Second Wind

Ran these miles at about 20 seconds slower than anticipated marathon pace and felt really good.  I'm a little worried that my anticipated 8:00/mile pace for the marathon might be a bit too fast for my fitness.  Holding 8:00 for six miles is nothing compared to holding it for 26.2

Rest

Overall pace for this run was just about 10 seconds slower than marathon pace and will be may last "faster" run before the marathon.  Body is feeling well and healed.

Nice easy 3 miler just to keep the muscles sharp.

Nice easy two miler on day before the big show.  Everything feels great.  With all the obstacles I have overcome over the past couple of months I feel remarkably ready to put in a nice effort at SGM.

Got the sub 4 that I was looking for but didn't quite meet my secondary goal of going 3:30.  Kinda fell apart the last 6 miles and couldn't keep pushing.  Still very pleased with the effort and look forward to bettering it next year.  Compared to last years 4:55 I am happy to know that I have the ability to "run" the entrire 26.2 miles, even if the the last 6 miles were a bit slow.  More to come later.

I am now typing this for second time DANGIT!

Going into this marathon I really wasn't sure what to have as a goal finishing time for several reasons:  First, I have never "run" the full marathon distance.  Last years SGM really doesn't count for me because I ended up walking the last 7 miles.  Second, I had missed about 180 miles worth of training in August and I could tell that I had lost a lot of fitness as a result.  Third, I wasn't sure how much of an advantage or disadvantage the hills would be during the last few miles of the race.  With these things in mind I decided to set my sights high and try for a 3:30, Meg agreed to try for the same time.

Originally we were going to go up to St. George on Thursday night and stay with my parents through the weekend.  Considering how poorly we usually sleep before a race we decided to stay in Las Vegas on Thursday night and sleep in our own bed and sleep in so be sure and get a good nights sleep the night before.  I'm glad we did that because as expected (maybe a self fulfilling prophecy) we didn't sleep well on Friday.  I was up at 2 and then again at 3 at which time we decided to just get up and get going.

After freezing last year at the starting line I swore I would never go up on the early bus again.  As it turns out, this year we ended up on the very first but....go figure.  This year though, we were prepared with blankets and we planted ourselves squarely in front of a nice fire and relaxed for the next two hours and stayed very warm.

As the race time approached we ended up having to hustle to the clothing truck to toss in our bags.  The poor kids in the back of the truck were getting bombed as people were hurrying to make it back to the starting line on time.  I got back just in time to meet up with Meg and take off running.  Our warm-up could have been a little better.  We ended up jogging from the last fire pits to near the clothing truck and some very easy stretching.  We started somewhere between the 3:10 and 3:20 pace groups.

The start was a bit crowded but not as crowded as I remember it from last year.  I think our faster pace than last year really helped to keep us closer to the front of the pack and things seemed to thin out relatively quickly. 

Things felt really good for the first several miles and we were right on pace.  We were careful not to go out too fast knowing that we would really pay for it later.  I ran with Meg up until about mile 10 when she took her first potty break.  I knew she would eventually catch me due to her competative nature and her desire not to lose to me today.

The next few miles alone were very boring.  The uphill section after Veyo are very long and generally uphill and difficult.  At the halfway point I was right at about 1:46 which is right were I figured I needed to be to meet my 3:30 goal.

Some time around Snow Canyon I get a tap on my shoulder and it is Meg.  She came roaring back a lot sooner than I had expected and it was nice to have a running partner again.  I was only able to hang with her for about a mile since by this time my pace was starting to slow and I had to let her go.  I could feel the 3:30 pace group breathing down my neck and I knew it wouldn't be long before they would chew me up and spit me out.  It was at this point that I decided to take a potty break.

I could still see the 3:30 pace group up ahead but I knew that I could never catch them as I was really starting to feel the fatigue and my pace was slowing constantly.  At about mile 20 I was begining to wonder if I was going to be able to finish while still running or if I was going to have to walk it in.  I determined in my mind that I was going to finish running not walking.....so I did.

The last several downhill miles turned out to be a big disadvantge to me, my feet were jammed into the front of my shoes, my calves and quads were screaming STOP, and my legs just couldn't move any faster.  This is one lesson that I hope will help me prepare better next year for the downhill sections of the course. 

At the mile 23 aid station I had the volunteers slap a little icy hot on my calfs and I walked through the aid station to get the full benefit a cup of water and I set off to finish strong.  By this time I knew that my 3:30 goal was gone but I had determined that a sub 3:40 was still possible if I could just hold a sub 9 pace.  During the last two miles I must have gotten passed by over 100 people but I didn't quit running.  I was so zoned out that I really didn't even hear the crowd until we got to around tabernacle and the crowds were getting larger and a band was playing.  At this point I knew I would make it and I was able to find a little extra energy to finish strong....relatively speaking of course.

Overall we are happy with our effort.  Meg finished in 3:34 which is an 11 minute PR for her.  I think the stronger training plan and faster running this summer really helped her get to the next level.  This was her 4th marathon and she did awsome.

We are already signed up for the runner series so we are guaranteed for SGM 2008.  I think the things I learned from this day will really help in my training for next year and maybe that Boston qualifier will become a reality.

Rest.

Rest

Rest

Rest

Three very easy miles today.  Just a shake down run to see what is hurting if anything.  Most of the soerness in my legs is gone and I am feeling pretty well other than my legs were very fatigued by the last mile.  I guess I still have some recovering to do.

Michael just had is appendix out on Wednesday morning.  He had been complaining on Monday night about pains in his lower abdomen.  We decided to wait and see how he felt in the morning.  Turns out the pain didn't go away so we took him to the doctor on Tuesday and she sent us directly to the emergency room with an initial diagnosis of appendicitis.  In the emergency room they ran blood tests and sent him in for a CT scan.  The results of these test were not decisive and the doctor was 50/50 as to whether or not to go through with the surgery and remove the appendix.  She deided to keep him in the hospital for the night and re-evalute him in the morning.  On Wednesday morning they re-evaluated him and determined that it would be best to remove the appendix rather than risk a future rupture and we tended to agree with this line of reasoning.  The surgery went well and he's home now recovering but still in a bit of pain as he is waiting for his wounds to heal.  Thankfully he looks to make a full recovery and thankfully there was a doc in the OR who broke scrub and came to help me give him a blessing before his surgery.  It's nice to know that there are priesthood holders throughout the world who are worthy and willing to help in times of need.

Four easy miles with Meg today.  She was feeling the effects of staying with Michael in the hospital the past couple of day so she stopped at 3 miles.  I was feeling better than yesterday so I picked up the last mile to about an 8:15 pace.  My recovery seems to be going well and hopefully normal training will resume on Monday.

Rest.  Actually participated the American Heart Associations heart walk with 3 of my kids today.  Thought is was going to be a 1.5 mile course, ended up being a 3.1 mile course.  The same 5K course that Meg and I ran a few weeks ago.  It was a bit warm and long for the kids but we still had fun.  Michael stayed at home still recovering from his appendix surgery and seems to be doing very well.  He will probably be going back to school on Monday, and I will start my regular training again on Monday.

Rest.

Felt like pushing the pace a little bit today so started out pretty fast.  Things felt really good and the pace seemed effortless for the first couple of miles.  Took a different route than usual today which took me over the Azure overpass which was a nice hill to add near the end of the run.  Ended up making it into the runners series for the SGM and am now trying to decide which races to run.  I am leaning toward Snow Canyon and Hurricane 1/2 marathons but Hurricane happens about the same time as the Ogden marathon and I may want to do that one this year just to experience a marathon other than St. George.  I have read and heard good things about Ogden and it would be nice to see how well I can maintain my training during the winter months.  Still have time to decide so no hurry at this point.  Just happy to be running and feeling good again.

8:03/mile

Woke up a bit earlier than usual today and decided to just get up and go running.  Since I had the extra time today it wasn't such a burden to log 8 miles and I had plenty of time to spare.  Run felt pretty good today.  Legs seemed a bit heavy compared to yesterday.  Tried another variation of my running route today and enjoyed it.  I don't like to stray too far from home due to the lake of bathrooms along any of my courses so I am never more than a couple of miles from home.  Weather was really nice today with a light breeze out of the southwest and temps in the mid 60s.  Meg was has been feeling sick so she stayed home today and got some much needed rest.

8:23/mile

Another 8 miler today.  Sasha says I shouldn't be doing any speed work until I am running at least 8 miles a day, six days a week, so this is my new goal distance each day until Saturday when I will run a 10+ mile long run.  Hopefully this will serve to further strengthen my aerobic ability and get my fitness to a level where I can start working on increasing my speed.  As the winter months set in and the training gets harder in the wind and cold I hope to do better than just maintain my fitness, but increase it with this plan.  Today's run went well and everything felt really good.  Gave a moderate effort on the last two miles and was able to do a couple of sub 8's.  Weather was a little cooler today at 55 degrees but there was no wind at all.

Time:  8:15/mile

Only six miles today.  At the start legs were feeling kinda heavy so I decided to take it easy today and only go six.  Stayed with Meg today since I wanted to take it easy and she is still getting over her cold/sore throat.  We went along at about an 8:45-8:50 pace for the first 5 miles then I picked it up for the last mile and ran it in 6:50.  It was a strong effort and It felt good to really pick up the pace to that level.  I can tell I still have a lot of work to do to be able to sustain that pace for any extended period of time but it felt good nonetheless.  Weather was cool again this morning with temps in the mid 50s and a slight north breeze to make it feel even a little cooler.  This temp was almost perfect for running, once you get warmed up it is great.

Time:  8:28/mile

Regular 8 miler today.  Wasn't sure from the start whether to run 6 or 8 today.  Felt really good at 6 so decided to finish off the last two.  Meg ran with me for the first 5 miles and decided to stop as she is still recovering from a cold (probably as a result of the SGM).  Weather was perfect again today with temps in the high 50s and a light breeze.  Always a little chilly at the start but after a couple miles in the temp feels great.

Time:  8:21/mile

Decided to run 14 today for my long run partly because I need the long run workouts but mostly because I wanted to get 50 for the week.  I don't know what mystique that 50 miles holdes but since I had never achieved that distance in a week I figured I would go for it today. 

Planned on going 20% slower than marathon pace for the first few miles and then picking it up to 10% slower than marathon pace for the remaining miles.  Ran the first 5 at just under a 9:00/mile pace and then picked it up to 8:15ish for the last 9 miles.  Felt like I was laboring a bit to hold the pace during the last few miles.  Legs felt a bit tired and the long week of mileage was probably getting to me.  Overall I am pleased with the effort and the amount of miles I was able to log so soon after SGM.   The weather was great this morning with only a slight north breeze and temps in the high 50s.

Time: 8:31/mile

Rest.

When I checked the temperature outside this morning, I thought 54 degrees would be pretty nice.  Then I stepped outside and felt the wind chill and had to step back in and grab a sweat shirt.  The wind ended up being in our faces a few times this morning and it made running a bit more difficult.  Kept the pace pretty easy today as Met is still recovering from a cold.  Picked up the pace a little the last couple of miles after Meg ended at 6.  I have been studying the schedules in the Advanced Marathoning book by Pete Pfitzinger and have been thinking about using the 18 week 70 mile schedule to train for my next marathon which will either be Ogden in May or SGM.  The first week of the schedule starts out just over 50 miles and contains some midweek runs of 11-16 miles which could prove to be difficult to complete given my work schedule.  In order to complete these runs I will have to get up about 30 minutes early than usual........or just run a lot faster.

Time: 8:41/mile

A.M.  Decided to take a much needed rest today to let some nagging pains have a break.  Will hopefully resume tomorrow.

P.M.  Well so much for the rest.  Took my daughter to softball practice where I would be sitting around for an hour and a half with nothing to do so decided to go running.  The ball fields are located on the far west side of Vegas and the area is quite hilly.  I have this fear or dislike of running hill, especially up, because it is so much work.  Well I started off my first mile exploring the area to see if I could find some level ground to run on but it just wasn't happening.  I decided to run loops around the softball complex which included a nice downhill, a long stretch of farily level ground and about a half mile uphill section.  the loop was 1.6 miles so I ran it 4 times after logging my first mile and then added a littl bit more at the end.  I was very surprised to see that my mile splits were in the low eights even though I really dislike hills.  Running uphill seamed to come easier this evening for whatever reason.  I don't run hill very often so maybe it was just a result of my improving fitness or maybe it was just one of those days.  The evening whether was pretty nice with mild temps and only a slight breeze which happened to be a headwind on the uphill section.  Glad I got the miles in today after all.

Time:  8:16/mile

Wasn't sure if I was going to be able to run this morning based on last nights run.  When I got up I felt pretty good with only a little residual fatigue from last night.  I decided to go out and run this as a slow recovery run and just take it easy.  As it turns out it ended up being a regular aerobic run at my usual 8:30ish pace.  The effort seemed a bit faster than the actual time probably due to the fatigue from the night before.  Wheather was the same with the temp around 57 and little to no wind, nearly perfect.  Sure beats the dog days of summer here in Vegas.

Time:  8:36/mile

Was up later than normal last night at Jamie's softball game which started 40 minutes late due to the umpire for the previous game showing up late.  I'm not sure why they don't make adjustments in situation like that considering this is a school night, because we didn't leave the park until 9:45 and we were in bed by about 10:20.  Just a little bit late for a 9 year old in my humble opinion.  They did end up winning, 13-7!!  Jamie had a walk, and a fielders choice hit with an RBI.  Anyway, I still managed to get up and get going this morning even though I was about 10 minutes late getting started.  Wanted to go 8 miles today, then considered 6 during the run, settled on 7 because I was able to pick up the pace and get done at a reasonable hour.  For some reason the effort today didn't seem very hard for the pace.  I guess the fatigue from Tuesday nights hill run had worn off and I was able to pick it up.  Maybe it was the fact that I was in a hurry to log the miles and get done at a decent hour.  Whatever the reason, things went well this morning and the faster pace felt pretty good, not easy, but comfortable, could have kept going at that pace for a while.  Weather was a tad warmer today at 63 and breeze was fairly light.

Time:  7:53/mile

A bit of a recovery run today due to yesterdays semi-fast run.  Left knee was hurting a little for the first 2 or 3 miles and then didn't notice it again for the rest of the run.  Decided to pick up the pace for the last mile and see what I could do and ran a 6:45.  Not where I would hope to be but not bad.  Coming up on the end of another 50 mile week this will make two in a row.  I don't know that I will increase the mileage much for the next couple of months as I will let my body adapt to going this distance on a regular basis.  Hopefully the body will allow me to continue to do this so I can eventually reach my goal of doing a 70 mile week next year sometime.  The weather was perfect again today with temp around 59 and no wind.

Time:  8:24/mile

What a perfect day for a run.  Weather has been great these last couple of weeks.  Decided to run today a Pfitzinger describes the long run and go at 20% slower than marathon pace for the first half and 10% slower for the second half.  For me that is 9:00/mile and 8:15/mile.  Ran with Meg for the first half of the run and since she was only doing 10 and didn't want to go at the faster pace she dropped of and I picked up the pace to 8:00-8:15/mile for the last 7.5 miles.  Felt pretty good throughout the run and didn't have much problem maintaining the faster pace.  Legs did begin to tire and cramp a little at about mile 12-13 but was able to shorten my stride a little and hold the pace.  It's been a long week with a lot of miles for me.  This week is again a personal high for me at 52 miles for the week.  I think I will cut back the mileage by 5 or 6 miles next week just to take a slight recovery before trying to increase again.  Meg and I signed up for the new Snow Canyon half marathon on November 17 and we are excited to be racing again so soon.  Having a race on the horizon is always good motivation to keep you training hard.

Time:  8:31/mile

Rest.

Legs felt really heavy today and didn't start feeling good until about mile 4-5.  I think the increased mileage is starting to wear on me.  I have considered cutting back the mileage this week by around 10-15% and I think that will be a good idea considering how my body feels.  Ran a pretty slow pace today and just kinda put in the miles.  Weather was perfect again with temp around 63 and only a slight wind out of the North.

Time:  8:43/mile

Body is feeling kinda worn out these last few runs and today was no different.  Despite the fact that the legs felt heavy I was able to maintain a decent pace and finish the last mile with a 6:57.  Legs aren't sore they just ache a bit like they need more recovery.  This week will be a cut back in miles so maybe that will help.  Weather was again nearly perfect today in the low 60's and a light breeze.

Time:  8:15/mile

Took it easy today as the body if feeling worn out.  Legs just don't seem to be recovering as fast as I would like.  Once I get started and get about 3 miles in I start to feel better but the first mile or two has been a bit crapy and slow.  Hopefully this lower mileage week will help to aid in the recovery so my legs can get back to feeling strong again.  Nice weather today with a little more breeze than usual, not bad though.  This caps off another nice month for me with my second highest mileage month at 171.2.  Happy Halloween!

Time:  8:47/mile