-run effort than I had any reason to hope. Last week this run was the march of death, today it was a challenging but not overwhelming effort. The pace was pretty good although I suspect my effort dragged a little on the second half.

The big milestone today is hitting 100 miles in a month for the first time in a long long loooooong time. I'd have to go back to the 150 miles in December 2010 when I was doing my last real marathon training effort. (I came pretty close in February 2013 with just over 98 miles)

Long Run

Distance: 16 miles
Time: 2:49:57
Pace: 10:37 min/mi

Comments: The plan was 16 miles. Two more than last week. I didn't feel good at all the second half this week but laid low yesterday to get ready. The last time I did a training run this distance was three-and-a-half years ago. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous heading out the door.

The first half was actually pretty encouraging. With no real way to track the pace I really focused on keeping my run steady but not overdoing it. It was cool, overcast and almost ideal.

Almost. The wind picked up pretty good and I spent most of the last four miles fighting a very strong headwind. No. Fun. At. All. That compounded my general fatigue so the last few miles were pretty brutal. Still. Got it done.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 41:36
Pace: 10:24 min/mi

Comments: I didn't eat well yesterday and, even though I slept super hard, I didn't feel really rested. But I figured I might as well get the run done since I wasn't going to feel any better despite it.

As I expected, it was a complete slog. I was slow and miserable the whole way. Not having the Garmin anymore was kind of a blessing since I wasn't tempted to see how awful my pace was during the debacle.

Anyhow, it is done. Now to rest and prepare for the long run on Sunday.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 43:57
Pace: 10:59 min/mi

Comments: I had actually signed up for a 5K turkey trot today but the continuing soreness in my quads and hamstrings made me decide to skip it. I still wanted to get my run in so I finally got up enough motivation to get out the door.

My reticence made complete sense once I got started. My legs were achy and sore. I didn't feel like I had any energy whatsoever and my pace was abysmal. And today turned out the day that my Garmin up and died.

Still, I needed the distance and the effort should go a long way to getting me over the fatigue of adding these long miles.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 40:11
Pace: 10:02 min/mi

Comments: I probably could have used an extra day off after the long run this weekend but, with the rain coming in, I wanted to get something under my belt early in the week. So a lunch run it was.

I felt about as bad over the course of this effort as one might expect; tired legs, soreness, ennui. The dour skies matched my mindset rather well. But, still, I got it done.

With this done, I now have the option of running tomorrow if I want or taking my rest day if my legs demand it. The 5K is going to be tricky given the long run goal this weekend.

Long Run

Distance: 14 miles
Time: 2:26:48
Pace: 10:29 min/mi

Comments: I'm seriously considering a marathon in February of next year. While the progressively longer runs is encouraging, I'm not sure if I've got the stamina to get the REAL long runs it will require.

So, the plan today was 12 miles but, since I felt pretty good after the halfway mark, I decided to take a stab at 14 miles. This puts me over the half-marathon distance and at the doorstep of the truely grueling long runs the marathon will require.

It went better than I expected. I completely ignored the pace and just tried to keep a steady strong rhythm. The cold snap certainly played in my favor as well. While I've done a few half-marathons in the last few years, this is the longest I've run since my debacle of a marathon in April 2013.