Long Double Run with Friends

Time: 54:43
Distance: ~7.5 miles

I ran this evening with Aaron, Thomas and Caitlin from her side of town. We headed to Freedom Park and ran on half of the Booty Loop after battling the traffic. It was a good run prior to Caitlin's departure for the Twin Cities Marathon in the morning. I could tell her legs were fresh as she was itching to crank the pace down. Thomas, Aaron and I were all silently moaning about the effort being a bit quick.

After the run John, Caitlin and went over to Thomas' new pad for dinner. Michelle joined the party as well and it was a fun evening on the back deck. I wish we could have stayed longer but it was going to be an early morning flight for Caitlin and John had to write some test. Who does he think he is? Some sort of teach or something?

Building Base

Time: 57:12
Distance: ~8.6 miles

I put in an easy Medium Freedom Park Loop this morning. I didn't press the pace or focus on any particular part of training other than getting in some miles and feeling good. Simply some time on the feet.

The Rainy Runs of Fall

Time: 38:07
Distance: ~5.3 miles

So I guess fall is officially here and today kicked off some rainy weather. After Let Me Run finished up I headed home and cleaned out my car. I was soon ready to put on my running costume only to realize that I let the weather catch up to me. There was a pretty heavy drizzle outside and I spent the first 20 minutes of the run questioning my decision to run. Luckily I brought my music/phone with me so I had a chance to chat with Meagan and here about her trip in Atlanta. I started feeling good about 3 miles in and finished up the run slower than normal, but happy to be finished.

Asheville Running Scene Part Deux

Time: 57:00
Distance: ~7.5 miles

This morning I met back up with Scott Williams for a run starting at Jus' Running. He lives close by and knows some good roads to run on. He took me through some nice quiet neighborhoods and into the surrounding hills. At one point we were running switchbacks on some beast of a hill. The pace was clearly very relaxed as he's nursing a bit of a sore calf. I was content to chat along and shuffle around. It was a nice recovery effort for the both of us.

I had a few more stores to visit before leaving the mountains and then had to hurry home in time to be at the Let Me Run practice over at Park Road Montessori. It's time to whip 11 energetic 4th and 5th graders into shape this fall. It's so much better this time around as none of us are sweating profusely upon walking down to the greenway. My biggest challenge thus far is convincing the guys that it's okay to run in a light rain or when the ground is wet.

Asheville Running Scene

Time: 83:32
Distance: ~13 miles

W/u: 11:45 for ~1.5 miles
W/o: 60 minutes of good solid running with Scott Williams
C/d: 11:30 for ~1.5 miles

I made it up to Asheville this evening with enough time to hang out at Jus' Running. I got to hear all about the Blue Ridge Relay and the battle between Norm's Maggots and the Charlotte Running Club. When 6:30 pm rolled around the store was filled with about 30 runners who all came to run hills. The owner, Norm Blair, gave everyone the assigned workout to mumbles and grumbles from some in the audience.

One athlete in attendance was Scott Williams who I ran with once over the holidays on a cold morning in Charlotte. I could go back and look for that run, but I am too lazy. However, I remember there being Spada, Scott, Paul, and a few others starting out at PDS. Anyway, I was glad to have someone to run with and help during their workout. He was needing to run hard for an hour around about a .85 mile loop on the UNCA campus. It turned out that one loop was just about 5 minutes so the goal was to run 12 loops. Boring yes, but hopefully we would find a rhythm and just zone out as the sun set.

Splits (taken every two loops):
10:16, 10:12, 10:16, 10:14, 10:09, 9:07 for 60:17 total and Scott was 1:22 back at the end for 61:39 total.

The two of us worked together throughout to just click off some decent paced laps. I think we were running just around 6 minute pace for most of the run. With 3 laps to go, Scott fell back just a hair for me to get antsy. I decided to hammer the pace on the final two circuits and split over a minute faster to bring the total time to a little over an hour. I was pleased with the solid running and loved being in a mountains.

We all went out to eat at La Carreta after the workout and had a fun time telling running stories. Taylor Little was gracious enough to play host despite not being on the roads that much these days. I take that back, he's on the roads with his bike much more than he is with his running shoes. We had a fun visit for the rest of the evening, but both of us had to be up early for runs and a ride in the morning.

Morning Miles

Time: 37:24
Distance: ~5.3 miles

I got up and ran a few miles around Freedom Park. I plan to visit my accounts in Asheville this afternoon and evening with the hopes of running a workout at Jus' Running. They probably have the best workout group of all the stores I visit. A lot of my accounts have great training groups, but this one is the best for getting in some hard repeats. I needed to be relatively fresh for what awaits and I simply put in some time on the feet.

Caitlin & Jason Double Run

Time: 56:07
Distance: ~8 miles

This evening I went over to Caitlin's house where we met up with Jason Martin. The four of us jogged together for about 25 minutes and then Caitlin headed home. Jason and I continued for a loop around Booty and then ran back to the starting point. I felt nice and relaxed throughout. The cooler temps are great and I hope to start feeling good again. My legs and mind haven't been at the point where I feel the need to work out on the roads or track. Soon hopefully...

Short Loop

Time: 37:29
Distance: 5.29 miles
Pace: 7:09
Map

I started off the week with some easy solo miles through Freedom Park. I didn't feel fantastic.

Week in Review

Time: 632:41
Distance: 88.95

I have no idea how I logged nearly 90 miles this week because it didn't feel like that. When I don't have big workouts on the schedule I feel like I'm not running much. The pair of races on Saturday served as my workout for the week. I was able to run well and pick up some gift certificates to Brixx. I'm content to get in runs, but have struggled to find the time to press the body's limits recently. The fall weather is right around the corner and the plan is to rock a hoody all fall and winter long. I can't wait.

Accurate Long Run?

Time: 105:45
Distance: 14.01
Pace: 7:33
Map

After a really fun evening at Jay's house last night a good sized group of Charlotte Running Club members were out for some long easy miles. I got to the parking lot a few minutes late and guess correctly on where to find the group. I wasn't really tired or sore from yesterday's racing, but didn't have much direction on how much to run. I jogged along chatting with Aaron at the back of the pack for the first 20 or 30 minutes. I was content to sit back while the Hoviseseses (Hovii?) ran with some others up front. When the group started breaking off I found myself with Jay and Paul who were both running really long.

There wasn't too much to report from the run this morning other than the presence of Ms. Meagan Nedlo who is back from her first week of work. She's been up in Beverly and Boston, MA to be trained on Craft and Karhu. She also flew to Atlanta to help Fleet Feet John's Creek with packet pickup for the 13.1 Atlanta race. The best part was her foot being pain free for 4 miles for the first time in a month.

Afternoon Shakeout

Time: 30:15
Distance: 4.01 miles
Pace: 7:32
Map

This afternoon Caitlin and I went to TrySports so that she could buy some Balega socks. Before heading home we stopped at the greenway and put in some easy miles. She took the GMAT this morning and is in taper mode for Twin Cities. I was looking for some miles to boost the weekly totals.

It was way too hot to be running at 4:00 pm. I should have been shuffling at 8:30 pace, but Red was fresh and clipping along. Solid day of running in the books.

Eat at Brixx

My race recap will come a bit later, but I wanted to jot down a quick open letter/thank you to Brixx Pizza for their awesome sponsorship of the Hit the Brixx 10k/5k. It's one thing to put up the money to be the main sponsor of a race, but what Brixx did today was how to completely capitalize on a running race. It's always interesting to see local/national sponsors associate themselves with a race and then decide to not attend. It's most important to have a booth and ensure access to the participants. The job on race day is to make it known that you appreciate the runners for attending and hope the sentiment is reciprocated. In the case of the 10k/5k this morning, Brixx Pizza welcomed at least a thousand runners, family members and friends to their location on 6th street. The pizza and beer lines were long and the staff was more than friendly. I go out for pizza every once in a while and have eaten at Brixx a couple of times, but in the future when I'm needing a slice (or a whole pie), I without a doubt will patronize Brixx because of their generosity this morning.

Any better way to start the weekend than with a run, beer and pizza?

Hit the Brixx Recap

Time: 97:19
Distance: 16:16
10k Place: 1st, 32:55
5k Place: 1st, 15:51

W/u: 26:12 for 3.82 miles
Race: 10k
C/d: 22:21 for 3.04
Race: 5k

I had little interest in pushing the pace this morning and testing my fitness. Instead I wanted to see where my overall endurance and stomach strength was at with some thoughts of running a fall marathon (more on that maybe later). Last week I was texting with my good buddy Pat Tarpy who ran a 12 mile warm up, 10k race and 2 mile cool down. He said it was a good workout and the beer garden forced him to take a few extra minutes in the parking lot so he could make it home safely. I wanted to mimic his effort a bit in all regards, but didn't show up to the race early enough. Cory and I parked at Caitlin's house thinking it was closer than the half mile walk to the start line. When I had all my stuff, I only had enough time to put in just over 25 minutes. I did, however, run a bit harder on the warm up than I normally do.

I changed shoes and headed over to the start line, ignoring the need to do strides or stretch. I wanted to run in a group setting today and see how I felt with bodies around. Paul, Jay, BMac, Chris and some dude (Brett) and I all ran together through the first mile in about 5:15. The opening mile is mostly downhill so it felt like we were crawling. I loved it. I wanted to keep the group together but someone (ahem, ahem, Chris) pushed the pace. Pay no mind that he wasn't registered or really racing. Brett, Chris and I ran through the second mile and were working together nicely.

Around 11 minutes Chris backed off and it was up to Brett and I to shadowbox the rest of the race. I had him do some of the work up front, but there weren't any big challenges be thrown in. I didn't feel great just after the 5k mark and started having doubts about myself and just a few minutes later I could tell Brett was tiring. I think he was just off the pace at 4 miles and then I started going to work. I tried to stretch the lead over the next 5 minutes of running, putting in little surges to get away on the downhills. I wanted to build up a lead so I wouldn't have to race the final hill back to the finish.

I was pleased with my mile from 5 to 6 that clocked 5:18. I expected to see something closer to 5:25 so to run that pace as comfortable as I was means something. I brought the 10k title home in a few tics under 33 minutes despite the clocking reading 33+.

10k Splits:
5:15, 5:20 (10:35), 5:14 (15:50), 5:21 (21:11), 5:14 (26:26), 5:18 (31:44), 1:11 for 32:55 total.

After the race I grabbed my water and ran three miles through Uptown. There was some other event going on that looked very similar to a race but clearly wasn't. The music was pumping, people were dancing while wearing brightly colored shirts that certainly supported some cause. I never did find out what it was before I looped back despite trying. I probably should have asked someone.

I took a CarbBOOM! about 20 minutes out from the 5k and rested for a couple of minutes. My goal in the 5k was to run with the leaders for as long as possible and see what happens.

The race was taken out really hard by some high school kid through the opening 800m. He raced down the hill like it were a mile race. Brad Orr who ran at Winthrop was in pursuit with me a few strides back. We split the mile much faster than I was expecting to need to run. I kept chasing Brad about 10 meters behind and just wanted to keep contact. Around 8 minutes into the race, I was right off his shoulder and a minute later I was pulling away. Like in the 10k, I pressed the effort before the hill so I wouldn't have to race up it stride for stride with someone else.

I crested the top, took a peak behind and saw the win was mine. I brought things home strong for a time under 16 minutes.

Splits:
4:53, 5:11 (10:05), 5:15 (15:20), :32 for 15:52 total.

I didn't cool down after the 5k and instead accepted my 10k award which was a gift certificate and mini beer pitcher (oxymoron?). I had the "beer maid" fill me up with the Blonde stuff and my party was started early.

So what does this mean for later in the fall? For starters, 33 minutes for 10k extrapolated out over the marathon distance is about 2:19. Could I run 33 minute, 16:30, 5:18 pace for 26.2 miles. Probably not. Definitely not. At least right now. However, I will say that I felt relaxed running that effort in the 10k and almost felt even better running harder in the 5k. I know utilizing fuel over the marathon distance is an integral part of racing well and I think my body is able to burn calories efficiently. Despite not being in a marathon specific training phase, I think with 6 weeks of more specific training and race, I would be able to run a time I could be proud of.

Now the question is why? Why run a marathon that I haven't trained for specifically and where. I'll answer why with the fact that I'm healthy and have put together several months of solid training. I've put in two big marathon cycles before and got injured both times forcing me to reschedule the race. Where is another good question. I don't know if OBX is too early, I'm not sure about traveling to Philly after The Running Event and Karhu North America sales meeting and I don't think there is much of an incentive to run the Thunder Road Marathon again. However, the pros of each are: money at OBX, friends at Philly, and staying local for Thunder Road.

Another Quick Update

I'm not injured and I'm not dead, but I am lazy and have been busy. I don't mind saying that I'm lazy, but I hate when I hear that people are "busy." It's all relative and in reality nobody is really ever that busy. Just to give you an idea of my travel in the last couple of weeks I've done some awesome runs, met even better people and been a part of several cool events. I've been able to recap my trip up to DC and the Carolina Cup. I'm in the process of recapping my trip out to California and I need to write about my trip up to Providence. And, I need to write about my week's travel the week of Hit the Brixx. Since returning from Providence check out this little map...


View Larger Map

So that has kept me on the road with some great store visits, new runs and fun times. I hope to have a marathon posting session sometime this weekend that will bring me current. Oh yea, I'm going back to Japan...

Hit the Brixx Preview

Time: 43:29
Distance: ~6 miles

I finished up with my trip by stopping in Winston-Salem and a few Charlotte accounts. It was good to be back in the Queen City, but there is little time to relax. I am racing the Hit the Brixx 10k/5k in the morning and Cory Tretsky wanted to check out the course. We started from Caitlin's house and ran what I thought was the course. I made some terrible notes from the race website that took us all over the place. Adding to the confusion were white arrows that kept throwing Cory and I off. I wasn't much help to Cory in the end but we were able to log a few easy miles and call it a night.

New Durham Trails

Time: 60:18
Distance: 7.57 miles
Pace: 7:57
Map

I had an early morning run with George a.k.a. Monk on some new trails in Durham. I like how there is a solid trail system in town, but they all seem to be paved. My most recent run with Monk was out at the White Water Center a few months ago. He told me the story behind his trail name which was earned with a group of guys who run in the area. The rules to earning a trail name are you (a) have to run at least three times, (b) have to tell a joke on a run, (c) have to buy everyone coffee. Pretty cool. Also on the run was Sally (Monk's 11 year old dog) who is also known as Bullet or Ricochet. She ran along side of us venturing off into the woods and then popping out a few meters in front, never falling too far behind. Sally completely ignored the barks of other dogs from behind fences or the ones being walked on a leash. If Meagan and I were ever to get a dog, I would want to be able to run with it and for it to behave like Sally.

Jason Page Jaunt

Time: 61:43
Distance: ~8.5 miles
Map

After the run this morning with Sarah I visited a few bike accounts, drank horrible coffee and ate way too much bread from Weaver Street Market. I had a successful showing at Fleet Feet Carrboro and a few Omega Sports locations. During this time I knew that I was going to visit Jason, George/Monk and Kim over at Bull City Running. However, I wanted to end my day there so I could run with the guys once they closed down the store. When I called though, Jason said that he was running at 3:00 pm which was fine, but it was 95 degrees out. Oh well. I manned up and joined him.

Mr. Garmin continues to give me a hard time as not only is the strap broken, but the attachment is busted. I won't even be able to buy a new strap now, I'll have to send it back to Garmin offices. And, to top it off the little bastard couldn't find satellites so the accuracy of the run is off. Jason and ran out, back and around an extra portion of the same trail that Sarah and I did this morning. It was good to catch up with him and hear how the training is going.

After the run I showered up and hit three last accounts out in Raleigh bringing this trips total to somewhere around 24. I killed time in downtown Raleigh making a few quick notes in my work journal and then Sarah arrived from her travels. We had a few pints post some local fashion show that neither of us were on time to view. It was a fun evening in an area of Raleigh that I'm not all that familiar with, but a somewhere I would definitely hang out again.

Durham's Tobacco Road

Time: 40:31
Distance: 5.24 miles
Pace: 7:44
Map

I stayed with the Brooks tech rep last night in Durham. It's big time when you don't have to find a sketchy hotel to stay in and I'm glad to have Sarah as a resource. She took me on a short run from the house to the Tobacco Road Trail that would have eventually brought us to Bull City Running Company. I've run on the paved section several times in the past. On the run I also saw Victor Ornelas who runs for Saucony and works at Fleet Feet Carrboro. I would see him later on in the afternoon when I dropped in to show sandals.

Summerville Running

Time: 34:27
Distance: 5.01
Pace: 6:52
Map

I was in Summerville, SC for this run and had no clue as to where to find four or five miles. From the sketchy hotel, motel that wasn't a Holiday Inn, I popped out onto the main strip. There were all sorts of your fantastically terrible restaurants, rib joints, burger palaces, Chinese buffets, along with stores like Best Buy, Wal*Mart, Michael's, etc. It was a great collection of America's finest.

I somehow found a quiet road that led me back into a development of houses and other two lane country roads. It was a simple out and back, but I was only on the main road for about 8 minutes total. In the end I was more than pleased with the distance and location of the run as when I originally started out I was convinced the run was going to be miserable.

When I made it to Charleston my plan was to have some good visits with accounts. I made contact at an outdoor store, met two really cool guys at a new bike shop on King St., checked out all the running memorabilia at On the Run, and chatted with the guys over at TrySports. My only bad encounter of the day came earlier when I was basically kicked out of a guy's store. Other reps have told me stories about this guy and he's built a reputation that makes working with him difficult. Some reps won't even sell to him now because of his foul attitude. Hopefully, I'll be able to brush this off and work things out in the future.

When I was at TrySports I asked the guys how long it took to get to Wilmington. They told me four hours, but I was convinced otherwise. I jumped in my car and sped off in the direction for the hometown of Michael Jordan. I made it just in time to visit two more accounts. I grabbed a quick cup of coffee and then drove to Durham. I don't even want to look at my odometer, but in the last 36 hours I've driven from Charlotte --> North Augusta --> Charleston --> Wilmington --> Durham. I signed up for this and I love it.

Travels in the Territory

Time: 23:40
Distance: 2.90 miles
Pace: 8:10
Map

So after the early morning workout with Spada and Chrisman, I packed up and headed off to South Carolina. I first stopped in Columbia to visit a few bike stores and the Fleet Feet in town. Things were shaping up to be a really productive day in terms of account visits. The purpose of the trip was to be at Fleet Feet North Augusta for a Balega sponsored Lesedi Pub Run. The Lesedi Project is a really cool community based initiative to help the underprivileged in South Africa. While Balega is based out of Hickory, NC the product is assembled in South Africa and being a part of both areas is important to the company.

Balega supports the Ethembeni school in South Africa which caters to the physically and visually disabled. A few years ago, Balega purchased a bus for the school and the funds tonight will be used to build a playground. In addition to the school, the event tonight raised money for Girls on the Run by selling pint glasses for $10. Half of the money went to the school and the other to the new chapter of GOTR in North Augusta.

I got to run a few shakeout miles with Fleet Feet's training group and speak a little about the socks, the company and The Lesedi Project. It was a fun way to end the evening at Nacho Mama's who had agreed to fill the pint glasses for $1. Who could pass up helping two great charities, getting a pint glass and $1 beer? Not me. I had a few pints of Sierra Nevada and some nachos while enjoying conversation with other runners. The owner Michael and his fiance Jen did a great job organizing the entire event.

Around 8:00 pm the group dispersed and I regained a bit of focus as I had to get close to Charleston, SC. I drove and drove through the night eventually finding some sketchy lodging about 20 minutes outside of Chucktown. I quickly passed out after having a really successful start to the trip.

Dark Morning at McAlpine

Time: 85:32
Distance: 12.68 miles

W/u: 14:12 for 1.70 miles
W/o: 1 hour of good up tempo running with Spada and Caitlin
C/d: 12:21 for 1.67 miles

Last night Caitlin was kind enough to pick me up from the airport. She said that she and Spada were going to be running hard for an hour in the morning. But, they were starting at 5:30 am. Woof. That's not exactly what I wanted to hear, but I needed to be on the road anyway. I opted to join them for some dark miles at McAlpine.

I never felt great and had to stop to use the bushes (so did Caitlin) which means Spada won this workout by a stomach. I don't know what we would have done if Caitlin didn't have a headlamp. I made sure to stick off her left shoulder so I could see the trail. It worked out minus when I almost ate it running back over a wooden bridge.

Splits:
6:12, 6:12, 6:45, 6:29, 6:06, 6:11, 6:31, 5:58 (some other splits) for 59:09 total and 9.31 miles. Average of 6:21.

Coffee, Kim, Ro, Meagan and the Blvd.

Time: 49:42
Distance: 6.87 miles
Pace: 7:14
Map

It was a relaxing morning here in Providence that had us over at Seven Stars Bakery to meet up with Ro McGettigan. I had a large cup of coffee as did Meagan while Kim destroyed a loaf of bread and a muffin. I guess that's what running a half marathon in 68 minutes will do to you. After spending time at the bakery chatting we headed over to Ro's house and suited up to run. The four of us hit up the Blackstone Boulevard for about 15 minutes and then dropped Meagan off at the house. Her form didn't look to screwy which was a good sign for her foot.

Flattering photo of Kim at the Seven Stars Bakery.

Even more flattering photo of me getting a nice caffeine buzz.

The rest of the run was calm as I don't think Kim or I felt particularly good from the prior day of racing. Ro is just coming back from injury and taking it nice and easy too. I can't tell you how many times or how many miles I've run along the Blvd. but essentially the Brown team runs on it 4 or 5 days a week at some point during the run. It was nice seeing that it hasn't changed since 5 years ago.

Week in Review

Time: 468:35
Distance: 67.01 miles

Totaling up this week I'm impressed with the number of miles that I was able to log. I had some pretty low days in there including Friday and Saturday's 4 mile runs. I had an interesting time being back in Santa Rosa and catching up with a couple of my old coaches. It was great being able to run on the trails that I grew up with. My race in Providence was a little slower than last year, but given the circumstances I feel that it was a better performance.

A couple of things to note are that my beloved Mr. Garmin watch strap broke while in Santa Rosa. I've been having to carry him which is a huge pain in the arse. Second, I've been asked to return to Japan in more of a managerial position because former Boston Marathon winner and Team Ivy League Izumo Ekiden Coach, Jack Fultz, is recovering from hip surgery. I have traveled to Japan twice before and don't know if I could pass up the opportunity to help out.

CVS 5k Race Recap

Time: 61:13
Distance: 8.46 miles
Race: 15:01, 21st place

W/u: 20:16 for 2.42 miles
C/d: 25:56 for 2.93 miles

The morning activities at Kim's house consisted of drinking coffee, eating toast and watching the horrible feed of the Philadelphia Half Marathon. It was a good attempt to view, but the coverage sucked for the most part. A former runner at Providence College, Richie Yeates, and his girlfriend, Corrinne, also stayed at Kim's last night. The four of us departed for the race about 90 minutes from gun time.

Meagan and I prior to racing in Providence. She didn't even mind that I had just warmed up and was sweaty.

I settled in at the elite athlete's tent and felt a little out of place. Other athletes there included Kyle Alcorn, Molly Huddle, Sara Hall and more. It was fun to catch up with some of the guys from the Ivy League who are looking to qualify for the Izumo Ekiden in the middle of October. About an hour out from the race, Richie and I started our warm up around downtown. We ran into Leo Kormanik who is married to one of Meagan's good friends from Atlanta. My legs were feeling pretty good, but still a little tired from all the travels.

Jeff talking to me about a race plan. Go out hard, eyes up, don't die.

About a half hour from the start, I ran into my coach Jeff Gaudette who was hanging out with Meagan. Before the race I also got to catch up with my old college coach John Gregorek. I did some light stretching, a few long strides and prepared myself for the hurt and burn of the race. The two other times racing here I was through the mile around 4:42-4:45 pace and just off the tail end of the lead packs. My goal today was to be positioned a little closer to the mix and hang on for dear life.

I started the race in the second row behind a couple munyans (a pair of Kenyans who had a particular ill odor). We sprinted down the opening hill and I tried to run as comfortably as possible, never settling for the first 1k. I kept inching my way closer to the main field and was in good contact through the mile in about 4:35. It was quite brisk but I was where I needed to be with people around to chase. I moved up a few slots the next couple of minutes and came up on Richie Yeates just as we turned onto South Main St. I gave him a little slap on the ass and some words of encouragement. The field was stringing out a bit and I tried to keep Andrew Fuller from Rome, GA in my sights.

Through two miles I was running on the right side of the road using the tangents to my advantage. I believe I hit the second mile mark in 9:30-9:35 which means I slowed significantly, but was still feeling decent. I rallied as best I could for the uphill finish and continued to catch runners with about 1k to go. At the bottom of the hill I was a few strides back from a group of three guys. My legs weren't responsive enough and they ran away from me a bit. Also, another Ivy Leaguer, Sam Luff, rolled by me at the three mile mark that we hit in about 14:25. I ran strong to the finish, but felt like I was walking up the hill and I just missed cracking 15:00 minutes by a second (last year I finished in about the same time).

Me trying to minimize the damage just after the 2 mile mark.

JSK, Johnny G and Jeff G catching up post race.

I am pleased with the race and how I handled the quick early pace. Given my travels and lack of any real workout in the last few weeks, this is exactly what I needed. It was fun having people around to chase and a group of runners to work with. I cooled down with a group of guys including Frank Tinney (14:22, 8th), Andy Biladeau (14:06, 5th), Mike Maag (14:42, 12th), Zac Hine (14:43, 13th), MacKlin Chaffee (14:48, 16th), Sam Luff (15:00, 20th) and Richie Yeates (15:34, 31st). We were all in pretty good spirits and had a chance to run through Brown's campus.

MRN and Jeff G posing on the Main Green at Brown.

JSK with Bruno or as the Finns would say Karhu.

Track groupie.

The rest of the morning was spent up on College Hill with Jeff and Meagan. We enjoyed a family breakfast at Louie's Diner, walked around Brown's campus, took in Thayer Street and checked out the bookstore. We eventually made our way back over to Kim's house where football was watched and some work was completed. It was great catching up with Jeff and seeing some of our old stomping grounds.

Later in the evening Molly Huddle, fresh off her 5k American record on the track and title on the roads, came over with two bottles of wine. We waited for Kim to arrive with Roisin McGettigan and Ryan Graddy. It was a great low key evening with three incredibly talented world class runners who make Meagan and I look like chumps. I hope some of their talent rubbed off on the two of us.

CVS 5k Course Preview

Time: 33:49
Distance: 4.18 miles
Pace: 8:05
Map

After being home for less than 12 hours it was time to get back to the airport for a quick flight up to Providence, Rhode Island. Originally this trip was scheduled for Meagan to race some top competition at the post-collegiate level, but her foot is still banged up. My plan was to go and race as well, but not on an extremely competitive level. I have run this race twice before in the past and this year it wasn't all that interesting to me. I had to change that focus a bit when Meagan was out and the emphasis shifted to my race.

Meagan and I were on the same flight from Charlotte to Providence as a number of other guys racing tomorrow. We were all bussed to the race hotel and given some brief instructions. I ended up going down to the lobby to find a group of high school runners excited to see someone dressed for a run. They thought I needed a course preview and had planned on running with them. Since I was the only guy to show for this "official" preview I didn't want to let them down. We jogged from the hotel over to the start line and continued on the course. They knew the course for the most part. I had to tell them some of the turns just after the mile marker which I was sure to give them a hard time about.

I finished the run at the packet pickup tent and got all my goodies. I even ran into the old Brown Track & Field coach, Bob Rothenburg who is hands down the most well connected person in the Rhode Island running scene. We had a great time catching up and he told me about a high school cross country meet that he is directing with over 4500 kids attending. After our chat I did a few strides and jogged back over to the hotel with Pezz.

After showering and cleaning up, Meagan and I headed down to the Providence Place Mall for a bit. We walked around, tried to shop, ate a snack and then left for the hotel again. We took a taxi to Kim Smith's house where we were staying for the weekend. My hope that some of the Kim Smith and Keith Kelly (roommate) magic would rub off on Meagan and I. The rest of the evening was pretty tame.

Check out this little video of Keith who had a great love for the sport and can convince anyone that Providence is the training/running mecca of the world.

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

Final Run in Santa Rosa

Time: 31:09
Distance: 4.44 miles
Pace: 7:01
Map

I put in a short recovery run where I kept to some of the flatter roads and neighborhoods. I only had time for a few miles as my mom and I had to be in the car around 8:00 am heading for SFO. My legs are still a bit sore, but I think I can get them recovered in time for Sunday. It's not going to help that I fly from San Francisco to Charlotte and land around 11:15 pm and then have to catch a flight Saturday morning to Providence.

Good Run with J.K.

Time: 80:49
Distance: 11.34 miles
Pace: 7:07
Map

I shot a quick message over to J.K. Withers facebook account the other day to see if he was in town and interested in getting in a run. J.K. and I raced a bit while we were in high school and he would become one of the best runners in the league. He was on of the few athletes to run for the University of Oregon under Martin Smith (now at Oklahoma), Pat Tyson (Pre's college roommate) and Vin Lanana (one of the best college coaches).

We met up at Howarth Park and ran into Spring Lake before making our way to the hills and trails of Annadel. It was a good loop and the conversation was great. I am still a bit sore from all the hills and rocky terrain that I am no longer used to running. I hope that I'll be able to recover in time to race well at the CVS 5k.

Later in the morning I met up with some good family friends at Starbucks. The day turned out to be packed with productivity. I visited my high school coach's running store, Heart & Sole. I put my mom on my cell phone plan at an AT&T store by the help of an old high school buddy. And in the evening we went out to eat with friends who have taken great care of my mom since I've moved away from Sonoma County.

NBL vs. SCL

Total Time: 69:55
Total Distance: 9.78 miles

Time I: 45:58
Distance I: 6.70 miles
Pace I: 6:51
Map I

Time II: 23:57
Distance II: 3.08 miles
Pace II: 7:45
Map II:

When I was at MCHS yesterday evening running a few 200s, the coach invited me to the cross country meet between 4 NBL and 4 SCL teams. When I was in high school the Sonoma County League stood for "Second Class League" because that's exactly what it was. The North Bay League had much better runners and schools for that matter. In recent years a move has been made to raise the bar in the SCL which has come with races between half of each league.

I jogged from my mom's house to the start of the race and stood around for a bit chatting with old coaches from my youth years. I saw Dan Aldridge, Bobby Shore and Doug Courtemarche. All three have been involved in Sonoma County youth running for at least 20 years each. Danny and Bob were my first track coaches when I started in the sport with Santa Rosa Express. Danny was a big time high school (1:49 800m), college (1500 DII champ for Cal Poly SLO) and professional (Athletics West) runner. He was my high school coach at Maria Carrillo and definitely nurtured my young talents for competing at the college level. Bob has been the starter of almost every track meet and cross country race in Nor Cal for as long as I can remember. Doug was the co-coach (along with Danny) of high school phenoms Julia Stamps and Trina Cox at Santa Rosa High School. People joke about there being something in the water for all the great runners coming out of the Santa Rosa area and I think the speculators might be right.

I watched the jv girls race and ran a few laps around Spring Lake during the jv boys and varsity girls races to add to my mileage. I paid better attention to the varsity boys race where Dan Hauptman won in a solid 15:51. He's interested in Brown and I hope to put in a good word for him while I'm in Providence soon. After the race I had the chance to talk with my former school's athletes and some of their parents. We took a few photos and I even cooled down with them chatting about running in college, training in high school and the post-collegiate running scene. I'm no Angelina Jolie, Florence Nightingale, or Mother Teresa but I try to make the most of running with the younger crowd and pass on some knowledge that will hopefully bring a bit more passion to the sport.

Creek Miles

Time: 25:15
Distance: 3.52 miles
Pace: 7:11
Map

I only had time for a few miles this morning along the creek behind my mom's house. It's a place that I used to run when I lived in Santa Rosa. The flat surface was perfect this morning because my legs are a bit tender after running in the hills yesterday. I'll need to do my best to get fresh for Sunday up in Providence, but it's so hard not to take advantage of the trails.

MCHS Double Run

Time: 38:58
Distance: 5.95 miles

W/u: 19:31 for 2.80 miles
W/o: 4 x 200m w/ 200 jog
C/d: 14:07 for 2.12 miles

After getting up in the hills of Annadel this morning, I thought it would be a good idea to run some more miles over to my old high school again. I hoped to jump on the track from some light 200s. When I arrived I saw that the soccer team was in a battle against Ukiah High School. I didn't think that I would be able get on the track so I ended up chatting with the new coach of the program, Greg Fogg.

Greg was able to tell me a bit about the program, showed me the school record board and invited me to the cross country meet the next day. I said that I would love to come out and watch his athletes race.

The soccer game came to an end and just before the start of the jv game I hit up lane three for my mini-workout. I felt half good during the long strides. I was running in trainers and was simply focused on maintaining good form.

Splits:
30.61 (57.40), 31.25 (56.65), 30.43 (60.50), 28.82 (25) for 5:20 total and roughly a mile

Finland named best country in the world by Newsweek

This just hit my inbox today. I thought it was worth passing along. Pretty cool if you ask me.

The Buzz

What's the buzz?

A question that is often asked of me by my good friend Mr. Washburn. The buzz has been good lately and stretched me from the state of North Carolina up to the District of Columbia and out to the coast of California. I've been getting in some running though nothing that would impress anyone or myself. Prior to heading up to help out at the Nation's Triathlon, I had been feeling pretty sluggish and wrote to Coach Jeffrey G. He redirected my training for the next couple of week by taking into consideration the long hours on my feet and many hours in the car and plane.

I'm currently out in California at a Starbucks in my home town of Santa Rosa. I'm hopefully going to throw down a few number of posts starting from most recent to days long ago. Note that I won't be able to share the map until I get back to Charlotte because I forgot my Garmin computer attachment.

Back on the Trails

Time: 79:09
Distance: 12.32 miles
Pace: 6:26
Map

I was up early because someone texted me at 5:00 am telling me that she had gotten 10 hours of sleep. So much for my 10 hours. I quickly looked to see if the Starbucks across the street was open and was shocked to see that it was. I put on some clothes and headed over for an early morning of productivity.

After being properly caffeinated, I put the Karhu running kicks on and got ready to hit the trails of Annadel. I was ready to take advantage of the cooler weather prior to coming out west, but this morning was nearly chilly. I actually had some cold fingers for the first 25 minutes. I ran a loop that was our standard 10 miler while I was in high school. I used to run this loop with Steve Laurie all the time and it brought back some memories of clipping off fast splits over the rocky terrain.

I had to back off the pace a couple of times so things didn't get out of control. I'm racing on Sunday in the CVS Downtown 5k and there is no need for me to ruin my quads a few days out. The run is pretty hilly and I intentionally relaxed so as not to crush the lungs and heart.

Splits:
7:32, 7:03, 6:09, 6:56, 6:59, 6:15, 6:14, 6:01, 5:55, 5:58, 6:15, 5:58

See that third mile split? Some girl came charging up a dam from the opposite side just as I crested the top. She was clipping along and breathing heavily. I ran relaxed a few strides behind maintaining my pace. She probably thought I was some creeper trying to shadowbox her in the fog of Spring Lake. I eventually picked up the pace and pulled away just before the real entrance to Annadel State Park and the climb to Lake Ilsanjo.

Santa Rosa Stomping Grounds

Time: 48:19
Distance: 7.02 miles
Pace: 6:53
Map

I had an early start to the day when I woke up at 4:04 am EST. I finalized my packing situation, jumped in the shower and woke up Meagan so she could take me to the airport. I was flying from Charlotte, to DC and then off to SFO. Or so I thought. We got to DC airspace and couldn't land because of fog on the ground. We were redirected to Norfolk, VA which caused many on my flight much distress. I think the guy next to me was about to crap his pants because he kept trying to go to walk back to the bathroom, but we were seated in the front which meant others could easily beat him to the john. Finally, he had to say something to the flight attendant and he was able to reserve his spot at the crapper. Sorry for that.

I had already been re-booked twice on flights to SFO courtesy of being a baller with United Airlines. I have Premier Associate standing because my dad gives me the hook up. He's actually the baller in the family with his 1k status so his service with Unite Airlines is twice as nice. I eventually got to DC, missed my connection by about 3 hours, but was placed on the next flight out to SFO.

The caught up on my sleep while on the flights today despite drinking loads of coffee in the airport. I still refuse to pay foolish prices for crappy sandwich offerings and overpriced fruit. Instead I fuel with water and coffee during flights. If I'm feeling particularly gross I cap it off with some McDonald's just to ensure full relaxation.

I arrived in San Francisco and caught an airporter north to Petaluma where my mom met me. We drove up to Santa Rosa and got dinner at the Sonoma Taco Shop which brought back fond memories of my childhood. I stuffed myself with a taco salad because you can eat the deep fried crispy shell. I had few thoughts of getting in a run, but around 7:00 pm, a full 16 hours after waking up in Charlotte, I laced up the shoes and got out the door.

I didn't know how I would feel with the long day and Mexican food in my stomach, but I have had worse runs. My run followed a similar route I used to do early mornings in high school. I eventually found myself at Maria Carrillo where I ran a few laps of the track. I also took a few peeks in the windows of the school and was happy to see the North Bay League 2002 banner hanging in the gym. The school looks the same with it's outdoor layout. I wonder if the cool kids still hang out in the same spot near the overhang with the heaters.

Week in Review

Time: 379:13
Distance: 51.74 miles

I'm really surprised that I was able to crack the 50 mile mark with only 6 days of running this week. My time up in DC was great, but exhausting. The long hours at the expo didn't help me recovery all that much in the end, but at least I was able to stay sane. I had a more than worthwhile time helping out Craft and Karhu while being able to see old friends and make new ones. I got my running in early in the morning without making excuses. I'm off to California next week where I'll hopefully be able to refocus my training and get back on the hills that introduced me to running. It will be hard to not run 80+ miles next week, but I'll need to be smart as CVS 5k is a week away.

Chrome Bags at Carolina Cup

Time: none
Distance: none

I wasn't in the mood for any running today. I wasn't even in the mood to run a beer mile this evening. That's how beat I was when I finally got back to Charlotte.

My day began in DC where I was on the drizzly road a few tics before 5:00 am. I needed to be in Greensboro, NC for the Carolina Cup which is apparently the 4th oldest bike race in the United States. I found that hard to believe but that's what the announcer kept saying. I realized earlier this year, the owner Cycles de Oro was also the race director for the crit race in Greensboro. I asked about partnering with the event because he was also a Chrome dealer. I suggested a one lap fixed gear or free wheel race which he liked and asked that I put up the prizes. Simple enough.

The drive to Greensboro was long (5 hours) and I was half falling asleep the first 90 minutes (not good). I rallied and got to North Carolina safe and ready to set up a table at the race with Chrome bags, shoes and apparel. It was well received even though there were 4 racers in the single speed race. I would like to grow the race into a 20+ person race, but it's early.

The table I set up with shoes, bags and apparel from Chrome.

Close up shot of the Chrome griffin logo.

Sweet bike, but the rider would end up out of the prizes in 4th.

The four racers lines up at the start. The winner would be the guy on the far left who is also a really good mountain biker.

Charlie Brown shortly after winning the masters race. He broke away early and held on for the win. Later in the Cat 3 race he crashed and split his bike frame in half. Not good.


Close up shot of the Craft custom skin suit that would later be wrecked in a crash.

The racers were really appreciative of the prizes and I had a good time chatting with spectators about the brand. I didn't leave Greensboro until a little after 3:00 pm which put me back in Charlotte around 5:00 pm. I had diminishing interest in attending the Charlotte Running Club's Beer Mile the entire afternoon. I tried to rally for the nth consecutive time but just couldn't muster the energy. I said hello to Meagan, watched her leave for the beer mile, drank a beer of my own, responded to a couple of texts for my absence and promptly passed out on the living room floor.

Slangin' Karhu Kicks

Time: 60:01
Distance: 8.51 miles
Pace: 7:03
Map

This was my first solo run since being in DC. I was in a rough place after last night, not due to the drinks but the lack of sleep. I've probably averaged 5 hours a night since being in DC which isn't ideal but is the way it has to be. I considered sleeping in and forgetting the run, but then I figured I would be in a grumpy mood trying to fit shoes knowing I had been a slackass.

I ran out of the hotel and headed down the hill. The streets were quiet and still. There is a fall chill in the air that brings memories of cross country season. I found my way down to the Arlington Bridge and ran across to the National Cemetery where I decided to turn around and run back along the bike path through Rock Creek Park. I had a general sense of where I was going and eventually came to the Connecticut St. Bridge that goes over the park. I was familiar with the bridge having walked across it with Jilane, Aja and Meagan a couple of years ago. However, to get to the bridge from the park, you have to run up this massive hill to a good eating spot called Open City. I had no time to waste and had to be back at the hotel so that I could clean up and get down to the expo that ran from 9 am to 7 pm. Woof!

The second day of the Nation's Tri Expo was a success. I sold more shoes and received great feedback from the participants. We had some good rushes where I was handling 4 people and answering multiple questions at the same time. It brought back memories of working in OK Runner on a busy Saturday. I was even visited and brought a coffee by Ms. Jilane Rodgers. Overall the day was a success. We sold lots of Craft apparel and I handled my own on the Karhu front. I would have liked to sold more, but some people weren't ready to pull the trigger.

The breakdown was super quick and we were off to a Thai restaurant for dinner. Corey, Kris (DC rep), Emily and I had a great meal at a small place just around the corner from the hotel (Hilton Washington aka Hinckley Hilton where Reagan was shot). Afterward we walked down to Dupont Circle and got a drink at some outside patio bar. It was fun to people watch but much too uptight for our style. Last night with the mustaches was a better laugh (you'll have to wait for that story since I'm posting recent to long ago).

Oh yea. It was 9/11 today. Very strange being in the nation's capital on this day and not really being able to take in the meaning since we were all downstairs building the brands.

Splits:
8:13, 7:25, 7:08, 6:53, 6:46, 6:40, 6:42, 6:59

Party Started

Time: 68:41
Distance: 9.60 miles
Pace: 7:09
Map

Mr. Owen Washburn rolled by the hotel a little after 7:00 this morning and we hit up the DC tourist sites. He took me on a route past the White House and onto the Mall. We ran by an Army unit on their morning pt which involved lots of shouting. We took a loop around the Capitol building, where you get to see the Supreme Court and Library of Congress. We headed up 14th St. and parted ways at Columbia Ave which took me right back to the hotel.

Today is the start of the Nation's Tri Expo and it's my job to "sell the shit out of Karhu." The prices were right and people were buying. I had some negotiators, but I held firm to our bargain prices. Conversing with the participants was great fun and I tried to talk to as many people as possible even if they weren't trying on shoes. As any rep would attest, expos are one of the most tiring aspects of the job. It's a lot of time on the feet, long days and little time to eat. However, I'm of the opinion that you have to make the most of the situation and it might as well be fun. I try to joke with those passing by and wish as many people good luck.

I was definitely tired at the end of the but was ready to rally for a fun night in DC. I met up with Owen, Katie, Ben Stern, George McArdle, Nark, and some others at Bedrock Billiards after having dinner at Bistro du Coin with Emily, Corey and a couple others. The dinner was great and it left me full of steak for the second night in a row. The papas frittes were on point too.

I had a fun time catching up with the boys at a dive bar that only Owen could find. When we arrived half a dozen people were running around with fake mustaches on. I had no idea what was going on but it definitely lightened the mood. A guy came up to me and offered me a fresh mustache straight from the paper backing. How could I refuse. I promptly attached it to my face and immediately felt like an asshole. Sorry to all those mustachioed readers out there, but how do you do it?

Drum roll please... I would like to introduce you to Pancho Kinley and Emily Sanchez.

Don't mess with this couple mang.

DC Tour

Time: 74:22
Distance: 10.20 miles
Pace: 7:17
Map

Owen and I started out the run in Rock Creek Park running south and then took a spin through Georgetown. He showed me the newest Apple store that had to fight to join the community. Next we ran down to the Washington Monument where we ended some pickups that started near our buddy Abe Lincoln. We ran halfway up the Mall before hooking a left on 14th and running straight north back to his home.

My work day started off back at the Pacers Logan Circle location. I got to meet the manager Robbie Wade who is an Irishman that knows a lot of the same people that I do. We weren't able to chat long because the store was super busy with an apparel showing, customers and a policeman who would have loved to stay all day and talk track. I believe his name was Reggie Harrison and back in the day he ran 44 point in the 400m for George Mason. (I just did a quick google query and can't find anything so I might have the name or school wrong, but Robbie confirmed it). Anyway, we narrowed our shoe choices down from everything on the wall to a pair of New Balance, Adidas and Karhu. In the end which did this guy pick? Karhu! That's right the former 44 point guy came through with a pair Forward Rides.

That made my morning and in the afternoon I went over to the Hilton Washington to help set up the Karhu/Craft booth in the Nation's Tri Expo. We got a good jump on the event and will be able to finish up in the morning. Dinner tonight was at the F Street Bistro where Corey's former athlete now manages. The manager hooked us up big time with a great meal and discount.

DC Fun Run with Owen

Time: 78:22
Distance: 9.56 miles
Pace: 8:11
Map

Yesterday evening I arrived in Washington, DC and immediately walked over to a bar with Owen to play some trivia. The team competition was close and our table was in the hunt for the win going into the final round which we absolutely tanked. The music round was not for Owen, Ben, myself and their two friends.

We were up relatively early for a run from Owen's house to Rock Creek Park. It was good to catch up and chat about all the people we do and don't keep up with these days. The weather was a plus too as it felt a bit like cross country season. Our average pace wasn't so hot but considering some of the hills and relaxed early pace it turned out being fine. After my run yesterday I'm not concerned about getting in quality runs, but just the stuff that will allow the body to recover.

After dropping Owen off at the Brookings Institute I headed over to Pacers' Arlington location. I found a money parking spot behind a building under heavy construction which allowed me to avoid the street meters. I had a great visit with the staff at the store and helped out as much as possible. From what I could tell, Karhu will be a success there. Later in the day I drove over to the newest Pacers store in Logan Circle which is right next to a Starbucks that I lounged at the last time I was in DC. This location is no more than 5 minutes from Owen's work. My parking spot this time was found across the street at Whole Foods.

I just missed the manager Robbie, but had a good chat with former American University runner Steve Hallinan. He is now one of the key members of the Pacers Elite Team. I half invited myself to their workout in the morning, but ended up not going because they are ready to start their intervals at 6:00 am and I was already going to have a long day.

Worst Run in Ages

Time: 38:21
Distance: 5.30 miles
Pace: 7:14
Map

So this was officially the worst run I've had in ages. I felt terrible from the start and felt terrible at the end. The legs were sluggish and the body felt a general sense of fatigue. Not the thing you want less than two weeks from a fast 5k. When I got home I sent a quick email to Coach Jeffrey G explaining how I felt, my concerns and all the travel/work that I'll be doing in the next couple of weeks. He came through in the clutch and shifted somethings around for the lead up to the CVS 5k.

This happened to me last year and I ignored it and just soldiered on with my workouts eventually leaving me tapped by the end of October and early November. I need to learn from my past mistakes and get the body turned around so I can attack the roads later on this year.

Morning Loop

Time: 59:26
Distance: 8.57 miles
Pace: 6:56
Map

How terrible am I? Well, I can't remember this run. I don't know why I didn't double back in the evening either. Probably because I felt terrible here and needed some time time to recover. I know that Meagan wasn't on the run because she is still injured. The pace wasn't fast either so that tells me something to, but I don't know what. Time on the feet. Check.

Week in Review

Time: 609:20
Distance: 90.74 miles

I put in the miles and got in a good workout on Saturday, but I can tell that my legs aren't all that sharp. I really struggled to run 200s on Friday which is not something that is usual in my training. I had to shift things around this week in order to allow the body to recover. I'm putting a bit of an emphasis on racing well at the CVS Downtown 5k in a couple of weeks. This time last year I started to feel a little sluggish and wasn't in top form by the time my serious racing was trying to get started. I need to avoid that this year.

Forgotten Watch

Time: ~92 minutes
Distance: ~14.5 miles

I ran with Nick Frank and John Compton this morning at McAlpine. I forgot my watch at home because I was probably still a little buzzed on my way out the door this morning. I left Mr. Garmin on the charging stand and didn't realize my mistake until I arrived at the parking lot.

Last night was fun time with Nick, John, Meagan, Dave & Laura and some others at a cookout. We had many laughs, burgers and drinks while not talking about training. This morning I was just wanting to put time on the legs after some quality days late in the week.

Working Out with Johnny C at PDS

Time: 77:35
Distance: ~11.50 miles

W/u: 25:32 for 3.15 miles
W/o: 3 mile tempo @ 5:15-5:20, 3 x 1200 w/ splits of 73, 70, 67 for 3:30
C/d: 26:40 for 3.09 miles

I was happy to have John Compton along for the ride on this workout over at PDS. We warmed up from the school down to the Boyce bathrooms and back. The plan was to run a 3 mile tempo in the neighborhood near the school just to tire out the legs and then hit the track for some solid splits. I love workouts like this as I try to survive the tempo and then attack the track business.

Splits:
5:13, 5:17, 5:24 for 15:54 total

(5:36 rest to jump a fence and change shoes)

3:30.38 - 71, 70, 69
(3:00)
3:31.08 - 71, 70, 70
(3:00)
3:28.97 - 73, 71, 64

Don't let the 3 mile tempo splits fool you as the course we ran started off downhill and gradually got harder. The start of the final mile was at the base of a hill and when John and I crested it, we were running 5:45 pace. It took a bit of an effort to get things back on track after that. Our mission was accomplish during the tempo section by tiring the legs a bit.

We hopped a fence and made it back over to the track as quickly as possible. I changed into my flats and geared up for the 1200s. I had a hard time relaxing to start which you can see from the first two intervals. I didn't have the nice 73, 70, 67 progression. The splits were relatively even because I couldn't relax off the line. I was also struggling into the wind on the backstretch.

On the last one I asked John to help me out in the middle. I ran a controlled 73 and then John took over pacing duties for the second lap. It felt like we were walking down the far side of the track, but checking my split at 600m (1:48) told me we were right on. I haven't been able to run off someone's shoulder in a track workout in months, if not years. It felt so much better knowing the work was being done up front by someone else. I was ready to pounce when we hit the bell lap and I smoothly rattled off a 64. This gave me a bit of confidence after having a hard time running 32s yesterday in some 200s.

Strugglin' 200s

Time: 64:31
Distance: 9.10 miles

W/u: 30:11 for 4.14 miles
W/o: 5 x 200 w/ 200 walk/jog recovery. First 100m in 16-17 sec., second 100m all out.
C/d: 25:52 for 3.60 miles

Not sure how you can mess up a 200m workout, but I did. My legs just weren't responsive today despite waiting all day to do this workout and not running a few miles in the morning. Typically after a 200 meter workout I leave feeling fast and fresh. Not so much today. I struggled to hit a respective time.

I jogged the long route from my house over to the newly resurfaced Myers Park High School track. I slipped through the fence and then learned the front gates were wide open as the cross country team had just finished practice. I didn't mess around got things started after a few laps around the track. I picked one of the middle lanes and sorted out my starting mark and shifting gears mark. The purpose of the workout was to run relaxed for 100m (mile pace?) and then blast away down the homestretch. I wanted to take a nice easy walk/jog recovery but after the second interval the maintenance man came to kick me off the track. I yelled back to give me 4 more minutes which he did.

Splits:
(56.59) 30.87, (95) 32.17, (69.88) 32.00, (62.78) 31.36, (65.53) 31.94 for 8:28 total and 5 laps of lane 4 or 5.

Not good, not good. I couldn't turn over for shit this evening. Granted I was running in trainers, but still. I should be able to run 16-17 for the first 100m and come back in 12-14 secs. The splits should have been around the low 30 point mark and I ran a couple of 32s! I guess the legs are telling me something. Too bad because I have a bigger workout on tap tomorrow.

After the workout I had a great chat with John Klein who is the coach of the cross country team. He's former NCAA xc All-American from UNC. He was teammates with one of the store owners that I call on. I stood on the track and we talked running for at least 20 minutes. It was a great time. He mentioned that he used to train with Rick Fuller and Nolan Swanson who I got to meet the summer after my sophomore year when a group of us were living/training out in Eugene, Oregon. Small world.

Nick Frank Rolls

Time: 67:33
Distance: 10.65 miles
Pace: 6:20
Map

My double this evening was with Nick Frank and we were rolling, of course. It was a nothing special of a route, just two loops around Booty. There were a couple tri guys out riding that we tried to heckle when we crossed paths. The conversation was good as always. I was feeling the pace a bit after the blown workout yesterday and the accumulation of miles on my legs.

Splits:
7:24, 6:xx, 6:42, 6:12, 6:04, 6:04, 5:58, 6:05, 6:07, 6:10, 6:08

Morning Miles

Time: 36:15
Distance: 5.33 miles
Pace: 6:47
Map

I am planning on running with Nick this evening so I just wanted to get in a few miles this morning nice and easy. Now that Meagan is out of running for a few weeks, I've been left to run my own paces which usually brings a bit quicker of an average. That also comes at the cost of being a little extra tired and not as recovered. I need to get her back out there to keep me in check.

McMullen Effort Flop

Time: 66:52
Distance: 10.03 miles

W/u: 23:57 for 3.01 miles
W/o: 2 x 3 miles. First 3 miles in 5:15, (3 mins), second 3 miles in 5:00
C/d: 22:14 for 3.02 miles

I was feeling rather sluggish all day and couldn't find the motivation to put in my workout. It wasn't until 6:30 pm when I left the house to drive out to McMullen. I ran a mile out and back, slipped into my flats and then ran another mile back out. I still wasn't feeling great but hoped that the opening 3 miles would get me going.

Splits:
5:18, 5:09, 5:13 for 15:40 total
(3:02 rest)
5:01 and then called the workout...

I was running well during the opening three miles. The first mile was a bit all over the place. I couldn't find the right effort or turnover to feel comfortable. I soon started to feel more relaxed around the 8 minute mark and finished out the opening 3 miles 5 seconds fast. It was on the rest that I realized I was in trouble. My stomach started talking to me and I couldn't find relief at the parking lot bathrooms. I also noticed that my skin temperature was really warm. It felt like I was burning up which didn't bode well for the next 3 miles. I gave it my best effort, but only ended up making it a mile before I had to pull off in the woods. I didn't feel the need to slog out 2 more miles so I just ran back to the parking lot.

It was nearly dark when I returned to the lot and I was being swarmed by mosquitoes. I was glad to get home and call it a night.

Freedom Park Miles

Time: 36:39
Distance: 5.31 miles
Pace: 6:54
Map

The body started off the month feeling a little tired. Charlotte is experiencing a bit of another heat spell with temperatures back up in the 90s. I definitely have to consider that in the last two weeks I've run over 200 miles as I went 107 and 94 mpw. In fact if you were to go back the last three months you would see weeks of (recent to week ending June 6th): 94, 107, 55, 93, 96, 80, 87, 88, 85, 91, 79, 92, 82. That's probably one of the best 13 week stretches that I've ever had. Averaging 86 miles per week for the last 13 weeks has left me a little fatigued during the summer months. I shouldn't be complaining though because my buddy Jerry's Kids out in Oklahoma has been running in the 110-120 range in his lead up to the Chicago Marathon.

I am going to workout this evening, but I'm needing a bit of extra coffee and motivation to do so. I put in an easy 5 miles this morning in order to see what the body was telling me.