I have finished my training

I missed one scheduled run this training period, so if I don't PR this coming Saturday, you'll know why.  That, or it was too stinking hot at -25 degrees F...

I did light pick ups on this run where I would pick up the pace to about race pace for a half a block or so.  They were ok, I guess.

Saturday:

Schedule RACE!

13.1 @ 9:54

Run like your father-in-law or with, anyways...

I did run this one with my father-in-law/coach, who is passing through on his way from Montana to Florida.  He'll be here for about 10 days and will run the Monumental Marathon while I will run the Monumental Half Marathon.  I'm pretty sure I will beat him to the finish line.

In fact, I should be able to beat the first marathon finisher if I start near the front and maintain my 9:50 pace throughout my race.  This marathon is usually won in 2:18 or so, and I can definitely beat that in my half!

Tomorrow: OFF
Wednesday:

Schedule

4 @ 10:50

5 mile tempo run...

...inside a 12 mile long run.  The weather was just about perfect: low 50's, partly sunny, and a nice breeze.  I've got two more runs before my half marathon next Saturday, and I feel like I'm ready.  I'm shooting for maintaining a 9:54 pace for the first 10 miles and picking it up after that to hopefully beat my 2:09:31 personal record.

Monday:

Schedule

8 @ 10:36

Winter is coming

I didn't feel like running this one after work, so I laid down in my comfy bed and took a little half hour nap.  Well, kinda just laid there with my eyes closed.  But, I was warm, I was comfy, and I was resting.

I knew I couldn't lay there forever, so I made myself get up and get my running clothes on.  Once that was done, I saw no point in taking them off until I had completed 8 miles.  Yay for motivation - I'm too lazy to take my clothes off after putting them on unless I run in between the two events.

I did wise up from yesterday and wore my gloves in addition to a long sleeve undershirt and a long sleeve tech shirt.  This is the first time I've wore this particular undershirt, so I wanted to see how I did wearing the two layers.  I ended up pulling up the sleeves of the outer layer for a bit, but the accumulated sweat cooled me too much after a couple of miles, and I pulled them back down.

Tomorrow: OFF!
Saturday:

Schedule	5 @ 11:00
	5 @ 9:54
	2 @ 11:00

A little spit of snow

After one mile, I had to come back into the house for gloves.  Yay!  I also had the foresight to look at the forcast and knew to wear a headband, short sleeve undershirt, and long sleeve tech shirt.  The only thing I missed was the gloves.

In other news, I signed up for the Santa Hustle on Dec 15th and am almost ready to sign up for the Daytona Beach 1/2 Marathon on Feb 16, 2014.  The plan is to head down to Inverness, FL and meet up with my father-in-law for the race.

Tomorrow:

Schedule

8 @ 10:22

Boom! Sub 8 minute mile!

If you were in my neighborhood and heard a sonic boom, that may have been me running my first sub eight minute mile.  Needless to say, the cooler weather agrees with me; it's currently 46 degrees F with some spitting rain.

Now to reward myself with some homemade beef stew and Skullsplitter!

Tomorrow:

Schedule

6 @ 10:50

Boom! Tempo!

This felt good.

Temp was low 60's; sky was overcast.

Wore the minimum amount of clothing that I felt comfortable with (short sleeve tech shirt and normal running gear).

The pace was such that I really felt like I was running rather than jogging.  It really did feel great.

Tomorrow:

Schedule	2 @ 11:00
	1 @ 8:30
	1 @ 11:00
	2X1/4 in 2
	1 @ 11:00
400 recovery after each interval

Cool running

The temp during this run was in the low 50's with a partly cloudy sky.  I was loving it!  I did wear a long sleeve shirt, but that was a small concession in order to experience the thrill of not over heating.

Monday:

Schedule

6 @ 9:54

Tempo run!

Tummy feeling better

Yesterday, as I left work, I didn't feel so good, so I skipped the run.  Today, I was feeling better, so I ran.  I might do yesterday's run tomorrow and 12 on Saturday, or I might just do Saturday's 12.

Tomorrow:

Schedule 2 @ 11:00   4X1/2 in 4:30   1 @ 11:00
or nothing	Saturday: 12 @ 11:00

Not an easy six

Averaging nine seconds faster than the schedule calls for is not really a good thing.  As you can see, I had a difficult time with this new pace and really couldn't settle into the 10:22.  During the run I was either running too fast or too slow, so when I finally settled into a pace that wasn't too slow, I stuck there.

Tomorrow:

Schedule	2 @ 11:00
	4X1/2 in 4:30
	1 @ 11:00

Columbus also ran 8 on this day

Ah yes, Columbus day is the day we remember the great adventurer setting out on his three ships: the Pina Colata, the Sangria, and the Margarita.  What a lush!

For my Federally mandated day off, I drove to Evansville, IN and back to drop off Trace after the weekend.  We picked him up last Friday for fall break, and I didn't want to take off tomorrow to take him back then.

So, after I spent 6 hours driving...I did this.  Yay.  I guess.

Tomorrow:

Schedule

6 @10:22

11 on 10/12/13

I took a pit stop break at 5 miles to lighten my load, fill my water bottle, and down some Gatorade chews.  I was really happy to finally finish this one; it seemed to take forever!

Tomorrow: Nothing!
Monday:

Schedule

8 @ 10:36

10 on 10-10

The schedule is the schedule; I didn't look at today's date and say, "Gee, I think I'll run 10 miles to celebrate 10-10!"

Instead, I groaned and laid about putting off this run until it was cooler outside and just slogged it out.  The only celebration that happened was when I was done.  Whew.

Tomorrow: OFF
Saturday:

Schedule

11 @ 11:00

Just another six

72 degrees F and sunny, not too bad for running.  A slight breeze made it nice.

Tomorrow:

Schedule

10 @11:00

Interval like a caveman

I'm pretty sure a caveman would have been faster, but at least I had the form right - hunched over and grunting.

I did like the low 70's temp, and I hope that the hot days are behind us.  Bring on Fall and Winter!

Tomorrow:

Schedule

6 @ 11:00

Run like a caveman

Over at Exploding Unicorn, James made a brilliant discovery to garner a lot of hits to his website; he wrote a small piece about the Paleo diet.  I have never seen so many comments to one post of his, so I figured I'd troll the Paleo runners with my own version of Run Like a Caveman.  Soon, all the irate sub-human runners will be attacking my blog and demanding that I delete this offensive post!

I'll be famous!  I'm sure NBC, CBS, ABC, and all the old timey media will want me to skype into their lame news shows and give my reasons why running like a caveman is overrated.  I mean, I'm pretty sure I look sub-human when I run, but I'm not actually a caveman.  So, I suppose, you could say that I'm ironically mocking a hunched over Paleo-person just by shambling along like I do.

Anyways, if I really wanted to practice running like a caveman, I'd have to get a velociraptor or a T-rex to chase me first.  I'm sure I'd run faster at least...maybe there's something to that...

Tomorrow:

Schedule	2 @ 11:00
	1 @ 8:45
	1 @ 11:00
	2X1/4 in 2
400 recovery after each interval

4 hours to spare

At 5 PM, I was still driving back from Shipshewana, IN; I figured I'd get back home and relax a bit.  Then I realized that I still had to get ten miles done for today.  I hit the road just a bit before six, took one pit stop at four miles, and finished just before eight PM.

It was very nice, a tad warm at 72 degrees F, but there was intermittent rain to make up for it.  Starting mile seven, I hit a fierce little squall that made me feel alive for about a mile, and for the remainder of the run, there was light rain.

Tomorrow: OFF
Monday:

Schedule

8 @ 11:00

Postponement is not procrastination

I was supposed to do this yesterday, but it was too hot and the last time I did intervals on the treadmill, I got shin splints.  So, I postponed the run to this morning.

And then I almost blew it off because since I go to work at 5 AM, I am clueless as to what time the sun comes up, and I didn't realize that it wasn't going to get light until around 7:20 or so. (Yeah, that last sentence is a train wreck.) 

But, I went ahead and set out in the dark meaning to do just a straight up six miles.  When it came time for my first interval, it was light enough for me to see my watch, so I kicked it into gear.  I had also forgot that when I violate my pace alarm limits, my watch lights up, so that helped me keep track of the half miles.

After the interval, I walked for 2/10ths and jogged for 3/10ths before ramping it up to interval speed.  Overall, a good run, I guess.

Saturday:

Schedule

10 @ 11:00

Day 3, not a quitter

I tried to quit on this run after four miles.  I convinced myself that four was enough.  I almost reached for the recovery chocolate milk, which would have ended it right there.

And then I some how manned up, stripped down, and did three more miles on the treadmill.  This was a pretty tough run after yesterday's intervals and the 10 minute workout video that my wife and I are doing.

Tomorrow is going to be harder and easier.  I have half mile intervals, but I also get to walk/jog for a half mile to recover.

Tomorrow:

Schedule	2 @ 11:00
	3X1/2 in 4:30
	1 @ 11:00
800 recovery after each interval

Day...2...

And it's intervals!  YAY!!!!

All of these quarters were supposed to be under two minutes, and they were! Yay.  I went a bit quick on the warmup/cooldown miles, but I really don't care.

Tomorrow:

7 @ 11:00