Flying with the LVRR

Tonight was our usual LVRR Group Run.  Akshay showed up, but forgot his running shoes, so he had to go home.  My friend Aaron made an appearance too.  That was good because I missed him the last time he ran with the group.  I was away that week.

With Aaron there, I knew it would be a brisk pace.  I'm glad I give myself over 24 hours between my speedwork on Wednesday and this group run.  In fact, this week it was about 32 hours.  I needed all of that because this run wasn't a cakewalk.

Rob came back from last week.  That was good because Jen had someone to run with for awhile anyway.  Another guy came too, I actually didn't get his name even though I ran with him for 2.5 miles.

Aaron always starts off slow, by his standards anyway.  It is still a decent pace for me.  We chatted for a bit as he got warmed up.  The other guy stuck right with us.  The first mile was certainly fast at a 7:37 pace.  It was nothing I couldn't handle though.

I swallowed a bug in this section after the Robin Hood Bridge.  That is always so uncomfortable.  Even though it was probably gone, it felt like it was caught in my throat.  I ended up spitting a lot.

After about a mile, Aaron took off.  If I really wanted to kill myself, I could probably stay with him for a couple miles, but I'm not looking to push that much after a hard day.  It works out well because he gets me going at a decent clip and I can then sustain it throughout the run.

I ran with the other guy and we chatted a lot.  He is from Berwick, which is home of the Run for the Diamonds race.  It is still my favorite race to do.  They have a great crowd, it is a challenging course and it is cheap.  I'm probably going to run it again this year.  We also ended up talking about other hilly races.

Time flew by.  Before I knew it, we were at the Fireman's Bridge.  This is where the run got tough for me.  The other guy turned off and went over the bridge.  I had to attack the big hill by the Fish Hatchery and I had to do it alone.  This hill is hard enough when running at an easy pace.  Since I was moving at a decent clip, it took a lot out of me.  I was breathing heavy at the top and couldn't fly down the backside like I hoped to.  I needed to cruise down and recover.

Aaron ran a farther segment near the Fish Hatchery.  Because of that, I bumped into him at the Fish Hatchery.  He came across another friend, Tim and we ran behind Tim.  Tim was just finishing up.  Aaron and I kept going.

This time, Aaron didn't fly ahead of me.  He slowed down more to my pace.  He definitely pulled me along a little faster and I was thankful for it.  I hammered up the hills on the backside, but still wasn't killing myself the rest of the time.  The pace was quite fast though.  Having someone pull me along helped, as did the cooler weather.  I worked pretty hard at the end, so I was sweating.

I always love coming down the last hill before the clubhouse.  There is a little over a quarter mile left and I can just open it up and fly.  I had to navigate around some people on the path, but it didn't slow me too much.  By now, I was really pushing it and Aaron was just ahead of me.  I finished up just past the clubhouse and he kept going.  My pace for the last mile was a blistering 6:55.  Not bad for a tough course that beat me up pretty good.

I continue to be thrilled with my progress.  This run was far from easy, but I wouldn't call it difficult either.  It was kind of in between.  My pace was 7:30.  I kept watching it go down and down at the end.  Hopefully it won't be too long before I'll regularly be running 6:55 miles without too much effort.  For now, I'm thrilled where I am at.

This was a good run and it didn't take too much out of me.  I'm probably going to go camping tomorrow at Hickory Run State Park.  If I do that, I'll likely run there tomorrow afternoon.  I've run those trails before and I enjoyed it.  That could make my usual dreadful Friday run much better.  If I go camping, I'll run the Run for the Diamonds course on Saturday, plus add on a couple miles.  I might even push a bit just to get an idea of what I might be able to run in race conditions in November.

As I was leaving the Parkway, I came across a group of deer.  Usually you only see 1, 2 or 3 at the most.  There were 8 there.  Some were young and some were old.  A lot people were stopping to take a look at them.  I usually see a couple around there, but not that many.  It is a good thing I always carry my camera.

5 miles - 37:37 (7:30 pace)

Smashing the Goal with Some Good Weather

Sometimes you have to brush off a bad run, learn from it and come back stronger.  That is exactly what I've done with my mile repeat sessions the last two weeks.  Three weeks ago, I went out in the humidity and tried to bust out my 4 X 1 mile repeats and failed miserably.  The biggest thing I learned was to run when it is cooler out.

For the most part, my speedwork Wednesdays have been a success.  Unfortunately, where I have failed was when I ran on the D&L Trail at Cementon.  That is a key problem because the half marathon that I am training for is run there.

I have to keep giving the D&L a try, so I headed there today.  The plan was for 5 X 1 mile repeats with a quarter mile of active recovery in between.  Originally, I was hoping that I could get my mom to drive me 8 miles up the trail, park my car there and drop me off back in Cementon.  That would've allowed me to run a point to point workout up the river.  I haven't run this entire trail yet and I want to explore more of it.  I elected just to do an out and back instead.  I'll save the point to point running for later on.

When I got out there to run at 10 AM, I couldn't decide on which clothes to wear.  Originally, it was warm in the sun and I put on my BCR singlet.  As I was walking, it seemed windy and cool, so I went back to the car and put on a regular short sleeve shirt.  This turned out to be a good choice.

My first few steps were awful and awkward.  It didn't take long to feel good though.  Usually, I can just tell by the warmup how I'll do that day.  Before I was even a quarter of a mile into the run, I felt great.  My legs were strong and sharp.

The first fast mile went good.  I cruised along at a comfortably hard effort.  I stayed under my goal pace of 7 minutes for the duration of the repeat.  It rained last night and the stone trail was a little more solid.  I think that was a big help.  As I finished the first repeat, I came to a truck on the trail that was cutting some trees.  I guess the storm did some damage.  It didn't slow me much and I was able to get around it and finish up with a solid 6:50 opening mile.

I started off well in the second fast mile.  The recovery segments seem short, but it really isn't that big of a deal.  Without going too hard, my pace was well under my goal pace.  Then as I approached the two thirds of a mile point, my GPS got all out of whack.  Suddenly, my pace was climbing and climbing and at one point it read a 7 minute pace.  For the final quarter mile or so, I pushed hard and it went way back down.  I was a little worried that I did too much too soon.

I recovered well and felt good at the start of the third fast mile.  It wasn't long into this repeat that I came to the bridge of Route 145 that goes over the trail and then over the river.  This is the farthest I have run on this path from the south.  I kept going this time though.  It was tough for sure.  This section goes uphill.  It isn't a hill, but it is a gradual climb.  I worked hard because I knew that I'd be turning around soon and would be able to fly downhill coming back.  The other thing that made some of this first half of the run difficult was the wind.  It wasn't bad, but I was certainly running into some head winds.  As I pushed and pushed, I ran a great time and was again well under pace.  This was my fastest mile of the run at a 6:38.  I knew now that I would hit my goal for this workout.

I turned around right after the third hard mile.  I knew most of the next mile would be downhill.  I went at a comfortable pace, but that wasn't quite enough.  I had to push a little to make this fourth hard mile work.  It still was fairly easy compared to the first three fast miles.  I was relieved to be done with this mile after 6:41.

My legs were starting to feel it as I recovered before my final fast mile.  I was behind another runner during this recovery period.  I was worried that he might pull me along too fast, but his pace was actually perfect.  I did pass him just before my final hard mile.

The final hard mile went well too.  It wasn't as much downhill as the previous mile, but it still seemed like I was descending.  I hovered around a 6:40 pace for most of the mile.  I was tiring toward the end.  I had a slight uphill that slowed me down.  I also passed the truck on the trail again, just as I was finishing.  Even though I slipped some, I still completed that final fast mile in 6:44.

I ran a mile cooldown.  I followed that up with close to a mile of walking.  I felt good and was barely sweating.  That was so nice.  I stretched at my car for a bit, but then a car alarm went off in the parking lot.  It was annoying, so I headed home.

It is quite amazing what a difference the weather makes.  Hitting a 7 minute pace during the summer has been hard.  Today, it was no problem.  Every one of my fast miles was between 6:38 and 6:50.  I didn't even have to push too hard either.  I probably could've run another mile under 7 minutes.  I was fading some toward the end, but not too bad.

My total time for the fast 5 miles was 33:37.  That is a 6:43 pace!  If you even include my quarter mile recovery segments, my time was 42:04.  That is just at a 7:00 pace for 6 miles.  That is almost have of the distance of my race and not even close to full effort.  I'm still a month and a half from the race too.  Plenty of time to improve.  I just hope the weather is this cool on raceday.  This was almost like early November weather.  The wind could be a key factor.

My goal for the half marathon is to set a PR.  To do that, I need something under 1:33.  If I hit a 7 minute pace that would a 1:31:45.  I would be thrilled with that.  The way I'm going now, I might even be able to break 1:30 for the half marathon.  A big roadblock to that could be the competition.  Last year was the inaugural event, but only 6 people actually broken 1:30.  I doubt I'll have much competition to pull me along.  Maybe the competition will be a little better.  With the more popular inaugural Runner's World Half Marathon taking place a few weeks earlier, I expect the field to be even weaker though.

The other interesting component is that I've never focused on a half marathon before.  Usually when I'm doing them, I am in the middle of marathon training.  I think that is a big reason why I might actually hit my goal for this race.  I did do my first half marathon on its own, but that was with terrible training.  I only ran once a week back in 2000.  I did a 10 mile long run each week and that was about it.  Enough to complete the race, but not enough to do well.

I am heading to the Nazareth Cross Country Meet this afternoon.  I'm not sore, but that should still be a good way to recover.  It is at Parkland I don't know the course at all.  We'll see how it goes.

Tomorrow will be my regular evening LVRR Group Run.  On Friday and Saturday, I might go camping at Hickory Run State Park.  If I do that, I'll run the trails at the park on Friday.  It is about a half an hour from Berwick, so I might run the Run for the Diamonds course on Saturday morning.  That is a tough course and my favorite race.  I haven't committed to it yet this year, but I'm sure I will in the future.

8 miles - 59:10 (7:24 pace)

Running Through the Changing Rain

It was good to get back out there today after a rare two days off.  Today's weather is a mess, but I managed to get the 5 mile run in anyway.  When I initially woke up this morning, the ground was wet, but it wasn't raining.  I went back to bed though.  When I got up again, it looked good because it was drizzling.  A moment later though, it began to pour.

That seems to be the theme of the day.  Heavy rain off and on.  It affected my run too.  I decided that I would just stay close to home when I did head out the door.  I opted for an old 5 mile route in the neighborhoods around my house.  I don't run this route often any more, but it used to be a staple of my post high school summer runs.

I struggled with what to wear for the run.  I'm glad I finally bought a hat last time it rained.  Wearing that was a no brainer.  It was my top that I was unsure of.  When I headed out the door, the rain wasn't heavy so I could wear a jacket.  It wasn't cold either.

Things changed quickly though.  As I was walking at the Elementary School just behind my house, it began to pour.  Rather than walk, I decided I might as well start running a tad early.  So I began in a downpour and I was soaked and I had barely started.

I happened to pass another runner in the beginning and he joked about needing to do a swimming stroke.  I was sort of regretting that I didn't bring my jacket.  That changed though as the rain let up fairly early on in the run.

Going out, my pace was slow.  In addition to the rain, there was a headwind whenever I ran south or west.  Most of the first half of the run is in one of those two directions.  The wind might have been nice, except that it was actually humid.  The air wasn't cooling.

I can't say I was sweating, but I sure wasn't comfortable.  I took my hat off for a little bit after the first mile.  Almost right as I did that, the rain picked up again and I had to cover back up. 

I cruised along up a few hills on the first half of the course.  I know the hills here from running it so much over the years, but I did actually forget about a short one.  After two days off, my legs were anything but fresh.  My body doesn't seem to come back very well the first day after taking a rest day or two.  The quads still had some soreness.

I cruised around most of the first half of the route at under a 9 minute pace.  The wind certainly slowed me down.  Once I had the wind at my back, the pace picked up by over half a minute per mile.

As I was on my way back, I decided to just take my shirt off.  It was getting a little hot and there wasn't much rain coming down.  What little rain there was was actually refreshing.  I did hit a brief period against the wind, but before I knew it the wind was at my back again.

I knew I had to just make it up the one long hill.  I remember when I used to actually think this hill was tough.  Now, I'm in such good shape that it is no big deal.  Obviously it slows me a little, but it still an easy climb.

After the long hill, I knew I had just a few short hills left.  I cruised up the next one.  This is part of the Blue Eagle 5k course.  It is funny because there are two parallel roads in this section.  I take one on the way out and the other on the way back.  I now run them the same way as the Blue Eagle 5k, but I used to actually run them the opposite way.  The race has had an impact on my running route.

I hate running in neighborhoods because of dogs.  That is one of the big reasons that I don't run here much any more.  I did a couple runs prior to the Blue Eagle 5k, but that is about it.  I'm sure I'll do more of them next summer before the race.  With the rain, I figured I'd be able to avoid dogs and I was right.

My pace picked up toward the end and the quads felt much better over the hills.  I crossed the highway and finished up the run with a small loop in the Elementary School parking lot.  It was good to have my 5 miles done.

Normally I love the rain.  I can't say that was the case today.  For one, it was too humid.  There was no cooling effect.  The rain was also too inconsistent.  One minute it was heavy, the next minute there was nothing.  I enjoy a good, steady rain run.  Regardless, it wasn't terrible and I was happy to get through it.

Originally, this was supposed to be a 50 mile week.  Since I had to take yesterday off, I'm am backing off my mileage this week as well.  My long run will be 11 miles and my mileage will be in the 30s.  Tomorrow, I still plan on a speedwork session and mile repeats.  Last week, I did four of those.  I'm hoping to do five.  If I can't, I'll just complete four repeats again.  Either way, it should be a good workout.  I need to get it done in the morning while the weather is super cool.

5 miles - 41:49 (8:22 pace)

Cool Saturday Group Run

Today was my regular long run with the BCR.  The plan was for 15 miles.  I wanted to go to a high school cross country meet afterward, so I needed to get up very early.  I started off at 6 AM.  When I arrived at the Plainfield Recreation Trail, it was so dark that I almost missed the turn into the parking lot.

I didn’t sleep well at all again.  That is a pattern for these runs.  I can’t get to bed early and when I do go to bed, I stress out and can’t fall asleep.  I was going on less than 4 hours of sleep.  

I started off in the dark and cold.  I really couldn’t see the trail, but I knew that wasn’t going to last that long.  The only way I’d use a headlamp is if it was dark for over half an hour.  I was happy with the cold, but I probably should’ve worn more than a singlet.  I was almost too cold for most of the run.

Flo and another woman that I didn’t know started off a couple minutes before me.  I was a bit slow getting changed and started a little later than I wanted.  I had hoped to get 11 miles done before the main group, but instead I was only going to get 10.  That meant 5 miles with the group.

The weirdest thing happened as I started off.  My legs felt awesome from the get go.  That hasn’t occurred in a long time.  Usually they are stiff and take time to fire.  I would’ve thought that they’d be even stiffer in the cold.  I’m not sure what happened, but I felt great and cruised along.

This was such a pleasant run.  I enjoyed the cold and darkness and what helped even more was not looking at my watch.  I need to break the habit of checking it so often.  I didn’t look at it today until it read mile 2.38.  That was great and the distance flew by.  I looked at it more as I went along, but still not too frequently.

I knew I’d have trouble catching Flo if she was running alone, but I was surprised that her and her friend were able to stay so far ahead of me.  I think they had a good half mile on me.  I thought at some point I’d catch them or even Dave (who was starting out early too).  That never happened though.

The sun was rising on the way out and I passed a farm.  A rooster was calling from there.  That was an awesome way to start the morning and my run.  It doesn’t happen every day.

It felt good when I turned around at mile 5.  I think 4 miles out is the farthest I’ve ever run on this trail.  It was nice to have some new scenery.  On the way back, I felt like I might have to go to the bathroom.  I was very worried because I was about 4.5 miles from the parking lot and there are no bathrooms along the way.  Luckily, I never had to figure out what to do.

I kept cruising along and couldn’t believe my pace.  It was going down and down and closing in on last week’s pace.  I wasn’t putting anywhere near the effort in this week’s run.  Running alone allowed me to cruise more than I usually do when running in groups.  It is still hard to believe that 5 miles at 8:18 pace was hard in June and now under 8:10 for over 10 miles is easy.  

As I was running along, I heard a noise in the bushes.  I managed to see the white tail of a deer.  I thought to myself that there must be a lot of deer right along the trail that I never see.  At the next opening, I decided to look out and sure enough I saw two deer.  I wonder how many I must pass.

A couple of the women commented last week that they didn’t hear me come up from behind on them when I was passing.  It is good that I run quietly.  I guess running on stone helped too, since they could hear me this week.  I did have on heavier shoes as well.

I got back to the parking lot a little exhausted.  I took a drink and some brief rest.  I elected not to change shoes.  The main group was off before I knew it.

I ran with the fastest guy in the group, Mertz.  He took it easy on me, but kept the pace to my liking.  I felt good and cruised along.  We were both running 5 miles from this point.  We chatted and time seemed to fly by.  We were at the turnaround before I knew it.  It was good to have someone to run with for this portion of the run.

I started to fade at mile 13.25 and told Mertz to go on.  Just following behind him and keeping him in my sights was a big help.  It pulled me along as I struggled. I ran 14 miles last week and once I hit that point today, I really died.  For whatever reason, I did get a second wind in the last half mile and cruised in with a closing 7:43 mile.  The run combined for just over an 8 minute pace and it was very comfortable most of the time.  I am very happy.

After the run and cross country meet, I met with Angie and Stan.  They are running the Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon in Philly and I wanted to watch them and a bunch of other Philly and Lehigh Valley friends run, so I got a ride down with them.  I went to the expo too and it was a good time.  I saw a friend, Karen and we chatted for quite a while.  It was good to catch up.  I also bumped into Tom from the BCR.

I’m glad I had a good run and I think these over distance runs will really pay off.  After a lot of walking, my legs are quite sore today.  I have plenty of rest until my next run.  Tomorrow, I’m taking off as always.  On Monday, I’m having a colonoscopy.  I’m obviously not running then, but hopefully will resume training on Tuesday.  I’m sure my body will thank me for the rest.

15 miles – 2:00:36 (8:03 pace)

Deer Tracker: 3 Today (4 Total)

Just Another Friday

Well today is Friday, so it was the weekly dreaded run day.  I hate this slow and short day.  It just seems so pointless.  I can't say the run itself was too bad today, but it wasn't great either.  Usually I run 4 miles on Friday, but today I needed to get in 5 miles.

I thought about running up South Mountain from Lehigh's Goodman Campus.  I came up with plenty of excuses why not to run there and eventually talked myself out of that.  I almost talked myself back into it when I saw the mountain.  I do love mountain running.  My quads have been a problem lately and I knew some running up and down a mountain would not help the cause.  It wasn't hot, but it was getting there and the route is exposed to the sun.  I also hate dodging traffic and wasn't crazy about working as hard I needed to to get up the mountain.

The one nice thing about the mountain would've been that it would've kept me focused.  Thankfully, that wasn't too big of an issue today.  It often is though.  Even though I wasn't going to South Mountain, I decided to run nearby.  I went to the Saucon Rail Trail.  It can be a little flat and boring at times, but it is nice and peaceful.  The scenery is good too.  I thought that might help make this a relaxing run.

The weather was fairly comfortable late in the morning, although still a bit hotter than I like.  It wasn't anywhere near as bad as the summertime.  There is a lot of shade along this trail, so that was a big plus. 

The run itself was anything but comfortable early on.  My quads aren't in any pain, they are just sore and stiff.  It takes awhile for them to come around.  The first few steps of my run must look awful when they are tight.  They sure feel terrible.

After a half mile, things started to feel a little better.  Not great, but better.  With each passing mile, my legs seemed more and more normal.  They never felt good during the run, but at least they got to the point of satisfactory.  They hit that point at around 1.5 miles.

This trail is well used and there are a lot of walkers.  What was annoying today was some of the heavy perfume women were wearing.  I passed a least two groups of them that were way overloaded with it.  More puzzling is that not only were they walking, but they were over 50.  Who the heck do they think they are attracting, other than the bees?  It was good a thing that I passed them quickly because breathing around them was unbearable.

Going out wasn't too bad.  It did seem to move along at a decent clip.  I still check my watch way too often.  For runs like these, I should really just throw it in my pocket.  I always want to bring it along so that I can check how I ran later on.

I definitely kept the effort slow and relaxed.  I don't think the GPS was quite right on the first mile.  After that, things seemed good.  I cruised around at just under a 9 minute pace most of the run.

It was good to turn around and head back.  I thought about doing a short out and back at the start so that during the main part of my run wouldn't have to go as far.  I decided not too though and I just ran 2.5 miles out and 2.5 miles back.

I was feeling good on the way back.  Then I hit the 4 mile mark and my legs seemed kind of dead again.  I just counted down the final mile.  I was thinking that I was approaching 48 miles for the week.  Then I realized that I still have my 15 mile long run tomorrow before I get there.  How stupid of me!

I felt some more energy in the last half mile, so my pace picked up.  It felt good to be done.  I finished right near where I started.  I had a brief walk and then stretched under a pavilion.  I need to loosen my quads up to keep them firing correctly.

After the run, I went to the Saladworks.  It was good to eat a healthy lunch.  I need to do that more.  I just wish it wasn't such hard work to make healthy choices in this country.  My dad commented that I am getting a gut.  I always have one and can't seem to shake it no matter how much I excersize.  I'm wondering if the pills I am taking are contributing to my weight gain.  I'm running over 45 miles a week and not losing any weight.  I should be dropping some pounds when I burn over 5,000 calories a week.

I'm great with the running thing, but it is the other part of my health that I struggle with.  I need to eat better and do some other stuff too.  I especially need to work on my core.  My friend Michele did an ab challenge in August where she worked her abs every day of the month.  I don't want to do it that often, but I need to pick up the ab roller more or do my pilates tape.

I might run more than Michele, but she is definitely more dedicated in the other areas than me.  She's already lost a lot of weight and is looking to do more.  She seems to be always working out and eating correctly.  My mom always says that she wants to lose weight and I keep telling her that that won't really happen until she makes a complete lifestyle change.  Michele has definitely figured that out and I admire her for it.  Hopefully I can be a little more like her in the non running areas of my health.

Tomorrow kicks off a busy weekend for me.  I'm doing my 15 mile long run in the morning.  I need to start early (at 6 AM) because I want to go to a cross country meet at 9 AM at Northampton.  After that, I'm going down to Philly with Angie and Stan.  They are running in the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon on Sunday.  I am going to watch them and a bunch of other friends as well as the elite runners.  On Sunday, I also have the Eagles home opener against the Ravens to go to.

5 miles - 43:11 (8:39 pace)

Another Double (Sort of)

I didn't run a true double today, but I say it was sort of a double because I ran at two completely different paces.  I had 10 or 15 minutes in between each.  Both runs were at a comfortable pace.

Last week, Kelley got me to do some extra mileage before the main LVRR Group Run.  Even though I figured she probably wouldn't make it tonight, I decided on an extra 3 miles alone.  I started off around 5:20 PM.  I decided to basically run the 5k loop from yesterday, but without the grass and in the opposite direction.

Since it is flat going east, the start was nice and easy.  I cruised around at what I thought was very slow pace and was surprised when I looked down at my watch.  It was still under a 9 minute pace.

Shortly after the first mile, I came upon two guys in front of me.  They looked like they came from the disc golf area, but they were running.  I tired to ignore them because I didn't want to get into a race.  I didn't try to run faster, but I guess I just naturally did anyway.

There pace was okay, so it took some time to catch them at my easy pace.  I eventually did just past the bridge near the clubhouse.  I sped up when I went by because I didn't want them on my tail.  I then relaxed and just cruised around.

The weather was still decent, but there was some humidity.  It was certainly present as I was wearing my Group Run Leader T-shirt.  I've dealt with much worse, but can't wait until it really gets cool out.

There is a barn like structure just before the covered bridge.  The guys that were behind me suddenly passed me and then stopped right there.  I guess they were doing some sort of speedwork, although it wasn't that fast.  I just continued on.

The rest of this loop was uneventful.  The hills weren't much of a problem on the way back.  I just cruised along and finished right in the parking lot next to my car.  It was perfect little addition at an 8:30 pace.

Some days, I'm just hoping no one with any speed shows up to the group run.  After running the 5k yesterday, today was one of those days.  I got my wish.  Kelley and Peter weren't there.  I sort of figured they might not be after they ran the 5k yesterday.  I was glad because we all probably would've pushed each other too hard.

Jen showed up again as did a new guy Rob.  It was a small group.  Rob posted on facebook about the pace and location of the group run.  It was great to have him out.  Usually when people have asked that in the past or even liked our facebook status updates, they are a no show.  Anita (the Saturday 8:30 run leader) was there as well with her dog.  She didn't run with us, we just chatted.

Rob said he runs around at 10:30 pace and Jen isn't very fast, so this was a perfect day for me.  I just joined the pace group for the Runner's World Half Marathon and I need some practice running slower.  I'll be pacing the 2:10 group for that.

Rob and I ran together and Jen was with us for a bit before she fell off.  Rob had just run the full marathon on Sunday.  I was surprised that he was running this soon after.  He said he's been running most of the week.  I usually take a full week off after a marathon.

When people say they run a certain pace, I usually like to go a little faster so that they get a good workout.  I did that for today's run.  I ran just over a 10 minute pace.  Around the 1 mile marker, I had to go around some slower ladies.  I did that quickly and let Rob catch up. 

I just cruised along and chatted with Rob.  He was breathing a bit hard before the big hill.  We slowed a little more.  Most of the run was uneventful for me, but it was good to run at a slower pace and recover some more.

Just before the start of the big hill at the Fish Hatchery, Rob started to walk.  I ran up the hill alone, although not hard.  I kept on going too since I couldn't see him when I got back down the other side.

The goal wasn't to fly ahead of people though, so I went as far as the Fireman's Bridge because he could've came across there.  I then looped back to find him.

Rob and Jen were running together when I got to them.  I didn't put on as much mileage as I thought I would looping back.  I only got an extra tenth or two.  I'm glad they were running together.  Jen comes very far and I hate that she has to run alone at times.

I tucked in behind the two of them and let them set the pace for the rest of the run.  We cruised along and chatted a little more.  On one of the last hills, Rob started to walk again.  I just continued to run with Jen.  She's not too fast, but actually got up the hills fairly well.  It was nearly as fast as her flat running.

We then finished up at the clubhouse.  I forgot about my extra little bit of mileage, so I actually ran over 5 miles.  I almost never do that as I like to keep my mileage exact.  With the 5k being 3.1 miles yesterday, it was really no big deal.

After everyone left and I was finished a couple other runners were chatting by their car.  It was a man and a woman who I see there every week.  I often see them running out on the paths too.  They don't run together.  I joined in their conversation about fueling, running hills and also the Runner's World Half Marathon.  I didn't invite them to run with us, but I probably should.  Maybe I will do so next week.

Today was a great day to take it easy, but still get some miles in.  I barely put out any effort in this 8+ mile run.  My legs are still sore, especially my quads.  I've been using the foam roller on them a little.  I think I need to add some more of that.  The last week or two is just beating me up.  My body isn't enjoying the extra mileage.  I'll back off later if needed.

This run was also some good practice for pacing.  It was fairly close to what I'll be pacing for the half marathon.  It wasn't quite consistent because the other runners varied their pace a little, but I feel like I can run pretty steady.  The only thing that will be tricky about pacing the half is that the course isn't flat.  It has some hills and I need to run those fairly consistently.  It should be fun and a good way to help others.

Tomorrow is my dreaded Friday easy run.  This week, it will be 5 miles instead of 4.  I think I'm going to start at Lehigh's Goodman Campus and run up South Mountain.  That will be tough climbing the hill.  It will allow me to stay focused during the run.  That is my biggest problem with easy Friday runs.  I invited Kelley, but I'm not sure yet if she will go or not.  I like running the mountain, but I also hate avoiding the traffic there.  I've seen worse though.

ALONE 3 miles - 25:31 (8:30 pace)
WITH GROUP 5.20 miles - 52:52 (10:10 pace)

Solo in the Mixed Doubles 10k Relay

I've been bothered a lot by my slow 5k time at the Blue Eagle 5k last month.  I needed another one to redeem myself and boost my confidence.  I believed that I would have no trouble breaking 22 minutes, but until I had done it, I just didn't know for sure.

I decided to run in the Mixed Doubles 10k Relay for the LVRR.  It was a race where you would run with a female partner and each of you ran a 5k and the total time determined the placing.  I probably could've found a partner, but I just decided to run it alone.  Usually, I am taking photos for the Summer 5ks, so it was good to actually run a race for a change.  I had my dad take the pictures until I was done and then I assumed my duties.  The nice thing about this race was that it was free.


I was quite mad when I pulled up to the Parkway.  Nazareth was just finishing up a cross country meet.  The paper only listed Allen and Dieruff as running there.  I guess I need to get a schedule since I have no idea when they are racing this year.

Anyway, it was on to my race.  I chatted with a couple friends before the race.  It was getting kind of late when I changed clothes and started my warmup.  I'm not sure how far I ran, but it was probably about a half mile warmup.  My legs sure needed it as they were quite stiff.  They still weren't great after I completed the warmup, but I couldn't worry about that.

We lined up for the start and I didn't have my GPS signal yet.  Luckily, I got it before the start of the race.  No one wanted to stand at the front of the starting line.  There weren't really any fast runners.  That was surprising because our Summer 5ks are quite quick.  One of my friends, Tim, reluctantly took the front of the line.  I knew I'm still a little slower than him, so I hung back in the second row.

I am used to these races starting out so fast that even though you feel that you are going easy, you get pulled along at a quick pace.  Since the race didn't have much speed, that wasn't the case.  I had to work quite hard early on.  This course is difficult because there are a couple rolling hills early on.  You aren't warmed up before you hit them.

Although I ran before the run, my legs still weren't ready to go when I approached the hill.  I went hard up in anyway because I knew that it was short and would be over quickly.  As I recovered on the backside of the hills, I saw that my pace was a bit over my goal pace of 7 minutes.  I'm not sure how accurate my GPS was that early in the race.

The rest of the first mile was quite uneventful.  My watched showed that my pace slipped.  I do rely on it too much.  Sometimes I just need to ignore it and run on feel.  Although I didn't feel great, I was happy to be done with the first mile in 6.53.  I just didn't know if I could keep it up.

One of the cool features of this 5k is that you run over a Covered Bridge.  That feels different to your feet, but it is fun.  I cruised along and just kind of stayed with a couple guys throughout most of the run.  I passed a guy here and there and was passed back every now and then.  I stayed about where I started.

After a mile I could no longer see the leaders.  I saw them pretty far into the race.  That usually isn't the case.  I continued along.  I thought about taking water as I neared the halfway point, but decided not to.  I was still feeling okay and my pace was steady.  My legs seemed like crap, but that was the case the whole way.  I was working a little harder than I wanted to, but that was okay.  I knew the race would be over before I knew it.

I definitely don't enjoy 5k races.  They are just too fast and you can never get comfortable.  It is hard all the time as long as you are pushing yourself.  Even though it is short, it still feels like it takes forever.

I think I passed a guy that was falling back.  I then pushed it on the last short hill before the Robin Hood Bridge.  I had hoped to go hard after this, but that didn't happen.  For one, I wasn't feeling strong enough to push more.  They also added on to the course a little, so I wasn't quite sure how far we had to go.  My GPS distance often goes a bit over the race distance.

The last mile was all flat and I do remember going around one guy.  I think someone else passed me too.  At one point, I saw Tim up ahead.  I thought he was fading and that maybe I'd catch and pass him.  He stayed in front of me the whole time though.

When I got to 2.5 miles, I was somewhere around a 6:58 or 6:59 pace.  I was certainly cutting it close.  I knew that as long as I was near 7 minutes, my pace would drop with my sprint finish.

I just concentrated on my form as I kept pushing.  The weather was much cooler than a week or so ago, but it was still somewhat hot and humid.  It was kind of in between what you would think of as fall weather and what would be considered summer weather.  It was certainly runnable.

It would've been nice to finish on the cinder path as normal.  Since the starting line and finish line are usually at different spots, they had to add on to make the relay work (and the start and finish be the same place).  That meant they added a section through the mowed grass near the end.  This part was brutal.  I hate running on grass as it is.  Going from gravel to grass and back to gravel was difficult. 

I noticed that as I weaved through the grass that I was hitting the 20 minute mark.  I was looking to come in under 21:45.  I didn't quite know how much distance was left, but I could sense it was going to be close.  As I exited the grass, I kicked it up a notch.  I had been following an old guy around the grass and for awhile, but when I put my kick in, I went by him.  I passed him right around the bridge just before the finish.  I sprinted through the finish and stopped my watch at 21:29.53.  It was fairly comfortably under my goal time.

I was definitely happy with the race.  I improved my time from my terrible Blue Eagle 5k by over 50 seconds.  Not bad for a month later.  I'm obviously continuing to get faster.  I was pleased too because I didn't feel all that great.  My legs are beat and I was huffing and puffing, but I stayed with it and pulled through.  The course is tough as well and the competition was light.  Maybe with better competition and on a faster course, I could even break 21 minutes.  That doesn't matter though as it will happen soon enough (although I don't care much for running 5ks).

It was good seeing a bunch of friends again.  Angie and Stan ran together and finished somewhere around 5th.  Tim was a couple spots ahead of me.  Peter was behind me.  Another friend, Joe, ran with his wife.  Roger from the BCR was there.  Kelley ran with her dad.  I missed getting some photos of her in the middle of the race because I thought she went by already.  I only got her backside.  Between my dad and I, there were some good pictures of everyone.  Now, I have to spend a lot of my night going through them.

Tomorrow is the usual group run.  Kelley said she isn't sure if she is going or not.  I want to get some extra miles in before or after the run.  Hopefully with her before, if not I'll run alone.  I want to hit 48 miles for the week.  That will require about 8 tomorrow, 5 on Friday and my 15 mile long run on Saturday.

3.11 miles - 21:29 (6:55 pace)