I Run

I'd read about finishing a long run at a faster pace (McMillan?) to prepare your body to adjust to the rigors of a marathon. So I figured I'd try it today. It was a perfectly, cool and overcast day. The first part of my route was very hilly (Sweet Pond, Carpenter Hill, Hinesburg Rd.), but the second part was fairly flat (at least as flat as it gets around here). My average pace for the total 18.6 mile run was 8:23/mile. I ran the last 6 miles at 7:41 pace. While it was somewhat hard, it wasn't bad at all and I felt great afterwards. I didn't push any faster since I wanted to leave something on the course. This was probably my best long run ever.

At this point in my training schedule I should probably try to keep as close to what is scheduled as I can. And especially I should pay attention to those days where I am to go easy or rest to minimize risk of overtraining or injury. So today, when I was to go easy or do no running at all I ran a 5K race in Brattleboro. It was to benefit the Brattleboro Walk-In Clinic. I actually was not going to run it, but Emma really wanted to enter the race so I just couldn't stand around and wait, could I? It was a small field of runners, but there were still a few pretty hard core runners there. The course was a bit tougher than I thought it would be (a couple of good hills), but the weather was perfectly cool. I didn't run all out (aka puke pace) because I need to an 18 mile long run tomorrow (not to mention a half marathon next weekend). But I still managed a 20:57. After the race, both Emma and I won $10 worth of gift certificates to Subway (bonus!).

Sometimes I like to use my runs to explore new roads or trails. Running gives me a good excuse to find out what is off the beaten track.In Chester I found that there are quite a number of backroads that I have never travelled in my nine years working there. Here at home in Guilford I think I've hit most of the roads within a five mile perimeter of my house, but there are still more out there to trod. On my easy run in Chester tonight I decided on the spur of the moment to run up Flamstead Rd., which goes up a hill just at the end of Green Mountain Turnpike. And what a hill it is. I may consider using it next week for some hill training.

I think I finally did a good tempo run. I ran the loop from Main St. in Chester to the Lower Bartonsville Rd. in Rockingham, back to Chester along Green Mountain Turnpike, and then a few more miles inside Chester Depot. The first 4.5 miles were easy, then I ran goal marathon pace (around 7:20 to 7:30) for 30 minutes. Then slowed it down again for the final few miles to make about 13 miles total. It was a really sunny day, but breezy and dry so it was much more bearable than my previous run along this route. I even ran up Church St.

I usually don't get in a long run on the weekends until well after coffee and breakfast. Typically, I'm out the door at 10:00 or so. Today I had to leave far earlier given the scheduling constraints of the day. So I got up at just before 6:00, made some coffee and had a whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter. I left at 7:00. I put on my old Brooks Adrenalines since my Asics GT-2100s are falling apart. I can't afford to buy a new pair of shoes just yet, so will have to make do with what I have under the bed. Amazingly, I ran the 5 miles up Weatherhead at a pretty good clip (about 40:00). That's a bit fast for my long runs, so I slowed it down on the way back. Stopped at the house for water and a bit of honey, then on to Leyden, MA. There are some nice rolling hills out there, which is good practice for the Cape. Still felt relatively good going out there and back. Made it back in 3:06:00, 21 miles or so. Not bad for me, but now I'm pretty wiped. I lost 4 lbs. during the run, so I've been drinking a lot. But definitely a far more tolerable and pleasant long run than some I've had over the past couple of months.

Sometimes it's really tough to figure out whether my body is undergoing normal stresses associated with marathon training, or if it's telling me that I'm pushing too hard. I realize that my legs should be somewhat sore, but how sore? Tonight on my tempo run up Rt. 11 toward Springfield I was really struggling to keep a "comfortably hard" pace. Now, that could be because I was going uphill for part of the way (it was a pretty deceptive route because the road was very wide and straight). And it was so humid that I had to strip off my shirt. So route and weather conditions certainly affected my run. But I think those 800s the other day did stress me more than I thought. On the way back down the hill I was able to pick up the pace (to about 7:30, which is about my goal MP). But the camber of the road was affecting my right ankle, so I tried stepping a bit more lightly. Once I'd run hard for about 25-30 minutes, I turned onto Green Mountain Turnpike and just ambled for a while, then turned around and headed back to Chester. My trip up Church St., though, was strong and I picked up the pace for the last stretch. My schedule called for 13 miles, but I did about 11 in 1:36.

My training schedule called for repeats today, so I thought I'd see what Yasso 800s felt like. Just run 800 meters (1/2 mile) at a good clip, then jog for the same amount of time it takes to run the 800. Then do it again...and again...and again. Apparently, if I'm able to build up to 10 of these 800 meter runs, the time in which I run them is a fairly accurate predictor of my marathon time. So if I run them in 3:20 (3 minutes, 20 seconds) then my marathon time should be 3:20:00 (3 hours, 20 minutes). Cool stuff. OK, let's try 6 of them today. I picked the flat section of road between the four corners at the foot of Weatherhead Hollow Pond and the Baker Cross Rd. intersection. I deliberately held back a bit on my first repeat since I tend to go out too fast. I was shooting for a 3:20 and did it in 3:27. OK, that wasn't too bad, but I need to run faster. My next two were at 3:09, and the fourth at 3:10. Ouch. These things were not easy. My recovery jogs were more like shuffles with lots of heavy breathing. The fifth repeat was quite a bit slower, 3:18. I was done. The heat and humidity was killing me, so I just ran very easily for a couple of miles and went home to jump into the icy pool. Maybe next week I'll shoot for 8 and see if I can pull off 6.

I read somewhere (Pfitzinger, Daniels?) that when you're feeling pretty bad during a race or training run and feel like slowing down or even stopping, try picking up the pace first. Maybe your body just needs a little bit of waking up. This little bit of wisdom served me well in my Vermont City Marathon in May. And it worked just as well today on my long run, although I really didn't feel all that bad. After running 12 miles and stopping quickly at home for a drink I figured I'd see what it felt like to run the next 6 or 7 miles at a faster pace. Remarkably, I think I felt better moving faster. Sure, it was still uncomfortable toward the end, but quite tolerable.

I put on my long sleeved shirt for my run this morning. The thermometer read 45F when I headed out the door. I didn't have a route planned since this was to be an easy run, so I just ran and went where my legs took me. Weatherhead Hollow Pond was glass still with wispy puffs of fog hovering on the surface. I felt strong, but didn't push my pace. I ran into the sun by the Franklin Farm and felt the immediate rise in temperature. I crossed the VT/MA border and felt I could run to CT. The run down the steep hill of Simon Keets Rd. didn't tax my knees nearly as much as usual. I made it home in about 40 minutes after running just about 5 miles. 8 min. pace was maybe a bit fast, but then again maybe not. I figure if the temperature is this cool for the Cape Cod Marathon, that alone should help me shave off a few minutes.

During the day at work I drink water consistently knowing that I'll need to be well hydrated for my run at the end of the day. Today, however, I decided to do an 11 mile tempo run during my lunch break. I'd had two cups of coffee and about 8 oz. of water. Unfortunately, I didn't think about my relative lack of fluid intake until I was a few miles out of Chester. The sun was hot and my lips were dry. My tempo run turned into a slow survival run. I'd actually been running at a pretty good sub-7:30 pace for about 15 minutes when I hit the Lower Bartonsville Rd. At that point the heat of the mid-day sun took its toll. Despite my thirst, I still managed to keep up a steady pace to the end (but did walk part of the Church St. hill). I immediately hit the water fountain, then drained a container of Gatorade. I could have been in serious trouble.

A running club is a good way to overcome some of the loneliness of running, even for those of us who really don't mind the loneliness. The Red Clover Rovers host a series of fun runs in Brattleboro over the summer every other Wednesday evening. Tonight's was the last of the season. The run this evening, however, had a twist. It was a "handicap" race, so those who ran faster during the previous runs had to start later in this one. I started next to last, almost 16 minutes after the first runner left on the 3-mile course. I've run these race consistently between 20 and 21 minutes. Since tonight's run was not timed, I timed myself and came in at 20:15. I tried to run this race a little differently, and I think the nature of this race helped me. Since I typically start too fast, I concentrated on keeping back a little...so kept behind someone who ran just a bit slower than I typically do. So my first mile was 6:50 instead of 6:40. During the final 1.5 miles, I then picked up the pace comfortably instead of dying like I usually do. So it was a satisfying end to the RCR summer runs, and I look forward to doing more next year. The cookies at the end of the race are reason alone to join in.

I ran in Chester today, something I haven't done all summer long. Chester does not have the high, rolling hills that characterize most of my running routes in Guilford, but there is more traffic. I ran a 7.2 mile loop down 103, then to Green Mountain Turnpike (which is a dirt road). It was an easy run (relatively...see previous post about easy running). I'll probably run in Chester some more since daylight is now getting scarce at the end of the day, so driving home for an hour and then running would put me near dark.

What a beautiful course. And the day was beautiful, too: 70s and dry, sunny. For the first year, I think this race was well-organized and well attended (about 350 runners). I wasn't sure how I'd do after training at 50+ miles/week. I was hoping to run 7:15 pace, and for the first three miles I ran about 7:10. But I think a combination of the high mileage training, some rolling hills, and the sun slowed me down. I finished this race in 1:38:51 (race results), roughly three minutes slower than New Bedford. I'm still going out too fast, I think, so I need to work on reining in my pace for the first few miles, then stay strong and pick up the pace in the latter half of the race.

Often, I choose to run some routes that I probably should not run at a certain time because they can be pretty difficult. But I choose them because they're scenic and quiet, so if I'm scheduled to run an easy run, the scenic route tends to become a not-so-easy run. But it sure is pretty. Tonight's run was up the hill to Sweet Pond State Park, then back. Just a short 4.5 miles, but the hill up is pretty long. On Sweet Pond there were Canada geese, congregating and honking. The late afternoon shadows were long, and it was just me and my feet on the gravel. I figured I could afford the little bit of difficulty after my hard tempo run yesterday since tomorrow will be a total rest day. And the beauty of the route somehow makes it seem easier even if it isn't. Then on Sunday I'll be racing a half-marathon in Swanzey, NH. That race will take me through 4 covered bridges. Of course I chose it for the scenery.

I really don't know what a true tempo run looks like. There are multiple definitions and misconceptions about tempo running, so when my schedule calls for one I hit the pavement (or dirt) somewhat bewildered. Am I supposed to warm up for a couple of miles, then hit tempo pace? And what pace should it be? 5K? 10K? Marathon? And for how long? What I have gathered from reading a number of articles in books and on the web is that a tempo run should be "comfortably hard". OK, I can deal with that. So today I ran 2 miles warm up at just over 8:00 pace, then about 5 miles at 7:30 or so, which was pretty hard for me. Then I cooled down for another 3 miles. So, was that a tempo run? Beats me.

A terrible storm. The remnants of Katrina blew by here today, so my run this evening was very difficult due to the high humidity and windy conditions. The stories of heartbreaking loss down south also tempered my run.