Loving the Cooler Temps

Time: 51:13
Distance: 8.05 miles
Pace: 6:21
Map

It was a perfect evening for a jog as the temperature topped out at about 75 today. I ran from the apartment to Freedom Park to start and then I went off in search of Latta Park. I made a bit of a mistake of running too long before the exploration part. I knew the general direction of Latta Park but not exactly where it was and when I set off in search I was already at 5+ miles. I was needing to head back in the direction of Queens' campus so I spun through the medical center campus and returned to familiar territory.

I felt great out there this evening. The pace was clipping along with little effort and I attribute it to the cooler weather. There is a huge difference when the humidity isn't preventing the body from cooling off. I hit splits of: 7:12, 6:40, 6:29, 6:19, 6:13, 6:02, 5:56, 5:59.

Not What I Was Looking For

Time: 34:56
Distance: 5.01 miles
Pace: 6:58
Map

I had a rainy morning here in Charlotte on a route that Jailhouse was kind enough to send. My attempt at finding the route went wrong when I turned into Park Road Park. I should have continued out of the park but I was convinced that I could find a trail in there. I didn't find shit in the way of a trail. Actually, I take that back, I found a trail that last 40 meters and made me bitter after having to exit. It was nice having cooler temps but I was frustrated when there was no rhythm to the run. The run was called after 5 miles and the decision was made to run farther later in the day.

Week in Review

Time: 583:31
Distance: 85.98

I had a good week of training here in Charlotte. I also was able to catch up on my blog which feels good. Jailhouse and I revised the training schedule to bring us to the CVS 5k on Sept. 20th. I would like to run in the 14:30 range on the day and improve upon my 14:44 from two years ago. The fitness continues to improve and having the Queens team to run with has been a huge help. There are points on runs that I would normally keep the pace easy but with the guys I'll respond to an increase in tempo. The body and the legs continue to feel good, but I'll be monitoring my left calf. It seems to be the first region to get tight after a hard effort.

Two Mexicans, a German and an American Walk into a Bar

Time: 75:36
Distance: 12.00 miles
Pace: 6:17
Map

I had a great run this morning with Simon (the German), Edgar (the Mexican) and Devin out at McAlpine. The team broke up pretty early on the crushed gravel and the four of us fell into a nice group. We were all schedule to run about 12 miles on the day and just figured it would be convenient to lash it out together. At one point Devin and I were feeding Simon lines from Kindergarten Cop. Simon say, "I'm a cop. You idiot!" or "It's not a tumor." Great stuff. We explained that despite the Austrian/German differences the accent worked perfectly with those classic lines.




The pace got moving a few different times especially as we ascended the hill. We made sure to plantar flex on the way up and had some fun racing to the bottom. The effort really heated up the last two miles as we were finishing up. It's nice being able to run with people as you can relax and push during times when the pace would slow.

Splits: 7:31, 6:57, 6:42, 6:30, 6:16, 6:14, 6:11, 6:20, 6:07, 6:07, 5:25, 5:15.

Exploring the Track

Time: 29:04
Distance: 4.26 miles
Pace: 6:49
Map

I got in a few extra miles this afternoon when Meagan went to campus to get in the fitness center. I found my way near the Myers Park Country Club and then up at Myers Park High School. The school sits atop a hill and seems like a really nice public school. The track was heavy locked but that didn't stop me from squeezing in one of the chain locked gates. Gotta be thin to win... and slip in track gates.

Everybody and Their Mom

Time: 55:03
Distance: 8.01 miles
Pace: 6:52
Map

I guess I better get back to updating while Garmin figures out how to fix their upgrade from a few days ago. There currently isn't a way to sync or upload workouts to the website which is one of my excuses for not updating the blog.

I thought I was going to meet up with the Queens team at 7:00 am but I guess they didn't have practice. Yesterday evening Mike said that the group was meeting in the morning for a jog, but nobody was present when I arrived to Ovens. I decided to start my run from campus and jog around Myers Park and into Freedom Park. I went in search of some different neighborhoods and found a few miles along Poindexter. Great name for a street and it reminds me of Ray Bobrownicki (aka RayBob). I finished up the run with some impressive miles through Freedom Park. They were only impressive because one of the many training groups that were out this morning thought it was necessary to yell "show off." That's right, you're not as fast as me.

MP Double

Time: 28:12
Distance: 4.02 miles
Pace: 7:01
Map

This afternoon I went out for a jog from the pool on Queen's campus. I didn't feel like jumping in the drink so I put in a few easy miles in Freedom Park. The heat wasn't too much of a factor this afternoon, but I was still a sweaty mess by the end of it. The legs feel good despite the workout this morning.

Cutting Shapes with Special Needs

Time: ~47 minutes
Distance: 7.65 miles

W/u: 22:07 for 3.05 miles
W/o: 12 x 400 in 64-66 with 1 min rest
C/d: 12:30 for 1.55 miles

I had a workout for this morning planned after a little retooling of the training program. Jailhouse scheduled me to cut shapes in a workout that I tanked last week. The venue for this workout was new and along Runnymede at Myers Park Middle School. Their track looks nice but is just ever-so-slightly coated with rubber. Thus, the track is hard and relatively fast, if not short by 5 meters. The common finish line was 5 meters beyond the lane 1 400m start, but since I was starting and ending at the 200m line I paid little attention to this minor detail.

My splits were:
65.26 (60), 63.47 (61), 63.55 (61), 64.42 (61), 64.37 (61), 63.80 (61), 64.60 (61), 64.82 (61), 64.67 (62), 61.27 (62), 65.97 (61), 63.60 for 24:02 total and 64.15 average.

This was a much better effort than last week's late night workout. I felt fresh and light on my feet. I also averaged over 2 seconds faster per interval. Today I didn't feel all that snappy but I can tell there is more in the tank. After number 8 I felt my form was starting to break down after 250m. I had to concentrate on the hammer interval (number 10), but I felt relaxed and fluid dropping a 61.27 in there. The following interval wasn't so hot but I finished on a good note.

Around interval 9 a special needs class came out to walk the track. At first I didn't realize who was in the class as some of the boys seemed to really enjoy running, but then I was able to observe a little more during my rest. I'm thankful that I wasn't asked to leave as I had a good session going. I apologized after my hammer interval and told the teachers that I was only going to be out here for two more. They didn't seem to mind that I was using the track which is something I will note.

Who would have thought that Dathan Ritzenhein would break Bob Kennedy's American 5k record today? Anna Willard breaking 4:00 in the 1500? Good stuff. That track in Zurich must have been as short as the one at Myers Park MS today.

Casual Miles and Some PM Pool

Time: 59:19
Distance: 8.85
Pace: 6:42
Map

I thought the team was going to run from campus today, but the ended up going out to McAlpine. My loss as I just ran from the apartment and put in some easy miles in Freedom Park. Nothing too troubling about this run.

In the afternoon I ran about a mile before doing some plyos/drills with the Queens team. I also took part in the core routine and jumped into the pool for all of 6 minutes. The drink is something that I do not miss, terrible memories from back at Brown. I'm glad that now I can simply use the pool to stretch out and not try to gain fitness off of it. Sucks to be Meagan.

Dr. Greenapple Holds Court

Time: 26:16
Distance: ~3.5 miles

I has the opportunity this afternoon to have my gate analyzed by a local chiroprator named Dr. Greenapple. He's the owner of Greenapple Sports & Wellness which is right around the corner from my apartment. Meagan still has a bit of a niggle in her hip region and she has been seeing Dr. Greenapple for about a week now. The bone bender is a great guy who is enthusiastic about running and athletics in general. He brought a video camera to the Queens Sports Complex so that he could film and analyze our running strides.

What I learned:
1. I have a really high back kick.
2. I land on my forefoot and pronate excessively, but have learned to compensate for it.
3. My right side is still probably a little short than my left.
4. I could be more efficient.

After the video gate analysis Mike and I went for a short jog to hit about 4 miles.

Booty Loop

Time: 58:14
Distance: 8.17 miles
Pace: 7:08
Map

I was able to meet up with some of the guys and put in some casual miles along the Booty Loop. I'm not a big fan of running the Booty Loop as I'd rather watch those running on the standard 3.3 mile loop near the Queens campus. The footing isn't great, scenery is boring and the cars are rushing by. Honestly, I would rather find miles in the neighborhood, but the surface isn't grass. I was able to run with Edgar a bit and tried to freshen up on some Spanish.

Easy Double

Time: 28:50
Distance: 4.01 miles
Pace: 7:12
Map

I put in a few miles this afternoon to flush out the junk from this morning's workout. Feeling good.

McAlpine K Repeats

Time: ~74 minutes
Distance: 10.2 miles

W/u: 21:41 for 3.03 miles
W/o: 8 x 1k with 2 mins rest
C/d: 15:22 for 2.01 miles

It was an early morning to be out at McApline for a good workout. The boys on the Queens team were doing 8 x 1000m starting on the backside of the hill. The route began on a narrow section near the swamp, ran around the pond counterclockwise, and finished back at the starting point. Coach Simmons didn't give any instruction as to what the pace should be, but I new it would be fast as the team was geared up for on of their first endurance sessions of the year.

Mike Crouch and Oscar Ogwaro ran the first few out front with Fitsum, Nelson, myself and the Germans working together about 5 seconds back. The pace felt honest but not pressed for the first 4. I found a nice rhythm each interval and was able to maintain throughout the entire repeat. On number 6 the instruction was to finish at the top of the hill and work on good technique. I was able to close about a 15 meter gap to 1 second at the top of the hill as I passed Fitsum and nearly caught Mike. That by far was my best interval. We hammered number 7 and closed things out on the last one.

Splits: 3:02.99 (1:56), 2:59.15 (1:57), 2:56.65 (2:01), 2:55.73 (2:04), 2:56.20 (2:02), 2:58.18 (2:03), 2:51.45 (2:07), 2:55.65 for 37:47 total and 2:57 average.

I'm entirely pleased with this workout, definitely the best one I've run in weeks. The fitness is still there and I'm moving in the right direction.

Freedom Park Double

Time: 35:37
Distance: 5.31 miles
Pace: 6:42
Map

I ran from the apartment to Freedom Park and back. The route I ran makes a perfect little lollipop shape but is a tad to far to be used as a standard double run. This was essentially time on the feet.

McAlpine from Memory

Time: 66:20
Distance: ~10 miles

I have no idea where I ran today. The time is stored on my Timex watch, so I can guess the distance. I think this run was at McAlpine with the Queens team. It's coming back to me now... I ran with Nelson for the most part. He had a strong clip going throughout and finished even harder. We started the run from Boyce as a group and broke off into separate partners naturally. The legs felt good today... I think.

Week in Review

Time: 329:14
Distance: 47.07 miles

I'm posting this over a year later as I realized there was no "Week in Review" for August 23, 2009. There are a couple of days that were lost this week. I believe this is when I made the move from Norman, OK to Charlotte, NC.

Needing to Run Easy

Time: 61:33
Distance: 8.08 miles
Pace: 7:36
Map

I was out on the roads this morning with Scott Cooper and Tony Clement, two OU track athletes. School starts in a few days and the athletes are filtering in from around the country. We took a horrible route up to the GT using Berry Rd. I'm not sure why but these two didn't seem to know the side streets that are much quieter. They were also content to jog on the sidewalk. The pace was really slow and it sounded like neither of them got much sleep, but that's not a great excuse. I got to bed late due to the workout and my back isn't appreciating things. My lower calves are tight as well and I'm not sure if stretching is going to help. I need to use my massage stick several times today in hopes of breaking up the garbage.

Cutting Shapes by the Light of Stars

Time: ~75 minutes
Distance: 10.62 miles

W/u: 22:03 for 3.00 miles
W/o: 12 x 400m in 62-64 with 1 min rest
Barefoot C/d: 14:01 for 1.62 miles
C/d II: 23:18 for 3.03 miles

I'm lucky to have even gotten this workout in so I'm not going to complain. My plan was to take the bus to Main St. and walk over to the Norman High track arriving around 7:45 to start my warm up. Well, that went out the window when the bus didn't show. I decided to stash my gear behind a dumpster and have Scotty pick it up before meeting me at the track around 9:15. He was working at the liquor store until 9:00 and was wanting to put in a few miles. Problem solved.

My warm up started from the car wash with my spikes in hand. I ran to the Norman High track which was almost exactly 3 miles. By this point it was almost 8:15 pm and the sun was on it's way down. I didn't have much of a chance to stride out or stretch because I just wanted to get started with the workout before it was completely black.

Once the spikes were laced I jogged into the first interval and felt amazing. Having the spikes on felt great. I was light, powerful, fluid and the interval felt effortless. I knew that this was going to be an awesome workout, but then I saw the split... 71.point. WTF?! No wonder it felt so easy. After a minute rest I started the second interval which felt like I was sprinting. See the shapes below...

Splits: 71.16 (60), 64.56 (60), 64.15 (60), 66.08 (60), 65.32 (61), 65.90 (60), 66.67 (61), 66.56 (61), 67.86 (61), 64.53 (61), 68.70 (63), 64.86 for 24:26 total and 66.36 average

I'm not thrilled with this effort but considering that I ran 6 miles this morning, worked all day, it was hot/humid and at night, I will take it. The legs never felt great turning it over, but I was able to recover quickly. A few weeks ago I cut shapes in the morning, but I was wearing flats and did 20 of them.

Scotty showed up a little after 9:30 which had me a bit worried but we were able to throw another 3 miles on to the day.

Brave the Rain

Time: 42:24
Distance: 6.04 miles
Pace: 7:01
Map

I laced the boots up this morning despite the rain but working out wasn't going to happen. I spun through campus and then jogged down to Scotty's. There wasn't a whole lot going on with this run, it was intentionally short because I thought that just maybe I would get in a workout this evening.

I made a smart move by not running too far because Jailhouse would still like me to run a track workout after work. He thinks the missing piece to my training is the true speed work and than can only be found on the oval. I agree with him wholeheartedly, so after work it's time to cut shapes.

You Gotta Be Kidding Me

It's currently monsooning right now. Absolutely lashing down rain. All the weather sites are bogus as they tell me that Norman, OK is currently sunny. I'm not sure what I'm going to do now. Maybe just an easy run this morning and wait until after work to take a crack at it.

OU Campus

Time: 30:04
Distance: 4.27 miles
Pace: 7:02
Map

I ran around the OU campus tonight for a few miles. I have a track workout in the morning so I didn't want to fatigue the legs too much. I felt really relaxed tonight and hope I can take some of this energy into tomorrow's workout.

From the Track

Time: 53:53
Distance: 8.05
Pace: 6:41
Map

I ran from the OU track this morning after catching up with the news online and drinking coffee at Starbucks this morning. The legs felt good while I was running on the Lloyd Noble Loop or "grass loop" as some call it. The pace was casual and it dropped as each mile was beeped off by Mr. Garmin. I got to run past Norman High School but there were no footballers out on the field this time. I finished up with a few moments to spare and caught the bus into work.

Week in Review

Time: 642:01
Distance: 94.59 miles

Damn, look at all those miles. When/how did that happen? I guess when you have nothing to do in Charlotte, you might as well run. I got in a few heavy days of mileage to frontload the week which is why the mileage is so high this week. I'm feeling pretty good about my strength and aerobic fitness, but I know that this next week it's time to do some pace work on the track. I have missed some track workouts due to travel these last two weeks. I'm not concerned about it but if I want to run my best, I know that I'll have to put in some quicker work.

Who watched the Bolt v. Gay matchup? Simply unbelievable. I got nervous with excitement before the gun went off and then jumped out of my chair when I saw the clock stop at 9.58. Earlier in the afternoon I was chatting with Owen and predicted Bolt over Gay in 9.62 to 9.75. I guess I that is a pretty good guess, but for them to actually run 9.58 and 9.71 is off the charts. Remember when 9.8 was good?

Sunday Long Run

Time: 102:23
Distance: 16.02 miles
Pace: 6:23
Map

Last night I stayed out east of town at one of the houses Scotty D is watching while the owners are out of town. I got a good nights sleep and was up for a long run. Scotty was meeting a student at the GT for some drills and coaching so I decided to make the run end there. Jailhouse wanted me to run the 16 miler as a progression ending at 5:20 pace by 14 miles and jogging the last two.

The pace started out gently from the house and gradually dropped. I was surprised at how humid and warm it already was at 7:45. I started having some troubles around 6 miles but found comfort at Andrew's Park. A little splash of water did the trick and I was able to hit up the GT for some laps around 6:05. The effort increased around the 10 mile mark when I was trying to hit sub-6 minute miles into the wind. Big chunks of the run were run on North Base which was quiet but windy. I made the final push out on Robinson to really cut the pace down as the wind was at my side. Splits of: 7:50, 6:58, 6:47, 6:40, 6:33 6:28, 6:27, 6:11, 6:05, 5:53, 5:48, 5:51 (mostly into wind), 5:43, 5:30, 6:44, 6:43.

St. Jude Training Group

Time: 70:26
Distance: 10.07 miles
Pace: 6:59
Map

OK Runner and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital are pairing this fall for an effort to take a group to the Memphis Marathon. This morning was the first of a 16 week start to a training group that will meet from the store at 6:30 am. I was up early and out the door to meet up with all the other early risers. It was a great sight to see that Adam Cohen decided to join us for the run as I would have someone to run with. Adam and I ran through the neighborhood out to Tecumseh and then down to the flats. The pace was casual which is what I needed after yesterday's higher mileage effort.

Adam is currently writing an article for Runner's World that will conclude with his race at the Chicago Marathon. He is following the Hanson's training program which might not be for everyone but I think it will work for him. The longest run that will be completed is only 16 miles but the cumulative fatigued is viewed as being a more important factor. Adam is usually good for a 2:40 to 2:45 effort any day of the week, but I would put money down that he runs closer to 2:36 at Chicago based on his current workouts. I'll be sure to stay tuned as to how he performs in a few weeks.

On the Rocks Run

Time: 27:51
Distance: 4.01 miles
Pace: 6:56
Map

After work I thought I would stretch out the legs by running up to On the Rocks. Scotty was working up at the liquor store until close which gave me some time to bug him. I hung around the shop for a few minutes before becoming uncomfortable that I was shirtless in a public store. Luckily, the only customer that came in the store was a dude who I sold shoes to a week prior. My body was a little fatigued but overall I'm glad at how this week is turning out.

No Thought Workout

Time: 84:48
Distance: 12:57 miles

W/u: 41:14 for 6.14 miles
W/o: 1 mile of 100 on/off, 1 mile of 200 on/off, 1 mile of 100 on/off
C/d: 23:33 for 3.43 miles

I needed to do a track workout this morning/week but if I had tried the effort on my schedule, it would have been awful. The decision was made to get my legs back under me around town and run some strides on the Norman High track. I felt that I needed to put a little pace on the legs without the worry of hitting splits.

I wanted to put in about 5 or 6 miles before starting on the track. The run took me from Brookhaven to the old stomping grounds on Main St. as I had to check up on the early morning buzz. There wasn't a lot going on so I hit up the track just as the footballers were arriving.

The workout started with a mile of jogging the turns and sprinting the straights. I ran 5:27 for the mile and then jogged an easy lap before running 200 on/off for a mile. I hit splits of: 30.49 (51.20), 30.75 (52.17), 30.53 (51.95), 29.50 (52.89) for 5:29 total. I followed this up with an easy lap before doing another mile of jogging the turns, sprinting the straights and hit 5:21. The total amount of time on the track was 20:01 for 3.50 miles.

I had a long jog back to Brookhaven before work. The body felt somewhat adjusted to being back in Norman.

All Caught Up in Charlotte

Time: 59:44
Distance: 9.01 miles
Pace: 6:38
Map

This is my last morning in Charlotte for about 3 weeks as I head back to Norman until the Brookhaven Run. I had planned to run with Meagan for 5 miles and then would put in another 5, but her hip was not going to cooperate. She had a visible limp during the first few seconds of the run and decided to not press any further. Smart move.

I ran from the apartment along Sugar Creek and up to Queens. I made a bunch of random loops through the neighborhood streets until I reached 8 miles. After a quick calculation I decided to race to 9 miles or 60:00 minutes, whichever came first. I think I had to run 5:49 for the last mile in order to hit the goal and I managed a 5:45. The legs felt great this morning, but it helped that I was wearing Lunar Racers as my Lunar Trainers are still soaking wet with sweat.

Reedy Creek Park

Time: 67:35
Distance: 9.45 miles
Map

I'm not sure why Mr. Garmin won't upload this workout as it would be nice to see where the hell we were in Reedy Creek Park. Yesterday, Scott Simmons put a call out to Stephen Haas who is a former Indiana University athlete and currently trains with Team Indiana Elite. The trails in the park were fairly confusing but considering we ran the same loop 4 or 5 times I became familiar with the terrain. I ran with the team for about 50 minutes and when they headed off to the parking lot Stephen and I did one more loop. I'm pretty sure Mr. Garmin wasn't registering parts of the run because of the heavy tree cover. Also, my breathing wasn't all that relaxed which leads me to believe we were running faster than the 7:09 average pace Mr. Garmin shows. On the plus side, my calves feel much more recovered, probably the best they have felt in over a week. Happy days.

Oh yea, Meagan fainted.

Extra Miles and the Pool

Time: 42:02
Distance: ~6 miles
Pool: 15 minutes

This afternoon I tagged along for some meetings with Meagan and the Queens team. When all was said and done we laced up the boots and went for a jog on the "Booty Loop." I think it gets its name from the bankers wives who have nothing better to do at 2 pm in the afternoon than go for a jog around a standard ~3 mile loop. I added on a few extra miles before calling it a day, or so I thought. When I got back to the parking lot the team was loading up and heading over to the aquatic center for some aqua jogging. Since I have been hanging out all week with the team I figured that I could use some easy minutes in the water. I spent about 15 minutes in the drink before calling it a session. It felt good to get in the pool and loosen up the legs. My calves definitely appreciated the extra few moments of motion without weight bearing.

McAlpine Fartlek

Time: 65:26
Distance: 9.95 miles

W/u: 21:25 for 3.0 miles
W/o: 8 x 2 min on/off. 51:34 for 8.18 miles (includes warm up).
C/d: 13:52 for 1.77 miles

My workout schedule is all messed up and it isn't getting any fixes soon. This morning the Queens team was heading out to McAlpine for a light workout on the crushed gravel. They were doing a fartlek consisting of 8 by 2 mins hard/easy. I have a predator run late in the week and thought that I would simply flip/substitute this workout in its place. I warmed up with the men's team for 3 miles and then we ran straight into the first hard effort. Mike Crouch was going to be headlining this workout so I thought that I would hang with him for the duration.

Splits: 1:58 for .42 (4:41 pace), 1:59 for .28 (7:03 pace), 2:00 for .42 (4:49 pace), 1:59 for .29 (6:49), .43 (4:41), .26 (7:36), .42 (4:49), .26 (7:30), .41 (4:55), .26 (7:37), .40 (5:05), .26 (7:43), .38 (5:14), .26 (7:37), .41 (4:59).

I am definitely not recovered from the long trip out here. My calves were still a little sore and my body is tired from lack of sleep. Mike and I ran together for the first four and then I proceeded to get dropped. Alex Schilling joined us on number three and ran a great workout. It was good to have some hard efforts in the beginning of the workout but that left me shot for the remaining efforts. This wasn't my best workout during the 5k cycle but it has its pluses. I'll look to step on the track when I get back to Oklahoma either on Fri or Sat.

Getting Settled

Time: 63:44
Distance: 9.01 miles
Pace: 7:04
Map

On the drive in to Charlotte this morning all the buzz was about the weather. Sounds like Meagan and I arrived just in time for the hottest weather of the year. Excellent. The temps this afternoon approached the triple digits which meant our run didn't start until well after dinner time.

The run started from Jeff's old, my new apartment here in the Queen City. My legs felt good running with Meagan along a creek to Freedom Park for a few loops. We also ran a few miles in the Myers Park neighborhood near the Queens University campus. The pace was dropping considerably and Meagan was right there the whole time until the last mile. Our splits were: 7:51, 7:19, 7:07, 7:06, 7:07, 7:05, 6:57, 6:40, 6:28.

Upon Arrival...

Time: 60:02
Distance: ~8.5 miles

Upon arrival to the Queen City I got locked in a bathroom. Yup. It's true. After a long drive and many cups of coffee I had to use the facilities at the aforementioned athletic complex. There were easily accessible restrooms just off the main lobby which I took great pleasure in using. When I was all ready to leave I discovered that there was a code in order to get out. A few good tugs on the door did me no good so I headed in the other direction of the bathroom. The doors opposite the way I entered left me outside on the main field where guess what... the doors were also locked. I knew I wasn't supposed to be on the main field side of the building so that didn't help my efforts. After a few minutes of wondering I found myself back in the bathroom hoping for the best. Fortunately, a coach was in there washing his hands and I told him that "it appears as though I am locked in here. How do you get out?"

"You need a code to get out." (Okay, that's great fucktard. Let me out). "Are you a student-athlete."

"No. I just dropped my girlfriend off."

"Okay. One moment." (You gotta be shitting me. There is a code to get out of the bathroom, but no code to get in? What moron decided to create such a backwards facility? Banks, jewelery stores and private homes usually try to keep you out with locks, bars, lasers, and cameras, it's not the other way around. What's the point of trapping you inside? Stupid. I wasn't stealing gold bullion, Rolex watches or paintings, I was simply urinating. Such a crime.

I ran for 60 minutes after being freed from the bathroom through the streets of Charlotte. My legs are still sore from the drive and workout on Weds. I really need to do something to get the calves to recover.

PS. I saw the code as it was punched in. Suckah!

Week in Review

Time: 393:28
Distance: 52.4 miles

Wow. Not a very heavy week of training. I took two days off this week due to weather and travel which is not ideal. Hopefully, the stress of this week won't cause any troubles as the body was able to recover during those two days. I got in one workout that wasn't too fa-bo-lo-us but wasn't awful. I probably didn't gain too much fitness this week as the workload was relatively low. There is just under a month until the Brookhaven Run where I hope to run fast. Two years ago I ran 14:54 at this race and took 4th so this year I hope to improve on that.

Driving Miles > Running Miles

Time: none
Distance: none

Meagan and I left Oklahoma this morning around 6:30 am from Spencer's house up in Oklahoma City. We need to be back in Charlotte in time for some compliance meetings on Monday morning at 8:30. That gave us 26 hours to drive a little over 1,100 miles. The distance isn't too impressive but having to be back at a certain time will make things a bit more aggravating. Our plan which we stuck to let us arrive in Birmingham, AL around 6:00 pm to visit Brooke. After a lovely dinner with Ms. Starr and Biz Cut we took a brief nap from 9:30 pm to 1:00 am.

We were up and on the road at a few tics past 1 with Charlotte on our minds. Actually, coffee was on my mind and breath for most of this drive. Meagan was scared that I was going to fall asleep and crash her precious little vehicle. Ironically, it was her who a few hours later was nodding her head behind the wheel. Luckily, she didn't crash and turn the whip into a burning pile of metal and plastic.

We arrived at the Queen's University Athletic Complex with 10 minutes to spare.


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Where's Waldo?

Time: 65:45
Distance: 9.19 miles
Pace: 7:09
Map

Jerry's Kids is one lazy bum. I was supposed to meet him at the 10k mark of the marathon course for a jog through Oklahoma City. I think he was doing a 20 miler this morning so I was going to tag along. The run was going to be a lot shorter since we have to be at the Norman store by 8:30. Meagan and I ran to the 10k mark and looked for Jerry but didn't see anyone. We proceeded to run the course backwards and didn't find any fit looking runners, just your morning dog walkers and joggers.

It was getting too late to do anything up tempo so Meagan and I proceeded to put in a little over 9 miles. The calves are still pretty tight from the workout the other day. I'm not sure why that workout has left me so beat up as the pace didn't seem to outrageous.

The Fame Continues

Time: 60:00
Distance: 8.04 miles
Pace: 7:27
Map

It was a windy morning out on the streets of Oklahoma City. Meagan and I ran up Shartel and back Walker for a standard loop from Spenis' house. We were crossing an intersection near mile 23-24 of the marathon course and was stopped on the corner looking at us. He yelled, "you guys run pretty quick," and the followed it up with, "are you the guy who won the marathon?" Yup. I still got it.

My legs are a bit sore from the workout the other day. The spikes have left my calves in turmoil but I have been carrying around my stick for some self massages.

OK Runner Sidewalk Sale

Time: none
Distance: none

There was a fierce thunder storm this morning up in Oklahoma City that kept me in bed. I was up around 6 am feeling not too tired but I decided that running in the rain wasn't for me. I put my head back on my pillow and woke up a little later. Today was still really busy with getting the Sidewalk Sale kicked off which is a lot of work. Moving boxes of old crappy shoes, apparel and socks is not so much fun but the store makes a lot of money.

A Run Before Beers

Time: 30:14
Distance: 4.01 miles
Pace: 7:32
Map

Timbo Slice showed up at the store this evening with a Uhual truck of stuff for the Sidewalk Sale. It was our job to unload and stage the apparel and shoes for tomorrow morning. When we were done Meagan and I put the boots on and went for a short but hot run through Brookhaven. After the run we met up at Louie's for a few pints of the not so black stuff. I forget what was on special but it certainly wasn't Guinness.

Haha. I Win.

Time: 66:27
Distance: 8.96 miles

W/u: 22:49 for 2.80 miles
W/o: 4 x 1k with 2:00 rest at 5k goal pace
C/d: 25:47 for 3.21 miles

I was up and at them early, early, early this morning in order to beat the authorities to the track. I was out the door a little after 6 am for the start of my slow warm up along Shartel (very much like shart). The body was feeling decent but I wasn't too keen on the wind, temp and humidity. All three would be working against me in this workout that is hopefully going to set the tone for the rest of the 5k cycle.

I made it back to the track without too many people in sight. I noticed that there was now a sign on the gate which was also locked telling everyone to "stay off." Too bad Mr. Savely but you should have let me on the track yesterday because I am back... with spikes. Yesterday, I was simply going to wear the Lunar Racers but this morning I broke out the Victory spikes hoping to inflict some damage. The track had been fully resurfaced and was now completely green with no lane stripes or starting/stopping lines.

Jailhouse set the pace at 5k goal pace so I decided to try and run 2:50s off 2 mins rest. I figured it was doable considering the spiked up feet.

Splits: 2:50.31 (1:56), 2:54.18 (2:02), 2:52.67 (2:20), 2:55.23 for 17:51 and 2.95 miles

I'm not where this workout falls in the great scope of things. I felt okay while running it but thought it was going to be faster. The splits aren't all that consistent for whatever reason. I never felt relaxed or in a groove while running the intervals. During the third interval I looked up and noticed some dude walking toward the track who looked official. I was pretty certain that it was Mr. Savely and that he was going to come and kick me off the track. I wasn't feeling stellar so I was going to leave. After number three I sat down un-double knotted the spikes but noticed nobody was coming around the corner. I made the decision to get up and run number four just to finish things out.

Check out this workout that I managed a few years ago.

A Double for Memory

Time: 30:40
Distance: 4.04 miles
Pace: 7:35
Map

It's time to update the blog. I got called out my Da Wee Man in an earlier post which means I'm really behind. Usually it's DeCoste who is all feisty about my posting.

So this was a run that I did last week through Brookhaven with Meagan. I don't remember anything about it that was particularly interesting which is fine. Gotta get posting...

Seriously?!?

I was kicked off the Bishop McGuinness track this am. Will update and post more soon.

Time: 47:14
Distance: 6.03 miles

Update: This morning I was fired up to run a hard workout on the Bishop McGuinness track. They have some great facilities including a recently renovated gym that cost $4 million. I was doing what I needed to do by warming up 24:17 on the run that Spenis showed us last night. I came back to the track where I had stashed my flats only to find that two gentlemen were walking the track. It appeared as though they were checking out what had been done to the track the previous day. As I mentioned yesterday, I think they are resurfacing the track because it looked a little warn in areas, nothing too bad, just a little worn. It's not the greatest track I have ever run on and Norman High's track is far superior. In fact, Norman's track will still be far superior even after the resurfacing has been completed.

I slipped into my flats and jogged a lap of the track in lane 3 or 4. The group of gentlemen had grown to four and I would guess it was two administrators and two coaches. They didn't say anything to me as I jogged the lap but as soon as I started my first interval all hell broke loose. I was being yelled out for the entire 11 seconds of my 1k interval. I stopped and walked back in the direction the men with the hope of being able to talk him down. Turns out that it was Gary Savely, Bishop McGuiness Athletic Director, and he wasn't going to allow me on the track. He explained that they were just in the process of resurfacing (confirmed) and that the track had recently been power washed (I don't run in filthy shoes).

There were several other unreasonable reasons for not being allowed on the track including:
A. It cost $20,000 to resurface the track.
B. It's a private school.
C. The only people who get on the track have jumped the fence.

My response to his reasons would be:
A. What is $20,000 when the gym cost $4 million.
B. The public community of OKC voted Bishop McGuinness best private school.
C. I saw the people running stairs at 7:30 this morning. They were 40 y/o women who did not jump any fences.
D. What would Jesus do?

I left the track and ran 3 more miles in 22:57.

Spenis Runs the Streets

Time: 33:15
Distance: ~4+ miles

This evening Meagan and I went to McNellie's with Brian to meet up with Spencer and Shannon. The beer specials were Corona Light (water), Snocap (didn't have) and Sam's Winter Welcome (what happened to Summer?). I had none of those because we were served the last four 20 oz. Spaten glasses for the pint night. The beer and burger were delicious at 5:30, but no so much at 7:00 when we decided to go for a run. Spenis showed us his 3 mile loop (more like 2.6) and I added on a few more minutes on Bishop McGuinness' track. I ran reverse in lane 6 for a little over a mile. It looks like they are in the process of resurfacing the track because lanes 1 and 6 are discolored.

Invading Nichols Hills

Time: 59:53
Distance: 8.13 miles
Pace: 7:21
Map

Meagan and I have taken up residence at Spencer's house off 53rd in Oklahoma City. It's been fun being up in the city for a few days and having some new places to run is always fun. This morning we ran over to Nichols Hills and meandered through the streets. There are some pretty awesome homes in there that provided a bit of distraction. The legs felt relatively recovered today even after the long run's harder miles. I have the day off today so I plan on relaxing and catching up on some sleep.

Week in Review

Time: 559:55
Distance: 81.89

A respectable week of training that was highlighted by the 6-mile tempo run on Friday. I can tell that 5:00 pace is becoming easier as the body becomes fitter. The miles are starting to add up and I think some of the power from my legs is leaving. I might have to start incorporating strides or drills in order to keep a bit of pop in the legs. Aerobically, I don't think I have ever been fitter. Next week looks like it's going to be a busy one so hopefully the training doesn't suffer as a result.

Lake Hefner Long Run

Time: 106:21
Distance: 16.13 miles
Pace: 6:35
Map

Great times were had last night with Craig, Carolyn, Robbie and Rusty Shakleford. Of course the usual suspects were there in Scotty D, Spenis and Meagan. I crashed on the couch last night which meant I was up early and ready to roll out for a long run around Lake Hefner. Things didn't start off so well as Spencer caught a flat tire and Scotty suffered a bloody nose all within the first 5 minutes of leaving the house. Luckily, Meagan and my departure to Stars and Stripes Park was uneventful as was the beginning of our run.

The sun was out but the humidity was low this morning as a slight breeze crossed the path. Meagan and I ran together for the first 7 miles or so as we clicked off easy miles of: 7:52, 7:17, 7:10, 6:59, 6:59, 7:03, 6:59. I was starting to feel warmed up around the 55 minute mark and left Meagan in my wake. Actually she stopped to stretch as I continued on and picked up the pace. I rattled off miles of 6:42, 6:24, 6:17, 6:10, and 6:17 before leaving the lake at 11-12 miles.

I decided to run back to Spenis' house which meant I got to relive running through Nichols Hills. It was up the overpass (mile 17 of the marathon) and on to the swanky area of Oklahoma City. Jailhouse wanted me to run 5:10s from miles 12-15 so I notched: 5:14, 5:13, and 5:20. It was rough running through NH at that pace and I kept thinking that the marathon felt easier. I wasn't able to hit the prescribed pace but I was close and considering that I was running into a headwind, I'll take it.

I'm happy with this morning's effort and it was followed up with some great eats courtesy of Scotty and Spencer.

About to Crash?

Time: 40:50
Distance: 6.13 miles
Pace: 6:39
Map

This evening after work I headed out for the exact same run as this morning. It's a standard 6 mile loop from the shop that runs through Brookhaven, down the hill at Rock Creek and out to 60th. The run is not all that exciting but it puts time on the feet. Since I was up at 5:40 this morning and had worked all day I was expecting to crash at some point.

A group of us headed to OKC for a sushi crawl that took us to Kang's and Sushi Neko. Two very good spots and a great night out. Hopefully Meagan explains in greater detail soon so I can link to her blog as I try to get caught up.

Goodbye Main St.

Time: 43:39
Distance: 6.05 miles
Pace: 7:12
Map

There was some frantic packing going on last night and early this morning. I was lucky to even get in a run before going to work but I did. Meagan and I made several trips to my storage unit and stuffed her car full before starting our run from Scotty D's sister's house. It's sad to be off Main St, but good to be moving on. I'll miss the train, Larry (homeless dude) and the action of the main drag.