Training Run

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 58:29
Pace: 9:44 min/mi

Comments: The rain showed up before dawn again pushing back my planned run. I got pretty busy in the meantime and it was creeping up on 11 a.m. by the time I got out there. That set me up for an awful confluence of heat and humidity.

I gutted my way through this one, there's no other way to describe it. I was still a bit sore when I started and really had trouble finding a comfortable pace. A lot of this run was simply trying to make it to the next landmark and they looking for the next one. Not fun.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 35:21
Pace: 8:49 min/mi

Comments: So, this one got pushed to the mid-afternoon by morning rains and internet service stupidity. I got stuck at my home because the morons that cut off my service were too busy to come fix it. Sayonara, Spectrum.

The result was I started this one still WAY too pissed and, instead of getting in a good recovery run in the wake of a tough 20 miler, I went for pace. Brilliant. I did try to keep on top of things but there was just too much adrenaline in play.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 11

Distance: 43.65 miles
Time: 6:52:52
Pace: 9:27 min/mi

Comments: I finally got back on track and put in a full six days including the speed work, the pace work and the long run. I also moved this week and averaged about 30 floors worth of steps over the course of four days. My quads were really sore after that, but, perhaps that helped overall conditioning.

The long run went much better than my previous 'big push' for longer miles. Part of that is just getting stronger but the weather helped quite a bit too. I'm hoping even more favorable temperatures will push me over the edge to achieve my goals in the race next month.

For these last few weeks I really have to stay focused and crank out the proscribed workouts. Eating and sleeping well need to be prioritized also.

Injury update: A few aches with all the additional mileage but nothing alarming.

Long Run

Distance: 20 miles
Time: 3:25:08
Pace: 10:15 min/mi

Comments: Went to bed early and made it a point to get out a little earlier. Due to all the rain I figured the Trinity River trail might be pretty sloppy so I opted to do two circuits around White Rock Lake.

This was certainly a challenge and there were parts that were plenty tough. Yet I really felt in control the whole way and it was substantially less exhausting than the 18 miler two weeks ago.

I set out deliberately overslow on the first 10 miles; completing it a hair over 1:49 for an average pace of 10:54 min/mi. Then I upped the cadence on the second loop and nailed a negative split. I took just more than 1:36 for the second ten miles for an average pace of 9:36 min/mi. Even better, three of the last five miles were sub 9:30, one even getting down to 9:17.

This effort suggests the strength is definitely there to complete the marathon and the stamina is getting into the range of making a sub-4 hour effort a real possibility.

Pace Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 33:16
Pace: 8:18 min/mi

Comments: The rain arrived last night and, since then, it's been pretty constant. I missed the early morning window and had to wait until late in the afternoon to get another chance. The rain made it cooler so it worked out to be pretty much exactly the same temperature as my regular runs.

This was a pace effort and I basically concentrated on cadence the whole way. I really could tell how the effort would lag when I lost concentration. That lead to a slower third mile and faster fourth. Need to really work on that this month.

Training Run

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 57:07
Pace: 9:30 min/mi

Comments: The rain and exhaustion conspired to keep me from heading out at the usual time. I got myself together and headed out the door at 9:30 or so, plenty of time for the heat and humidity to get percolating really good.

All the up an down on the stairs the past few days -- approx 35 stories per day -- made themselves known today. My quads are not happy and I had a general stiffness to contend with as well. Weirdly, though. The first two miles felt the worst but I ran them the fastest.

The muggy morning took it's toll and this felt like a real slog but overall this went well.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 36:05
Pace: 9:00 min/mi

Comments: The move has played real havoc with my running regimen. I'm exhausted so I get up late and I get out there but am having a tough time battling the stiffness and soreness from lugging boxes all day.

I staggered through half of this and then had an unpleasant incident with a jackass speeding down the service road. That prompted a much faster second half that I really was planning. Take the good and the bad, I guess.

I hope to get the rest of the moving done today so just one more day of it affecting my training.

Interval Run

Distance: 5.6 miles
Time: 43:49
Pace: n/a

Comments: After two weeks of putting it off, I finally got in my interval run. Not gonna lie, I had been dreading it and the ongoing delay had only made it worse. But it went far better than I expected and I'm very relieved to have it in the books.

I started extra early so the first mile was in the pitch dark. The heat wasn't impressed and it didn't dent the humidity either. The weather this morning was as stifling as I have come to expect over the course of this summer. Still, it only has minimal impact on a run like this.

WU	0.75	7:59
1	0.5	3:30
2	0.5	3:33
3	0.5	3:19
4	0.5	3:22
5	0.5	3:19
6	0.5	3:12
7	0.5	3:12
8	0.5	3:18
CD	0.75	7:27

The first mile was enormously slow but I got warmed up after that and just cranked out a couple of the later ones. My cadence was significantly faster on the last two miles as well. My Garmin and Strava are still giving me fits tracking these but I think the general trend is pretty spot on.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 37:27
Pace: 9:21 min/mi

Comments: I had residual guilt today about not doing the long run and taking two days off. The performance on this run went a long way to justify those choices. My legs felt a lot more refreshed than they have in some time. And that's good with the big month ahead.

I also was out the door early and putting in the miles long before the heat really got started. The humidity today was pretty brutal though. I didn't do anything fancy with this one, just cranked it out.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 10

Distance: 36.03
Time: 5:50:46
Pace: 9:44 min/mi

Comments: Not the best week of training, to say the least. I haven't been focused at all. I've been getting up late, changing the planned runs and really having a hard time keeping my enthusiasm up. A big factor has been my personal and work schedules over the past two weeks but that's only part of the problem.

It's been more than two months of training now and that has involved getting up at 5 a.m. to go out and run in 80 degree heat and 80 degree humidity. Every damn day. There has been a ton of progress but I'm a bit weary of the grind at this point.

This next week will be a problem as well due to my planned move. I'll get the miles in but it won't be fancy at all. But there is just six weeks left. I need a strong September to get me ready.

Injury update: Lotta little sore spots but nothing major.