Night Drills & Strides

Time: 39:43
Distance: 7.73k
Pace: 5:08
Map

In what is becoming our Monday night routine, Meagan and I headed over to the track to jog a few laps and then do drills. We usually dress as if it were 10 degrees colder than it is so we keep the pace really slow and we shuffle up the hill to the track. We run a few laps and then start our drills ending with some strides.

Final Run in Charlotte

Time: 76:25
Distance: 16.17k
Pace: 4:44
Map

Meagan and I met up with an early morning crew for our last official run in Charlotte. I never felt great, but tried to enjoy being on familiar streets for many weeks or months to come. We wandered through Freedom Park, around the Dilworth neighborhood and ventured into Myers Park toward the end.

Back at the house it was a mad push to finish packing the rest of our belongings. The trailer was well organized until the final 5 minutes when I just started throwing small objects and let them land wherever. I shut the door, made sure it was secure, locked it, and hoped for the best. An eight hour drive was ahead, one nervous cat, and all of our possessions were off to MA.

Week in Review

Time: 588:11
Distance: 131.4k

It was a busy week with lots of packing and throwing away of possessions in Charlotte. Out of circumstance, I was forced to run less than last week which I'm not complaining about. I probably needed a week like this to allow the body to freshen up for a long drive up to MA. I also ran quite a bit last week so I will take it.

Breaking from Packing

Time: 69:02
Distance: 15.30k
Pace: 4:31
Map

Meagan, Jeff, Melanie and I all headed up to the Childress Winery yesterday afternoon for the lovely wedding of Brook Starr and Lance Haman. The event was classy and accommodated for the frigid temperatures of an outside ceremony. We ended up staying the night and traveled back to Charlotte this morning only to be dropped off at the U-haul facility to pick up Meagan's VW with a hitch and trailer attached.

The packing started and didn't stop until early afternoon when we decided to get in a run to clear our thoughts. It's amazing how much two people can acquire and how much is absolutely necessary to have. Lots of stuff is being tossed at the dumpster and it's been funny to watch people immediately take home what were formerly our possessions. If we were really savvy the items would have been sold, but time was limited already.

Post Party Uptown Run

Time: 80:36
Distance: 17.47k
Pace: 4:37
Map

This morning a slightly hungover group of CRC runners showed up to the Dowd YMCA to get in a run. The big surprise of the morning had to be Matt Jaskot as he rallied hard from what must have been a rough late night. Meagan and I had our costume/going away party graciously hosted by Rebecca Thomason. Matt came fully in character as Raoul Duke of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Make note to never take Mr. Duke's Wild Turkey or be harassed. It was a great night with many of the close friends Meagan and I have made during our two short years in Charlotte.

Back to the run that brought a small group out to run around Uptown and some of the nearby bike paths. I wasn't feeling great and many of the under-crossings were flooded which made for a slippery stride. I was content to call the run at 80 minutes and get back to packing.

CRC Unofficial Group Run

Time: 74:45
Distance: 16.01k
Pace: 4:40
Map

Meagan and I met up with Megan Hovis, Dan & Val Matena, Bill Shires, Mike Kahn and a couple others at the Old Bell entrance to McAlpine. We ran as a group at a light clip that allowed everyone to chat. Ben wasn't present as his team would be competing later that morning at the state meet. It was good to catch up with Dan who is taking over the Carolinas with TGA. I'll be assisting him in some ways so the transition into the role goes as smoothly as possible.

Double Run to the AG

Time: 48:16

Distance: 11.10k

W/u: 35:53 for 8.20k

C/d: 12:24 for 2.90k

This evening I headed out to get in some extra distance and wound up at the AG. I wanted to run some light strides, but the field was being used for football and parents/fans were crowding the track. I opted to use the outfield of the nearby baseball field which worked quite well. I ran 6 x 110-130m at a solid effort. It felt good to turn over the legs really fast for the first time since working out with Jay in New York. I need to do more strides before it starts to get really cold up north and I don't want to spend the extra time outside.

4 Mile Creek

Time: 64:28
Distance: 15.11
Pace: 4:16
Map

Meagan and I headed out to the Piper Glen shopping center to meet up with Anna Donlan who was interested in trying out a pair of Karhus. Meagan had worked yesterday and was content to run with Anna who would be pushing a baby jogger. Turns out she can clip along with the little one as Meagan said the pace was honest. I started a bit early and got in my 15k out and back on the bike path. I wasn't feeling great until the final 3k when I opened up my stride a bit.

Double Down in Charlotte

Time: 65:55
Distance: 15.62
Pace: 4:13

I arrived in Charlotte and started the long process of packing up our remaining belongings. Little did I know that Meagan and I would be doing this until the moment we left town. It was great being back with MRN who had been in Texas for work and then flew directly to Charlotte. In the late afternoon I laced up the shoes and headed out to the familiar sights of Freedom Park. After a loop o' booty I finished up with some quicker k's now that my legs are starting to feel recovered from Sunday.

Wicked Early Run

Time: 30:29
Distance: 6.41k
Pace: 4:45

I was up wicked early to get an some light kilometers before taking a taxi to Logan. I was surprised to see so many people out walking or jogging despite the crisp air and pitch black sky. I shuffled through the streets trying to get the blood flowing to the legs in preparation for a busy week down in Charlotte.

When I was picked up by the cabbie, he said he heard a dirty secret that the first storm of the year might be on its way. It was 80 degrees a couple of weeks ago and now snow!? Good thing I get a few more days back in the Carolinas.

Marblehead Night Double

Time: 47:44
Distance: 10.62
Pace: 4:30

I'm not sure why the Garmin Connect function didn't pull the data from my watch, but that's Garmin for you. I doubled after work back in Marblehead and then packed for an early departure to Charlotte in the AM.

Morning Neck Loop

Time: 55:04
Distance: 12.43k
Pace: 4:26
Map

I had the "medium loop" in Charlotte and now I have the "neck loop" in Marblehead. They are both comparable in distance and run past arguably the nicest homes in town. I opted not to double last night after having run big mileage and wanted to allow the body to recover. This morning I felt a bit fresher when stepping out the door around 6:30 AM. The weather is cooperating now, but I have a feeling January will be another story.

Easy Morning Run

Time: 51:52
Distance: 11.33k
Pace: 4:35
Map

I was up early to put in about 50 minutes of running nice and easy around the Marblehead neck. The body doesn't feel too beat up after the half marathon, but there are some slight aches that will take a few days to subside.

Week in Review

Time: 724:58
Distance: 160.92k

I got in a solid week of training with lots of time on the feet. I was able to run with friends in NYC, The Rockies, Providence and the North Shore. My first workout back with Urban Athletics was underwhelming, but it tells me work needs to be done. That information was confirmed when I toed the line at the Newburyport Half Marathon. I ran just under 72 minutes which is about the split I went through Thunder Road last year on comparable terrain. I'm definitely not where I was, but not in a bad place either.

Newburyport Half Marathon

Time: 113:42
Distance: 28.81k

W/u: 28:38 for 5.49k
Race: 71:45 for 5th place
C/d: 13:19 for 2.32k

I ran a half marathon today. I need to get back on my A-game to compete in New England. I am going to be really sore.

About a week ago Meagan encouraged me to run the inaugural Newburyport Half Marathon, but I paid her little attention. I haven't been doing much recently other than running her workouts for the past six weeks. The last workout that I would call my own was completed on August 27th with a bum foot. I had little intention to show up to the start line this morning, but then thought, "what else is there to do?"

The drive up to Newburyport was exactly what you would imagine a New England fall to be like. The trees were all shades of orange, yellow and tan while the air was crisp with the temps in the low 40s. I saw on Facebook that there were only 15 spots left for race day registration, but that turned out to be quite the ploy to create a sense of urgency. I hustled over to the registration tables upon arriving and found there to be a stack of bibs.

I should mention that race time wasn't until 10:00 AM which meant I had plenty of time to organize my gear, find a porto, do my warm up and head over to the start line with over 1,000 other participants. Not bad for a first year race in a small New England town of roughly 20,000 according to multiple legit internet sources including but not limited to Wikipedia (this isn't a term paper so back off). With the race starting mid-morning I also had ample time to scout the competition. I recognized Nate Jenkins who placed 7th at the marathon trials in 2008 and a lanky Kenyan who found the race director and was given a comped entry. I didn't feel like pulling that card as I'm new to these parts and was unsure as to whether I would run 70 minutes or 75 minutes. I'd rather pay this time out.

At the start line it looked like there might be 10 guys in contention to win part of the purse ($500, $400, $300, $200, $100). My limited goal was to put my nose in the mix and find out what would happen. After the race director yelled go over the mic, Nate and the Kenyan took off to the front. I ran in the second group which consisted of Alan who I just met at Rhode Runner in Providence, a little dude with a beard named Jose and a guy with a Greater Boston Running Co. singlet. By the 2k mark, Mr. GBRC had fallen back and I was about 10 meters behind Alan and Jose. I found the courage to bridge the gap by 3k, but was soon dropped about 300 meters later.

I was solidly in fifth place and had to watch Alan and Jose run away from me starting at the 4k mark. I hoped that they would come back, but they never did as both were running personal records for the day. I kept focusing on maintaining form and running the tangents, but this was a course that wasn't going to allow me to fake it. I ran tough and tried to think about the runners ahead and not the runners behind. I felt like a marked man as I was just in the money and knew others would be coming for me.

Late in the race, probably around the 15k mark I could see that the Kenyan was falling back and being passed by Alan and Jose. I was still close to a minute back and couldn't see anyone behind me when I glanced taking turns. The course was beautiful from the 5k to 15k marks as we ran around a pond on quiet country roads that rolled gently through the woods. I would have much rather been out for a training run than trying to hold onto my fifth position, but maybe in the future I'll return.

There was a long straight stretch from 15k to 18k that put me on the rivets. I backed off the pace because I didn't think maintaining was going to leave me with anything left if I were challenged the final mile. It was a smart move as I was able to regain my composure and run back into Newburyport feeling strong and comfortable with my stride. I kept things together and could see the Kenyan was coming back, yet was still quite a ways off and I was running out of room. I crossed the line in just under 72 minutes and learned where my fitness is at on Oct. 23rd. I'm a 71 high half marathon right now. There is lots of work to do...

Splits:
3:11, 3:20, 3:15, 3:24, 3:22 (16:32 at 5k)
3:16, 3:25, 3:15, 3:24, 3:29 (16:49 split, 33:21 at 10k)
3:20, 3:23, 3:22, 3:33, 3:25 (17:03 split, 50:24 at 15k)
3:27, 3:35, 3:29, 3:25, 3:22 (17:18 split, 67:42 at 20k)
3:26, :36 for 183 meters
71:47 for 21.18k

Salem Woods in the Muck

Time: 94:14

Distance: 17.87
Pace: 5:16

Map

In an effort to get this blog up to date and have some more meaningful posts, I'm going to begin a massive posting spree starting with most recent (today) going back several weeks (Oct. 5th).

This morning I was texted by the Karhu CEO asking if I were up for a run. We were to meet up at the edge of Salem/Marblehead where a trail comes to a convenient end. I changed into my running costume and set out a few minutes late for the trail.

It didn't take me too long to find the midpoint of the trail which is just a few blocks from the town center and make my way out to the edge of town. I ran past a small private school where youth soccer games were being held and cross paths with one of 5 people I know in town. His name is Sean and we met last Friday night at a dinner party that included a round of stories that could only be described as a "code brown situation." It happens to everyone right? This morning he was wearing a pair of Karhus so that's at least one pair of feet in New England supporting the cause.

Huub (CEO) was a few minutes late which is to be expected. It took me a few minutes to calm my pace from a hurried 4:30/k out the door to a calm 5:30/k clip. The pace would only get slower because we soon found ourselves in Salem Woods which apparently doesn't drain very well. Had I been running solo, I would have turned around 400m into the woods when we came to the first mini-bog, but good ol' Huub just lumbered right on with me following close behind. I would be able to come close to replicating the loop but I do know that we took every right turn possible.

The trail was narrow, muddy, full of rock and roots, and overgrown with all sorts of vegetation. Clearly this is a real popular place to run. I was mainly worried about ticks jumping on me and burrowing into my skin before I had a chance to brush them off. Lyme disease is the last thing I need right now, but would be only fitting for a lackluster 2011.

I was happy to get out of the trails and back onto solid footing around the 75 minute mark. We ran together for another kilometer before parting ways. I headed back on the trail and picked up the pace all the way back to the fort. I fortunately didn't find any ticks on my body so I will hopefully live to run another day. I am now sitting in the dining room listening to music watching boats and birds travel past the window.

Night Run on the Neck

Time: 50:21
Distance: 11.24k
Pace: 4:29
Map

I returned from a week long business trip that took me to 13 running stores in NYC, NY, CT, RI and MA. I would have visited more but I needed to be back in the office for a 1:30 Skype call. I enjoyed only being at the office for a few hours today as I much prefer being in accounts and out on the road getting a feel for the new territory. I wasn't planning on doubling tonight, but then I figured there wasn't much else to do. Meagan is gone to Dallas for a 13.1 event and my social life isn't exactly worthy of a reality tv show. But, don't worry I plan to pitch one to Bravo with a similar premise of "Most Eligible Dallas." I was tempted to walk down to the nearest bar called The Barnacle and make some friends, but decided I could lace up the boots.

I did run past The Barnacle which I picture as being a seedy blue collar joint with anchors and old sea ropes for decoration. I would nervously mingle with the local fisherman and listen to them talk about the days catch and if the price of herring was good or not. I don't think my original perception of the joint was accurate as it looked to be hopping with Friday night patrons. I continued through the narrow Marblehead streets which are typical of New England and soon came to Ocean Blvd. which takes you out to the Neck.

I looped around some of the most desirable homes in town and then headed back to the fort with 50 minutes of running behind me. I started to feel pretty good about half way through the run which tells me I'm starting to turn the corner in terms of fitness just in time to get injured this winter. I always get injured in the winter so this will be just perfect.

Brown Cross Country

Time: 47:59
Distance: 11.33k
Pace: 4:14
Map

It was fun running with the Brown xc team this morning at their morning practice. Hopefully it wasn't an NCAA violation as that was certainly not the intention. I guess most NCAA violations are not intended other than to find loopholes in the system.

The guys were running various distances ranging from 4 to 7 miles depending on age and competitiveness. I opted to run in the second group as the guys up front were absolutely hammering right out of the gate. I had us open with a 4:22 kilometer which is at least 30 seconds faster than I normally start. It took me about 10 minutes to get my 27 year old muscles going. We ran a familiar loop that briefly hits the trails of Blackstone Park and then finished up along the (Blackstone) Boulevard. I was content to finish up at 11k as I had to hit the road for a store visit in Plymouth, MA.

Visiting Providence & Brown

Time: 75:15
Distance: 17.54k
Pace: 4:17
Map

I ended my day of store visits with Rhode Runner in Providence, RI where I used to buy shoes during my time at Brown. The manager is now Pat Moulton who ran at Providence College and was a year older than me. He and my good buddy Pat Tarpy had a great battle to the finish at the New England Championships one year that Brown ended up with the team title. Fun memories.

After the visit I headed up to campus and park near the OMAC (athletic center) where I was able to sneak in the back and change into my running costume. I had chatted with @78barnestweet earlier in the day about where the boys were working out. The team was doing some mile repeats down at the Brown Stadium.

I got in 45 minutes of running on short St. Ray's before arriving at the track to watch one of the final workouts before the Heps Cross Country Championships next Saturday at Princeton. I won't be able to make it down to Dirty Jersey so it was nice to see the crew while in town. I became pretty fired up after hearing the three clap beat during the workout. My pace dropped considerably during the 20 minutes of running clockwise around the track. I fortunately felt pretty good despite the considerable amount of running I've done this week. The trick is staying healthy.

Greenwich Running Co. Run

Time: 42:08
Distance: 9.33k
Pace: 4:31
Map

I came to Greenwich, CT as the last stop of store visits before driving on to New Haven to stay with a friend from Brown who came through huge time with a couch to sleep on. I knew that Dan Matena who is taking over my role in the Carolinas for TGA was working as the assistant manager of the Greenwich Running Co. which is a part of Gene Mitchell's 18 doors (recently acquired by Finish Line). The store is across the street from where I had my meeting and I stopped in to dig up some dirt on the Aussie.

The store was staffed by some great guys who were all welcoming. We chatted a bit about Dan and his new job and then they asked if I wanted to head out for a 40-50 minute run. I hesitated because I had already put in 80 minutes this morning nice and easy through Rockefeller Park, but I couldn't pass this up. I went to the car and grabbed my gear and soon we were running along the mean streets of Greenwich past million dollar homes and private communities.

I was running with Chris who is the manager and Tim who ran at Iona College. We all knew a lot of the same people who ran in the Northeast during college. The run started to heat up around the 30 minute mark, but luckily Chris calmed the pace as we made the final few turns back to the store. I was glad to get in this run as it was a fun to connect with some fun dudes, but I recognize that my distance for the week is getting out of hand.

Tapping The Rockies

Time: 76:51
Distance: 17.54k
Pace: 5:02
Map

It was an early wake up call, but I suppose it's keeping me honest as I am making the rounds in NY and CT today for work. I got in late last night after a crap workout with Jay Holder's new team in NYC. When Madeleine got up I asked where she was headed for her run. She said The Rockies so there was little chance I was going to pass that up after my run earlier this week that was along a somewhat busy highway.

We arrived at the most amazing trail head entrance not too far from Pleasantville where Madeleine lives. It was drizzling and really dark out. Fortunately, she had a tiny flashlight one of her co-workers had given her recently. We set out on the trail and were saved by the light of that little flashlight. We would have been totally screwed had she not been given it. The sun came up about 20 minutes later making it safer to run along the crushed gravel paths of Rockefeller State Park.

I wasn't concerned about pace and just wanted the time on my feet. It was good to chat with Madeleine as we got to talk about all things running. She's a big running dork as well and updates the Westchester Track Club's website frequently with results. The rain stopped at some point during the run which was key as I only had t-shirt to wear. I'm definitely going to have to come back to The Rockies for a workout sometime this fall before the snow makes the trails too difficult to run on. I'm not about to take up snow shoeing or cross-country skiing.

Urban Athletics Workout in NYC

Time: 56:15
Distance: 11.48k

W/u: 19:18 for 4k
W/o: 6 x 600m with 3:00 rest
C/d: 15:23 for 3.03k

Yesterday I had a visit with Urban Athletics owner Jerry Macari at their Downtown location. I told him that a friend from Charlotte had recently moved to NYC and joined his store's team. Jerry invited me out to the team's workout the next night and that I should coordinate with Jason (hearing Jay called Jason is weird to me). I did just that as the workout was sent to Jay via email on Tuesday morning with the time and place. I had originally planned to head back to Pleasantville early in the day, but I just couldn't pass up an opportunity like this. I was even invited to eat dinner with Jay, Lauren and the Seavers after the workout, but that would just have been too much fun for one night. Next time.

I hung out at Urban Athletic's Uptown location for about 30 minutes prior to the workout. I was seriously second guessing if I should jump in as I really haven't done anything remotely like quick 600s in months. Plus, I had run with Ozzie and Neely early this morning and walked 40 blocks earlier in the day under the refusal of using the Subway for a 2 stop trip. Big mistake.

By the time Jay had arrived, I was mentally ready to put in work and it went a little something like this...

Splits:
1:46.7 (2:15), 1:44.9 (2:13), 1:44.8 (2:16), 1:46.2 (2:11), 1:44.9 (2:14), 1:46.0
21:44 for 4.45k total

Not totally impressive, but not terrible either. I never felt great and nearly started dry heaving after the fourth one. It was also a bit disheartening to watch two guys absolutely torch me on all of the intervals. However, it was fun being out in Central Park with a buddy from Charlotte running a workout and being cheered on by a store owner. Maybe this butt kicking is what I needed to get my training back on track.

An Adorning Runner

Time: 63:53
Distance: 12.78k
Pace: 4:59
Map

It was an early awakening from Ozzie and Becky's pad this morning for a run through Central Park. The plan was to meet up with Nick Neely from his Upper West Side apartment at 6:45 AM. There was a comical (at least to me) exchange of text last night that went a little like this:

NN: You in town tomorrow morning? We could meet for a run.
JK: Yea, I'm here. Trying to plan out my schedule for work. I think that sounds nice.
NN: Okay my day is flexible, just let me know. Sorry to miss out on tonight. That said, I ain't much of an adorning runner... Nothings changed.
NN: Fuck.
NN: A morning runner.

I thought adorning runner was quite poetic which fits Nick Neely perfectly as he is currently enrolled in two post graduate writing programs. One is at Hunter College and the other is at Columbia University. Yes, you read that correctly. Two writing programs at the same time at two respectable universities. Fortunately for Neely, he lives in fantasy-land and is able to do stuff that makes us all jealous.

Oz and I showed up a few minutes late, but Neely was surprisingly out the door and awaiting our arrival. He's still wicked tall and has a stride that gobbles up ground. We dropped off Oz near his apartment and then the two of us continued around the park finding more kilometers. It was great catching up with my former Brown teammate and fellow Nor Cal brother. We'll definitely be catching some more runs together if I'm going to be in NYC more frequently and my hope is that he starts training seriously again.

The Ozzie Shuffle

Time: 44:17
Distance: 8.97k
Pace: 4:56
Map

I hit up Ozzie last night telling him that I would be in NYC for the evening. He is always down to host a friend and put in the effort for a run. He told me that we should run in Central Park once I got done with all of my work commitments. Perfect.

I arrived at his place around 6:00 PM and there was little time to waste. Monday Nigh Football would be on in a few hours and the fantasy match up of the week pitted Oz vs. Craig. Both had one player in the night's featured game. We were soon off to the park to make some loops around the reservoir at a leisurely pace. Catching up with Oz is a great time as he gets to work on many different projects which have included the Penn Relays with Nike and multiple blowout parties with Jose Cuervo. His most recent gig is with a film festival which I believe is sponsored by AmEx. Not bad right?

The run was good, but just the start to an all around casual but fun night. We headed to Brother Jimmy's with Becky and waited for Craig to arrive from Wall Street. Watching the Dolphins vs. The Jets held little importance to me, but each Craig and Oz had a wide receiver playing on opposing squads. I believe Craig ended up winning the match by 2 points which Oz took in stride. Fun night.

Oh So Pleasant

Time: 60:03
Distance: 14.03k
Pace: 4:18
Map

After a quick lash of coffee I was out the door to find some time on the feet. The real goal for this run was to find a good place to park my car while I was in the city for business. There is a $500 town parking fee which is outrageous and I'd much rather play the "pick your spot" game. The run never really got adventurous and just took me from Pleasantville to Mt. Pleasant. I think I made two turns the entire run which is ideal when in a new location. I was happy to get in one hour of running and find a suitable spot for Felix.

Sunday Easy Run

Time: 64:04
Distance: 13.51l
Pace: 4:45
Map

This was a nice easy run with Meagan to end the week of training. We ran along the Marblehead trail taking a longer route to the town's edge. We then ventured into Salem to continue on a bike path that was lackluster at best. The legs felt good and I was happy to run with Meagan as I am leaving later this afternoon to start a week long trip of account visits in NYC, NY, CT, RI and MA. When I get back she'll be in Dallas for a 13.1 event.

When we got back to the fort we headed up to the small grass field at Fort Sewell to do our drills.

Town of Nahant

Time: 1:58:58
Distance: 24:58k
Pace: 4:50
Map

I'm not sure how I was roped into running this long and far, but it's too late now. Meagan, Huub and I set off from the house with the Town of Nahant as our destination. The idea was to run together to the town, run a loop around the road and then Meagan and I were free to pick up the pace.

The first half of the run was into a 20 mph headwind that reminded me of Oklahoma. It was great running right along the water but there was no protection from the wind. The pace was fortunately at a tempo where I was unconcerned with losing precious seconds. There were lots of people out enjoying their Saturday like us. The collection of windbreakers was quite amusing as some people apparently haven't bought a jacket in nearly 20 years. If you go to your closet and you see a big bright Reebok jacket with fluorescent accents, it's time to buy a new one.

The actual Town of Nahant is quite interesting as there really isn't any town center. I think we saw maybe two stores and I'm sure each sells a gallon of mile for $8. Nahant is also apparently where a mob boss lived or lives. We ran by and there were definitely white Lincoln Navigators parked out front and a couple sentries on guard. I maybe have made part of that up.

Once we got back to making a complete loop Meagan and I picked up the pace with the wind at our backs. We ran together for the next 20 minutes before I started to pick up the pace even more. The kilometers from 21-23 were 3:56, 3:46, 3:40 respectively. It was good to open up the legs after consistent 5+ minute kilometers the first 14k.

This could be a good 35+ kilometer training run from the fort that we move into this afternoon. The only question come December-March is the weather.

Three Ladies' Workout

Time: 86:48
Distance: 18.76k

W/u: 26:31 for 5.37k
W/o: 3 mile tempo, 3 x 400m
C/d: 29:04 for 5.87k

Meagan and Caitlin were joined by Pezz and I for a workout consisting of a 3 mile tempo followed by some quick 400s. I was just tagging along to get in a run this morning and opted to jump in. Since the Army 10 Miler is later this week, the workout was on Caitlin's schedule to get her ready to race at sub-6:00 pace.

Splits:
3:48, 3:38, 3:35, 3:37, 2:47 (761 meters at 3:40 pace),
(5:10 rest)
73.86 (2:24), 72.47 (2:30), 69.21
31:13 total for 7.52k

The first 1k was much too slow as the girls felt like talking about boys, makeup and Sarah's ugly dress. Instead of waiting for the mile marker for all of them to realize they were on pace to run 6:10 (looking for 5:55-6:00), I hit the front and dropped the pace. The talking immediately stopped and the breathing started. I probably kept the pace too hot for the remainder of the workout as we were all much under the intended pace. Oh well.

The 400s were short and easy. It was probably the first time that I've done any sort of speedwork or stride in many weeks. I felt a little awkward at times, but luckily the first 300m are downhill.

Charlotte Evening Double

Time: 50:50
Distance: 11.24k
Pace: 4:31
Map

I arrived back in Charlotte in the afternoon which left plenty of daylight for some more running. I put in an easy 30 minutes with Meagan before heading off toward Myers Park high school. There was a brief stop in there at the AG track where I watched some members of the Omega Sports training group finish up a workout. My legs were left feeling good and ready to run more in the morning.

Flood Run

Time: 32:35
Distance: 7.32k
Pace: 4:27
Map

It poured last night and upon listening  the news we learned that some areas received as much as 5 inches in 2 hours. This left many of the streets flooded and impassable for morning commuters or runners trying to put in some time on the feet.

I started from the Hawthorne Hotel and ran down a street that had water coming up over the top of car wheels. There were police officers out blocking roads and redirecting traffic. I had to make a few detours but was able to keep a flow of the run on streets with no flooding. The run started in the rain and I had already decided I only need 30 minutes so when the rain stopped halfway through, I felt a little like I wasn't taking advantage of a cool morning. The good thing is that I'll be able to get more distance back in Charlotte.

Salem Exploration

Time: 74:11
Distance: 18.37k
Pace: 4:02
Map

My dad who was in NYC on vacation  opted to visit the North Shore of Boston and see what it was all about. We stayed at the Hawthorne Hotel which is walking distance from all of the shops and crazies who come to visit this time of year. Due to Salem's close connection to witches, at any given moment you can visit fortune tellers, go to a seance, walk a ghost tour or burn an innocent bystander with little evidence for their wrong doings.

In the morning I ran from the hotel through the city to the familiar bike path in Marblehead. I continued on to make a loop of the Neck and then head back. I was running behind schedule which forced me to pick up the pace considerably the final 10k. I covered the distance in under 3:45 pace (6:00 min/mile) and felt decent doing so.

Week in Review

Time: 495:29
Distance: 111.28

I have been sub-consciously increasing my distance per week in a sound and careful manner. By running based on feel while I gain some fitness back, I have allowed my body to dictate the pace and amount of kilometers each day. I have no immediate racing plans so that leaves me to continue to run healthy without forcing in workouts or extra runs.

Marblehead Long Run

Time: 89:30
Distance: 21.04k
Pace: 4:15
Map

I had every intention to run last night, but it just didn't happen after returning from the Maine Marathon Expo. The rain kept me from running while I was still up north and upon getting back to Marblehead I was distracted by other activities.

This morning I got up early thinking I was going to be running with Huub, but that didn't materialize due to some rain. I was all set to head out the door with my Gore-Tex jacket on! He ended up opting for yoga which left me to explore town. I ran from his house to our soon to be fort and then did a loop of the neck. I didn't have a specific distance or loop in mind, but it was nice to get in 21k of running. There were lots of people out walking dogs and seeing the harbor never gets old.

Day Off

Time: none
Distance: none

What a way to start the month by taking a day off! Whoops.

I wasn't going to be getting any time on the feet before leaving for the Maine Marathon Expo, so I hoped to sneak in a run while in Portland. It just didn't happen so I was required to take a zero. My body probably needs it anyway as I've been running a fair amount now that my foot no longer hurts.