Recovery Run

Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 32:07 minutes
Pace: 9:14/mi

Comments: A true recovery run. Every time I felt I was speeding up and hitting a regular pace I made myself slow back down.

I started pretty early and it was rather chilly. That, allied with the lack of stretching, made taking it very very easy the whole way a priority.

But tomorrow will be my first 'real' long run since getting back to Arizona. I want to be ready for it and wasting energy and glycogen today would not be very wise.

Training Run

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 45:00 minutes
Pace: 7:30/mi

Comments: I got started kind of late today and things got pushed back even farther due to my stretching. In retrospect, it may have also been a bit of overtiredness but the jury is still out on that.


As I expected, my left leg was much tighter than my right and even concentrated stretching didn't seem to do much for it. That said, there weren't any worrisome sensations today... but more on that in a sec.

I did a bit of warming up and started off a little faster than usual although still less than the pace I finally settled into. After a mile and a half I hit a stride and kept with it most of the rest of the way.

But the whole run was work. I had to push myself through every step and the last two miles were filled with the 'don't wannas.' I've reached the point where I can ignore this sensation but I still don't enjoy when it rears its ugly head.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 35:12 minutes
Pace: 8:48/mi

Comments: Headed down to the south end of Chandler to do a run with my sister and my niece. After cranking out the tough run yesterday I though a slightly less intense run would be best.

It was probably good I went, otherwise I would have, to borrow the phrase from another runner I know in training for this race, taken a ride on the excuse train.

But it was a great day to be out. Lotsa sun, low humidity and almost no wind. Afterward I was a bit more tired than I usually am, though.

Training Run

Distance: 8 miles
Time: 61:12 minutes
Pace: 7:39/mi

Comments: A pretty good run. I skipped the stretch (a practice that has got to stop) and hit the road pretty cold. As a result I took it very slow the first mile or so.

After that I dropped into a comfortable pace and tried to keep it steady. I was a bit sore and tired today but nothing major and it wasn't any hindrance after getting warmed up.

At about the six mile mark I realized I could probably fit the run in under and hour so I bumped up my pace and, at the one mile mark, bumped it up even more. I was running pretty hard the last half mile but I didn't quite make my goal.

Training Run

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 45:34 minutes
Pace: 7:35/mi

Comments: Very good run. I started without stretching or a warmup, just at a nice even pace. I gradually accelerated as I got into it but tried to keep the proceedings at about half race pace. On the last two miles or so I bumped that up just a bit but not much.

I felt very strong the whole way and completely in control of the run. I had lots in the tank and wasn't breathing too heavy after finishing either. The weather was about perfect. The clouds blocked the sun but the air was clear and wind was minimal. It doesn't get much more ideal for putting in miles.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 3

Distance: 24.38 miles
Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

Comments: Strange week. Half in one season, the rest in another.

I put in three sub-par half-hour runs along the malencon to wrap up my training in South America. Then, after getting stateside, I upgraded my equipment and banged out one super-fast run and a solid long run.

Perhaps the change of scenery was what I needed.

Injury update: Problem number one is this shoulder issue. It is persistant, painful and not responding to my various efforts. It reaches the point that I cannot even turn my head hardly at all. My last hope is with my morning visit to the chiropractor tomorrow.

I will be wary this week of my leg issues due to the new shoes and their radically different feel.

The only other issue on the radar is the tightness in my left leg. The masseuse said it was severe in both the hamstring and the quad. It's something that can quickly affect other aspects of my running.

For example; warming up for the long run the inside of my left knee was very sore but it seemed to respond to stretching. There were no problems during the run itself.

Long Run

Distance: 9 miles
Time: 82:23 minutes
Pace: 9:15/mi

Comments: Did the long run today with my sister and her daughter. I figured the reduced pace would work well with my week since I pushed it a bit hard on Saturday.

We used a concrete and dirt route along one of the canals near her house in the southern part of the city. Very level and very accommodating for running and biking.

My sister pushed the baby runner for the first two miles and I took it for the rest of the run. It was a relatively easy pace for me and it gave her a chance to do a long run without the device affecting her gait.

So I focused on keeping it slow and steady. Concentrating on the details of my run; the regular pace, the steady breathing, my posture and whatnot. It was an effective exercise for a lot of the aspects I have been neglecting.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 27:17 minutes
Pace: 6:47/mi

Comments: My first run back stateside. My plan was to go for the distance with the hope of putting a full run around the block - four miles - in as close to a half hour as possible.

What I got was one of my fastest regular runs in some time.

I skipped the stretching but did a warm-up run to the main street. I then started the workout at a nice clip that turned out to be at a much better pace than I expected. But I decided to keep with it since I have pretty much slacked off all this week.

As I expected, the altitude is clearly an issue since I could feel the difficulty in trying to breath my normal rate. The lower humidity was an added complication, I could feel the need for a drink fast and my lips got dry halfway through.

The change of running to distance was a trick too. Straight miles are a lot more intimidating than kilometers. And every one of the full 5,280 feet stare you in the face when you turn each corner.

But the mental state for dealing with this is important since the race is about hitting the distance first and the time second. You gotta get to the finish line no matter what.

The secret weapon on this run was the new shoes. These new shoes come in at 12.1 ounces which is only three ounces shy of the ones I used before. But that's a lot given the time you spend on a workout. Add the cushioning factor and I clearly felt I had it easier foot-wise.

Anyhow, the push and all the changes kept me in the thing and I was very suprised at the time I got. It's the fastest workout I have done by mile yet. I think I need to double check the distance in the truck to make sure it's four miles.

New Shoes: Saucony Grid Omni 5

Having gotten back to the states relatively unscathed, my first order of business was getting started on the upkeep of my poor suffering bod. I hit the masseuse who gave me a good 90 minute workout.


The situation with my neck has gotten extremely bad and the 20-plus hours of travel did little to help matters. As a result, much of her effort focused on that. While it seemed to help somewhat after, the pain returned again full force today.

So I have an appointment with the chiropractor Monday and we shall see...

Next up, equipment. I headed over to see my friend Erin and the good folks at Performance Footwear in Tempe. I took to the treadmill to get a look to see what we could see and the results were surprising.

It seems the pronation on my left foot is almost completely absent now. It still gives a bit more roll than the right but the exaggerated slant inward is pretty much gone. The recommendation was switch from a motion control shoe to one that simply provides stability.

After trying a number of shoes I settled on the Saucony Grid Omni 5. This was a pretty difficult choice to make because every shoe I tried was so very different from what I had been using before - most noticably the severe reduction in the weight.

Erin also thought the construction of the toe area would reduce the chance of the blisters like I have been getting on the ball of my right foot on longer runs.

To further focus on this I also picked up some WrightSock friction-free socks. The warmer temperatures and relatively high humidity here at the moment will have me sweating more and that's led to blister fun on my pinkie toes. These socks have two very thin layers to help reduce the amount of movment of the material against the skin itself.

Lastly, I picked up a pair of Native Eyewear sunglasses. I picked up a pair of these a few years ago and really was impressed by their comfortable fit. I chose the Tare style because they felt the best on my head - and by that I mean they didn't feel like they were on my head at all.


The incredibly bright sun here in Arizona makes having a quality pair of glasses a necessity for runners and the extremely high altitudes in Peru I have found myself working in make them a necessity for my work as well.

Training Run

Distance: 6.40 kilometers (4 miles)
Time: 30 minutes
Surface: asphalt/concrete
Weather Conditions: slightly warm, overcast, 70s, morning run
Location: Miraflores, Lima, Peru

Comments: And another lackluster effort. Basically just went out and got it done so I could get busy wrapping things up here today.

I started out very blah. It felt like I was running through molasses. I eventually warmed up pretty well and got a decent run out of it but there wasn't a lot of joy on the way.

No aches and pains to speak of except for a tightness in my right shoulder that has pestered me for more than a week now. There is a pretty formidable knot there and its tight enough that it now aches whenever I take a stride.