Distance Trend

Time: 66:39
Distance: 15.53k
Pace: 4:18
Map

I have no issues with running the same loop day after day. I used to be bored doing such things, but when the routine works it's good to stick to it.

Morning 15k

Time: 66:39
Distance: 15.51k
Pace: 4:18
Map

I put in some solo running this morning and got to pick up the pace a bit. I felt good running my morning 15k which I would like to make more standard in the near future. Every morning the minimum would be 15k as it sets up nicely for big weekly distance.

Easy Double Run

Time: 32:29
Distance: 6.65k
Pace: 4:53
Map

An easy double run just to Freedom Park and back with Meagan.

Recovery Time on the Feet

Time: 50:35
Distance: 10.64k
Pace: 4:45
Map

I got in some very easy running with Meagan this morning as she looked to recover from her workout yesterday. I was happy to join on the easy day as I am just getting back to running 100 percent healthy again.

Meagan's Speed Loop Workout

Time: 101:03
Distance: 23.02k

W/u: 24:16 for 5.07k
W/o: 3 x 15 mins w/ 3 mins rest
C/d: 24:22 for 5.01k

Meagan and I warmed up to the Speed Loop for 3 x 15 minutes starting at 6:20 pace and ending at 6:00 pace. The goal was to get used to running at marathon pace and feel controlled with a total of 45 minutes of hard running.

Splits:
3:42, 3:46, 3:48, 3:43 (3:00);
3:46, 3:47, 3:48, 3:36 (5:00);
3:49, 3:46, 3:52, 3:43 for 53:05 total and 12.94k

Those are the 1k splits on each of the 3  sections. Meagan needed a little encouragement after the second one to be able to finish the workout. The pace was faster than prescribed for the first two 15 minute blocks.

Read Meagan's recap here.

Easy Shakeout

Time: 25:17
Distance: 5.02k
Pace: 5:02
Map

I ran an easy shakeout this evening with Meagan along the Sugar Creek Greenway. Nothing crazy.

Medium Loop

Time: 63:17
Distance: 13.87k
Pace: 4:34
Map

Trying to get caught up on the blog after a 3 week lack of posting. Here we go...

Week In Review

Time: 459:26
Distance: 100.75k

I'll take it. My foot is finally not hurting during or after runs. I still don't believe that it's 100%, but I can confidently run 10 miles without having negative thoughts in the back of my mind. I don't have plans to start doing my own workouts any time soon as I just need to string together a few weeks of healthy running.

Forgotten Sunday Long Run

Time: 66:29
Distance: 15.48k
Pace: 4:18
Map

I flew back from Austin, TX this morning needing to put in some distance. I headed out the door and found 15k on a familiar loop in Myers Park. This is the third respectable run in a row which has me thinking my foot injury is behind me.

Run & Crash

Time: ~70 minutes
Distance: ~16k

I got up and out the door for two more loops around Town Lake this morning. It was crowded as ever out on the path with all the fitness fanatics getting in some more workouts. I returned back to Paul's for a relaxing end of the morning. I was just settling in to read some blogs and watch some football when I got a call from Paul asking me to come pick him up. He gave me the address and I was off to find the bossman.

Paul had left this morning for a 60 mile ride with a group that meets every weekend. He was scheduled to return around noon so it was little surprise when he called asking for a ride. I figured he had gotten a flat and didn't have a spare tube. Turns out that he had crashed and was posted up on the corner of the sidewalk flat on his back. The neighboring inhabitants had come outside to take care of Paul giving him ice and a bag of peas for his shoulder.

I helped to the Sprinter van and put his bike in the back for a quick drive over to Jack & Adam's. We wanted advice on which ER to visit for the best service. Paul wasn't convinced anything was broken, but just thought his shoulder was dislocated. The reception at the ER was to be expected. They quickly took down Paul's info and shuffled him back to see a doctor. I waited out front watching football, reading Twitter and looking at Facebook on my phone. A couple of hours later Paul comes out with a sling on his arm and a diagnosed broken clavicle.

What went from being a fantastic Saturday afternoon quickly turned into me caring for Pablo and making sure he wasn't in too much pain. He rallied to get some pizza and beer at Home Slice, a local favorite. I'll remember this day when roadies or triathletes try to get me on a bike. No thanks!

Hot One in Austin

Time: ~88 minutes
Distance: ~20k

I flew down to Austin to meet with TGA bossman and discuss business. We had a good lunch at Taco Deli, some good coffee at Juan Pelota and browsed around Mellow Johnny's. If you don't know Mellow Johnny's then you don't know Austin or the yellow jersey. Later in the evening we suited up in our costumes, him in spandex, me in short running shorts to go out and elevate the heart rate.

When in Austin for only a few days, it is almost obligatory to run along Town Lake. I made two loops from Paul's house around the crowded dirt paths. It's always a good time to be out with the fitness crowd, but at the same time annoying when three trophy wives pushing baby joggers block up the flow of traffic.

I was just getting close to Paul's house where I would call it a day when Mr. Perrone comes charging my way. I was on the brink of bonking, but I couldn't turn down the opportunity to get in some additional distance. I turned around and shuffled on for an additional 20 minutes which pushed my total distance and time to levels I haven't seen in weeks. My foot was feeling good so I wasn't going to complain with being able to run respectable again.

Golf Course Fail

Time: 66:04
Distance: 14.47k
Pace: 4:34
Map

Meagan and I planned to run on a gold course this morning but it rained overnight. The course was mushy and we didn't feel like tearing up the fairways. We made a quick exit after about 400m and headed back to the trail we've run most days and headed out to the neck. After one loop around it was time to head back in a rain that was getting more intense. It was good to put in some distance before starting the day and heading back to Charlotte.

Town of Swampscott

Time: 39:57
Distance: 7.87k
Pace: 5:04
Map

Meagan, Huub and I ran from Marblehead to Swampscott (funny name) in the evening. It was dark by the time we finished and the only remarkable moment was a giant steep hill about 20 minutes in. The foot is feeling solid and not banged up from Meagan's workout yesterday.

Marblehead Neck

Time: 82:39
Distance: 18.84k

W/u: 20:29 for 4.27k
W/o: 6 x 3 min uptempo, 1 min easy, 1 min hard, 1 min easy
C/d: 26:37 for 5.40k

Meagan is in a 6 week phase that is designed to gain fitness, keep her healthy and stay fresh until we start more specific marathon training in early November. That will leave her with all of November, December and two weeks of Jan. to be in top form for the Olympic Trials. This workout took place out on the neck of Marblehead which is a rolling ~3400m loop. I wanted Meagan running 10k to half-marathon pace for 3 minutes followed by a minute of easy running, followed by a minute of mile to 5k pace running with another easy minute jog. The recovery was short and consistently moving, but nothing that would take her to the well. The rolling course would affect the pace we were running, but fartlek workouts are all about effort and not hitting specific splits.

Splits:
#1 - 3:37 pace (840m), 4:41 pace (216m), 3:24 pace (302m), 4:48 pace (213m)
#2 - 3:27 (873m), 5:16 (194m), 3:19 (308m), 4:52 (208m)
#3 - 3:32 (857m), 5:08 (201m), 3:23 (297m), 5:19 (194m)
#4 - 3:36 (840m), 4:34 (225m), 3:34 (288m), 5:09 (199m)
#5 - 3:31 (858m), 4:54 (207m), 3:18 (310m), 5:44 (177m)
#6 - 3:41 (817m), 5:25 (188m), 3:01 (338m)
35:33 for 9.17k total and 3:53 average

I felt good on the run and was happy to provide assistance as pace setter. My foot is fortunately holding up these days on my runs. I can tell it's not 100 percent, but I'm able to run an decent amount so as to not be 200 lbs (that is a goal of mine one day). I have not immediate plans to start doing my own workouts so I will mostly be dragging Meagan around a few times a week.

Read Meagan's recap here.

Marblehead Run

Time: 46:17
Distance: 8.09k
Map

Meagan and I traveled up to the North Shore of Boston this morning to check out the vibe. We suited up in our running costumes for a run around town with Huub who was taking us along a bike path that runs into Salem. Meagan turned back after about 15 minutes as she ran this morning, but I continued on to eventually run on a dark trail that I was lucky to not twist an ankle.

Week in Review

Time: 422:06
Distance: 90.4k

I'll take it! Finally a week of training that would have been respectable in high school. Even if I could get back to high school shape in a short period of time, I'd be happy. Oh how the mighty have fallen!

My foot is nearly 100 percent and I'm continually making sure it's holding up with the increased mileage. It was fun to run with a group in Atlanta and friends at the Whitewater Center. I don't plan on working out any time soon as I just look to build fitness slowly.

US Whitewater Center

Time: ~15k
Distance: ~72:00
Pace: 4:59
Map

Meagan dragged me out to the Whitewater Center to go running with Megan Hovis, Jason Martin and Chris Lamperski. I forgot to start my watch for the first few minutes of the trail as we snaked back into the woods single file. I was a little nervous about running on the trails with my foot but it turned out for the best. Somehow the girls got dropped about 25 minutes into the run and the boys were free to talk about football, beer, guns, and why Mila Kunis would make the perfect wife.

I was happy to have survived the run as the last time out to the Whitewater Center this happened:

April 23rd: Raced a 12k trail race out at the National White Water Center. It had rained the night before so the single track trails were a little muddy. I wore LunarRacers which was quite possibly the worst choice for this type of race (I still think trail shoes suck, except Inov8). I actually threw out the shoes after the race (might have been the pair I won Oklahoma City Marathon with). I fell 3 times during the race after opening up a minor gap on Ben Hovis. We had a bit of a sprint finish to the end, but I prevailed earning a trip for two to any Sandals Resort in the Caribbean. My punishment was that I couldn't walk after the race. My leg shut down and I hobbled up to accept my award with a walking stick Ben found me in the woods.

I was tempted to run a little extra but called it a day upon returning to the parking lot. I was smart and brought a change of clothes with a towel. I got a quick shower before hanging out with Karin by the zip lines while waiting for the girls and Chris to finish up their runs.

West Stride Group Roun

Time: 72:46
Distance: 16.01k
Pace: 4:32
Map

West Stride is owned and operated by Genie Beaver who is the niece of the legendary Arkansas coach John McDonnell. Her store always hosts group runs for the local clubs and invites her vendors to attend to show product and promote events. Meagan was there for a Karhu and Craft test run and to give out some free entries to the 13.1 Atlanta race in a few weeks. The group was going various distances and I was just going to tag along with however far Meagan was running. With my foot feeling a little better, I was feeling confident that I could handle the distance if it didn't get out of hand.

The top group of runners formed and we were all wearing Karhu kicks. There was Dieter who works at West Stride, Andrew who is going to be the bear in the "beat the bear" competition in a few weeks, a local high schooler trying the shoes for the first time, Meagan and me. We decided on a 10 miles loop that included a few big climbs in some of the nice neighborhoods of Atlanta. I was pretty pleased that my foot was fine for the most part. I could tell it wasn't 100 percent, but there wasn't any major discomfort when toeing off. I was glad to get in a solid 16k run (10 miles) for the first time in a few weeks without experiencing slight pain.

Piedmont Park's Active Oval

Time: ~60 minutes
Distance: ~13k

My watch is acting a fool again and tells me it is charge when it really isn't. Maybe I should do the update that the Garmin Connect has been suggesting. I ran sans watch with Meagan in Atlanta from our friend Brooke's house to Piedmont Park. I haven't run in the park in years and it was nice to get back on the Active Oval. I have blogged about the AO in the past as it's a great 800m+ loop for workouts or easy runs in the heart of the city. We had a busy day planned and my foot was cooperating so I was content to get in 60 minutes of running and call it a day.

Medium Loop

Time: 63:26
Distance: 13.78k
Pace: 4:36
Map

I don't really remember this run, but based on the pace it was with Meagan. Based on the distance my foot was feeling better.

Ms. Dullard

Time: 61:01
Distance: 13.22k
Pace: 4:37
Map

I think Meagan was tired of running Medium Loops and wanted a slight change of scenery which brought us into the Dilworth neighborhood. Big change right? She was convinced that if we ran from our house, across Freedom Park, around the 2 mile Speed Loop and back that it would be at least 9 miles. We were trying to calculate it carefully so that I keep my foot in check and not get carried away.

My Garmin while occasionally inaccurate can still hold its own. We had only covered 5k when we hit Rebecca's house (Meagan was calling those warm ups 4 miles) and then we added on the 2 miles around the popular tempo loop. A confused MRN couldn't figure out how this run takes her 70 minutes on occasion and that there is no way it was only 8 miles. She thought of every factor that could make the run longer than it was trying to convince me that she doesn't overestimate her distance. After 30+ minutes of confusion she realized that she normally runs all the way through Freedom Park to meet Caitlin before continuing back to Dilworth. Mystery solved for the dullard.

Exploring Renaissance Trails

Time: 30:03
Distance: 5.57k
Pace: 5:24
Map

The distance on this run might be a little wrong as Meagan and I went over to the Renaissance Park trails. She ran there this morning with Ben Hernandez of Run For Your Life fame and she had such a fun run that she thought it necessary to share the trails with me. I wasn't as big of a fan mainly because my foot is still nagging and I was worried about turning my ankle. The trails are super windy so the pace wasn't all that fast, but it was cool to feel miles from the heart of Charlotte. I was happy to get in 30 minutes and then watch Meagan do some drills on one of the soccer fields.

A Run with MRN

Time: 62:54
Distance: 13.82k
Pace: 4:33
Map

I picked up Meagan from the airport late last night and we didn't get started on this run until a little later. It is my first run with her in quite some time as it was nice to catch up. She just got back from Chicago where she was helping with the Chicago Half Marathon. We put in a Medium Loop together which was enough to take my mind off my foot. It was feeling pretty good today which no real irritation. I think the last 10 minutes were run pain free which I won't complain about.

Week in Review

Time: ~117:41
Distance: ~28k

Pathetic week of training. The good news is that my foot is feeling a lot better. I definitely still have discomfort while running and it's not ready to support 100k weeks, but it is moving in a positive direction.

Blue Ridge Listening

Time: 40:41
Distance: ~9k

I was sitting around the house getting ready to watch some football when I sent a text to Compton asking if the was around. I wanted to hear about the race and how they ended up losing to the Asheville Collective by 3 minutes when the Charlotte Running Club team was only 28 seconds back with 2 legs to run. He said he was just sitting down to eat at Bad Daddy's with Jaskot.

I laced up my shoes and was off to meet them for some social interaction. It took me just over 20 minutes to arrive and they were just finishing up paying the bill. I heard all about the race as I sat there in my running clothes which was in major juxtaposition to the dude in a Steelers jersey. After hearing about Blue Ridge for 10-15 minutes I was off to finish up the second half of my run. I ran into AJ at the end of Freedom Park and ran with him for about a half mile.

My foot was actually in a decent place today. I have been wearing a pair of inserts in my shoes for the last 3 or 4 runs which I think has been helping the twisting motion. The injury is definitely getting better, but it's been a slow go.

Hepcat Hopscotch Race

Time: none
Distance: none

There was no running today as I had to be out the door early for arrival and set up at an event in Raleigh. I helped to sponsor an alley cat race with Chrome and the event organizers wanted me on hand to show off the brand. I set up a table and displayed a bunch of bags and shoes for all to see. The stickers were an immediate hit and some were placed on bikes at the event.

I'm feeling lazy and don't feel like posting individual photos, so I will direct you to the TGA Facebook page.

Asheville Highways

Time: ~35 minutes
Distance: ~8k

I had a lovely stay at the Red Roof Inn to extend my Asheville trip for another day. In the morning I was out the door searching for a decent place to run. I probably should have driven to a trail head, but I couldn't justify it for my 30 minute run. I opted to run up the highway and into the neighborhoods that appeared to be up the hill. It wasn't the safest of runs, fortunately the roads were pretty quiet. I definitely climbed several hundred feet and couldn't help but feel left out of the Blue Ridge Relay.

I finished up having covered just over 35 minutes based on my Timex non-digital watch. My foot didn't feel great, but it has felt much worse. I was sure to stretch and massage pretty well afterward just to clean up any tightness.

Mountain Meetings

Time: 20-25 minutes
Distance: 5-6k

I had a meeting in Hickory with the GM of Balega Sports today and then an appointment in Black Mountain with a guy who is opening a running store. I had never been to Black Mountain before and really liked the small town mountain feel. I got to spend some time at the Dripolator drinking the black stuff before continuing on to Asheville. After a quick visit to Jus' Running, I laced up the boots for a short run from the shop. I ran near the university and into a few of the neighborhoods. My foot wasn't feeling terrible, but it still has some lingering discomfort.

After my visit with Dr. Greenapple who didnt' think the foot looked that bad, we thought it would be best to run a little just to get some blood flow to the area and perhaps strengthen the muscles. Oh how I love 20 minute runs.

Jog and Treatment at McAlpine

Time: ~20 minutes
Distance: ~5k

Dr. Greenapple came through huge time and treated me out at McAlpine in the evening. He has been helping out the Ardrey Kell HS cross-country team and was out there holding a stopwatch for the JV boys. I jogged around on the Footlocker course trying to judge where my foot was at while looking for the doc. I eventually spotted a team in purple on the final mile of the course running some 800m repeats.

When the practice was over I followed the doc to his car where he pulled out a portable acupuncture kit. He treated me over by the kids so they could see a little more about what he does. I was comfortable with being pinned outdoors as I'm ready to be done with this foot pain.

After the treatment I ran a few strides with Dr. Greenapple closely watching my form. I made mention that my right foot is landing on the lateral side and twisting through toe off. He noticed the same thing and tried to come up with a couple explanations for it. I hope next week I'll be able to have a few more sessions as doc didn't think there was too much wrong with my foot.

Day 5

Time: none
Distance: none

Another day without bringing the heart rate above 100.

Labor Day with No Labor

Time: none
Distance: none

I put in zero work in terms of running today on Labor Day. I did go to the movies to see The Debt with Meagan.

Week in Review

Time: 193:40
Distance: 43.78k

Well that was an underwhelming week of training. At least I had a fun time with some buddies up in DC and got to run with Chris Farley. The foot is pretty much keeping me out of Blue Ridge which is just oh so awesome.

One More Time

Time: none
Distance: none

And here's a third day of no running. So awesome.

No More Running

Time: none
Distance: none

One day can easily turn into two at this rate.

Day Off

Time: none
Distance: none

I'm taking time off as it isn't fun to run when every toe-off brings discomfort. My hope is that a few days with continued therapy will help alleviate some of the pain. I still have hopes of running Blue Ridge but those thoughts are rapidly fading.

Running with Chris Farley

Time: 60:40
Distance: 12.79k
Pace: 4:44
Map

I ran with Chris Farley this morning. Not the Chris Farley that you are thinking of, but the one who owns the Pacers Running Stores in DC. He ran at UVA back in the day and still finds the time to put in some miles. Meagan and I met him at his place in Rosyln for a loop of his choosing. Just as we arrived he ran back inside and didn't come out for several minutes. Turns out that he was snagged by Matt Centrowitz Sr. because Jr. was running in the semi-finals of the World Championships. I was a little disappointed that I missed the race, but was happy to hear the US 1500m champ made it to the finals.

Our run was a great way to bond as this was really first time I got to chat with Chris. We talked all things in the running industry including the news that Finish Line purchased another big running store chain. I had little where I was on the run but occasionally noticed familiar sites. Meagan and I wish we could run with more store owners like this as it truly is the best way to connect with an account. If you're a store owner out there and you're looking to get in some miles, give us a buzz.