Texas v. Alabama

Time: 55:31
Distance: 8.54 miles
Pace: 6:29
Map

On the drive home from visiting Off'n Running in Greensboro, NC, I dropped in to see what was going on at the Fleet Feet Huntersville store. It is my newest account and I wanted to see the location for the first time. I've been following one of their new employee's status on facebook and he said they were hoping to open in the 7th. Well, they definitely weren't ready to help customers, but you could see the store taking shape. It looked like Birkdale Village is an ideal location for a running store other than being within a stones throw of Dick's. The store plans to open next week sometime.

The FF Huntersville Fuel Belt selection. Very colorful, looks good.

The best socks on the market prominently displayed near the shoe wall.

The run this evening was the same as yesterday morning's. The body felt good, but it wasn't fun seeing Meagan have to turn back with her calf niggle flaring up.

Tonight's BCS Championship game looks to be a good one between Texas and Alabama. I'm not sure who I will root for, but all signs are pointing to the Crimson Tide. I don't hold the true hatred towards Texas like many other Oklahoma fans and I would like to see the Big 12 team represent the conference. However, I think Mark Ingram deserves this one. I doubt that I will be able to stay up for the entire game. It's so much better watching sporting events from the west coast. Come home from work, turn on the tele and the game is on. Perfect set up. Some people like California because of the weather, I like it because it enables me to be a better sporting fan.

Dreadmill or Biting Cold?

Time: 27:00
Distance: 4 miles

I didn't feel like driving to a place to run this morning and opted to jump on the treadmill. It was cold outside and a little dark when I made the decision to avoid the trails or roads around Raleigh. I figured that I would be back in Charlotte with plenty of time for a second run of more substantial distance. I ended up watching Mike & Mike in the Morning for the run's duration. There is something a little odd about watching a radio talk show. The fitness center didn't have a remote so I was stuck with the Mikes.

American Tobacco Trail

Time: 40:27
Distance: 6.02 miles
Pace: 6:43
Map

After visiting a few accounts today and ended my day at Bull City Running in Durham. I was hoping that I could get in a run with Jason or George who can hold there own out on the roads. Unfortunately, we weren't able to hook up, but I was able to find a few miles along the American Tobacco Trail. I started the run at dusk and finished when dark with an out and back along the ATT. I had a successful day at all my accounts and with pleased how I managed to get in a couple runs to start and finish the day.

Rude Awakening

Time: 56:27
Distance: 8.60 miles
Pace: 6:33
Map

It was a cold and dark one out there this morning. I somehow scheduled an appointment to show Craft FW10 this morning at 9:30 in Raleigh. I didn't see how I was going to get in a quality run this afternoon so I decided to put in some miles early. Really early. I was out the door before 5:00 am and running through Freedom Park with the skunks and possums. It was a little fun being one of the few people up and out the door moving at that hour. I saw one other walker and maybe a dozen cars by the time the run was complete.

Traveling East

Time: none
Distance: none

It is time to head home back to Charlotte this morning. It was my hope to put in a few miles on the treadmill at the condo's fitness center but the doors don't unlock until 6:00 am. So much for getting up at 4:40 to put in work. Meagan and I took the dog for a short walk which allowed us to loosen up the legs before heading to the airport.

The travel was smooth as we went from Palm Springs to Denver to Chicago O'Hare to Charlotte. I think it got colder each stop farther east. Our bags even arrived in CLT despite the four airport cross-country tour. Well done United.

Last Day in the Sun

Time: 64:58
Distance: 10.39 miles

W/u: 16:22 for 2.21 miles
W/o: 6 mile continuous alternating pace every 800m
C/d: 16:59 for 2.18 miles

Today was our last day in Palm Springs. Tomorrow, I head back to the east coast where I hear it's perfect Craft base layer weather. I took the opportunity to run a workout in ideal conditions along with Meagan. She is coming back from injury and is looking to get in top form for the approaching indoor season. It's nice to pair our workouts whenever possible.

Today's effort had me doing a continuous 6 mile run on the track. I also had the task of pacing Meagan on her 800 meter intervals. She was aiming to run 6 x 800 in about 2:45. I decided her workout would be my recovery and that her rest would be my uptempo interval. Saavy? It might be more clear just by seeing the splits:

2:30.38, (2:48.55), 2:30.36, (2:49.45),
2:30.45, (2:46.15), 2:32.70, (2:45.55),
2:30.70, (2:43.77), 2:30.78, (2:39.09) for 31:37 total and a 5:12 average.

As you can see now, I basically alternated 800m at 2:30 and 800m at 2:45. I felt strong for the first 3.5-4.5 miles and then I really had to concentrate. I'm pleased at how easy it has been to shift gears to 5:00/mile pace.

A couple things about the workout should be noted. First, there was a lot of action out there this afternoon. Some private school looked to be having "track day" and little kids dressed in there green and white uniforms were every-freakin'-where. One of the instructors was good about reminding them to stay out of lanes one and two. There were a few close calls, but I luckily didn't have to put a shoulder to anyone. Second, the PSHS girls' soccer team is not impressive, and neither is their field. Third, I believe the track was a quarter mile and not 400m. My splits were taken every two laps so they are really half-mile splits and not 800m splits. Details, details.

Back in Palm Springs

Time: 40:13
Distance: 6 miles

I am going to do a workout this afternoon on the high school track. This morning I decided to put in some miles in order to front load this week's training. I will most likely have to take tomorrow off due to travel and on Wednesday I might not be able to put in that many miles.

After working for a few hours and I laced up the shoes for a jog. I ran easy on the loop that Meagan and I were doing before heading to San Diego. I took the run nice and easy so as to remain fresh for this afternoon. It felt good to run on a flat route since most of the runs in San Diego had a bit of an incline.

Week in Review

Time: 600:57
Distance: 85.02 miles

YTD: 35 miles

I'm content with the training this week. We have entered a new year and the desire to train for another marathon is high. I'm leaning towards running the National Marathon in DC near the end of March. Jeff hit me with the new training cycle that looks manageable, but will definitely be a challenge. When I toe the line for my next marathon, there is going to be no messing around. The goal is to run fast. I have two 'thons under my belt and was able to compete well within my abilities. It's time to see how fast I can run at the distance. The training is designed for a 2:20 to 2:22 performance. Who can say if that's possible, but I'm going to give it one hell of a shot.

My workout on NYE is indicative of my current fitness. I ran a controlled 5.66 mile continuous workout averaging 5:13 pace. The workout had me switching gears between 1ks and mile repeats. In the coming weeks my aerobic fitness will only get stronger, but hopefully not with the sacrifice of some speed. Ideally, I will run a half-marathon in the lead up to the National Marathon.

Here is a link that shows the 10-11 week build up to the race.

Balboa Park Finale

Time: 61:17
Distance: 8.61 miles
Pace: 7:07
Map

The last run in San Diego for quite some time. I couldn't have asked for better weather and would have run skins had I not needed to pick up a rental car at the end of the run. Meagan and I ran what she's dubbed the "Oompa Loompa Loop" because it runs up a healthy hill on Upas and that kinda sounds like an orange slave from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I finished the run near the airport which wasn't nearly as far away as I thought or hoped. I considered doubling in the afternoon, but opted to eat instead.

Balboa Park Double

Time: 42:56
Distance: 6.01 miles
Pace: 7:08
Map

I headed out this afternoon for a few more miles around Balboa Park. Meagan and I lounged around the park this afternoon taking in some sun and reading our books. I'm halfway through Omnivore's Dilemma and Meagan is on her ninth book of the trip. Remember, books don't help in board game skills. Last night she jumped out to an early lead in Trivial Pursuit, capturing a couple of pies within the first few rolls. I patiently caught and gained a one pie advantage by the time we decided to stop playing. We kept getting questions that only our parents would know. The worst category of the Genus Edition 1955 (I'm not sure what year it is from, but it's outdated) is Entertainment. Let's see if you can get these:

What was the nickname of black dancer Bill Robinson?
What actress was the top box-office draw during WWII?
What couple lived at 148 Bonnie Meadow Road, New Rochelle, NY?
Whose legs were featured on TV's Richard Diamond?
Who portrayed the doomed schoolteacher in The Birds?

The run was fine. I did two loops around the park.

Exploration Run

Time: 59:58
Distance: 8.18 miles
Pace: 7:20
Map

I decided to switch things up this morning and head down to the San Diego Harbor. I have only driven by the airport a few times and noticed there is a bike path/jogging path that runs along the harbor. I thought it would be nice to run somewhere other than Balboa Park.

Meagan and I wound our way through the neighborhoods and ended up by the water. Our run took us along a cluster of boats and past various piers. Eventually we ended up by a pirate ship, a couple of cruise ships and a battleship. Man your stations. It was a nice change of scenery on an absolutely perfect morning. Great weather for the run as I ran skins.

I continued exploring the waterfront and around 4.5 miles it was time to start thinking about running home. After getting around the convention center and past the Padres stadium we entered the Gaslamp District. It was a little stop-and-go with the traffic lights, but soon we were in the familiar surroundings of Balboa Park. A quick pass through the park brought us back to the condo.

Double Duty

Time: 40:34
Distance: 6.02 miles
Pace: 6:44
Map

I ran the same loop as this morning. The action in Balboa Park picked up considerably from this morning. The park was bustling with dog walkers, joggers, volleyball players, bike riders and homeless people. I kept to myself and put the miles in partially on the grass and some on the roads. It's good to start the year off healthy and fit.

A New Year

Time: 45:27
Distance: 6.08 miles
Pace: 7:28
Map

Last night Meagan and I had a grandiose plan of running through Balboa Park at midnight. We thought it might be a lucky way to ring in the New Year. However, considering the facts that Meagan was sound asleep at 11:15 and had a good workout in the morning, I thought it be wise to scrap the run. Since the run was going to be our NYE celebration, we didn't end up doing anything exciting. At least this morning we didn't wake up with a hangover.

The run through Balboa Park this morning was just delightful. Actually, Meagan was feeling and looking terrible. There weren't nearly as many resolute runners out and about as I thought. Maybe they hit the streets later in the day. The run for me went well as it was easy time on the feet.

Year in Review

Total Miles: ~3,325
Total Time: a lot of minutes and hours
One serious injury in February
Two marathons
One trip to Japan

There's a lot to reflect on for 2009. I ran my first marathon, raced in the Izumo Ekiden for the second time, moved to Charlotte and got a new job.

The year started with me training for the Austin Marathon in February. In the build up I got injured with my only severe setback of the year. My achilles hindered my training and I missed the race, but was still able to watch Owen run his first 'thon. I would have to wait another couple of months to debut at the marathon distance.

Through March and April I was back to training for the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. My ambitious goal of debuting sub-2:25 was out the window, but I still wanted to run a competitive race. In what were mediocre at best conditions I ran 2:27:19 to win the 9th Annual OKC Marathon. It felt good to finally run a marathon and not suffer the late race debacles. The distance takes a lot of patience in both the training and the race itself.

The marathon was my first race that was longer than 10k. Most people usually run a half or 15k prior to stepping up to the legendary distance. Not me. I decided that for my next race I wanted to run a half-marathon in Joplin, Missouri. The Boomtown Days Half-Marathon was offering some prize money and I wanted to go cherry-pick the winnings. Well, a few Kenyans caught wind of the race and came down from Columbia, MO. I failed to run aggressively and missed out on the cash. I also discovered that the half-marathon is an awful distance. Maybe it was just the hot weather and hilly course, but I was in rough shape afterward. There is no time to relax in the half-marathon, it's like 10k effort, but for twice as far. In the marathon I warmed up the first 10, in the half you're racing hard from the gun. Not fun. I need to run another one at some point, but this race put a bad taste in my mouth.

I spent the rest of the summer training for the 5k. I planned to move to Charlotte at the end of the season and since I didn't have a job lined up, I thought I might as well race the CVS Downtown 5k. The race serves as the qualifier for the Ivy League Ekiden team that is sent to Izumo, Japan each year. I didn't run nearly as fast as I hoped, but I still qualified to race in Japan. My training continued to focus on the 5k distance up until leaving for Japan. Since I was living in Charlotte, I took advantage of being around the Queens University team. Meagan was injured at this point of the season, but I managed to workout with the Queens men a few times.

My trip to Japan was great fun but the race was a disappointment. We had a great squad of guys including a handful of sub-14 minute 5k guys. Ben True, Dave Nightingale, Lucas Meyer and Zac Hine were all on the trip to Izumo. It was fun meeting and running with those guys for the week. Looking back now, I was pretty rundown and over-trained by October. I ran a terrible split and the team finished outside of the top 10 which is the yearly goal.

Upon returning to the states I was able to attend a former teammate's wedding and catch up with some great friends in DC. When I got back to Charlotte I started an internship and learned "real world" big kid stuff. The internship didn't last long because I was offered a job in Austin, TX. I accepted and started working with some great brands immediately.

I didn't really have anything to train for during the rest of the year. I was healthy and motivated to run, but had no grand plans for a big race. I wasn't sure what the spring was going to bring me and I decided, along with my coach, to build a base. A couple illnesses derailed my true base efforts and I found myself limping into December with fewer miles than I had planned. The Thunder Road Marathon was coming up and a few days prior I had the thought of running. I managed to run better than expected. That race served as a jump-start to my training for 2010. The potential to run fast for 26.2 miles is a definite possibility. I look forward to training smart and racing hard in the New Year.