Freethinker ~ Freerunner

Nice easy run this morning.  My calves were still a little bit sore from Thursday mornings speed work.  I hope to recover fully before tomorrow mornings 20 mile run.  I want to see if I can keep my pace under eight minute miles.  

Splits: 

8:16

8:00

7:59

7:59

7:56

7:58

7:50

7:47

7:46

7:36

Nice long run today.  Abut 44 degrees starting out at 5:30 this morning with just a slight breeze.  My running partner said the temperature would make for a PR day.  We ran 20 miles at 7:44 pace.  We were pretty stoked when we finished.  

Splits:

7:41

7:45

7:39

7:46

7:20

7:24

7:32

7:39

7:52

7:34

7:22

7:44

7:38

7:54

7:55

7:52

7:58

8:17

8:17

7:33

43 degrees this morning felt pretty chilly.  I wore my long sleeve turtle neck for the fist time this season.  I probably would have just worn my Nathan sleeves had they been clean, especially if I was going farther.  This morning I was only going a little over 4 miles so I figured I would not get too warm in my cold weather gear. 

Splits: 

8:06

7:20

7:11

7:27

Speed training on the track today.  I did four 800's followed by 4 400's.  Short and sweet.

15 minutes warm up and about 10 minutes cool down including a few trips up and back down the bleachers. 

800's

3:09

3:03

3:01

3:05

400's

1:29

1:30

1:28

1:31

Easy one hour run this morning.  

Average pace: 8:13

Solo long run this morning because my training buddy is out of town.  I was actually glad to get an opportunity to run 20 solo because I know that it is good mental preparation for the long hard miles during the race.

The temperature could not have been more perfect at 52 degrees with calm winds.  I was not sure if I would beat last weeks long run time because not only was it a PR, but I had my partner pushing me on those crucial last 2 miles.  I ended up beating last weeks time by 1 second.  I thought that was pretty funny, and I am quite pleased since technically I can record a new PR.  

Pace: 7:44

Splits:

7:36

7:44

7:44

7:52

7:41

7:34

7:53

7:31

7:49

7:40

7:38

7:31

7:37

7:39

7:51

7:53

7:53

8:00

7:54

7:42

My right thigh muscles felt a little sore for the first 4 or 5 miles this morning, and my right ankle and lower calf was a little tingly as if the blood was not circulating properly.  Most of those issues went away by mile six.  I think my body may be still a little hung over from my 20 mile PR two days ago.  

Splits:

7:48

7:32

7:43

7:38

7:36

7:46

7:44

7:40

7:47

7:43

7:23

7:06

Easy 4 mile run with 6 strides at the end.  

Splits:

8:07

7:52

7:58

7:53

Nice and easy run this morning.  I have been feeling slightly under the weather since Monday.  I began to notice a sore throat after my 20 mile run last Sunday.  By Wednesday I had lost my voice and had a lot of chest congestion.  I only partially got my voice back on Friday.  I never ran a fever and I still made my Wednesday morning run, but my Thursday morning speed training workout did not happen.  I fell asleep on Wednesday night at about 9:30 (very early for me) and I did not get up until 8:00.  That netted me about 10 and half hours of much needed sleep.  I have not seen that much sleep in one night in years.  

I basically felt good this morning, although I still have some chest congestion and a runny nose.  I'm hopeful that since my voice seems to be back that I'm on the recovery and can make my 20 mile long run tomorrow.  

Splits:

7:51

7:48

7:40

7:57

8:00

8:08

8:05

7:49

PR run again today even if only by 12 seconds.  I am chalking this one down as a great run for me because I had a heck of a time with my allergies this week.  I lost my voice for three days and had a lot of chest congestion causing me to miss my Thursday training run.  This morning I was not feeling completely 100 percent with my stuffy nose and sore throat, but I sucked it up and pulled off a PR in spite of my condition. 

Kevin and and I had a productive discussion about the war on drugs.  I told him that I am a libertarian and that I think adults should be free to put into their bodies whatever they wish.  We also discussed the tremendous waste of government resources fighting the losing war on drugs.  He is not quite ready to argue for repeal as I have for some 10 years now. 

Splits:

7:33

7:39

7:32

7:31

7:33

7:34

7:43

7:37

7:48

7:50

7:24

7:29

7:50

7:45

7:46

8:06

7:46

8:12

8:04

7:49

I squeezed a speed run in between my son's second well doctor visit and my own doctor visit.  It turns out that my last tetanus shot did not also contain an element for pertussis.  Since my one month old son can not get his pertussis vaccination for several more months, it is recommended that the parents be up to date on their own vaccinations as not to risk passing on viral diseases such as deadly whooping cough to their children. 

I know that there is still somewhat of a controversy over vaccinating children in some circles, but there should not be.  Without going in to the whole debate here, Dr. Wakefield's original study on a vaccine-autism link, which is the catalyst for the current anti-vaccine movement, has been completely debunked, discredited, and furthermore retracted from the England Journal of medicine.  It had way to many flaws for it to be considered real science and is no longer taken as a serious study.  But because his ideas caught on in Europe and America, record numbers of parents are now declining to vaccinate their children.  And because of this trend deadly whooping cough, once thought eradicated, is now back and has killed a hand full of California children.  No one yet understands exactly what causes autism, but the fact that it occurs more frequently in boys than in girls suggests genetic factors are at play rather than external factors.     

Now I shall get back to the business of reporting on my run. After I got back home from Ty's doctor I only had about an hour and 15 minute window to get my 10 mile run in before I had to be back to shower and leave for my doctor.  This small window forced me to run a little harder and faster than I might have otherwise.  I am glad that it worked out this way because I achieved a new PR today for ten miles at 1:11:50.  

Pace: 7:11

Splits:

7:11

7:15

7:02

7:08

7:12

7:02

7:11

7:22

7:23

6:58

I should have taken it a little easier this morning since I need to be fresh for speed training tomorrow.  I just could not make myself slow down though.  Lack of sleep last night caused me to over sleep this morning by a couple of hours.  I forced myself to run fast instead of slow and easy in order to get back home in time to start my day.  As a consequence of the fast running when I should have been recovering I ended up straining my right calf muscle somehow.  It now feels a little sore.  I'm going to ice it tonight so that hopefully tomorrow morning it is well recovered for some much needed speed training as I enter the heart of monster month in my marathon training.  

Splits:

8:00

7:41

7:39

7:42

1.54 (.27 miles @ 7:12 average pace)

I spent the first hour of my workout on the track today.  I completed six 800's.  I averaged 3:15, which was a bit slower than my goal time.  My slowness can be attributed to my right calf muscle which seems to have been strained at some point this week.   

800 Splits: 

3:17

3:12

3:15

3:11

3:16

3:22

I left the track and came home to the neighborhood for my final six miles.  I ran two 3 mile repeats with the second set a little faster than the first set.  By the time I finished my left calf muscle was really feeling over strained and I iced it before I left for work.  I will be icing it and taking it really easy until Saturday morning for my next easy run.   

Splits: 

First 3 mile set:  Average 7:17

7:15

7:20

7:15

Second 3 mile set:  Average 7:01

6:49

7:04

7:11

Nice and easy 8:20 miles this morning for one hour.  My legs feel much better after this week of pretty hard running.  I though I had pulled a muscle in my left calf, but that seems to have healed up.  I'm ready for my long 22 mile run tomorrow that I'm basically going to consider my mock marathon.  

The temperature was a really warm 72 this morning.  I was looking back in my training log and I had to go back to September 23 to find a 71 degree day.  Since then it has been in the mid to low fifties during most of my runs.  

Splits:

8:13

8:17

8:20

8:13

8:42

8:20

8:26

My long run today was a true challenge of my abilities as a runner.  This was one of those days that I just did not feel 100%.  When I felt myself breathing a little harder than I thought I should have been during the first mile I knew there was a chance that I might not have the best run of my life today.  That said, generally I try to keep my thoughts as positive and optimistic as possible.  I try never to let myself think that I am going to have a bad run today.  I've learned that an ability think that you can run the distance and to actually see through to to the finish in your mind before it has actually happened is paramount to success as a distance runner.  So let me exclaim that on this run I was tapping in to those mental powers quite often.  It is on runs like this one that it is so helpful to have a long history of other long runs to call upon mentally in order to tell yourself that you can do it, you can finish this 22 mile run today.  

In the end I did make my 22 miles in an 8:07 pace, which is somewhat disappointing looking at my training log.  My last three 20 mile runs have been at a 7:44 average pace.  I thought that I would be able to hold that pace on a 22 mile run fairly easily, but other factors at play can influence expectations.  The big difference I can see when contrasting today's run with my previous three 20 mile runs is temperature.  It was a full 12 degrees warmer at 62 today as contrasted with 50 last week, 52 the week before that, and 44 the week before that.  I now believe that I run my best when the temperature is in the low 50's.  Runner's World Magazine did a study on this and found that runners achieve PR's at 52 degrees more often that at any other temperature.  When looking at my training log I can see that I set 4 PR runs during October, and the temperature was at 52 degrees or less for 3 out of the 4 PR runs.  

To end on a positive note, I am overall very satisfied with my run today.  Running 22 miles marks a milestone in my running journey.  I'm looking forward to finishing this entry, eating a nice big breakfast, and then relaxing for the rest of today.    

Nice and easy run today.  I was supposed to run 8 to 10 miles, but I since I felt really good I tacked on an extra two.  

Pace: 7:30

Splits:

7:23

7:27

7:32

7:26

7:36

7:28

7:29

7:21

7:16

8:03

7:51

7:07

I bought some new shoes last night.  I've been wearing the New Balance 1226 for years now, but ever since I upped my mileage for marathon training I have had occasional blisters on the ends of my toes.  I ended up buying the Brooks Ravenna in a half size larger than my New Balance.  The salesman also suggested insoles to correct slight imbalance issue with my left foot.  I ran in them on my short run this morning and felt pretty good.  I don't think they will be ready for me to race in the Tulsa Run on Saturday, but I'm looking forward to wearing them in the marathon.  

Splits: 

7:53

7:48

7:43

7:50

The Tulsa Run is one of my favorite races.  We had a beautiful day for this race with clear skies, winds at 10 mph, and a temperature of 51 degrees.  

Time: 1:05:12 (Last Year Time: 1:09:05)

Mile Pace: 7:00

Kilometer Pace: 4:21

Division Place: 35 of 270

Gender Place: 156 of 2190

Overall Place: 168 of 4249

I am happy to have beaten my time from last year.  I will try a little harder next year to break the 60 minute mark and win the 60/70 award.  

Splits:

 6:44

7:07

6:54

6:54

6:55

7:05

6:48

6:58

7:12