Review of the Year...

THE YEAR 2010 IN REVIEW COMING SOON...

Wed, 12/22: 8X400s

Today after getting off work at 4:00, I went to the Richard Montgomery Track to do 8X400 meter repeats w/ 400 jog recovery. This was pure speed work, which has never come naturally to me. I've always viewed it as work for my body, whereas cruise intervals or lactate threshold workouts or even marathon pace workouts come so naturally to me. But work is good. This is the perfect time for me to work on my speed. I hit the first 400 in a slow 74, but then hit the next intervals in 69, 69, 67, 68, 68, 68, 68. Felt pretty good overall, and considering I was doing 200s last week in 33s, I am progressing nicely. Did the workout in my Saucony Kinvaras.

At the same time, I have been returning to more "normal" mileage. Monday I ran 11 miles and Tuesday I ran 12 miles. I am debating whether I want to jump in a new years day 5k or not. I know I definitely want to run the indoor 5k at the Maryland Invitational on Jan 22. I think I should be able to run about 15:30. After the 5K though my focus will be on the Shamrock Anthem Half Marathon. My goal for this race is what I think is very realistic: 1:10:00.

Then there will be Cherry Blossom, Pikes Peak, and perhaps the Broad Street 10 Miler....

But for now, it's the heart of winter, and I continue to train...

The Need For Speed

Wednesday, December 15, 2010:

I stepped out onto the Richard Montgomery Track Wednesday, ready to do some 200s. The workout was to be 8x200 meter repeats, with 200 jog between each. It took a little while to warm up as it has been very cold outside. Finally I was ready to start the workout, and hit the first few in 35s but quickly dropped to 33s for all the rest(maybe even a 32 in there-I didn't get the timing that accurate but whatever-I was concentrating on turnover-which was exactly what I wanted to focus on. This workout was a first key ice-breaker for getting into the 5k zone. The 200s were a perfect distance as they were good for working on turnover but did not stress my body since the distance was so short.

Splits: 35, 35, 34, 33, 33, 33, 33, 32

I am thinking 400s next week.

The Last Race of 2010

Yesterday was my final race of 2010 as well as the 3rd of my typical trio of 10Ks during Nov/Dec. These 10Ks were a nice redemption for me after perhaps what I think is the most dissapointing race I have ever had: The Chicago Marathon. Nevertheless, the most dissapointing marathon I've ever had is also coupled with probably the most successful year I've ever had. When I look back on the year, I set PRs in 8K, 10K, 10M, & 13.1M, and the last race of the year I set my newest PR in the 10K.

I am projected to finish the year off with 3300-3400 miles run-highest ever and by far will CRUSH the miles I ran the year before (2376). I am healthy, happy, and hungry for 2011 now.

PROGRESSION:
Perhaps the most dramatic progression I have seen over the past 2 years is my improvement in the 10K. I never reached my potential when I ran in college-my 10000 PR at the time was barely shy of 35 minutes. Below is the year by year improvement I have seen each winter:

2008:
11/02/08: 35:11
11/27/08: 34:37
12/14/08: 34:16

2009:
11/15/09: 33:53
11/26/09: 33:40
12/13/09: 33:29

2010:
4/25/10: 32:54
11/14/10: 32:58
11/25/10: 32:54
12/12/10: 32:51

On to 2011:
In 2010, I discovered how my endurance and speed can be translated to the 10 Mile with my performance at Cherry Blossom. I will definitely run Cherry Blossom in 2011 again.

Despite my dissapointments in the marathon this year, I have learned much about the marathon-and may I add I learned this the hard way. I will NOT run a marathon this Spring. I have learned that it may take some time for me to mature at this distance-I am still relatively young for a marathoner and I encourage many of you younger runners out there to not jump in it too quickly if you want to reach your potential-it won't hurt you to run one-but I warn if you want to run fast you may not be happy with the end result. It is a distance that takes some time to physically and mentally learn. Of course everyone is different and this is just my perspective because of what I have experienced.

What's next?
There is an indoor track 5000 meter race on Jan 22 at the PG Sports Complex in Landover, MD. It is the UMD Terrapin Invitational. My 5K PR is sooooo soft(it's only a few seconds faster than my current 10K race pace), and I look at this race as an opportunity to completely demolish it. I need to develop my pure speed a bit more and do some reps as well as some more VO2-Max track sessions.

The Shamrock Half Marathon will be the start of my Spring season in March. From there I will run Cherry Blossom & Pike's Peak in April, and Broad Street 10 Miler(which will be a debut race for me) to finish it off in May. I have high goals for the Spring, but I would really like to nail a 1:10:00 Half Marathon at Shamrock. I also have very high goals for Cherry Blossom-a fantastic race that brings some of the worlds best runners as well as many of the best local runners of the Washington, DC area-right in the heart of DC! I was 46th in this race last year.

The last race of 2010:
Despite placing 3rd and PRing, the race yesterday was pretty miserable. Rain/Drizzle came down and it wasn't warm. Cold rain is the worst in my opinion. It just soaks everything and even if you bring warm clothes it won't work unless you have some sort of inclement weather protection. I was also sick during this race. The previous night, I was up most of the night with a constant runny nose. I almost wasn't sure if I was going to run, but decided the hell with it and drove on the VERY DARK GW Parkway at 6:00 AM. I was surprised at how many people showed up when I got there. Hundreds of runners made their way to the starting area-it was amazing given the conditions. I had to park pretty far away so I warmed up by running to the start with my backpack hanging off my shoulders. I met up with Dave and Dickson who warmed up with me a bit more before the start.
I slid off my pants and jacket 5 minutes before the race and did a few strides in my shorts and singlet(although I did wear arm warmers and gloves as well). Got to the start line and the rain came down again. I shivered. Goddammit, start the race....

Finally, the gun went off and I sprinted to the lead....lol. CALM down Chris, this isn't an 800. I was surprised to find no one ahead of me. Then off my left I saw Wilson and another runner following him go in front of me. I tailed off of them while another runner caught up to me and ran shoulder to shoulder with him. We went through the first mile in 5:05, and from then on (Rich) the runner stuck with me for most of the race. I could see Wilson and the other runner furthur ahead duking it out for the top position, while Rich and I dueled for 3rd. We went through 2 mile in much slower which freaked me out(split was like 5:25 the 2nd mile)...were the miles accurate though? I wondered. We reached 3 Miles in 15:43(5:13 split) and 5K in 16:20. Perfect, I though, now just hold on and you will run a 32:40. On through Mile 4(21:00) Rich and I worked together to keep the pace moving. There were no runners in front for us to see. Then, before Mile 5, I could see Wilson. It appeared the other runner had dropped him. Mile 5(26:25) was slow and I surged and began to drop Rich with less than a mile to go. I was all alone at this point and just concentrated on pushing as hard as I could. Mile 6: 31:40something. I kicked it in, making sure I did not have any more gears left. I finished in a new Personal Best of 32:51 for 3rd place. Not a bad way to end the year.

The Cold, Dark Runs

It's cold. It's dark. It's Winter. There aren't as many runners out on the roads now...

The good side of this weather is that it toughens the body and mind up. I somehow enjoy training through the adversity. Running in this type of weather just clarifies how much I truly love to run outdoors. This is the time to train. Endure through the long, hard winters. I grow used to it, and get stronger because of it.

Today I did a light track session by myself before meeting up with the group I am coaching through the PR store. I warmed up and did 1X1200, 1X800, 1X400, with 800 "run" between each rep. Nothing crazy, just increased the pace during each interval. 3:57 for the 1200, 2:27 for the 800, and 66 for the 400. Again, nothing special, just getting into the "zone." It was enough.

Tomorrow I will do a pretty steady/moderately hard/tempo run and that should be it for workouts this week until Jingle All the Way. The coaching tonight went very well, a solid group of 6 showed up at the track tonight and braved the cold conditions. On weekends there are 20-30 who come for the long runs so the track group is smaller in comparison so far. I am very happy with how the first sessions this week went for the runners.

Nov 29-Dec 5: 70 Miles/Week

Good Mileage Week-70 Miles. Hah, it's funny though, over the summer, 70 miles was nothing for me...I was hitting up to 115 MPW training for the Chicago Marathon at the time...

But I am not planning to run another Marathon anytime soon. (Though I will get the mileage higher again soon(mid 80's). Right now I have one more race to end my 2010 year: Jingle All the Way 10K! This is a great race and I am looking foward to kicking in my 3rd and final 10K of the season. I worked a lot on sharpening up this week as well as endurance work. No crazy workouts, though this week I have one final planned workout on the track probably. I did 200 meter reps on the track last week to sharpen up my speed, and also did some fartleks on a nasty hill nearby my apartment. Thanks to Joe who suggested the route on Tilden Lane-a great rolling hills road that really gives strength a good test.

The Turkey Chase 10K Race Report

The Turkey Chase 10K is one of my favorite races every year. It is a great way to start Thanksgiving and get my run done for the day as well. I did a moderate warm up and some strides before getting to the start line with only a singlet, shorts, and gloves on. The sky was overcast and it drizzled slightly. I love this course as well...though usually not a PR course...however I have PRed here before and wouldn't be surprised if I did again ...challenging, rolling hills in the first 4 miles with the last 2.2 flat/downhill. The last 2 miles of this race I always feel pretty good. I saw Gurmessa Megressa, some college guys, other studs as well. But I was gunning to win money today. Top 5 get $100 or more...

The start was TERRIBLE. The starter had us stand behind the mats and then all of a sudden said "SET"...and we put out feet on the mat...and then there was confusion...the starter said something that people didn't understand...and everyone stopped and backed up to restart....but then the starter said NO, NO, NO, GO, GO GO!!!!....shit!! I cursed and began racing. What an awful way to start...probably one of my worst ever. I figured the net times would fix the problem...

10 guys surged in front of me to the front...I just hung off the rear. Damn, I thought, this race was going to be fast, and I'm gonna have to work for that top 5...

BUT I stayed patient. I knew I would run them down if I ran the race right.

We made the turn-slight downhill-the ground was a bit moist...but still ideal for racing. I made sure to take the turns carefully however with all the fallen leaves. We made another turn and now the uphills started coming along...especially after mile 1-which did have some downhill to it but was a bit quick(5:02)...this mile is always quick though...every year I hit the first mile of this race faster than my overall pace. But soon after I began reeling guys in...I started catching up to the 10th place guy and then the 9th place guy and so forth-some just went out too fast or could not hold the pace...because I surely wasn't holding 5:02 pace...Mile 2 was 10:20(5:18 split)...so I slowed up some but going uphill as well...

Then we made the turn onto Wisconsin...and at this point I had past 2 or 3 guys and was in 8th or 9th place. I could see the leaders way out front-Gurmessa was hammering this race...the guy is just in his own league...but I concentrated on catching one runner at a time. Then Paul pulled up next to me right around mile 3(15:40ish), and I tailed off of him to catch another runner. Now I was starting to feel pretty good...despite going a slight uphill grade up Wisconsin Ave. My stride and turnover were excellent. The next guy(Gareth Peters) I caught just before mile 4. Now I was in 7th place. I was still keying off of Paul and we made the turn onto Georgetown for the last 2.2 miles. I felt great-I really did. Man, if only I can tear up a Marathon running like this, I thought. I saw Paul gaining on an African who was falling off the pace as well as another college runner(who ended up being Andrew Palmer). So slowly...ever so slowly...I began reeling in these 2 guys...

Just before Mile 5, I caught them. Boy, was this familiar(to last year)...when I caught up to an African last year but got outkicked the last 400 meters...

NOT THIS TIME.

I ran next to Andrew and began to surge-he went with me. I looked back over my shoulder to see if the African matched us. He did not. We kept surging-no sign of the African. We had broke him. Now it was me and Andrew-who was actually sharing some brief words with me about Syracuse-I encouraged him to stay with me. But the last 800 meters I began to kick, and surged brilliantly toward the last quarter mile. The crowd was cheering...

HE'S COMING UP ON YOU! some people yelled to me...

CATCH HIM ANDREW! I heard someone else yell behind me...many were yelling GET HIM!....Dammit-Andrew is coming up on me! I was kicking all out at this point...I didn't have any more turnover than I already had...

100 meters....50 meters.... PUSH IT!!!

I crossed the line...

Andrew crossed just 2 ticks later. I earned 5th place overall. $100.

My time was 32:54 gun-timed, but my net time got screwed up along with some other runners behind me. Almost everyone's net time was 3 seconds faster...My official net time was probably 32:51 or 32:52.

I am happy with how I ran this race. I passed at least 6 guys and worked my way up to earn top 5. Also ran a PR, and the 3rd time I've broken 33 for the 10K...AND on a much hillier course than my previous PR.

One more race to end the year:

JINGLE ALL THE WAY 10K, DEC 12

November Workouts

I am starting to become confident in the runner I am developing and have developed myself into for the past 3.5+ years. I am proud of the way I have coached myself, and have gotten myself to a level where I can compete pretty well in the 10K-Half Marathon. Of course, I haven't gotten my marathon right yet but at this point in time I am still young and it is important for me to furthur improve my times for the 10K this winter. Despite a dissapointing Chicago Marathon, I have built a solid endurance base of marathon training over the summer and throughout the fall, and now in November I have cranked up some nice hard workouts.

Outline of my November workouts below:

Nov 6: Track: 3X1600(5:03, 5:04, 5:04), 3X800(2:30, 2:30, 2:31)
400 Jog between 1600s, 200 jog between 800s

Nov 10: Track: 2X3200(10:25, 10:24), 1X1600(5:02),
400 Meter Jog Recovery between each set

Nov 14: Race: Veterans Day 10K: 32:58, 5:18 pace

Nov 22: MonoFartlek Workout: 22 minutes running followed by:
2X90 Seconds ON, 90 Seconds OFF
4X60 Seconds ON, 60 Seconds OFF
4X30 Seconds ON, 30 Seconds OFF
4X15 Seconds ON, 15 Seconds OFF
followed by 22 more minutes of running:
Total 64 Minutes.~10 Miles
This was the workout I did today which is a great Turnover Workout. Started at Old Angler's Inn and ran South on the Canal. You are supposed to start the 90 Seconds feeling like it is tempo pace and then progressing with each interval until you are running pretty quick the last 15 seconds. By the time you are done you are pretty tired but still aren't totally depleted. I felt pretty good and am ready for 10K #2 coming up this Thursday: The Turkey Chase!

I hit 3000 miles for the year so far after last week-already a yearly mileage PR by a lot. Before this the most I have ever run in one year is 2400. Maybe I'll hit 3400 by the end of the year?

Pain and Triumph

The Race For Jeff

Abiyot Endale(sub 4:00 Miler), Steve Hallinan, Demesse Tefera(former Olympian), Rod Koborski, Gurmessa Megressa, Steve Magness....the FAST names were endless going into the Veterans Day 10K on Sunday, November 15, 2010 in Washington, DC. Not to mention my speedy roomate, Joe, as well as a few other GRC guys who have all run 30-31 min 10Ks, in addition to some Pacers runners like sub 31 guy Bert Rodriguez. This field was STACKED. And there were to be fast times today. In addition to Steve Magness, representing =PR= were me, Dave, and Dustin. I was aiming for under 33 minutes today for the 6.2 Mile Race. Last year, I had run 33:53, and was 16th. So, realistically I was shooting for top 10 this year(which got money). I warmed up with Dave and Dustin and got to the starting line feeling tired from the funeral but so motivated to run at the same time. I had gotten home the night before around 11:00 driving back from NY-and then got up at 5:00 AM the next morning. But the adrenaline was there. I was needing a good race today-for my cousin, my friend, Jeff.

CRACK!

The Gun went off. I went out conservative, making sure not to go too fast, for I realized that the field was MUCH more loaded than last year. 10 guys surged to the front. I saw Joe, who was not too far ahead near the 1 Mile mark-dangerous for me-Joe is clearly on another level than I am right now-and going out with him at his pace for the first mile would be too fast too early. I stayed calm and went through 5:15 the first mile-perfect. Andy was running with me at this point and we both went through the 2 Mile in 10:32(5:17 split). After that, Andy dropped back a bit and I was on my own-so I started focusing on catching a few guys up ahead. One of them was Dustin-who I wanted to run with since he was aiming for 32's. I slowly-ever...so...slowly...caught up to him and another runner who was dropping off the pace. I went through the HALFWAY 5K in 16:30. 33 FLAT pace. Ok, gotta run the second half faster, this is what I am good at. We made the 180 degree turn around. Dustin was sticking with me as we caught an African runner who actually stuck with us. We were now a pack of 3. Dustin and I tried to work together to reel in more runners up ahead(as well as drop the African guy-cause lord knows what he had in store the last 800 meters of the race). We hit 4 Miles in 21:10ish. A little more than 10 Minutes of pain left, I thought. I got hungry to catch more runners. I was leading the pack of 3 and kept pushing the pace. Dustin and I could not drop the African guy. He was hanging on. 5 Mile split was 26:30 something. 1.2 Miles left. I started making my move, I felt the African guy hurting a bit. I was strong. Dustin was hanging off my shoulders. Come on, I thought, you GOT this. I wasn't sure if I was on pace or not to break 33. I was starting to think I was going to run 33:10 or something. Then, the last 800 meters, The african surged ahead of me and Dustin, and we could not match his turnover. Dustin and I ran together trying to reel him in. Then Dustin surged. I was running just a few meters back from him. Alright, probably not going to break 33, I thought...

6 Miles. .2 TO GO!!!

THEN, I thought of Jeff-I forgot about the pain. I still had the strength in my legs, my body had MORE to give. GIVE IT!!! I yelled out loud, THIS IS FOR YOU JEFF!!! The crowd cheered-and with that suddenly my turnover changed and I ran faster, and faster, AND FASTER-the last 10 seconds were like one long moment of sheer joy and pain and everything else in between-all wrapped into one. It hurt-but it felt so good at the same time. I ran my heart out.

The clock read 32:58.

VIDEO OF THE RACE BELOW:

As I crossed the line, I bent over on my knees, exhausted, and started to cry. Joe(who ran a great race in 31:15), held me up. I cried while he hugged me. YOU DID THIS FOR HIM, he said. I saw Beth who came with her Mom, and hugged them both. I was happy, and I was happy to do this for Jeff.

I DID THIS FOR YOU, JEFF.

TOP 20 RESULTS:

1 1/88 1 Abiyot Endale 24 BRONX NY 29:35 4:46 14:44

2 2/88 3054 Steve Hallihan 24 WASHINGTON DC 29:54 4:49 14:52

3 1/223 2714 Demese Tefera 27 WASHINGTON DC 30:03 4:51 14:51

4 1/191 2180 Gurmessa Megerssa 31 WASHINGTON DC 30:12 4:52 14:58

5 2/223 3016 Rod Koborsi 27 WASHINGTON DC 30:23 4:54 14:57

6 3/223 21 Steve Magness 26 VIENNA VA 30:31 4:55 15:02

7 3/88 13 Frank Devar 22 ALEXANDRIA VA 30:40 4:57

8 4/223 18 Will Viviani 28 ARLINGTON VA 30:46 4:57 15:27

9 2/191 14 Bert Rodriguez 31 ARLINGTON VA 30:51 4:58 15:27

10 5/223 12 Joey Wiegner 28 ROCKVILLE MD 31:15 5:02 15:37

11 4/88 16 Paul Guevara 24 ALEXANDRIA VA 31:38 5:06 15:40

12 5/88 17 Jerry Greenlaw 22 BOWIE MD 31:42 5:06 15:47

13 6/88 10 Ryan Hanson 22 ROCKVILLE MD 31:49 5:08 15:47

14 6/223 1447 Carlos Renjifo 27 COLUMBIA MD 32:00 5:09 15:48

15 7/88 3146 Seife Gelletu 24 WASHINGTON DC 32:34 5:15 15:48

16 7/223 5 Beruk Deberework 27 WASHINGTON DC 32:51 5:18

17 8/88 15 Dustin Whitlow 24 ARLINGTON VA 32:56 5:18 16:30

18 8/223 7 Chris Sloane 27 ROCKVILLE MD 32:58 5:18 16:30

19 9/223 3 Dave Miller 27 ROCKVILLE MD 33:28 5:24 16:47

20 10/223 1262 Charles Love 25 MADISON VA 33:41 5:26 16:40

My Next Race is on November 25-The Turkey Chase 10K on Thanksgiving Day.

32:58...ALL FOR JEFF

Long Write-Up coming soon...

R.I.P Jeff

Today, I just found out my closest cousin, Jeff, died at the age of 23. Jeff was a wonderful, brilliant human being. He wouldn't harm a fly. Jono,(my brother), and I, haved shared many great memories with him. If possible,(I am getting ahead of myself here with the funeral date and all), I will run Veterans Day in Honor of him. I will post his name on my jersey and hopefully everyone will cheer for "Jeff." More to write later as I collect my thoughts. I miss you, Jeff, R.I.P.

Saturday, 11/6: 3X1600, 3X800

Today I did an excellent track workout. I went to Richard Montgomery High School and did a warmup, (and also trying to find a door that was open to use the bathroom). Once I was ready, I slipped on my Saucony Kinvaras and was ready to go to work. The design of this workout was to do 2 different sessions: 3x1600 w/ 400 jog, and 3X800 w/ 200 jog. I hit the 1600s in 5:03, 5:04, 5:04. Each lap I jogged was about 2 minutes, and then after the 3rd 1600, I did a very slow lap and stopped briefly(total 5:00 jog/rest) before starting the 800s. I hit the 800s right on the same pace in 2:30, 2:30, 2:31, and the 200 jogs were 1:00 each. So it was a success. The design of this workout was to stress my VO2 Max and run as evenly as possible and also not to go too fast. This was critical for me in order to take the next step and progress to a race pace of 5:05 per mile. I'm not saying I will hit my 10K at 5:05 pace yet, but it is a step towards that. 10 for the day. Tomorrow is a 14 Mile Long Run, should be around 67 Miles this week.

Moving Foward

I have read some of my fellow runners' blogs about their fall marathons and many, like me, had some tough races. Some dropped out, others finished, and others ran very well. Many, like me, ran well up until 20 miles. The distance of the marathon does not lie. You can train yourself to run it, but to race it at a high level is a completely different thing.

I had a great convo last week with my first high school cross country coach, Jerry Link. Mr. Link was a great motivator, and I learned a lot about pushing one's mind to the very possible limit from him. When I asked him about the Chicago Marathon, he said:

"Chris, I think if you had run Marine Corps again or another hometown race you would have been ok, or even to run Chicago just to "run it", but to jump in a race like Chicago and expect a personal best right now just didn't sound right to me-you are so young and in a race like that you are not just running with good runners-you are running with pros-I just immediately thought it was a bad idea. I think you should build your confidence up in the shorter distances like you have been, focus on those races-get to a point where you reach a certain level, and then come back confident and ready to tackle the marathon again."

Perhaps I am still too young to expect to master the marathon(meaning not just run-but race it). The training has improved. The mileage has improved. I was ALMOST there in Chicago, I feel like. It just couldn't hold together in the final stages. And, with that comes maturity. I am young, and have my youth to maximize my speed now. My 5K PR needs much improvement. My 10K has improved dramatically over the past few years, still though, it is only 32:54. Now, if I can get to sub-32-that would be nice. Now, on to present training. It is going well, the workouts have been sharpening my legs up. Back to more regular mileage, but faster pace. Last 2 weeks were 66 miles, 51 miles, respectively. The cruise interval workout I did last week on the canal was good. Today I did a general aerobic run w/ 8x100m reps. I'm looking foward to hitting the track and doing some VO2 Max stuff this weekend-repeat miles sound very good to me-maybe 3xmile and 3x800.

Summer Running Rankings

The DC, MD, & VA Summer Rankings just got posted. This is the 4th consecutive ranking period I have qualified for. Props to my roomate Joe for snatching 4th. This go around I made #38. I was 58th last summer. I'm hoping to make a big leap for the winter rankings this year. Rankings are below:


1 Tefera, Demesse ** 28 Washington, DC
2 Young, Tim ** 23 Fredericksburg, VA
3 Megerssa, Gurmessa *6 30 Washington, DC
4 Wiegner, Joe * 28 Rockville, MD
5 Molz, Jon ** 23 Richmond, VA
6 Dumm, Andrew * 25 Washington, DC
7 Wertz, David * 34 Arlington, VA
8 Berdan, Dave ** 29Parkville, MD
9 Christian, Will * 27 Norfolk, VA
10 Pauling, Ryan * 33 Baltimore, MD
11 Stasiowski, Ryan * 21 Hanover, MD
12 Zeleke, Birhanu ** 27 Washington, DC
13 Viviani, Will 28 Arlington, VA
14 Flynn, Ricky 23 Lynchburg, VA
15 Outaleb, Mouhcine ** 34 Baltimore, MD
16 Wilkinson, Kalib * 26 Lynchburg, VA
17 Abuya, Jared 34 Fairfax, VA
18 Carroll, Ryan *11 27 Portsmouth, VA
19 Church, Aaron *** 34 South Riding, VA
20 Schaefer, Tim 32 Gaithersburg, MD
21 Dusen, Karl ** 27 North Bethesda, MD
22 Wardian, Michael ** 36 Arlington, VA
23 Aramayo, Ed * 24 Baltimore, MD
24 Angell, David ** 33 Blue Ridge, VA
25 Abernathy, Mat * 21 College Park, MD
26 Shirk, Kevin * 30 Winchester, VA
27 Dewitt, Dan *** 22 Frostburg, MD
28 Doan, Caleb * 20 Virginia Beach, VA
29 Renjifo, Carlos * 27 Columbia, MD
30 Mehmedovic, Izzy 25 Columbia, MD
31 Mercer, Dickson * 29 Washington, DC
32 Battaglino, Alexander 24 Baltimore, MD
33 Decker, Gregory 21 Rockville, MD
34 Ban, Charlie * 28 Falls Church, VA
35 Belasik, Wylie 26 Washington, DC
36 Ingram, Ben 33 Winchester, VA
37 Saunders, Richard 22 Alexandria, VA
38 Sloane, Christopher 27 Gaithersburg, MD
39 Brown, Karsten *36 Front Royal, VA

10/28: 2x2Mile, 1XMile

Today I did a really solid workout on the C and O Canal. I met up with Lucinda who also was doing a workout of her own. We warmed up together for 2.5 miles before doing our own separate paces. I zoomed into cruise control running 10:20(5:07, 5:12) for the first 2 miles, then stopped and rested for about 1 minute, jogged around, and started up again, this time splitting 10:15(5:12, 5:02)...these mile markers aren't very accurate....but I ran by feel and felt very in control the whole way-nice and consistent. After the second 2 mile session, I ran for one more mile, and ran the last mile harder-striding out and really lifting my knees, hitting 5:00. Overall, I'm not that concerned about times, more so on effort, and the effort was good. I will hit the track soon and then we will see some more accurate times. I feel the speed creeping up. I might even hit an indoor 5K this winter and shoot for a major PR. Afterwards I waited for Lucinda to finish as it was getting really dark out. We both had solid workouts today. About 9 total for the day.

Tonight I talked to Beth more about being upset with how the Chicago Marathon went and how I have all this pent up energy now. She has really helped me look ahead and not dwell too much about it. So talking to her has really helped my mental game, and I cannot appreciate enough the support that she gives me.

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

As I look back on the Marathon a few days ago, and have had some time to absorb the tough run I had, I do not regret doing it. Yes it was a tough and frustrating day, but in the end, I know it makes me stronger. All of these "down" marathons I've done the past few years(with the exception of Frederick) have made me tougher, stronger, and wiser-it is only a matter of time before I get a breakout marathon race. But at the same time, I need some time off from the marathon, focus on the shorter distances, and get back to it when I'm ready to attack again.

Although these last marathons I've done have not gone the way I wanted, after anaylzing my overall paces in the races I have seen a progression.

The progressions are outlined below(more so for my record to see what has happened here)

These stats are showing my best times each year for the half marathon as well as the 1st half marathon split of each marathon I ran, regardless of finishing time.

Baltimore 2007- 1:20:57 at HALF

San Diego 2008-1:19:41 at HALF, BEST 13.1M TIME: 1:17:37

Frederick 2009-1:20:00 at HALF, 2:43:00 FINISH, BEST 13.1M TIME: 1:16:16
Marine Corps 2009-1:18:28 at HALF, BEST 13.1M TIME: 1:15:32

Shamrock 2010-1:17:30 at HALF, BEST 13.1M TIME: 1:12:57
Chicago 2010-1:16:50 at HALF, BEST 13.1M TIME: 1:12:57

After analyzing this, what was once my best time in the 13.1M distance has now become my half marathon split during the marathon. I may not have held the pace I was going, but the key thing is that I wasn't racing just 13.1. So there is improvement in disguise I suppose, even though my last best Marathon time was a year and a half ago, I am so much fitter/faster now. My body has changed and sustains certain paces in workouts that were once races.

So, yes I was upset about my result at Chicago, but I never look at it as a waste of time. There is no question I have improved my fitness, I am stronger than I was before, I have run the most mileage I ever have, and most importantly, I am healthy. If I can keep these things going the Marathon performance will come in time. But for now, I am resting up this week and should be doing some light running soon and preparing for my late fall/winter 10k season. I am finally looking ahead.

My 2011 race schedule is in the works, although I have no idea what I will do next fall-of course it is way to early before then, but because I self coach, I like to plan a year's ahead. But for right now I have the Spring sharpening up.

The definite races I have lined up for 2011 are:

Shamrock Half Marathon March 20 2011
Cherry Blossom 10 Miler April 3 2011
Pikes Peak 10K April 24?? 2011

10/10/10: The End of the Marathon

I'm done with the Marathon. At least for now. Since I started training again in 2007(my Marathon PR is from 2005-after 2005 I stopped training for a while)...I have had 1 out of 6 marathon races go well. There is a similarity with all of them. The first was October 2007 when I ran the Baltimore Marathon and slowed/faded very gradually after 10 miles...ended up finishing 3:04. BUT I was also just getting fitness back so it wasn't expected I would PR or anything in my first year training again. The following spring of 2008 I had an excellent half at Shamrock and ran 1:17, again not a PR at the time but nonetheless improvement that I was getting my fitness back. Then in June of 2008 I jumped in the San Diego Marathon and went through 1:19 at the half and then slowed gradually and at mile 17 I stopped to walk for a few miles....so I ended up crawling in at 3:29 for that race. The Fall of 2008 I concentrated on 8K-13.1, and ran some improvements and a PR at the time in the 10K(34:16). Spring of 2009 I took yet one more stab at the Marathon at Frederick. I also ran a 1:16 half in March which again wasn't a PR but still moving in the right direction, and the Frederick Marathon went terrific. I ran a 2:43 on a hilly course and finished 2nd place-finally I thought-I have this together again! I followed the 2009 spring with a new 8K PR at the Twilighter in July running 26:52. Fall of 2009 I furthur lowered my 13.1 time to 1:15 at Va Beach while training for Marine Corps Marathon. Now Marine Corps was a definite dissapointment, as I slowed considerably the second half of the race-running a modest(for me) 2:57. So Winter of 2009 I got back to the 10K and lowered my PR to 33:29. This is when I saw a change in my training and progression. It catapulted me into the most successful season I have ever had: the Spring of 2010. It started off with a nice 1:12 13.1M PR at the Colonial Half(which is pretty hilly as well). I then ran the Shamrock Marathon 3 weeks later(I am laughing out loud as I am typing this)-and that was again another disaster-ended up walking 4 miles of the course and as a result my time ended up just like San Diego-3:27. Now, at this point I started to assess my training methods and realized that I was in great 10k-13.1M shape at the time but NOT in marathon shape(the mileage just wasn't there either)...so 3 weeks later HUGE PR at the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in 54:16...5:25 pace! This was my most impressive PR yet. Just 6 days after Cherry Blossom I run another half marathon in 1:13, and then a week after that I run another huge 10K PR of 32:54 at Pike's Peak(which yes, is downhill-but it was still a PR by 35 seconds!)

So after a very successful 2010 spring(every race was a PR pretty much with the exception of Shamrock), I said to myself, ok-the spring was successful and I was in shape for 10k-13.1-so now lets try to get this marathon thing right-as if it would work?! I went ahead and signed up for the Chicago Marathon and I focused solely on the distance and made sure not to race too close-I chose Parkersburg Half 7 weeks out which was the same time between Shamrock and Frederick in 2009. I also got the mileage up. So training on high mileage I used some races as good workouts as well over the summer. It was great, I had a great summer and I have gained so much fitness. I ran 115 MPW and have remained injury free for 3 1/2 years(I used to have a lot of injury problems-especially pre-2005). I have run the most I ever have by the end of this year by far. I mean, I did some awesome training runs! 20 miles at 6:00 pace to feel EASY?! Holy shit.

So the Chicago Marathon was to be the day where I would run the great marathon I had been hoping for. It was going well for a while...and I really thought I was going to have a great day. I went through the half in 1:16:50 and that felt fine-but once 16 came I just started falling apart. At mile 19(1:53) was when I really had some problems. A HUGE cramp in my left side told me to stop and walk-I kept running-it got so painful I was screaming-I tried to rub it out-it forced me to stop eventually...from then on it was murder. I just couldn't get back into my rhthym. I tried-boy I did try. I knew I would finish no matter what-but I wanted to at least have a DECENT RUN-maybe 2:39?? I also started gagging a few times. My body was NOT processing this distance. It just got worse and worse. I stopped and walked several times(although this was the least walking I did compared to Shamrock and San Diego). I mean, I was done. I was just running the rest/jogging.

It wasn't RACING. See, I love to race. I love running all out and yes, maybe I'll slow a LITTLE-bit in a 10K or Half Marathon-but not completely crumble like in the marathon. The Marathon is either "On for me or REALLY Off". Why couldn't I just have a content race like Reaves or someone else had instead of completely crawling the last 10K in 1:04? Excuse my French but "What the fuck?" Why does this keep happening to me? And this time I realized, it wasn't the weather(although it was warm enough today), it wasn't the training, it wasn't the mileage.......its just my body is not cut out right now for pushing myself over 26.2 miles at the pace I know I can run(if that makes any sense at all) I could analyze this any way I want, but at the end of the day my body is just saying quite clearly, "NO". It does not want this-at least right now. Maybe if the Marathon was 20-22 miles, I would be a killer at it right now...but 26.2 is just too damn long.

I was having fun out there earlier in the race-and this is what perhaps frustrates me the most. I was running perfect 5:45-5:50 splits(after mile 1 anyway-which was 6:10???), and was rolling with a nice pack of guys. It was fantastic-the crowds-the adrenaline- the pace felt so good! I was excited. Halfway was a huge wave of adrenaline-the crowds were deafening. When you are running well, it is such a great feeling with all the support around you.

So, here I am now. Another disastrous marathon. It just sucks when you are running well and then the wheels completely fall off and you go from running in the right place to the wrong place. So I am done with the Marathon, at least for now. I have basically had enough. There are always dissapointing races, but this is different. This is one after the other after another. I'm basically sick of it. At least in 13.1M races and under, if I have a bad race, it usually isn't THAT BAD. The Marathon translates to REALLY BAD-I mean, if I had an off day in the Marathon and ran a 2:40-fine, but damn, 3:29, 3:27, & 3:04??? I'm fed up. I'm better than that. I have tortured myself enough having to finish these bad marathons. I'm tired of that too. I will not drop out of a race, simply because I love to run. That doesn't mean I do not respect others who drop out of races. Finishing is a personal decision I know I make within myself. I love to run, and even if I slow to a crawl in a race, I will finish it running or jogging or whatever-it's just running-it sucks though at the same time because you are "in the event" and it seems bigger than what it really is. So it really isn't fun, it kinda sucks lol, so I can see why people drop out. It's tough.

So, I am going to continue training the way I have been training, but not jump in any Marathons. I will race no longer than 13.1 for the time being. It is just the way to go right now. I do not have the strength yet to run another GREAT marathon.

As for the rest of the year, I will do my favorite 10K winter trio of Veterans Day, Turkey Chase, and Jingle All the Way.

Marathon Race Strategy & Preparation

The Chicago Marathon is here. I am tapered and ready to go. This post is a review of the training I have done leading up to this race and my race plan.

My training for this Marathon ended up being 23 weeks long, with a mileage high and personal best of 115, and low was 46 last week(this final week with the marathon will be around +/- 60. My average for the 23 week period hovers roughly around 75/week. I am in shape. I know based off my workouts this summer I should be ready to roll to a new PR. The summer races I did were solid workouts and the month of September was fantastic. In fact, I ran my best marathon workouts ever during September.

Key Training Workouts/Long Runs:

May:
5/13: 16 Mile Medium Long Run
5/17: 18 Mile Long Run

TOTAL MONTHLY MILEAGE: 253

June:
6/6: Capital Crescent 5K: 16:18, 2nd Place
6/12: Lawyers Have Heart 10K: 34:16, 7th place, 16 Miles Total
6/13: 14 Mile Medium Long Run
6/16: 17 Mile Long Run
6/20: 14 Mile Medium Long Run
6/23: 16 Mile Medium Long Run
6/26: Epic Duel Ferries Run(2 Loops=20.5 Miles) with Jake, Joe, Dickson, & Karl in 2:06, a new GRC record but Wiggy ran the fastest in 2:02, a memorable run & my bday

TOTAL MONTHLY MILEAGE: 317

July:
7/04: Autism Speaks 5K, 16:19, 2nd Place, 19 Miles Total
7/11: 17 Mile Long Run
7/17: Rockville Twilight 8K: 26:50, 13 Miles Total
7/18: 18 Mile Long Run
7/25: Riley's Rumble 13.1: 1:25:00, 17 Miles Total, very hilly run
7/28: 16 Mile Medium Long Run
7/30: 18 Mile Long Run

TOTAL MONTHLY MILEAGE: 420

August:
8/01: 17 Mile Long Run
8/03: 15 Mile Medium Long Run
8/06: 18 Mile Long Run
8/08: 15 Mile Medium Long Run
8/21: Parkersburg Half Marathon: 1:16:36 on a very hilly course. 17 Miles Total. Good breakout run to turn up the intensity. 7 Weeks Out.
8/26: 16 Mile Medium Long Run
8/28: CJs C and O Canal 5K: 17:15, 1st Place
8/29: 18 Mile Long Run

TOTAL MONTHLY MILEAGE: 314

September:
9/05: 18 Mile Long Run
9/06: 10.5 Miles @ 5:49 pace, 11 Miles Total
9/13: 14.5 Miles @ 5:49 pace, 15.5 Miles Total
9/19: 16 Miles @ 5:44 pace-very close to race pace(2:30:00), in trainers-felt solid
9/26: 20 Miles @ 5:58 pace-this felt EASY and relaxed, and this was 2:36 pace!

TOTAL MONTHLY MILEAGE: 308

My best workouts were by far in September. The highest mileage month was July. I guess my one weakness when I analyze this is that I didn't do much interval work on the track-although I used a few 5Ks as workouts-I have always been more of a tempo guy and the interval work I usually find myself doing comes AFTER I run a major marathon and step back down to the 10K distance.

Interesting Stat: My Total YEARLY Mileage after last week is 2626. The 26s just before my final week are a little too coincidental...I suppose the final .2 lies in the last week.

With fresh legs, good weather, a flat course, racing flats, and the COMPETITION I have a shot at the 2:30:00 barrier. HOWEVER, I need to not get ahead of myself and stay in CONTROL. I must go out conservative(in a way I am happy I am right behind the Elite 100). The goal is to hit 1:15 and change at the half and stay on pace and gradually increase the pace to run slightly negative. This is the most realistic way I will break 2:30:00. At the same time, I will be aware of my pace and make sure NOT to go out too hard. This is critical. The best marathons I have run have been run evenly...in fact the best races I have run have been run this way. Cherry Blossom was a great example. I was being passed by so many runners in the first half of the race that it felt like I was slowing tremendously. The Second Half I passed a lot of people and it felt like I was running faster but really I was just running more or less even the whole way.
In Frederick I felt fantastic(for having run 20 miles) with about 6 miles to go, and passed 2nd and 3rd place to move from 4th to 2nd overall.

ALL I KNOW IS, I'M GONNA GIVE ONE HELLUVA FIGHT!!!!!

Inspiration

Easy!

This morning I felt the best I have ever felt on a run. The training I have done all summer and even all year has really paid off. Now hopefully if I have played my cards right it will show in the Chicago marathon. I do feel ready. I ran just under 20 Miles this morning as a final long run but i made sure not to run too hard. The goal was to run by feel and set the pace on cruise so it wasn't supposed to be hard. I was surprised at how loose i felt starting and found myself zoning out running just under 6:00 pace the whole way. It felt easy-almost too easy. I couldn't believe how good i felt even finishing up. Have i gotten this much faster? I thought. It was hard to hold myself back picking up the pace.-but i stayed in control. Anyhow i finished just under 20 miles in under 2 hours. I definitely accomplished what i wanted to do, and didn't dig into the red zone at all. So i feel like i am on target. I am learning a lot more about marathoning through self experience, and self coaching. Still though, I really hope i get this one right. Despite all of my other prs in other distances over the past year, i haven't had a good marathon. Perhaps i am ready to finally pr. Or, maybe i am ready to run 540s and break 2:30:00.? Nah, i cant be that fast yet, or am i? These are the thoughts of prerace, what is possible and what will be my strategy on race day? This will come, and i do want to run as evenly as possible, as this is the way i run well..60 miles for the week. The mileage has been conservative the past couple of weeks. The taper is underway.

9/19: 16 Miles FAST!

I ran a killer workout today(one of the final key prep workouts for Chicago), running 16 Miles at race pace effort averaging faster than I have ever run. I started off conservative in 6:00 for the first mile but quickly dropped the pace to 540s most of the way, and it felt good, very good! I learned today that I am fit and ready to roll. The mile markers weren't totally accurate so some are probably faster(a couple 530s there) than they actually are but some are also slower than what they should be. Overall I estimated I averaged around 5:45s most of the way. This definitely felt very close to race pace effort.

Splits:

6:00, 5:40, 5:45, 5:47, 5:45, 5:42, 5:52, 5:49, 5:48, 5:53, 5:38, 5:42, 5:35, 5:45, 5:40, 5:50

~2:30:00 Pace.

9/13: 15 Miles @ Marathon Race Pace

This morning I ran 15 miles at Marathon Race Pace. This is the second of the key workouts I am doing for the final preparation weeks before Chicago.

This workout was done on the canal in my wave riders. I converted the splits roughly as the mile markers aren't very accurate, but overall I was pretty much on target 5:50 pace. I'm happy I've also been pretty consistent. The fitness is starting to sharpen up.

Splits:

5:51, 5:50, 5:48, 5:49, 5:49, 5:50, 5:49, 5:50, 5:50, 5:47, 5:57, 5:42, 5:55, 5:53

Sept 6: 10.5 Miles @ Marathon Pace

Today I ran one of my first key Marathon Pace Workouts for the higher quality training I will be doing this month leading up to the Chicago Marathon. I've gotten my mileage up pretty high this summer(up to 115 MPW) and now's the time to crank up the intensity. This is the runner I identify with. I am able to maintain a certain pace and just click the miles on by evenly. I trained this way before the Frederick Marathon, and I am training this way now except the fact that my miles are being run at 5:50 pace instead of 6:10. I got a good feel for what my goal pace should be for this marathon, and will have a good idea of how my workouts continue. I felt smooth out there and never felt overworked-but on the right plane. I did this workout on the canal to mimic the flat Chicago course:


Splits were very even with the last few miles faster:

5:50, 5:50, 5:50, 5:50, 5:50, 5:50, 5:50, 5:40, 5:40, 5:40

10 Miles in about 58:00.

2:32:00 Marathon Pace.

11 Miles total.


Later on, I went to see the VT VS Boise State game with Beth and Patrick Murphy. We had a great time and even though it was a tough loss it WAS a great game. Other breaking news is that I have decided to move out to live with Joe Wiegner soon! More to come later...

On another note, I ate Famous Dave's Chicken Tenders at Fed Ex Field(highly recommended by Chicken Tender Runner) and they were up to par. Tasty!

August 23-29: 97 Miles/Week

Good week getting the mileage up again. I felt really good some days and a little tired Sunday. Overall good running and feeling smoother on some runs where my stride is opening up and running very fluidly and fast. Doing the EZ AM runs with my dog Mickey has really helped with my recovery runs.

Monday: AM: 5 miles w/ Mickey @ Canal
PM: 8.5 miles @ Canal

Tuesday: PM: 11 miles on Muddy Branch Trail(really enjoyed this new trail!)

Wednesday: AM: 8 miles on Canal
PM: 5 miles EZ after work in Rockville

Thursday: PM: 16 miles @ Lake Needwood, finished 2nd half fast with smooth, open stride

Friday: AM: 4 miles EZ w/ Mickey
PM: 10.5 miles with Joe @ Needwood, + 1M added on, total 11.5 miles moderate

Saturday: AM: CJs C and O Canal 5K: 17:15, tempo pace, 1st place, 4.5 miles total

Sunday: AM: 5 miles w/ Mickey @ Canal
PM: 18 miles in Rock Creek after work, moderate

TOTAL: 97 Miles

UPDATE: RRCA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

UPDATE: 7TH OVERALL USA MALE! 5TH IN AGE GROUP, 22ND MALE OVERALL, 26TH OVERALL

Started out moderate pace and worked up to pass a lot of runners during the course. Very Hilly and great tune up for Chicago-felt like it was sub 2:30 effort without all the hills. Very deep field.
Time: 1:16:36
Effort: Chicago Marathon Race Pace
Overall Feeling: Pretty good!

The RRCA National Championship-Developing...

On the Parkersburg Half Marathon Website:

PARKERSBURG-When putting together the men's elite field for the 24th annual The Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon race director Chip Allman had to ask himself two questions.Would it be better to see three-time champion Alene Reta make history by becoming the race's first four time winner? Or would it be better to put together the toughest field ever for the Road Runners Club of America National Championship?"In the five years that I have been doing this, this is the toughest field I've seen," said Allman. "(Alene) Reta has to be considered the favorite. He's just that good of a runner."But, with the field we've assembled, it wouldn't surprise me if someone beat him."Reta, who has become a fixture of the 13.1-mile race since it became the RRCA championship, cruised to a 46-second victory over Kenyan Kennett Kiptoo a year ago, winning with a time of 1 hour, 4 minutes and 15 seconds-more than two minutes off of his winning time in 2007 (1:02:39) and nearly two minutes slower than his winning time in 2006 (1:02:52)."He just knows when and where to surge on the course," explained Allman. "He really wasn't pushed last year and that explains his time."That should be the case at 8 a.m. on Saturday as the men's field of 36 elites is composed of 15 athletes which have covered the half marathon distance in 65 minutes or less. Five have posted times under 63 minutes...

The last time that an American runner has crossed the Market Street finish line ahead of the pack occurred in 2001 when Colorado-native Dan Browne beat the field with a time of 1 hour, 3 minutes and 55 seconds.

On a side note, a runner with a new "PR" jersey will make an appearance...

A little Recovery & Tune-Up

I took last week as a down week. I only ran 52 miles, but I ran every day. I for sure needed it. My body was shot after all the mileage the week before, and it demanded some necessary rest. Again, this high mileage stuff is still really new to me. But, I think in the long haul, it is going to transcend to my true potential as a marathoner. Despite running better PRs in 10K-13.1M, I've always believed that my body's ultimate ability to truly run at its best lies in the Marathon. On another note, despite only 52 last week, I have really only taken ONE day off from running all summer(since May).

So, the lower mileage last week helped me recover. Now I am turning up the intensity a bit with a nice half marathon this coming Saturday in Parkersburg, WVA. It is a rolling hills course and should be a great run to turn up the speed. I have been doing a few runs at 5:20 pace although I don't think I am ready to run THAT fast yet.

August 2-8: 115 MPW, Jim Hage, and "Lose Yourself"

Mon: AM: 5.5 miles, PM: 10.5 miles
Tues: PM: 15 miles
Wed: AM: 7 miles, PM: 8 miles
Thurs: AM: 12 miles, PM: 6 miles
Fri: PM: 18 miles
Sat: AM: 10 miles, PM: 5 miles
Sun: AM: 3 miles, PM: 15 miles

TOTAL: 115 miles

Interesting statistic: For the past 14 weeks, I have averaged 79 miles per week. For the past 11 weeks, I have averaged 85 miles per week. I have run 1105 miles in the past 14 weeks(more than half this year's total so far). I am already at 2119 miles for the year. In 2009 my yearly TOTAL was 2376. I just did half of that in just over 3 months. I could very well be 3500-4000 by the end of this year. Just running up to 80 miles in one week last year was a lot. Now, I am averaging that. Incredible how the body adapts.

I met Jim Hage last week in the store. I had helped him before and found out who he was when he said he was 52 and placed a high 80th at the Rockville Twilight 8K. I talked to him a bit about marathon training and his glory days. Jim was 8th in the 1992 Olympic Marathon Trials(the year Steve Taylor was 6th) at the age of 34 and has run a PR of 2:15. He gave me much encouragement that even I could run that fast one day if I stick with the training. I told him I was 27 and he said I have years ahead to fulfill my potential. Hearing this from one of the best runners in the country at one time is so encouraging! It makes you think beyond what you can currently see. That anything, anything is possible if you set your mind to it.

During some of these tiring runs this week, I found myself humming eminem's "Lose Yourself." It helped me push through some days where I just wanted to sleep instead of run.

"Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted
-One moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?
His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy
There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti
He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready to drop bombs,but he keeps on forgettin what he wrote down,the whole crowd goes so loud
He opens his mouth, but the words won't come out
He's choking now, everybody's joking now
The clock's run out, time's up over, bloah!
Snap back to reality, Oh there goes gravity
Oh, there goes Rabbit, he choked
He's so mad, but he won't give up that
Easy, no
He won't have it ,
he knows his whole back's to these ropes
It don't matter, he's dope
He knows that, but he's broke
He's so stagnant that he knows
When he goes back to his mobile home,
that's when it'sBack to the lab again yo
This this whole rhapsody
He better go capture this moment and hope it don't pass him

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime yo
The soul's escaping, through this hole that it's gaping
This world is mine for the taking
Make me king, as we move toward a, new world order
A normal life is boring, but superstardom's close to post mortem
It only grows harder, only grows hotter
He blows us all over these hoes is all on him
Coast to coast shows, he's know as the globetrotter
Lonely roads, God only knows
He's grown farther from home, he's no father
He goes home and barely knows his own daughter
But hold your nose 'cause here goes the cold water
His hoes don't want him no more, he's cold product
They moved on to the next schmoe who flows
He nose dove and sold nada
So the soap opera is told and unfolds
I suppose it's old partner but the beat goes on
Da da dum da dum da da..."

Approaching 120

I am approaching 120 miles this week, the highest mileage by far that I have ever run. This is only a taste of what Chris Raabe(2:15 marathoner) normally does. I am pretty tired. Most days I feel only 50%. I am usually tired the first part of the run before waking up and feeling great the 2nd half. 2 hours of running doesn't seem that long to me anymore. I haven't really been running fast, all of the running is done at a moderate level. Some days I am running 8min pace no faster. Nevertheless, I feel really fit. I think I've lost some weight though. The UPS guy I normally see at the store pointed out that I look thinner. I've been eating though. Today I downed a whole personal pizza and a gigantic chocolate chip cookie. Next Sunday I will have a STEAK when we go out for Beth's birthday. As the saying goes, "if the furnace is hot enough, it will burn anything." But fuel is essential at the same time. So I have been making sure to replenish as well as rehydrate. Tomorrow is the final day of the 120 mile-to-be week. The next 2 weeks after I will shoot for 80-85 with quality workouts-80-85 sounds like a breeze right now!

July 26-August 1: 105 MPW

A new record high mileage week for me.
The breakdown:

Mon: AM: 5.5 miles
Tues: AM: 4.5 miles, PM: 7 miles
Wed: AM: 16 miles, PM: 5 miles
Thurs: AM: 10 miles, PM: 10 miles
Fri: PM: 18 miles
Sat: AM: 11.5 miles
Sun: PM: 17 miles

Total: 105 miles

Felt kind of on and off all week. Somedays I just felt sluggish out there. But I got the miles in, and that's what counts. Actually, if I had counted from last Sat-this past Fri, I would have totalled 115. I kind of did a strange thing towards the end of the week, I felt pretty good friday evening so I ended up running my long run that day(18 miles) but I ALSO ran 17 miles 48 hours later! Just shows these distances are becoming much more familiar and easier for my body to handle(kind of like running routine 10 milers when training for 10-13.1 racing). Friday was a nice run though. I started off really slow at Pennyfield and worked up towards mile 27 and then turned right onto that dirt road(forget the name) that goes back to river road. As I turned onto River, I began picking up the pace, uphill, downhill. Up, down. It was 7:45 in the evening and I was loving every minute of it. I was all alone in the country. Not a soul passed me by. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a Red Fox bounding along the grass on the opposite end of the road before scampering off into the bushes. I hammered up some more hills. Turned right onto Rileys and headed back to Pennyfield, finishing as the sun had set. My body feels more up to speed with the higher mileage now. I am shooting for another 90-100 next week for mileage with some quality long distance workouts.

Lots and lots of Hard Work

I have never run so much in my entire life. This week I will be at least 110-115 miles. Perhaps I will run as high as 120 this summer. I am already at 60 miles for the past 4 days. This morning I ran 9.5 and the evening an additional 10. Most of these runs have been moderate, although last week I did some moderate workouts-although the mileage last week was less-only 70. I did some tempo runs such as 2 miles @ 5:10 pace, as well as doing a run starting at 6:00 pace working down to 5:20 pace for several miles. I also jumped in Riley's Rumble last Sunday for a nice workout, finishing in 1:25:00-starting out slow and running the "middle section faster," and finishing up relaxed. It was hot and very hilly-great workout. Yesterday I ran 16 in the morning starting at Old Anglers Inn and heading out on the Canal towards DC before looping back onto MacArthur. I was quite thirsty after the run which I made a note of. I gulped down some gatorade quickly. I ran an additional 5 miles in the evening.

I have picked out and registered for a Half Marathon In August, the perfect time for me to do one before the Marathon in October. It gives me a 7 week buffer which seems to have worked for me in the past. In 2009, I did a half marathon 7 weeks before the Frederick Marathon(which was my most recent best marathon race I've had-back then I ran a 1:16 half on a flat course and a 2:43 marathon on a hilly course). The half I am doing is the Parkersburg Half in WVA on August 21, and is a very competitive but small race. It is also a rolling hills course which I selected on purpose to get a great tough run in before the flat fast Chicago course. More about it later.

Eye on the Prize/July 12-18: 68 Miles/Week

After 100 Miles last week, I took this week as a down week. My body felt kind of "off" with the lower mileage week but it was a good idea considering I haven't gone under 70 in over 2 Months. I did the Rockville Twilighter 8K on Saturday night and unexpectantly ran a lot slower than I thought I would. I wanted to crack the 26:00 barrier which seemed feasible since my 8K PR is a 26:19 SPLIT during my 10K PR this past spring. But it was hott. And I have been training high mileage specifically for the marathon. I must keep my eye on the prize. I'm not supposed to be peaking for an 8K right now anyway! Sometimes I just get caught up in times and forget that I went out there and competed(as well as get a very strong workout in). Lucinda helped gear that in my head afterwards. I competed well, and actually finished highest I ever have in this race-I placed 25th. And I passed people the entire way even though my splits got slower. So all in all, I have to think positively about this because the MARATHON is the GOAL. On another note it's good to run a time you would've been thrilled with last year and want to run much faster. That is where I was with this race. Running 26:50 last year would've left me thrilled, but to me now the time is just another run. I suppose it is technically a course PR for me(2 secs faster than last year). Congrats to Lucinda for placing 4TH OVERALL! And by no means is she training specifically for 8K right now, the marathon is in her sight as well. I cooled down with her afterward for about 30 minutes. Towards the end of the cooldown I noticed my blood sugar got reaaaaally low so I made sure to replenish afterward. this race is so late sometimes it just does crazy things to your body's glycogen stores.

I decided to knock out my long run this morning and met up with Lucinda again who ran one loop of duel ferries with me and then I ran an additional 7 miles on my own to make it a 17.5 miles long run. Pace was moderate: 2 Hours duration. I was pretty tired after and the heat was getting bad as well. I took a nice nap this afternoon. Only 68 miles this past week, will begin running normal mileage again next week-and probably get my body feeling more normal too. It's amazing how your body adapts to the higher mileage and is more comfortable staying in that zone because it is used to it.

By the way thanks to everyone cheering in the race last night-my girlfriend Beth(you are-as-always the best), Ashwin, and all the GRC guys/Pelkey, etc. It was a fun event!

Tues, July 13: 9 miles w/ 3.5 miles @ 5:17 pace

I did a nice pickup workout on Tuesday. I started at Pennyfield Lock on the Canal and headed north and turned around 4.5 miles out. I gradually started to pickup the pace with 4 miles to go and found myself in tempo zone the last 3.5 miles. I averaged around 5:17 pace and actually felt pretty good despite the humidity. It was dang humid though. By the end I was drenched.

July 5-11: 100 Miles/Week

Record high mileage week for me. 100 is a lot for me, so I am proud to run this much during a week. Considering a long time ago when I used to have injury after injury I was unable to run a lot. Actually, there was a time where I really believed I should stop trying to run since I kept getting injured and never got anywhere. I never really had a collegiate running career. I know some people are trying to make up for what they felt was their potential in college, but I felt like I barely scratched the surface. 2001 I was a freshman and just trying to get on the VT team was a challenge. In 2002, I began to show signs of potential by making the VT varsity XC Team but right before Conference I sprained my ankle pretty bad and was unable to come back. It all became downhill from there. In 2003, I started experience an injury cycle, due to overtraining and other errors in my training(not eating enough, lack of sleep, etc.). It only got worse. I got so injured by the time fall college xc rolled around, I was unable to run for even 20 minutes due to my body being broken down. I ended up quitting and did not run for VT again. I did not run again for a long time.

In 2004 I began to get into cycling. I started to shave my legs, and bought a really nice(for me) part carbon fiber road bike. I increased the distance and by the fall of 2004 I was riding centuries, and rode as long as 127 miles all by myself through the Blue Ridge Mountains. But then, the spark of running had returned and I started to run again during the winter of 2004 and decided to train for a marathon. I did not train the right way but I did my best, and ended up getting tendinitis issues 3 weeks before my marathon. I then used the elliptical machines for 2+ hours everyday to maintain my fitness. I ended up running the race of my life, a 2:38:48 time which is still my personal best to date from 2005. But something wasn't right. I wasn't training properly. My body barely held up for the race, and I really was running injured. I don't know how I finished it, honestly. I had tendinitis all over my body practically. And, I wasn't enjoying it. So the injury cycle began again, I tried to get into my training again, but it failed. Again, and again. The rest of 2005 my body was broken down and malnourished. I could barely run 8:00 miles. I was weak, and underweight.

So, I didn't run much for the rest of 2005, and 2006 was much of the same. But then, right around graduation, in February of 2007, I decided to start training right, and self evaluated what I wanted out of my running. I self coached myself and taught myself the do's and don'ts, taught myself how to recover, I began to learn my body. I learned how to train through myself. I ate more again. It took a lot of time and patience, but slowly, I began to get my strength back. And, I began to enjoy running again.

So, here I am now. I have run PRs from 8K-13.1M and have remained injury free since 2007, and now I have run my highest mileage week ever. It is a long way I have come. The only PR(besides my highschool mile) that still stands is that marathon I ran in 2005.

The week in summary:

Monday: PM: 10

Tuesday: AM: 8, PM: 6.5

Wednesday: AM: 3.5, PM: 11

Thursday: AM: 7, PM: 12

Friday: PM: 10.5

Saturday: PM: 11

Sunday: AM: 3.5, PM: 16.5

Total: 100 miles

Sunday evening was a nice medium-long run of 16.5 miles. I picked up the pace nicely the last 35 minutes- I want to say I worked down to 5:20 pace-but maybe that's a tad too fast. Either way it was a good run. Next week I will do some track stuff and it will be a little lower mileage week-Rockville Twilighter next Saturday!

Training is Going Well!

Despite the heat, my training is going really well. I am feeling fit and handling the mileage nicely. I have already run 58 miles for the past 4 days and am probably going to be around 100 or more miles this week(a record high for me). On Monday, I ran 10 miles starting from Swains Lock working down towards Old Anglers Inn and back around the dirt road loop I usually run. Tuesday morning I ran with the Sunrays for about 8 miles in Needwood. We actually ran around a lake which was next to Lake Needwood(a new run!) that had some pretty nice trails going around it and that I will have to explore more of on my own. Tuesday afternoon it was scorching hot and I ran 6.5 miles at the canal-just trying to get through another run. Wednesday morning I ran only 3.5 to get in a shakeout run at 8AM but it was already brutal out. Disgusting weather. But it does toughen me up, and I think I have been handling the heat well. Wednesday afternoon I drove out to Duel Ferries and did One Loop and added on a little after to make it 11. I started around 6:30 and finished around 7:45 and the shade really made a difference(10 degrees I would say). The gradual cooling of the evening always psychologically is nice in my opinion. I find that in the evening runs I feel better towards the end whereas the morning runs I just gradually feel worse as it gets hotter. After the run Wed evening I didn't feel that great and hydrated a lot(which felt better). Thursday morning I ran 7 miles with the Sunrays and felt OK. In the evening I met Lucinda at Old Anglers Inn and we did a nice loop of 10 miles before adding on afterwards to make it around 12 miles total. We started on the Canal heading South and ran for about 5 before crossing a bridge that led to MacArthur Blvd and back. It was a pretty nice run and I felt good in the later miles as we picked up the pace a bit. Luci is definitely getting strong as I think she will run a very good debut Marathon this fall. I will do a pretty good long run this Saturday and try to run it moderately fast. Overall, feeling fit, and happy with where my training is right now. The one "race" I will actually semi-race this summer will be the Rockville Twilighter but it certainly isn't a concentration. After that the slate is blank between then and Chicago in Oct. I really may not do any other races until Chicago(not even a half as of right now)....which is good since I like to race a lot. If I do a half it will be a "training run" and not a race. But you gotta tame the horse. I feel like I am doing a good job taming thus far, but at the same time getting very fit! All I know is I'm feeling good.

WRR 2010 Spring Rankings

1 Kipketer, James 32 Marion, VA
2 Endale, Abiyot * 23 Silver Spring, MD
3 Young, Tim 23 Fredericksburg, VA
4 Megressa, Gurmessa * 30 Silver Spring, MD
5 Berdan, Dave * 29 Baltimore, MD
6 Wardian, Michael * 36 Arlington, VA
7 Hutchinson, Seth ** 26 Charlottesville, VA
8 De Heer, Dirk 28 Silver Spring, MD
9 Church, Aaron ** 34 South Riding, VA
10 Klim, Jake 29 North Bethesda, MD
11 Molz, Jon * 23 Richmond, VA
12 Picard, Jimmy * 24 Richmond, VA
13 Christian, Will * 26 Norfolk, VA
14 Abuya, Jared * 33 Manassas, VA
15 Awol, Mohammed * 32 Silver Spring, MD
16 Puglsey, Ray 41 Potomac Falls, VA
17 Barresi, Matt ** 27 Falls Church, VA
18 Wade, Robbie *** 28 Arlington, VA
19 Mehmedovic, Izudin * 25 Columbia, MD
20 Hurt, Charlie * 26 Richmond, VA
21 Vivani, Will * 27 Arlington, VA
22 Kolata, Stefan 28 Washington, DC
23 Ingram, Benjamin 33 Baltimore, MD
24 Komen, Wilson 32 Washington, DC
25 Bitok, Kipchirchir * 30 Baltimore, MD
26 Wiegner, Joe 28 Rockville, MD
27 Peters, Gareth 31 Annandale, VA
28 Cheromei, David * 30 Marion, VA
29 Rhodes, Thomas ** 26 Arlington, VA
30 Renjifo, Carlos * 27 Columbia, MD
31 Zubko, Sergiy 21 Clarksville, MD
32 Blasiak, Sam 30 Fairfax, VA
33 Whitlow, Dustin * 23 Arlington, VA
34 Tepovich, Danny 30 Virginia Beach, VA
35 Murphy, Patrick 25 Washington, DC
36 Jurkovich, Evan 25 Washington, DC
37 Carroll, Ryan *6 27 Portsmouth, VA
38 Horner, Randy *** 26 Colonial Heights, VA
39 Sloane, Christopher 26 North Potomac, MD
40 Ban, Charlie 27 Falls Church, VA
41 Hryvniak, David 25 Chesapeake, VA
42 Tompkins, Mark * 34 Williamsburg, VA
43 Carrier, Chris * 25 Richmond, VA
44 Smits, Kyle * 31 Baltimore, MD
45 Meeker, Dustin 28 Baltimore, MD
46 Jacoby, Bert * 27 Fredericksburg, VA
47 Belasik, Wylie 26 Washington, DC
48 Daly, Jimmy * 24 Kensington, MD
49 Brown, Karsten * 36 Front Royal, VA
50 Lomogda, John 40 Norfolk, VA
51 Grout, Alex 23 Williamsburg, VA
52 Aaron, Robert 22 Virginia Beach, VA
53 Buschman, Mark 25 Columbia, MD
54 Fritzius, Justin ** 25 Purcellville, VA
55 Deren, Mike * 22 Abingdon, VA
56 Haaga, David 48 Rockville, MD
57 Schmid, Kyle 24 Annapolis, MD
58 Holman, Luke 26 McLean, VA
59 Colaiacovo, Mike 40 Baltimore, VA
60 Klaschus, Matt 23 Street, MD
61 Allin, Sam 29 Arlington, VA

Sunday, July 4: Autism 5K/19 Miles/77 Miles Per Week

This past week totaled 77 miles, a down mileage week after hitting 90 the week before. Sum of this past week:
Mon: PM: 11 miles on own on Canal
Tues: PM: 10 miles w/ Luci @ Cabin John Trails
Wed: PM: 5 miles EZ w/ Mickey on Canal
Thurs: AM: 9 miles @ Sunrays club practice, PM: 5 miles plus 6x200m on track
Fri: 5 miles EZ on roads in Rockville after working Packet Pickup for Autism Speaks 5K
Sat: AM: 12 miles w/ Charlie, Patrick, and Jake-started from Georgetown and ran on the Canal towards Chain Bridge-took that across to VA and ran South until Lee Hwy which we took to the trail that went over route 66 and back to the Key Bridge. Added on at the Canal once back in Georgetown.
Sun: AM: I jumped in the Autism Speaks 5K and warmed up for 2.5 miles before heading over to start. The goal was to run an honest effort and get a good workout in. 3 Africans surged to the front with a gap between me and them. After Mile 1: 5:09, I began to reel them in. Mile 2: 10:19. Ran pretty even and caught #s 2 & 3 just before a mile to go. My last mile was kinda slow(5:20ish) but it was all uphill so I think I was pretty even throughout. Ended up 2nd place overall and won $150. Time: 16:19. Afterwards, I cooled down with Andy, Jordan, and Aaron for 2.5 miles or so. But I wasn't finished running yet. After receiving my award, I drove to the Old Angler's Inn Lock and ran an additional 70 minutes on the towpath, suffering in the heat a bit more. It was a good workout, I got in 19 miles for the day. Definitely so much stronger than last year! This coming week will be high mileage. Should be around 100 miles or more this week.

The Duel Ferries Run & 90 Miles/Week June 21-27

Saturday, June 26: I turned 27 and thought what a better way than to start it with a 20 miler at duel ferries. I met a dozen GRC fellows at Edward's Ferry and we started off on the canal towards White's Ferry. I started off easy and wanted to build during this run. I was to do the full 20+ miler(20.2miles). I hung in with the pack and cruised through the first 10.1m in 1:07. We stopped to get some water/gatorade after the first loop, (I took some powerade at my car), and then proceeded to run the second half. The size was cut in half for those wanting to do 20 miles. Karl, Joe, Dickson, and Ashish all ran ahead moving at a pretty good clip while the Red Fox, Bain, and Jason Dwyer(a fellow who randomly met up with us around mile 2-3), and I drafted a bit furthur back. Red Fox said, we'll get them at the water stop. "Jesus, you guys are brutal!" said Jason. A few miles later, Jake and Jason began to pick it up. Bain and I lost a little ground and just hung in range of a solid pace. I was not going to pick up the pace anymore as I wanted this to be a consistent effort and if I felt good the last 5 miles to then pick it up. So Bain and I hung back around sub 6:00 pace or so and I felt just fine, actually, I began to feel really good. We all met up at the next water stop and regrouped. Ashish had turned around and decided to run less, and Jason would run to White's Ferry and finish up his run there(he took the ferry across). Bain and I ran just a tad slower than Karl, Jake, Joe, and Dickson, so we began to lose ground again after starting up again after the water stop. Bain told me to "go ahead" if I felt good but I declined and said I would like to keep the pace we were going for a bit longer. As we approached White's Ferry, however, I began to pull away and run faster and feel better all at the same time. The turnaround was sunny and it beat down hard on our bodies. Now to river road. I saw the four in front together not that far ahead. I focused on reeling them in. As we made a turn, I noticed the pace started to change drastically, in fact, it happened so fast, and appeared that already the four of them were separating. It looked like Jake and Joe had surged ahead with Dickson and Karl trailing. Downhill, uphill. I worked the uphills. I tried to keep them in sight. After another turn, I saw an awesome sight of 1, 2, 3, 4, runners ahead all equidistant from eachother. This was epic. We were all beating eachother up(in a good way). It looked like Joe was ahead and putting on the hammer with Jake following. Suddenly, I saw Dickson just strides ahead of me. Was I running faster? I had no idea what pace I was running. sub 6 still? 540s??? I was just running by effort and concentrated on running strong. I felt strong. I caught up to Dickson and he nodded his head that I was giving a good effort today and ran ahead. I soon saw Karl coming to me. How fast was I running?, I thought. I focused on catching Karl and did ever so slowly. The sun blared down on us. I ran with him for a bit before pushing even furthur ahead. I started to see the Red Fox but he had a pretty decent gap and it seemed he wasn't slowing down anytime soon. I could hardly see Joe as he must've really stomped on it. At the final turn, I caught up with Joe and Jake but only because they had stopped briefly. Dickson caught up to me and together we ran back to Edward's Ferry. Jake, Joe, and Dickson finished a little bit ahead as at this point my legs were saying "no more, you've done enough for today." So I shut it down with about 10 min left and just ran steady for the last part. I messed up my time as I forgot to stop my watch a couple of times but based on others' times I'm guessing I finished around 2:06(around 59min for the second 10.1). Anyhow, I was thrilled with my run and how solid I ran! Turns out all six of us ran under the old duel ferries record. Jake seems to be pretty accurate with pace so he gave me a good idea of how fast we ran. This is a great run and I'm at perfect position right now in my training. I have a solid base I have been working on and my fitness level is good. The training is paying off dramatically. I just have one goal: to train correctly and optimally peak for Chicago. I think I am on the right track. Again it's a process, like anything, to get to that next level. Total mileage this week was 90. Next week will be a little less mileage and I'll do a 5K workout next Sunday(Autism Speaks 5K) as well as a small workout during the week probably.

Lottsa Running

I have put in 48 miles in the past 4 days. On Monday, I met up with Lucinda, a friend who I ran with on my highschool team. We started at Swains Lock on the Canal and ran evenly for about 75 minutes. Lucinda is training for the Twin Cities Marathon and is one of the top female runners in the area. She recently finished 13th in the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler.
On Tuesday I ran an easy 45 minutes with Mickey, who was panting quite a bit afterwards, due to the extreme heat. I made sure he got in some water right away.
Wednesday I ran nearly 16 miles total with a half hour on my own before meeting up with Joe and the rest of the GRC crew at BCC HighSchool. Joe and I just wanted to run distance while the rest did a workout. 1:50:00 total of running.
Thursday morning at 8AM I met up with the Sunrays and led them with Mark on the RockCreek Trail starting from Needwood. Got in 1:00:00 exactly. In the PM, I ran at Riley's Lock on my own for an additional 55 minutes.

I feel like I'm fitter.

6/14-6/20: 84 Miles/Week

Good runs this week. All distance. Some faster, some slower. General overall mileage is increasing. I feel tired some days, but also feel really good on others.

Sum of the Week:

Monday: Ran EZ 4 miles with Mickey on the Canal(very hot and humid day), got caught in downpour which felt unbelievable and refreshing. Had to clean off the dog though.

Tuesday: Ran with the Sunrays club team for about 30 minutes before running a steady 2 miles on the track with Chris in 11:54(a 1:58 INDOOR 800 meter guy who's going to Clemson in the fall). He is in good shape and has potential to run very well in college. Ran an additional 50 minutes afterward on my own to get in 13 for the day.

Wednesday: I decided out of the blue to treat myself to a solo serene long run in the middle of the week. I drove out to difficult run after getting off work at 3pm to explore the great falls area. I pleasantly found a trail that led to Riverbend and ventured even furthur out. It got hilly furthur out! Eventually I turned around after about an hour and called it 17 for the day.

Thursday: Sunrays practice at 4pm again. Ran 50 minutes with the team, then added 45 more minutes on my own. 13 for the day.

Friday: Tired. I woke up from my afternoon nap when Joe called me. I was glad he did, since it got my ass out of bed to finally get my late afternoon/evening run in. Met Joe and Andy at Seneca Creek Park around 6pm, ran for about an hour with them, added on after to make it 11 miles.

Saturday: AM: 7 miles easy, tired.
PM: 5 miles after work in the late evening(after 8:00), felt better.

Sunday: PM: 14 slow miles starting from Old Angler's Inn and looping back onto MacArthur Blvd. Finished around 8PM when it was cooler. Hot day.

Total: 84 miles

June 7-13: 72 Miles/Week

Today after working in the store I ran a 14 miler. I started out to Baltimore road and took it past rockville high to the rockcreek trail. It was still hot when I started after 6:00 PM and I was huffing and puffing after yesterday's workout. As I came back and ran up a hill, delirious, (and pretty damn tired at this point), a girl drove by and yelled, "Hey sexy!" It always entertains me when people yell all sorts of things out their car windows while I'm running. I also ran into a few kids who were out playing on their lawn and started to run after me, but soon after they gave up. After reaching the top of the hill I finished up, tired, and thirsty. I drove to Seven-Eleven and gulped down a Twister and Simply Lemonade.

Sum of this week:

Mon: PM 9 miles
Tues: PM 9 miles w/ 3x200m strides(35 secs each)
Wed: PM 4 miles
Thurs: PM 13 miles
Fri: AM 7 miles
Sat: AM 16 miles w/ 10K in 34:16(5:30 pace)
Sun: PM 14 miles

Total: 72 miles

Sat, June 12: 16 Miles + 10K Tempo

I ran Lawyers Have Heart 10K this morning as a nice tempo. I warmed up for about a mile, did a few strides, and went on my way to the start. I delightfully found Karl, Joe, Scott, and Neal before the start of the race. I have been feeling pretty good and wanted this to be a very solid effort. 5:30 pace was the general area I was shooting for or faster if I felt good. I started out a little fast(I think first mile was low 5:20's), but settled into a pretty good rhythm of upper 5:20s. I went through 5K in 16:55 and felt pretty good turning around and picked off a couple guys. The second half was a little slower(17:20) but it was ok with me-I ended up still averaging exactly 5:30 pace. I ended up 7th place and finished in 34:16. Interestingly, 34:16 was my PR in 2008. Afterward, I ran with Joe, Karl, and Scott for about 20 minutes before turning around to run an additional 40 minutes on my own. I wanted this to be a high mileage day. I am starting to get into the zone of Marathon Training at this point. My legs are getting into it. The mileage is almost 60 after today and I am hoping to get in a decent amount tomorrow to sum up a solid amount this week.

Sunday, 6/6: 5K Workout, 17.5 Miles, 71 MPW

A pretty good week. I have been doing more doubles and just trying to ease back into training hard. Most of my runs have been at a modest pace so this Sunday I decided to crank it up and jump in the Capital Crescent 5K and use it as a solid workout. The goal was to not race but just run hard and stay aerobic(meaning to not dig into lactic acid build up afterwards). I was pleasantly happy with how I felt(other than the horrendous heat and humidity), and it felt good to move the legs fast. I was leading much of the way with a runner whom I did not know hanging on to me until the final stretch where he surged ahead. I had no response to it because A) I did not have a kick, and B) this was a workout. So I hung my head in and ran through the end in 16:18. I did not really have a goal time or pace, just to run hard and break the ice a little bit. I have been doing decent volume(though the mileage should get much much higher later this summer) and running slow for the most part so again, this felt good. I ran another 6 miles after the race, and later in the day after work, jumped on the Cabin John trail for an additional 6.5 miles, total of 17.5 miles for the day. 71 Miles for the week.

June 1

After working at the store today I ran on the Cabin John Trails for an easy 7 miles. Afterwards I drove to Magruder High School to help Nate with the first Derwood Sunrays Club practice. I am leading/coaching the distance mens runs that are made up of mostly highschool runners. We ran an easy 5 miles or so and I added on with one runner named Chris-easy name to remember!-for some additional distance as he is training to run in college this fall. Did some strides after the run on the track to get some turnover going. Got in 13 for the day. Also ran 11 yesterday morning with the GRC at the line.

Other than battling a cold I am feeling pretty darn good. I sense I am pretty damn fit underneath the skin.

5/23-5/30: 82 MPW

A good week overall. 82 Miles for the week-now thats more like it. I returned from Florida today. I ran this morning for an easy 8 miles before my flight and after I returned home I jogged another 4 miles with my dog Mickey. I was pretty hungry today-not used to higher miles-this was my highest mileage week SINCE JANUARY-Just shows how low mileage I have been running for a Marathoner. Nevertheless, I am feeling good and feel acclimated to the heat from being in Florida. Week in summary:

Mon-PM 10 miles

Tues-AM 13 miles, PM 4 miles

Wed-PM 7 Miles

Thurs-PM 10.5 miles

Fri-AM 8 miles, PM 7.5 miles

Sat-PM 10 miles

Sun-AM 8 miles, PM 4 miles

No long run this week other than the 13 miler but not bad overall volume. Just a good amount of running for where I'm at right now. Had a great vacation with Beth and her family as well.