Dave Decker's Loopy Run

I'm trying to heal up, so I should be running easy right now.  However, I was pushed pretty hard and ran fast on Thursday evening.  That made for little recovery before Saturday's run.  I was hoping I wouldn't be sore, but I figured that I would be.  Unfortunately, I was correct.

Today was another one of Dave Decker's crazy runs.  It was a 4.4 mile figure eight loop at Riverview Park in Easton.  You have to finish one loop in an hour and then if you do, you can run another loop the next hour.  This continues until everyone gives up or can't finish a loop in under an hour.  We had a huge group of almost 50 people.

Since I'm trying to take it easy, I wanted to just run one loop and then continue to get in 8 miles.  We had a whole tailgate/picnic type setup going.  I brought a bunch of stuff, but I only arrived a few minutes before the 7 AM start, so I had to get my things out later.

I began by taking pictures of the start and then I put my shoes on to run.  Since I was kind of rushing, I didn't get any good pictures of the start in the dark.  Because I was taking photos, I began running alone.

I have run at Riverview a number of times as well as the paths around there.  I was very puzzled by the course and quite interested how it went.  I knew of an uphill by the Route 33 Boat Launch, but I had no idea how the path would come back.  Dave mentioned a tunnel, but I was still confused.

It was a bit cold at the start and in fact throughout the whole day for that matter.  The temperature was in the 30s.  On the way out it wasn't too bad because the breeze was the other direction.  Coming back was quite cold and I regretted dropping off my gloves and headband after the loop was complete.

Jennie and female Gayle were out earlier in the week, cutting all the trees that had fallen after the hurricane.  They did a good job, but we still had to go around some of the bigger trees.  My quads were already very sore within the first mile of this run.  It wasn't as bad as a couple weeks ago, but things weren't good either.  At one point, I had to get off the path to go around a tree.  Running on dirt was great.  I might have to stick to trails a lot more in the near future.  This was all pavement as was my run on Thursday.

Within the first mile, I noticed the path below and the tunnel underneath.  I somehow never saw that before.  I guess part of the reason for that was that the leaves on the trees always hid it.  I was still intrigued though as I didn't understand how our path would get to that one.  At least I sort of understood the route at that point.

As I approached the Route 33 Boat Launch, I was surprised that I had not passed any of the slower runners yet.  Although it took me a couple minutes to get started, I figured I would catch them by this point.  My first mile was a little slow, but I began to get faster.  Sometime around that part, I could see some of the people running on the path above me.  I knew I was closing in.

At around 1.6 miles, the path split off and went uphill.  There was a cone there and the rest of the course was well marked too.  Jennie went out on her bike and made sure we didn't miss the turn.  Shortly after the turn, I finally caught some runners.

People were already walking up the hill.  I was very surprised to see Kelley was one of them.  I knew she wasn't running much, but I thought she would be farther up than that.  Later she explained why she was going slower and it made more sense.

The first hill was a little tough, but that wasn't the end of it.  There was a brief downhill.  This section was nice as there were some houses on the hill.  I actually remember riding my bike in this area years ago (probably while I was in high school).  I passed a few more people including April, Melissa, Frank and handful of others.  Dave took a bathroom break and I went by him as well.

After a little downhill and rolling hills, there was more uphill.  The climb wasn't too bad, but after a few loops, it would've been brutal.  My time definitely slowed down at this point.

The good thing is that what goes up must come down, unless it is a point to point course.  There was quite a downhill.  I had to make sure that I didn't fly too hard and fall down due to all the debris on the trail.  Going both up and down the hill, there were logs to hop over.  It was almost like a trail run.

After flying downhill, I went under the tunnel and saw more people up ahead.  I picked off a few of them including female Gayle and Christina.  I went by so quickly that Gayle asked who it was passing them.  Having people in front of me helped pull me along.  I would estimate that I passed about half the people within the loop.  My fifth mile, which included the big downhill, was a nice 8:07 pace.  I was definitely taking it easier today and was much happier with my pace when compared to some of my other recent fast runs.

While everyone else rested after the first loop, I continued on.  I wanted to do 8 straight miles and not stop.  With all of the trees on the hill section, I decided that I would turn around before the hill.  One loop was enough climbing too.  I went out and again I was lonely.  My legs just felt so beat.  I had begun the run with an insole, but it was uncomfortable, so I took it out.  That meant that my foot was sore.  I was trying not to run up on my toes so much, but I couldn't help it.  Often I'd catch myself doing it and would change my form.  I think my form is a big reason for the sore quads.

Miles 6 and 7 seemed to take forever.  I turned around right before the Boat Launch at mile 6.25.  Somewhere around mile 7, I passed the second loop going the other way.  Flo was running with another guy.  I was disappointed to see that Mertz had quit already.  I later saw him on a bike.


My last few flat miles were pretty slow.  They were around an 8:50 pace.  I actually don't mind that pace if I was running it healthy, rather than beat up.  I made it back to the starting point and was happy to be finished with my 8 miles.  It wasn't easy.  Staying on my feet the rest of the day sure didn't help either.  I am sore now.

After I was done running, it was all about hanging out the rest of the day.  First, I watched the second loop come in and took pictures.  Flo said she didn't even recognize me at first and thought I was some creepy guy.  That's not the first time that has happened.  Photographing this event was fun.

We had a fire going at the pavilion and a lot of food too.  It was fun sitting around and chatting.  There were quite a few people that only did one loop and more than only did two loops.  The fire crowd got bigger and the running crowd shrunk with every hour.

The fire was great, but at least I was smart enough to have several layers on.  I was laughing at Flo because she weighs nothing and wasn't wearing much.  Therefore, she was huddled over the fire the whole time.  We even had marshmallows to roast too.  A few people carried wood for the fire at the end of their loop.

Some people had impressive runs.  Karl had a good day.  After several loops, there were still 11 people or so.  Angie and Mel went pretty long.  I knew female Gayle would last awhile.  Most people left the fire by late morning.

It didn't take too long until the group was down to four runners.  I figured the end might not be so far away, so I stayed around.  If I thought we would be there all night, I might've left early.

Gayle was hurting and she finished up at 2 PM.  That was still an impressive 7 loops and over marathon distance.  It was down to three runners at that point.  One woman from New York, Mary, was running consistent times.  She was impressive.

After 8 loops, the final three runners had enough and they quit.  That's a lot of running.  To be honest, I thought it would go a lot longer.  It probably could've if the three of them would've been very competitive.  They weren't thrilled about the cold.  I'm glad I didn't try to run this because I don't really know when to quit and likely would've hurt myself.  I'm sure these three would've killed me.

After they finished up, we hungout for another hour.  There was less than 10 of us at that point.  It was still fun.  It would've been an even better day if things ever got warmer.  Maybe next year, I'll really try to do well in this event.

I have too look at my schedule and see when I'm going to run next week.  I'm thinking I need a trail, perhaps Trexler.  I was hoping to run four days next week, but we will have to see since my legs are sore.  I am disappointed that they aren't getting a lot better.  I'm going to continue to stretch and strengthen them.  If I have to, I guess I'll hop on the bike some more.  I need to build my mileage back up, but not wear my body down.

8 miles - 1:08:30 (8:34 pace)

Speedy and Scenic Group Run

After a few days off, it was back to running today.  Since it is Thursday, it was time for the weekly group run.  We are now meeting at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.  I was hoping this location would bring out a few people in the winter.  It is lit and a beautiful setting.

As I was waiting to run, a young guy showed up on a bike.  Apparently he rode over and was planning to join me for the run.  His name was Noah.  We got to chatting and he said he doesn't run, but wants to start.  He also said he shouldn't have any problem running an 8 minute pace.  I was a little skeptical, at least until he said that he rode across the entire country.  Then I figured that he could probably do alright.

Karl also showed up.  He was there a few weeks ago for the last group run in the Parkway.  That time, he ran with his girlfriend.  This time he came alone.  Flo actually ran into the two of them at the Philadelphia Marathon pasta dinner a couple weeks ago.  It's a small world for sure.

Starting at SteelStacks proved to be an excellent idea.  It is all decorated for Christmas.  There are lights over the street and they project festive images onto the blast furnace.  There aren't much better places to run at night during the Christmas season than Bethlehem.  It will make for some excellent December runs.  The area was a little crowded with Christkindlmarkt going on, but parking wasn't too bad.

It was actually rather nice out (for this time of year anyway).  The temperature was in the 30s, but there was no wind.  I struggled with what to wear only because I knew I'd be waiting around outside in the cold for a few minutes before we started running.  It was either be cold standing there or sweat while running.  I chose to be a little cold.  By the time we got into the meat of the run, I was actually hot with my ColdGear on.  I had removed my gloves long before that too.

It took awhile for my GPS watch to get a signal.  It finally came in when we got to the parking lot where my car was at.  If it took any longer, I would've just started without it.

Karl set the pace early as we started out under the Christmas lights.  Since the last run here was only four miles, I decided to add the part of the Runner's World course that went through Lehigh.  This would give us closer to another mile.  We crossed 3rd Street and had a short climb to Lehigh's campus.  We then came back down and ran over the Fahy Bridge and took the same route as a few weeks ago.

The pace was solid early, but nothing fast.  We did have to stop briefly at a light.  As we went over the bridge, I struggled some with my breathing.  I haven't run much lately and have to get used to the cold air.

We then ran down near the Musikfest/Celticfest area and back up to Main Street.  That provided us with a short, but steep climb up to Main Street and then the long, gradual climb that is Main Street.  We stayed on the west side of the street, which was a good move since there are more shops on the east side of the street.

Karl began to fall back a little, but Noah was still right behind me.  We slowed a bit at this point.  It didn't feel like the pace was too hard, but it was definitely more of a moderate pace than an easy pace.  Probably a little faster than I would've preferred to run, but it worked out well.

Going up Broad Street was a bit busy.  That part of the run is still uphill.  Everyone was hanging tough at this point.  A car let us cross at one of the lights.  The first mile was 8:47, but the second mile was a solid 7:51.

I'm not too crazy about the Broad Street portion of this run once we get out of downtown.  It is much darker and it is hard to see the sidewalk.  It is very easy to trip there.  On the other hand, it is downhill and fast.  We cruised along.  It was brisk pace and I was impressed that Noah could keep up.  He was right on my heels.  Karl wasn't too far behind.  I figured he was close to his limit though.

Noah and I managed to get onto the Minsi Trail Bridge and luckily a car let Karl go through as well.  I still slowed slightly, or at least I thought.  I guess I just can't help it, I always have to push fairly hard going uphill.  I thought this hill might be too much for Noah, but he kept right with me.  Karl slid back a little, but he still was in sight.

When we hit the four mile point, I was amazed to see my watch show a 7:14 mile.  I didn't think we were going that fast.  No wonder Karl lost contact a little.  As we came down the hill, I could see him still on the bridge.  I slowed a little more, but not too much.  At this point, we were almost done, so I didn't mind losing him.

Noah had commented that I was setting a good pace.  We were half a mile from finishing up when we got to the Shoppes at the Sands.  I figured we would be very close to the blast furnace when we hit the five mile marker.

As we got into the home stretch, I decided that I would pick it up a little.  Noah stuck with me so well and I was curious what he was capable of.  I turned it up another gear.  He was able to hang right with me for another tenth or two.  That was actually longer than I expected.  He eventually dropped back, but I was impressed.  For someone that doesn't run, he did very well.  He said that that was the farthest that he's ever run.  He could post some great times if he did start training for running.

I even went too hard myself at the end.  I started to die with about a tenth of a mile to go.  I hung on though and finished up just past the blast furnace.  Noah and Karl were done shortly after that.  The last mile was a blazing 7:04.  Quite impressive because I still could go faster than that too.  I think the rest has really helped my pace.

I do have to be cautious.  My quads had a slight soreness throughout the run.  I might've been up on my toes too much since the pace was fairly quick.  It probably wouldn't hurt to put the additional insole back into my shoe.  I keep landing on that part of my foot.  Hopefully, massaging, stretching and strengthening will help my quads.  I have been working hard on that as well as doing some Pilates for my core.  I want to get more serious about all aspects of my training.  I need any little edge I can get.

It was a great run.  It was small in numbers, but the setting was good.  Same can be said for the pace.  It was nice and fast.  I had hoped to make my run the fast group run and perhaps it will become that.  We'll see.  I just hope it survives the winter.  It sounds like Noah will be there a lot and Karl will join us some.  That's a good start.  If only I could get some others to show up as well.

After the run, I drove up the mountain and found a great place to do short hill sprints.  It was an incredibly steep incline not far from the Steel Complex.  Even better, there is no outlet, so few cars use the road.  I guess I'll be there every week after this run.  I did 4X8 second hill sprints tonight.  Hopefully it will help strengthen my legs, but honestly it actually seemed too easy.  Maybe it will be tougher after more reps in the future.

I'm off from running tomorrow, but I would like to do some physical activity.  I was thinking of perhaps joining Dave and his crew as they mark the course for Saturday's run.  I would ride my bike tomorrow though.  If I don't do that, I might hike at Lehigh Gap.  I'm hoping there is still snow up there on the mountain. 

Dave's run is on Saturday.  I'm just going to be smart and run 8 miles.  I don't want to stop running though.  The run consists of running a 4.4 mile loop.  A new loop starts every hour and the run goes until everyone gives up or can't complete the loop in an hour.  Mostly, I am going to be there to take pictures of the craziness and hangout.  If I tried to run loop after loop, I'd end up injured.  It should be a fun day.

5 miles - 39:19 (7:52 pace)

Easing My Way Back

After taking some time off, I'm working on easing my way back into running.  If I jump right back into 6 days of running a week, my body will get beat up again.  After a good run on Friday, I came back on Monday for a 5 mile run.

I wanted some nice scenery so I headed out to the Saucon Rail Trail.  It was just an easy run.  I'm going to keep all my runs like that for a couple weeks.  I didn't feel quite as great as I did on Friday when I began.  There was some slight soreness in my quads, especially early.  Overall, it wasn't too bad though.

My first mile was definitely faster than it had been before my rest.  Without working hard, I cruised to an 8:29 opening mile.  I felt fast, even when running into the wind.  It was comfortable when the wind was at my back, but a bit chilly otherwise.  I went with a long sleeve tech shirt.  At times, it was too much and other times, it seemed like it wasn't enough.  Wind is the one thing that I really hate about winter running.

I passed a bunch of women coming the other way early on.  It was weird because I only saw two guys running the whole time.  One was with a woman and the other was alone.  The trail was alive with people as it usually is.

I continued to just cruise along.  Again, I wasn't running too hard, but my breathing was a little uncomfortable.  I have to adjust a little because I haven't run as much lately.  The second mile was under 8 minutes and the whole run continued to get faster and faster. 

The final mile and a half before the turnaround was difficult because it was mostly into a headwind.  I battled through knowing that it would be better coming back.  The turnaround came in no time.

I was correct in my assessment.  Coming back was great.  I went much faster.  I was almost too hot as well.  I was very impressed when I saw my fourth mile time of 7:27.  That was close to some of my slow miles in the half marathon and I was running easy today.  Again, maybe it was a little harder than I thought it was.  I definitely didn't run any faster than a moderate pace though.

I really nailed the final mile.  I did run a little harder in the last quarter mile or so, but before that I was still going at a comfortable pace.  My time for that mile was 7:18.  That is certainly moving.  I'm amazed at how much of a difference the rest has made when it comes to my times.  I'm kind of curious how fast I can run on fresh legs now if I were to push myself.

To try to strengthen my quads and just my legs in general, I am going to start doing hill sprints.  I have been slacking with those.  Since I was close to South Mountain near Lehigh, I decided to go over there.  When the road was clear, I ran 4 X 8 second hill sprints.  I hope those help.  I'm planning on doing them twice a week.  I just wish I had some hills closer to my house that were that steep.

I am happy with my last two runs.  My quads are definitely coming back around.  I'm not over the hump yet though.  I continue to have to stretch and strengthen them.  I'm working on doing both a couple times a week or more.  The hill sprints should help.  Gradually adding mileage will be a big plus as well.

The plan for now is to take off until the group run on Thursday.  That would allow me plenty more recovery.  I'd also have the chance to do some more light weightlifting.  It is supposed to snow tomorrow though, so I might be tempted to go out for a little bit of a fun run.  We'll see what happens.  If I do, it will be very easy.

5 miles - 38:51 (7:46 pace)

Back After a Short Break

Last Monday was the last time that I ran at all.  My body was just too beat up and I really needed a rest.  I wanted to be fresh for the Run for the Diamonds race.  I biked a few times, but I don't enjoy that and couldn't get out there as much as I would've liked.  I did lift weights a couple times and did some Pilates.

I'm not sure what I ate, but I had stomach problems the night before the Run for the Diamonds.  I was up most of the night and I threw up three times.  After the first one, I thought okay maybe that is it.  After the second, I started to question doing the race and after the third time, I decided to give up on the race.  I felt fine by the time the race rolled around, but I was just afraid of how throwing up might've comprised my body.  The Run for the Diamonds is a tough 9 mile race after all.  It isn't some easy flat 5k.

If it was a goal race or an expensive race, I might've tried to give it a go.  It was frustrating because this is my favorite race ever and I've only been able to run it once.  Last year I signed up too, but my health problems were bothering me too much.  It dawned on me that the Blue Eagle 5k is the only race I've ever even run more than once (3X).  That just shows how on and off my running career has been thus far.  Maybe sometime I'll develop some consistency and stay healthy.

I was planning to take at least a week off to recover after the race and make sure my quads were 100% before working my way towards a spring marathon.  The good news about missing the race is that I could now ease back into running earlier.  I slacked off a bit throughout today, but right before supper, I decided to give it a go.

I wasn't sure whether I wanted to run 3 or 4 miles.  I just opted for 3.  I figured anything would be good.  I was still kind of dreading the run.  Maybe because it was just going to be a boring and flat run on the Nor-Bath Trail.  My opinion would change shortly though.

Starting off was so exhilarating.  It has been so long since I've felt great at the beginning of a run.  Every run for a couple months has started off with sore quads.  I guess the only exception would be my half marathon a couple weeks back.  I didn't rest or recover enough after that though.

Because of my sore quads, my first mile has always been slow lately.  Typically it is over 9 minutes or just under that.  Today, I just felt like I was flying.  I didn't think I was pushing it either.  That first mile came in at 8:26.  That's been my easy pace for the entire run on most days.

In addition to my quads, my other concern is my left foot.  It has been sore and I've been using an insole.  It curls up though, so I took it out of my shoe and ran without it.  At times, particularly early on, it bothered me a bit.  I'll have to take a wait and see approach on whether or not I want to use it in the future.

I thought about going out and back in each direction, but as I got farther west, I just decided to go to 1.5 miles and turn around.  It was a little windy and I figured I was running into a head wind on the way out.  I might have been, but I still felt the air on the way back too.  For some reason the trail was wet.  That was good since it was nice and soft.  Not sure why it was wet though as I don't think it rained.  Otherwise, the weather was actually great.  It was in the mid 50s.

Coming back was excellent.  I continued really fly.  My legs were great, but actually I didn't feel all that good otherwise.  I struggled some with my breathing.  Maybe I was pushing a little harder than I thought because I was feeling good.  I'm not sure. 

The second mile came in a 8:04.  I continued to fly in the final mile too.  I saw my overall pace drop and drop.  I wasn't pushing too much either.  It was great to be running so well.  I was done before I knew it.  That final mile was a nice 7:40 without too much effort.

I was very pleased with the effort.  I still have to be cautious now.  I can't just jump right back into 6 days of running a week.  I need to gradually work my way back.  If things start bothering me, I need to back off.  I have plenty of time before the marathon.  For now, I plan on spending December building back up.  Then in January, I will get into my marathon training.

My next run won't be until Monday.  I'm only planning on running three times next week.  I will begin adding some hill sprints though to get stronger.  Tomorrow, I'm going to the Footlocker Regional Cross Country Championships in New York.  I'm pretty excited because the best high school runner in the country will be there.  He has run a 14:18 5k this year.  There are also a lot of great runners from PA, including the male and female Morning Call Runners of the Year.  The best from New York, New Jersey and New England are there as well.  I'm going with Mertz and he is running the open race too.  It is at historic Van Cortlandt Park in New York City.  It should be a fun day.

3 miles - 24:10 (8:04 pace)

Self Evaluation Time

If there is one good thing about running yourself into the ground and forcing yourself to take time off, it is that you are free to evaluate your past training and see where you can improve upon it.  That is what I really began doing yesterday.  I knew my training wasn't great in the fall.  I'm at a point where almost anything I do will improve my times, until that point where I go over the edge anyway.

I have been improving and improving, but I've really been running with no set plan.  I tried to put one together in the summer, but it just didn't work out.  I found myself just running with whatever I felt like doing.  In the end, I ended up peaking at 60 miles a week, which is what my initial plan had called for anyway.  I did some harder running, but it was mostly just in the form of weekly 1/2 mile repeats and then on to mile repeats.  Even with no true path to improvement, I was able to run a 1:34:29 half marathon and miss my PR by about 1 minute and 20 seconds.

For weeks, I had been running with sore quads.  A hard week last week and it finally began to catch up to me.  The sorenss no longer went away after a mile and my speeds began to drop.  Suddenly, the running was just hard work and it was too much.  It was time to rest.

It is easy to point at going from no mileage to 60 miles in a week in just over 6 months as the culprit.  That is only part of it though.  A big issue was combining those high miles with too much hard running.  Early on in my half marathon cycle, I was running hard twice a week.  That was just too much too soon.

The runs that really started killing me were some Monday Fartlek runs.  The problem is that I made them too long  and too fast, too soon.  I was doing about 8 total miles in these runs.  While it is good to vary pace and distance within the fast segments of these runs, I was varying them too much.  One interval would be a 7 minute pace for half a mile.  The next would be almost an all out sprint at a 5:20 pace for a tenth of a mile or so.  That was too much on the extremes of the speed and endurance ends of the spectrum.  It is fine to work on both ends, but it has to be done in separate workouts.

These runs didn't seem to bother me while I was running them, but after I stopped I could really feel it.  I couldn't believe I had run that hard.  They took a big toll and I couldn't recover enough for my Wednesday repeat segments.  I need more than one day of rest in between hard sessions, especially when I run as hard as I did during these.  I plan to have at least two days of easy running between hard days in the spring.

I cut fartleks out when I realized that they were causing problems, but by then it was too late.  A lot damage had already been done.  The intervals that I ran weren't done properly either.  When I began, I was doing 1/2 mile repeats at my goal pace of 7 minutes per mile with 1/4 mile of active recovery.  Then, I jumped to mile repeats at the same pace with the same amount of recovery.  If I was going to make the leap in distance, I needed to add to my recovery time or back off the pace to like 7:10 or 7:15 per mile initially and then bring it down to goal pace.  I actually knew this, but I had so little trouble with the 1/2 mile repeats that I thought I could kind of cheat and just jump up.

The other problem with my hard workouts is that I didn't do enough variety.  I did almost no hill sprints or hill repeats.  I only did a tempo run late in the training process.  That should be a weekly staple in the middle of my training block.  I know I should do some weekly hill sprints after easy runs to build up strength and help prevent injuries.  I got lazy though and I did have trouble finding a hill to my liking that is close enough to my house to do these.  I also did no strides or drills to improve form.  All that will be added to the program.

Another thing that was a real eye opener was my longest long run of the fall.  I ran 18 miles a few weeks before my half marathon.  I ran the first 10K with Flo and it wasn't overly difficult, but it was definitely too fast for an 18 mile run.  After that, I ran the rest with Sarah.  My easy run days have been around 8:20 pace and Sarah and I ran nice and slow at around 8:40 per mile or so.  That made the run feel so much easier and more comfortable.  I wasn't beat up at all afterward.

My problem is that I want to get faster partly by running with faster people.  The best chance to run with others is during the BCR outings on Saturdays, which also happens to be my long run days.  A lot of highly competitive runners run their long run with a hard segment at the end.  That's what I was trying to do, by going with Flo or Mertz.  That is fine and dandy if you already have the endurance base of the long runs to work with.  I was still building up those long runs though.  I was trying to both increase my endurance and run hard at the same time.  I have to do one or the other.  If I want to run harder segments at the end of a long run, then I need to back off my total distance.  Say my longest run was 18 miles and then I want to add a hard segment of 6 miles, then I need to drop the total mileage of that run down to something like 14 miles.  I need to be smarter with these long runs.

I need to do a better job with my training in the spring, that is for sure.  I'm looking to try to break 3 hours for the marathon.  That is going to require a good plan.  I have read a lot of different books on training.  One of my favorite has always been "Run Faster" by elite coach Brad Hudson.  Even though I've read it a few times, I felt like I really needed to go back and reread it.  That is what I began doing yesterday.  It was a big help.  I absorbed a lot more and I took a ton of notes that will be helpful in putting together my spring marathon training plan.

I have a much clearer picture of where to start off now and what to add into the mix or reduce as I go along.  I was telling people that I have a fairly good idea of all the different types of workouts and what they do.  I just don't really know how to put it all together (in what quantities and doses).  That's what I've been trying to learn.  It is kind of like having all the ingredients necessary to make dinner, but not having the recipe to see how they mix together to make a finished meal.

At the moment, I am going to take off from running until next Thursday's 9 mile race.  I will stick to cycling for an hour or so a day to keep some of my fitness.  The big thing is that I will also take time off after the race too.  I didn't do that after the half marathon and I wasn't able to recover adequately.  I will not run until the beginning of December.  When I come back, I'm also not going to jump right into 6 days of running a week.  I'm going to start with just 3 days a week and add a day every week for the next couple weeks.  I won't be too far removed from 50 mile weeks, so if all goes well, I'll jump back into that range in a little over a month. 

Regardless, I am just going to listen to my body.  If that is too fast, I'll back off and readjust.  I'd like to peak at an 80 week in April, but if that doesn't happen, it is no big deal.  I need to get to the marathon healthy.  I'm trying to strengthened my quads and my core during this down time and I hope that will help.  Hopefully when I add hill sprints, my legs will get stronger too.  When I begin coming back, I won't do anything fast and I gradually work those type of workouts back into the mix.  I'll also try to get on some softer surfaces.  I've ignored trails too much lately.  I'd like to get at least 1 trail run in per week in the spring.

I still want to run with faster people.  Flo was telling me that she does tempo runs on Fridays and then follows that up with her Saturday long runs.  I was just reading "The Hansons Marathon Method" by the elite coaches, the Hanson Brothers.  They subscribe to the same principal.  Their theory is to run your easy long run after a hard run to get your body used to the fatigue of a marathon.  The only problem I have with that is that they only recommend the long runs to max out at 16 miles.  I'm just not comfortable with that. 

I'm going to try running hard with Flo on Fridays and then doing my long runs on Saturdays.  To do that though, I'll need my Saturday long runs to be at a super slow and easy pace, like Sarah and I did a few weeks back.  I can't run with Flo on Saturdays too, at least not until my fitness gets closer to her level.  If this back to back proves too difficult, then I'll change it up.  Maybe I'll move my long runs to Sundays.  I don't the know.  The problem with that is that I really like running long runs with a group.  It makes them seem to fly by so much quicker.  I want to do both long runs and hard workouts with a group.  Such a dilemma. 

Another issue that I'm still not sure about is whether I'm better from an endurance or a speed standpoint.  My times seem to project out pretty equally among all the distances.  I always considered myself to have better endurance, but now I'm not so sure.  I fell apart at the end of the half marathon and I've always done that at the marathon distance.  I also had a much, much easier time with 1/2 mile repeats than I did with mile repeats.  Of course there is a difference there, but there was also a big difference in my performance in both workouts.  I almost never missed my goal for the 1/2 mile repeats, but I was lucky to hit those goals 50% of the time for the mile repeats.  My legs certainly went away before my lungs did in the half marathon.  That could just be because they were too beat up.  I'm not sure, but I'm starting to think I'm better at the speed aspect than the endurance one.

I get as excited or more excited figuring out these training concepts as I do actually running.  I guess that probably means that I should work on getting into coaching at some point.  I really enjoy putting together training plans too.  It is a fun process that I'm still working on getting better and better at.  Now, I just have to figure out how to stop being so stubborn and begin making changes on the fly and really listen to my body.

I can't wait to get back to running, but I can also say this time off has been a real eye opener.  I look forward to fully putting my spring training plan together over the next week and I hope I can execute it well to reach my goals in May.  I feel like I have a much clearer picture now of where I'm going.

Time for a Break

Today was a tough run.  It just confirmed what I've known for awhile.  I need a break.  From now until my race next Thursday, I will do no running other than maybe the weekly group run.  I want to keep my fitness going, so I'll still do some biking.  I need to stay off my legs and my banged up quads.

I wasn't too motivated to run this morning or afternoon.  Since it quite warm today (in the 60s), I elected to try a nighttime run.  I went out for dinner, so I waited over 2 hours after that to get going.  Around 8 PM, I started off on the Nor-Bath Trail.  Originally, I was going to go to a parking lot around the middle of the trail and go out and back in each direction.  Then I saw a sign that read, "parking lot and trail closed from dusk until dawn."  I headed to my usual spot at Jacksonville Park and started from there.  I don't really care that the trail is supposed to be closed, but I don't want to park where I shouldn't be.

I had on a headlamp and reflective vest and was on my way.  I hoped to get an easy 7 miler done.  I thought it would be a good way to start the week.  As usual, my quads were sore in the beginning.  I figured they would be fine after they warmed up, but that never happened.

I haven't run through here since the hurricane came around.  There were a couple trees down, including one early on.  I was able to get around them.  The path was in good shape otherwise. 

The run was nice and peaceful.  There was a cool breeze.  I really liked the idea of a night run today because I could avoid looking at my watch too often.  I didn't take a peek until I crossed over Airport Road.  Then I was .65 miles into the run.

Usually by that point, my legs have come around.  I took it nice and slow at that point.  I was well over a 9 minute mile pace.  I was running relatively flatfooted.  My legs were still very sore and just felt dead.  I kept on sputtering along.

At this point, I was already trying to figure out where to cut the run short.  I thought about trying to get 5 miles in.  At least that would be an okay day.  I tried running up on my toes more and that was a little better.  My right foot didn't feel great.  I think it was because I tried to wear an insole.  I won't do that with that foot again.  I will only wear one in my left foot.

I ran by Bicentennial Park and continued to feel like crap.  My 2nd mile dropped under a 9 minute pace, but it was still far from fast.  My easy miles when I felt okay were around 8:20.  This one was only 8:50.

I got out 2.25 miles.  I then just decided that this run was a waste of time.  I wasn't accomplishing anything.  I needed to just cut it off.  Since I was so far out, I had to run back a little.  I decided to just go to 3 miles and then walk the final mile and a half or so.

I was done before I knew it.  It was a long walk back, especially with the breeze.  It was also weird walking through the dark.  I don't feel uncomfortable running there, but going much slower at a walking pace was a little unsettling.

I used to be able to justify running with sore quads because it only bothered me until I got warmed up.  I didn't feel it after a mile of running.  It wasn't slowing me down any either.  That is no longer the case.  It bothered me throughout this 3 mile run and definitely slowed me down.  Now, there is no point in pushing any more.  It is finally time to back off.

I took time off before the half marathon and that helped a little, but clearly not enough.  More rest after the half marathon would've probably helped some more too.  Instead, I took 1 day off and then ran for 5 straight days.  Now, I really have to force myself to rest.

Not only do I need to take time off before the Run for the Diamonds, but after it as well.  I keep saying that I'll have no trouble achieving a lot of my goals if I just stay healthy for a couple years.  I always assume that means if my Crohn's Disease doesn't come back.  If that happens, then oh well, I can only control that to an extent.  What I can't afford to do is miss time because I run myself into the ground.

I'm so hungry, but also have to be patient.  I took my training to the edge in 2009/2010 and now this time around, I've upped it even more.  It is time to back off before I fall off.  Even when I do come back in early December or so, I need to ease into it.  Maybe 3 days a week of running at first and build slowly back into it.  I want to get up to a peak week of 80 miles in a week this spring, but if that doesn't happen, that is fine.  It is more important that I'm healthy enough to run a good solid spring marathon.  That won't happen at this rate.

I've been thinking that I need to do some other stuff too.  I'm going to put creating a training plan on hold for now.  I do need to get a plan to involve some core work and also some strengthening.  I want to work on developing my quads some more, so that they can handle the heavy workload.

For now, it will just be biking to keep up my fitness.  That doesn't work quite as well as running.  I don't tire out as much.  At least it is something to do.  I'm not all the crazy about doing so in the cold.  I will probably just bike in the neighborhood around my house.  That will get boring, but oh well.  It is hopefully just a few weeks.  If anything interesting happens while riding, I will write about it.  Otherwise, I'll just stick to writing about running.

3 miles - 27:02 (9:01 pace)

Another Crappy Day

After yesterday's struggle, I knew today's run wouldn't be pretty.  I didn't think it would be this bad though.  Originally, I was hoping to have Mertz pull me along with a few miles under 7 minute pace.  I knew after yesterday, that wouldn't be happening.  I'd just have make due with whatever my body gave me today.

It was Saturday morning, so I met up with the BCR at Eddyside, north of Easton.  I wanted to do 10 miles and was planning on about 4 on my own about a half hour early.  When I got up and saw how low the temperature was, I just decided that I would wait around and start with the group.

I wasn't even paying attention and didn't have my signal on my watch when Mertz took off.  He caught us all by surprise.  I ran about a tenth of a mile before it kicked in.  Then it lost the signal anyway.  I'm not sure if that first mile was accurate, because it said 7:14.  It may have been since we were moving fairly fast.

I ran along with Mertz and Flo.  My legs were already sore.  I'm not used to starting out quite that fast either without some warmup.  My body was already screaming "no," but I ignored it.  I kept on pushing.

Erin joined the three of us pretty early on.  I was surprised to see someone else with us.  I haven't run with her yet, so I didn't really know how fast she is.  She is just coming back from having a baby, so that was pretty impressive.

Between the first and second mile, Erin dropped off.  I was hanging on.  I was already breathing quite hard.  I was kind of surprised because we weren't going that fast.  Not fast enough that I should be struggling with breathing anyway.  I think I struggled a lot with taking in the cold air.

I chatted with Mertz and Flo when I could.  That became less and less though.  Finally at about 2.5 miles, I slipped back and told them to go on.  I could've probably held that pace for about 5 miles max.  It wasn't even all that fast either.  It was a 7:35 second mile and then 7:31 third mile.  That's still around 20 seconds slower than my average pace for the half.  It shouldn't be something I can't handle.

Mertz was only doing 6 miles, so he turned around at the 3 mile point.  By now, I resigned myself to realizing that I was going to do 8 miles like Flo.  Running 10 miles would've been too much.

Flo circled back around after Mertz left.  We ran together.  I couldn't wait to get to the turn around and at least be on the second half of the run.  All the little hills on the path along the Lehigh were killing me.  I sure wasn't enjoying this run.

Flo was telling me how she struggled with a recent fitness test.  I can't imagine how I would do on that.  All I can do is run.  I'm so weak otherwise.  She is so much more fit that me.  I wish I could devote myself in other areas, like at least working on my core and eating better.  That probably won't happen until I plateau in training and have no other way to improve.

We turned around and headed back  I sputtered along and felt bad because I knew I was holding Flo back.  She's on her taper for the Philadelphia Marathon next week, so this isn't too much of a key workout for her, but I was definitely slowing her down.

Finally somewhere around the 5 mile point, I backed off some more and she pulled ahead.  I couldn't wait until I went under the bridge that crosses the Lehigh.  I knew that when I got there, I'd almost be off the path.

As I hit the 6 mile point, I was really struggling and fading bad.  This where I always mentally give up and relax.  Instead, this was the only good moment of the run.  I was hurting, but I decided, what the heck let's try to push anyway.

This only lasted for about a quarter of a mile.  I gained a little on Flo in that stretch, but I wasn't closing in enough to keep pushing through the hurt.  At one point, I burped and felt like I was going to throw up.  I've never done that before and this might have been the closest I have pushed to that point.  After an 8:02 sixth mile, I bumped back down to a 7:47 seventh mile.

Unfortunately, that was all I had.  Flo pulled farther and farther away.  I was on my own.  Earlier, I saw Sarah ahead of me and I hoped that maybe I could catch her.  I never came close.  The last mile was a pedestrian 8:17

I really shut it down in the that mile.  It was a struggle and I tried to cruise home as much as I could.  Most of the group was doing less mileage, so they were already back when I arrived.  I ran through the parking lot a little to finish up at 8 miles.  That at least put me at 40 miles for the week.

I was so grateful to Flo and Mertz for pulling me along, but so upset with myself afterward.  If I had anything in my hands to throw after the run, I probably would have done it.  I can't remember the last time I was that mad after a run.  In high school track, I won my first race, but my time wasn't fast enough to make the league meet, so I threw my shoes on the ground in disgust.  My coach was trying to congratulate me on the win, but I was too pissed.  My goal was to get into leagues.  It turns on that I later did anyway.  That's the only time I can recall being mad after a run, until today anyway.

I'm sure the biggest contributing factor to my poor performance was not resting enough this week.  That left me with some sore legs.  I think the air bothered my breathing.  Also, although it was a little cold, I definitely overdressed.  I wore ColdGear, thinking that it would be freezing.  Instead, it was more appropriate weather for a light, long sleeve tech shirt.  The fast beginning likely hurt me a lot too.  I don't run at a pace like this very often either.  It's either about 45 seconds slower, or short segments faster.  Races are the only long runs that usually ever approach this pace.

I don't want to get too worked up over this run, but I have lofty goals for the spring.  I'd certainly like to be right around where Flo is in 6 months.  I don't expect to hang with her yet in her fast workouts, but I'd like to think I could keep up with her on days like today that are semi easy for her.  Even though my teammates were faster when I ran track, I didn't have any problems hanging with them on normal runs.  It was the speedwork where I fell back slightly.  I guess I'm not 18 anymore, but I still have that same mentality.

I definitely don't want to cut back on mileage, but if I have to back off from an effort standpoint, I will.  I was hoping to run this whole week easy.  Instead, I put in 2 hard days.  My legs will be getting a lot more massaging and attention as I keep going.  If runs continue on this path of being terrible, then I definitely will back off mileage too.  I also need to put together a game plan for the marathon.  Right now, I'm just running.  There isn't any focus on getting from Point A (now) to Point B (3:00 marathon in May).  I have to go back and look at some of what I did for my last marathon and compare it to my recent training.  Then I'll mix it up and put together a good plan.

Tomorrow, I will be taking the day off.  I'm going to shoot some photos for the South Mountain 10 miler.  I love that race because it is a straight climb up South Mountain from Lehigh's Goodman Campus.  I train on there every now and then.  I might even make it up there this week.  I'm going to take some photos of the start and then bike part way up the mountain for more photos.  Monday, I'll get back to running.  I don't have a plan (big surprise).  I'll probably do 6-8 easy miles.  I did run mostly on paved surfaces this week and would like to get on some softer trails next week.

8 miles - 1:02:00 (7:45 pace)