2012 Review

Tomorrow will be my last run of 2012 and I can start my 2013 running streak in earnest.  Kinda looking forward to it and kinda dreading it. (The streak that is)  If I can keep the streak, I should be in the neighborhood of 3,500 miles for the year.  Speaking of goals, I thought this was a good time to recap my 2012 and document my goals for 2013.  It was a good running year and it is very satisfying to still be making goals and setting PR's at 51.

Mileage total - depending on what I run tomorrow (probably 6) I will finish the year just south of 3,000 miles.  I think 3,500 is a reasonable goal for the new year.

5K - I set a PR of 18:09 at the Brian Kraft 5K in May.  It's a flat, super fast course and I plan on doing it again in 2013.  I'm aiming for for a 17:5X in 2013 and I think it is very doable.

10K - came up a little short here, missing a PR by 12 seconds at the Victory 10K.  My PR is 37:45 and I hope to break 37:30 in the coming year.  Pretty aggressive, but I like the distance.

Half Marathon - set a PR of 1:24:45 at the New Prague Half in the spring.  This is the distance that I have room for improvement, but I never train specifically for any half's; they are always part of a full training schedule.  That being said, if the stars are in alignment and I have good weather, I think a 1:22 something is doable.

Full Marathon - of course this was the big nut and the purpose of this blog.  I finally broke 3 hours at Des Moines with a 2:58:47.  I'm running Grandma's in June, which is a much flatter and faster course, so I'm going for a 2:56:00.  The weather can be a crap shoot, but generally its in the 50's at the start.

MDRA Grand Prix - I ended up 5th overall and 2nd in my age group for 2012.  I want to finish in the top 5 again this year, but want to win my AG.  That means competing with Kirt G. again, but I think I can do it.  Oh yeah, I plan on running every race in the Grand Prix this year.

Minnesota Runner of the Year (Age Group) - I made the board for the first time with a whopping 6 points!  I have no illusions that I can compete in my AG, but I'm going to shoot for double digits in 2013.  There are just too many uber fast 50-year olds in Minnesota for me break that barrier.  Its fun to see my name on the list though!  I think I was 6 way tie for14th in 50 to 54 AG.  The trick is to run more qualifying races.

Grandma's training starts officially on January 28th, the Monday after the Securian Half Marathon.  It will be a 20 week plan with lots of racing between February and June.

So, a 365 day running streak, a sub 18 5K. PR's in the 10K, half and full are some ambitious goals, and a Grand Prix AG win, but I think I have a shot at all of them.

Happy Running!

Enough with Moderation

So it's been too many weeks of milquetoast running, middling amounts of mileage, days off, conditioning instead of running, no racing, slow paces.  Enough is enough; time to crank things up, both in mileage and intensity.  Running is no fun when its jogging.  Running is fun when its running.  Eight weeks straight of mileage under 50 miles is not going to cut it.  Besides, I have a half-marathon in January to contend with and I am not nearly ready.  So, I'm jumping back in with both feet, Tuesday intervals, Sunday long runs, Thursday tempo runs, hill work whenever possible and lots more mileage.  Can't wait!  Load up the MP3 player and hit the trails, the track and even the treadmill when necessary.  In fact, as I sit hear typing and listening to M83, I feel like I should be out running.  Good stuff!

 

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas.  My family should all be together and am really looking forward to the next few days.

 

Happy Running!

Rick

Yak Trax and Running Tracks and the Start of a Running Streak

My running streak is now up to 15 days!  I like running everyday, I feel much better throwing in recovery runs over a complete day off.  That being said, I am going for it; to run every day in 2013.  Not a big deal to some of you, but I've never done it before.  Minimum run of 3 miles counts as a run.   Fifteen days in a row and the fact that I hit 50 miles for the first time since October are pretty impressive feats, considering that I had to run in snow, ice, rain, more ice, I ran in Yaktrax, ran on treadmills, ran on indoor tracks, ran solo, ran with groups, fast and slow.  You have to get creative when running in Minnesota.  Saturday's run around the lakes was a the worst.  It was only 35 degrees, but we had a steady rain throughout and dodged slush and standing water throughout..  A hot shower after a run never felt so good.

 

The weight training and conditioning is going well.  I only manage this a couple of days per week, usually after a brief recovery run, but I feel stronger, more upright (if that makes any sense).  So, I'll continues this regimen for a few more months, until the mileage starts getting up there and then I can throw it overboard.  I still have 6 months until my goal race, so I need something to keep me out of trouble, right?  Here's to stronger and faster running in 2013!

 

Happy Running!

Winter Running is Finally Back

I'm still biding my time, maintaining the base, waiting for the new year before I start my slow mileage build up.  Very enjoyable week of running with the return of winter weather.  We virtually had no winter last year, but with a nice gentle 8 to 10 inch snow fall this week-end our winter running returns.  There is something very peaceful, relaxing and meditative about running in the snow and cold.

Managed a week of over 40 miles, with back to back medium long runs, an aggressive hill work out on Thursday and an excellent track work out on Tuesday.  Not as much mileage as I wanted, but a good balance of speed and strength.

I'm toying with idea of changing my diet again.  Every year, at least once a year, I plan on eating better, but it never lasts.  December is not a good month to introduce a radical change, so instead I will use the next few weeks to do a little research and officially start in early January.  I already have a book on cleansing diet, so that should be fun.  Can you tell that I'm in between training cycles!?!

Happy Running!

Week One of New Foundation Building

I survived my first week of venturing into the weight room section of the gym.  No sand kicked in my face and no dirty looks from the muscle bound guys who populate this area.  Free weights is a very humbling experience.  It's one thing do work on the machines, which are all very controlled and work very specific muscles or muscle groups.  It's quite another thing to bench press any kind of weight at all.  Honestly, what if you are the only one in the gym and you are struggling on your last rep?  I had thoughts of being trapped under the weight of the barbell I'm a trying to lift!  In any event, I find the free weights much more effective than the machines.

I ran everyday this week and also threw in a track work out on Tuesday for a total of 46 miles.  The track work out was geared towards my mile race in January.  It consisted of 5x250M at 5:12 pace with 2 minutes jog between sets.  the goal is to string these all together for a sub 5:15 effort.  Highest mileage since my October marathon and first week of running everyday.  I was growing accustom to those periodic days off and my legs feel pretty fatigued, even with the low mileage.

So, the plan will continue with low to moderate mileage and a slight focus on building strength.  I want to have a solid foundation and be plenty strong before I launch into the high mileage portion of my plan.  Looking forward to the results, maybe a new 10k PR, maybe more?

Happy Running!

Adding a New Dimension to Next Training Cycle

Okay, so I've got a big gap between marathons and a lot of time to think about and plan my next move.  As I have stated often, I'm not happy unless I'm in the middle of a plan or planning the next plan.  That being said, I am 30 weeks out from my goal race, much to early to start a new cycle, so I have about 12 weeks to kill.  Why not spend this time improving strength, while at the same time maintaining my running base?  For those that know me, I'm not built for the weight room.  Very typical Ectomorph, 98-pound weakling, string bean, whatever term you want to use.  This doesn't mean I cannot benefit from a 2 or 3 days a week strength plan.  All the research points towards a minimum amount of strengthening lessens the chance of injury and improves performance.  I can put up with the unease of wandering from the treadmill into the "weight" section of the gym, into the land of the grunting and primal screaming.  There is always a handful of muscleheads doing there thing and wondering what the hell Gilligan is doing on their turf! 

 

So today will be day one of the new regimen.  The plan is to run 10 to 12 miles, then do the workout.  Its a set of 9 different lifts/presses and I think I will stick with 3 days per week, cutting back to 1 or 2 days a week  before a race.  Looking forward to see what the results will be.  I have a mile race in mid-January, so that will be my first test.

 

The very rough outline of my Grandma's training plan looks something like this:

 

December to mid-January - base maintenance and strengthening (50 to 60 MPW)

mid January to mid February - base building and strengthening phase II (60 to 70)

mid February to late March - high mileage building period and some sharpening (80 to 90+)

April and May - sharpening and racing (80 to 90+)

June - taper and race day

 

I'm going to stay around 50 to 60 miles per week through the first part of February, then gradually build up to 90 to 100 miles per week by end of March.  I've got 5 races planned between end of March to late May, ranging from 5k to half-marathons.  My paces are going to be structured around my current fitness level, so 8:30 to 9:00 easy runs, GA runs from 7:30 to 8:15, tempos around 6:30 to 6:45 and a wide a variety of interval workouts.  If I can stay healthy, I think I got a good shot at 2:56 at Grandma's, which is a relatively flat and fast course.  Who knows, maybe I have a shot at that elusive sub 18 minute 5K!?

Happy Running!
Rick

Ready for 2013

As I mentioned last week, I have been enjoying the lack of structure and the days off from running.  This never lasts long and this post cycle is no different.  I've been mapping out my next training cycle and all roads lead to Grandma's Marathon in 2013.  Yes, I will be returning to the race where due to under training and humidity, I suffered my most epic melt down.  This will not happen again.  Grandma's, despite taking place well into June, is usually in the low 50's at the starting gun.  Plus it is a nice place to spend a mini vacation.  Now I just need to find a hotel.

I had a good week running, going solo and a couple of times with different run clubs.  I am feeling rested and ready for the slow and gradual mileage build up.  Grandma's is a long ways off, but there is plenty of racing to do between now and June.  In fact, I think I will participate in the local Turkey Trot this Thursday at Minnetonka High School.

Congrats to the Philly Marathon runners this morning.  Marathon season is winding down and I am excited to look ahead to 2013

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and Happy Running!

Rick

Looking Ahead...

Have not been doing a lot of running and really enjoying the time off.  I take a day off without a second thought and that feels good and like the right thing to do.  The runs I have had, feel good and my pace is fast and everything feels natural and fluid.  So, I think this is what a proper recovery is supposed to feel like.

Being only three weeks out from Des Moines, I told myself that I would not rush things in terms of what is next.  If  two months out, I still did not feel motivated to train, than that would be okay.  Yesterday,  I found myself penciling out a rough outline of a training plan for a spring marathon.  Absolutely no specifics, but simply just to map out a timeline to see what time in the spring I would reach the peak if I was to follow another cycle.  I still don't know if I will go through with it, but the will is still there.

I'm excited with where I am at both physically and mentally.  I know I'll be okay with or without another marathon, and glad to know that this is the case.

Happy Running!

Rick

2012 Season Comes to a Close

Ended the season today with the running of the 32nd annual Rocky's Run at the University of Minnesota.  This was my 4th consecutive year of running this race, but my first 6K Cross Country race.  The distance in previous events have always been the 5 or 8K variety.  So, no matter what time I ran, I was guaranteed a PR.  Cross County races are difficult, especially for someone who runs exclusively on the road and races the same.  This course starts out fast with about a half mile or so of wide open flat, smooth grass.  However, after that easy beginning it is constant up and down, back and forth with some fairly sharp turns thrown in for good measure.  Its difficult if not impossible to hold your normal 5 or 10k pace, but I did my best.  Legs are feeling pretty much recovered from the marathon, but nothing prepares them for the beating they take on these hills.  I'm happy with my 23:40 (6:14 pace) finish.  I don't think there were any old guys in front of me, but have not seen the official results yet.

 

This also marks the end of the MDRA Grand Prix series.  Looks like I will finish 5th overall and 2nd in my age group.  I beat the guy ahead of me today, but it won't be enough to make up the deficit I had going into the race.  So, no prize this year, but that's okay.  I'm on the fence as to whether I will do the series again next year.  Its a lot of fun and gets to run races and distances that I maybe would not normally do, but sometime the races get in the way of other things.

 

I still have not decided what is next on the agenda.  I usually take a few weeks after a big event to get back into things mentally.  Long term goals (5 years) are to run the Boston Marathon and to run a sub 37 10k.  I'm kinda looking forward to applying some this mental and physical energy to other pursuits, hobbies or endeavors.  Not exactly sure what those are yet, but I feel lucky that I am feeling as good as I do and have the options to chase them.

 

Happy Running!

Rick

Now What?

I've been getting the question quite often, now what?  My immediate response has been, enjoy the buzz while it lasts.  The seed for running a sub 3 marathon was planted in 1999.  I was 39 and had just run a 3:09 marathon, but knew deep down that I didn't train all that hard and was convinced I could do better.  I ran again in 2000, but did not do as well.  My kids were 9 and 5 at the time, so doubling down on the training time did not seem reasonable.  In 2006, I got the bug again, trained for Grandma's Marathon and failed miserably.  It was hot that year and I was under trained, leading to a 1:34 first half and a total meltdown in the second half for a 3:59 finish.  I attributed my failure to the weather and continued with the same training regimen for the 2007 Twin Cities Marathon with a similar result; a 1:33 first half followed by a major bonk and a 3:45 finish.  In 2008, I tried to increase my mileage too quickly and ended up with a stress fracture of the femur, which sidelined me for 8 weeks and derailed my fall marathon plans.  In 2009 I followed a canned running plan from the interweb with similar result, 1:30 first half, 2:00 second half.  I was about to give up and resign myself that my best days were behind me and I would have to settle for a 3:09 marathon PR.

In 2010 I stumbled across a forum on Runner's World, a forum of like-minded individuals all trying for the same goal and some who already had had made the goal.  I was looking for a magic formula or method, but soon found out the answer was as simple this,  run more."  I was averaging about 40 miles per week for the year and maxed out at maybe 60 miles during the peak of my training.  The consensus was that I was fast enough (sub 39 10K) but it was obvious that I lacked endurance.  I took the advice to heart and in late 2009 and into 2010, I started to run more.  I ran and I ran and I ran.  I ran all winter on the treadmill, on the track and at the Metrodome.  I ran outside, in the morning, in the evening and  over my lunch breaks.  I was averaging 70 miles per week and my body was responding in a good way.  I ran the 2010 Minneapolis Marathon.  I didn't even come close to a sub 3 marathon, but something amazing happened.  I ran within myself and my last mile was faster than my first.  I didn't resemble a zombie at mile 23.  My wife and daughter didn't need to help me up off the ground and watch me writhe in pain.  I finished in 3:17, but had a smile on my face and the desire to do this crazy marathon thing again.

Cycle two started in July of 2010, with the goal race the Twin Cities Marathon in October.  I read Pete Pfitzinger's book, Advanced Marathoning and based my plan on that.  More easy miles and more defined speed work.  Increased my mileage to mid 70's with a peak of 80 and shaved off 10 minutes, finishing in 3:07.  Again, a negative split and felt good after the race. 

In 2011, I took a different approach, slow way down and run as many miles as humanly possible without breaking down.  I looked at my 2010 logs book and determined that most of my long and medium long runs were in the the 7:30 to 7:45 range, leaving me too tired and beat up to add more miles or successfully complete my speed work.  I made a conscious choice to add more miles and slow way down.  A method that would not only get me closer to my goal, but also help me achieve PR's in the 5K (18:09) 10K (37:45) and half marathon (1:24:45).  I skipped a spring race, due to personal circumstances and ran the TC Marathon again with a 3:02:41.  Once again, I achieved a negative split.  I was sure one more cycle would get me to the promised land.

 

in 2012, I added even more miles and slowed down even more.  The 2012 cycle was 20 weeks and I averaged 83 miles per week with a new weekly high of 96 miles.  I ran more doubles and added miles to my MLR in the middle of the week.  So, that's how I got to sub 3 (2:58:56 to be exact)  It actually took me 6 years to get there and once I figured out the secret, it was about 2 years worth of training.  

 

So, what's next?  I honestly don't know.  I'm 51 and just set a PR in the marathon.  I suppose I could continue to work away and shave a few precious seconds here or maybe a minute or two there, but none of it will compare to the feeling I experienced last Sunday.  I enjoy writing this blog, so I will need something to write about.  My wife and daughter claim they already know what my next goal will be; they won't tell me, but they know me pretty well.

Happy Running!
Rick 

IMT Des Moines Marathon Race Report: Mission Accomplished!

Well, I'm still riding high for finally breaking the sub 3-hour barrier.  I knew it was going to feel good, but I had no freakin' idea!  I ask for your indulgence as I lay out a full-blown race report, with all the gory and not-so-gory details of race week-end.  Thanks to all of you who offered support and advice; all of it helped.  Special thanks to Kurt Jewell, who helped pace me to my goal; his enthusiasm and math skills were desperately needed in the final miles.  Special-special thanks to my wife and daughter who put up with me and support me through this madness! Here we go:

 

Pre-Race - Kurt and I headed to Des Moines early, giving us all day Saturday to drive the course (bad idea) and do some "light" sight-seeing in Des Moines.  There ia actually quite a lot to see in Des Moines and it is a very lovely city.  I got a room at the Savery Hotel, which is downtown and literally right at the start and the finish of the race.  I walk out the front door and the starting gate is 20 feet away.  I don't have to worry about parking, waiting in the cold and most importantly, my own PRIVATE BATHROOM.  This is the only way to fly!  I feel like an elite runner.  The pasta feed was great and also got a pre-race pep-talk from Jeff Galloway.  Our table was right next to the elite runners and wow, can those chaps put away the food!  I got to bed by 9 and would have slept right to my alarm, but was scared out of my sleep by PA and mike checks down on the street at 4:40!  Ear piercing, blasting Maroon 5 is a less than  an ideal way to be roused out of a peaceful slumber.  Do we really need to be "Moving like Jaggar" at this hour?

 

Race Start - after using my very own personal bathroom one more time, I make my way to the start.  It's not a big race, so its easy to move up to the front.  The weather is perfect, about 48 and no wind.  I am wearing a singlet, shorts and a pair of old socks on my hands, which I shed after two miles.  It really was a gorgeous morning.

 

Early miles - the first two miles are a quick out and back through downtown, showcasing the State Capitol and the thriving downtown.  I love this part of the marathon, when a pace of 6:48 feels like a leisurely jog.

 

Mile 1 - 6:48

Mile 2 - 6:56

 

Hill Portion - I mentioned that driving the course was a bad idea.  The hills looked so ridiculous in the car, that I almost psyched myself out.  Thing is, the elevation chart is completely bogus.  On the chart it looks like two moderate hills then one long downhill.  In reality, there are 7 or 8 moderate hills between miles 3 and 9.  I wore a pace band for the first time and so glad I did.  The pace band called for a 1:30 negative split, which gave me plenty of motivation to do the hills easy, easy, easy.  Here were my splits through the HODS (Hills of Des Moines)

Mile 3 - 6:52

Mile 4 - 7:01 (first hill)

Mile 5 - 6:48 (fun downhill)
Mile 6 - 6:56
Mile 7 - 6:54
Mile 8 - 7:14 (big hills)
Mile 9 - 6:51
I ran this portion a little ahead of schedule and was ahead of the pace band by about 40 seconds.  The HODS were behind me and I could relax and focus on a steady pace

Middle Miles - this part of the course is miles 10 through 14.  Relatively flat and features a lap around the track at Drake.  We were on the big screen, but seriously, I forgot to look!  I was locked in and focused with the task at hand.  I took my first gel at mile 10 and started to fight through a slight side stitch at mile 11.  I would have the stitch through mile 20 or so, but luckily it never got out of hand.  Here are my splits though the middle miles:

Mile 10 - 6:55

Mile 11 - 6:49

Mile 12 - 6:46

Mile 13 - 6:59 (this mile was long) (half split was 1:30:41)

Mile 14 - 6:50 - (gel number two)

 

The Fun Part - this included a nice steady downhill from 15 to  18.  Not too steep, just enough to let gravity do its thing.  This felt awesome after all the earlier hills.

Mile 15 - 6:21 - this mile was way short

Mile 16 - 6:38 - weeeeeeeeee!  At one point I was cruising at 6:15 pace!
Mile 17 - 6:39 - again, with enthusiasm - weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Mile 18 - 6:46 - ride over, time to get to work.

The Not So Fun Part - all flat, all bike trail, and crowded with slow, walking half marathoners.  Luckily my personal pacer, Kurt joined me (he was part of a marathon relay team)  The job was now to crank out as many 6:45 miles as possible.  I really had to work, but was able to run steady all the way to 25.5 miles.  At some point in the marathon, my brain ceases to function.  I kept telling Kurt, that I had lots of time to make up to break three hours.  He kept asking me. "Are you sure?"  I had told him earlier that I was about a minute ahead of schedule at the half and had kept pace up to mile 19.  I kept thinking that I had a more than 30 seconds to make up, so kept pushing the envelope.  It was until mile 23.2 at 2:38 and change, how wrong I was.  Kurt yells, "you're flirting with 2:58 baby!"  I couldn't believe it.  I had this; it hurt like hell for 3 more miles and had a hamstring going wonky in the last half mile, but this was happening!

Mile 19 - 6:43

Mile 20 - 6:43
Mile 21 - 6:45
Mile 22 - 6:40
Mile 23 - 6:43
Mile 24 - 6:47
Mile 25 - 6:50
Mile 26 - 6:56
Mile .20 - 6:42

total - 2:58:56

Wow, what an amazing feeling.  I'm not the blubbering type, but there was some blubbering going on.  Just when I thought I was over it, another wave of blubbering would come over me.  I knew this was going to feel great, but I had no idea.  It was worth every mile, every work-out, every cursing of the alarm at 4:15, every double, every long run  in the July humidity and every sore muscle.  Truly incredible.

 

This was a small marathon field, less than 2,000.  My time of 2:58:56 was good enough for a win in my age group and a 36th place finish overall!  What a day!

 

Thanks for reading and as always, Happy running!

Rick

Dodging a Bullet

I was wrapping up the taper week with a nice relaxed Saturday morning run, when suddenly I felt a twang in the middle of my back.  Not too bad at first, but about 20 feet further there was a double twang and an acute pain in my ribs.  Of course my first thought is that this really can't be happening!  My ribs hurt so bad, it was difficult to breathe.  Soooo, I walk back home and basically start freaking out. Well, I spent next 24 hours pretty much attached to a heating pad and I am happy to report that I went for a comfortable 10 miler this afternoon and was pain free.  My back is a little tight as I type, but I do believe that all systems are go.

One week now until go time and I have done all that I can to make this sub 3 thing a reality.  The next blog I write should be a race report outlining a pacing plan carried out to perfection.  I'm very excited for race day and to find out if I got what it takes.

Happy Running!
Rick

An Exclamation Point at the End of Final Cycle

This week was a cut back week before the final weeks of taper.  It was not cakewalk, with some nice speed work on Tuesday, the usual double on Wednesday and finally my plan called for a tune up race on Saturday.  I found a very small 10k near my house at Groveland Elementary in Minnetonka.  It was a cold breezy morning and the course was a lot do rolling hills, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  I went out fast and the legs felt pretty good.  I was in the lead after the first half mile and stayed there for the entire race.  In spite of missing a couple of turns, which probably cost me about 10 to 15 seconds, I still managed a sub 38 (37:55) and missed a PR by only 10 seconds.  I have to admit this was a big confidence boost going into the taper.  I ran an easy 17 today on post race legs and all is A-Ok.


Congrats to all who ran phenomenal times in Chicago and Twin Cities today. (You know who you are!). Ideal conditions, which I hope are duplicated in Des Moines in a couple of weeks.

Happy Running!
Rick

Hay is in the Barn...

Well, lets hope that I'm not a few bales short! The hay metaphor seems appropriate, growing up as a farm kid, we spent the summer filling up the barn with bales of hay. In the case of long distance running, the training is complete and now only three weeks of taper and tune up stands between me and my sub 3 effort in Des Moines on October 21st. I have to say, I sure have baled a lot of frickin' hay! I have averaged over 83 miles per week for 17 weeks and have not missed a day since May 9th. I have logged 10 runs of 20 miles or more and countless mid-week medium long runs of 13 or more. I have done at least two doubles every week and set a weekly mileage PR of 96 miles. I set PR's in the half-marathon (1:24:40) and the 5k (18:09) and ran an effortless 6:44 pace at the City of Lakes 25k a few weeks ago. So, the hay is in the barn, in fact the barn is bursting at the seams. Hey, I still gotta run this thing, but if I can't make it with this training cycle under my belt, I don't know what else I could have done differently. Anyway, here's to an awesome traing effort and looking forward to a 2:59:59 marathon. Happy Running! Rick

One Last Blast of High Mileage

I am finally into my last training mesocycle, which includS one more week of mileage in 90's and then the taper begins. After backing off last week, I edged the miles back into the high 80's which included some 1 mile intervals on Tuesday, 20 miles total on Wednesday, a 12 mile progression run on Friday and an awesome 20 miler today, which felt very easy and fluid, with the last few miles under marthon pace. (about 6:45). The weather this morning was beautiful and I hope this is the kind of temps I get on race day. My Pfitzinger plan for this week is a monster. I run 10 easy tomorrow, a 6x1200 meters at 5k pace on track work out on Tuesday, 15 miles on Wednesday morning and 5 Wednesday evening. I get a break on Thursday, but back at it with 12 on Friday and 22 on Sunday. I'm kinda looking forward to it! Bring on mesocycle V! Happy Running! Rick

Lookin' for a Breakthrough

Another full week of running and a little bit more racing, nothing too bad and nothing too good either. It's that time in the training cycle where one expects a breakthrough race or training run. That hasn't happened, which honestly has me a bit concerned. I guess I should be happy that I am able to complete all my workouts and do well in my races, but I want some indication that I have reached another level. Maybe I am a bit spoiled after last years training, when I set PR's in 3 distances. What I'm thinking is that I have pretty much maxed out my abilities right now and am really just working around the edges. I'm only looking for a 2.5 minute improvement in my marathon time, so a "breakthrough" will be hard to detect at this point. Raced the Old Sod Days 8k on Saturday. I won the race, but there was only two of us running, so not a big deal. I did manage a 30:39 time which is respectable considering I ran a 5:54 first mile then faced a nasty headwind on the way back. It was my hometown's 125th city celebration and it appeared to be a successful event. They had 430 folks turn up for the all school reunion, which for a town of only 400 people is pretty impressive. Happy Running!

Big Racing Week

I am currently on the tail end of a major string of races. It's difficult because I am walking a fine line of racing to the best of my ability, but not let the races get In the way of my training schedule. I am pretty happy with how I have handled this. I did not set any PR's, but diweekly in the middle of some significant mileage and intense training weeks. First race of the week was the Victory 10k on Labor Day. A fast, flat course, one on which I PR'd last year. It was a warm morning, so it was not a PR kind of day. I did manage a 38:30, which according to the marathon pace caculator is sub 3 material. The fun doesn't stop there. Tuesday was a 12 miler, Wednesday was a tough track work out and Thursday was a mid week 14 miler. I took it easy Friday and Saturday and raced the City of Lakes 25k. My training plan called for a 14 mile marathon pace run in the middle of an overal run of 20 miles. So, my plan was to warm up for 4 miles, run 10 at MP the race the last 5.5 miles. It went remarkable well having a half marathon split of 1:29:59 and also running the final miles in 6:44, 6:38, 6:35, 6:27, 6:29 and the final half mile at a 5:56 pace. All in all, a good day's work. I was 4th in my age group and 51st overall unofficially. I didn't get much sleep on Saturday night, as I spent a good part of the evening in the ER. I received a call late in the afternoon from sister-in-law telling me that my brother had severely injured his left hand using his table saw. He was in the ER and underwent a lengthy surgery to try save his fingers. The surgery went well and now it's a waiting game to see how things will heal. Thoughts and prayers are with my brother right now. Six weeks of training until race day and I still feel good about where I am at and how Iam progressing. Lastly, I enjoyed running in my super bright, construction cone orange Brooks Pure Connects. The loudest and most obnoxious shoes ever! Happy Running! Rick

Geezers and a Little Bit of Politics

On Thursday I ran the 9th annual Geezer Chase, a 2 mile cross country race to benefit the St. Louis Park CC team.  The Geezers (anyone not a member of the CC team) gets a 2-minute head start and tries not to get run down by a CC runner.  It's a fun run and I ran it pretty well.  I bring it up because I was feeling like a Geezer for much of the week.  I raced a half marathon last Saturday and did almost 19 miles the next day, followed by 10 on Monday.  Tuesday was 12 miles with a 6x1K work-out that left me completely frieded for Wednesday's MLR.  I did complete the 12.5 mile on Wednesday and and the 6 miles Wednesday PM, but barely had any quality miles.  I just couldn't get my body to go any faster than a 9:00 pace.  I'm not particularly worried about this, but it does point out that I may be overdoing it a bit in the mileage department.  I don't think I am over training yet, because I am still racing well and nail my quality workouts, but not being able to shift out of second gear is a bit worrisome.

 

That being said, I did my long run (18 miles on Saturday) and managed to run at an easy, although not a general aerobic pace.  I hovered around 8:30 for the majority of the run and was able to shift into marathon pace gear for the final mile.  I have to add that the remainder of Saturday I was feeling quite tired and roughed up.  An easy run today and looking ahead to a speedy 10K race on Labor Day, the Victory 10K.  Shooting for a sub 37:30.  I get to race again next Sunday in the City of Lakes 25K, which I plan to use as a 15 mile MP work-out.

 

Lastly, I keep this blog strictly about running, but in the last couple of days politics and running have co-mingled.  VP candidate Paul Ryan said in an interview with Hugh Hewitt that he had run a marathon when he was young and when asked about the time he said 2:50 something.  2:50ish is a very good time and knowing about his background, I wouldn't have been that surprised.  However, after Runner's World did a bit of checking into this, turns out that impressive 2:50 something was not so impressive, closer to average time of 4:01 something.  My only defense for Mr. Ryan is that he really isn't a runner and not that concerned with what his marathon time was and probably can't remember, but the fact that he honed in a 2:50 something is what bothers me.  I realize that I take my running a little too seriously, but why lie about something like this?  Did he not want to admit that his marathon time was slower than Sarah Palin's or Michael Dukakis'?  Did he really think that anyone would care?  I admit it is fun to see how celebrities do in the marathon (beating Oprah's time is a goal for many) but it truly isn't important in the grand scheme of things.   Here is another way to look at it.  When Paul Ryan was 20, he was active, atheletic and could run a marathon in 4-hours.  The current occupant of the White House was doing lots of blow and smoking weed in his buddies car.  One was honest about it and one was not. 

Happy Running!

Rick

Ramping Up the Intensity

Total mileage peaked last week at 96, so the trick is a balancing act of maintaining that big base while simultaneously introducing intensity. This week, I had a track work out of 5 x 600 meters at 5k pace (5:44) and on Saturday the plan called for a marathon paced run of 12 miles. Since there was a half marathon on the Grand Prix schedule, this was a perfect opportunity to get in my run and complete another race on the circuit. It was a nice morning, a bit on the humid side, but nothing that would effect my pacing strategy. The trick was not to all out race this thing, but be aggressive enough to make a good showing. In that regard, I think I ran a successful race. I went out a fast pace (at least compared to how I usually go out) and maintained a very comfortable 6:44 pace through mile 4. There was a major hill at the 4.25 mile mark, so my pace dropped to 6:54 for mile 5. At the halfway point, I was done with running easy and chatting with other runnes and decided to open it up a bit. Mile 6 was just under 6:30 and that is the pace for the next couple of miles. I was hoping that I would be able to comfortably get under 6:15 pace for the last 4 miles, but the course moved to a bike bath, that was very cruvy and hilly and broke my stride and concentration. I did manage a a 6:19 mile 13, but nded up with a a 1:26:44 time, good enough for a 3rd place AG finish and 15th overall. I ran just shy of 19 today on very tired legs. I am looking ahead to some more intense track work this coming week along with a lot more racing. It is truly crunch time and this is where a sub 3 hour race is made. I am still feeling good with where my fitness is and remain confident that I will nail this thing. Happy Running!

Monster Week Not So Scary Afterall

Yes, week 11 is in the log book and even though I did not hit every work out as well as I would have liked, it was big success. I had some big mileage numbers to hit and accomplished that and set a weekly PR of 96 miles! I thought about a short 4 mile recovery run to hit the century mark, but after a few hours of yard work, I am done for the week. A 100 mile week is cool, but not that important in the grand scheme of things. What was scary about this week? Well outside of the heavy, heavy mileage there was a 12 mile run on Firday, with 7 at HMP followed by a 25 miler on Sunday with no recovery day in between. I did not quite hold HMP pace on the tempo run, but did get thought the 25 miler today and even had gas left in the tank to tackle a few hours of yardwork later in the day. Normally, I would be in a napping/comatose state for the rest of the day, but luckily I remained menatally and physically sharp all day. I think that's a good sign. So, looking ahead to week 12 what do we have? Some 600 meter intervals on Tuesday, 19 miles on Wednesday, a half marathon on Saturday and 18 miles on Sunday. Piece a cake right? Happy Running!

It's Haftime

I've completed 10 weeks of my 20-week plan.  The body is still holding up well, but am feeling a little bit fatigued today.  Wasn't a high mileage week, but did get in some speed work including my 6x800 meter workout on Wednesday morning.  I was shooting for a 2:50 average, but that was a bit too optimistic.  My average was 2:53, all done with 3 minute easy jogging between intervals and  part of an overall 10-mile run.  After watching the Olympians run 800 meters in 1:40 you realize just how slow you really are!

I need a good recovery day today and get myself ready physically and mentally for the 2nd half and week 11 in particular.  This is one of the most key weeks of the entire program.  There are 94 miles planned with strides, 800 m intervals and a half-marathon pace tempo work-out all on the docket.  Following week 11, I get to measure my fitness with lots of racing.  Rochester Half-Marathon, Victory 10K, City of Lakes 25K and Old SOD Days 8K, all within a 30-day span.  I'm really looking forward to getting out there and doing some racing.  I don't think I can all out race all four, so I still need to choose which ones I am racing and which ones will just be used as key work-outs.  My showing last year in the COL 25K was terrible, so sometimes my body decides for me.

The Olympics were great fun.  The men's marathon was a bit of a let down from an American standpoint; even though 37-year old Meb had a great race.  Not sure Ryan Hall has what it takes to compete internationally.  Usain Bolt was hands down the most impressive and dominant athlete of the games and I really admire the way Allyson Felix runs.  She made all here races look very easy.  Mo Farrah was phenomenal as well.

Happy Running!
Rick

Speed Intro

Well, here we are in week 9 of my 20-week plan for the Des Moines Marathon.  I mentioned last week that the I built the foundation over the first 8-weeks and starting the next cycle with close to the same mileage, but introducing some speed work into the mix.  Nothing to crazy in week 1, the only speed specific work-out of the week was today's 20 miler with 12 of them at or below marathon pace (6:52 or better).  It still takes me a mile or two to find that rhythm, but once I was locked in, I was locked in.  I even managed a 6:44 mile 17 and a 6:42 mile 18.  I did the work-out on a flat trail, but it is all gravel, which definitely slows me down a bit.  This was a confidence building work-out as I felt very good afterwards and had some gas left in the tank.  In addition to this work-out, my GA (general aerobic) runs for the week were all a notch or two faster than in the first cycle.  In the first 8 weeks, these GA MLR's were hovering around 8:30 and this week I was dropping below 8 minute pace for most of these miles.  This is a very good sign.  Looking at my running log from last year, I was missing these quality runs because of some severe plantar fasciitis, but all systems go so far this summer.  Plus, we had a big break in the temps and humidity, which was truly appreciated.

Looking ahead to next week, I see a slight drop in mileage, but some 800 meter work-outs on Wednesday.  I'll try to run these (6 of them) in 2:50.  Certainly not blazing Olympic kind of speed, but will definitely be a challenge.  Then in week 11 the mileage gets ramped back up again, with 94 miles planned.  I may make the attempt to break 100, but only if I think my body will hold up.  No sense in trying to make some arbitrary mileage goal and risk injury.

So, things are still looking up and I am hoping that October 21st gets here very soon.

Happy Running,
Rick

The Foundation is Complete

I am through 8 weeks of high mileage and base building, so now I will turn my attention to maintaining that mileage base while I adding some more tempo and speed work outs. August and September will be filled with specialty work outs and racing. As of right now I have a half marathon scheduled for August, a 5k, 10k, 8k and 25k are on the docket for September. Most of my Tuesday runs will be very fast intervals, replacing the longer tempo and progression runs that I have been doing. I am looking forward to this next phase. My fitness level is high and I remain injury and niggle free. Last week's calf issue was much ado about nothing; needless to say I remain very positive I raced twice this week. Thursday night was the Rice Street Mile, where I ran a 5:27, which was over 12 seconds faster than last year. I went out a little fast, logging the first quarter mile at a 5:15 pace, but I settled into a more comfortable pace in the middle leaving enough for a good kick at the end. Saturday was the Run for Blood 5k. I was a little frustrated with the organization, but I did manage an 18:12, good enough for an AG win and a overall finish of 10th. Happy Running!

Okay, So Why am I Doing This?

It happens every training cycle, a day or two of exhaustion and the questioning of my sanity.  I enjoy running the vast majority of the time, but with the high miles, warm temps and stifling humidity, you can get a little overwhelmed.  That happened this week on Friday.  I was in the middle of a near-90 mile week and had just completed a 14 mile run that morning.  My right calf was very sore, and I was totally wiped out the rest of the day.  I left work a little early and "napped" from about 3:30 to 7:15.  I had some dinner and was back to bed about 10 and slept until 6:30.  Now that is a lot of sleep, but that and some iron supplement had me functional again for most of Saturday and also for my 21 miles Sunday morning.  Thankfully these mental and physical setbacks are short-lived.  I am happy to report that the calf pain was gone for today's run and even though I didn't run fast, I did manage a very consistent pace from beginning to end, which considering the conditions was a victory.

It also helped that I did a little gear shopping on Saturday.  I had a gift card burning a hole in my pocket, so what better way to pick myself up than with a canary yellow singlet and matching yellow and gray Nike Pegasus.  I'm such a slave to fashion!  Sounds silly, but the new colors seemed to help today!

Lastly, I have some racing to look forward to this week.  I haven't raced since the end of May, so that can be another reason my running my have been getting a bit stale.  Thursday I'm racing the Rice Street Mile, where I hope to break 5:35 and Saturday is the Run for Blood 5K where I am shooting for a 17:59.  Both are a long shot as I will be doing them on tired legs, but then on the flip side, my fitness has never been better.  I just need to be careful and not injure myself. 

Another big mileage week coming up, where I may set a mileage PR of 95 miles.  If the calf and Achilles show any signs of pain I will back off, but that is what is currently on the schedule.  It sounds like we may get a slight break in the weather department, so that will be a welcome relief.

Happy Running!

Rick

Birthdays, Fish Sauce, Deck Fires and Oh, some Running

It was eventful week-end in the Larsen household.  My baby girl turned 17 on Saturday.  I know it sounds terribly cliche, but how did this happen?  It certainly takes place in a blink of an eye.  She is wonderful young lady and I couldn't ask for a better daughter.  Malena is kind, compassionate, smart, funny and a little bit feisty. (Okay, a lot feisty!)  She spent the day with friends getting manicures/pedicures, lunch, shopping etc and we celebrated her birthday on Saturday night, nothing elaborate, just burgers on the grill, movie night (The Gray) followed by cake and presents. 

After presents, we all started to notice a strange smell in the kitchen.  It took us a few minutes, but finally realized that the bottle of fish sauce I had in the fridge and been knocked over and was leaking all over the kitchen floor.  For those of you not familiar with fish sauce, yes it smells that bad!  As we were cleaning this up my daughter says, "I mean really, who keeps fish sauce in their house anyway?" while glaring at me.  Hey I didn't hear her complaining when she was enjoying my delicious spicy curry chicken with green beans, which always contains a generous portion of the magical fish sauce.  Of course I never announce that this is a key ingredient, but I can tell you she would notice if I didn't use it. 

So, after getting the fish sauce smell out of the house,  I turn in for the night about 11:00 only to wake up at 2:30 smelling smoke and noticing some flickering lights outside the bedroom window.  I look out the window and the deck is on fire!  Holy crap! I throw on some shorts and grab the garden house and begin doing my best fireman impression.  Somehow the grill got knocked over and obviously the coals were still hot and we ALMOST had a huge catastrophe.  I hosed down everything pretty good and tried to go back to sleep, but it was not meant to be.  It is hard to sleep when your heart is beating a million miles an hour!

Oh, by the way I did make it out for a run , successfully completing week 7, all in one piece.  It was a pretty easy week, but nothing is easy when it gets this warm and muggy.  Here is to a less eventful week.  It going to be a challenging one from a running perspective, so I don't need any more fish sauce catastrophes or fire alarms!

Happy Running

Recovery Week? I'll Take It!

I was glancing ahead in my training log and lo and behold, next week is a recovery week!  I thought I had one more "build week" in front of me, but I'm not going to argue with "the plan."  This week, with the extreme temps and dew points really zapped me.  I completed all the work-outs and hit 80 miles for the first time this year, but it tweren't easy.  It got so bad weather-wise, that Saturday, when it was in the mid-80's, it felt like a cool crisp, fall day!  Because of the weather, I bagged the Excelsior Firecracker 10K (which also because of the weather was changed to a 5K) and my I ran 12 miles very, very, very slow.  I was a sweat-soaked mess at the end, but to go any faster would have been really, really stupid.  I know some other 4th of July races wee shortened as well, the Red, White and Boom Half was changed to a 5-miler and we did not go to fireworks either night. (We usually go to fireworks on July 3rd and 4th)

Well, I'm keeping this entry short, I need to get my nap in and enjoy the cut back week, because week #6 looks a little something like this:

Monday AM - 6 miles easy

Monday PM - 5 miles easy and conditioning

Tuesday - 11 miles with 5 at 6:30 pace

Wednesday AM - 1 miles GA

Wednesday PM - 7 miles easy
Thursday - 7 miles recovery
Friday - 13 miles GA
Saturday - 8 miles with 10 x 100 m strides
Sunday - 21 miles GA

Total - 90 miles - I still plan on completing a 100-mile week this cycle, probably around week 14 or 15.

I think I'll need two naps!

Happy Running!
Rick

One Mesocycle Down and Four To Go!

I have completed my first 4 weeks of training, Mesocycle I, weeks 1 - 4.  Other than feeling a little beat up last week, I think round one was a rousing success.  I came a little shy of hitting 80 miles for the week, but did get in my first 20-miler of the cycle.  I ran it this morning at 6:00 when it was already mid-70's and rising dew points, so needless to say I spent the majority of the run in 1st gear.  I did open it up a bit from miles 14 to 20 and managed to be in the medium-fast range of my GA runs or about 7:45 pace.  I like where my endurance level is right now; this 20 mile run, even in the heat felt relatively easy.  Now, as I enter Mesoccyle II I can build on this foundation and start throwing some more lactate threshold runs.  Should be interesting considering the forecast.  97 temps and dew points of 74 do not make for successful tempo and LT runs.  I may need to take advantage of the treadmill again this week.  Hey, as long as you take it easy, this heat training can be a good thing.  I am feeling like I am right where I should be to get to my sub 3!

So, what else does Mesocycle #2 have in store.  More two-a-days, 80 to 90 miles per week, two MLR's of the 12 and 15 mile variety during the middle of the week and I lose my recovery Saturday.  I can already tell that those 8 and 9 mile GA runs on Saturday are going to be a challenge.  Especially since I am accustom to 6 miles very, very easy. 

This coming week is going to be a big one.  I'm seriously considering running the Firecracker 10K on Wednesday, plus MLR's of 13 and 15 and then round out the week with 18 miles, 10 of them at MP!  Wish me luck, it's going to be a tough one.  Nothing like getting up at 4:00 am to run in some moderate temps!

Here is my song of the week, which has given a much needed boost more than a few times this week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc1syUFmGwU

Happy Running Everybody!

Rick

Feeling Fifty-One, so Please Pass the Fish Oil

Perhaps it was the added stress of my wife's hip surgery this week, but my body felt like it was every bit it's 51-years.  True, I did some fairly aggressive running last week, but I honestly expected to bounce back better than this.  It may be just a placebo effect, but I cranked up the fish oil intake and the old joints started to feel much better.  I'm a far cry from "well-oiled" but getting there.

I also fell way short in the mileage department this week.  I intended to do a modest 16 mile easy-paced tun today, but because of my nursing duties, I had to go later in the day.  The heat did not get to me, but the huge serving of chips and salsa I consumed a couple of hours before the run caused me great discomfort.  Again, I seem to forget I am 51; I used to be able to do things like this.  This was the closest I've come to puking while running, ever.  So, I shut it down after 6 miles and plan on doing my long run on Monday.  I still managed 61 miles for the week, but the plan was to be hitting 80 miles per week by now, so I got some catching up to do.

I've been watching some of the Olympic trials, but to be honest, it is entertaining, but not very motivating.  Watching the world-class middle distance guys just makes what I do, seem kinda silly.  Don't get me wrong, I will continue to be "silly" for as long as humanly possible, but I don't like to be reminded of it.  Also, too much diving.  Not silly, but truly boring.

Kristen's hip replacement surgery was a rousing success.  She is getting around remarkably well and appears to be on the recovery fast-track.  At least she is smart enough not to eat a ton of salsa before her physical therapy.

Happy Running!

Rick

Dis, Dat and the Other Ting...

For those of you who don't get the title of this week's blog post, you are obviously not fans of the classic T.V. show, Gilligan's Island.  It relates to my week because nothing big of happened, which is good in marathon training circles.  You can't have major breakthroughs week after week, and on the other side, you don't want major breakdowns.  Slow and steady improvement is the name of the game.  So, I finished week two without incident, capping off with a 16 mile LR with half of it averaging below MP.  All but the last mile seemed effortless, so fitness test number one is an A-.  Finished with a mileage total in the the mid-70's and plan on breaking 80 miles this week upcoming before I go in to a cutback week.

Enjoyed a great birthday and Father's Day.  I am really enjoying my Bose headphones and also got a slick, Ipad cover and stand.  Weather was great for running, and am very happy with how this 51-year old body is responding to the training. 

I would also like to congratulate a couple of Running Room Marathon Clinic Alumni who had successful races this week-end in Duluth.  Jess T. set a massive PR at the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon with a 1:42 and change.  A little over a year ago he started running and is already running a 1:42 half.  Pretty amazing.  Stan H set a marathon PR at Grandma's Marathon at 51 years old, cruising in at 3:36.  Wow! Congrats to both of you!  Well done!

Also, good luck to Kurt J. this week as he goes in for knee surgery.  Looking forward to getting back on the trails with you for some mid-week runs.  Speedy recovery!

Finally, while my running goes well, my thoughts will be focused on my wife for the next couple of weeks.  She is having hip replacement surgery on Wednesday and we are hoping for speedy recovery.  She is looking forward to getting back to doing things she loves, figure skating, yoga and dance.  She deserves to be living pain-free again and am excited to see her get her life back.  Love you!

Happy Running!

Rick

Volume I, Chapter 1, page one....

My 20 week plan is underway.  I've decided to break down my plan into five, 4-week segments.  To steal a phrase from Pfitzinger, I will call them mesocylcles.  All that means is a mini-plan within a bigger plan.  Sounds cool, though.  So without further adieu I give you Mesocycle I, week 1 and days one through six.  It was a rousing success.  I nailed my first 70-plus mile week and feel energized and ready for more.  Now, come see me at Mesocycle III, week 2, day 4 and I may have a different tale to tell!  This week included 3 two-a-day work-outs, a MLR on Friday, a speedy tempo run on Tuesday and a 16 mile progression run today, starting at 9:00 per mile pace and finishing at 6:41.  I was looking at my blog posts from last year and about this same time in 2011 I had a similar post, some nonsense about feeling giddy about my running.  It must be the first warm days of summer that does strange things to your brain.  Whatever is causing it, I'll take it and go with it for as long as possible. 

Thanks to the neighbor's obnoxious dog, I was up at 4:45 this morning!  Who lets their dog out at 4:45 am?  Anyway, it turns out to be a blessing in disguise.  I'm on the trail at sunrise and had a wonderful running moment, listening to Ray Lynch while running the trail along Lake Minnetonka.  Perfect easy 6 mile warm up before I got into the meat of my workout.  I'm not much of a meditative/Zen kinda guy, but this is probably as close as I'll ever get.

I'll need those Zen-like influences today.  Of course, in the middle of a major June heatwave our AC goes out, followed soon after by our refrigerator.  We had some meat in the freezer that we didn't want to throw out, so we stuck that in the crock pot and let it cook all night.  What a combo, hot, stuffy house and a crock pot full of meat cooking all night.  Not quite a what you read about in the Feng Shui books.  I call it Hillbilly Feng Shui.  

Happy Running!

Rick

Doin' a Little Inventory before Go Time!

Alright, here we go again.  20 weeks to race day  Training officially starts tomorrow.  Time to take a quick inventory of where I am at right now and where I need to get to.  In terms of fitness, I am really close.  Keep in mind I only missed my goal last October by 137 seconds.  Since then I have completed a partial training cycle (before it was derailed by life) and have also set PR's in the 5K and half-marathon.  I am very confident that one more, well-planned and well executed training cycle will get me to sub 3-hours.  So, before I begin, where am I at and what needs to happen?

Mileage base - slowly and smartly build my base back to an average of 80 miles per week and a peak in the mid-90's.  I should be there in 30 days, leaving 16 weeks for speed work and fine tuning.  I'm not worried about this phase as I am feeling good and not averse to some long slow miles.  I currently have no injuries, not even a niggle and I plan on keeping it that way.

Fitness level - highest it has been in a long time.  Again, be smart about the miles and I should be ready to kill this.  I'm not going  to get too hung up on gym work-outs.  I don't get a lot of benefit of weight training, but I do enjoy a light workout now and then.  Here are the numbers, resting HR of 42, BP this morning of 111/78 and post run weight of 159.  I want to try to keep that weight there, but it always drops to the low 150's no mater how much I eat.  My 5k pace is 5:50, 10k pace is 6:04 and HMP is 6:28.  According to all the calculators I am a 2:57 marathon guy!

Gear - I am still debating what shoe to run the marathon in.  I am running almost exclusively in the Brooks PureConnect, a very minimal shoe.  I have run many 16 to 20 mile runs in these with no ill effect, so maybe they will be a good race day shoe.  Need something light, flexible and cushioned.  Need to work on this.

Diet - wow, does this need to change.  I really have let this go in the past month or so.  Way to much beer, sugar and refined/processed crap.  I just have to remind myself how good I felt last summer when I virtually eliminated this from my diet.  So, that being said, I think I will enjoy my last pale ale tonight for the summer and begin to fuel this body properly.  I am not against a little indulgence every now and then, but it needs to be kept to a minimum

The Plan - based mainly on the Pfitzinger 85 mile plan, with some easy miles added to the mix.  Most weeks will consist of doubles on Monday (both easy) speedwork on Tuesdays (9 to 12 miles) doubles on Wednesday (again, very easy) recovery Thursday, MLR on Friday (9 to 15 miles) recovery on Saturday and LR on Sunday (17 to 24) with monthly MP runs.

Racing - I do have some tune up races planned.  The usual MDRA Grand Prix series, my hometown's 5 miler (I have defend my title) and I plan on throwing in a couple more 10k tune-ups in there.

Intangibles - mentally I feel pretty good.  Looking forward to the plan and am positive.  Work schedule continues to be a b***, but at some point I need to let some of this stress go.  Stress is my enemy right now and a man can only work so many hours in the day.  I plan on being better organized this year.  I realized that I waste too much time every morning rummaging through gym bags looking for clean socks, my Garmin or nutrition.  I need to get up in the morning and get out the door.  Lastly, I think I need some good ol' fashion Rocky Balboa type motivation on a semi-regular basis.  I tend to approach these training cycles in a very methodical and rational way.  Nothing like a little corn ball type motivation to make this a little more fun!

Concerns - nothing to major.  Really, the only things that can get in my way are my work schedule and an unforeseen injury.  Some fatigue and the occasional GI will improve with the diet change.  I just gotta stay positive and motivated. 

Wish me luck!

Happy Running!

Rick

Rarin' and Ready to GO!

My Des Moines Marathon training cycle doesn't officially start for a couple of weeks, but I am ready to get this rolling.  I raced the Brian Kraft 5K this morning and set another PR, beating last year's time by 24 seconds!  I ran an 18:07 with mile splits of 5:52, 5:50 and 5:49.  I knew I had a good shot at sub 18:30, but I was surprised I came as close to 18 as I did.  Now I have a sub-18 5K on my mind!  A 17:XX would look good on the PR line.  Racing is going well and as long as I stay healthy and don't do something stupid, I have a great shot at sub-3 in the fall.  I love to plug my new times in the MacMillan Racing Calculator to see what time it will spit out.  New MacMillan time is now just north of 2:56!  Woohoo!

The crazy heat continues to raise havoc with people's marathon times this spring.  After pulling the plug on Green Bay last week, Madison was cancelled a week before race day.  The Rochester Med City Marathon went on as planned, but not without extra medical staff and water stops.    I am not a good heat runner, but know enough to cut back the pace significantly when the temps get over 70 and the humidity is over 80.  Good luck to all the runners out there and stay safe.  This is supposed to be fun, remember!?!

Happy Running!

It's Official...

I was pretty fired up over my performance in the New Prague Half-Marathon last week-end, so fired up I signed myself up for the Des Moines Marathon on October 21.  It is official, as I have plunked down my entry fee, made hotel reservations and pre-paid for the pre-race pasta feed.  I am, as the kids say these days, "all in."  Well at least, I think that's what the kids are sayin'!  Also,  I have recruited a roomie and running cohort for the week-end, sparing my wife a week-end excursion to Des Moines.  Looking forward to this, Kurt!    Why Des Moines?  Well, outside of a smallish hill from miles 4 to 6, it is mostly flat and/or downhill.  It is late October, so the weather should be moderate AND it is inexpensive.  I am super excited about this sub-3 attempt and looking forward to officially starting my training in early June.

I am glad that I didn't sign up for the Green Bay Marathon, which was held (partially) today.  It was 68 to 70 at the start (warm, but not dangerous) and they stopped the race at 9:25 with the temps in the mid 70's.  Seems like they pulled the plug too early, but there were reports that the medical tents were getting overwhelmed.  Really?  You are a little over two hours into a run in the low to mid 70's and you need medical attention?  Humidity must have been higher than reported on Weather Underground.

A non-eventful running week for me.  I'm in maintenance mode for the time being, but I do plan on racing the Brian Kraft 5K on Memorial Day.  A flat, fast course and I will attempt a sub 18:30.

Happy Running!

Nothing So Satisfying Like a PR at 50

I have to admit, I couldn't wait to write this post.  I'm very excited about my New Prague Half Marathon results; not only was it a massive PR, but as a fitness measurement it demonstrates that I finally am within striking distance of going sub-3 in the marathon.  Let me indulge myself with a brief race report:

As all of you local Minnesotans already know, yesterday was a picture perfect day; one of a handful we get every year.  The race started at 8:00 and the temps were a a comfortable 49, dry, calm and sunny.  I was feeling good at warm-up, but not particularly confident.  I was determined to go out fast and hold on for as long as possible.  I tend to go out on the half too conservatively, so I was going to get to goal pace (6:30) as soon as possible.  Of course, the first two miles were 6:45, but lots of hills, so not too bad, but I was a little mad at myself for being so careful.  It wasn't until mile 5 that I recorded my first sub 6:30.  This course has no big hills, but is one medium-grade hill after another.  Steep enough to slow your pace going up, but not too steep to stop you from really flying down the other side.  So it would be 6:50 going up and 6:12 going down.  I hit the halfway point at 43:30, which was kind of disappointing and was thinking that a 1:25 was not going to happen.  I took a gel at mile 7 and something happened.  The next few miles were going to get faster and faster.  Mile 7 was 6:26 (blah) mile 8 was 6:22 (WTF) mile 9 was another 6:21, mile 10 was 6:19.  Now here is where it really gets good.  I hit the 10 mile mark at 1:05:21 and realized that I needed a sub 20 5K to make my goal.  I can remember that running a sub 20 minute 5K was an admirable goal in itself, now I was about to attempt this within a half marathon!  I knew at that point I could do it.  I passed a guy and asked him, "are we going to break 1:25 today?"  He thought I was being a smart-ass and kind of grunted at me, so I moved on.  Mile 11 was 6:23 (uh-oh this isn't going to be as easy as I thought) and hilly mile 12 was 6:26.  Damn this isn't going to happen after all.  But mile 13 is a downhill, so I opened up with everything I had and ran a 6:05!  I could see the finish line and the time read 1:24 something!  I was about to break 1:25!  I ended up with a 1:24:45 (6:28 pace) 3rd in my age group, 10th overall and a brand new PR at 50.  Cool.

I've been at this sub-3 quest for a long time.  Building off of each previous training cycle, learning by my mistakes and logging lots and lots of miles.  Just one more smart and injury free training cycle and I can finally do this!

Happy Running!

Rick

Rock and Roll Running

I started out my week with a little bit of self-motivation.  Sometimes this is needed when you switch from an evening running schedule to early, early mornings.  Nothing like a little Ramones to get the blood pumping on a Tuesday morning at 4:30 a.m.!  It was a great 10 mile tempo run and I really enjoyed myself.  This worked so well, that I used the trick again for my Thursday 12x400 work-out.  System of a Down is just the right mix of speed and anger to get you through a tough work-out like this. 

Then of course there was the news of the death of Adam Yauch on Friday.  Beastie Boys is always a welcome companion on many of my runs and I added a little more than usual to my week-end runs.  Now, I'm a 50-year old suburbanite and probably have no business listening to hip-hop of any kind, but I just can't help myself; the music is too darn fun.  Licensed to Ill came out in 1983 and at the time I was manager of a local video arcade, so many of the mall rats were listening to Beastie Boys.  At the time I had not time for such nonsense.  I didn't know what it was and figured it was only for angry 15-year old boys. (Which it was!)  Over the years I've started listening to them and found them to be more than obnoxious, punks simply trying to shock concerned parents.  Pretty talented dudes.  The fact that they were still relevant 29 years later is testament to this.  Anyway, RIP Adam Yauch.

Happy Running!
Rick

Six Point Two is Fun!

With my marathon plans on the back burner, I have to divert my running energy to shorter races, namely the Get in Gear 10k and the New Prague Half Marathon in May.  These will provide an outlet for my running needs and provide a perfect bridge from my current marathon no-man's land to the official kick off of fall marathon training in June.

The Get in Gear was yesterday.  The days leading up to this race, including race day morning, were terrible.  I had no motivation and was very close to opting out Saturday morning.  I was extremely tired and irritable, but I had already paid the race fee, so I didn't want that to go to waste.  I drove to Minnehaha Park (in the sleet) parked about a half mile from the start and began my jog to the festivities.  It was cold and wet, but the weather was the least of my worries.  My warm-up jog was horrible;  I felt tired, run down and my foot hurt.  I checked my Garmin and I was laboring to maintain an easy 9:00 pace.  What am I even doing here?  What a waste of time!  I made it to the porta-potty line and jogged back to the van to shed my warm-ups.  My legs had loosened up and I felt a little better, but now I was having some GI issues and by the time I made it back to the start, the bathroom lines were too long and we are only 10 or 12 minutes from go time.  I continued my warm-up with some strides and was feeling much better.  In fact, in my warm-ups I was easily able to ramp up to 6:20 pace.  I heard someone call my name and it was Stan, from my marathon clinic.  I felt much better by then; chatted with Stan a bit, did one more set of strides and got to the starting line.  I thought I was close to the front, but when the gun went off I found myself stuck behind a bunch of slower runners, blocking traffic. (They start the half and the 10k together)  Things loosened up after a half mile and I checked my Garmin; 5:58!  Wow, how did that happen.  I settled in to a comfortable effort and finished mile 1 in 6:05.  I did not push in mile 2, as I knew that going across the Lake Street bridge was going to be a windy, cold challenge.  Mile two was 6:04, all is good and still am not laboring.  Made it over the bridge and the first set of hills without too much damage and mile 3 was 6:12.  Pushed just a tad on the hilly, east side of the river and managed a 6:08.  I ran mile 5 very conservatively and was pleased to see a 6:02 split here.  I spied a couple of people in my age group and passed them about half-way through mile 6.  I felt fresh and brand new crossing the Ford Bridge and mile 6 was 5:58.  Yippee!  This is fun passing people!  I ran the last two tenths at about a 5:30 pace and finished in 37:54, a full 1 minute and 15 seconds faster than last year and only 5 seconds from a PR (which was on a mush flatter and faster course)  Boy, am I glad I decided not to bail!  One thing I did differently in this race was to really focus on my cadence.  I've been reading that good runners have a cadence of 180 and elites up to 190 or more.  Every few minutes I do a quick cadence test, just to make sure I am at 180 and I find my pace quickens and with less effort.  I'm rather tall and gangly, so a quick cadence is kind of a challenge.

So, I'm pleased with my current fitness level and like where I will be at come my new marathon training cycle in June.  As long as I can stay injury free and build on the great foundation that I have created over the past two years, my sub-3 is well within reach.  Des Moines, here I come!

Happy Running!
Rick

Tune-Up Week

I ran pretty fast this week, a tune-up week of sorts before the Get in Gear next Saturday.  I'm signed up for the 10K and am pretty confident I can crush my time from last year (39:09) but am rather dubious that I can PR; kinda depends on the weather.  If it's cool like today, then we have a chance, but long-range forecast looks a little on the warm side.  It's a fast course, so 38 should be doable.

I ran 17 miles today and was able to crank out half-marathon in under 1:30 out in the trails.  I ran 12 miles consistenly around 6:45 pace, so I am feeling pretty good about my fitness right now.  I felt a little beat up by miles 16, but all signs point toward a pretty good half-marathon perfomance in a few weeks.

Looking ahead to the fall and I have my eye on a few marathons.  Des Moines looks pretty flat, with only a couple substantial hills early.  It will be nice to get the hills out of the way early rather than fighting them at mile 21 or later.  Whistlestop in Wisconsin looks like a good race as well, but the trail is all dirt, so may be a little slower than Des Moines.  Plus Des Moines is so exotic.  Hey, I can visit George the Chili King after the race!

I got schooled by one of my marathon clinic participants this week.  I have been introducing various interval and tempo work-outs every Thursday and this week I decided to pace each of them to see how fast they could run a mile.  Figured it was a good fitness test.  Stan was the last runner, and we agreed upon a sub 7 pace to start and see how much below that we could get.  We hit the lap button and Stan was off like a Hussein Bolt!  Now I can run several sub six miles in a row, but I really suck at going from really slow to really fast that quickly.  We were at a half mile and my Garmin was reading 5:56!  Holy crap Stan, what the hell is this?!  We settled down to a 6:20/6:30 pace and then he fired it up again in the hills and dipped down to 6:00 again.  I finally started to settle into this pace about three-quarters of the way in and we ended up around 6:20.  If you are reading this Stan, nicely done!  I didn't pace Stan, Stan paced me!

Happy Running!

One Big Fartlek

Now that I have written off any spring marathon plans, I can be so much more free-wheelin' with my running.  For those of you not familiar with the term "Fartlek," it is a Swedish term meaning speed play.  It's basically unstructured, unplanned interval work-outs.  If you are running down a trail, you eyball a fir tree a half-mile down the road and try to get there in 3 minutes.  Or you may be running in Uptown and decide to run as fast as you can until you pass the pair of hipsters walking ahead of you (just to avoid the cigarette smoke).  You get the idea.  So anyway, that has been my week.  I did lot of easy trail running, but mixed it up with some pretty speedy road work.  Tuesday I ran 11 miles, 5.5 easy and realizing I was running late for work, I raced the 5.5 back in well under MP.  Pretty much did the same thing on Friday and today, I ran 15 miles, my pace ranging as slow as 8:45 and as speedy as 5:45.  Good fun; fartlek; try it sometime.

I mixed it up pretty good on the music front as well.  I still listened to my regular stuff, but just for laughs I dug out INXS' "Kicks" album.  I think I was in my early 20's when this came out.  It really sucks; does not age well at all and I ended up skipping over most of it for more "grown-up" music.  Not that this is grown-up in any way, shape or form, but I want to get a rise out of any of the AC/DC fans who may happen to read this blog.  Blackburner's "Back in Black" Dubsteb.  Awesome!  Pretty hard not to run you 5K pace to this! (Make sure you listen at least until 1:02)  Great with fartlek!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJQRGi7rDX8

Happy Running!

Marathon Orphan

Well, I continue to train with pretty high mileage, even though I am not signed up for a marathon, nor do I have any intention of doing so anytime soon.  I've resigned myself to running a fall marathon and focusing my efforts on some of the shorter races of the Grand Prix Series.  I need to make up some points anyway and hopefully my training will pay off with a PR in the 10k coming up in a few weeks. (Get in Gear)  I'll also will run the New Prague Half Marthon in May and again shoot for a PR there as well.  This should be enough to keep me motivated.  I think I'm in good enough shape to run a sub 1:26 half, but we shall see. 

Had a good, but unenventful week of running.  Ran a few good marathon paced miles within my long run, but pretty much took a step back and ran for fun.  Weather continues to be perfect for running.

I hope everyone had a good Easter.  We had a very nice Easter dinner in Hutchinson with my mother-in-law and her boyfriend, Don.  They are a cute couple!

Happy Running!

Getting My Bearings

Last week was a tough week.  A marathon didn't seem important and really not much else did either.  After reading some of your nice messages (thank you everyone) and having some time to reflect, things seem a lot better today.  I still don't have a goal marathon planned and not because I don't have the time to train. (I'm still doing a lot running)  It's just that for me to run and train well I need to be totally focused and committed.  I certainly have been in no state to focus and looking back at my behavior over the past several weeks and months, I could see there were some "issues."  My diet sucked, I was working too much, not sleeping enough and I felt plain lazy.  These are bad in general and deadly when trying to train for a sub 3-hour marathon.  I was setting myself up for a big crash.  So, I'm giving myself some time to get my bearings and get myself centered again.  It's all good.  Besides, quitting something I find such great satisfaction in, is not going to help my son.  If he does return to us for help, I need to be happy and healthy, not full of bitterness, anger and disappointment.

So, how did my running go, you might ask?  Pretty good, actually.  I continue to have super-fast and quality work-outs on Tuesday night.  Not really sure why Tuesday is the magical night, but I won't question it, just go with it.  Lot's of easy miles during the week and another medium long run on Friday night and good 19-miler on Sunday.  Just for kicks, at the end of my 19-mile run I wanted to see how fast I could tun an 800 meters and came in at 3:03!  Not too shabby!

Micah True, a.k.a. Caballo Blanco died this week.  He was the ultra-marathoner featured in the book "Born to Run."  He ran the Leadville Ultra in the 1990's where he met the Tamahamara (Raramuri) Indians from Copper Canyon, Mexico.  He would spend his winters in a small adobe hut with the Raramuri and simply run.  He went out for a 12-mile run on Wednesday and did not return; his body was found yesterday.  R.I.P.

"If I were to be remembered for anything at all, I would want that to be that I am/was authentic. Run Free!" -Caballo Blanco

 

Happy Running!

Sometimes Life gets in the Way of a Good Training Plan

I try to stick to running in this blog, but sometimes there is so much non running stuff going on in one's life it is very hard to ignore. In fact there is so much going on I feel the need to put my marathon plans on hold. So, anyway, here is what is going on: Some readers of this blog know my son and the struggles he has had with drugs and alcohol over the past few years. His behavior had become such that we asked him to leave our house. He has been on his own for two,oweeks now; we don't know where he is now, but have heard that he is couch surfing. For those of you that pray, I would appreciate you including my son. Also, my wife visited with her surgeon last Friday and looks she will be having some hip surgery in the near future. With hospital stay and subsequent recovery time, it won't work to have one third of our household doing an inordinate amount of running training for a goal. "Sorry dear, I would,love to drive you to physical therapy, but I have a 12 mile tempo planned! Maybe next time?" Also, the company I started working for a little over a year ago is in major acquisition mode. I am not complaining, this is a good thing, but I can see some 60 hour weeks in my future. To add injury to insult, I was on my Sunday run and at about mile 12 I felt what I thought was a rock in key shoe. Stopped,to check it out, but no rock. Limped my way home and tonight it still feels like I have a lump on the bottom of my foot. Weird. Happy Running! (I mean that) Rick

Becuase of  the churches on Summit Avenue, the St. Paul Human Race traditionally has a late start, late as in 1:20 in the afternoon.  In a typical March this a good idea, but with temps in 80's it makes things a little tough.  We've been used to running in the cold or indoors so there was no time to get used to these summer temps.  Depsite the heat I had a pretty good race, not making my "A" goal, but easily making my "B" goal and a big, fat PR of 30:12.  Winds were gusty, but not really a factor.  I managed mile splits of 6:08, 6:02, 6:06, 6:10 and the final .96 in 5:46 (it's a easy downhill to finish!) 

Today capped off a pretty high mileage week of about 75 miles, including a 12-miler on Tuesday, a 15-miler Friday and about 17 total today.  After the race I got a chance to do some nice easy miles along West River Road.  I really enjoyed it and brought back some memories.  This used to be my usual running route when I was an urban 20-something, instead of a suburban 50-something.

This week I plan on getting back into the 80-mile weeks, along with some more tempo work-outs and some marathon pace miles on Sunday.  It's going to back to early morning runs from here on in, especially with these crazy temps.

Uh-oh, just got a text from my daughter.  "Can you run with me?"  My body really isn't up for this, but how can I say no!  Looks like I'll be close to 80 for this week afterall.

Happy Running!

Streets of San Francisco (not a Quinn Martin Production)

Had a couple of memorable runs this week.  I was in California for work and was able to run some awesome trails in Napa and did my long run in San Francisco on Saturday.  Talk about great hillwork; I managed 15 miles, running to the Golden Gate Bridge and back, ran through Chinatown and ran up and down Powell Street hill, twice.  Awesome.  Because of the travel, I missed a day, so my weekly totals were a little light, but I needed a step-back week anyway.  I had an speedy Tuesday night run at the Metrodome.  After two miles warm up I ran 2 miles at marathon pace, 2 miles at 6:40 pace, 2 miles at 6:30 pace and 3 miles at 6:12 pace.  Once again; awesome!

I return to racing this week, with the St. Patrick's Day Human Race 8K in St. Paul.  Up and down Summit Avenue and it is a really fast cours.  My PR on the is 30:24, so lets see if we can't break 30 minutes.

Crazy weather here in Minnesota.  I ran in San Francisco and Napa in shorts, but had to wear a hat and gloves.  I just got back from my recovery run and ran in shorts, t-shirt and NO HAT OR GLOVES.  Looks like more of the same for the rest of the week.  Looking forward to racing again!  Woohoo!!!

Happy Running!

Quality Workouts!

I am very happy with my work-outs this week.  After a recovery run on Monday (post 22-miler on Sunday) I was back at it at the Metrodome on Tuesday night.  After a mile of warm up I quickly settled into my marathon-pace and held it there for several miles.  It was kinda tough as they had the heat cranked up in the dome and it was very stuffy, hot and dry.  After about mile 7, I started to pick up the pace an finished the rest of the run in the 6:30 to 6:40 range.  Felt relaxed and in control the entire run, so I was very pleased, especially after only two days off from my long run.  Wednesday was 10 miles easy with run club and my daughter, Thursday was recovery and Friday night was a nice relaxed 12-mile GA run.  Did another recovery run Saturday night and went into Sunday morning's work out a little tired.  Did some hillwork with Malena (nice work by the way Malena on Christmas Lake hill) for the first 5 miles, ran mile 6 at about 8 minute pace and then ran marathon pace (6:52) for 12 miles and part mile 13.  It felt quite easy to get to 6:52 pace and had do hold back a little.  I reached downtown Hopkins with about 7 miles left and decided to open it up a bit.  I managed a couple of 6:40 miles, but was fighting a slight wind and still a few icy patches left on the roads and sidewalks.  So anyway, I managed 19 miles total with 12+ miles at Marathon-pace, just what Mr. Pfitzinger prescribed.  I'm nothing, if not obedient!

So there you have it, 75-mile week, with 3 quality work-outs and I'm feeling pretty darn good.  I have to admit that I have been totally lazy when it comes to nutrition and post run work-outs.  I'm taking a little different approach this cycle and not getting so hung up about always eating the right things or working out 4 times per week.  I want to get back to running for enjoyment and I felt like I was depriving myself of a little too much.  So, occasionally I'll eat at MacDonald's or have some cookies that someone has left in the break room.  Everything in balance?  I figure that I'll run better if I'm happy, right?

I will be in San Francisco next Saturday, so I plan on doing my long-run as a running sight-seeing tour of the city.  I really enjoy San Francisco and am looking forward to the run.  Great place for some hill work-outs.

Happy Running!