2014 Review and 2015 Goals

I am very thankful for another pretty successful running year.  Most importantly, I knocked off a couple goals, stayed healthy and enjoyed every minute of it.  Here are a few specific highlights:

• Set a PR in the mile with a 5:17
• Set a PR in the 5k with a 17:35 on my 53rd birthday
• Set a PR in the HM with a 1:21:22
• Set a PR in the FM with a 2:53:58
• Set a total mileage PR, ending up just short of 3,300 miles
• Came in 5th in the Minnesota ROY standing

I also was able to coach my daughter to a successful first-time marathon.  It was my favorite highlight of the year.  Seeing her cross the finish line at Twin Cities with a big smile on her face and knowing that I had a small part in her success was great.

2015 will be a tough year to set goals.  I think I am pretty maxed out at most distances.  I am fairly certain I don't want to add miles and also pretty sure my body would rebel.  So, what's next?  I think I have one more marathon PR left in me, so the Moose Mug (running 2 hours plus your age) is still compelling, but I may sacrifice the mug and risk a blow up by really going for it and trying to break 2:50 this fall.  If I can stay healthy and get the miles in, I think I have a shot.

As far as the mile training goes, because of the most recent circumstances, the holidays and the track being closed, I haven't done the quality or quantity of running to maintain, let alone build on any fitness.  I think I can still run a decent mile, but a PR is not likely and anything even close to sub 5 is out of the question.

Happy Running,

Rick

The True Meaning of Perseverance

We lost a tough lady today.  Long distance runners often talk about running tough, working through the pain, persevering.  The toughest runner on the planet ain't got nothing on my Mom.  I'm not just talking about the past few years, when she faced some extremely difficult physical pain.  I'm talking about a Mom who lost a son in 1977, a wife who lost her husband way too soon in 1991, then to lose another child, a daughter to cancer in 2007.  Then she faced her own health problems.  Beating breast cancer, twice, then being diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma about 6 years ago, which along with its unique health issues was the cause of her needing major reconstructive hip surgery.  Through all this heartache and pain she persevered, never complaining, never feeling sorry for herself and always positive.  The way she handled adversity was a great influence on me.  I can't fathom what she has gone through, but when things get rough for me, all I need to do is remember my Mom's attitude.  She never cared to talk about herself, but she could have written a book on toughness and facing adversity.  We will miss you.  Love you Mom.

This Ain't Easy

After about a month of training for the mile, my mind and body revolted. I blame Thanksgiving.  Both mind and body enjoyed the holiday week and when I tried to get back into another week of intervals from hell and laborious strengthening sessions, they said not now.  It took taking 3 days off for my body and mind to finally give in.  Tuesday night was the worse.  Normally my track work out.  I got a good night's sleep the night before and didn't do a MLR on Sunday, so was thinking I could get my 800x2 at 2:30 in the books.  I didn't even make it to the track.  I got dressed and kept telling myself that I was going to do this, but just before I was about to leave, I said "screw this", ate dinner and went to bed!  I slept 9 hours that night and have felt pretty good since.  I even managed a time trial on Friday night, where I ran a 5:28 mile as part of 6 mile run.  A far cry from 5, but somewhat encouraging.  

Less than a month to go until race day, so I can still regroup and salvage a decent time.  I've decided not to force the issue, this is supposed to be a fun hobby and I had certainly drained all the enjoyment out of a good run.  I will still try to get my intervals done, but heck, if I want to run 7 with my daughter, or an easy 8 with a friend that's what I will do.

One good by-product of this mile experiment is my attitude towards gym work outs.  It is certainly changing the way I run and I have found that committing 60 minutes per week is no big deal. Running fast feels more natural than ever and hopefully I won't have to worry about lower back issues once I start ramping up the miles.

I am looking ahead to 2015 and starting to plan out some of my running and racing goals, always one of my favorite things to do.  Should have the list done by next week.

Happy Running!

Rck

Running Takes a Backseat to Turkey

The mile training took a hit this week, victim to the Thanksgiving holiday. There was lack of motivation, tons of food and the local High school track was closed; that all lead to some missed work-outs. The week started out fine, nailing my Tuesday track work-out logging 4x400m in 1:16, 1:14, 1:14 and 1:15, all with about 2 minutes easy jogging between intervals. But after Turkey Trotting on Thursday and the subsequent stuffing of the face, it was all downhill. I ran everyday, but with vey little quality. I threw in some intervals and hills over the week-end, just to make up for it.

 I continue to be disciplined with my gym workouts and feel stronger than ever. I also have gained 12 pounds since my October marathon. I am pretty skinny anyway, so it's no problem, but it's gotta be slowing me down some. I keep eating the same, but am only running half the miles! 

 Six weeks until race day. Still not overly confident I can pull this off or even come close for that matter. I am enjoying this experiment nonetheless. 

 Happy Running,

 Rick

Five-Minute Mile Update

Well, I am about a month in to my training for the sub 5-minute mile. I wish I could say there has been enormous progress and that I am very confident that I can do this on January 12th, but that would be a lie. Don't get me wrong, there has been progress and I have been working hard and I am still going to go for it, but this 53-year old body doesn't respond or recover all that quickly. 

I have been going to the gym religiously 3-times per week, adding weight and reps each week. The core is stronger, as are my hips, glutes and legs. Even arms and upper body feel stronger. I can now do 6 pull-ups and could only do 1 a month ago. I've noticed the change in my running; a month ago when I tried to hit 12 mph, I felt out of control. I'd compare it to a car being out of alignment; everything is fine until you hit 65 or 70, then everything starts to shake uncontrollably! Anyway, back to the work-outs. The 20 minutes consist of leg lifts, hip crossovers, crunches, planks, spider planks, push-ups, lunges, bicep curls, Roman chair, suspended leg lifts and leg holds, squats, leg press and pull-ups. I am trying to get to a mental state where I enjoy this routine. I think I may be getting there. 

The running is another story. I am used to the higher-mileage, lower intensity stuff. Now its 40 plus miles per week with loads of intensity. As I mentioned, the biggest improvement is in my control. I can now run over 800 meters at 4:59 pace and it doesn't feel like an all out, herky-jerkey, out of control sprint. Don't get me wrong, it ain't easy and the idea of running two of them consecutively seems absurd at this point, but it's better. My first week, I ran 8x250m, all of them at or just slower than 5-minute pace. About a 3-weeks later, I managed to get all of them done at a 4:59 pace. The trick now is to do more than 8 and shorten the rest between intervals; currently it's about a 2-minute jog between each hard run. The 4x400m work-out is another story, where I am stuck at a 5:08 pace. This is pretty much a mental barrier that I need to get around. I just recently started with the 800 meters and this past week was encouraging, even though I bailed on the scripted work-out. The plan called for 2x800 meters at/or around 5 minute pace. The first 800m was a success, coming in at about 2:31. After about a 2 minute plus recovery jog, I started the second. Sub five through the first 250 meters but at 400m, I had slowed to a 5:15 pace and had to bail to recovery mode. After recovery I did 400 meters at 1:30, recovery, then 200m at 37 seconds and threw in some 100m strides. I was gassed. I have 7 weeks to go and this is the longest I have been able to maintain this routine without losing interest. We shall see if I can keep it up. Happy Running! Rick

Chasing Five Minutes

Every year I say it and 2014 is no exception. Post Twin Cities Marathon, after a little break, I get the urge to train for the mile. I mean really train, weight training, hours at the track and lots of painful speed. I have an A, B and C goal. Goal A is a biggie; run a sub five minute mile! Sounds like it will hurt; alot! Goal B is sub 5:10, which sounds only slightly less painful. Goal C is a PR of 5:16, which I managed last summer on the track with no specific mile training.

So, when is the race and how do I get there?  My goal race would be Meet of the Miles at the U of M Fieldhouse in January.  I run it every year and my fastest time was 5:23, so obviously I have my work cut out for me.  The worst part of racing at the Fieldhouse is all the dry, dusty air.  By the end of the race, your lungs are raw, followed by a 30 minute coughing jag.  They supply a load of cough drops, but the dusty air is too much.  I digress.  I have 10 or 11 weeks to prepare.  I have been reviewing some on-line plans and most of them seem way too light in the miles.  I realize this is a only a mile, but maintaining my well earned endurance is important to me.  The rough outline for the plan will be something like this; 40 to 60 miles per week, strength training 3 times per week, running drills twice per week, 200 to 800 meter intervals at 1 mile/5k pace twice per week and lots and lots of hills.  Honestly, I really think this will be more difficult than an 18-week marathon plan.

I've penciled it all out and here is what a typical week will look like:

• Monday - 4 to 6 easy with 30 minutes strength training
• Tuesday - 6 to 8 miles with 8 x 200 meters in 38 seconds
• Wednesday - 6 to 8 miles with 30 minutes strength training
• Thursday - 4 to 6 miles including running drills
• Friday - 6 to 8 miles with hills and hill sprints
• Saturday - 4 to 6 miles with 4 x 800 meters in 2:50
• Sunday - long run of 8 to 12 miles with hills

I have already started.  Yesterday, after a brief warm-up, I did 20 minutes of strength training.  Push ups, pull ups, Roman Chair, leg press, upper body free weight, planks and leg lifts. Than I finished up on the treadmill, running at a 9% grade for 4 minutes twice. Today I hit the track and after a couple miles warm up, I ran 4 x 400 meters, all in 1:24 or below.  I ran about 2 minutes easy between sets.  My running was controlled and breathing easy.  The goal is to get these 400 meters down to a 1:15 pace in 30 days, all at a controlled, manageable pace.  

Let the pain begin! Happy Running! Rick

2014 Twin Cities Marathon Race Report

What a perfect day for a marathon!  Almost too perfect, as I was kind of guilty of a rookie mistake today, going out too fast.  I had a good, restful taper and that coupled with the 37 degree temps meant a fast start.  Mile 1 was 6:22!  Oops!  Luckily there is a hill at mile 2, so I dropped back down to a more sensible pace.  I kept holding back, every mile, but most of my splits were 6:32, 6:33, 6:28, 6:30 for mile after mile.  It all felt so effortless and I have to admit, I got a little cocky.  Instead of taking my foot off the gas, I went for it.  I hit the half at 1:25:40, which was a full minute faster than what I had planned.  I slowed a bit on West River Road, I had developed a huge blister on the top of my left big toe and it finally popped at mile 16.  With that out of the way, I was back on 6:30 pace for mile 17.  I thought my goal was in the bag and was thinking I could get this sucker down to 2:50, then it hit me.  By mile 19, I had slowed to 6:45 and I hadn't even hit the hills yet.  I refocused at mile 20 and ran another 6:35, which was encouraging.  Mile 21 was the first hill and I maintained a 6:46 pace.  The goal of 2:52:59 was still alive.  Mile 22 was bad, not even breaking 7 minute pace.  I thought I would bounce back at mile 23, but there was not much left.  I finished the last 3 miles in 6:58, 6:42 and 6:58.  Final time was 2:53:59, 1 minute short of my goal, but 1 minute faster than last year and a new PR!

After crossing the finish line, I looked down at my left foot and my pretty lime green Brooks shoes had a big blood stain across the toe box.  After further examination, the blister popped and all the skin from the top of my toe peeled back.  It was not a pretty sight.  Of course, I proceeded to show the entire family!  

I ran a pretty good race, but the highlight of the day was watching my daughter complete her first marathon.  For better or worse, I coached her through her first training cycle.  Not only did she finish with relative ease on low mileage training, but she negative split her first marathon.  Twin Cities is not an easy course to do that and on her first time nonetheless.  Congrats to a very special young gal!

Now for some well-deserved time off!

Happy Running!

Rick

2014 Twin Cities Marathon Traing Cycle Recap

I am in full blown taper mode and of course, I can feel every ache and conjure up every racing demon imaginable.  I'm too tired, too old, too slow, over-trained, under-trained, dehydrated, knees suddenly start hurting, back is sore; wait, is that a cold coming on?  Surely must be bronchitis. So,  I always find it comforting to look back at my training log to stifle some of the paranoia.  Wow, did I really run 100 miles back in August in the heat in humidity?  Did I really spend an entire week-end trail running? Wait, I set a massive PR in the half!  So, after reviewing, here is what this training cycle looks like:

• 131 day running streak averaging 12.5 miles per day or 87.5 per week.  This was almost exactly what I ran last cycle
• 51 days with doubles
• 12 runs of 20 miles or more (non-doubles)
• 17:35 PR in the 5k
• Sub 37 minute 10k
• 1:21:48 PR in the half marathon
• 5:17 PR in the mile

I have run virtually injury and pain free.  I was beset with the usual amount of fatigue, which seems to get worse with each passing year.  If I cheated even a bit this year, it would be in my usual mid-week long run.  Last year I was able to log 2 or 3 solid 15 milers on Wednesday, and this year I was more likely to do 18 to 20 as part of a double.  Also, in general, a lot more doubles this year than last.  I raced more this year than last, using races as a substitute for quality training runs.  To be honest, I didn't do one MP training run during one of my weekly long runs.  

I feel ready to go and I only have to let the taper work its magic.  The A goal this year is a Moose Mug, which is under 2 hours plus my age, 2:52:59.  The B goal is a PR, so 2:54:57 and there is no C goal.

Time to Start the Weather Stalking!

Never am I so acutely tuned in to the weather forecast then the two weeks before Twin Cities Marathon.  We have been blessed to with amazing weather the last two years, and this summer in general has been very kind to us runners.  You then start to think, that's somethings got to give.  The extended forecast says 38 for a low and 53 for a high and sunny, which if calm would be an almost perfect day.  Well, I will be wearing out the refresh button over the next two weeks, agonizing over every weather detail.

The taper began for me about 30 minutes ago.  I just finished up an easy 17 miler today which capped off a cut back week of about 76 miles.  A little less than planned, but I had to scrub a recovery run early in the week.  I had a craptastic track workout on Tuesday.  The plan was to run 6x800 meters at 5k pace, but was unable to break 3 minutes on any of them.  It's almost impossible to get this old body moving at 5am.  I did redeem myself however on Saturday, running a 17:59 5k at Eden Prairie HS.  Good enough for 2nd place overall, 1st place AG and $50.00 to boot!  

Well, the mileage is in, the tune-up races are complete, it's now time for the taper do work it's magical powers!  

Happy Running!

Rick

Last Big Week is Done!

This was my last big week of the cycle and I wanted to make it count.  I was coming off a week of two races, so I thought it would be best to just concentrate on mileage for the first part of the week and avoid any chance for injury.  My half marathon effort on Sunday took a lot out of me, so I needed all of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to recover.  Even though I logged over 42 miles, they were all slow and easy.  Thursday I felt it was safe to throw in some work outs, so I did what I call my garbage run, which is a little bit of everything.  After a warm up, I run down Vinehill and attack every hill.  This leads me to the high school where I do 8x100 sprints, just to air things out a bit.  This is followed up by a steady tempo run on Excelsior Blvd where there is a steady uphill for about a mile.  I finish up by running up a Wild Wings, which is a very short road with about a 6 or 7% grade, which I sprint up 3 or 4 times.  It's then about 3 or 4 miles home, which I run easy.  Not the most scientific or structured work out, but I get bored with the same old routines and this helps to break things up.  I was tired on Friday and was on the fence in regards to racing Saturday.  I went to bed Friday night and did not turn on my alarm.  I told myself if I woke up with no alarm before 6 I would race, if after 6, no racing.  Well, I was up and feeling rested at 5:30, so it was off to Waconia to run the Nickel Dickle 10k.  I warmed up and lined up to race with just a few minutes to spare.  We went out fast, 3 young guys out ahead, me running with a friend and some young local cross country kid.  We hit the the split at 18:20, pretty fast, then the hills started.  The kid stuck with me and the 3 front runners began to fade.  I told the kid to get get em, and he finally heeded my advice at mile 4.  I had a good race finishing the very short course in 36:12 for a 3rd place finish overall

I will cut back this week and race one more 5k, just as a tune up.  Taper has finally arrived and I am really looking forward to resting and then getting after it on October 5th"

Happy Running!

Rick

PR Alert!

What an amazing week!  It started off with Monday's Victory 10k.  My A goal was sub 37 and I came up just a bit short with a 37:02.  Felt pretty good, probably went out a tad too fast (5:49) then lost concentration on mile 2 (6:05). I was pretty much locked in to 5:58 after the small hill on mile 3.  The remainder of the week was uneventful, in a good way.  I logged in all the miles that was on the plan, hitting over 90 miles once again for the week. I was well rested for today's City of Lakes Half Marathon and since the weather was good, I felt like I had a shot at a PR.  I normally don't race these too well.  I tend to go out too easy and treat the race as a progression run, not the best strategy, leaving a lot of time on the course.  Today was different.  I wanted to average around 6:17 pace and didn't waste any time.  I went out fast (6:17) and held that pace for the entire race.  My fastest mile was 6:07 and my slowest mile was 6:18, for me a perfectly run race.  Final time was 1:21:38, which is a 6:14 pace and a nice shiny PR!  Last mile was a second faster that the first mile.  It took me awhile, but I think I finally figured out this distance.  Haven't seen the official results yet, but I think I placed 4th in the old guy category.

Okay, only 4 weeks until Twin Cities Marathon.  I will be doing one more week of big mileage in week 15, back off slightly in week 16 with some more tune up racing, then the well-deserved taper begins in week 17.  Today's race was a nice confidence booster, showing me that I have a good shot at my goal pace of 2:52:53 on October 5th.

Happy Running!

Rick

Race Week!

I am looking forward to racing this week.  I've been disciplined about piling on the mileage and now is time cut loose a little.  I ran 7 easy this morning and hope to have relatively fresh legs for tomorrow's Victory 10K.  A sub 37:30 would be nice, to beat last year's time of 37:15 would be great and a sub 37 would be awesome.  The rest of the week will be devoted to maintenance mileage because I get to race again on Sunday.  The City of Lakes Half Marathon in next on the docket.  This race was normally a 25k and always been hit or miss for me.  Last year it was good, running sub 1:40, but the year before I averaged 6:55 pace.  I would like to run a 1:22 for the half.

I logged 85.5 miles this week, which puts me just short of 400 miles for August.  I may go out for an easy recovery jog tonight, just to put me over!  Not much quality to speak of, the last of the Como Park Relays were Wednesday night and my contribution was not good.  My mile splits were 6:19, 6:11, 6:07 and 6:12.  Yikes.  I did a light progression run on Tuesday, and 9x600m hills on Friday and paced my daughter to a 20 miler on Thursday night.  We had a great time and it is always fun to run in Minneapolis after sundown.  It really is a beautiful city.  Well-done Malena!

Happy Running!

Rick

Speed Focus - Only Six Week To Go

After weeks and months of piling up miles and miles and miles, it's now time to fine tune.  I was  hoping to begin this past week, but with dew points in the 70 to 75 range and coming off multiple 20 milers, I just couldn't get my body to move very fast.  I did recovery runs Monday, then a half-hearted progression on Tuesday (8:30 to 7:00), recovery with Como Park Relays on Wednesday, where I ran my 5x1k's at around 3:45 pace.  As a team we finished in 37:30.  I was fading big time on the last leg.  I tried another progression run on Thursday (8:30 to 6:30) which was better, but did it on the treadmill because of the T-storms and extreme dew points.  Did my long run on Saturday, which was my 3rd 20-miler in 8 days.  I have to admit, I am really getting sick of running on tired legs, every run feels like a slog.

So, with 6 weeks to go, I need to trust that the endurance to run a 2:52 marathon is there, and now focus on intervals, tempos and racing.  This is good timing as I have the Victory 10k coming up on Labor Day followed by the City of Lakes Half Marathon the following Sunday.  Goals are sub 37 and sub 1:22.  So that means a cut back in mileage this week, a mini taper for the 10k, and will probably will forgo anything over 20 miles for the next two weeks.  I am sure that my legs will thank me.

Happy Running!

Rick

Eventful Week!

I nailed another high mileage week, adding another 94.2 to my growing total.  Not a ton of quality, but it felt pretty effortless which a really good sign.

I ran the Como Park Relays again this past Wednesday.  This week was 6 x 1 mile and my partner and I ran all of them between 5:59 and 6:12.  My splits were 6:09, 6:02 and 6:01.  As I said last week, this is a tough course, not all that hilly, but really lumpy.  I never feel secure and the last thing I want to do is turn my ankle this far into my marathon training.  I enjoyed some watermelon and cookies with my Wednesday night running pals.  A really nice evening.

My daughter had a rough go of it last week during her long run, so I volunteered my services as pace monkey for her first 20 miler this week.  She nailed it!  We had to get up at 4:30 am and were out the door by 4:45.  It was a beautiful morning and outside of an emergency bathroom break and a frantic cross country trek over a scary looking railroad trestle, it all went according to plan!  Well done, young lady!

I also had a running/camping trip planned.  I simply locate an interesting campsite, set up camp and run as much as possible.  53 miles of week-end running!  Bam!

I really feel the need to focus on some quality this coming week.  Como Park Relays are 10x 1k, I plan on running a 1:30 half at some point this week, then finish off my weekly 20 miler with a handfuls of miles at MP.  Not sure how many, I have to see how my body feels.

Happy Running!

Rick

Well Deserved Cut-back Week

After several 90 mile plus weeks and last week's effort over 100, I decided to give myself a bit of a break.  My legs and my brain really needed it, plus, I had a key race on Sunday.  It was the MDRA 15k, the only race at this distance that I am aware of, so I didn't want to miss out.  My plan called for 18 miles with 10 at MP, which sounded boring, so the race plus a warm up and cool down was the perfect replacement.  It was humid this morning , but not too warm, no reason not to just let it rip. I ran the race last year in 59:48, coming off a back injury, so I was hoping for something closer to 59 flat this year.  I went out easy, too easy I thought at the time, clocking a 6:34.  Turned out this was a wise strategy, as the humidity would take its toll later in the race.  I stayed easy for the first few miles and handled the long hill at mile 3 pretty well.  After the hill I got to work, reeling in miles of 6:12 to 6:16.  All seemed pretty effortless, but I have to admit that the last mile was pretty miserable.

Also, ran the Como Park Relays on Wednesday night.  We finished the 8k race in 30:53, which wasn't too bad considering the hilly and very lumpy cross-country course.  I was the weak link on the team, as my legs were still shot, from last week's high mileage.

Very happy with the week and where I am at fitness wise.  The fact that I ran the 15k close to 40 seconds faster than last year is definitely a good sign.

Happy Running!

Rick

Hitting the Century Mark Plus Unsolicited Gel Review

Wow, what week!  I was over the century mark for the week, but the highlight was pacing my daughter to a successful finish to her first half-marathon race.  Since it was her first race, we decided to play it safe and go out nice and slow.  The miles were clicking by and she was all smiles and chatty through mile 8.  She experienced a little IT pain at 9, but she was still not laboring, so we decided to let loose on the pace.  The final four miles were the fastest and we had great fun passing many of the people who were suffering from going out too fast.  (274 to be exact) A smart race and a very successful race.

I found a new flavor of nutrition this week that I couldn't pass up, Salted Watermelon from GU.  There are several brands of gels out there, all of them pretty much the same, just slight variations on the base recipe of sugar, refined starch and flavorings.  Personally, I prefer the Power Gels, just because they have a thinner consistency than most.  Certain brands are like choking down a 7 ounce package of frosting.  So I sampled two new gels on my long run today, lets start with GU Salted Watermelon. This flavor is part of their Rock and Roll series.  I consumed this one at mile 10 and I have to admit it was pretty good.  I would have preferred a little saltier, but it was pretty spot on with the watermelon flavor.  No problems in the stomach, but I didn't experience much of a lift.  There was no caffeine.  The second gel was the the Honey Stinger Acai Pomegranate which they boast as being organic.  This was the tastiest gel I have ever had.  This one had a little zip to it, a good consistency and a healthy dose of Green tea extract, which gave me a much needed boost at mile 15.  I experienced a noticeable lift from this one and will definitely use again.

The week was a big one, with 100.1 miles, a 1:33 13.1 on Tuesday, hill sprints on Friday and a 22.6 mile run in some nasty humidity today.   I will back off on the mileage this week and do some racing.  It's the Como Park Relays on Wednesday night and the MDRA 15k on Sunday.  If the weather is good I hope to run a 59 something.  

Happy Running!GU Salted Watermelon

Easier Said than Done

I had every intention of adding some in some real quality this week, I mean I had this 90-miles per-week thing down pat, so it shouldn't be too tough, right?  Things started out pretty well on Wednesday with the first test, the Aquatennial Torchlight 5k.  It was a beautiful night in downtown Minneapolis, so me and 6,000 other people lined up to race the parade route.  I was ready to race, but after a few strides, I experienced a wardrobe malfunction.  The elastic in the liner of my favorite racing shorts gave out.  Keep in mind these are short shorts and it was very difficult to focus on  racing, when I was worried about flashing thousands of people along the parade route.  All went well and I even finished with a decent time of 18:09.  I still wanted to work in a progression run, but both attempts on Thursday and Friday were major fails.  The best I could do was a mile or two at marathon pace.  I did bounce back nicely on Saturday with a 20 mile plus run in the humidity, mile 20 being the fastest of the bunch!  So finished the week over 90 miles again and since I ran my long run Saturday, I had a 7 day stretch with 101.4 miles!  So, lets get rested up and work in some real quality this week.

Happy Running!

Rick

T-Minus 11 Weeks!

Wow, the summer is flying by!  It certainly has been ideal running weather, so far.  Early morning temps in the 50's and 60's are a real luxury.  With the exception of Monday, this coming week looks to be more of the same.

I slightly increased mileage this week, maxing out at 94.4, but ran some real quality runs.  I am going to attempt a sub 1:30 half marathon every Tuesday morning; this weeks attempt came in at 1:33, so I have some work to do.  It's hard to get those legs moving at 5:20 am!  My last few miles were at around 6:30 pace, so it takes a little time to get everything loosened up, but the speed is there.  Second quality run was Friday's 10 miler, where I threw in 5x 1 mile intervals at 6:15 pace.  I hope to have those down to 6 flat by mid September.  Capped off the week with a 21 plus long run, which was very slow and because of the high mileage and my legs were toast.

I need to rest up and run easy the next few days, so I am ready for the Torchlight 5k indowntown Minneapolis on Wednesday night.  This should be fun, starts at the Basilica and ends at the Stone Arch Bridge, with free beer!  Hoping for a sub 18 finish.

August will be a busy racing month, with the Como Park Relays every Wednesday and the MDRA 15k.  Can't wait to get this started!

Happy Running!

Rick

Time for Some Speed

Four weeks in a row of 85 to 90 miles have left the legs a little beat up, the tank near empty and frankly, a little bored.  This was a necessary phase and I'll see the results come race day, but it was getting a really old.  The legs have forgotten how to turnover, which was quite evident in my mile race attempt at the fairgrounds this past Wednesday.  I tried to go fast, and was successful for the first quarter, (1:15), but after that I felt clunky and out of balance.  It was like my aerobic system was ready to go, but I just couldn't get the legs to keep up.  The 2nd quarter was a miserable 1:22 and I was never able to get moving again, finishing in a disappointing 5:25

The only cure for this is to introduce a bit more track and tempo work back into the mix.  I have been doing progression runs every Tuesday, but they have been modest attempts at best, and my other quality run has been devoted to hills.  So the plan is to run a 13 miler every Tuesday with an average pace of 6:50 and Thursday will be mile repeats every other week, with hill sprints on the off week or race week.  Time to get those legs use to going fast again!

Finished off the week-end with a camping trip with my daughter, where I logged almost 42 miles in trail running from Friday to Sunday, running 3 times on Saturday!  Legs are shot!

Happy Running!

Rick

Yeoman's Work

The big mileage weeks continue.  Again, nothing fancy, nothing fast, just simple, good old-fashioned hard work.  It looked a lot like last week, but my Tuesday progression was noticeably faster and I threw in a 6:20 mile at the end of my 12 miles of hills.  Otherwise, I was pretty much south of 7mph for most of my running.  Today I ran 21 plus and didn't/couldn't break 8:30 pace.  It was like running in the jungle with the extremely high dew point.  I am just glad I got through it.  I did tack on some cheap tenths at the end, just so I could break 90 for the week.

Next week, I take a step back, race on Wednesday and then go on a camping trip, where I can do some nice leisurely trail running.  Things get serious starting on the 26th with the Torchlight 5k, which leads up to the Como Park Relays, which are every Wednesday night n August.  Best value in the Twin Cities.  $3.00 for a timed cross country relay event!  What a fine tradition.  I think this is 50 years.

Congratulations to my daughter on competing her first 16 miler.  She is well on her way to a solid finish at Twin Cities Marathon!

Happy Running!

Rick

Miles, Miles, Miles...

Last week was the no frills week.  This week was more of the same, still no frills, but more miles.  In fact, I hit 90 for the first time since last September.  I have to admit, this is one of the worst parts of the training cycle.  Lots of slow, hot and humid miles and not a lot of racing or quality running.  My body is barely getting use to the mileage, not to mention the temps, I am constantly feeling rundown, tired and more often than not , thinking about a nap.  It doesn't last long though, by mid July I start to come around, speeds pick up, I race more and start to feel like my old self again.  The fatigue usually comes back in August, when the combination of big miles and quality take its toll.

This was was week 4 of my 19-week training cycle for Twin Cities Marathon.  I am on schedule, and apart form the aforementioned fatigue, all systems are go.  Looking forward to testing my fitness in July at the Torchlight 5k and the Richard Hoska Mile.  August brings the Como Park Relays then September is Victory10k and City of Lakes.  Here is to staying healthy and embracing the challenges ahead.

Happy Running!

Rick

No Frills Week

This week was simply a mileage week.  I had no races or planned quality runs, but just tried to log as many miles as possible without hurting myself.  That was a challenge, because just finding a small window to get outside when we were not being thrashed with crazy thunderstorms, was surprisingly difficult.  I was doing 9 on Wednesday morning, the weather radar said I was good until 8, but the last 30 minutes was in a torrential downpour, with lightening strikes all around.  Streets were flooded and I was getting kind of freaked out.  Made it home safe, but some folks in the neighborhood are now probably questioning my sanity.

So, the mileage total was 86.4, and included in that was a 12 mile tempo/progression run, some hills on Thursday and a 19.16 miler today, which was my longest run since October.  Everything feels pretty good, but I don't think I could have raced well if I needed to.  I plan on resting up and adding a bit more quality this week, probably some much needed hill sprints.  Lets hope the weather holds out!

No racing until July, when I have the Torchlight 5k and the Richard Hoska Mile.     

Congrats to all the Grandma's runners.  Sounds like weather wise it was another winner.

Happy Running!

Rick

5k Fun

I had another good week of high mileage running.  April was 60's, May was 70's and June is all 80's.  will that mean 90's and 100's for July and August?  What does that mean for September then!?  Lets see if the body can hold up.

I continue with the very slow paces, barely breaking 8:30 on the vast majority of my miles.  I will continue with this strategy, mixing it up with as much racing as I can fit in and afford.  This week I found a local 5k on Saturday, so at the last minute decided to sign up.  I didn't recognize anybody, so assumed this was truly a fun run.  Just before the race was to start some younger lads made there to the start.  They knew each other and it sounded like they were some decent college runners looking for a joyride.  We want out fast, about 5:25 pace, then quickly settled into a 5:45 pace.  I was working, the young guys we chatting, planning their weekends!  Through mile 1 it was down to me and 3 others.  The pace still felt right, so I fell behind the other 3 and stayed on their heels.  After mile two they put a little distance on me, but I still felt that I could catch them if need be.  With a half a mile to go one of them bolted, leaving me with just the other two fellas.  I waited until there was about a third of a mile to go and put the hammer down and ended up with a 2nd place finish overall and a new PR of 17:35.  That was a very sweet 53rd birthday present!

Happy Running!

Rick

Now That is More Like It

I finally made it, my first 80 mile week since September of last year!  Throw in a quality run on Tuesday, hill-sprints on Thursday and a 1-mile race today and you have yourself one helluva a week.  My body held up well, thanks to the slow and gradual build-up, I got plenty of sleep and I feel ready to do it all over again this week!  I still need to find a race this month, just to test my fitness.  A fast, flat 10k course would be nice.

The mile race today was the USATF Mile Championships at Hamline University.  I was in heat number #4 and finished with a 5:16.  I was in a relatively fast group, so had some people to chase won.  Felt good enough to pass 3 or 4 guys on the back straight, but did not have enough to catch my two speedy teammates.  Well done guys!

I was reading through some old posts and saw that it was 4 years ago this week, that I ran the Minneapolis Marathon.  The time of 3:17 was not significant, the comments I made about the race were.  I had my first marathon with a negative split.  In fact, mile 26 was the fastest mile of the race.  This was the breakthrough I was looking for after numerous crash and burn performances.  Post- race I was excited, rejuvenated and ready for more.  So happy that 4 years later I feel the same way.

Happy Running!

Rick

Slight Stumble Out of the Gate

Week one is complete and I was fired up and looking forward to a big, eventful week.  I was going to nail a 5k PR, hit my first 80 mile week and generally start things off with a bang.  The 5k went well (18:08) but that was 20 seconds off last year.  I am guessing my low mileage and the 94% humidity had something to do with it.  I went out fast (5:45) but suffered a big fade, running a 6:03 mile 3.  The mileage goal was not achieved either, despite 4 days with double digit runs and a 17 miler Sunday.  A Wednesday business trip destroyed and entire day; leaving my house at 5:30 am and returning 10 PM, all for a 3 hour meeting!  Oh well, there is plenty of time for big miles.

Only one race scheduled for June so far.  The USATF mile at Hamline is next Sunday, which is the replacement for the storm cancelled TCMile in May.  Running on the track should be fun.  Make way for us old guys!  Need to find another race or two to round of June.

Happy Running!

Rick

Pre-cycle Inventory

I am a sucker for lists and plans and I love the kick-off portion of a new training cycle.  This one in particular is very interesting for me, as I have spent the past few months building and building on my base.  It's exciting to know that I will be comfortably running 80 MPW right out of the gate, with 2 to 3 quality runs to boot.  I have big plans this summer including a 36:30 10k at Victory, a 1:22 half at City of Lakes, running all the Como Park Relays and capping everything off with a 2:52 Twin Cities Marathon!

So, where am I at now.  Well, tomorrow's 5k will give me a fitness gauge, but I did just come off a 1:23:15 half on low mileage, so things are looking good.  I weigh in at 156, so I already close to racing weight (152).  I have been averaging around 65 mpw over the past few months, so feel ready to jump into the high miles.  Mentally, I am excited and ready to take on the challenge of 2:52, not even close to burnout, which is key.  Physically, everything is good, no injuries and aches and pains are at a minimum.   So, what needs improvement?

• Mileage - easily fixed, when I start doing my 8 to 15 mile MLRs on Wednesday.  Also, I have  been skimping on my LRs, which will change this week, running 16 to 22 every Sunday from now through late September.
• Sleep - big problem, I need 8 plus hour a day.  Since I have to get up before 5 and my employer does not allow naps, I need to go to bed around 9!  That rarely happens, so I catch up on the week ends.  Not ideal, so it's early to bed and early to rise for this old man.
• Diet - I am getting better and better at this, but still have some work to do.  I think some decent menu planning should do the trick.  I tend to wait until I am starving, then just shovel it in, whatever we have lying around!  Not ideal.
• Quality runs - I think I found the solution to mixing in quality runs; lots of racing.  This is not a problem here, there are always are lots of cheap races to take advantage of, not to mention the aforementioned Como Park Relays in August.  Flexibility is the other key, be ready, willing and able to run anytime and anywhere.  It's never too early in the morning or too late at night.  Lastly, I will continue to run with others, which is great motivation to get up and get moving.
• Balance - there is lot of other stuff going on, take advantage and enjoy the summer.  

Calm Before the Storm

This was a week of good mileage (70 miles) but no quality at all.  My training cycle starts soon, and after a busy spring of racing, I needed a little rest.  I think next week will be a repeat, capping off with a 5k race, then we get serious.  I think in week one, I will shoot for 80 plus miles right out of the gate, including a race and hills for quality, and an 18 miler to cap things off.  Time to get busy!

I had some extra motivation this week.   I received and e-mail from the Twin Cties Marathon on Monday telling me that based on some of my race times, I have been given a professional athelete entry into the USATF Masters Marathon Champioships.  How cool is that?  I get a comped entry, get to hang out with the elite runners at packet pick up, go to a pre-race meeting, free meal the night before and access to the elite tent at the start and finish.  I have no delusions of placing as a master, that would require a 2:20, but I have a very outside chance of placing in my AG, which would be a stretch, but competely awesome.  I would probably need to run a sub 2:50.  Gives me something to shoot for!

Happy Running!

New PR at New Prague!

My racing streak continues, finishing up my mini-training cycle with the New Prague Half Marathon.  I like the profile of this course, with its gently rolling hills, but hate the fact that it is always very windy and that most of the course is out in the middle of nowhere, with no protection from said wind.  However, yesterday I woke up and all seemed calm.  The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and the wind was still.  Sounds like a PR day!  Got to New Prague early, warmed up with teammate Joe and got down to business.  Went out pretty fast, but when we turned the corner there was that pesky wind, not strong, but enough to effect pace a bit.  Usually the wind is from the other direction and we we have to fight on the way back.  I made a conscious decision not to fight the wind and make up time on the way home.  My splits into the wind looked like this, 6:27, 6:33, 6:30, 6:35, 6:30, 6:40, 6:30.  This was not looking good, but when we turned the corner my splits looked like this, 6:20, 6:22, 6:15, 6:15, 6:13, and 6:04 for a final time of 1:23:15, a new PR by a minute and a half!   

So now, I get to back off for a week, race the Brian Kraft 5k and start in earnest my training for Twin Cities.  I am excited about my fitness level heading into this cycle.  To be able to run a 1:23 half with no real long runs for 6 months is very encouraging.  When I consistently am adding in some 20 mile runs, I will expect to see my times drop even further.

Happy Running!

Rick

From the Streets to the Mud Bogs

I continue to get a lot of racing in this spring along with some great variety of distances.  Last week it was  a street 10k and this week-end it was the Mud Ball 4 mile through Theodore Wirth Park.  A 5 loop course, which meant 5 times to run through the mud bog!  What great fun.  The rest of the course was all trails, with quite a few modest hills and some rough terrain.  Much harder than I thought, finishing with a time of just over 28 minutes.  I am not good at running down steep, rutted trails, and got passed in the last 100 meters, so did not finish in the top 10.  This was the 50th year of the Mudball and so glad I ran it.

I also signed up for the TC Mile, which is basically a drag race down Nicollet Mall on Thursday night.  The exact opposite of Sundays mud run, but should be just as fun.  Can I break 5:30?

Next Saturday is my spring goal race, the New Prague Half Marathon.  I don't feel fully prepared, but if I get good weather, I should be able to run in 1:23 something.  After New Prague, I'll go easy for a week or so, then start knocking off some 80 mile weeks in preparation for Twin Cities.  My base is there, so all I need to do is a a long run on Sunday to hit my mileage goals.

Wow, that's 9 races already this year.  I love that we have so many quality running events in this state.  This is the first time I have taken full advantage and am loving every minute of it!

Happy Running!

Rick

Slow and Steady

I continue my very methodical, deliberate and sometimes painfully slow build up to my next marathon training cycle.  It's a bit frustrating, as I see my 2014 race time improvements level off and drop.  I am not logging the big miles, which I still believe is the right thing to do, but it's hard to accept the fact I may be sacrificing some opportunities to PR.  Yesterday for example, was the Get in Gear 10k.  Perfect conditions and I was rested and ready to go.  I had visions of running a 36 something, but it was apparent early, that this wasn't going to happen.  I attribute it all to the lower mileage.  Still, a pretty good day at the races and good enough for a 3rd place AG finish.  My splits looked like this, 6:06, 6:00, 6:10, 6:10, 5:58, 5:59 and 1:11.

As far as the painfully slow build up, my 2014 is looking like this:

November - 128 miles

December - 168 miles

January - 198 miles

March - 268 miles

April - 300 miles plus (estimate)

May - 360 miles???

When June 2nd rolls around, I will have a very sound base, be relatively healthy and be hungry and ready for the big miles and tough work outs ahead.  At least that's the plan on paper right now.  Two more weeks to my spring goal race, the New Prague Half Marathon.  A couple more 70 mile weeks, race day, then the real fun begins!

Happy Running,

Rick

Shorts Weather at Last

To celebrate the return of warm weather, I bought myself a new pair of Saucony shorts yesterday; already 50 degrees for my Sunday run, the sun is out and the birds were seriously chirping!   Capped off my so-so 70 mile week with a pretty good 14 miler.  I have to admit, that 4 consecutive weeks of racing and back to back higher mileage weeks has left me pretty pooped.  My Tuesday tempo run was a failure and I had no drive in my legs for Thursday's hill workout.  After a good night sleep Friday, I was feeling better, but ended the week with virtually no quality

I will have a new training partner this summer.  My daughter will be home from school soon and has decided to train for and run the Twin Cities' Marathon!  I am very excited for her and look forward to a few long runs.

Good luck to everyone running Boston tomorrow.  I wish I could be there, it should prove to be an incredibly special event.  It will be hard to run with a lump in your throat though.

Happy Running!

Rick

Big Jump this Week

The change to morning running agreed with me!  I had a pretty big week and a successful effort overall.  I managed my first doubles of the season, logged over 70 miles for the first time since last fall and managed 3 quality workouts.

Lets take the doubles.  I can't believe what a difference these make.  Rather than log one easy effort on Mondays and Wednesdays, I get up early and slog through 4 miles or so, then bounce back incredibly for my second easy effort of the day.  Both are very slow and very easy, but the extra miles really aid in recovery.  So, I will continue to do these as much as my schedule will allow.

Then there is the miles.  Of course the doubles helped in adding to the total, but also managed double digit runs on Tuesday, Thursday,  and Saturday.  Apart from some downtime on Saturday, I felt great.

Now race day.  I forgo a full out effort last week at the Ron Dawes 25k for a full blown effort at the Fred Kurz 10 miler this Saturday.  It's a flat course and I thought the weather would be better.  Well, I was half right.  Weather wasn't awful, but an 18 mph wind on the way back to the finish did not make for PR conditions.  I did run well under 1:05 with a 1:04:09/6:25 pace.  I managed 6:18's for the first half,  but slowed to 6:30's on the way home.  The last mile was 6:15.

Off next week, but back into it the following week for the Get in Gear 10k and then a couple of weeks later my goal spring race, the New Prague Half Marathon.  It's been a busy spring!

Happy Running!

Rick

Spring Schedule Change

This is a quite a bit later than normal, but this will be the week where I switch over to morning running.  The 5 am runs still require a headlamp, but with the forecast showing overnight lows ABOVE freezing, conditions should be ideal.  I always like to start my day with a run and am very much looking forward to the change.

Another weekend of racing, but this week I used Saturday's Ron Dawes 25k as an aggressive training run rather than a race.  I ran the first miles at a comfortable 7:15 pace, the tried to get faster and faster on each mile.  The final mile was just under a 6:30 pace.  I finished in 1:48 and change which gave me an overall pace of 6:59.  Same course as last week, featuring lots and lots of big hills.  Next week is the Fred Kurz 10 miler which is flat and I plan on racing.  Hoping for a sub 1:05 that day.

I checked out and tried on the Puma 100 series running shoe last week and unfortunately it is not going to be a suitable replacement for my Brooks Pure Connects.  It's a relatively narrow shoe, but lacks the secure fit I get from the Brooks.  While narrow, it has a very straight last, which makes it too roomy.  Also, my Pure Connects have plenty of cushion, while the Pumas are on the firm side, especially in the mid foot.  They have a similar feel too the Mizuno Sayonara and the New Balance 1400.  I recommend them to anyone looking for a light weight racer, who doesn't mind a firmer feel.  The Faas Foam cushioning is very light and extremely flexible, but not enough cushion/support for this old guy.

http://www.shop.puma.com/Faas-100-R-Men's-Running-Shoes/pna186751,en_US,pd.html

Happy Running!

Rick

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March Totals

After a very slow and sluggish start to the new year, I finally got my March mileage totals into "respectable" territory.  After a recovery run tomorrow, I should be north of 250 miles which is the biggest month since last fall.  It's only going to get better from now until October.  I am looking at 300 in April and 350 in May, which should give me a solid mileage base heading into June marathon training.

I raced again this Saturday, the very hilly and challenging MDRA 7 miler, which I finished in 44:03.  Not a bad time considering mile 5 is almost all uphill and a big, ugly uphil at that.  My pace dropped from 6:10 to 6:43 on that mile!  Respectable finish though, logging the last mile in 5:53.  Capped off my week with a 14 miler in glorious weather.

I am need of a new shoe.  I love the original Brooks Pure Conmect and even grew to love the Pure Connect 2, but the Pure Connects 3 are just not going to cut it.  Where is that track shoe fit?  Gone is the responsiveness and the spring.  It's too roomy and the platform is too wide.  Drat!  I only have a few weeks left in my old shoes, so I need to get to work and find a replacement. I am going to check out the Puma 100 series shoe today and I will be back with a review next week.

Happy Running

Rick

Back in the Racing Saddle

It felt good to get back to racing this week.  I have to admit that going into the first race on such little mileage had me a little worried.  I had visions of me running out of gas around mile 4 and coasting in for the final mile.  So, today it was the Irish Run 8k which is the USATF 8k Championships, which means all the truly speedy old guys show up.  I had no delusions of placing, but I did want to make a good showing for my team.  It was cold today, about 20 degrees, which means a couple of layers, gloves, hat and tights.  Not ideal, but there were a few crazies out there in shorts and singlets.  Not this guy.  After a warm up, I was ready to go and pretty nervous.  This low mileage experiment was just that, an experiment.  The first mile was flat and sheltered, I went out too fast, but reined it in and hit the first marker in 6 flat.  Mile 2 had a tailwind, but has a gradual uphill, so I slowed to a 6:10 pace.  Mile 3 continued with the tailwind, but with some downhill, which felt good and I cruised at 5:57.  After mile 3 we make the turnaround and the wind really sucked.  I worked like hell to stay close to 6 pace, but it dropped to 6:13.  The hill peaks with about a half mile to go, so runners get to finish strong.  At one point I hit 5:45 and finished strong with a time of 30:15.  About 20 seconds slower than last year, but my mileage is down by almost a third compared to last year.  Plus I am a year older and it was windy.  Enough excuses???!!!

Anyway, very happy with my fitness level at this mileage.  As thing start getting more intense, I see nothing but upside.  Good to be back out there, now if we can just get to some weather when we all can be wearing shorts again.  Please?!

Happy Running!

Rick

New Motivation

I took advantage of the spring-like weather this week, running outside everyday, and logging four double digit runs.  More importantly, I found a spark of inspiration, which has been buried in the snow, ice and bitterly cold temps of this endless winter.  After my Friday run with my daughter, I took the afternoon to map out my running plans.  Racing season starts with the Irish Run 8k next Sunday and I found myself getting excited.  I live in an area with so many great races and so many running opportunities, if you don't plan properly you can miss out.  I'm a hopeless planner anyway, so I really  gain motivation by creating these road maps.  

I will be curious to see how I perform at the 8k next week, since my mileage has been substantially lower than it has over the last two years.  The quality has been there, but I have been very careful and deliberate in my mileage build-up.  I feel like I have that luxury since I decided to forgo a spring marathon.  So lots of spring and early summer racing to focus on, The Irish Run 8k, MDRA 7 miler,  Ron Dawes 25k, Fred Kurz 10 mile, and the Get in Gear10k all lead up to my goal race, the New Prague Half Marathon.  I can't wait to get started.

After the barrage of spring racing, I will have a couple of easy weeks before I officially start training June 2nd for the TC Marathon in October.  I hope to go into this training cycle with fresh legs and new perspective.  It needs to be an aggressive, all-out effort if I am going to break 2:53, but I think it's in reach.  I'll be posting weekly from here on out; I find this public journal helps me stay on track and is an invaluable tool for me in measuring and tracking progress.  Here we go!

Happy Running!

Rick

Treadmill Tales

Please make it stop.  How many days below zero?  47? 48?  Needless to say, I have become quite familiar with the treadmill this winter.  I don't own a treadmill, so I've been spending a lot of time at my local gym.  The gym is a weird place.  Here are just a few of the oddities:

• Every Tuesday morning I run next to a guy who insists on running on the treadmill backwards. Not only does he run backwards, but he sets the incline as high as it will go, then runs backwards up on his tip toes.  This workout lasts for about 3 minutes, then it's back to skipping rope and rolling around on a giant beach ball.
• On Thursday nights, I am surrounded by a group of people who hop on the treadmill and take orders from a pseudo drill sergeant, who with clipboard in hand barks out orders to his willing students to run from 0 to 9 mph for 90 seconds, then after a break, 10mph for 90 seconds and so on.  This stomping and huffing lasts for about 5 minutes before they retreat to the aerobics room for more senseless work outs.
• I am within earshot of the weight room.  This particular gym is chocked full of muscle-bound, tattooed gentlemen.  Many of who insist on letting guttural screams every few "reps."  One fellow insists in letting out a very loud "TSAaaaa" every five seconds.  The weights then hit the floor, which feels like a small earthquake.  Lift, scream, repeat.  Maybe I should let out a primitive scream every time I run a mile at HM tempo pace.  
• Had to share this second-hand story.  At a local gym, 4 people waited patiently for their run on the treadmill.  Why?  A woman was running on the treadmill, while she occupied two other treadmills with her Cockapoos!  Really?

So looking forward to spring!

Happy running,

Rick

Happy New Year!

I finished 2013 with 3,288 miles, which is a new mileage PR for me.  I don't see myself running that many miles in a year again.  It paid off and I am glad I did it, but took its toll on me, both mentally and physically.  I avoided injury, but did discover some lower back issues, was tired and sore most of the time, and I experienced some burn out at the end of 2013. So what's the plan?  I am still planning on only one marathon this year and still think it is a great idea to be skipping a spring effort.  However, I can't seem to enjoy running as much without some sort of concrete goal down the road.  So, the plan is to get signed up for a late spring half-marathon, maybe New Prague, maybe something new, but definitely get signed up this week.  Definitely need a jump start.

Looking forward to 2014 and to Twin Cties Marathon, but also looking forward to working less, having more dates with my wife, fixing up our house, brewing more beer, smoking more briskets, reading more books, spending time with friends and family, cooking more, running with my daughter, hanging out with my son, writing more and anything else I can think of.  And of course, lots of running in between.

Happy Running and Happy New Year!

Rick