Well, it's only 22 days until my next Doctor's appointment. It can't get here soon enough.
The weather was a record high here Sunday, 67deg, and I couldn't run.
I bought an orthodic insert & New Balance 926's that my Dr. "prescribed", and have been pain free since I started wearing them.
I must say, the 926's are an ugly shoe. I bought them in black, since the white's were even uglier.
I haven't run in over a week, and when I checked the scale, I had put on almost 9 lbs., thanks to not running & the non stop picking at the holiday food & cookies.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Posterior Tibial Tendonitis
Well, I went to my Orthopaedic Doctor today, to find out what the pain in the ankle was.
While I do have a touch of arthritus, it is not the cause of the discomfort. I have Posterior Tibial Tendonitis.
The following is from about.com:
What is posterior tibial tendonitis?
Posterior tibial tendinitis is an uncommon problem of the foot. When this tendon is inflamed in posterior tibial tendinitis or if the posterior tibial tendon ruptures, it can cause serious problems. Most commonly, patients with posterior tibial tendinitis complain of pain in the inside of the foot and ankle, and occasionally have problems associated with an unstable gait.
Here is a better overview of this:
http://www.eorthopod.com/public/patient_education/6489/posterior_tibial_tendon_problems.html
So whatever that is, bottom line is.... rest, anti-inflammatory meds, and orthodics for my shoes for support... or else! My Doctor said I have caught the early stages, which is a good thing, and I'm about the 5th marathoner he has seen this year, with this issue.
With the proper rest, I should be fine, but if I where to continue to run, I have the risk of it rupturing, and that would be the end of my running.
Sooo rest it is, I am not thrilled about that, and the early Spring Marathon is OUT..
(fyi... I was planning on the National Marathon in DC).
So there is my early Christmas present, courtesy of my marathon training... overuse of some wacky thing called the posterior tibial tendon.
Anyway.. that's the deal in a nutshell.
While I do have a touch of arthritus, it is not the cause of the discomfort. I have Posterior Tibial Tendonitis.
The following is from about.com:
What is posterior tibial tendonitis?
Posterior tibial tendinitis is an uncommon problem of the foot. When this tendon is inflamed in posterior tibial tendinitis or if the posterior tibial tendon ruptures, it can cause serious problems. Most commonly, patients with posterior tibial tendinitis complain of pain in the inside of the foot and ankle, and occasionally have problems associated with an unstable gait.
Here is a better overview of this:
http://www.eorthopod.com/public/patient_education/6489/posterior_tibial_tendon_problems.html
So whatever that is, bottom line is.... rest, anti-inflammatory meds, and orthodics for my shoes for support... or else! My Doctor said I have caught the early stages, which is a good thing, and I'm about the 5th marathoner he has seen this year, with this issue.
With the proper rest, I should be fine, but if I where to continue to run, I have the risk of it rupturing, and that would be the end of my running.
Sooo rest it is, I am not thrilled about that, and the early Spring Marathon is OUT..
(fyi... I was planning on the National Marathon in DC).
So there is my early Christmas present, courtesy of my marathon training... overuse of some wacky thing called the posterior tibial tendon.
Anyway.. that's the deal in a nutshell.
Monday, December 22, 2008
10 miler before the Arctic Blast !
I got in a 10 mile run on Sunday, before the Arctic blast hit us here in NJ. The temp was about 35deg with a slight breeze, when I started around 3:30pm yesterday. Luckily, the winds didn't pick up, until I was done.
I ran a loop similar to one of my marathon training runs. It was my longest run since the marathon. I felt really good during the run. Funny thing, I just said to my wife, hey I'm going out for a 10 miler, and hit the pavement. It was pretty cool to be in good enough shape to just go run 10. No way was I doing something like that a year ago. Man what a difference a year makes. I kept a pretty steady pace, in the low to mid 8's the entire run. I feel if I could train, with how I have improved & felt after running Philly, and if the ankle could handle it, a 3:40 -3:45 time wouldn't be out of the question.
I'm headed to the orthopedic Dr tomorrow to get the real deal on the ankle. Hopefully a little PT and I'll be ok. I sure don't want to be on the shelf. That appointment will make my decision on running a early 2009 marathon.
Another funny thing, when I was out running, a certain Turtle was out for a run, and dropped off Dean's 50/50 book I had lent him, at my place. I heard my male beagle was giving him the business. Guess he doesn't care too much for turtles.http://shoreturtle.com/blog
10 miles 1:23:14 (8:19 min/mile avg.)
Mile / Time
1 8:08
2 8:03
3 8:11
4 8:14
5 8:26
6 8:16
7 8:22
8 8:37
9 8:28
10 8:20
I ran a loop similar to one of my marathon training runs. It was my longest run since the marathon. I felt really good during the run. Funny thing, I just said to my wife, hey I'm going out for a 10 miler, and hit the pavement. It was pretty cool to be in good enough shape to just go run 10. No way was I doing something like that a year ago. Man what a difference a year makes. I kept a pretty steady pace, in the low to mid 8's the entire run. I feel if I could train, with how I have improved & felt after running Philly, and if the ankle could handle it, a 3:40 -3:45 time wouldn't be out of the question.
I'm headed to the orthopedic Dr tomorrow to get the real deal on the ankle. Hopefully a little PT and I'll be ok. I sure don't want to be on the shelf. That appointment will make my decision on running a early 2009 marathon.
Another funny thing, when I was out running, a certain Turtle was out for a run, and dropped off Dean's 50/50 book I had lent him, at my place. I heard my male beagle was giving him the business. Guess he doesn't care too much for turtles.http://shoreturtle.com/blog
10 miles 1:23:14 (8:19 min/mile avg.)
Mile / Time
1 8:08
2 8:03
3 8:11
4 8:14
5 8:26
6 8:16
7 8:22
8 8:37
9 8:28
10 8:20
Saturday, December 20, 2008
A cold trail Run!
Man it was cold this morning, and it's still cold out right now (4:00pm). It was 24deg at 7:00am, and it's up to 25 now.
There were about 8 of us this morning, hitting the icy/muddy trails in Mercer County Park. Doing my best Shoreturtle impression, I took a few pics...
The last pic was a group shot, as we just got finished running up the hill on the right side of the picture, and took a bit of a break, as we waited for everyone to catch up.
As we ran along the lake, on the way back, man the wind was coming off the lake, and the wind chill had to be in the low teens. It was a fun run, and I was glad to get out and run early. We ran 7.75 miles in 1:17:22. No land speed records, just a good time running the trails.
We talked about running on Christmas Eve morning, and hopefully we will. My wife's sister & her husband are due in on Tuesday, and I will drag her out of bed to run with us.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
7 for my son's 7th
Earlier this week, my oldest son asked me to run seven miles on his seventh birthday.
I told him it would be no problem for me to run for him, the only way I wouldn't run, was if my Dr. said I couldn't. I finally broke down, and went to see him on Tuesday. I had to get an x-ray of the ankle, and was waiting on the results. I got the results today. Well, the good news was there is no stress fracture or bone chip in the ankle., and they don't think it's muscular. They think I have some arthritis in there, from when I fractured it about 18 yrs ago. Funny, I run the marathon for arthritis, and low and behold, I have a form of it.
I will be making an appointment with an orthopedic Dr. to have it looked into further, but the best news is I can run, and I can manage the pain with a compression sock on the ankle, and some Tylenol.
So, after we picked him up from school, he opened his presents, and I was off on my 7 mile run.
It was about 40deg out at 4:00pm, when I went for my run. You could feel the weather getting colder, as we have a storm headed our way, Friday.
I felt really good, for not running since Sunday. I didn't have much discomfort in the ankle. Since I needed to run 7 miles, I did an out and back to Mercer County Park. There wasn't many people out in the park. I passed 1 person running, and another walking their dog, and that was it. I did come across a bunch of deer. I ran at a nice comfortable pace, an enjoyed it.
As I was running, I was thinking of how quick 7 years went by, and what I was doing, 7 years ago, when he was born. At the time I was running today, he was just born. Man time flies.
As I was running, I was thinking of how quick 7 years went by, and what I was doing, 7 years ago, when he was born. At the time I was running today, he was just born. Man time flies.
I hope next year, when he turns 8, I will be running an 8 mile run for him!
Ya think he'll run 43 miles for me next year? Maybe I can get him to run for 43 seconds.
And if my youngest wants me to do the same for him, I'll have a nice easy 4 miler next June!
56:37 7.01 miles (8:04 min/mile avg.)
Mile / Time
1 7:45
2 8:07
3 8:08
4 7:55
5 8:19
6 8:07
7 8:10
.01 :02
2 8:07
3 8:08
4 7:55
5 8:19
6 8:07
7 8:10
.01 :02
Sunday, December 14, 2008
A quick 4.75 mile run on a Sunday Afternoon
I wasn't planning on running today, but I was loafing around the house, the 1:00pm football games stunk, so I went for a quick 4.75 mile run.
I just ran a nice comfortable pace. The past week, the ankle had been feeling much better, and it didn't bother me after yesterday's trail run, but it was "manageable uncomfortable", if that makes any sense. I got the wrap back on it, and we'll see.
Other than the minor ankle pain, my wind and legs felt pretty good. Nice thing about running at 3:00pm today, was the weather. It was bright and sunny, no wind, and had warmed up to a toasty 48deg.
4.75 miles 38:58 (8:13 mile/avg.)
Mile Time
1 8:12
2 8:16
3 8:15
4 8:10
.75 6:02
I just ran a nice comfortable pace. The past week, the ankle had been feeling much better, and it didn't bother me after yesterday's trail run, but it was "manageable uncomfortable", if that makes any sense. I got the wrap back on it, and we'll see.
Other than the minor ankle pain, my wind and legs felt pretty good. Nice thing about running at 3:00pm today, was the weather. It was bright and sunny, no wind, and had warmed up to a toasty 48deg.
4.75 miles 38:58 (8:13 mile/avg.)
Mile Time
1 8:12
2 8:16
3 8:15
4 8:10
.75 6:02
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Trail Running on a Saturday Morning
I got up bright and early and headed out to Mercer County Park, to meet Bill Y., and the group I ran with on Thanksgiving Morning, to do some trail running.
Funny thing, last nite we took the boys to see a Christmas Light Show at ShadyBrook Farms, in Newtown,Pa. After we drove through the light show, we went inside, where they had a walk thru display, and of course, Santa. We ran into one of the girl's my son goes to 1st grade with. The funny part is I ran with her father on Thanksgiving, and we talked and knew each other from somewhere, but didn't put it all together until we saw each other last nite, and realized it was from the kids. Small world...
Now back to the trail run.
It was a cold morning, with temps around 28deg. The course had some real muddy parts, with all the rain we got on Wednesday & Thursday. We even ran into a flooded part, around the 4th mile. It made it all the more interesting. I had wet toes for most of the run. You really have to be aware of everything around you, when you run the trails, it's real easy to roll an ankle.
It's fun, and cool to run with a group. I bet there where about 10 of us out on the trails. We ran for about an hour, and it's a slower pace than I am used to, but it's fun to do, and it looks like we'll be running these trails in MCP for the next few Saturday's. If you are in the area, the more the merrier. We meet at 6:45am at the park entrance off Robbinsville Edinburgh Rd.
55:46 5.27 miles
Mile / Time
1 10:06
2 10:40
3 11:08
4 11:40
5 10:06
.27 2:05
Funny thing, last nite we took the boys to see a Christmas Light Show at ShadyBrook Farms, in Newtown,Pa. After we drove through the light show, we went inside, where they had a walk thru display, and of course, Santa. We ran into one of the girl's my son goes to 1st grade with. The funny part is I ran with her father on Thanksgiving, and we talked and knew each other from somewhere, but didn't put it all together until we saw each other last nite, and realized it was from the kids. Small world...
Now back to the trail run.
It was a cold morning, with temps around 28deg. The course had some real muddy parts, with all the rain we got on Wednesday & Thursday. We even ran into a flooded part, around the 4th mile. It made it all the more interesting. I had wet toes for most of the run. You really have to be aware of everything around you, when you run the trails, it's real easy to roll an ankle.
It's fun, and cool to run with a group. I bet there where about 10 of us out on the trails. We ran for about an hour, and it's a slower pace than I am used to, but it's fun to do, and it looks like we'll be running these trails in MCP for the next few Saturday's. If you are in the area, the more the merrier. We meet at 6:45am at the park entrance off Robbinsville Edinburgh Rd.
55:46 5.27 miles
Mile / Time
1 10:06
2 10:40
3 11:08
4 11:40
5 10:06
.27 2:05
Thursday, December 11, 2008
2 Weekday runs
I got out twice this week to run. It's nice to run without a schedule, but I have been starting to look at running a second marathon in early 2009. I have one on my radar, in late winter/early spring. More on that, when I decide what I am going to do.
Well, I got out Tuesday and ran. I wanted to run the Hamilton Hangover 5 miler course, but I couldn't get to the park, to run in the daylight.. damn winter! I was close to Mercer County Park, so I ran the Run for Dad 5k course. I ran it casual. I wanted to get some miles in, and see how the ankle felt. Something is up with my right ankle, and hopefully it's just a strain, and not a stress fracture. I need to get it checked, but just don't want any bad news to interfere with my running. Anyway, I did the 5k loop in 23:29.
Wednesday it was like an early spring day, with temps in the low 60's (it was in the high 20's on Monday), and on and rain. I got out in a mist, and it picked up later in the run. I ran a little over a 9min mile pace. I had planned to run a 5 mile loop, and somehow during my run, I must have hit the off button on the Garmin, and I didn't realize it was off, until I had a little over a mile left on my run. The garmin had me running 2.77 miles in 25:46, and I know I am missing at least a mile and a half. If that would have happened a few months ago, I would have been pissed, but with nothing on the line, ahh who cares!
The weather this week here in NJ has been crazy! It started out with the temps barely hitting 30 on Monday, to a high around 65 on Wed, with rain Wednesday & Thursday, and heavy at times on Thursday nite.
Winter will return this weekend. I think I am meeting the group from Thanksgiving, Saturday morning to go trail running.
Well, I got out Tuesday and ran. I wanted to run the Hamilton Hangover 5 miler course, but I couldn't get to the park, to run in the daylight.. damn winter! I was close to Mercer County Park, so I ran the Run for Dad 5k course. I ran it casual. I wanted to get some miles in, and see how the ankle felt. Something is up with my right ankle, and hopefully it's just a strain, and not a stress fracture. I need to get it checked, but just don't want any bad news to interfere with my running. Anyway, I did the 5k loop in 23:29.
Wednesday it was like an early spring day, with temps in the low 60's (it was in the high 20's on Monday), and on and rain. I got out in a mist, and it picked up later in the run. I ran a little over a 9min mile pace. I had planned to run a 5 mile loop, and somehow during my run, I must have hit the off button on the Garmin, and I didn't realize it was off, until I had a little over a mile left on my run. The garmin had me running 2.77 miles in 25:46, and I know I am missing at least a mile and a half. If that would have happened a few months ago, I would have been pissed, but with nothing on the line, ahh who cares!
The weather this week here in NJ has been crazy! It started out with the temps barely hitting 30 on Monday, to a high around 65 on Wed, with rain Wednesday & Thursday, and heavy at times on Thursday nite.
Winter will return this weekend. I think I am meeting the group from Thanksgiving, Saturday morning to go trail running.
Monday, December 8, 2008
CHRISTMAS INFLATABLES !
Having 2 boys at time of year is pretty fun! 
Here are our inflatables that have been up since Black Friday!
The boys love these things. We even drive around the neighborhood looking at other people's displays.
Yes, we have 5 of these, 3 in the front yard, 1 on our deck, and 1 in our garden.
Oh and we have 3 little 4 foot ones inside our house that the boys display all over the place.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Run for the Holiday 5k
Today was the Run for the Holiday 5k, in Burlington,NJ.
I met Shoreturtle & Bill Y, at the Dunkin Donuts, and carpooled to the run. It was a cold start to the day, in the 20's, and it felt it.
I met Shoreturtle & Bill Y, at the Dunkin Donuts, and carpooled to the run. It was a cold start to the day, in the 20's, and it felt it.
I was excited to do the run, with Bill & Charlie. They are both really good runners, and seem to bring the best out in me. The last time we ran a 5k together, back in July, I PR'd, and with how I felt recently, I expected to today.
Being a holiday run, there were a few recognizable faces in the crowd.
I think we all know who the gentleman in the red suit is. I should have asked him for a healthy 2009 running season. I felt bad when I passed him around the 1 mile mark. I hope he doesn't give me coal for Christmas! 
You can see the world famous Larry the Lighthouse. The man has been spotted in a few books recently. He was in Dean's 50 in 50, for the NJ Marathon run. I gotta give him credit. I don't know how he runs in that get up!
You can see the world famous Larry the Lighthouse. The man has been spotted in a few books recently. He was in Dean's 50 in 50, for the NJ Marathon run. I gotta give him credit. I don't know how he runs in that get up!Well, since it is the Holiday season, we had to partake in the festive mood.
Here we are, Shorturtle, myself & Bill Y., just before the start. Yes, I own just about every kind of FLYERS hat!
The course had a few gradual hills, in the first 2 miles, but overall it was a nice quick course, mostly on the streets around Green Acres Park. We started on the right side, because I noticed that was were WPVI 6 ABC cameraman was set up.
The first mile was a quick one at 7:06. I felt pretty good, except for passing Santa. The 2nd mile had the larger of gradual hills, and I caught a few runners who went out too quick. I did the 2nd mile in 7:14. I was still feeling pretty good, and picked up the pace for the 3rd mile. I passed a few more runners, and ran mile 3 in 6:53! Yea, I can't believe I had a mile that started with a 6!
When I saw the finish line, I tried to kick that last little bit, as the clock slowly ticked, it was still reading in the 21 mins. I crossed the finish in a PR of 22.02. I was a bit disappointed to not break the 21 min mark, but considering I started the year running a 24:05, I am pleased that I dropped 2 minutes off my time.
Here I am crossing the finish line. (photo courtesy of Shoreturtle)
Charlie finished a strong 21:12, and set a PR. He also placed 6th overall, and 3rd in his age group.
Here he is getting his age group medal & ski cap.
Bill Y. finished in 22:25, 12th overall, and 4th in his age group.
I finished in 22:02, set a PR, 10th overall and 3rd in my age group. It was the first time I got a top 3 medal. Charlie & I also got a Run for the Holiday 5k ski cap.
And yes, there were more than 3 runners in my age group!
And yes, there were more than 3 runners in my age group!
22:02 (7:05 min/mile avg.)
Mile 1 7:06
Mile 2 7:14
Mile 3 6:53
.12 .49
Thursday, December 4, 2008
6.5 mile run after a day of Christmas Shopping
The wife and I took the day off from work and went out Christmas shopping for the boys.
We hit all the big box stores, and did some damage. We got some really cool stuff for them.
I guess we shopped from about 10:00am - 3:00pm. When we got home, and unloaded the van, I wanted to get a run in before the rain came. All the reports called for rain here, starting around 5:00pm.
I planned on a 6 mile out and back run from home to Mercer County Park. The weather was pretty nice, about 45deg, and cloudy. It had that feeling of rain coming. The wind was pretty calm, and that's always a plus!
I wasn't out to set and land speed records today. I wanted to get some miles in, so I would be ready for the 5K race on Saturday.
I ran nice comfortable miles, trying to keep a nice even pace.
I felt pretty good. It seems it takes me a mile or so, for the aches to get out of the legs. Guess that's a byproduct of just running a marathon. I do think I need to have my Doctor take a look at the right ankle. It doesn't feel right. I'm sure it's nothing, but it has been nagging at me for the better part of a month now. Once I got going, and got into a flow, I added on a little loop at the park, and that pushed my 6 mile run, to a little over 6-1/2. I pushed it a bit that last mile. I am trying to make that the norm, and run my fastest mile as my last.
Sure is nice to just get out and run for the hell of it!
6.55 miles 53:23 (8:08min/mile avg.)
Mile /Time
1 8:23
2 8:21
3 8:16
4 8:13
5 8:14
6 7:48
.55 4:05
We hit all the big box stores, and did some damage. We got some really cool stuff for them.
I guess we shopped from about 10:00am - 3:00pm. When we got home, and unloaded the van, I wanted to get a run in before the rain came. All the reports called for rain here, starting around 5:00pm.
I planned on a 6 mile out and back run from home to Mercer County Park. The weather was pretty nice, about 45deg, and cloudy. It had that feeling of rain coming. The wind was pretty calm, and that's always a plus!
I wasn't out to set and land speed records today. I wanted to get some miles in, so I would be ready for the 5K race on Saturday.
I ran nice comfortable miles, trying to keep a nice even pace.
I felt pretty good. It seems it takes me a mile or so, for the aches to get out of the legs. Guess that's a byproduct of just running a marathon. I do think I need to have my Doctor take a look at the right ankle. It doesn't feel right. I'm sure it's nothing, but it has been nagging at me for the better part of a month now. Once I got going, and got into a flow, I added on a little loop at the park, and that pushed my 6 mile run, to a little over 6-1/2. I pushed it a bit that last mile. I am trying to make that the norm, and run my fastest mile as my last.
Sure is nice to just get out and run for the hell of it!
6.55 miles 53:23 (8:08min/mile avg.)
Mile /Time
1 8:23
2 8:21
3 8:16
4 8:13
5 8:14
6 7:48
.55 4:05
Monday, December 1, 2008
A tale of 2 x 5k's
It was a bit windy out,when I ran later this afternoon. My best guess was a sustained wind around 20mph. It was rather warm, with temps in the mid 40's.
I ran at Mercer County Park, and that meant that the wind was all over the place. Sometimes it was in your face, other times a cross wind, and even at your back.
I am going to run my first 5k race since July, so I wanted to run a 5k, and see how the legs felt. Not running every other day is weird right now. I ran relaxed on the Thursday's Turkey trail run, so I wanted to push it for the 1st of my 2 5k's.
When I started out on the 1st 5k, it took about a 1/4 mile, to get the legs and my wind going, but from there on, I felt good. I wanted to try and run this at a race pace, to see how I would feel, after months of longer slower paced runs.
I clicked off the 1st mile at 8:04, and was on my way. Most of this mile, I had the wind in my face, and a bit of a windy uphill.
The 2nd & 3rd miles, the wind was mostly a cross breeze. I was having fun, knowing it was a short run. The 2nd mile I ran it in 7:36, and again, not really hurting. The legs seemed to have rebounded nicely from the marathon.
The last mile was my fastest.. that's always a good thing, and I clocked in at 7:10. That got me thinking. My fastest mile time, was way back in high school. I was a sophomore, and did a mile in 5:04. Now I know there is no way I could hit that mark today, but if I could run a 7:10, maybe a low 6:00min mile is in me. I might have to pick a nice day, and hit the track, to see what I could do.
The last .11 I did in 48secs, for a 3.11 mile run of 23:40 (7:36min/mile avg.) Not too bad. My PR for a 5k was 23:22, which I did this past July, so maybe I can top that mark Saturday.
I took it easy on the 2nd 5k. I ran it nice and comfortably back in 26:17 (8:25 min/mile).
I thought for a second about busting out one of the miles, but thought better of the idea, and just ran relaxed.
Here are the 2nd 5k splits:
mile 1 8:19
mile 2 8:31
mile 3 8:22
.12 1:00
It was nice to get out and run again. It seemed like forever since I ran. I'm not use to taking 3 days off in a row.
I ran at Mercer County Park, and that meant that the wind was all over the place. Sometimes it was in your face, other times a cross wind, and even at your back.
I am going to run my first 5k race since July, so I wanted to run a 5k, and see how the legs felt. Not running every other day is weird right now. I ran relaxed on the Thursday's Turkey trail run, so I wanted to push it for the 1st of my 2 5k's.
When I started out on the 1st 5k, it took about a 1/4 mile, to get the legs and my wind going, but from there on, I felt good. I wanted to try and run this at a race pace, to see how I would feel, after months of longer slower paced runs.
I clicked off the 1st mile at 8:04, and was on my way. Most of this mile, I had the wind in my face, and a bit of a windy uphill.
The 2nd & 3rd miles, the wind was mostly a cross breeze. I was having fun, knowing it was a short run. The 2nd mile I ran it in 7:36, and again, not really hurting. The legs seemed to have rebounded nicely from the marathon.
The last mile was my fastest.. that's always a good thing, and I clocked in at 7:10. That got me thinking. My fastest mile time, was way back in high school. I was a sophomore, and did a mile in 5:04. Now I know there is no way I could hit that mark today, but if I could run a 7:10, maybe a low 6:00min mile is in me. I might have to pick a nice day, and hit the track, to see what I could do.
The last .11 I did in 48secs, for a 3.11 mile run of 23:40 (7:36min/mile avg.) Not too bad. My PR for a 5k was 23:22, which I did this past July, so maybe I can top that mark Saturday.
I took it easy on the 2nd 5k. I ran it nice and comfortably back in 26:17 (8:25 min/mile).
I thought for a second about busting out one of the miles, but thought better of the idea, and just ran relaxed.
Here are the 2nd 5k splits:
mile 1 8:19
mile 2 8:31
mile 3 8:22
.12 1:00
It was nice to get out and run again. It seemed like forever since I ran. I'm not use to taking 3 days off in a row.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
7 Mile Trail Run Turkey Trot
First, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Now, it's been a few days since the marathon, and the legs felt almost back to normal.
Funny, after running 5 days a week since July, I kinda missed it the last 3 days.
I got an email earlier in the week, from Bill, a running buddy who I ran the PDR with back in Sept. He had a group of runners that were going to meet and run on Thanksgiving morning, an out and back on the trails in Mercer County Park. He assured me it was going to be a nice easy run, around 10 min miles.
I felt good on Wednesday, and decided to meet up and run. They had planned it to be about a 6 mile run, which was fine with me.
I met the group at 6:45am , and there was a couple of runners who had just did the 1/2 marathon, and one guy who did New York, and he did it in 3:18! It was a nice mix of runners.
Before we took off, the group did some push-ups to warm up the muscles. Most did 50. I stopped at 25. Memo to self... need to work on the upper body.
We headed out and ran parts of MCP that I didn't know about. I never knew there was a dam, but I do now. We attacked some hills, and even did 2 wind sprints up a hill around the marina. I wasn't expecting this type of run, but it felt good.
It was a great run, everyone pulling each other along.
When we got out of the trails, at the end of our run, we had about 1/2 mile of asphalt paths to run, and our "leader" said open it up and see how you do, so I stuck around the front of the pack, and it was fun. I'm sure if it was any longer, I would have faded nicely.
It was a nice relaxing run, FOR FUN!!
I think I will be fine to run a 5k race next Saturday morning, with Shoreturtle.
1:06:44 6:86 miles (9:43 min/mile pace)
Mile / Time
1 10:08
2 9:49
3 10:11
4 9:51
5 9:57
6 9:32
.86 7:13
Now, it's been a few days since the marathon, and the legs felt almost back to normal.
Funny, after running 5 days a week since July, I kinda missed it the last 3 days.
I got an email earlier in the week, from Bill, a running buddy who I ran the PDR with back in Sept. He had a group of runners that were going to meet and run on Thanksgiving morning, an out and back on the trails in Mercer County Park. He assured me it was going to be a nice easy run, around 10 min miles.
I felt good on Wednesday, and decided to meet up and run. They had planned it to be about a 6 mile run, which was fine with me.
I met the group at 6:45am , and there was a couple of runners who had just did the 1/2 marathon, and one guy who did New York, and he did it in 3:18! It was a nice mix of runners.
Before we took off, the group did some push-ups to warm up the muscles. Most did 50. I stopped at 25. Memo to self... need to work on the upper body.
We headed out and ran parts of MCP that I didn't know about. I never knew there was a dam, but I do now. We attacked some hills, and even did 2 wind sprints up a hill around the marina. I wasn't expecting this type of run, but it felt good.
It was a great run, everyone pulling each other along.
When we got out of the trails, at the end of our run, we had about 1/2 mile of asphalt paths to run, and our "leader" said open it up and see how you do, so I stuck around the front of the pack, and it was fun. I'm sure if it was any longer, I would have faded nicely.
It was a nice relaxing run, FOR FUN!!
I think I will be fine to run a 5k race next Saturday morning, with Shoreturtle.
1:06:44 6:86 miles (9:43 min/mile pace)
Mile / Time
1 10:08
2 9:49
3 10:11
4 9:51
5 9:57
6 9:32
.86 7:13
Monday, November 24, 2008
2008 PHILADELPHIA MARATHON PICTURES
Here are a bunch of pictures from the marathon.
Here is the start from my vantage point.
Here we are, about to start! What a mass of humanity! You can see the 3:50 pace group on the left.
Game on! 
Away I go, in front of the yellow w/black jacket guy, on the right. You can see my blue sleeves.
Random runner shot.
The back of my wife, with my brother in law along side of her.
The back of my brother in law's shirt! Love the Flyers logo!
Even Rocky dressed for the occasion!
Here is the finish area.
Here I am a few yards away from becoming a Marathon Finisher!
I'm waving to my adoring crowd! How I had the energy to raise my arm at this point is amazing.
I'm DONE! Getting some warm dry clothes on!
Here's a great shot of my wife & I. I couldn't have done all of this without her support!
Here's the whole crew! Ya gotta love their George Costanza puffy jackets.
There ya have it, a bunch of pics from my 1st marathon!
It was a great day, and I couldn't have done it without the support of my wife, boys, extended family, friends & the blogging community. It was awesome of my brother & sister in law to come in from Boston for me!
Hope everyone enjoys them. 
Bart Yasso, autographing my book for me, at the expo.
Bart Yasso, autographing my book for me, at the expo.Just past the 1 mile mark, you can see Team Bill, in Orange!
Here I am, Blue Sleeves, black vest, getting ready to hand off my camera to my wife.
Away I go, in front of the yellow w/black jacket guy, on the right. You can see my blue sleeves.Random runner shot.The back of my wife, with my brother in law along side of her.
There ya have it, a bunch of pics from my 1st marathon!
It was a great day, and I couldn't have done it without the support of my wife, boys, extended family, friends & the blogging community. It was awesome of my brother & sister in law to come in from Boston for me!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Philadelphia Marathon 2008! ASPHALT KICKED!!
First, Congrats to all who finished today! Awesome, just awesome to have accomplished this feat.
Oh man, what a day!
It started out cold, 25deg at the start, but thankfully NO WIND!
I got to the start about 15 mins before the gun, and settled in to a corral (not my assigned), a bit behind the 3:50 group.
We took off in the 2nd wave, behind the elites. The stagger start was awesome. It freed up the 1st miles, so you weren't tripping over runners. Much better start than the PDR back in Sept.
The nite before, I sat down in our hotel, and went over the best places to see my wife, her sister & husband. I had them set up at the 1st & 6th miles, around the 14-15th mile, and the finish.
I took my camera to the start, and handed it back to her, when I saw them at mile 1. I also saw Shoreturtle just about a block past them!
The start was quick, and I hooked up with the 3:50 pace group at about the 2 mile mark.
This was very smart on my behalf, because I felt like passing them, and knew if I did, it would kill me later!
I hung with them for the majority of the race. Let me tell ya, Pacer Dan was awesome. He encouraged us at just the right time, held us back at the hills, and on the downside of the hills. Hanging with that group was a good call! The 1st half seemed like it went by really quick. One scary part, was down around South St, when we had to run on cobblestones! All I could think of was turning an ankle.
Another scary part of the course was just about every water station. With the cold temps,and the majority of the stations in the shade, they were very icy. I saw workers throwing down rock salt, to help us out. Luckily I saw no one go down.
It was awesome to see my wife around the 6th mile mark, just like we planned. I started the race, with a sleeveless jacket, and handed it off to her. Just before I saw her, I saw Turtle cheering us on!
The course was on Chestnut for quite awhile, and as we headed past the Drexel frat houses, it was cool to see those maniacs cheering us on, while pounding the beers.
This course was pretty flat and fast, but there were a few hills. There was a nice hill around the 10 mile mark, in Fairmount Park. Again, it was great to run with a pacer & group, to pull you up the hill. There was one nutty spectator, who was loud and full of energy, cheering us on! Man I wish I had his energy. I saw him again on the 2nd half, and he was just as loud!
We cruised into the Art Museum area, and the 1/2 marathon point and Dan was telling us to relax, and not to let the crowd speed you up. It was hard to do, because the crowd was awesome. It felt like the Phils parade, only this time I was in it!
As we exited the museum area, we had another hill to climb, around mile 14-15. This was a tough one!It was long and curvy. We killed it, and settled down to knock off the miles before we hit Manyunk! What a awesome crowd they had! When we 1st got into Manyunk, there was a table set up on the right side of the road, what looked like a water station, but it was actually a Yuengling beer station! I'm sure runners where stopping there, but honestly, it smelled like bar, like spilled beer on a cement floor, not very good.
It was very tight, with runners on both sides of the road, coming and going. The music was jamming, and I can't tell you how the crowd helped push us along.
There were regular spectators offering us orange slices, and another spot had brownies.
At the turnaround point, mile 20, I started to feel it in the legs, soreness, and a bit of tightness in the hammys. At one of the water stops, I had come out right next to our Pacer, so I felt the urge to crack a joke, from the movie Forest Gump, I said Lt.Dan you have legs! He probably thought I was an ass, but that's what I do best. Stupid jokes at the wackiest times. I tell ya, I needed a new pair of legs at this point.
Sticking with the 3:50 group was getting harder and harder, and I finally let them go at mile 23.
The legs were failing, and I couldn't hold on to the 8:36/37 pace they kept. I fell back to a 9:00 mile, and knew I would be ok, if I could hold that for the last 3.2 miles.
I kept thinking back to my training runs, and picking runs of that mileage, to convince myself of how little I had left to go.
Mile 24, the legs were really starting to die, and I ran a 9:31. I could feel them cramping. I kept saying only 2.2 miles to go, thinking about how easy a 2 mile run is. Well, it's not easy after running 24, I am here to tell you. I had to walk a bit. Mile 25 was a killer, the legs wanted no part of going any further. To top it off, I was running into a bit of headwind, coming off the river. It was also one of the coldest parts of the course, with the shade and breeze off the river. Mile 25 was in the books at 10:15. Ouch! Only 1.2 miles to go, a run around my neighborhood I was telling myself. Again, it was a walk/run mile for me. You could see the crowd growing, the closer I was getting to the finish.
I have never felt pain like I did for this mile. It seemed like an eternity.I mean the muscles on my shins were cramping, the thighs & hamstrings where cramping. I saw people around me dropping like flies, walking like zombies. One runner collapsed, and the spectators covered him quickly with their jackets, until medical personnel arrived.
I saw a spectator with the BEST SIGN:
"Quitting is not an option, unless you are the NY Mets!"
Sorry Beachrunner, it was an awesome sign!
Well, I got mile 26 down in 10:50, and let the crowd carry me to the finish.
It got real narrow past mile 26, and they were right on top of you. I needed that to finish.
When I turned the last corner, and saw the finish line, it was an awesome site. I first saw my sister in law, and a little past her, I saw my wife & brother in law!
I raised my arms as I crossed the finish line. I had done it! I had completed a marathon.
After I crossed, they were handing us cups of water, which I grabbed, and headed over for a victory hug from my wife. It was an awesome feeling, even as bad as I felt.
What started back in May, when I signed up, was over! I knew from the clock time, that I had finished under 4 hours, which was my goal I kept to myself. For most of the marathon, I thought that a sub 3:50 was possible, but those last few miles dashed that!
Funny, my garmin had me running 26.5 miles! Guess I should have cut a few corners.
I have a ton of pictures that we took, that I will post later.
The legs are still real sore, and I walk like Fred Sanford.
I have a nice blister on my left heel.
I'm sure I'll sleep good tonite.
Chip Time: 3:54:32
Clock Time: 4:01:04
2701 out of 7230 finishers
1984 out of 4245 male finishers
272 in my age division.
Garmin Time: 3:54:25 (8:50 min/mile avg)
Mile Time
1 8:15
2 8:28
3 8:35
4 8:46
5 8:29
6 8:33
7 8:31
8 8:41
9 8:31
10 9:01
11 8:33
12 8:32
13 8:41
14 8:37
15 8:52
16 8:48
17 8:47
18 8:17
19 8:37
20 8:36
21 8:37
22 8:36
23 9:00
24 9:31
25 10:15
26 10:50
.50 5:14
Oh man, what a day!
It started out cold, 25deg at the start, but thankfully NO WIND!
I got to the start about 15 mins before the gun, and settled in to a corral (not my assigned), a bit behind the 3:50 group.
We took off in the 2nd wave, behind the elites. The stagger start was awesome. It freed up the 1st miles, so you weren't tripping over runners. Much better start than the PDR back in Sept.
The nite before, I sat down in our hotel, and went over the best places to see my wife, her sister & husband. I had them set up at the 1st & 6th miles, around the 14-15th mile, and the finish.
I took my camera to the start, and handed it back to her, when I saw them at mile 1. I also saw Shoreturtle just about a block past them!
The start was quick, and I hooked up with the 3:50 pace group at about the 2 mile mark.
This was very smart on my behalf, because I felt like passing them, and knew if I did, it would kill me later!
I hung with them for the majority of the race. Let me tell ya, Pacer Dan was awesome. He encouraged us at just the right time, held us back at the hills, and on the downside of the hills. Hanging with that group was a good call! The 1st half seemed like it went by really quick. One scary part, was down around South St, when we had to run on cobblestones! All I could think of was turning an ankle.
Another scary part of the course was just about every water station. With the cold temps,and the majority of the stations in the shade, they were very icy. I saw workers throwing down rock salt, to help us out. Luckily I saw no one go down.
It was awesome to see my wife around the 6th mile mark, just like we planned. I started the race, with a sleeveless jacket, and handed it off to her. Just before I saw her, I saw Turtle cheering us on!
The course was on Chestnut for quite awhile, and as we headed past the Drexel frat houses, it was cool to see those maniacs cheering us on, while pounding the beers.
This course was pretty flat and fast, but there were a few hills. There was a nice hill around the 10 mile mark, in Fairmount Park. Again, it was great to run with a pacer & group, to pull you up the hill. There was one nutty spectator, who was loud and full of energy, cheering us on! Man I wish I had his energy. I saw him again on the 2nd half, and he was just as loud!
We cruised into the Art Museum area, and the 1/2 marathon point and Dan was telling us to relax, and not to let the crowd speed you up. It was hard to do, because the crowd was awesome. It felt like the Phils parade, only this time I was in it!
As we exited the museum area, we had another hill to climb, around mile 14-15. This was a tough one!It was long and curvy. We killed it, and settled down to knock off the miles before we hit Manyunk! What a awesome crowd they had! When we 1st got into Manyunk, there was a table set up on the right side of the road, what looked like a water station, but it was actually a Yuengling beer station! I'm sure runners where stopping there, but honestly, it smelled like bar, like spilled beer on a cement floor, not very good.
It was very tight, with runners on both sides of the road, coming and going. The music was jamming, and I can't tell you how the crowd helped push us along.
There were regular spectators offering us orange slices, and another spot had brownies.
At the turnaround point, mile 20, I started to feel it in the legs, soreness, and a bit of tightness in the hammys. At one of the water stops, I had come out right next to our Pacer, so I felt the urge to crack a joke, from the movie Forest Gump, I said Lt.Dan you have legs! He probably thought I was an ass, but that's what I do best. Stupid jokes at the wackiest times. I tell ya, I needed a new pair of legs at this point.
Sticking with the 3:50 group was getting harder and harder, and I finally let them go at mile 23.
The legs were failing, and I couldn't hold on to the 8:36/37 pace they kept. I fell back to a 9:00 mile, and knew I would be ok, if I could hold that for the last 3.2 miles.
I kept thinking back to my training runs, and picking runs of that mileage, to convince myself of how little I had left to go.
Mile 24, the legs were really starting to die, and I ran a 9:31. I could feel them cramping. I kept saying only 2.2 miles to go, thinking about how easy a 2 mile run is. Well, it's not easy after running 24, I am here to tell you. I had to walk a bit. Mile 25 was a killer, the legs wanted no part of going any further. To top it off, I was running into a bit of headwind, coming off the river. It was also one of the coldest parts of the course, with the shade and breeze off the river. Mile 25 was in the books at 10:15. Ouch! Only 1.2 miles to go, a run around my neighborhood I was telling myself. Again, it was a walk/run mile for me. You could see the crowd growing, the closer I was getting to the finish.
I have never felt pain like I did for this mile. It seemed like an eternity.I mean the muscles on my shins were cramping, the thighs & hamstrings where cramping. I saw people around me dropping like flies, walking like zombies. One runner collapsed, and the spectators covered him quickly with their jackets, until medical personnel arrived.
I saw a spectator with the BEST SIGN:
"Quitting is not an option, unless you are the NY Mets!"
Sorry Beachrunner, it was an awesome sign!
Well, I got mile 26 down in 10:50, and let the crowd carry me to the finish.
It got real narrow past mile 26, and they were right on top of you. I needed that to finish.
When I turned the last corner, and saw the finish line, it was an awesome site. I first saw my sister in law, and a little past her, I saw my wife & brother in law!
I raised my arms as I crossed the finish line. I had done it! I had completed a marathon.
After I crossed, they were handing us cups of water, which I grabbed, and headed over for a victory hug from my wife. It was an awesome feeling, even as bad as I felt.
What started back in May, when I signed up, was over! I knew from the clock time, that I had finished under 4 hours, which was my goal I kept to myself. For most of the marathon, I thought that a sub 3:50 was possible, but those last few miles dashed that!
Funny, my garmin had me running 26.5 miles! Guess I should have cut a few corners.
I have a ton of pictures that we took, that I will post later.
The legs are still real sore, and I walk like Fred Sanford.
I have a nice blister on my left heel.
I'm sure I'll sleep good tonite.
Chip Time: 3:54:32
Clock Time: 4:01:04
2701 out of 7230 finishers
1984 out of 4245 male finishers
272 in my age division.
Garmin Time: 3:54:25 (8:50 min/mile avg)
Mile Time
1 8:15
2 8:28
3 8:35
4 8:46
5 8:29
6 8:33
7 8:31
8 8:41
9 8:31
10 9:01
11 8:33
12 8:32
13 8:41
14 8:37
15 8:52
16 8:48
17 8:47
18 8:17
19 8:37
20 8:36
21 8:37
22 8:36
23 9:00
24 9:31
25 10:15
26 10:50
.50 5:14
Friday, November 21, 2008
Philadelphia going the distance to track this weekend's marathoners
Here's an article from the Philadelphia Daily News.
FYI.. if you want to try and track me, my BIB# 4869 !
Philadelphia going the distance to track this weekend's marathoners
By FRANK SERAVALLIPhiladelphia Daily News
seravaf@phillynews.com
Long-distance runners travel long distances to compete in road races. Some travel halfway across the world just to participate.
Thanks to maybe the most technologically advanced road race in the country, loved ones of those running in Sunday's Philadelphia Marathon will be able to both watch and track their favorite runners on the Internet.
More than 18,000 runners will flood the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in front of the Art Museum for the 7:15 a.m. shotgun start. But thanks to SAI-Timing, many more will tune in online.
Using a new live-stream technology, an innovative tracking
system will use satellite signals
stationed every 5 kilometers on the course to transmit the
image and time of the runners
to the Marathon's Web site (www.philadelphiamarathon.com).
"This is the next-best thing to having a live television sponsor," said Deputy City Representative Margaret Hughes. "In a lot of ways, it is better because you can view a runner as they cross a specific checkpoint instead of trying to guess where they are."
The Philadelphia Marathon, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, is one of only 10 races with the new streaming technology. This year will boast the largest field of runners ever in the race's history - and registration closed more than a month ago. More than 2,000 volunteers and 45,000 spectators are expected to be on hand.
To cope with the grueling race and chilly conditions, 26 cheer zones will be set up throughout the course as a way for residents to mingle, cheer, and watch the passers-by. Coffee, food and entertainment will be available at each zone, in addition to the Marathon Fan Pass that will be given out. The pass is good for a 15 percent discount at more than 100 area stores on race weekend.
"The great thing about the marathon is that all of Philadelphia gets involved," Mayor Nutter said. "We get so much help from local residents, families, the corporate and nonprofit communities and so many volunteers."
But on Nutter's "top 10 reasons to love the Philadelphia marathon," cheer zones were high on his list.
"No. 5: You can run past any of the 26 cheer zones for spectators and never hear a boo, unlike any other Philadelphia sporting event," Nutter said.
No race would be complete without a charitable aspect. Among the many groups running on Sunday, the Caron Center, a nonprofit addiction-treatment center based in Reading, will have a group running. Caron is no stranger to marathons, though.
Linda Quirk, a 55-year-old running enthusiast, has raised $241,000 for the Caron Center by attempting seven marathons on seven continents in 1 year. Her last race, in Antarctica, will take place in March.
She has passed along some tips for runners trying to recuperate for work on Monday. "Keep walking after the finish line," Quirk said. "It keeps the blood circulating. Make sure you elevate your legs: This is the easiest way to get the blood flowing back to your heart from your legs. Also, I've found that submerging your legs in a cold bath with a couple bags of ice or an Epson salt bath will cut down on the swelling and pain." *
FYI.. if you want to try and track me, my BIB# 4869 !
Philadelphia going the distance to track this weekend's marathoners
By FRANK SERAVALLIPhiladelphia Daily News
seravaf@phillynews.com
Long-distance runners travel long distances to compete in road races. Some travel halfway across the world just to participate.
Thanks to maybe the most technologically advanced road race in the country, loved ones of those running in Sunday's Philadelphia Marathon will be able to both watch and track their favorite runners on the Internet.
More than 18,000 runners will flood the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in front of the Art Museum for the 7:15 a.m. shotgun start. But thanks to SAI-Timing, many more will tune in online.
Using a new live-stream technology, an innovative tracking
system will use satellite signals
stationed every 5 kilometers on the course to transmit the
image and time of the runners
to the Marathon's Web site (www.philadelphiamarathon.com).
"This is the next-best thing to having a live television sponsor," said Deputy City Representative Margaret Hughes. "In a lot of ways, it is better because you can view a runner as they cross a specific checkpoint instead of trying to guess where they are."
The Philadelphia Marathon, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, is one of only 10 races with the new streaming technology. This year will boast the largest field of runners ever in the race's history - and registration closed more than a month ago. More than 2,000 volunteers and 45,000 spectators are expected to be on hand.
To cope with the grueling race and chilly conditions, 26 cheer zones will be set up throughout the course as a way for residents to mingle, cheer, and watch the passers-by. Coffee, food and entertainment will be available at each zone, in addition to the Marathon Fan Pass that will be given out. The pass is good for a 15 percent discount at more than 100 area stores on race weekend.
"The great thing about the marathon is that all of Philadelphia gets involved," Mayor Nutter said. "We get so much help from local residents, families, the corporate and nonprofit communities and so many volunteers."
But on Nutter's "top 10 reasons to love the Philadelphia marathon," cheer zones were high on his list.
"No. 5: You can run past any of the 26 cheer zones for spectators and never hear a boo, unlike any other Philadelphia sporting event," Nutter said.
No race would be complete without a charitable aspect. Among the many groups running on Sunday, the Caron Center, a nonprofit addiction-treatment center based in Reading, will have a group running. Caron is no stranger to marathons, though.
Linda Quirk, a 55-year-old running enthusiast, has raised $241,000 for the Caron Center by attempting seven marathons on seven continents in 1 year. Her last race, in Antarctica, will take place in March.
She has passed along some tips for runners trying to recuperate for work on Monday. "Keep walking after the finish line," Quirk said. "It keeps the blood circulating. Make sure you elevate your legs: This is the easiest way to get the blood flowing back to your heart from your legs. Also, I've found that submerging your legs in a cold bath with a couple bags of ice or an Epson salt bath will cut down on the swelling and pain." *
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The Final Four !!
The Final Four! or as Philly Phans would spell it.. The Phinal Phour!
No not college basketball, or any of the many conference finals, it's the last 4 mile run, probably my last run before the Marathon on Sunday.
Can Sunday get here already, please!
For the most part, in the weeks of training, I have been fine. Nice and calm, very businesslike in my approach to running. Find a training plan, and adhere to it. Smooth sailing for the most part, until this week! It's been hard to sleep, concentrate at work, did I mention hard to sleep? I feel like my kids the week before Christmas, all anxious and crazy,waiting for Santa to come.
Well, the wait is almost over. I have gone over just about every part of the course in my head. I know when I want GU's, water, gatorade, ect. I know about the pace I want to run.
I went to AAA yesterday, and picked up a street map of Philadelphia, and hilited the course. Marked every mile, and even marked where Shoreturtle planned to be. I will sit down with my wife, her sister & husband, on Saturday, and place them where I think I will be able to find them on the course. If all goes as I figure, they will be able to see me around the 1st mile, 6th, 13th & the finish!
Well as far as today's 4 miler went. It was right on with what I have been running. It was cold, but I felt warm with what I had on, and should be fine for Sunday. I got out the door a little past 4:30pm, and it was about 35deg out, but no wind!
I am done training! I might go and run a mile on Saturday, if I feel like it.
It's hard to believe that I made it through the training, and all that's left is the race itself!
Off to the Expo tomorrow!
I did the 4.08 mile loop in 34:21 (8:25 min/mile)
Mile / Time
1 8:35
2 8:14
3 8:25
4 8:28
.08 :38
No not college basketball, or any of the many conference finals, it's the last 4 mile run, probably my last run before the Marathon on Sunday.
Can Sunday get here already, please!
For the most part, in the weeks of training, I have been fine. Nice and calm, very businesslike in my approach to running. Find a training plan, and adhere to it. Smooth sailing for the most part, until this week! It's been hard to sleep, concentrate at work, did I mention hard to sleep? I feel like my kids the week before Christmas, all anxious and crazy,waiting for Santa to come.
Well, the wait is almost over. I have gone over just about every part of the course in my head. I know when I want GU's, water, gatorade, ect. I know about the pace I want to run.
I went to AAA yesterday, and picked up a street map of Philadelphia, and hilited the course. Marked every mile, and even marked where Shoreturtle planned to be. I will sit down with my wife, her sister & husband, on Saturday, and place them where I think I will be able to find them on the course. If all goes as I figure, they will be able to see me around the 1st mile, 6th, 13th & the finish!
Well as far as today's 4 miler went. It was right on with what I have been running. It was cold, but I felt warm with what I had on, and should be fine for Sunday. I got out the door a little past 4:30pm, and it was about 35deg out, but no wind!
I am done training! I might go and run a mile on Saturday, if I feel like it.
It's hard to believe that I made it through the training, and all that's left is the race itself!
Off to the Expo tomorrow!
I did the 4.08 mile loop in 34:21 (8:25 min/mile)
Mile / Time
1 8:35
2 8:14
3 8:25
4 8:28
.08 :38
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
A Quick 6, in the COLD !
Man it felt like winter tonite. The temp here was around 40, but with the wind chill, it was closer to 32deg, when I left for my run around 4:30pm.
Six miles was the scheduled run, and I breezed thru it. My right ankle feels a bit tender, I think it's in my head.. Phantom tamper pains.
As of 7:30pm, the weather for Sunday was Mostly Cloudy & 43deg.
Not bad, just please NO WIND!
Sunday can't get here quick enough! I am ready, and the nerves are kicking a bit.
One last 4 miler on Thursday, and 1-2 miles on Saturday, if I feel like it.
6 miles 48:17 (8:02 min/mile pace)
Mile / Time
1 8:05
2 8:15
3 8:14
4 8:00
5 7:51
6 7:48
Six miles was the scheduled run, and I breezed thru it. My right ankle feels a bit tender, I think it's in my head.. Phantom tamper pains.
As of 7:30pm, the weather for Sunday was Mostly Cloudy & 43deg.
Not bad, just please NO WIND!
Sunday can't get here quick enough! I am ready, and the nerves are kicking a bit.
One last 4 miler on Thursday, and 1-2 miles on Saturday, if I feel like it.
6 miles 48:17 (8:02 min/mile pace)
Mile / Time
1 8:05
2 8:15
3 8:14
4 8:00
5 7:51
6 7:48
Sunday, November 16, 2008
10 mile runnus interruptus by cyclists
If ya couldn't figure out, from my post yesterday,who I was meeting for the last long run prior to the marathon, it was Shoreturtle! We planned on a 7:30am start time, at the local Dunkin Donuts. I was hoping all nite, that Turtle picked DD, to just hang and have the breakfast of champions, DONUTS! I was wrong, he actually wanted to run.
We ran smack dab into the US Grand Prix of Cyclocross! What the heck is that?
Well, we had to navigating thru some of the course, to get back on track.
They tried their best to keep us out, but it did not work
Look at the effort they put in, to keep us off track!
We hit the road and headed to Mercer County Park.
The weather today was more like what it will be like next Sunday,for the marathon. It was in the 40's, partly sunny & windy. Hopefullyit will be without the wind. We discussed what pace to run at today, and I wanted to keep it around 8:45 - 9:00min miles. The firsts few miles where fast. I didn't mind it, and Charlie even said you run as you feel. With all the training, I have the built up energy, and I've been letting it out the last few runs. We were moving along at a nice comfortable clip, and headed into the woods, which will take us along the lake.
When we got past the lake,and headed out towards the Marina, we ran into a road block!
The weather today was more like what it will be like next Sunday,for the marathon. It was in the 40's, partly sunny & windy. Hopefullyit will be without the wind. We discussed what pace to run at today, and I wanted to keep it around 8:45 - 9:00min miles. The firsts few miles where fast. I didn't mind it, and Charlie even said you run as you feel. With all the training, I have the built up energy, and I've been letting it out the last few runs. We were moving along at a nice comfortable clip, and headed into the woods, which will take us along the lake.When we got past the lake,and headed out towards the Marina, we ran into a road block! We ran smack dab into the US Grand Prix of Cyclocross! What the heck is that?As you can see in the above photos, we needed to cross that bridge, and that we did! We crossed the bridge, and where on their course for a few minutes! Luckily none of the cyclists where on course warming up!
Let me tell ya, Shoreturtle & I are fancy men, and we need to be informed of such events, when they take place in the middle of our 10 mile run! I mean these cyclists even posted signs to keep us out, but we ignored them!
Look at the effort they put in, to keep us off track!We got past this roadblock, and where back on course.. nice smooth sailing for the Turtle & I !
After our turn around, at about the 6 mile mark, we were headed back to the cyclocross track.
The goal of the run was 10 miles, but with the Cyclocross blocking part of our course, we settled for 9.62 miles. It was nice to run with Charlie. The man's a wealth of information about running, and what to expect on marathon race day. He gave me some great tips for my wife and her sister and husband, as for the best places to see me FLY by!
We had a great run, and with the vote of confidence I got from Charlie, I think I might just be ready. Just between us, I think he's a little nervous about yours truly, beating his time for Philly. His chip time was 3:53:01, while not impossible for me to hit, finishing is most important for me.
Well, that's it, the last of the Sunday long training runs! By this time next week (1:25pm EST), the marathon will be but a memory... hopefully a good one!
9.62 miles 1:22:25 (8:34 min/miles)
Mile / Time
1 8:36
2 8:21
3 8:15
4 8:43
5 8:11
6 8:35
7 8:47
8 8:47
9 8:46
.62 5:19
Saturday, November 15, 2008
4 on the floor, or is it the street!
Today was a very warm & windy day here in NJ.
My thermometer read 70deg, when I went for my 4 miler at around 2:00pm this afternoon.
I waited out the rain, and was glad I did. It was really warm & windy, gusty winds up around 25mph, if I had to guess.
I ran the 4 miles in a quick 33:04. I really wasn't aided by the wind. It was kind of a cross wind, for the most part.
Here are the stats, as the countdown to the marathon is at 4 runs to go.
Sunday is the last 10miler, and if things work out, I might have a guest former marathoner along for the fun. Hmm.. wonder who it could be??
Mile / Time
1 8:21
2 8:31
3 8:18
4 7:53
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Center City Philadelphia & 5 miles after the rain
I was around City Hall in Philadelphia today, and guess what I saw?
That's right.. they have the banners hung for the Philadelphia Marathon! That was cool to see today.
When I got home, the rain had finally let up, so it was time to get out and run. I had a 5 miler on tap, and decided to run out and back to Mercer County Park. I felt really good today, and was anxious to get the run in. It's funny, after running so much, at distances over 6 miles, this seemed like a nice short, quick hit. It felt like I was just getting started, and there I was turning around and headed back home. I was surprised, with the weather having just let up, that I actually passed another runner. Boy, we are a dedicated bunch.
Well, with only a few runs left before the marathon, I ran a comfortable pace, much like I have over the past few weeks. It was quicker than I have ran over the last month.
I did the 5 miles in 39:07, which averaged out to a 7:49 min/miles. Again, I am just running how I feel, and for some reason, my times have been dropping. I did push the last mile, doing it in 7:26, my fastest mile split yet. I want to get that feeling, when I know it's the last mile, to try and make it my strongest. Hopefully that will be the case in Philly.
One thing I have changed recently, is in my running gear. I have started to wear compression shorts, under my running shorts. Maybe this has helped with the quicker times. I have worn them the last week or so, to get a feel for them, since I will be using them for the Marathon. I needed to make sure they wouldn't rub in certain areas, and with the tightness I have felt in the hammys, it sure couldn't hurt!
Anyway, another run, over and out.
Only 4 more training runs left! Boy has time flown by!
39:07 (7:49 min/mile)
Mile/Time
1 7:53 min
2 8:03 min
3 7:50 min
4 7:51 min
5 7:26 min
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
The Grande Finale Run to Swim!
Today was the finale, the last run to swim of the year.
As I went along, I turned and headed down Nottingham Way, towards the Shoreturtle Estate.(rumor has it he lives in a mansion, and has a yacht)!
Moving right along, I passed by St. Greg's church. This church puts on the best local carnival & has a huge 50/50 in June. They just remolded it a few years ago, and it looks great.
Nottingham Way merged into Rt.33, and I ran it hard, until I hit Rt.130, hung a right and headed towards Bordentown. This is the scary part of this run. Rt.130 is a very busy road, with a speed limit posted of 50mph, but I can tell ya, people are cruising at 60+ most of the time.
The worst running violation I do on is on this part. I run with the traffic, not against it.
The boys have 1 more week to go, and I only have to run 6 miles next Tuesday and I will probably just run in the park after work.
I took the camera along, to document the end of a long season of run to swim!
As you can see, I started out on a nice sun drenched QuakerBridge Rd., around 4:30pm. It sure is nice to run in the daylight.
As you can see, I started out on a nice sun drenched QuakerBridge Rd., around 4:30pm. It sure is nice to run in the daylight. As I went along, I turned and headed down Nottingham Way, towards the Shoreturtle Estate.(rumor has it he lives in a mansion, and has a yacht)!I passed by the little church that Shoreturtle take pics of all the time.
Today, their sign spoke volumes, in 3 little words.
Thanks to the Veteran's, I am able to run free!
The next really cool thing I ran across was a BLACK squirrel! I have heard of them before, but never remember seeing one. I tried to take a few pictures of him, but the darkness and the little flash, it didn't turn out as good as I had hoped.
If you look real close, in the middle of the shot, you can see his eye, and maybe you can make him out.
Here is the other black squirrel picture. This one you can see he was checking me out. That's him in the top left of the picture.
Moving right along, I passed by St. Greg's church. This church puts on the best local carnival & has a huge 50/50 in June. They just remolded it a few years ago, and it looks great.The worst running violation I do on is on this part. I run with the traffic, not against it.
As I passed under 195, I thought for a moment of hopping on, and heading to the Jersey Shore. From here it is less than 1 hour to Belmar.
I am only maybe a mile from the finish of the race. Gotta push it that final bit, be careful around the exit ramps, and finish strong!
I make it to the swim class, no sign of the wife & kids.. that means I WIN !!
YES Victory is MINE!
Of course I am called a cheat because they said I left too early (they might be right....)
The run was great. I ran the 7 mile course in 56:23, a 8 min/mile pace.
Since I have never trained for a marathon before, I have no idea about the "taper". During this time, should I be slowing down, taking it easier, or do I just run how I feel?
It was a great time, doing these "races", made the time go by so quickly, and it was fun for the boys.
Maybe in the spring, if we put them back in this swim program, I'll have the occasional run to swim again.
It's an off day tommorow. I'll sure miss the 8 mile Wednesday runs... NOT!
Mile/Time
1 8:06
2 8:16
3 8:22
4 7:58
5 7:55
6 7:49
7 7:37
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