I am still here....

After a long absence I wanted all two of you, whomever you are, who look at this blog to know that I am still alive and kicking.  Merry Christmas and happy new year!  I have plans to post my St. George Marathon report and my current and future training. 

Running Report 9/14/15 to 10/2/15

9/14/15 MONDAY
Did 7 quarter mile repeats with a quarter mile jog in between each.  All on the treadmill.

1. 3% incline -- 6.52 pace
2. 3.5% incline -- 6.52 pace
3.  4% incline -- 6.47 pace
4. 4.5% incline -- 6.42 pace
5. 5% incline -- 6.37 pace
6. 5.5% incline -- 6.31 pace
7. 6% incline -- 6.27 pace

About three miles total running.
In the afternoon I ran four miles nice and easy, not timed.

Day 7 miles
Week 7 miles
Month 126 miles
Year 871 miles

9/15/15 TUESDAY
Ran 5 miles on the track.

1. 3.46
2. 3.50
3. 3.47
4. 3.53
5. 3.52
6. 3.51
7. 3.49
8. 3.53
9. 3.58
10. 4.12

Total time 38.55 average of 7.47 minutes per mile.

Week 12 miles
Month 131 miles
Year 876 miles

9/16/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran for thirty minuets this morning, approximately 4 miles.  Started out slow an decreased the speed every 5 minutes until 20 minutes.  Then decreased speed at 20 minutes and again at 25 minutes. 

Week 16 miles
Month 135 miles
Year 880 miles

9/17/15 THURSDAY
Ran 5 miles this morning.

1. 4.09
2. 3.48
3. 3.38
4. 3.54
5. 3.42
6. 3.52
7. 3.46
8. 3.43
9. 3.59
10. 3.56

Total time 38.30 average of 7.42  per mile.

Week 21 miles
Month 140 miles
Year 885 miles

9/18/15 FRIDAY
Ran four miles on the treadmill in the morning.  Half mile splits are as follows:

1. 3.27
2. 3.22
3. 3.20
4. 3.16
5. 3.16
6. 3.13
7. 3.13
8. 2.52

Total time of 26.01 average of about 6.30 per miles

Week 25 miles
Month 144 miles
Year 889 miles

9/19/15 SATURDAY
Ran total of 12 miles in the morning.  Ran six miles, then slow jog for five minutes then rest for seven minutes and thirty four seconds (total rest of 12.34) and then run another six miles.  Here are the half mile splits:

1. 3.33
2. 3.33
3. 3.25
4. 3.36
5. 3.29
6. 3.29
7. 3.32
8. 3.28
9. 3.31
10. 3.29
11. 3.31
12. 3.25

12.34 jog and rest

1. 3.36
2. 3.27
3. 3.28
4. 3.33
5. 3.30
6. 3.31
7. 3.30
8. 3.23
9. 3.27
10. 3.25
11. 3.33
12. 3.24

For the first six miles I averaged 7.01 per mile and for the second six miles I averaged 6.59 per mile.

Week 37 miles
Month 156 miles
Year 901 miles

9/21/15 MONDAY
Ran 4 miles on the treadmill.  Started at 7.30 pace.  Increased the pace by one notch every quarter of a mile until 2.25 miles.  At 2.5 miles I took the incline at 1.5% and the pace to 6.15.  At 2.75 miles I went to 2% incline and 6.00 pace.  At three miles I decreased the pace and the incline until I reached 4 miles. 

Week 4 miles
Month 160 miles
Year 905 miles

9/22/15 TUESADY
Ran four miles on the treadmill.  Overall pace was an average of 7.30 minutes per mile.

Week 8 miles
Month 164 miles
Year 809 miles

9/23/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran four miles on the treadmill.  Finished in 25.55 which is a pace of 6.29 per mile.  At three miles I went to 6.15 pace.  At 3.5 miles I went up to 6.00 pace.  At 3.75 miles I went to 5.54 pace and 1% incline.  At mile 3.9 I wen to 5.49 pace and 1.5% incline, and mile 3.95 -- 2% incline and 5.44 pace.  This was my last continuous hard run before the marathon. 

Week 12 miles
Month 168 miles
Year 813 miles

9/24/15 THURSDAY
Ran 4 miles in the morning.

1. 4.01
2. 3.42
3. 3.46
4. 3.48
5. 3.50
6. 3.44
7. 3.52
8. 4.01

Total time of 30.48 and average of 7.42 per mile.

Week 16 miles
Month 172 miles
Year 817 miles

9/25/15 FRIDAY
Ran four miles.

1. 3.56
2. 3.44
3. 3.54
4. 3.52
5. 3.49
6. 3.47
7. 3.49
8. 4.06

Total time of 31.01 average of 7.45 per mile.

Week 20 miles
Month 176 miles
Year 821 miles

9/26/15 SATURDAY
Ran 8 miles in the morning.

1. 3.37
2. 3.33
3. 3.29
4. 3.33
5. 3.30
6. 3.33
7. 3.33
8. 3.36
9. 3.28
10. 3.26
11. 3.33
12. 3.25
13. 3.26
14. 3.24
15. 3.31
16. 3.28

Total time of 56.12 average of 7.02 per mile.

Week 28 miles
Month 184 miles
Year 829 miles

Right calf muscle did not feel good.  I had to stop several times to discipline my dog and once at the halfway mark to stretch my calf muscle.

9/28/15 MONDAY
Did a slow jog for about 1 mile since my right calf started tightening up so I stopped the run

Week 1 mile
Month 185 miles
Year 830 miles

9/29/15 TUESDAY
Did a 4x400 workout on the treadmill.  400 meters at 6.00 pace and jog 200 meters at 12.00 pace and then repeat four times.

Week 2 miles
Month 186 miles
Year 831 miles

9/30/15 WEDNESDAY AND 10/1/15 THURSDAY
No run either of these days.

10/2/15 FRIDAY
Nice easy two mile jog in the morning.

Week 4 miles
Month 188 miles
Year 833 miles

Running Report 9/8/15 to 9/12/15

9/8/15 TUESDAY
Ran 8 miles on the treadmill.  Finished at an average of 8 minutes per mile.

Week 16 miles
Month 62 miles
Year 814 miles

9/9/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran six miles in the morning.  Started at 8.00 min pace.  Every quarter of a mile I would increase the pace by one notch.  I continued this all the way through 3.5 miles.  At 2.75  miles I also increased the incline .5% every quarter of a mile until 3.50 mile mark.  At that time it was at 2% incline.  At 3.50 miles the pace was at 6.44 or something like that.  After that I brought the incline and the pace down one notch each every quarter mile.  I never let the incline go below .5%.  Finished the six mile in 44.09 which is around a 7.21 pace.  In the afternoon I ran six miles out on the road.  I used the mile markers as a distance measure.  At least one of the markers was off by about 40 seconds.

1. 7.34
2. 7.22
3. 7.46
4. 8.40
5. 8.01
6. 8.03

Total time of 47.29 average of 7.55 per mile.  Total of 12 miles for the day.   The six miles out on the road was pretty hard because it was hot and the miles already are starting to pile up for the week.

Week 28 miles
Month 74 miles
Year 826 miles

9/10/15 THURSDAY
Ran 8 miles in the morning on the treadmill at 7.45 pace.  Ran 6 miles in the afternoon on the treadmill at 8 min. pace.  Total of 14 miles for day.

Week 42 miles
Month 88 miles
Year 840 miles

9/11/15 FRIDAY
Ran ten miles on the road this morning.

1. 3.39
2. 3.27
3. 3.31
4. 3.37
5. 3.34
6. 3.37
7. 3.35
8. 3.39
9. 3.37
10. 3.41
11. 3.35
12. 3.42
13. 3.38
14. 3.34
15. 3.38
16. 3.38
17. 3.37
18. 3.41
19. 3.38
20. 3.25

Overall time 1 hour 12 minutes and 15 seconds.  Average of 7.13 per mile.  I totally hit the wall at mile 5.  I just repeated to myself over and over, "fight through it" and "don't slow down until the next half mile marker.  Then at the next marker I would think "ok, I can push it to the next half mile."  I really didn't know if I could make it.  In fact I doubted that I could but I didn't want to slow down until the next marker.  With two miles left the mental trick became, "I have not come this far and suffered this much to lose it all now.  Then with a mile and a half to go, "make it through these next two half miles and then just a half mile left and then it will be over."  With one mile to go I had an infusion of energy because I realized I was about four seconds ahead of pace.

Week 52 miles
Month 98 miles
Year 850 miles

9/12/15 SATURDAY
I ran 21 miles on the treadmill at night.  Excuse the crassness but I call this the diarrhea run.  I normally don't do this but this is what it was.  I went to the bathroom I think 4 times.  At 4.5 miles I stopped to go the the bathroom and change the channel on the TV to the BYU vs. Boise St. game.  Then again at 1.5 miles, again at 2 miles, then again at another 6.5 miles or something along those lines.  That was super lame because every time I would go to the bathroom the treadmill would stop, thus I have no idea of my overall time at all.  It was demoralizing because I had no desire to push the pace.  This is my last 20 miler as well so it was frustrating.  I should have just done my run at 2:30 a.m. this morning when I woke up anyway. 

Week 73 miles
Month 119 miles
Year 871 miles

Running report 8/31/15 to 9/7/15

8/31/15 MONDAY
Ran 6 miles this morning on the treadmill.  Starting at 8 min/mile and increasing on click every quarter mile until about 4 miles.  The last four quarter miles I increased the incline by one notch.  At 4 miles I started decreasing the pace and the incline every quarter of a mile.  Finished 6 miles in 43.30 about 7.15 pace.

Week 6 miles
Month 125 miles
Year 752 miles

9/1/15 TUESDAY
Ran 5 miles this morning. 

1. 4.13
2. 3.54
3. 3.41
4. 3.40
5. 3.46
6. 3.52
7. 3.40
8. 3.47
9. 3.55
10. 3.57

Total time 38.29 about a 7.41 average.
Ran 5 miles in the afternoon.

1. 3.59
2. 3.56
3. 3.56
4. 3.57
5. 3.52
6. 4.10
7. 3.56
8. 3.54
9. 4.08
10. 4.05

Total time of 39.58 average of 8 minutes per mile.

Day 10 miles
Week 16 miles
Month 10 miles
Year 762 miles

9/2/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran 5 miles in the morning on the treadmill.  These were the approximate minutes per mile pace ran at:  0-1 miles 6.58, 1-1.5 miles 6.54, 1.5-2.0 miles 6.50, 2.0-2.5 miles 6.44, 2.5-3.0 miles 6.40, 3.0-3.5 miles 6.36, 3.5-4.0 miles 6.30, 4.0-4.35 miles 6.15, 4.35-4.5 miles 6.30, 4.5-5.0 miles 6.00.  Total time 33.30 average of about 6.42 per mile.  That last half mile at 6.00 pace was a killer!  The last quarter mile was all anaerobic, will power, mind over matter, race pain, the dark room, etc.  As always the incline on the treadmill was set at .5%.

At night I ran five miles.

1. 4.29
2. 4.25
3. 4.19
4. 4.37
5. 4.32
6. 4.39
7. 4.31
8. 4.27
9. 4.40
10. 4.33 

Total time of 45.18 average of 9.04 per mile.

Day 10 miles
Week 26 miles
Month 20 miles
Year 772 miles

9/3/15 THURSDAY
Ran 5 miles in the morning.

1. 4.02
2. 3.49
3. 3.49
4. 3.47
5. 3.46
6. 3.52
7. 3.42
8. 3.50
9. 3.49
10. 3.59

Total time of 38.29 average of 7.42 per mile.
Ran three miles at night.

1. 4.42
2. 4.48
3. 4.46
4. 4.56
5. 4.54
6. 5.17

Total time of 29.25 average of 9.48 per mile.  Super slow.

Day 8 miles
Week 34 miles
Month 28 miles
Year 780 miles

9/4/15 FRIDAY
Ran 6 miles on the treadmill, finished at about 7.30 pace.

Week 40 miles
Month 34  miles
Year 786 miles

9/5/18 SATURDAY
Ran 12 miles.

1. 4.21
2. 4.02
3. 4.00
4. 4.02
5. 4.02
6. 4.10
7. 4.26
8. 4.24
9. 4.04
10. 4.00
11. 3.57
12. 3.57
13. 3.48
14. 3.57
15. 3.49
16. 3.51
17. 3.48
18. 3.44
19. 3.33
20. 3.36
21. 3.29
22. 3.38
23. 3.35
24. 3.30

Overall time 1 hour 33 minutes and 55 seconds.  Average of 7.50 minutes per mile.  Definite negative split.  Miles 7-9 I tried to to run at 7.45 pace and miles 10-12 I tried to run at 7.15 pace.  this was at the end of a high mileage week.  Next week hopefully will be even more mileage.

Week 52 miles
Month 46 miles
Year 798 miles

9/7/15 MONDAY
Yasso 800's today.  Run 800 meters at a certain time then run 400 meters at the same time and repeat.  I did a total of 10.  The first 800 was slow at 3.20.  Repeats 2-9 were at 3.10 or 2 seconds under that and then the last repeat I did in 2.58.  45 seconds after finishing my heart rate was at 120 beats per minute.  I was surprised it was so slow.  While each repeat was challenging, I did not have to open the door to the "dark room" all the way except on the last one.  So maybe 10 repeats at 3.05 is within reach but I don't think 10 at 3.00 is a possibility right at this moment.  That being said, I think before I took my 2 week break , I did 6 repeats at 3.00 so maybe it is possible. 

Week 8 miles
Month 54 miles
Year 806 miles

Running Report 8-24-15 through 8-29-15

8-24-15 MONDAY
Did Yasso 800's on the treadmill today.  I did 6 repeats of half a mile in three minutes and one quarter mile in three minutes.  Last but not least I did one continuous miles in six minutes.  This was on the treadmill and so it was not as hard as running on the road at that pace.  I ran a total of six miles for the entire workout.

Week 6 miles
Month 74 miles
Year 701 miles

8-25-15 TUESDAY
Ran four miles in the morning.

1. 3.57
2. 3.42
3. 4.01
4. 3.52
5. 3.53
6. 3.45
7. 3.51
8. 3.57

Total time 31.01 average of about 7.45 per mile.

Week 10 miles
Month 78 miles
Year 705 miles

8-26-15 WEDNESDAY
Ran 5 miles on the treadmill today.  The following are approximate pace setting on the treadmill per quarter mile.  Remember, approximate.

1. 8.00
2. 7.30
3. 7.26
4. 7.22
5. 7.18
6. 7.14
7. 7.10
8. 6.58
9. 6.54
10. 6.58
11. 6.50
12. 6.58
13. 6.47
14. 6.58
15. 6.44
16. 6.58
17. 6.30
18. 6.15
19. 6.00

Finished in about 34.10.  That is about 6.56 minutes per mile.

Week 15 miles
Month 83 miles
Year  710 miles

8-27-15 THURSDAY
Ran six miles in the morning.  Half mile splits are as follows with the exception of split 4 which was one mile:

1. 4.25
2. 4.11
3. 3.54
4. 7.42
5. 3.34
6. 3.22
7. 3.31
8. 3.34
9. 3.42
10. 4.05

The idea was to start out slow, increase speed until the middle and then slow back down again until the end.

Week 21 miles
Month 89 miles
Year 716 miles

8-28-15 FRIDAY
Ran 10 miles on the treadmill today.  Finished with a 7 minute average.

Week 31 miles
Month 99 miles
Year 726 miles

8-29-15 SATURDAY
Ran 20 miles this morning.  With one obovious exception these are my mile splits:

1. 9.25
2. 9.05
3. 22.03 (combined with mile four
4. (see mile three)
5. 9.19
6. 10.14
7. 9.14
8. 9.53
9. 10.02
10. 9.21
11. 9.08
12. 9.30
13. 9.31
14. 4.52
15. 4.56
16. 9.56
17. 9.50
18. 9.41
19. 8.26
20. 9.37
21. 9.54

Total time  3 hours and fourteen minutes and four seconds.  About a 9.42 average. 

Week 41 miles
Month 119 miles
Year 746 miles

Running report 8/17 through 8/22

8/17/15 MONDAY
Ran three miles in the morning.

1. 3.38
2. 3.39
3. 3.41
4. 3.47
5. 3.43
6. 3.40 

Total time of 22.10 average of 7.23 per mile.

Week 3 miles
Month 22 miles
Year 649 miles

8/18/15 TUESDAY
Yasso 800 day.  Did 4 Yasso 800's in the morning.  Each 800 was at 3.10 and then a slow jog of 3.10.  About two hours later I did some more Yasso 800's on a treadmill.  I did 4 of those at 3.00 with a 3.00 minute slow jog in between.  Last I did one continuous mile in six minutes.  Total of 6 miles including slow jogging in between reps.  

Week 9 miles
Month 28 miles
Year 655 miles

8/19/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran four miles in the morning and four miles in the afternoon
Morning run:

1. 4.35
2. 4.09
3. 4.02
4. 3.53
5. 3.55
6. 3.57
7. 3.57
8. 3.56

Total time of 32.28 average of 8.07 per mile.  Afternoon times I didn't get all the splits.  Total time 36.00 minutes.  Average of 9 minutes per mile. 

Week 17 miles
Month 36 miles
Year 663 miles

8/20/15 THURSDAY
Ran six miles on the treadmill.  Finished in 41.06 which is an average of 6.54 pace.

Week 23 miles
Month 42 miles
Year 669 miles

8/21/15 FRIDAY
Ran 5 miles on the treadmill as a recovery jog.  Finished in 39.15 which is about 7.51 pace.

Week 28 miles
Month 47 miles
Year 674 miles

8/22/15 SATURDAY
Ran a total of 21 miles in three different segments throughout the morning.  First segment I ran 14 miles in 2 hours and 11 minutes which works out to be close to a 9 minutes and 21 second pace.  After an hour of rest I ran a 5K race in which I finished second overall.  My first lap time was 10.52 and my second lap was 10.05 for a total of 20.57.  Then after about and hour of standing around I ran 4 miles in 37.39 which is about a 9.25 second pace. 

Week 49 miles
Month 68 miles
Year 695 miles

Thoughts: I think this has been my highest mileage week so far and that coming back from some time off so I hope I haven't bitten off to much for my body to handle.  Goals for next week would be to do more total miles, and get my long run time down into the 8 minute range.  I would like to do my recovery jogs at 7.45 pace

Running Report 8/11/15 and 8/15/15

8/11/15 TUESDAY
Ran 4 miles today. 

1. 4.43
2. 4.19
3. 4.46
4. 3.50
5. 4.23
6. 4.08
7. 4.09
8. 4.07 

Total time of 34.29  Average of 8.37 per mile.  This was a run that I didn't look at my watch except once the whole time.  Splits 3 was slow by 15-20 seconds and split 4 was fast by 15-20 seconds.  I just ran by feel here.

Week 9 miles
Month 12 miles
Year 639 miles

8/15/15 SATURDAY 
Ran 7 miles this morning.  I did not push that pace at all.  Nice and easy.  Half mile splits are as follows with one mile split when I forgot to hit my watch at the half mile mark.

1. 4.30
2. 4.21
3. 4.20
4. 4.25
5. 4.26
6. 4.24
7. 4.19
8. 4.17
9. 4.22
10. 8.34
11. 4.25
12. 4.24
13. 4.35

Total time 61 minutes 28 seconds.  Average of 8.47 seconds per miles.

Week 16 miles
Month 19 miles
Year 646 miles

Break from running

So, while I was on vacation for two weeks I took a break from training.  I missed a total of 17 training days.  I decided to take a break because of some health concerns that needed to get resolved.  It was an issue that didn't prevent me from running but it was just got progressively more annoying and I felt like it might eventually prevent me from running.  So I decided to take some time off now in the middle of the 18 week training program to see if it would heal up before I got into the high mileage weeks and close to race day.  17 days is quite a bit to take off so I hope that I haven't become to fat and out of shape in my time off.  I am toying with the idea of running twice a day for a while to try and make up for some lost time.  We shall see.  So now you know why there is a big gap in my training.

Running Report 8/6/15 and 8/10/15

8/6/15 THURSDAY
Ran three miles untimed.

Week 3 miles
Month 3 miles
Year 630 miles


8/10/15 MONDAY
Ran five miles in a tempo run format going slow at the beginnig, faster in the middle and slwowing back down to the end.  Splits are in half mile intervals.

1. 4.28
2. 4.05
3. 4.11
4. 3.55
5. 3.38
6. 3.20
7. 3.30
8. 3.43
9. 3.51
10. 4.09

Total time 38.56. 

Week 5 miles
Month 8 miles
Year 635 miles

Running Report 7/9/15 -- 7/17/15

7/9/15 THURSDAY
Ran three miles.

1. 3.55
2. 3.43
3. 3.43
4. 3.49
5. 3.46
6. 3.56

Total time of 22.55 average of 7.38 per mile.

Week 24 miles
Month 50 miles
Year 587 miles

7/10/15 FRIDAY
Ran 7 miles in the morning

1. 3.28
2. 3.31
3. 3.20
4. 3.26
5. 3.28
6. 3.24
7. 3.28
8. 3.28
9. 3.27
10. 3.27
11. 3.21
12. 3.21
13. 3.24
14. 3.11

Total time 47.52 approximately 6.50 per mile.

Week 31 miles
Month 57 miles
Year 594 miles


7/11/15 SATURDAY
Ran 10 miles in the morning.

1. 3.39
2. 3.36
3. 3.38
4. 3.40
5. 3.39
6. 3.38
7. 3.39
8. 3.39
9. 3.37
10. 3.39
11. 3.40
12. 3.36
13. 3.39
14. 3.35
15. 3.39
16. 3.36
17. 3.32
18. 3.40
19. 3.34
20. 3.46

Total time 1 hour 12 min. 51 seconds.  Average of 7.17

Week 41 miles
Month 67 miles
Year 604 miles

7/13/15 MONDAY
Did hill repeats today.  I ran up hill between .25 mile and .30 of a mile.  Then I would do a recovery jog and then run down the hill for a total of 4 running up and three runnig down.  Approximately 2 miles total.

Week 2 miles
Month 69 miles
Year 606 miles

7/14/15 TUESDAY
Ran 3 miles today

1. 3.41
2. 3.38
3. 3.45
4. 3.43
5. 3.41
6. 3.49

Total time 22.19 average of 7.26 per mile.

Week 5 miles
Month 72 miles
Year 609 miles

7/15/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran six miles today.

1. 4.13
2. 3.55
3. 3.39
4. 3.34
5. 3.24
6. 3.10
7. 3.22
8. 3.29
9. 3.32
10. 3.39
11. 3.54
12. 3.54

Total time of 43.51 average of 7.19 per mile.  No so focused on the overall average as I was doing one big long process of starting out slow, increasing speed until the middle and then slowing down until the end.  I am happy I was able to accomplish my goal. 

Week 11 miles
Month 78 miles
Year 615 miles

7/16/15 THURSDAY
Ran four miles today as a recovery jog. 

1. 3.50
2. 3.44
3. 3.47
4. 3.47
5. 3.52
6. 3.48
7. 3.51
8. 3.48

Total time of 30.31 average of 7.38 per mile. 

Week 15 miles
Month 82 miles
Year 619 miles

7/17/15 FRIDAY
Ran 8 miles today.

1. 3.31
2. 3.34
3. 3.25
4. 3.33
5. 3.26
6. 3.30
7. 3.30
8. 3.29
9. 3.35
10. 3.35
11. 3.40
12. 3.42
13. 3.34
14. 3.38
15. 3.43
16. 3.37

Total time of 57.10 average of 7.09. 

Week 23 miles
Month 90 miles
Year 627 miles

Running Report 7/6/15 -- 7/8/15

7/6/15 MONDAY
Ran two different times today.
Morning run -- Yasso 800's.  Run half mile and at 3 minutes and slow jog 3 minutes.  Here are the times for the repeats as best as I can remember them:

1. 3.02
2. 2.55
3. 3.01
4. 2.58
5. 2.54

Including jogging in between repeats and a cool down I will tack on another half mile for a total of 3 miles.


THOUGHTS: This was a hard workout!  One that I don't look forward to doing because of the pain involved, one that I am elated to have completed successfully.  The first repeat is always hard because the muscles are cold and tight and the body is complaining about what it is being forced to do.  Repeats 2-4 were difficult.  Repeat 5 was one of those that you store away in your brain for mental ammunition later.  "If I can do that 5th repeat on the Yasso 800's, I can do this....".  The first 200 meters were ok.  The last 200 meters was race pain, going deep into the well.  Opening up what I call a dark room of physical pain.  Letting all the dark pain out, searing into my arms, legs and lungs, and bathing the room with the light of self-mastery.  The next time I visit this room there will be less of the dark pain and more light of residual self-mastery.  At some point I will finally have to move on to the next room because this room is well lit with many lumens of grit and determination. 


Afternoon run -- 3 miles untimed, slow recovery jog.


Day 6 miles
Week 6 miles
Month 32 miles
Year 569 miles


7/7/15 TUESDAY
Ran twice today.
Morning run -- 3 miles

1. 4.03
2. 3.40
3. 3.54
4. 3.44
5. 3.42
6. 3.43

Total time 22.49 average of 7.36 per mile.


Afternoon run -- 3 miles

1. 5.23
2. 4.38
3. 4.49
4. 4.52
5. 4.18
6. 4.37

Total time 28.40 average of 9.36 per mile.


Day 6 miles
Week 12 miles
Month 38 miles
Year 575 miles


7/8/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran twice today.
In the morning 6 miles on the treadmill.
First was a half mile warm up.  Then every quarter mile I would alternate between fast and "recovery" pace.  I am going to try and transition away from saying the word slow.  Here is an approximation of how it went.  I am going to put the "miles per hour" since I can accurately remember that and the minutes per mile pace will be approximations

1. 8.0 mph -- 7.31 min/mile
2. 9.2         -- 6.30
3. 8.0         -- 7.31
4. 9.2         -- 6.30
5. 8.1         -- 7.26
6. 9.3         -- 6.26
7. 8.1         -- 7.26
8. 9.3         -- 6.26
9. 8.2         -- 7.20
10. 9.4         -- 6.20
11. 8.2         -- 7.20
12. 9.4         -- 6.20
13. 8.3         -- 7.13
14. 9.5         -- 6.13
15. 8.8         -- 7.00
16. 10.0       -- 6.00

At this point I did a half mile recovery starting at 7 minutes per mile and slowly backing off the pace ending at like 7.30 at five and a half miles. 


Afternoon run -- 3 miles

1.  4.51
2. 4.47
3. 4.20
4. 4.23
5. 4.23
6. 4.18

Total time 27.05 average of 9.02 minutes per mile. 


Day 9 miles
Week 21 miles
Month 47 miles
Year 584 miles

Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail record attempts and Western States 100 epic finish.

Here is a link to a story about a guy who ran the Pacific Crest Trail.  Very interesting.


Here is another link to Runners World about Scott Jurek attempting to break the fastest known time for hiking the Appalachian Trail. 


Last but not least here is an interview from the website irunfar.com with Gunhild Swanson about her epic finish at the Western States 100 Endurance Run.  She is the first woman over 70 to ever finish the race, and she finished with six seconds to spare on the 30 hour cut off time. 

Running Report 7/3/15 -- 7/4/15

7/3/15 FRIDAY
Ran six miles.  Half mile splitsm except for one mile split:

1. 4.04
2. 3.55
3. 4.01
4. 4.06
5. 4.09
6. 3.55
7. 3.51
8. 7.43
9. 3.51
10. 3.47
11. 3.44

Total time 47.10 average of 7.52 per mile.

Week 21 miles
Month 12 miles
Year 549 miles

7/4/15 SATURDAY
Ran 14 miles.

1. 4.51.
2. 4.18
3. 4.07
4. 4.08
5. 4.14
6. 4.15
7. 4.26
8. 4.21
9. 4.23
10. 4.13
11. 4.18
12. 4.20
13. 4.12
14. 4.11
15. 4.11
16. 4.48
17. 4.16
18. 4.36
19. 4.15
20. 4.14
21. 4.20
22. 4.32
23. 4.22
24. 4.221
25. 4.06
26. 4.04
27. 4.05
28. 4.19

Total time 2 hours on the dot.  Average of about 8.26 per mile.

Week 35 miles
Month 26 miles
Year 563 miles

THOUGHTS:  The pace was much slower than I wanted but at least I was able to do the mileage.  I was very grateful to have cloud cover so I didn't have that direct sunlight hitting me.

Running Report 6/23/15 to 7/2/15

6/23/15 TUESDAY
Ran 3 miles in the morning.  Half mile splits are as follows:

1. 4.00
2. 3.49
3. 3.57
4. 3.59
5. 3.55
6. 3.54

Total time 23.36 average of 7.52 per mile.

Week 6 miles
Month 107 miles
Year 507 miles

6/24/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran approximately 5 miles.  Not all splits were the same distance.  I ran up over a bridge and over it again on the way back again. 

1. 4.26
2. 4.05
3. 2.14
4. 2.53
5. 2.25
6. 2.28
7. 3.25
8. 2.41
9. 4.20
10. 4.57

Week 11 miles
Month 112 miles
Year 512 miles

6/25/15 THURSDAY
Ran three miles in the morning.  Half mile splits are as following:

1. 4.13
2. 3.49
3. 3.47
4. 3.57
5. 3.52
6. 3.52

Total time 23.32 average of 7.51 per mile. 

Week 14 miles
Month 115 miles
Year 515 miles

6/26/15 FRIDAY
Ran 13 miles in the morning.  All splits are half miles except two in the middle are mile splits.

1. 4.07
2. 3.43
3. 3.45
4. 3.47
5. 3.44
6. 3.44
7. 3.47
8. 3.44
9. 3.43
10. 3.42
11. 3.46
12. 7.37
13. 8.08
14. 4.14
15. 4.12
16. 4.10
17. 4.04
18. 4.24
19. 4.35
20. 5.07
21. 4.31
22. 4.35
23. 4.30
24. 4.46

Total 1 hour 46 minutes 34 seconds,  Average of 8 minutes and 12 seconds per mile.

Week 27 miles
Month 128 miles
Year 528 miles

THOUGHTS: This long run turned out to be the run of two halves.  The first half everything was going well.  I was hitting close to a 7.30 pace pretty consistently, and I was even considering going for a 7.20 pace on the way back.  A mile and a half before the turnaround, I the wall for the first time.  Then upon turning around I realized that I had had a tailwind, and things went down from there.  Pretty soon any thought of time went out the window and I just wanted to finish regardless of the time.  I also wanted to finish without going into heat exhaustion or dehydration because I didn't have any fluids with me.  I also was starting to chafe and so that wasn't helping any either.  With about three miles left I go a little crazy and took my shrit off and tucked it in my shorts.  This helped tremendously even though I was hoping that nobody would see my in such a compromising situation.  I totally bombed the second half of the run but at least I was able to finish the mileage. 

6/27/15 SATURDAY

No run.  Between a disapointing run yesterday and no run today, it has been frustrating.  This is the first time I have not run six days a week, sincey probably April, not sure though.  Hopefully this is the only day I miss during my 18 week training cycle for the St. George marathon. 

6/29/15 MONDAY
Ran six miles in the morning.  Half mile splits:

1. 3.31
2. 3.23
3. 3.28
4. 3.32
5. 3.27
6. 3.32
7. 3.33
8. 3.23
9. 3.26
10. 3.27
11. 3.31
12. 3.31

Total time 41.50 average of 6.58 pace.

Week 6 miles
Month 134 miles
Year 534 miles

THOUGHTS: I tried to make up for missing Saturday by doing what I would have done Saturday for today.  I was happy to get the six mile a hair under 7 minute pace.  It was taxing and took self discipline.  However, I did not have to go all out and completely empty the gas tank to finish at that pace so I was very happy about that pace.  This helped me feel a little better that I was not to far off track from missing Saturday's workout.  I will just remember that one workout is not going to make or break a training cycle. 

6/30/15 TUESDAY
Ran three miles in approximately 23.15 which translates to a 7.45 pace.

Week 9 miles
Month 137 miles
Year 537 miles

7/1/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran three miles.

1. 3.48
2. 3.47
3. 3.47
4. 3.39
5. 3.36
6. 3.49

Total time of 22.28 average of 7.29 per mile. 

Week 12 miles
Month 3 miles
Year 540 miles

7/2/15 THURSDAY
Ran three miles this morning.

1. 3.15
2. 3.12
3. 3.17
4. 3.20
5. 3.21
6. 3.11

Total time 19.40 average of 6.33 per mile.

Week 15 miles
Month 6 miles
Year 543 miles

THOUGHTS: Very happy about this pace and time.  Going into it, I thought I would shoot for a 6.40 pace.  After the first split of 3.15 I wasn't sure if I could hold that the whole way but I thought that I would get the 3.15 for the next split.  Usually, after that first half mile I am finally loosed up and moving good and although it felt like I slowed down a little bit, a 3.12 was awesome.  On the next half mile I thought I could slow down a little bit, but it was some a little to slow.  On the turn around I realized I had had a slight tail wind so I would have to work a little extra hard to not drop to many seconds on the next two half miles.  Sure enough I dropped to many seconds, 11 to be exact.  In the last half mile I wanted to maintain the pace and not drop off.  As I got closer to the finish I naturally increased my pace.  I thought I was going to be at a 3.05 or 3.07 so I was surprised to see a 3.11.  Apparently the beginning of that half mile was a little bit slow.  Very happy overall with the time and pace.  I think that has been as fast as I have gone this year.  These runs are very hard and take a lot out of me and I don't look forward to doing them.  However, these runs will make the 7 minute pace seem much more manageable. 

Correction on mileage count

I was going back researching how many miles I have run each month this year.  On May 30 I erroneously erased 100 miles off of my yearly total mileage count.  Also I found that on June 15 I accidently credited myself with an extra mile.  Finally on March 24, I found that I did not credit myself with 7 miles for the month but my overall count for the year remained correct.  All three mistakes have been fixed and all of the blog posts have the correct mileage.  Sorry for the inaccuracy for the last couple of weeks.

Running Report 6/22/15

MONDAY 6/22/15
Interval day.  Ran on the treadmill.  Five repeats in total.  Each repeat was a quarter of a mile.


     Incline          Pace (min/mile)
1) 4.0%                  6.31
2) 4.5%                  6.27
3) 5.0%                  6.22
4) 5.5%                  6.18
5) 6.0%                  6.15


In between each repeat I did a slow jog with no incline at 12.00 minute pace for a quarter of a mile.  So, 1/4 mile hard, 1/4 mile recovery.  Each repeat was progressively steeper and faster.  With a quarter mile warm up and three quarter mile cool down I ran a total of three miles today. 


Week 3 miles
Month 104 miles
Year 504 miles

Running Report Afternoon of 6/15/15 to 6/20/15

MONDAY AFTERNOON 6/15/15
Ran three easy miles in the afternoon at 100 degrees. 

1. 4.45
2. 4.26
3. 4.50
4. 4.32
5. 4.38
6. 4.00

Total time 28.11 average of 9.24 per mile. 

Day 6 miles
Week 6 miles
Month 72 miles
Year 474 miles

TUESDAY 6/16/15
Ran three miles.

1. 3.48
2. 3.56
3. 3.42
4. 3.46
5. 4.01
6. 4.00

Total time of 23.15 average of 7.45 per mile.

Week 9 miles
Month 75 miles
Year 475 miles

WEDNESDAY 6/17/15
Ran four miles in the morning

1. 4.49
2. 4.07
3. 3.33
4. 3.08
5. 3.26
6. 3.35
7. 3.48
8. 4.01

Total time 30.31 average of 7.37 per mile.
Thoughts: I was not worried about overall time but more focused on the slow fast slow pattern. 

In the afternoon I ran four miles nice and easy in 100 degree heat.

1. 4.25
2. 4.07
3. 4.20
4. 4.24
5. 4.34
6. 4.28
7. 4.11
8. 4.12

Total time 34.43 average of 8.41 per mile.

Day 8 miles
Week 17 miles
Month 83 miles
Year 483 miles

THURSDAY 6/18/15
Ran four miles in the morning.

1. 4.09
2. 3.44
3. 3.47
4. 3.52
5. 3.47
6. 3.45
7. 3.48
8. 3.51

Total time 30.47 average of 7.42 per mile.

Week 21 miles
Month 87 miles
Year 487 miles

FRIDAY 6/19/15
Ran six miles on the treadmill in the afternoon.  Unfortunately with the treadmill I didn't have a watch on to take all of my splits but I do remember most of the cummulative time as I went along.

1. 3.38
2. 7.07
3. 10.05
4. 14.00
5. 17.25
6. approx. 20.50
7. 24.17
8. approx. 27.30
9. 30.30
10. ?
11. ?
12. 40.00

Total time 40.00 minutes.  Average of 6.40 per mile. 

Thoughts: I think running on the treadmill is easire than running outside.  I had the incline at 5% the whole way.  Last week I ran three mile at 6.41 pace and not I ran 6.40 pace for twice as long.  For some reason, I don't think so.  It is just easier.  Yes I am in better shape than 7 or 8 days ago but still. 

Week 27 miles
Month 93 miles
Year 493 miles

SATURDAY 6/20/15
Ran 8 miles in the morning.

1. 3.38
2. 3.40
3. 3.42
4. 3.48
5. 3.41
6. 3.46
7. 3.42
8. 3.40
9. 3.43
10. 3.39
11. 3.43
12. 3.49
13. 3.38
14. 3.48
15. 3.39
16. 3.51

Total time 59.36 average of 7.27 per mile.

Week 35 miles
Month 101 miles
Year 501 miles

Thoughts: At half way I thought maybe I try and do a negative split or go faster on the second half.  However, my body was just not having it.  I was glad to go 7.30 pace.  Next week will have to see what pace I shoot for on the 13 mile long run.  It will hopefully be no slower than 7.45 pace.  Maybe I could push the pace and get the 7.30 pace. 

Running Report June 15, 2015. Yasso 800's, oh yeah baby, bring the pain!

MONDAY 6/15/15
Yasso 800's this morning.  4 half mile repeats at 3 minutes each with 3 minute jog in between each repeat. 

1. 2.55 half mile, then 3 min. jog
2. 2.56 "                                     "
3. 2.54 "                                      "
4. 2.54 50 second walk, 15 seconds of taking heart rate and then half mile cool down jog untimed. 

Week 3 miles
Month 69
Year 469

This was a key workout that I had mentally circled on the calendar.  Since it was the first Yasso 800's of this training cycle (the 18 week Hal Higdon Marathon Advanced II training plan).  Also this was the first time I would be doing Yasso 800's at 3.00 minutes each.  As stated above the goal was to do each repeat at 3.00 minutes.  The first one is always hard to tell because it is hard and I don't have anything previous to base my effort on so I usually go a little bit harder than necessary in order to not come in slow.  Upon finishing at 2.55 it thought "ok, that was hard but good thing I came in under 3.00.  I can slow down on the next one and get right at three because to do four at 2.55 would be really hard".  On the next repeat I didn't want to go to slow and I ended up with a 2.56.  Now, half way through the workout, I decided to just go for it and push myself to finish the next one at 2.55 and then I would only have one left and I could go all out for that one.  The third was very difficult.  I felt fine for the first 100-200 meters or so.  From 200 to 500 meters or so it was all about making to a certain landmark with good form and not slowing down.  The last 300 meters was a struggle, a fight to keep going, swinging the arms, not tensing up the upper body, pushing and enduring to the end.  For some reason oxyegen debt came to my mind.  I remember thinking during the first interval that I am in decent shape and that I should be able to recover my heart rate and breathing.  I also thought about trusting my training.  I should be in shape enough to do this, I thought.  I finally ended up finishing that third one as the fastest of the day by a second.  I was very tired and the only consolation was that there was only one left and then it would all be over.  On the last repeat, it was a struggle after like 100 meters or so.  Fighting the whole way to keep good form, keep the pace and keep focused on making it to the next landmark that would get me closer to the finish.  The last 200 meters or so was the race pain.  Forearms getting tingly like their going numb or something, breathing really hard, and overall pain.  Finishing with a 2.54 completed the workout on an exhausting but great note.  This will pay dividens later this week when I do six miles at 7 minute pace and my Saturday long run.  I was not looking forward to this run, but now that it is over I am glad I put that much more fitness in the bank and I was able to continue to train my mind to discipline my body to endure pain, repeatedly.  Having surpassed my goal and won today's running battle in a workout long anticipated and yet knowing there is so much more to do it is now appropriate to leave you with a running quote.  This is from Emil Zatopek.  If you don't know who he is, it worth looking him up on wikipedia.  Here is the quote

"It's at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are seperated from the boys."

Running Report June 8 -- June 13

This was a little bit of a different week because on the Saturday previous at night I sustained an injury and I didn't even know if I would be able to run on Monday.

MONDAY 6/8/15
Ran three easy slow miles untimed. 

Week 3 miles
Month 40 miles
Year 440 miles

Thoughts: I started out with the intention of just walking three miles because I was in a significant amount of pain.  However, with the type of injury that I had, the muscles loosed up as I continued to move and so I ended up doing a very slow jog the entire three miles. 

TUESDAY 6/9/15
Ran three miles fairly slow. 

1. 5.32
2. 4.49
3. 4.03
4. 3.45
5. 3.57
6. 3.52

Total time 26.00 average of 8.40 per mile.

Week 6 miles
Month 43 miles
Year 443 miles

Thoughts: I still did not want to push my body to do anything and so I was happy just to get out and jog three miles and be ok by the end of the run. 

WEDNESDAY 6/10/15
Ran another three miles.  Anyone see a pattern for this week?

1. 3.59
2. 3.47
3. 3.48
4. 3.39
5. 3.42
6. 3.39

Total time of 22.36 average of 7.32 per mile.

Week 9 miles
Month 46 miles
Year 446 miles

Thoughts: Here I pushed it a little bit and my body responded.  I was feeling somewhat better.

THURSDAY 6/11/15
Last but not least, the last of the three mile runs for the week.

1. 3.25
2. 3.24
3. 3.21
4. 3.21
5. 3.23
6. 3.09

Total time 20.04 average of 6.41 per mile. 

Week 12 miles
Month 49 miles
Year 449 miles

Thoughts: I was very happy with this run because I had been injured and was still recovering.  This was my fastest three mile run since my training for the Phoenix in 2014.  It was certainly very difficult, but I felt like I didn't have to go all the way to the bottom of the well.  I think as I continue to have a hard run every week I am building up tolerance to feeling pain and the extending that pain for longer and longer.  I would like to think so anyway. 

FRIDAY 6/12/15
Ran six miles today.

1. 4.11
2. 3.55
3. 3.37
4. 3.39
5. 3.38
6. 3.32
7. 3.42
8. 3.35
9. 3.36
10. 3.49
11. 3.42
12. 3.53

Total time 44.55 average of 7.29 per mile.

Week 18 miles
Month 55 miles
Year 455 miles

Thoughts: I purposely chose to do this six mile run at 7.30 pace because it would make the pace for the next days long run seem that much more doable.  Yet I wasn't pushing to hard such that I would have two hard days in a row and then the long run.  So this was say a medium effort workout.  Not a recovery run but not a hard pace either.  Distance was a little longer and pace was a little faster, but all still under control and calculated. 

SATURDAY 6/13/15
Ran 11 miles in the morning before to much of the heat set in.

1. 4.04
2. 3.50
3. 3.48
4. 3.51
5. 3.51
6. 3.54
7. 3.55
8. 3.50
9. 3.50
10. 3.49
11. 3.51
12. 3.58
13. 3.46
14. 3.53
15. 3.50
16. 3.53
17. 3.46
18. 3.54
19. 3.46
20. 3.52
21. 3.51
22. 4.02

Total time 1 hour 25 minutes and 16 seconds.  That is one second over exactly a 7.45 pace. 

Week 29 miles
Month 66 miles
Year 466 miles

Thoughts: Before hand I was planning on running at an 8 minute pace.  After the first mile I changed plans to a 7.50 pace.  After a mile and a half I revised it down to a 7.48 mile.  A 7.48 miles is what the Runners World calculator suggests you should run your long slow run at if you want for your training runs in order to train for a 3 hour marathon or a 3.05 marathong or something like that.  About half way through this run, I was feeling good so I decided that a 7.45 pace was with reach, and that it would not draw to much from the proverbial well, if you will.  At 8 miles I hit my watch and it told me I was exactly at a 7.45 pace so that was cool.  All I would have to do is run exactly 7.45 pace for the next three miles and all would be well.  As is typical though, I got this idea that I didn't want to play it so close and so I would speed up for a mile and half and "bank" some time, then for a mile I would hold even at 7.45 and then the last half mile I would have some time to play with and to slow down a little bit if I need to.  This is what happened. 

I am very pleased with how this week turned out in comparison to how I felt this last week might go when I was contemplating it seven days ago.  Despite my injury (sorry, public forum doesn't get private information) I feel that I am 95 recovered and that I had four good days of training in there.  I don't feel like I lost anything this week.

This is the end of week two of training.  While during the runs there are some real challenging times, I feel like I am progressing well.  Each week is getting me in shape for the next week.  The months of training before the 18 weeks of training got me in shape for this first half of my training block.  Now I feel like the first half, the first nine weeks, is going to get me in shape for the second half or nine weeks, which is where I will do a ton of miles and I will get in "marathon shape".  The Saturday long runs going from week 10 to 18 are as follows: 19, 20, 12, 20, 12, 20, 12, 8, Marathon.  I count my blessings for whenever I am able to run healthy. 

Running Report June 4 -- June 6

6/4/15 THURSDAY
Ran 3 miles in the morning.

1. 4.11
2. 3.45
3. 3.57
4. 3.58
5. 3.52
6. 4.08

Total time of 23.54 average of 7.58 per mile.

Week 22 miles
Month 22 miles
Year 422 miles

6/5/15 FRIDAY
Ran five miles in the morning.

1. 3.37
2. 3.26
3. 3.23
4. 3.32
5. 3.25
6. 3.27
7. 3.21
8. 3.26
9. 3.30
10. 3.20

Total time 34.32 average of 6.56 per mile.

Week 27 miles
Month 27 miles
Year 427 miles

THOUGHTS: I was not looking forward to the pain I would have to go through to reach the goal I had for today's workout of running 5 miles at 7 minute pace.  Maybe part of it was the build up I had in my mind for two months this was the key workout to where I was.  I woke up once or twice during the night worried about the pain factor.  As I awoke at four in the morning and looked outside I could hear that there was a slight drizzle.  I headed back to my room to go back to bed with intentions of doing the run after work in the afternoon.  Then, fortunately, by the time I got back to my room I realized that it would be easier to achieve my goal in the moning than in the heat of the afternoon.  When I finally did get outside, it wasn't really raining, just a few light raindrops here and there.  The first half mile is always a hard one for me as my muscles and body are still warming up.  After a mile and a half I thought, I can do this.  I can do each half mile at 3.30.  Then like at 3 miles I thought "man this is hard, but just focus on getting to the next half mile at no slower than 3.30."  As usuall with a hard run, from there on out I just had to focus on making it to the next short term goal and forget about what was beyond.  I was elated to finish faster than a 7 minute pace.  I had accomplished my goal.  I was also pleased that I didn't have to go to the bottom of the well.  Close, but not all the way to the bottom, not race pain.  All of my efforst seemed to have paid off.  However I realized that this was just the beginning, really.  I thought about how over the next 17 weeks I needed to take the five miles I could now do at 7 minute pace and stretch that way out to 26.2.  So my enthusiasm was tempered upon pondering the length of the path still to tread. 

6/6/15 SATURDAY
Ran 10 miles in the afternoon.

1. 4.50
2. 4.52
3. 4.50
4. 4.51
5. 4.58
6. 5.00
7. 4.34
8. 4.34
9. 4.49
10. 4.24
11. 4.13
12. 4.10
13. 4.07
14. 4.12
15. 4.09
16. 4.14
17. 4.49
18. 4.08
19. 4.05
20. 3.50

Total time 1 hour 29 minutes and 50 seconds.  Average of 8.59 per mile.

Week 37 miles
Month 37 miles
Year 437 miles

THOUGHTS: This was a difficult run for a number of reasons.  Instead of being super disciplined and getting up way early to get my 10 mile run done and over with before six in the morning, and before the heat of the day, I was lazy and left it for non-morning time.  I went on a three mile hike with a 25 pound pack and occasionaly another 40 pounds added on top of that.  So that was some good exercise.  I started my run at one in the afternoon in 90 degree heat with a good wind blowing.  So basically goal one was to complete the run and goal two was to complete it without getting dehydrated or heat exhaustion.  I threw any thought of time out the window before even getting started.  The last half mile I ran a little faster in order to get at or under the nine minute pace.  I was glad to finish runnig the ten miles.  Later in the day, I could feel that the three mile hike and the ten mile run in the heat really took a toll on my body. 

Running Report 6/1/15 -- 6/3/15

6/1/15 MONDAY
In the morning ran hill repeats.  The exact distance is unknown.  A quarter of a mile to a third of a mile. Up hill three times with a slow jog back down hill.  For the fourth repeat I ran down the hill.  Here are the approximate times:

1. Untimed, maybe in the 1.40 to 1.45 range
2. 1.38
3. 1.28
4. 1.22

Total distance about two miles when the slow jog is combined with the actual repeat.

In the afternoon I ran three miles nice and slow. 

1. 5.01
2. 5.01
3. 4.43
4. 4.43
5. 4.56
6. 4.39

Total time 29.05 average of 9.42

Day 5 miles
Week 5 miles
Month 5 miles
Year 405 miles

6/2/15 TUESDAY
Ran three miles in the morning.  Half mile splits are as follows:

1. 3.53
2. 4.03
3. 3.48
4. 4.03
5. 3.53
6. 4.04

Total time 23.47 average of 7.56 per mile. 

Ran three miles in the afternoon nice and easy.

1. 4.46
2. 4.47
3. 4.46
4. 4.47
5. 4.44
6. 4.55

Total time 28.49 average of 9.36 per mile.

Day 6 miles
Week 11 miles
Month 11 miles
Year 411 miles

6/3/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran four miles in the morning.  I did this workout as one long interval workout or a tempo run or something.  Slow increasing to fast and then decreasing to slow once again.  You will see it in the splits.

1. 4.20
2. 4.03
3. 3.39
4. 3.20
5. 3.13
6. 3.27
7. 3.39
8. 4.06

Total time 29.51 average of 7.28.  I was not concerned about the overall time.  What I was concentrating on was increasing each half mile through number five and then decreasing as evenly as possible the last three half miles.  At the begining of half mile four I thought that it might be me fastest and then I would start the descent back down after that.  Indeed it was fast but then at the beginning of number 5 I felt I could push it for one more half mile, but it would be hard.  So I did and was happy to get a 3.13.  Then it was difficult not dropping off the pace by to much in segment 6.  To get a 3.27 and have it feel slower than the two half mile before is one of the reasons, in my opinion, of these workouts.  I am shooting for that 7 minute pace during the marathon.  Everything that I can do to make a 7 minute pace seem pedistrian, easy, manageable or comfortable is good.  So obviously I have to spend more and more of my time under that 7 minute pace.  I have a long row to hoe in the next 18 weeks.  Right now I know I can do 4 miles at 7 minute pace because I have done exactly that for the last two Fridays.  This Friday I am scheduled to do 5 miles at that pace and six miles the Friday after that.  So up and on to 26.2 miles at 7 minute pace. 

In the afternoon I ran four miles nice and easy.

1. 4.46
2. 4.37
3. 5.06
4. 4.52
5. 4.53
6. 4.58
7. 4.46
8. 4.58

Total time 38.59 average of about 9.45 per mile.

Day 8 miles
Week 19 miles
Month 19 miles
Year 419

Olympic Trivia -- the videos

Here is the youtube video of the 2012 Olympic Summer Games Men's 10,000 meter run.


Here is the video to the 2012 Olympic Summer Games Men's Triathlon.

Running Report 5/30/15

5/30/15 SATURDAY
Ran twelve miles today.

1. 4.49
2. 4.13
3. 4.01
4. 4.01
5. 3.55
6. 4.01
7. 4.01
8. 4.02
9. 4.01
10. 3.49
11. 3.48
12. 3.55
13. 3.48
14. 4.03
15. 4.02
16. 4.04
17. 3.54
18. 3.50
19. 3.44
20. 3.43
21. 3.44
22. 3.58
23. 4.01
24. 4.08

Total time 1 hour 35 minutes 46 seconds.  Average of 7.59 minute per mile. 

Week 35 miles
Month 135 miles
Year 400 miles

Running Report afternoon of 5/26/15 -- 5/29/15

5/26/15 TUESDAY AFTERNOON
Ran three miles Tuesday afternoon as an additional workout to get some more miles in, albeit at a much slower pace.

1. 5.08
2. 4.37
3. 4.51
4. 5.05
5. 4.53
6. 4.56

Total time 29.33 average of 4.51 per mile

Day 8 miles
Week 13 miles
Month 113 miles
Year 378 miles

5/27/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran three miles untimed

Week 16 miles
Month 116 miles
Year 381 miles

5/28/15 THURSDAY
Ran three miles right after eating and it was like 89 degrees Farenheit (sp?) so it was a slog but I finished.  Here are my half my splits:

1. 4.00
2. 4.00
3. 3.53
4. 4.00
5. 4.07
6. 3.59

Total time 24.02 (with the addition of miliseconds it turns out to a little more usually).  Average of 8.01 per mile.

Week 19 miles
Month 119 miles
Year 384 miles

5/29/15 FRIDAY
Ran four miles for my weekly push the limits and hold on as long as you can run. 

1. 3.29
2. 3.32
3. 3.34
4. 3.32
5. 3.27
6. 3.23
7. 3.32
8. 3.20

Total time 27.51 average of 6.58 minutes per mile.  Headwind during segments two and three although not as bad as previous runs.  On the way back on half miles 6 and 7 there didn't seem to be as much tailwind in comparison.  However that could have been attributed to the fact that I just didn't feel it since I was running the same direction.  I was 90 degrees so that is as hot a temperature as I have run in all year.  My heart rate about 45 seconds after finishing was 146.  That is as high of a heart rate that I have had probably in the last ning months or so.  I really think the heat plays into that a little bit.  On Monday when I finished my last Yasso 800 so fast I was in way worse pain and my breathing was much more labored and yet my rate was much lower.  Granted I had only done two laps.  But it was at 5.42 pace for those two laps.  The other variable was that Mondays workout was at 6:30 a.m. with an approximate temperature in the 50's.  Anyway it just all comparisons, none of it scientific.  In addition to a workout like today increasing my physical fitness, I feel that my mental fitness increases as well.  Each half mile I had to play the mental game of focusing on the finish of the next half mile and not worrying about the rest.  Even in the last half mile I split it roughly in half.  I focused on maintaining my pace for the first half then I told myself for the last half I would be able to pick it up.  Then with a quarter of a mile every half a distance to the finish becomes twice as hard as the last. 

Week 23 miles
Month 123 miles
Year 388 miles

Running Report 5/26/15

5/26/15 TUESDAY
Ran somewhere between five and six miles today.  I think close to five and a half but for tracking purposes I will just count the five.  Here are the half mile splits except for the middle one where the distance is unknown. 

1. 4.43
2. 4.14
3. 4.17
4. 4.46
5. 13.18
6. 4.30
7. 4.07
8. 4.15
9. 4.31

Total time 48.45.  As I do not know my exact distance I will forebear on calculating my pace.  It was fairly slow but I wasn't out there to run fast.  I did the running fast thing yesterday. 

Week 10 miles
Month 110 miles
Year 375 miles

Running Report 5/25/15

Monday 5/25/15 I did Yasso 800's on the track.  This is how it went:

1. 800 meters in 3.08
2. 400 meters in 3.07
3. 800 meters in 3.05
4. 400 meters in 3.07
5. 800 meters in 3.07
6. 400 meters in 3.07
7. 800 meters in 3.07
8. 400 meters in about 3.30
9. 800 meters in 3.09
10. 400 meters in 3.10
11. 800 meters in 2.51
12. 800 cool down

Heart rate about 45 seconds after finishing the last 800 meters was 118 beats per minute.  Which baffles me because that last 800 meters I pushed myself to what I like to term race exhaustion.  Which is to say, I went beyond the normal hard workout to where every step is painful and my forearms start to go numb or at least feel that way and my whole body hurts and is screaming "STOP THIS NOW!"  I remember thinking to myself that I don't recall pushing myself this hard since the Texas Canyon 10K Trail Run.    I thought my heart rate would be around 140 to 150 the way I was breathing when I was finished.  I was very surprised.  I was mad at myself for whimping out on repeat number 5 and taking and extra 20 seconds of rest and an extra two seconds on the run part.  I should have endured to the end despite how hard it was.  That is one of the reasons I wanted to do the last repeat faster was to try and make up for that a little bit.  If I remember correctly June 15 is the first time in the training schedule that I have Yasso 800's.  My goal is to do 4 repeats at 3.00 minutes each.  So this gets me a little closer to that.  Previously I did Yasso 800's at 3.15 and "Yasso Dobles" (my invention) at 6.30 minutes so I took it down 8 seconds and thus half way to a 3.00  minute Yasso 800.
This is my last week of preparation before I start my official 18 week training program for the St. George Marathon on October 3.  I defenitely (sp?) feel that sense of urgency to make each workout count. 

Week 5 miles
Month 105 miles
Year 370 miles

Running Report 5/23/15

5/23/15 SATURDAY
Ran ten miles this morning.

1. 4.36
2. 4.15
3. 4.06
4. 4.04
5. 4.08
6. 4.06
7. 4.11
8. 4.07
9. 4.21
10. 4.07
11. 3.47
12. 3.49
13. 3.49
14. 3.51
15. 3.46
16. 3.46
17. 3.45
18. 3.46
19. 3.53
20. 4.02

Total time 1 hour 20 minutes and 23 seconds.  Average of 8.02 minutes per mile. 

Week 31 miles
Month 100 miles
Year 365 miles

Splits 6-9 were uphill and conversely splits 10-13 were downhill.  My initial goal was about a 8.15 pace, but I was flexible.  The first two miles I was feeling good.  On the uphill for the most part I felt like I was able to maintain a good pace.  On the downhill I picked up the pace since I wasn't feeling terrible.  Back on the flat I decided to just pushing the pace at the sub 8 minute level.  Between mile 7 and 8 I could feel my body going into the first stages of breakdown mode.  Nothing terrible but my body was beginning to rebel.  It was cool though because I had such a rhythm going.  It was like the metronome was on.  It was hard though.  In the end I was very happy to get an 8.02 pace.  Next Saturday I plan to do a 12 mile run and then the week after that is the first week of official training and that first week ends with a 10 mile long run.  I would like to hit that 10 mile long run somewhere between 8.00 pace and 7.45 pace.  The Saturday after that is a 11 mile long run and then the third Saturday is a step back of 8 mile long run.  I would like to hit that 8 mile step back run at no slower than a 7.45 pace.  Each of these hard or long runs builds on the last one and gets me in better shape for the next hard or long run.  I hope to keep progressing throught the 18 week trainig program I am going to do.  We shall see.  These are the things that keep me motivated.  A sense of urgency.  I have to get prepared for something in a couple of weeks. 

A little bit of Olympic trivia

In the 2012 Olympic summer games in London, Mo Farah, from England, won the 10,000 meter race in a time of 27.30  Undoubtedly he could have gone faster.  Championshop distance races are often slow in the beginning stages and tactical throughout with no pacer or rabbit as they have in some of the other Diamond League races on the European track and field circuit.  Nevertheless, 27.30.  I have seen that race and it was rather pedestrian by Olympic standards the first mile or so. 

In the Olympic triathlon the distances are a 1500 meter swim, 43 KM (27 miles) road bycicling, and 10 KM (6.2 miles) run.  Alistair Brownlee, from England, won the men's triathlon at the same Olympic games.  He ran the 10,000 meters in 29.07.  Second place, Javier Gomez from Spain, ran it in 29.16 and Alistair's brother Jonathan did the run portion in 29.37 after he served a time penalty that he had incurred on the bike portion. 

You can make your own conclusions...

Running Report 5/18/15 -- 5/22/15

5/18/15 MONDAY
Ran 4 miles today.  The plan was to run the splits on the left side.  On the right side are the actual splits that I ran.

1. 4.30        4.31
2. 4.15        3.54
3. 4.00        3.46
4. 3.45        3.39
5. 3.30        3.31
6. 3.45        3.36
7. 4.00        3.53
8. 4.15        4.12

In half miles four and five I had to go up a bridge and back down the oher side.

Week 4 miles
Month 73 miles
Year 338 miles

5/19/15 TUESDAY
Ran 5 miles today. 

1. 4.40
2. 4.04
3. 4.03
4. 4.07
5. 4.20
6. 4.10
7. 4.11
8. 4.14
9. 4.13
10. 4.18

Total time 42.24 average of 8.29 per mile.

Week 9 miles
Month 78 miles
Year 343 miles

5/20/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran for 42 minutes and 31 seconds.  Not sure the distance but I would guess about five miles.  Didn't keep track to closely on the half miles. 

Week 14 miles
Month 83 miles
Year 348 miles

5/21/15 THURSDAY
Ran three mile recovery jog today.

1. 4.02
2. 4.06
3. 4.20
4. 4.14
5. 4.15
6. 4.22

Total time 25.21 average of 8.27 per mile.

Week 17 miles
Month 86 miles
Year 351 miles

5/22/15 FRIDAY
Ran four miles today.

1. 3.13
2. 3.28
3. 3.33
4. 3.24
5. 3.35
6. 3.23
7. 3.26
8. 3.30

Total time 27.36 average of 6.54 per mile.  Heart rate about 50 seconds after finishing was 148 beats per minute.  There was a very strong wind blowing today.  So I knew that I would have half the run into the wind, and then I would have the wind at my back the other half.  Since the out and back was a digital "S" shape I would be dealing with running into the wind on half mile segments 2,3,5 and 8.  I knew my first haf mile would be fast so when I saw a 3.13 I hoped that my time that I "banked" didn't cost me to much.  The next two half miles were a real struggle.  I was redlining it.  I was thinking of last Fridays run and I didn't want to drop to much time on this portion.  So the 3.28 for segment 2 was a big surprise.  I knew I had plenty of time in the bank so I didn't push the pace quite as hard but I didn't let off the pedal to much on the other hand either and was excited to see I only dropped 3 seconds during segment 3.  Split four found me trying to relax and let the wind push me.  Split five was square into the wind and it was very difficult.  I was glad to see that only dropped five seonds.  At this point I started to get excited because the next two half miles were with the wind at my back so I knew I could lock into a steady pace and let the wind push me to a sub 7 minute mile pace, which is what happened. 

For the first ten to twenty seconds of the last half mile, my plan was to go over a seven minute pace since I had so much time in the bank and end up right around a 7 minute pace for the whole thing.  Then I thought, "you know I sure have worked real hard to get all of that time in the bank and wasting it all now in the last half mile would be a shame.  So I changed my mind and decided to shoot for a finish of 3.30 which is a 7 minute pace.  The last four hundred meters was really hard.  I started to repeat to myself "this is your Boston Qualifying run at the St. George Marathon right here."  I repeated that several times to myself to keep myself from slowing down.  I know those last three miles of the marathon are based and sheer guts so this was a time to prove to myself that I have guts.  That my mind is stronger than my body.  This is the time that I take the trip down the hall and open the door to one of the dark rooms in my soul and see how far the light will go.  Maybe even take a step inside.  For review of the dark rooms in my soul see mile 24 of my report of the 2010 St. George Marathon.  I am also excited because that 6.54 pace gets me that much closer to running 5 miles at 7 minute on June 5, which is in two Fridays from now. 

Week 21 miles
Month 90 miles
Year 355 miles

Running Report 5/14/15 -- 5/17/15

5/14/15 THURSDAY
Ran three mile recovery jog.

1. 4.12
2. 4.30
3. 4.24
4. 4.22
5. 4.08
6. 4.36

Total time 26.16 average of 8.45 per mile.  Extremely windy the whole run.  Half the run was into the wind and half of the run was with the wind. 

Week 14 miles
Month 57 miles
Year 322 miles

5/15/15 FRIDAY
Ran four miles today. 

1. 3.35
2. 3.49
3. 3.57
4. 3.38
5. 3.36
6. 3.18
7. 3.15
8. 3.04

Total time 28.15 average of 7.05 per mile.  Extremely strong headwind on segments 2 and 3.  Segments or half miles 6 and 7 had a nice tailwind all others were a strong crosswind.  Disapointed that on sefments 4 and 5 I dropped a total of 14 seconds of the 7 minute pace.  That could have given me my 7 minute pace right there.  Nevertheless, with a heroic effort the last half mile, I was able to salvage my run and bring my overall pace down to the 7.05 range.  Considering how windy it was and this is the first time going over three miles at top speed or race pace, I am not to disapointed.  My goal is to do my Friday race pace run at four miles at 7 minute pace the next two Fridays.  Then on June the sixth my goal is to run 5 miles at the 7 minute pace. 

Week 18 miles
Month 61 miles
Year 326 miles

5/16/15 Saturday
Ran 8 miles today.  It wa a slog.  Ate lunch right before I left so that is never a good idea.  I was chunder-burping the whole way.  I had to stop two different times to go to the bathroom.  Luckily the first time I say a Carls Jr. bag thrown on the side of the road.  I wondered if it possibly had some napkins in there because ususally in a fast food bag the fast food workers put napkins.  So I opened up the crumpled bag, that somebody had thrown out the window of their car as they drove by.  Sure enough there were about six unused napkins along with a receipt.  I put the receipt back in the bag and put the ba down a rabbit hole so it wouldn't blow away in the wind and it could decompose properly.  I promptly stepped off the road a dozen yards or so where there was break in the barbed wire fence and used the middle of the unused napkins to assist me in going to the bathroom.  I was greatly relieved after that.  I was very gratefuly for those napkins.  I secured the rest of the napkins on an old abandoned chair in case I am in the same area and I need them again. 

1. 4.29
2. 4.22
3. 4.27
4. 4.35
5. 4.29
6. 4.37
7. 4.37
8. 4.31
9. 4.58
10. 4.35
11. 4.30
12. 4.19
13. 4.19
14. 4.21
15. 4.14
16. 4.27

Total time 1 hour 11 minutes and 58 seconds.  Two seonds off a 9 minute pace. 

Week 26 miles
Month 69 miles
Year 334 miles

Running Report 5/8/15 - 5/13/15

5/8/15 FRIDAY
Ran three miles.  Half were into a stiff head wind and the other half I had a nice push in the back by the wind.  Hence the half miles marks that varied widely.

1. 3.26
2. 3.29
3. 3.38
4. 3.42
5. 3.18
6. 3.13

Total time 20.47 average of 6.56 minutes per mile. 

Week 20 miles
Month 32 miles
Year 297 miles

5/9/15 SATURDAY
Ran eleven miles. 

1. 4.36
2. 4.09
3. 4.06
4. 4.08
5. 4.12
6. 4.13
7. 4.16
8. 4.10
9. 4.17
10. 4.00
11. 4.05
12. 4.16
13. 4.05
14. 4.13
15. 4.08
16. 4.19
17. 4.04
18. 4.18
19. 4.10
20. 4.07
21. 4.20
22. 4.28

Total time 1 hour 32 minutes 53 seconds average of about 8.27 per mile. 

Week 31 miles
Month 43 miles
Year 308 miles

5/11/15 MONDAY
For my workout today I have coined the name of the workout.  "Yasso Doble".  That is right you heard it here first.  Instead of Yasso 800's it is the Yasso Doble (as opposed to the paso doble).  In the past couple of weeks I have run 800 meters, or half a mile in 3.15 and then jogged approximately 400 meters in 3.15.  Well my workout today the goal was to run a mile in 6.30 (double in both time and distance) and then jog half a mile in 6.30.  I did three repeats of this. 

Mile 1 -- 6.45 and then half mile jog in 6.15
Mile 2 -- 6.34 and then half mile jog in 6.26
Mile 3 -- 6.25 or so and then a cool down jog. 

For simplicity sake I will not count the cool down as part of my mileage because I don't like tacking in the ".5" on there.  Last week I did 6 Yasso 800's at 3.15 minutes and seconds.  Today I was able to do two half miles at 3.15 back to back.  So this gives me confidence that in the coming weeks I can go faster on my Yasso 800's.  in the third week or so of June I am scheduled to do 4 Yasso 800's at 3.00.  So this is helping me get closer to accomplishing that.  I feel an urgency in my training right now to get in shape for the first week of training that starts on June 1.  It's kind of like I have a race on June first.  That first week of June I am scheduled to run 5 miles at race pace.  That means run five miles at 7.00 minute pace.  I know that I can do 3 miles at 7 minute pace because I have done that the last three, weeks.  Maybe to help get closer to that 5 miles at 7 min pace I can do 4 miles at 7 min. pace for two or three weeks in a row. 

Week 3 miles
Month 46 miles
Year 311 miles

5/12/15 TUESDAY
Ran three miles as a recovery jog today.

1. 4.29
2. 4.21
3. 4.27
4. 4.22
5. 4.20
6. 4.21

Total of 26.24 average of 8.48 minutes per mile.  A little bit slower than normal for a recovery jog but that is ok. 

Week 6 miles
Month 49 miles
Year 314 miles

5/13/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran a total of five miles on the treadmill.  This workout was focused more on intervals, slow-fast although more accurately for today it would be easy-hard.  On the hard parts I would put the incline up high so I was doing hillwork.  I alternated every quarter mile. 

Week 11 miles
Month 54 miles
Year 319 miles

St. George Marathon... I'm in!

The dye has been cast, the course set, and the clock is ticking.  My registration has been received and I have been deemed worthy to participate in the 39th running of the St. George Marathon on October 3, 2015. 

So I decided to register for the St. George Marathon on the last day possible on May 4th.  On today's date (5/7/15) the Marathon web site had news that registration had been extended and applicants were being excepted until the marathon reached it's full alottment of 7,800 participants.  So I wanted to know if they were still going to have a lottery or not or if everyone that registered on or before May fourth was in.  So I actually called and talked to a nice lady and she informed me that I have been accepted to run in 2015 St. George Marathon!  I was so excited that I went for a three mile hike in celebration.  Now I have the rest of May to get in shape to start my Marathon training on June first.  Let the summer of torture, pain and less sleep begin!

St. George Marathon Website

Here is a youtube video made by the St. George Marathon.  I have enjoyed watching this video a number of different times.

Running Report 5/5/15 -- 5/7/15

5/5/15 TUESDAY
Ran thee miles.  Half mile splits are:

1. 5.02
2. 4.37
3. 4.36
4. 4.40
5. 4.55
6. 4.54

Total time 28.47 average of 9.36 minutes per mile.  I almost didn't run today but then I sat down and I couldn't get myslef to write the words "no run today" in my journal so I went out and did a slow 3 miles at nine o'clock at night.

Week 8 miles
Month 20 miles
Year 285 miles

5/6/15 WEDNESDAY
Did a treadmill workout.  Total of six miles. 
Mileage           Pace
0 - .25             8.40
.25 - .50          7.40.
.50 - .75          8.34
.75 - 1.00        7.35
1.00 - 1.25      8.26
1.25 - 1.50      7.25
1.50 - 1.75      8.20
1.75 - 2.00      7.25
2.00 - 2.25      8.00
2.25 - 2.50      6.58
2.50 - 2.75      8.00
2.75 - 3.00      6.58
3.00 - 3.25      8.15
3.25 - 3.50      6.45
3.50 - 3.75      8.30
3.75 - 4.00      6.30
4.00 - 4.25      8.45
4.25 - 4.50      6.15
4.50 - 4.75      9.00
4.75 - 5.00      6.00
5.00 - 5.25      6.30
5.25 - 5.50      7.00
5.50 - 5.75      7.30
5.75 - 6.00      8.00

Total time was about 46 minutes but I was more focused on going fast and then recovering and repeating over and over. 

Week 14 miles
Month 26 miles
Year 291 miles

5/7/15 THURSDAY
Ran three mile recovery jog today.

1. 4.12
2. 3.56
3. 4.11
4. 4.10
5. 4.10
6. 4.16

Total time 24.56 average of about 8.19 per mile.

Week 17 miles
Month 29 miles
Year 294 miles

Last Day To Register for the St. George Marathon

I have been going back and forth as to whether I will be in good enough shape by October to run the St. George Marathon and have a decent shot at getting a Boston Qualifying time.  I would have five months.  I ususally use the Hal Higdon training plans, and those are 18 weeks, 4.5 months.  So I would have 4-6 weeks to get in good shape in order to start the 18 week training plan.  The big question is can I take the 7 minute pace that I can barely do three miles at right now and stretch that out to 26.2 miles by October third.  One would think, ok, every week just run one more mile at seven minute pace and you should be at about 22-24 miles at seven minute pace by October 3.  It doesn't really work that way, but good idealism.  I have until about 11 p.m. local time to decide.............

Running Report 5/1/15 -- 5/4/15

5/1/15 FRIDAY
Ran three miles today. 

1. 3.33
2. 3.29
3. 3.29
4. 3.32
5. 3.32
6. 3.21

Total time 20.58 average of approx. 6.59 minute per mile! My original goal for the run was a 7.15 average.  At the end of the first half mile, I thought I would go for a 7.10 based on how I was feeling and the half mile split.  At the end of the second half mile I looked at my watch to see a 3.29 which was a littl surprising.  So I thought maybe I was revise that down to a 7.05 pace for the three miles.  At the end of the third half mile, I looked down to a 3.29 again.  I thought "to heck with it.  I am just going to go for that seven minute mile pace".  That is what I more or less finished with.  Yes I had to work at it but it didn't seem as challenging as last weeks 7 minute pace.  Still challenging but not quite as hard.  Heart rate after 45-60 seconds of finishing was 140. 

Week 15 miles
Month 3 miles
Year 268 miles


5/2/15 SATURDAY
Ran nine miles today.

1. 4.33
2. 4.16
3. 4.18
4. 4.19
5. 4.22
6. 4.22
7. 4.17
8. 4.30
9. 4.19
10. 4.07
11. 4.16
12. 4.08
13. 4.13
14. 4.22
15. 4.22
16. 4.12
17. 4.09
18. 4.20

Total time 1:17.37.  Average of approximately 8.41 per mile. 

Week 24 miles
Month 12 miles
Year 277 miles


5/4/15 MONDAY
Yasso 800's today.
Ran half mile in 3.15 and then slow jog for 3.15, repeat six times.  My first half mile was really hard.  They always are.  Additionally there was a decent headwind and I finished the half mile about 2-3 seconds slow.  I thought that I would do then next half mile in 3.15 as I would have a tailwind, but after that I would change the time to 3.20.  Upon finishing the second repeat, I was about 5-6 seconds fast and it wasn't as hard as the first one.  The tailwind really helped.  Right before starting the third one I convinced myself to do that one in 3.15 and after that I would change the interval time to 3.20 for sure.  I knew it would be hard and into the wind, but this was the last one at 3.15 so I had to push myself to not finish slow.  Upon completing the third repetition, I was 11 seconds fast!  I was surprised I knew that I had worked hard to keep a good strong pace but I had no idea that I was going so much faster.  Repetitions 4-6 were right on the money.  In the end I was glad that I stuck to my original goal of 6 repetitions of 3.15 each.  I had to work at it though and it was not easy.  I had to employ the short goal technique of making it to the telephone pole, and then making it to the next treee etc. etc.  I also thought about how working hard today would pay dividens on my race pace run on Friday and my long run on Saturday.  If I work hard on those two, it will then pay dividens on my interval workout next Monday and so on and so forth.  Three miles of running intervals at 6.30 pace and about 2 miles of slow jog for a total of 5 miles. 

Week 5 miles
Month 17 miles
Year 282 miles

March vs. April training

Basically in April I was able to get in a lot more miles than in April.  In, according to my records, I did 172 miles.  In April I ran 265 miles.  That is a difference of 93 miles.  I almost want to go out and run 7 miles tonight just to make it an even 100, but I won't.  However, had I not missed last Saturdays long run it would have been about 102 or so.  I May my plan it to run more miles per week.  My Saturday long runs will be the key there.  Instead of 5 and 7 miles on Saturdays hopefully it will be more like 9 and 11.  We shall see.

EDITORS NOTE: This post has inaccurate information.  It is currently May 17, 2015 and my running numbers for March and April were actually yearly accumulation of miles that I was looking at and NOT the monthly totals.  I must have been very tired when I wrote that because I didn't even think to realize that to run 265 miles in one month I would have had to average 66.5 miles a week, which I was obviously not doing.  Here are the correct numbers:  For March I ran 68.5 miles and for April I ran 93 miles.

Running Report 4/28/15 -- 4/30/15

4/28/15 TUESDAY
Ran three miles as a recovery jog.

1. 4.32
2. 4.10
3. 4.08
4. 4.17
5. 4.25
6. 4.22

Total time 25.56 average of 8.39 per mile.

Week 6 miles
Month 87 miles
Year 259 miles

4/29/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran three miles as a kind of medium run.  Not hard run, not recover jog.

1. 3.52
2. 3.53
3. 3.40
4. 3.47
5. 3.54
6. 3.54

Total time 23.02 average of 7.41 per mile.  After the first half mile I settled into a nice comfortable pace and I rode that through the end.  My original plan was to go for an 8 min. pace but after the first mile I felt I could do a 7.45 pace without pushing to hard. 

Week 9 miles
Month 90 miles
Year 262 miles

4/30/15 THURSDAY
Three mile recovery jog.

1. 4.17
2. 4.11
3. 4.23
4. 4.18
5. 4.18
6. 4.30

Total time 25.59 average of about 8.40 per mile.

Week 12 miles
Month 93 miles
Year 265 miles

Running Report 4/20/15 -- 4/27/15

4/20/15 MARATHON MONDAY
Six miles on the treadmill.  Yasso 800's.  Half a mile run with a quarter mile jog in between.  Half a mile was done at 3.20 and the quarter mile recovery jog was also at 3.20.  Did 8 repetitions. 

Week 6 miles
Month 68 miles
Year 240 miles

4/21/15 TUESDAY
3 mile recovery jog.

1. 4.20
2. 4.10
3. 4.20
4. 4.24
5. 4.22
6. 4.22

Total time of 26.00 average of 8.40 minutes/mile. 

Week 9 miles
Month 71 miles
Year 243 miles

4/22/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran 4 miles on the treadmill.  Basically a hill work out.  I would put a very steep incline for about three quarters of a mile and then back down to 5 percent as a recovery jog for a quarter of a mile.  I was just mixing it up.  No speed work but working pretty hard on the incline. 

Week 13 miles
Month 75 miles
Year 247 miles

4/23/15 THURSDAY
3 mile recovery jog. 

1. 5.09
2. 5.11
3. 5.12
4. 4.56
5. 4.57
6. 4.47

Total time 30.14 average of 10.05 per mile.

Week 16 miles
Month 78 miles
Year 250 miles

4/24/15 FRIDAY
Ran three miles today.  My Texas Canyon 10K race was on the last Saturday in March and so I have decided to either have one race a month or on the last Friday of the month do a workout that is race like.  Basically, I didn't want to do a race-like workout every Friday.  So three Fridays a months the workout is hard but manageable.  On the fourth Friday, the workout is all out effort or mostly.  My 10K was at a 7.37 pace.  That terrain was up and down and for 6.2 miles.  The subsequent three Fridays of workouts my three milers were all around 7.20 pace.  So my goal was to shoot for a 7.00 pace.  The first half mile is always one of the hardest.  Then on the fourth half mile I was getting tired and I was entertaining the thought of slowing down and averaging maybe a 7.05 mile pace.  Then with one mile to go I thought, "I haven't worked so hard up to this point just to slow down now and forfeit all of that effort".  With that I pushed myself to the end, especially that last half mile. 

1. 3.30
2. 3.26
3. 3.30
4. 3.33
5. 3.29
6. 3.19

Overall time of 20.50 average of 6.57.  Even though it was very difficult and required a lot of self discipline to keep pushing the entire time and not slow down.  When it was all over I was quite happy to be able to run under 21 minutes for three miles.  So for the next three Fridays my plan is to run the three miler in the 7.10 -- 7.15 pace range. 

Week 19 miles
Month 81 miles
Year 253 miles

4/27/15 MONDAY
Ran three miles in an interval type work out.  I started by running hard for two minutes and a recovery jog for for one minute.  Then I switched to one minute hard run followed by one minute recovery jog.  I have no idea how long it took me to do the three miles.  I think I might have been able to push a little harder because my heart rate at the end was about 104.  I should have been at least 120.  I did work hard on the parts I was supposed to though.  I really didn't feel like doing Yasso 800's today so I just made up my workout on the fly. 

Week 3 miles
Month 84 miles
Year 256 miles

Tai Lopez TEDx Talk

Here is a TEDx Talk by Tai Lopez.  He gives a little of his life experience and he talks a lot about finding a mentor.  I like his emphasis on being humble, life-long education, perseverence.

For those who may not be familiar, TED stands for technology, entertainment and design.  The x part, as far as I understand, refers to the fact that it is an independendently organized conference.  Basically people get up and talk about something they think is interesting and/or important for 18 minutes or less.  Most of the TED talks I have heard are positive and upbeat and encourage people to be better human beings.  I haven't seen them all though. 

Marathon Monday Musings

On the third Monday in April, of some future year, I am going to be running in the Boston Marathon.  I don't know for sure when that year will be.  I hope it will be in 2017.  If not, maybe 2018 or 2019 or maybe for the 125th anniversary edition in 2021.  That is the question though, when not if.  Today is Patriots Day in Massachussets, and I think in all of New England as far as I can tell.  Having never lived there I am not steeped in such traditions.  I am learning about it though.  As I was dutifully running my Monday ritual of Yasso 800's, this time on the treadmill, there was a 10 minute or so special on ESPN Sportscenter about the Boston Marathon.  I got a little emotional but I was able to hold the tears back, since there was a guy on the treadmill right next to me and another lifting weights in the same room.  The reporter had a lot of poetic stuff to say.  He also held up his finishers medal that he had earned the year before and talked about how important it was to him.  I almost pointed to the TV and said outloud "mark my words, I will be there one day.  That is going to be me."  I didn't but I felt like saying it.  So this is me pointing to the Boston Marathon and saying it now. 

Crossing the finish line or getting the finshers medal is no longer the end all, be all.  My reward comes a little each day as I finish my wourkout and meet my goal for the day.  Then I have a sense of satisfaction.  I have a sense of satisfaction when I am still tired from my workout hours later.  It is then that I know I am alive, and it is then that I know I have done something hard, that I set a goal and I accomplished my goal.  Of course one day it will be fun to travel to Boston, enjoy the atmosphere, the run, the fnish, the medal and swag etc.  I am finding out though, that there are many lessons to be learned along the way.  These lessons, the trials overcome, the perseverence shown the patience developed, the tenacity ingrained, the consistency confirmed make the ephemeral marathon and the finish, that much sweeter.  The longer it takes me to reach this goal of qualifying and running in the Boston Marathon, the more lessons I learn. 

Yasso 800 workout on the treadmill:
Each 800 meters or half mile in this case on the treadmill was run at 3.20.  Then I would jog for a quarter of a mile in 3.20 and so on and so forth for a total of 8 such repetitions.  The last and ninth interval was only a quarter of a mile due to time contraints.  I put the incline at 1% and the pace at about 5.54 min/mile.  Total mileage was 6.25 but I will round down to six miles. Heart rate after about 45 second jog was 132 beats per minute. 

Week 6 miles
Month 66 miles
Year 240 miles