OK Runner's Rebel: Scotty D

Updated: 2/28/12 6:37 PM to include Deadspin Article

If you happen to find this site looking for the OK Runner store that is located in Norman, Oklahoma then you're probably  looking for more information on my buddy Scotty D. Sorry to disappoint, but this is not the store website, but it will have my thoughts on that rebel Scott Downard.

However, OK Runner is where I got my start in the running industry. I worked there while doing some graduate work at the University of Oklahoma. The Thompson family who started OK Runner in 1995 is one of the most genuine group of people I know.

I ran with the OK Runner singlet for many years and Oklahoma is where I started this blog. The blog has morphed into much more as I've since moved on to North Carolina and now Massachusetts. I decided to keep the name for simplicity's sake and now say the blog is named for me being an "okay runner." I'm not good, not great, just okay.

Over the weekend, Scott Downard (aka Scotty D.) ran the Cowtown Marathon, won it, and was subsequently disqualified. For additional details on why read a Deadspin article, Yahoo article, a Star-Telegram article, the Letsrun.com thread, and rumor has it NY Times is inquiring for quotes. I say "ran" because Scotty D. toed the line on a whim and was, more or less, out for a good hard long run. Before I give my impression of Scotty D. or opinion on the matter, I suggest you read his blog about the weekend.

Scotty D. and I trained countless days during my time in Oklahoma. I am also good friends with Jerry Faulkner (aka Jerry's Kids, a nickname I gave him) whose bib was used at Cowtown. We were all at 2009 Oklahoma City Marathon wearing the OK Runner kit. It was a great time, great team and we enjoyed representing the local running store that provided us with the opportunity to work, train and race.

It's completely understandable that Scotty D. had to be disqualified from the race and I won't try to justify his actions. There are rules and they have to be followed. Yes, maybe he should have looked into getting a bib transfer. Yes, maybe he should not have toed the line in the first place. Yes, this whole thing is being blown out of proportion.

However, you have to understand that Scotty D. is the most laid back person you will ever meet and is not one to look for attention. That's not to say he won't get fired up if provoked as I've seen him yell at plenty of drivers who pass too closely. On a couple of occasions I was nearly dragged into an unnecessary scuffle, but that's Scotty D.

He loves to run. He loves following the sport. He loves to drink and brew beer. He loves to travel. He loves to help and pace others. He loves to race. The Cowtown Marathon was just an excuse to do all of these things.

I think it's great that his rebellious actions are being talked about because it continues the Oklahoma Sooner tradition. I can picture Scotty crossing the line, explaining that he was not registered, being told he was disqualified, saying "oh well" and then asking where the beer tent is.

He has run faster than 2:31and won a marathon before. I think this is where all of the attention is coming from as many individuals can never imagine running 2:31 or winning a marathon. It must be so heartbreaking to have those two accomplishments removed for not registering like everyone else. Think of all those hours of training wasted! Think of all that pain endured! All of it was for nothing!

Yes, that is all unfortunate, but not what was important for Scott. Rather, for Scotty D., Cowtown represented the opportunity to do everything he loves. Run. Travel. Pace. Race. And hopefully enjoy a pint.

My congrats go out to Scotty D. and OK Runner for getting some nice publicity!

 Before the 2007 Brookhaven Run sponsored by OK Runner

 Starting the Brookhaven Run

 We cleaned up nicely for Cat and Stu's wedding

Being rebellious and crashing a wedding. Meagan was there too.

 Doing the other thing we like to do.

Solving all the world's problems with Spencer.

Pancho Villa Runs

Time: 66:34
Distance: ~9.6 miles
Race: 15:22, 4th

W/u: 22:46 for ~2.5 miles
Indie 5k
C/d: 28:28 for ~4 miles

My hopes and dreams for the revolution were crushed this morning when Pancho Villa could only manage a 4th place showing at The Running Event's Indie 5k. Retailers and vendors were on hand to crown the best of the washed up in the running industry. I thought today was going to be my day when I woke up mustache and all, but it wasn't meant to be. The revolution will have to live on elsewhere.

Lee and I were up early and over to Zilker Park by 6:15 am. We didn't know what time the race actually started but knew it was around 7:00 am. It was a pretty relaxed atmosphere as a handful of vendors were setting up tents including Nuun, 2xU, Re-Gen, and more. Meagan arrived soon after and the three of us warmed up around the park. The pace on the warm up was slow and the chats were lighthearted. Lee and I want to start our own apparel company called trAchE (pronounced trash). It would be made out of all recycled goods but of the highest quality that we could scrounge up.

I signed up under Pancho Villa due to my sweet 'stache and got in a few quick strides. While preparing to race I spotted Darren Brown and Kyle Miller (both formerly of UT and now run for Rogue Equipment in Austin) lining up near the front. Also there were Keith Pierce (2:20 marathon and Austin Marathon champ), Jerry Faulkner (2:25 marathoner), Scotty D (2:26 marathoner) and a couple of other guys who looked legit.

The race went off and I found myself in the lead for the first hundred meters. It wasn't that I was running faster, just that I had run the tangent. Darren soon asserted himself at the front and basically ran away from the field while Kyle Miller chased. I looked around and hoped that I could still win the fastest vendor award because the guy in third was definitely not a rep or brand employee (turns out he runs for RunTex).

The course was tough. The first time up the hill put a dose of reality in my legs. I felt labored and didn't know how things were going to play out. Somehow around the 1k mark I felt amazing. I had slipped back into about 6th or 7th, and in my period of feeling great, I took off. It was like I had rocket boosters. Seriously.

I've only experienced the feeling a couple of times in the past and it only lasts a few minutes. I pulled wide and moved up into 5th and then solidly in 4th. I was chasing and closing the gap of 3rd when the sensation wore off. It was only 400 meters of feeling fantastic but it was enough to distance me from some of the other guys.

My mile split was only 5:05 given the early hill, but I picked it up to hit two miles in 10:01. Over the next couple of minutes I could hear another runner slowly approaching. He had monstrously loud footsteps that just slapped the pavement with authority. I couldn't imagine who it could be. I was a bit surprised when on the downhill I was caught and passed by Jerry's Kids. He opened a small gap on me that I would close during the final uphill (the damn hill we had to run up 3 times). At the apex I now had a slight advantage about 600 meters from the finish. I wasn't going to be able to catch 3rd, so I shifted my focus to keeping 4th.

I geared up for any late charge that he may have been planning and took off the final 300 meters missing the 3 mile split but managing to hit the line in about 15:20. Jerry finished two seconds back. Keith was back at 15:28. In terms of the leaders Darren ran 14:49, Kyle 15:05 and third was Lorin Wilson in 15:09. Pancho Villa lost to a dude name Lorin.

I'm pleased with how I ran given that I'm using residual fitness from this summer. I've strictly been logging miles for the past month and like knowing I can still run sub-5:00 for a 5k race in a competitive field. I can also say that after a month of triple digits I'm starting to feel incredibly strong. I think that's why I had superman powers for 400 meters today. The strength is there despite not doing anything particularly fast.

In the end I was screwed out of the vendor award because I don't actually work for any one particular brand. The Genesis Agency writes my check and not Fuel Belt, Nuun, Balega, etc. so the race director/Competitor Group didn't want to give me the credit deserved. I'm not sure why, but I think Meagan was also passed up as they recognized Sarah Bowman as the vendor winner because, you know, New Balance writes her checks. Seems a bit like they're playing favorites to me.

Sunday Long Run

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

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

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

Lake Hefner Long Run

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

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

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

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

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

A Stadium Record?

Time: 73:32
Distance: 11.46 miles

W/u: 22:57 for 3.01 miles
W/0: 6 mile tempo at 5:00 pace
C/d: 20:10 for 2.45 miles

I saw this workout on the schedule and had my doubts about being able to complete it at the proper pace. The warm up went well enough and I felt like this was going to be the best test of my fitness. I was delighted to see Scotty D roll up on his bike because that meant I had a pacer on the track and someone to hand me water if needed. The weather was the best it has been in recent weeks with cool temps (upper 60s) and low humidity.

I chose to run this workout on the track so that I would know exactly when the pace was going to shit. If I had run on the roads the pace would have the chance to really vary. Before getting started I made the comment that I was out to set the stadium record because I doubt anybody has run close to 30 mins for 6 miles on the Norman High School track.

Splits:
4:59.34, 4:59.35, 5:01.52 (15:37 at 5k),
5:04.67, 5:09.06, 5:01.54 for 30:15 total.

The first few miles rolled by as I was counting up the laps. Scotty tried to break the slight breeze on the homestretch but it was still noticeable. I was able to run about 3.5 miles comfortable before the wheels started to loosen. I didn't lose focus on the 5th mile but the pace definitely slipped as the effort got harder. The legs kept churning and I think my form stayed the same but the power from my legs wasn't there. I pushed the final 1k and was able to make the last mile respectable again to finish with a 5:03 mile average for the day. I texted Jailhouse and he said that it's probably the best tempo he has seen me complete.

Scotty's Tester

Time: 35:22
Distance: ~4.5 miles

I ran with Carrot Top, Meagan and Scotty this evening from the NHS track. Scotty D was going to test out his foot on the infield of the track because it's soft and smooth like well conditioned hair. There isn't a lot to report about the run as the body continues to make adjustments to the training.

Eastern Hills

Time: 83:28
Distance: 12.62 miles

W/u: 19:39 for 2.62 miles
W/o: 4 x 2 miles in 5:05 to 5:10 (pace changed to accommodate the hills)
C/d: 15:47 for 2.01 miles

The workout this morning began bright and early from Craig and Lance's house on Tecumseh road east of town. The Norman Conquest was taking place this morning which is a cool event that I was able to experience a little bit last year. OK Runner was hosting the first water stop along the course and Scotty, Meagan and I were asked to help out.

We warmed up from the house and headed out to the corner of 60th and Tecumseh. I decided that my route was going to start about a third of a mile north on 60th, run west on Tecumseh and then finish up on 48th. There would be two right-hand turns on the way out and the opposite on the way back. I had the luxury of having Scotty D on his bike to block any traffic or scare off any dogs that would come my way.

Splits:
5:14, 5:08 for 10:22 (2:04),
5:10, 5:15 for 10:25 (2:07),
5:17, 5:11 for 10:28 (2:05),
5:14, 5:08 for 10:22 and 8.49 miles in 48:00 total.

I had a great workout out on the hills, felt very controlled for the most part. I was able to pump the arms on the uphill and tried to lean into the downhills (Rick Wemple would have been proud). I think if I had done this workout on a track I could have easily run 76s. I'm pretty sure that when I began the workout the temps were in the upper 60s, perhaps low 70s. It was a great finally having the cooperation of the weather out there. This effort was a good indicator of my fitness level right now and a step in the right direction in terms of aerobic pacing.

Bethany Freedom Run

Time: 58:48
Distance: 9.14 miles

W/u: 8:02 for 1.07 miles
Race: 26:13 for 5.00 miles (according to Mr. Garmin), 26:04 for 8k (according to DG)
C/d: 24:33 for 3.07 miles

Is there a better way to spend the Fourth of July than starting the day off with a race? I think not. A race on the Fourth is second to only a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. Scotty, Meagan and I left Nompton at the bright hour of 6:10 am in the direction of Bethany, OK. I had vague directions to the start of the race which I thought was on NW 23rd St. We took a few wrong turns, but ended up in the right spot with a few moments to spare.

Originally, I had planned to run a workout with Jerry's Kids that was going to be 5 miles on the course prior to the race and then the 8k race itself. Since we arrived at 7:05 am for a 7:30 gun time, that clearly wasn't going to happen. Instead, I was able to register for the race, seek out a bathroom down the hill from the start and jog back.

I established my position at the starting line and scoped out who all was present: Jerry's Kids (just doing a workout), Scotty D, Jonathon Pillow and Sam Dech (recently ran 1:50 for 800m and 3:44 for 1500m). Those mentioned would be racing towards the front of the race once Don Garrett finally decided to fire the shotgun.

The pace went out at a solid effort for the first K which I think was 3:09 as stated by some guy holding a stopwatch. The first water stop was either just after or before the K mark which struck me as odd because it was so early in the race. Who needs water 3 to 6 minutes into the run? I took water anyway just to cool off the back of my neck before surging to the lead. Mr. Pillow, Mr. Downard and Mr. Dech followed closely behind my lead and through the mile we were 5:08. Around the 2k mark Dech tossed in a visible surge for about 40 seconds. I could see his turnover quicken as he opened up a 20 to 30 meter gap. As I ran by Pillow in chase of Dech, he said, "I think I pissed him off." Great. Now I was going to have to get after the pace.

There were no more individuals calling out K splits for the remainder of the run, but luckily, I had Mr. Garmin along. He said my splits for the race were 5:08, 5:02, 5:11, 5:26, 5:23. I went through the 5k at 15:50 with a gap on the others. I skipped the part of the race where I caught and passed Dech just after 3k and then was running solo for the last half of the race.

I felt good out front and in control. There was no need to really hammer the pace and I was afraid of potentially taking a wrong turn. A few times I passed the lead motorcycle cop because he was having to chat with drivers who were on the race course. Also, at one point we had to dodge a road closure which meant the motorcycle was up on the dirt and curbs kicking up dust.

If I were to grade this race, I would give it a C. The weather was 83 degrees at 6:00 am this morning and there were only 3 water stops scattered over the 8k distance. The first was at 1k, the second past 5k, and the third water stop was at 7k, however, when I got there the SUV had just arrived to set up the table for the water. Not ideal given the humid conditions. There wasn't anything particularly special about the race course and Don Garrett clearly messed up the timing. I was awarded first place with a time just over 26 minutes but I'm positive that was rather generous as several friends at the race thought they had run 11 to 12 seconds slower, yet they were given faster times. On a positive note, I won a free pair of racing flats! But, I have to go to a competing running store in Oklahoma City to pick up my prize. Clearly, I can't let this prize go to waste, but at the same time I have no desire to betray OK Runner.

No Aches, No Pains

Time: 59:00
Distance: 8.04 miles
Pace: 7:20
Map

Meagan and I met Scotty out along Pickard for a standard run through Nompton. I'm glad I opted to not run the 10 mile progression/predator run this morning as it was already in the mid-70s. My legs were a little sluggish on the run but overall I felt pretty good. No aches or pains that would cause me to back off the training.

Water and Oil

Time: 78:52
Distance: 11.73 miles
Map

I was on the roads bright and early this morning to meet Scotty along Pickard. We were out the door a shade after 6:30 am for an effort that we've been doing the past few weeks. Again, we ran the first half of the run at our normal training pace before getting after it in the latter half. Mr. Downard was feeling frisky as we started the hard portion running south on Pickard. I could tell he wanted to perform better than he had the previous week. Despite the similar conditions, Scotty was on point. He led us through splits of: 5:33, 5:34, 5:27, 5:24, 5:17.

I wouldn't say that I felt great for the first 2 or 3 miles but I hung in there a few strides behind Scotty. I tried to relax and just let the pace and distance come by feel. Around 4 miles I finally started getting into the up-tempo section and decided to hit the front. We finished strong, ending near Lions (Lyons?) park. It was a step in the right direction, though I probably ruined the workout that was scheduled for tomorrow.

20 x Cut Shape

Time: ~78:00
Distance: ~11 miles

W/u: 20:38 for 2.68 miles
W/o: 20 x 400 in 65-66 (w/ 1 min jog recovery)
C/d: 17:11 for 2.06 miles (first mile barefoot)

Today's workout was rather interesting as I approached it with a bit of excitement. I love being on the track and running 400s is a natural part of the sport. Taking it back to SAT days, the 400 is to running as free throws are to basketball. I didn't get a great night's sleep before heading out the door which isn't a big problem because I usually sleep poorly before a big workout. However, I slept bad due to the heat of my apartment and not the anticipation of the track session. That could have been sign number one.

The jog over to the track with Scotty was uneventful. I ran a few strides before changing shoes to the Lunar Racers. I hit splits of:
66.59 (59), 68.31 (59), 66.12 (59), 69.89 (59),
67.36 (61), 66.07 (60), 67.08 (60), 68.14 (59),
68.19 (58), 67.51 (60), 70.33 (57), 70.18 (50),
69.11 (68), 70.20 (68), 69.55 (67), 65.20 (65),
67.56 (60), 70.81 (59), 67.00 (62), 64.32 for 41:52 total

This was rough. I knew after the first interval that I was going to struggle. I never felt relaxed running 66s and the 200m recovery was a bit much in the minute. I jogged for only 4 intervals and then I started taking a standing/walking rest for intervals 5-11. Once I was off the prescribed pace I got a little frustrated and my mind wandered. Scotty was out there cutting shapes in 70-71 so I joined him for intervals 12-17. I hammered my 16th in 65 which was decent since I made my move in the final 200 meters, but bad because it was back at the prescribed pace. Scotty hammered his 16th so I was able to run another sub-68.

After 17 I almost called the workout but I figured I could wrap up three more 400s. I got a little help from Scotty on the final two along the backstretch which was windy. The help brought the pace back to an honest level.

As I look at the splits now, I guess it wasn't awful, just not great. While running the workout I was flustered at not being able to hit what I thought was a reasonable workout. The last time I cut shapes was in early April during my lead up to the marathon. I averaged 68.20 for 16 intervals then and 67.98 for 20 intervals today. A slight improvement.

Name Dropping

Time: 29:01
Distance: 4 miles

I ran with Scotty from Brookhaven Village this evening after work. The pace was leisurely through the neighborhood and the legs continued to feel great. I was able to take a bit of a nap this afternoon before heading in to work at the shop. I hope the extra rest will provide with a boost for tomorrow's workout. I'll be cutting 20 shapes in the morning on Norman High's track (for those of you who don't know the lingo, cutting shapes refers to running 400s).

Until recently, my buddy Tarpy had a great blog (cuttingshapes.blogspot.com), but has since taken it down. Tarpy and I first learned of the term "cutting shapes" back in '07 while in Providence on a run with Max Smith and Mark Carroll. Smith had just returned from the World University Games and he was explaining how the winner of both the 800 meters and 1500 meters was out "cutting shapes" prior to his races. He was running something like 52s looking completely effortless and was clearly the class of the field. Tarpy and I loved the term as it was clever, and, yet made complete sense.

Good Start to the Week

Time: 55:30
Distance: 8.00 miles
Pace: 6:56
Map

This was an easy morning run with Scotty where I felt tremendously relaxed. I noticed that my first mile was about 30 seconds faster than it normally registers (7:32 versus 8:00+). The legs were feeling great from the onset and I was having to relax during portions of the run. The heat was a little lower today which I'll take and appreciate. I don't think there was too much action out there this morning, no good stories to report. Maybe this evening's run will provide an adventure.

Slappers

Time: 112:32
Distance: 16.09 miles
Pace: 6:59
Map

We finally caught a break in the weather because when I woke up this morning it was sprinkling a bit. I was told that it was in the upper 60s which is about 10 degrees cooler at the start than recent mornings. I jogged up to the corner of Timberdell and Jenkins where I met up with Carrot Top, Scotty D, Conor Holt and Camille Herron. Conor and Camille are in town visiting family for a few days. Mr. Holt is a former Sooner, OK Runner employee and is the course record holder at the OKC Marathon. He is currently the men's distance coach at Purdue. It was great finally getting to meet the legendary Conor Holt a few nights ago at Jazz in June and even better to put in a run together.

We ran around Norman with no particular direction and even ran into former 1500m school record holder Salah Hussein. Conor gave us a few stories about running in Norman and some of his training philosophies at Purdue. It was a nice change of pace for the longer run. The legs felt strong and I was relaxed for the entirety of the run.

I need to add a new name to the collective list of munters, mingers and wagons. A slapper is basically the equivalent of mmw.

Blazing Hot Double

Time: 34:15
Distance: 5.04 miles
Pace: 6:48
Map

It was a good busy day at work and before I knew it Scotty and I were off to Moore for a jog around Early Wine Park. There is a 1.5 mile loop out there that we focused on running. We started the run during 100 degree heat which sucked. Absolutely sucked. Dripping sweat from step one. The park is a decent place for a short jog but I wouldn't want to run out there daily. I soon got jealous of the families splashing around the pool so I was off to find some water to jump into.

Purcell Lake Run

Time: 45:46
Distance: 6.61 miles
Pace: 6:53
Map

I was up bright and early this morning for some timing duties. I rolled by Scotty's at about 6:00 am and then we headed down to Purcell for a community run. It's not the most competitive of races (only 90 finishers) but they did have homemade ice cream. How many races can say that? Scotty, Timmy and I timed the race old school style. It was sans popsicle sticks, but not far off. I don't think we made too many mistakes which is always good. For $50 we were offering PR's, state records, world records, you name it. We could have stopped the clock at whatever time you needed, so next year come on out.

Scotty and I ran after the timing gig. We did two loops around the lake which was just over 10k. The breeze was much appreciated as it was really muggy. The legs felt a little sluggish the first 10 minutes but I felt great by the finish.

5-mile Tempo and 3 Hundos

Time: ~66:00
Distance: ~10.15 miles

W/u: 21:16 for 2.75 miles
W/o: 26:06 for 5 miles (5:50 jog up to the Norman High track), 300s
C/d: 8:36 for 1.04 miles

The workout this morning consisted of two parts, (a) tempo portion, (b) track session. Meagan and I met Scotty along Pickard where we began the workout. We used a familiar circuit for the loop (2.5 loop and 1.5 loop) and then just ran straight up Pickard to finish. Scotty did 2 x 2 miles which gave me about 5 minutes of running solo.

Splits: 5:11.31, 5:12.53, 5:10.71, 5:17.82, 5:14.05 for 26:06.

The tempo section of the workout went okay granted the weather. I've already explained the difficulty with running in the heat, but luckily today we got a great day to work out. The wind was low, as with the humidity and the temps were mid-70s. Last night Jailhouse and I made an adjustment on the 5:05 pacing to more in the 5:10-5:15 range. He sent me a link that showed how to compensate for the increased heat.

I felt strong through 2 miles and then started to slow running north on Pickard (2.5 miles). I was able to pick up the pace coming down Chautauqua and get back on pace through 3 miles. I've mentioned it before, but I can reiterate now how after about 15 minutes of hard running I start to overheat and struggle. That's pretty much what happened on miles 4 and 5 explaining the 5:17 and 5:14 splits. Scotty helped keep the pace honest the last few miles and then we jogged up to the track.

Last night I had forgotten all about the 300s that were to close out the workout and this morning I forgot what the rest was supposed to be. Turns out I was supposed to run 6 x 300 in 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44 with 1 minute rest. I knew the paces but not the rest so I was probably taking about 70 seconds of walking rest. I split:
48, 49, 46, 45.8, 45.51, 44.01 (I usually like to have exact splits but I used my Timex to time and accidentally erased the times).

I enjoyed doing this workout with Scotty and having Meagan around this morning. The tempo was a bit of a chore and the track intervals were fun. I ran strong on the 300s without rigging up much. The distance of 300 meters is always the right distance for me as it's long enough to get in some strength but short enough to work on the speed.

Black and Tan

Time: 64:44
Distance: 10.00 miles
Mini-Cool Down: 10:30 for 1.32 miles
Pace: 6:28
Map

Jenny Graef and Scotty D came over to the pad on Main St. to start the the run as a group of 4. We took the streets by storm heading south on Jenkins. The girls were running an easy hour while Scotty and I were going to be running 5 miles easy and 5 miles between 5:30 and 5:40 pace. This was something that Jailhouse started giving me during the half-marathon cycle and I enjoyed finishing the runs a bit harder.

Splits: 8:04, 7:24, 7:06, 7:12, 7:03, 5:35, 5:39, 5:32, 5:33, 5:29.

Scotty and I got things rolling along Hwy Symmes. We ran about 3 miles together before he called it a day. It was brutal out there and I didn't feel great. I could tell the pace would have been comfortable had the body not been overheating. It seems that I can run about 15 minutes hard before the body starts to get really hot and has a difficult time cooling down. Once the body temp. is elevated you might as well throw in the towel because it's nearly impossible to sustain the pace. I felt strong today and was glad to get something in that resembled marathon pace.

E.T. Run Home

Time: 26:30
Distance: 3.87 miles
Pace: 6:50
Map

Today at 6:53 a customer came into OK Runner and I fit him with some shoes. He was gone by 7:02, but somehow two other dudes walked in around 6:59. They didn't leave until 7:14 which meant I was a little late meeting Scotty along Robinson. Mr. Garmin also geeked out just after the mile mark and I missed a big portion of the run. I actually ran a little over 4 miles but the watch doesn't show that. Oh well. It was near 100 degrees when this run started so I was eager to get home and jump in the shower.

Terribly Humid

Time: 46:27
Distance: 6.47 miles
Pace: 7:10
Map

The weather was not kind to us this morning. At 7:30 am I'd guess the heat index was around 88 degrees. Simply awful. Luckily, I only had to run 6 miles with Scotty. We tried out a slightly different loop taking us farther west. The legs were a little sluggish early on but I finished the run feeling good.