Training Sept 7 - Sept 13 2009

Total Miles: 52 miles
Total Time: 6:44

Monday: 3 miles easy with my dog

Tuesday: 10 miles. Warm Up 2.5 miles easy 7:42 per mile at 144 bpm. On the track, 5 x 1000 w/3:00 recovery jogs: 3:42, 3:41, 3:40, 3:43, 3:39, Cool down 2.5 miles

Wednesday: 5 miles easy

Thursday: Off - other obligation

Friday: 6.5 miles easy. Horrible run the pace was sloooow and HR was high

Saturday: 22.5 miles. Some of this was easy, some was quick, and some (miles 16 - 20) were a struggle. Overall the pace was 7:33/mile

Sunday: 5 miles easy 7:30/mile average.

Early in the week I had more of the same from the last couple of weeks with hip/ hamstring pain and crappy heart rates. Saturday I "ran" 4 by myself and was really frustrated with the pace/ heart rates combination. Coming off of the bad run on Friday, I decided F(*k it and took the HR display off my Garmin and ran hard with the Katy Fit ATP guys. I suffered to hold the 7:00 and sub 7:00 minute miles with them while trying to look as stoic as possible. After 15 miles I dropped to a 7:30 pace for a couple of miles and then struggled with 7:45 - 7:50's for a couple miles. Finally I was able to bring the pace back to 7:30 for the last couple of miles.

I was surprised that my hips/ right hamstring did not bother me after this run. Very surprised. I wonder what this means?

Sunday I put the HRM up and have deided to leave it up for a while. The run felt easy, though a little too quick at one point, but I reigned it in with a slow mile.

I may be putting too much pressure on myself with the heart rate monitor. I trained on it for San Antonio's marathon last year and ran a 2:51:41, which was my best in 12 years. This year, training with it just doesn't seem to be doing the trick. We will see what the next couple of week brings in terms of running and hip/ hammy pain.

Training August 24 - Sept 6 2009

Total Miles: 94 miles
Total Time: 12:30

Again, mostly crap running in the past two weeks. I finally admitted to myself that my problems are the result of overtraining. I did not want to admit that I could not handle the training, but... in the end, the proof is in the HRM.

I finally had a good run on Saturday September the 5th. It was not fast, but at least I did not feel terrible. The pace was OK, more importantly, my heart rates were back to about where they should be. So, 12 miles at 7:57/mile and an average HR of 144.

On Sunday, the 6th, I ran 15 by myself and averaged 7:50 at 145 bpm in Dallas. White Rock lake is a great place to run.

My mind is in better shape too. I was really begining to lose the desire to keep on with this.

This coming week I plan to do two quality workouts, Tuesday and Saturday. The rest of the days will be easy, easy, easy - focused on recovering for the next quality workout. I am also planning to start riding again on Sundays with SWCC. This should give me the additional aerobic work without stressing my hips so much.

Training August 10 - August 23, 2009

Total Miles: 95
Total Time: 12:30

No quality workouts, all aerobic "running".

I was traveling out of town during this two week period and my running was quite sporadic and poor. Heart rates were too high for the paces run and temperatures and my hips/ hamstrings are really bothering me. This has me worried. On the bright side however, there are 20 weeks left until the Chevron Houston Marathon which is my goal race.

I will focus next week on recovery and aerobic running with lots of range of motion and flexibility work for my hips and hamstrings.

Training August 3 - August 9, 2009

Total Miles: 90
Total Time: 10:22

Monday: PM: 8 miles easy - No HRM

Tuesday: AM: 10 miles with 6 x 5:00 Threshold pace: 6:24 pace, 6:23 pace, 6:22 pace, 6:25 pace, 6:22 pace - really struggled
PM: 7 miles recovery, 8:42/mile, 138 bpm

Wendesday: AM: 10 miles 8:03/mile, 146 bpm - crappy run

Thursday: AM: 12 miles 7:58/mile, 144 bpm

Friday: AM: 11 miles 7:52/mile, 145 bpm
XT: Self Myofascia release - worked my IT bands and hamstrings rigorously.

Saturday: AM: 19 miles, 7:27/mile, no HRM - First good run this week
XT: Self Myofascia release - same as yesterday

Sunday: AM: 10 miles Fartlek
XT: Self Myofascia release - same as yesterday

This was a tough week in the begining of the week. My motivation is not quite where it needs to be and my running reflects it. The self myofascia release that I worked hard on in the latter part of the week really helped.

On Saturday I ran with Steve, Sean, and Kevin from Katy Fit ATP (Advanced Training Program). This is a really good group and I am grateful they have accepted me running with them. This was really the first good run of the week for me.

Sunday I was working for Aaron Palain and OnUrLeft at the Bridgeland triathlon. This was Aaron's first Triathlon in which he was the race director. By all accounts, that I have heard, all went very well.

My role with OnUrLeft is as the run course "Director". This race was the best from my perspective with the exception of not having police officers at a road crossing. I was stopping and directing traffic, which is not exactly kosher, and it was very stressful. Fortunately I only had one incident where I waved a car through a little closer to a racer who was coming up on the road crossing than is desireable. Again, my apologies to athlete #27. I know I f&#ked up your concentration and I am sincerely sorry.

I was also able to see some of my triathlete friends, whom I don't see so much these days as I fancy myself a runner. David, J.P., and Diane - nice to see you.

I have very much enjoyed this. I really owe a huge debt of gratitude to the volunteers who worked the run course giving directions and manning the aid stations. Thank you.

Training July 27 - August 2, 2009

Total Miles: 50 miles
Total Time: 5:00

Monday: 10 miles 7:52/mile HR 145 bpm

Tuesday: Off - My legs felt dead and I was dead tired

Wendesday: 10 miles. 3 mile warm up then 6 x 5 minutes at 6:15/mile on 1 minute recovery

Thursday: 12 miles. Average 7:57/mile and 2 miles of hills

Friday: 8 miles. Average 8:08/mile, 146 bpm

Saturday: 10 miles. Average 7:54/mile, but my HRM was not getting a good read

Sunday: OFF

This was a terrible running week. I struggled on each run and did no PM runs.

Honestly, in retrospect, I was not attentive enough to hydration. The temperatures and humidity here have been high. It is also possible that a 77 mile week following three weeks of 90+ miles was not enough of a recovery week. Oh well...live and learn I guess. Here's to a better upcoming week!

Training July 20 - July 26, 2009

Total Miles: 77
Total Time: 10:20

Monday: PM: 6 miles. This was supposed to be an easy run, and I did manage to keep my average HR at 147, but it was horrible. Average pace 7:55/mi at 147 bpm.

Tuesday: AM: 8 miles. Again, this was supposed to be easy and ended up being an exercise in mental fortitude. Average pace 7:48 at 146 bpm

Wendesday: AM: MAF Test: This went much better than Monday or Tuesday. I averaged 7:30/mile at 147 bpm for my 5 mile MAF test. Total 10 miles

Thursday: AM: 8 miles at 7:38 pace and 145 bpm
PM: 6 miles - no watch and no HRM. This felt easy, but slow

Friday: AM: 10 miles, average 7:31/mi, 145 bpm. Bugs! I ran on the trail along George Bush Park and the bugs were just horrible. This is what I get for running at 4:00 AM.

Saturday: AM: 16 miles semi - hard, but it felt harder than it was. Average 7:08/ mile at 154 bpm.

Sunday: AM: 13 miles easy. Average 7:58/mile at 146 bpm. This run was mostly on trails and though the effort was easy, I think the footing accounted for the higher heart rates.

This week was a lower mileage week with only one hard effort. I have started to run with (well, for a while anyway) some fast guys on my Saturday run. More than one of these guys are in the 2:30's for the marathon. I am doing this to improve my stamina with harder efforts. By the time we get to eight miles I can feel the fatigue setting in from the pace , then my heart rate shoots up as my economy turns to crap. Hopefully Nietzsche is correct. "That which does not kill me, makes me stronger".

Training July 13 - July 19, 2009

Total Miles: 100
Total Time: 12:51

Monday: AM: 10 miles easy 7:45/mi, 146 bpm
PM: 8 miles easy 8:10/mi, 139 bpm

Tuesday: AM: 10 miles, 3 mile warm up 7:47/mi, 145 bpm, 5 miles at HR 154 and 7:02/mi, 2 mile cool down with 6 strides 7:40/mi
PM: 6 miles easy 8:20/mi, 140 bpm

Wendesday: AM: 10 miles 7:48/mile 144 bpm

Thursday: AM: 10 mile progression run, 3 mile warm up 7:56/mi, 140 bpm, 2 miles at 152 bpm 7:06/mile, 2 miles 154 bpm 6:59 bpm, 2 miles 158 bpm 6:57/mile, 1 mile cool down 7:47 bpm

Friday: AM: 10 miles 7:39/mile 147 bpm

Saturday: AM: Breakthrough run. 16 miles average 7:10/mile 147 bpm. Had 4 miles under 7:00/mile at 143, 146, 147 bpm. The weather helped with temperatures in the mid 70's at the start of the run.

Sunday: AM: 16 miles 7:37/mile, 144 bpm. Again, the weather was on my side with beautiful temperatures at the start.

By Thursday fatigue was begining to take its toll at the begining and end of runs. Fortunately I felt pretty good in the middle portion of the runs.

An interesting discovery over the past couple of weeks has been how I am not running relaxed. I may have thought I was, but it is clear to me when I am able to relax how much faster I can run with the same heart rate. On Saturday I ran with some guys that I do not normally run with, one who is a 2:36 marathoner. I was distracted from myself and found that I ran 4 miles under 7:10/mile with a heart rate under 145 and then managed to run 3 more miles at 6:59, 6:50, and 6:52 before fatigue took its toll on my efficiency and I had to slow to about 7:05/mile then eventually to 7:20/mile to keep my heart rate under 147. This tells me there are two keys to focus on: 1.) Relaxing my back helps me be more efficient, and 2.) I need to work on my muscular strength/endurance running at stronger paces. All in All, this has been a great running week and I am very encouraged for the future.

I have also managed to register for Houston's marathon on January 17, 2010. Amazing, registration opened at 12:01 AM on Friday July 17 and as of 9:45 PM on Saturday, the half marathon is sold out and there are only 200 entries left for the marathon.