First week in the Bank

Well.. the official - unofficial 19 week training plan for the Rocket City Marathon has official ended.

The reason I say unofficial is because the Hal Higdon plan is really 18 weeks and that is really starts tomorrow. So it all starts tomorrow and I am going to do my best to stick to the plan and the latitude that Hal gives me in my pacing goals. I'll give myself a B+ this week. Four of the days my training partner and I did good. But the cooler temps on Saturday had me kinda froggy and so I jumped..and we did mostly negative splits but I think I needed to do this to get a control point on where I am at the beginning of the training.


Confession: Having never run a marathon.. I don't know what it takes to train for one.. so I am trusting that the Higdon Intermediate plan is enough to get me to the finish line...

Well till next week.... here is this weeks results:


Monday: 3.3 mi - 31:04
Tuesday: 5.17 mi - 45:32
Wed:       3.3 mi - 31:31
Fri:          5.1 mi - 47:18
Sat:          8.14 mi - 1:07
Sun:         3.09 mi - 30:22

Looking foward....

Wow!! It has been a LONG time since my last blog update!  Pretty shameful considering that I have 27 followers of the blog now.. I think there may have been a dozen the last time I posted.. I am sure that the new followers must have thought.. what the heck.. this wasn't worth it.. or is this guy still alive.. well there is nothing like the present for me to turn over a new leaf and look forward and get back to posting.

Well, as some justification to my absence, I am spending more time doing my podcast (earlymorningcruzin). I am really enjoying doing the podcast and I feel more at ease speaking into a microphone than I do typing..

Chapter 1  -  Why?

Tomorrow starts a new chapter in my running life. It is day one of 19 weeks of training that will lead up the to the Huntsville Rocket City Marathon .  This will be my first and maybe even my last marathon. In some sort of way I guess it's a bucket list item that I feel I need to complete. Ok, maybe that is a bad reason for this "quest" and you might be right... but either way the race is still 26.2 miles.

My History with the race

Going back to by first years as a high school runner, I have never had the desire to complete or compete in a marathon.. it wasn't something I thought I needed to accomplish in order that I be a complete runner. This isn't anything that anyone has said.. it's something in my own mind.. In fact, most marathon runners are the humble runners.. because they know the total involvement that it takes to step across that finish line.

The Huntsville Marathon has been around since 1976. I was a Junior in high school.. I remember a classmate of mine ran it that first year or the next. I remember thinking he was crazy to do such a thing! :-) During the 70's there was a huge emphasis on marathons, not 5 and 10K's. Runner's world would drive me crazy because that is ALL they used to cover.. unlike the, stealth zero body fact models on the cover these days,  during those days it seemed it was always a marathoner like Bill Rodgers or Frank Shorter (my heroes).... and that kind of bugged be that if you weren't interested in the marathon it was like.. "what are you running for?"

My Training

I will be following the Hal Higdon Marathon Intermediate I plan. It starts off pretty easy but as the race date approaches it looks like it will be taking to to me.

My Training Partner

My training partner is also named James.. He is the one that thought up this bucket list in the first place.. It's nice to have a partner to go through all this  with...

Tomorrow is the day one... GO FOR IT!

An Update.. But not so Good..

Well, I guess it's about  time that I post an update to my blog. I wish it was something, like a mind blowing PR for a race that I've been training and focusing on for months..... or some breakthrough training method. No, it's more like... I'm hurt and not able to walk without pain, much less run...

About 3 weeks ago, I stepped out of the car and I felt a sharp burning feeling in my left Achilles tendon.. at the base right where the tendon meets the bone. It wouldn't hurt again like it did that first time, but every now and then I would feel a slight burning feeling when I would turn my left foot a certain way.. but it didn't hurt all the time.. and didn't hurt when I ran..so I didn't fret about it. I did notice one thing.. around the area that that I felt the pain, my Achilles was numb feeling.. I didn't pay much attention to this .. I figured it was some nerve reaction to what every had happened.. like I said.. it didn't effect my running.. so I didn't pay to much attention to it.

Fast foward to last Wednesday.. my training partner and I ran a 35 min Fartlek run.. simple enough .. but later that day I started to feel a feeling that I have had in my right leg.. the dreaded SCIATIC NERVE!! http://www.webmd.com/hw-popup/sciatica-16478  I was enough a bother that I was glad I had my rest day coming up.. I thought one day of rest would be all I needed... I was wrong.

Long story short.. I have been to my chiropractor to begin a session of adjustments to get it under control. It has been almost just at one year since I went through this very same thing with my right leg.. So I guess the good news is, that this can be overcome.. but such a pain in the meantime.

There are many other runners that can empathize with this malfunction of the body... I'll get over it.. and move on with my training. Glad it is hitting me now and not a week out from a goal race...

I hope I will be giving you an update soon that tells you this is all behind me... so to speak! :-)

Age 50 is a lot tougher than 40s. - Bill Rodgers

I was told by a friend that turning 50 is effecting me more than I think. Maybe... Maybe not..  If there is anything that is bothering me, it is the effect that turning 50 will have on my running. 

I'm not to naive to think that growing older will not have a diminishing effect on my ability to post PR's. But it wasn't to long ago that I was running what I would call pretty good times.. and I see no reason that I shouldn't be running closer to those times now.. but I'm not. I don't have an answer for this. Maybe just a confidence issue. 

But... then maybe I can understand why I'm not. My training schedule and pace times are much different that it was when I was racing at my "modern age" best. But to the credit of my training I am meeting the race pace goals that my training is aimed. So if you want to run fast.. you have to train fast.

With this in mind it is time to set up my plan for the Spring and beyond training plans.  The Hal Higdon half marathon training brought me through to my goal time for the Mercedes Half and so I will take another look into the plans that are available on the www.halhigdon.com site and get to work... and like to poster above reads, I will become

 

RELENTLESS!!

Vacation week!!! WOOHOO!

Vacation week means I don't have to get up at 3:05 and I am not running through the quite streets at 3:30 in the AM!
I ran a 1 hour tempo run today. The temperature was 52 but the stiff wind made it seem cooler and the wind also made the run a real task at times.  I read or heard before that a tail wind will never help you out as much as a tail wind will hurt you. I believe that 100%.

Working up to the Azalea Trail 10K in two weeks..

Local 10K race wrap-up

Ran a local 10K race today.

My Hal Higdon training plan called for a 5K time-trial last weekend and an 8K next weekend.. well this race fell between the two so I decided to split the difference and run a 10K on this weekend. This race ran along the same streets that I train on everyday and I always enjoy putting these roads to a test. The course was fairly flat .. two hills.. one around 3.5 mile area and one at 5 miles.. again I played it smart on the hills and maintained the same effort as I did on the flats.. based on the splits.. that worked.

I had a race partner today.. Drew  and I ran together for about the first 3.5 miles. At that time we separated just a little.. one of my goals is to try to run consistent mile splits... Drew slowed just a little.. but I knew he was running stronger on the hills than I was today so I had to put some space between us.. because at mile 5 there was a long hill.. he did close the gap on me up the hill.. but that followed a downhill and final 1/2 flat straight road to the finish. Sorry Drew... It is the competitive nature that I have ...

Mile splits:
7:01; 6:58; 7:05; 7:08; 7:03; 7:06; 7:00;
Finish time was 44:00; 3rd in 45-48 age grp.. good group of age class runners today.

I am very happy with my mile splits.. don't we all want to start off "slow " so that we don't burn out in the first few miles.. mission accomplished.. there is only a 10 second difference between my fastest and slowest mile split.. that I LIKE!

I don't think there have been to many times that I have run a local in-town race were I finished 3rd in my age group. Well.. I am laying the ground for 2011.. and this was a good run for that.  Come on 50th birthday!!

20 days until Azalea Trail 10K... Got to have sub 7:00 miles for that race!!

This is Where I Live and Run

In this blog I wanted to do is to show and tell you where I live and run. It is probably not unlike the towns that many of you live and run in. 
I live in Prattville Alabama. This is not my hometown but it's the town I now call home. I live here with my beautiful wife and darling daughter. My wife's family moved here when she was around 3 or 4. We have our own story but I will cover that at another time.

• Prattville is centrally located in Alabama.. just Northwest of Montgomery, AL.
• Founded in 1836 by it namesake Daniel Pratt
• Population of around 30,000 citizens.
• It's the Seat for the county of Autauga (named after the Atagi Indian Tribe).Strange fact.. the county is actually older than the state of Alabama.
• Flags of seven nations have flown over the county... France, Britain, Spain, the Confederacy and the United States. 

The Preferred Community

Here, I want to show you some pictures and maybe a little dialogue of the sites that I get to see everyday.

I start most of my runs tracing the same steps for the first mile or so. I pass this abandoned swimming pool by a residential roadside. It was the family pool for a large estate owned by a local doctor. The Doctor's house was torn down a few years ago and the pool was left as is..

 

Next is Maple Street. This is where I run my 1/4 mile intervals. The historical marker tells of the story of Plank Road. The road built by Daniel Pratt for his employees to use for coming to and leaving work... This allowed them to avoid downtown's "saloons".. ;-)

 

Right past this street I come up to Bridge Road where I have a daily view of the Autauga Creek and dam.

Right around the corner I get the view of our New England styled downtown Main Street.

Prattville has many artisan wells thought the downtown area. These are like GOLD on those hot summer runs. The drinking fountain is the parking lot of the First Baptist Church. The church in the back ground is Prattville First Presbyterian Church. This is the Church that my wife attended for year and where we were married.

We now attend the First Baptist Church..

Stanley Jenson Stadium... Home of the Prattville High School Football team...Alabama 6A State champions for 2006 - 2008.

 

Other sites on my runs are the building that my wife and I own. Our building was built sometime right after the depression and from what we can tell, was first a feed and seed business. A few years back I had the pleasure of grabbing a big hammer and crowbar and doing a total gut of the building. We then built it back to as a real nice business location.

My wife's family owned the town's newspaper for years. Her great aunt both owned and worked at the paper, The Prattville Progress (still in print) with her husband. They have both been inducted into The Alabama Newpapers Editors Hall of Fame presented by Auburn University. "Sister", as she was called by family members, sold the paper business but continued to work there until she was in her 90's.. Yes, you heard right.. she was even driving at 92 years old!! ;-)

This was where the paper was printed. It is still called the "Progress Building" by us... My brother in law owns this building now. He has restored it inside and out and it is a real showplace for the photography business that rents it.

At one time Prattville was home to the Mims Hotel. Unlike today's hotels this hotel was made of up little cottages. My wife's Aunt also owned this hotel at one time. Many of the cottages are now in what is called "Pratt-Village" and they serve as places of business. Before it was sold by Sister my wife was able to acquire some of the lobby furniture. A rocker on two chairs are part of our household furniture. One  side note about the Mims Hotel... Prattville was one home to the Prattville Males and Female Academy and was able to attract the southern poet Sidney Lanier as headmaster in 1867.

Pictured is one of the cottages

   

 It has been said that Lanier was inspired to write several of his poems while walking along Gin Shop Hill Road. This is the road that I call "Home Run Hill" because I run it everyday to get back home. I'm not sure if you can tell the grade from the photo... but this is a 3/4 mile long hill that actually starts behind where I took this picture.. good stuff!

Sister's Husband was instrumental in bringing an Army National Guard company to Prattville. The Armory that they met was later named in his honor when it became a community center.

The Daniel Pratt family plot..

 

 That overlooks downtown...

 

Our family plot.. that overlooks ... grass.. My wife is a planner! ;-)

Probably need something to smile about after that...  This is near our duck pond..

 

And then there is our home... where I stop my watch and get ready for another day.

 

I hope that you have enjoyed this peak into my town.. Like I said.. probably much like the one that you run in too...

Just a peak at my next race and results from the past

The Azalea Trail Run 10K


2002
97 age group 40-44
706 overall
48:51 @ 7:51

2003
48th age group
339th overall
45:07 @ 7:15 /mi

2004
49th age group
263rd Overall
44:35 @ 7:10 / mi

2005
43th in age group
191 overall
43:37 @ 7:01 /mi

2007
10th in age group
40:36 @ 6:32

Another Mercedes Half Marathon in the bank

Well.. it has taken me a while to do to my post race blog update!!! That's not a negative, I've just been busy... and lazy sense the race was finished. It is kind of a mental thing.. You accomplish a big goal and you put it behind you and move on to the next task at hand. It is even more difficult to go back when all goes according to plan and you really don't have much to say, other than your goal was met.

I don't know if it's a sign of the training plan that I have been using or not.. but I have been using the Hal Higdon Advanced Half Marathon plan.. and the pacing during the training has been in line with a projected 1:35 finish. Well that is just what I did.  

I did as I have done every one of the past eight races, I traveled up to Birmingham on Saturday to stay the night before the race at my sister's. I visited the Expo on Saturday and saw fellow hometown runners Kym and Drew. I took in the sites of the expo and visited a couple of the booths.. kttape was there and they were glad to talk to a tweeter follower.

For a little more detail of the race.. you can listen in on my podcast (links are to the right)

Finish Stats:  

17th in 45 - 49 age group 

148th overall (approx 3200 total runners)

16th place at the 10K 43:19 

Finish time: 1:35:55 @ avg 7:20 /mi.

A shirt for every race

 

Eight shirts and eight races. The picture proves it.. I have run the Mercedes Half Marathon each of the events eight years.  Someday I may have one of those T-shirt quilts made from these race shirts ... but not yet... maybe when I get 10!!

The race is almost here... As I waited at the starting line last year with my sister and friend, I was already looking forward to when I would be at that line in 2010. I hoped that my body would be repaired and trained for the race. Well, as I sit here and type this out, I wonder if I have met my expectations.. I have some aches and I am not as fast as I have been... but I am ready. I am ready to put it on the line and go beyond what I think I can do and "run the race that is set before me."

I look forward to traveling to Birmingham on the day before the race and spending time with my sister and to do some recording for my pre/post race podcast. Yep, it is almost here.... and well.. I can't wait!!!!!

My finishing info for all eight races:

2002: 1:53:45 @ 8:41; 40th age grp (40-44) First ever Half Marathon and first race since 1979
2003: 1:41:46 @ 7:46; 95th age grp
2004: 1:40:21 @ 7:40; 29th age grp
2005: 1:39:33 @ 7:36; 19th age grp
2006: 1:35:49 @ 7:18; 7th age grp (45-49)
2007: 1:29:53 @ 6:51; 4th age grp
2008: 1:59:55 @ 9:10; 73rd age grp (injury; ran with sister)
2009: 1:51:25@ 8:31; 62nd age grp (ran with sister to set a PR for her)

A nice present today

I had a feeling that this run was going to be good.. I felt rested and strong today.. even though I ran a pretty hard 5 mile race pace yesterday.. at an average of 7:06 /mi. 

I got to run with my Saturday running partner (James) today.. that is always good.. James and I have a very similar training pace and we always complement and push each other during our long runs.  He is having a little bit of an issue with one of his knees so he couldn't push the pace hard that last mile but other than that he kept us both pressing the pace.

avg paced was 7:49 - Mile splits: 8:55; 9:00; 8:38; 7:55; 7:52; 8:01; 7:42; 7:50; 7:37; 7:27; 7:24; 7:24; 7:03; 7:13; 7:13

Like Opening up Presents!

Well, as you know if you have been reading this blog any at all, I am using the Hal Higdon Half Marathon Advanced plan. http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/adv.htm  

One thing that stands out with this training plan is that I don't feel as many aches and pains as I have with previous workout plans. This is a welcome relief.. plan fact is that I am quickly approaching 50 and I need to adjust my training to meet the thresholds of my body. 

Now, something has happened in the past few weeks that is making this training plan more and more exciting. The plan started off with lots of short distance intervals (1/4 mile and a couple of 1/2 mile days) and short 3 mile recovery runs between the interval, 30 min tempo and long runs on Saturday. 

Well, for the past couple of weeks the intervals have elevated to 1 mile, the Tempo runs are longer and then there are the "Race Pace" runs. These race pace runs are now 5 miles (5 miles at the pace I plan to run in the half marathon).

It's getting exciting to open up these speed training "presents" to see what the results of my training has produced. I can feel my body starting to peak as the day of the race draws near. I have the rest of this week and next week that has some pretty demanding training sessions... but then the week of the race I just cruise thru with some less demanding sessions that should have me a lean, mean half marathon running machine!!

I think it's working.. but the proof will be in the race!

Saturday Loooooooong Run..

Well.. long for me anyway... 

The ol higdon plan calls for a 2 hour run today.. just two hours of running.. no special equipment or instructions needed. On most Saturday's I have a training partner, but he was a no show today (as I have been for him before).. So I got myself out of the warm car and got after it.. one minute at a time... :-)

The weather was not to bad.. around 44 degrees but it was blustery w/ foggy overcast skies.. of course when I started it was dark .. I mean.. after all I am the earlymorningcruzin guy so I have to maintain my image..

The run was smooth and to be honest.. it went by very fast.. doing the recording really makes the time fly. Even though there is no interaction with the person(s) listening, it really is like I am carrying on a conversation with you.. but it looks like I am talking to myself. ;-)  Total time on the road was 2:00 hours; 14.51miles.. that works out to 8:16 /mi pace.. I had a couple sub 8:00 miles thrown in there around the middle of the run.. but slowed myself up so I wouldn't be hurting toward the end. Well... I hurt anyway. I haven't run that long in a while.. I have 2 more Saturday runs before the Mercedes Half and they are all 2 hr runs. It will be interesting to see if the third one is easier than this one was today.

I attempted to record a podcast episode, but that didn't quite workout due to the wind. Even with the windscreen foam on the mic, the wind at times was just too much for the recording .. So I will just plan to redu during my Sunday morning easy run... That is if rain doesn' halt that..

Another good workout.. I need all of them I can get!

Today's training run was a 55 minute tempo run. A tempo run as defined by the Hal Higdon training plan is as follows:

A Tempo Run of 40 to 60 minutes would begin with 10-20 minutes easy running, build to 20-30 minutes near the middle, then 5-10 minutes easy toward the end. The pace buildup should be gradual, not sudden, with peak speed coming about two-thirds into the workout. Hold that peak only for a minute or two.

This is a bit different from the way I have run Tempo runs in the past.  Other training plans say a tempo run would start the same as defined above but after the warm-up the Tempo run would call you to increase your speed to a specified pace range. Example would be to run the tempo miles at 30 seconds per mile slower than your 5K time.

For the run today I ran a 15 minute warm up followed by the followed by the following mile times: 7:34; 7:17; 7:11; 7:09 and I peaked at 6:57.. this was then followed up by a 10 min cool down.

The tempo miles felt good and relaxed... I like feeling that you get after a good quality training run.. ;-)

Today's workout

Had a good workout today! Needed a good workout today.  After consulting with a coach that I follow on Twitter  (speedysasquatch), I was cleared to proceed with some speed training even though I had just run a half marathon two days ago.

The workout:  1 mi warm-up; 4 x 1 mile intervals with a 3 min rest interval between sets; 1 mi cool down.

The results: 6:18; 6:26; 6:20; 6:43

I was more than pleased that the issues I had with my legs on race day were not replicated during the intervals.  I did one thing I did today that is rare for me.. I didn't look at my  GPS watch while I was running the intervals.. normally I will grab glances to see what my pace is during the intervals.. today I concentrated on feel and guts. I have to admit that they were pretty tough, mostly because I haven't done this many 1 mile intervals in a couple of years. I think the BEST preparation training run for the 1/2 marathon is 1 mile intervals.. so although the Higdon plan called for 1/2 mile intervals I substituted.. I will have this same workout next Monday.. will I improve.. we'll see!

Tomorrow.. recovery 3 miler... Ahhhhhh!

How do I write this?

Well.. I guess the first thing I should say, is that it DID NOT rain at the Auburn Half Marathon. That was good... actually, it was close to perfect weather.. I say "close" because it was windy.. breezy.. blustery.. It's said that a tail wind doesn't aide you near as much as a head wind hurts you. I believe that .. Another good thing for the race was that my Dad was at the finish line of the race. Well.. to say that was "good" is not saying it right.. it was GREAT.. I knew he would be there today and that helped me that final 1/2 mile... when it hurt so much.

I started the race in the back of the pack but within the first two miles had made my way up to a group that I would be around for the next few miles. I knew pretty soon that this was going to be a tough race. The bulk of my daily training runs are on relatively flat roads.  This race was on roads of rolling hills.. with the exception of about 3 or so miles.. it was all rolling hills. The hardest point of the race for me was mile seven. I was really struggling and my mile split shows it (8:03). I refused to let my mind tell me to purposely slow down and catch my second wind, instead I actually pushed myself a little harder on the next mile and that felt good.

The last four miles were the same rolling hills that we faced on the way "out"... with the wind at my face pretty much the whole way..  I ran a good last mile and that was good.. I think I really wanted to race to be over! :-)

splits 7:26; 7:19; 7:11; 7:32; 8:01; 7:25; 8:03; 7:42; 7:58; 8:14; 8:14; 7:46

A wrap-up of thoughts

My Mind:
Acceptance of where I am mentally.
This race was not a goal race. That being said I still want to do my best. My problem is not doing my best it is not finishing with my best time. I know it isn't logical to expect that I will finish every race with a PR but I would like to see improvement. This is just something I have to deal with in my own mind.

My body:
Acceptance of my physical limits.
My body just isn't as young it was in 2007, this was the year when I had my best running and racing year.  However,  I am finding it very hard to come to the realization of an aging body. This struggle is not my own, but one that I am sure that is shared by many runners of my age. I am four months away from my 50th birthday and it is hard to accept that my best years are behind me

My Training:
Am I on the right training plan?
I have to finish the plan. The plan is the Hal Higdon 1/2 marathon Advanced plan. I am hoping that the plan will peak at the time is it supposed to, and I will have a breakout run at next months Mercedes half!!!

I hope that all this isn't received as complaining.. but just me being real with whoever will be reading this...

Why?

 
So....  Do you see what I see?  Is it raining on the day before the race? No!... is there rain predicted the day after the race? Hardly!  Is there a prediction of rain on ANY day before or after the race? Barely!! Is there a slight chance of rain on race day? NO!!!!.. Is there a 100% chance of rain the day of the race? YES!!!!!!   Please!  Give me a break!

Ok.. that is over and now I can get to the blog.. heck what can you say about this.. I'm just glad that the temps are not what they were last weekend when I think at race time it was around 19 degrees. Looks like it will be in the mid 40s at race time and warming a little as the day goes on.

I'm not even sure what to wear in 40 degree wet weather.. I know I will end up taking a pile of running clothes with me to the race.. a couple of pair of shorts (in case the first pair gets soaked during the warmup).. a couple of long sleeve tops... vest.. rain jacket... hats... gloves.. 3 pair of socks.. 2 pair of shoes (warm up with one pair-race with the other)..and anything else that I might see lying around!! ;-)

I'm pretty excited about this half marathon. Auburn is where I grew up but I didn't really run in this area of the city... I think the course is defined as rolling hills.. but to be honest I don't really remember what the terrain is for the race. It is an out and back so on my way to the registration I will back track the race to drive over the course and see what my homerun will be like.

I don't think I'm brave enough to post a prediction time... mostly because to be honest.. I have NO clue what kind of time I can run.. So I will just go for it. I think the best strategy will be to break the distance up into manageable pieces.. say like mile segments of 5 - 5 - 3 or 7 - 6.. or just 1, 13 mile segment! LOL!

Well.. I wish the chance of rain was not so great.. but what can you say?    Game on!

OK.. enough is enough

It is still COLD..

I NEVER said in the HEAT and HUMIDITY of Summer that I wanted it to be cold.. I always prefer moderate temps.. So I don't have any guilt is saying that I am REALLY tired of this.. Good news though.. I think this is the last night of temps in the teens.... after tomorrow there will be a warming trend that will start in lows of around 25* and end the week with lows in the 40's.


I think the same aches and pains that are magnified in the extreme heat of summer, present themselves the same with the extreme cold comes around. I have sore thighs from yesterdays long run and there is no reason that they should be feeling this way.. all I can think is that the cold muscles won't allow my natural stride and that the compensation works different muscles.. thus I am sore. I think the same can be said of my Achilles.. all of a sudden it is aching.. for no particular reason...

Well.. on with the show.. because it MUST go on!!

One week till Auburn Half Marathon

 One week away to see were I really am in my training.... one week away to get an idea of how I will do at the Mercedes Half Marathon .. well that is the plan.

The news around here lately has been the COLD weather... as it has been for most of the Eastern half of the United States this last few weeks. For the last week the temps have not been above 40* and has been as low as 16 degrees and that isn't taking into count wind chill.. with that it has gone down to single digits. I have been asked by several of my non-running friends, "did you run today?". My answer of course is, "Yes I did"... I don't see where the low temps should interfere with training.. If you are reading this.. you prolly feel the same.

The weather prediction at this time is supposed to be 41* and right now.. 60% chance of rain.

According to my 10K time-trial I ran last Saturday, I should run the 1/2 in a time of around 1:36. That is about a 7:20 /mi pace. I should be able to maintain that pace... but to he honest.. I want to blow that out of the water... but I will be smart and stick to the plan and ... since it is an out and back.. maybe negative splits will be in the works.. we'll see..

Today James and I ran our training run of 12.7 miles in 1:42. It was a smooth run in the frigid South. We passed the temp sign when the Sun was up and about a mile left in the run.. it read 22*... These kinds of temps in the South are just not right!! 

Brrrrrrrrrrr!!!!! It is COLD!!

OK.. enough already!! It has been cold ALL YEAR!! yeah, I know that it is only the 6th.. but it has been cold everyday this year.. and the mornings have been brutal.... and the real bad news is, it's gonna get worse!!!

For training in this mess, I have managed to run a solo 10K time trial on Saturday. I ran a time of 43:23... just at a 7:00 /mile pace. Not bad for running the entire distance without anyone to pace or push. It was cold on that day too.. and it seemed that the wind was swirling just enough that I had wind in my face a lot of the way. Followed that up with a short three miler on Sunday morning. Monday I ran 1/2 mile intervals in my neighborhood streets. These roads are rolling hills so it was more realistic to racing than running the flat downtown roads I normally use for my interval training. Tuesday is a recovery run... but my body was saying rest when the alarm went off at 3:10. So I slept in for an extra hour. Tomorrow is a 45 minute tempo run!! I can't miss this run.. even if the temp will be below 20*.... Sometimes you just have to man-up and get after it.. It will be these runs that pay-off on race day. Well.. that is my story and I'm gonna stick with it.

Year in Review

Total Miles: 1362
Avg Pace: 8:31
Time in my shoes: 191 hrs
Highest Mileage month: May; 152 mi

Races:
Mercedes 1/2 marathon: 1:51:24
Prattville 5K:       21:45
Peach Run 10K:  47:30
Woodland 5K:     22:02
Montomery Half: 1:38:54
Vulcan 10K:        44:13
Turkey Run 5K:  20:57
Opelika 5K:         22:24