Morning 4 miler

After two harder days of running, I chose to take today rather easy. Jennifer and I went for a morning 4 mile run (beautiful morning at 40 degrees) at 10 min/mile pace. Felt nice. And it felt right to give myself a break.

Swim, Bike, Run

Actually, it was bike (spin), swim . . . (11 hours later) run. This morning began with my Thursday spin class of about 45 minutes. Today wasn't particularly hard. Some hills. I followed that with 1000 yards of swimming. Both felt very good. I always swim better if I have had a chance to warm up with a run or swim first.

This evening after work I headed outside (beautiful weather) for 5 miles. I tried to keep my pace up around the 8 min/mile pace, but struggled a little around mile 3 as I was getting rather hungry. But I finished strong, at 39:03 for a total time. Felt nice to have two days of faster running in a row.

7 miles

Tonight I was feeling great. Jennifer, the dog and I went for a nice 5 mile run (48:45). When we got back, I didn't feel as though I was done. I took off on my own for another 2 miles. Total time 1:02:41. With the 15 second break between the two, that leaves me with a 13:40 2 miler. Nothing fantastic, but it felt really, really good. With the weather, I just haven't had a chance to get out and do that for a while. Mile 6 was probably a 7:15 mile, and Mile 7 would then be a bout a 6:25 or so. Felt great.

Today I was official inducted into the Insane Asylum at MarathonManiacs.com (see http://mm.littlemarathon.com/ScoreCard.asp and member #839). I will eventually update the site to track my marathon history.

4 miles with Jenn and the dog

I made it to spin class this morning, but because I had to be at work early I didn't get a chance to run. So late this evening (after a large dinner at a Japanese grill) Jenn, the dog and I went for an easy 4 mile run. Everyone rather enjoyed the experience.

4 miles

Just an easy 4 miles today followed by a quick swim. I really need to get my swimming back up. Feeling well, very little effect from yesterday's marathon.

9 down, 43 to go.

Special thanks to my TNT friends Pam, Dawne and Amanda. After each running 13 miles yesterday, they were happy to meet me for a section of my weekly "marathon." They stayed with me for the first 10 miles.

But for the last 16, I was on my own. For reasons I will now explain, this run felt really, really long. I woke up about 8 am. Probably a little late for me. Whenever I "sleep in" I always feel groggy. But I got up, ate a small breakfast (didn't want to eat too much before a run, I thought), and did a little work (work work). Then I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and thought I was ready. But immediately upon starting, I could tell I was already hungry. Add this hunger to starting at 1:10 pm (so the run took all afternoon and I finished just before dark) and the run felt really, really long. Just mentally challenging.

But I finished. 4:32:00. 9 down, 43 to go.

Worth noting, the reason I chose to run this afternoon is because the temperature was supposed to be beautiful sunny and 50's. Again, forecast was for little wind and just a beautiful afternoon. Of course, contrary to forecast, it snowed about 2 inches last night, and temperatures never got out of the 30's. Very, very cold south wind. I sometimes hate (a) weathermen and (b) Kansas.

Team in Training

For the first time in 3 weeks, I was actually in town for my Saturday Team-in-Training run. This morning I was expecting fairly cold temperatures, but light wind and sun. What I got was 25 degree temps with a horribly cold south wind - felt like a miserable 10 degrees. I just wasn't dressed for that.

I made it 10 miles. We had a few going up to 13, and several at 5, 6 and 10 miles. At 10, knowing I had a marathon tomorrow, I decided to call it quits. Felt good, and I was very happy to see the TNT folks out there on such a cold day.

Late night run

Tonight I just wasn't motivated to get out there. Nothing really wrong. Should have gotten up this morning to run, but didn't. So I didn't head out until 9:45 or so. Once I got out there, I felt great. The daily 4 miles in about 31 minutes.

Hills

45 minutes of hill work in spinning class followed by 4 miles of hill work at the gym. Started the treadmill at 2%, then ramped it up 1% every half mile. That brought me to about 10% at 8:45 miles per hour before I took it back down to -2% (the lowest it would go) for a half mile or so. Always feels good to get a good workout in.

Necessary?

I slept in for no reason. I intended to swim and run this morning, but sleeping felt necessary. Was it necessary? No. Was a couple of beers this evening at an after-work meeting necessary? No. Was a couple of plates of bar food necessary? No. Was a run a 10:00 after all that necessary? Yep. Another 4 miles down. I didn't feel great. But another 4 miles down.

Spin and run

This morning I had a great spinning experience. Some days even the lightest tension on the spin bike makes for a tough workout. Today I felt like I could just pour it on.

Hopped on the treadmill after spin class for my daily 4 miler. Feeling much more recovered now than yesterday.

Recovery 4 miler

I am recovery today not only from 2 marathons in 3 days, but also from two 8 hour drives in those 3 days. I think the later really has made me sore/tired. This evening I fought off my hunger and tiredness for long enough to get a slow, painful 4 miler in before dinner. Finished in a little over 40 minutes. Clearly the 2 marathons in 3 days has encouraged my appetite.

8 down, 44 to go

Today marked my 8th "marathon" of the year, my 23rd marthon (or longer) event ever, and my second marathon with my wife, Jennifer (her 5th overall). All of those - combined with fantastic weather in Austin - made for a great weekend at the 2008 AT&T Austin Marathon.

Courtesy of Jennifer's friend Kareem (from Austin), we were chauffeured to the starting line at about 6:30 for a 7:00 race time. Being only 50 degrees and dark, that made for a short wait in the "cold." But that didn't stop us from finding the warming station, and waiting under several outdoor heaters until about 10 minutes to race time.

We headed up and found the 4:30 pace group. My plan was to run with Jennifer the entire time, and her plan was to try for a P.R. (currently about 4:27) with the most realistic goal (because of the fairly tough course) being right around 4:30.

We headed off at the gun (ok, 4 minutes later), and we were on our way. The course was beutiful and scenic. The first few miles were very crowded. With both the half-marathon and marathon together for more than 10 miles, there would be no room to yourself. But, packed crowds can also be encouraging. As can the great support of Austin. The first 8 or so miles went by like a flash. That always means a great day in my mind.

The entire course was what I would call "hilly." Miles 9-13 were in fact pretty rough and steep hills. Up and down. A close majority of the nearly 900 feet of elevation gain I suspect happened here.

Through the first half we were on pace for both a sub 4:30 and a P.R. for Jennifer, but not by much. We were on a 10:10 pace through the 13 mile marker, but clearly the hills were taking a toll. It would be very tough to keep up that pace for the second half, but we were very willing to try. Through the next 7 miles, we kept pace - slowing some miles, but getting some good miles as we came back down some of the hills. Through mile 20 we were again dead on a 4:26, but we had no room to spare.

Jennifer faught on. Through nearly mile 22 we were on pace, but some very poorly place hills knocked us off (one in particular at mile 22). Off of P.R. pace but not discouraged, we forged on for a 4:30 finish time. By this point, the sun was full blast. While the temperature was only about 65 degrees, full sun and 65 degrees over the last few miles of a marathon is quite a challege. The next 4 wouldn't be easy, but Jennifer never gave up. We crossed the finish line in 4:30:13.

I am very proud of her. Jennifer is a great runner. She is dedicated. But hills are not her strenght. She faced the hills and she got over them. And she enjoyed herself doing it. She did well, she never gave up, and she enjoyed herself.

As for me, I feel well. In fact, I felt better after the marathon than I had felt the day before (having run a marathon on Friday). And when we finished, it was nice to again have the feeling of knowing that another 10 or 15 miles would not have been a problem. With that feeling, I think I am ready to start training for my next 100 miler.

A transitional 4 miler

Last night we left work around 5:00 pm and drove from Wichita, KS to Dallas, TX (about a 5 hour drive). Today we will head to Austin (another 3 hours or so) for tomorrow's marathon. Jennifer will be running with me.

This morning I hoped on the hotel treadmill for an easy 4 miler before hitting the road. I can tell I am still very dehydrated, as the run wasn't great. I need to do some serious stretching to be ready for tomorrow.

7 down, 45 to go

4:30 came awfully early this morning. But to get a marathon in before work, I had to run early. I considered an outside marathon, which would have let me start even earlier than 4:30, but the wind chill was hovering at around 1 degree. The thought of getting out in those temperatures so close to getting over the flu was not encouraging. Plus, after my last ultra marathon in those temperatures (PsychoWyco 2007), even keeping your water bottles from freezing creates a challenge. So I got up, and was waiting at the gym door when they opened at 5 am. Ready for my third treadmill marathon of the year. Super (sense the sarcasm).

The first few miles were a little sore. I held a solid 9 min/mile pace through the first 13 miles or so. But at mile 13, I decided to pick up the pace. I gradually increased up to about 7:30 pace by the last couple of miles. Felt good to run fast that late in a marathon.

Finished in 3:44:38.

I can tell I am still very dehydrated. I went through 5 bottles of fluits, which wasn't nearly enough considering I am coming off the flu. Will have to continue to hydrate to be ready for the Austin marathon the day after tomorrow.

Valentine's day 4 miler

I didn't make it up early enough this morning to get my run and spin in, so I had to run a quick 4 miler tonight before Valentine's day dinner (my wife and I always make a nice dinner for just us two). Feeling much better. Not quite sure I am ready for a marathon tomorrow though...

Much better today

I am feeling much better today. My body still hurts and my stomach doesn't feel right, but much better than yesterday. Made it through the day feeling failry fine. So tonight I went out for my daily 4 miler and tried to run at a normal pace. With the dog and today's great weather, that turned into a 30 minute 4 miler. Faster than I expected, but I felt good doing it.

So the bigger issue now is that the week is now half throught and no marathon yet. Tomorrow is valentines day, so no marathon tomorrow night. I am not feeling quite ready to do one in the morning. So that leaves Friday and Saturday. Well, Sunday I am running the Austin Marathon with Jennifer, which means we have to leave Friday night. I guess that means I am running a marathon on Friday morning. Great. Predicting snow.

FYI - I can't get the spell checker to work these past few weeks, and I am a terrible speller. I am sorry.

So the Flu hits

I don't know how. I get back from LA last night about 11:00. Head to bed feeling fine. But this morning, something hit me like a ton of bricks. I had the flu in every sense of the word. Having missed the last few days at work, and needed to be at a Court of Appeals Oral Argument this morning, I had to make it to work.

The morning was miserable. I managed to hold myself together (as well as possible) through the morning, but when I finished at court, I headed straight home and to bed. I am not a napper. But I went straight into a deep sleep for over 3 hours. Woke up for a few hours, and decided I needed to try to put some food/fluids back in my body (I hadn't been able to retain anything else throughout the day). So I ate some soup and drank some Sprite. I felt a little better, but still felt really lousy.

So I had to decide. Was the streak going to end. I really debated it. I felt horrible. But I have told myself before - whether it be an injury or sickness - I won't let the first day of the sickness/injury stop the streak without a fight. Only after some period of time of not getting better will I reconsider. So My wife made me get out there, and I thank her for it. I managed to get out the door (whether was pretty chilly in the mid 20's) but I bundled up and went very, very slow. But I made it through, 4 miles in about 50 minutes, but I made it.

I will have to admit (as scarey as it sounds) that the best I felt all day was during and after my run. There is just something about it that makes me feel better....

Last day in California

So the "vacation" is over. Today we head back to Kansas. I had considered getting up very early this morning and heading out for a marathon. But its vacation. I really didn't want to get up at 4:30 a.m. and run a marathon, just to hop on a plane and head home. So I didn't. I instead headed out for 4 miles, followed by breakfast and a 2 mile walk home.

Feeling pretty good. Nice to have 8 days or so off a marathon.

5 Miles around Venice Beach

So Venice Beach is interesting. The stereotypical picture of weightlifting, rollerblading and weirdo's holds fairly true. The beach is lovely, but the people, they are interesting.

Jennifer and I rented bikes and spent a couple of hours walking and riding up and down the beach. Mainly people watching, but still enjoying our day.

We made our way back to our hotel before sunset, and I headed back out on the beach for a short 5 mile run. Very nice, and beautiful weather!

5 miles in Los Angeles

Today I had a little more time, so Jennifer and I got a 5 mile run down Santa Monica Boulevard early this morning. Now on Thursday night, it took us over 45 minutes to travel just over 5 miles down Santa Monica during rush hour. Today we were able to cover nearly the same distance at just a tad slower pace. I love Kansas traffic.

4 Miles in Los Angeles

So I am a few days behind on getting these posted. I have been out at a conference in Los Angeles for the past few days. But on February 8th, I got my daily 4 miles in during a very easy and pleasant 4 mile run around Beverly Hills.

Run and Spin

Off to Los Angeles today, so I did manage to get my run in after spin class. 4 more miles at a decent 7:45 pace.

Run and Swim

4 mile run and 500 yard swim. Nothing special. But I did do it in the AM, which is sort of an accomplishment.

Spin and run

Jennifer and I are really getting into this spinning thing. Waking up at 4:40 to head to the gym for spinning isn't always fun. Top that with knowing that a 45 minute spin class isn't enough - I have to top that each week with a 4 mile run. But, each and every time I make it through, I feel great about myself. And that is what exercise is all about.

Today I felt really great. A nice spin class topped with 4 miles at an increasing pace (from 8 min/mile to 6 min/mile) on the treadmill.

A great recovery...

Some days you can tell you need additional sleep. Other days you realize that additional sleep may do more harm than good. This morning at 5:30, I had the realization that today was the later. Forcing myself to get out of bed wasn't easy - the "I just ran a marathon" excuse always works well. But I got up and out the door by 6:00 am.

Today was beautiful. 40 degree temps at sunrise in February in Kansas is not common. Absolutely beautiful.

And a beautiful run, if I do say so myself. I wasn't exceptioanlly fast, maybe 34 minutes for the entire 4 miles, but not bad for a "recovery run."

Everything felt great. Runs like today are runs I really enjoy.

6 down, 46 to go

The innagural Wichta SuperBowl Marathon.

I headed for the start line just minutes before the 6 am start time (the race director apparently thought an early start might make for a better SuperBowl Sunday). I normally like to be their a little earlier, but with this event starting and ending so close to my home, I decided to catch a late (relatively speaking) breakfast, and stay warm for as long as possible (it was hovering around the 30 degree mark). The race director gave us the cue, and off we went.

With an early start, the first 8 miles or so were pretty dark. I wore my ultra-headlamp to give me a little extra confidence. Managed to eat and drink on schedule - I brought most of my supplies with me so I would only have to stop briefly at a few aid stations. Both allowed me to hold a steady pace. Through the first 10 miles I was thrilled with my race strategy. Not stopping at the aid stations and having light to see my way, I was out to an early lead. While this was not something that I had experienced before, somehow I new that today was my day.

My lead continued, but that felt lonely. But with a small entry-field, I was thrilled that my wife decided to be a "bandit" and hop on the course for the last 15 miles (I don't know why she didn't just enter and run the entire race). Knowing she would run with me those miles, I tried to run a bit faster for that first 11.2 miles. Nothing exceptionally fast, but I did hold an 8:45 pace through those miles. When Jennifer joined me, we held a consistent 10 min/mile pace for the remainder of the race. Somehow this pace allowed me to hold a lead.

At the last aid stop at mile 21, I had to refill my water bottles, which took a bit of time. Knowing that no particpants were ahead of me, within minutes I'm back on the course, trying to hold my lead for those last miles, and my first ever victory.

The last 2 miles felt great. I asked Jennifer if we could "pick it up" for a mile or so, just to stretch out the legs (and the lead), and she obliged. She did an awesome job of pulling in an 8:30 mile there near the end.

As I rounded the last corner, I knew the victory was mine. The last .2 miles were pure celebration. I had won! Do I really need to tell you that there were no other entrants?

First (and only) Place Overall - Scottie 4:10:25
Finisher's prize - I made myself a chocolate milk.

A new TNT season

Today marked the first run for the current Team-in-Training teams for the Kansas Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. These folks are raising much needed funds for blood cancer research and patient services by fundraising for and training to complete the upcoming Oklahoma City Marathon or Half-Marathon or the San Diego Rock n' Roll Marathon or Half-Marathon. Today we headed to the Sedgwick County Park, where they do a very nice job of clearing the sidewalks of ice and snow. The group had runners from 2 miles to 10 miles. With several coaches there, I stayed with the group for 6 miles, and headed home. Nice morning, but in typical team-in-training social-style, we weren't real fast (but always very enjoyable).

Just a bit icy.

When the temperature just reaches the freezing mark, the roads can be quite deceiving, especially when the sun goes down after a sunny day. Tonight was one of those nights. Driving home from work the weather looked great. I wanted to avoid the gym, even though there was still a bit of snow and ice out. But once Jennifer and I (and the dog) got out there, it became clear that anything wet should be avoided. The pavement was still wet from the day's melt, but with dropping temperatures it was beginning to re-freeze. I gave Jennifer my YakTrax (chivalry is still alive - at least I can tell myself that) and I managed to stay on my feet. But that always makes the run a bit more challenging. 4 miles down.