These are my 14th and 15th pair of Sauconys…  probably over 5000 miles logged so far in Sauconys.

• What has been the difference between my first and second marathons? Mileage - up to 60 miles early, March Triple Crown (a real pain at the time, but kept me in tune with my capable speed). Weight - I weighed between 15 and 20 lbs heavier last marathon. Pacing - Learned to pace towards even run, pushing negative splits for......
• 18.01 miles in 2:49:27, 60.9 miles for the week #twit2fit Ran in running shorts + compression shorts, ear warmer, and Under Armour Cold Gear mock turtleneck shirt and Under Armour Cold Gear gloves.   I started out dressed for the mid-teens temperatures from this morning (same as above + a pair of pants, an extra shirt, a extra pair of socks,......
• Bought a new treadmill I was initially thinking of one of the low end TRUE treadmills, or maybe even dreaming of a Landice L7, but I ended up settling on a Sole F80 Treadmill: I was able to run (with sock feet) on it for about a minute at up to 7'30" pace.  Very......
• False Sense of Security from Panera Bread #twit2fit At Panera Bread, if you happen to not specifically order the Pick 2, you may end up dumping a minimum of 1000 calories on yourself.  If you pair a full sandwich and french onion soup, it's more like 1300, once you add chips and a baguette.  I usually try to......
• The Five Stages of a Bad Marathon Run A parallel to the Kübler-Ross model / five stages of grief: Denial - You went past the first couple of mile markers, and you're not anywhere near where you need to be in terms of time. Your legs may not feel like they're going too easy, but your brain is......
• The more I strength, the more I stretch I had a very broken up workout tonight, 4 hours in total--the only portion that I did in a solid stretch was the pushups + curls, in about 40 minutes combined. Strength only: Pushups 10x28, 1x23, 303 total. 13,053 since 12/28/2008 - 38 minutes, or one pushup every 7+ seconds.......

Last week featured back-to-back 11 and 13 milers, ending with a 15 miler at the end of the week.

Wednesday (tomorrow) and Sunday this week and next feature a 14 miler and an 18 miler.  Those seem pretty daunting at this point.

It’s not the distance or weekly volume that has me apprehensive. I’ve went as far as 23 miles in training runs before. My plans have peaked with a few consecutive weeks around 80 miles per week. With this plan, my first 20 miler is still weeks away, and the plan peaks at 70 miles per week.

One difference is that this plan is structured differently: My former (often improvised) 80+ mile plans consisted of lots of “doubles”: 2 runs in a day. It’s a little easier to squeeze in workouts when you do 7 miles, 5 miles, etc… then one 20 miler. I’m also trying to stay fairly faithful to the up-tempo and marathon pace long run schedule (so far).

Another possible difference is that my work and family schedule have made me favor (almost exclusively) the early morning run. I was doing outdoor runs for some of those, but the excessively humid air on the one cool day in the middle of a long hot streak was so laden with gnats that I really haven’t had the interest in getting back out there in the darkness until it cools off a little.

That leaves me running on the treadmill, and for the interest of time, the treadmill downstairs.

For 2+ hours.

Twice a week.

Maybe I’ll venture outside tomorrow morning.

Two 2+ hour runs on a treadmill in the same week.

• My planned running schedule for this week - 75 miles #running With my schedule this week, it looks like the following schedule will be how my attempt at 75 miles will happen: Monday: 7 miles AM - Recovery (9'30" pace or slower) Actual workout:  nice and easy.  Legs are hard to wake up. 6 miles PM - Easy (natural, full stride,......
• Is there life after DNF? - a partial-race report [/caption] Race Preparation: Something about this morning's race just wasn't right. There were just other priorities going on this week, starting with the night of Thunder Over Louisville and every night up until last night, I had been up late with kids who had stomach bugs, or just going to......
• Negative splits on my 18 miler (streak day 92) #twit2fit Last week, I ran a 16 miler in which I never got my legs under me.   My expected easy/long run pace is roughly 9:30 per mile, but I'm okay with 10 minute miles given the warmer weather. My result was a 10:19 pace for 16 miles, with the last few......
• Almost a perfect 12-mile loop through Fern Creek/J-Town #twit2fit 12 miles, 1:55:06 (9:36/mile), 10 straight weeks running. This was my longest run in almost 5 months.  I didn't get to start bright and early when the day is the coolest.  I didn't run in a public park today (not even through Vettiner).  I didn't run across anyone else who......
• 2400 miles later This has been the best disappointing year ever!  200 miles per month averaged, despite barely creeping near 200 miles a couple of times the last few months. A Running History In 2006, I started running.  By virtue of every race being my first at that distance, I set 4 personal......
• Trying to break the monotony of running outside... *heh* #twit2fit #running It's amazing how running 50 miles in 7 runs over 4 days can make even running in pleasant weather a bit of a mental challenge.  On Monday-Wednesday of this week, I ran outside, starting at 5:45 AM.  Daylight doesn't bleed into the sky until near 7, so running down streets......

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Running Log after 10,000th mile run

千里之行﹐始於足下。
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step — Lao Zi

It’s been a long time coming.

65 days worth of running time coming.

Over 5 years since I ran my first continuous mile.

35 of those initial miles had no running at all–those in April and early May of 2006.

Many of those initial miles with “running” in them were still at a slower pace than the average daily walker walks–I recall being unable to keep up with a 15 minute mile back then.

I’m about 55 pounds from my peak weight, and maybe about 5-10 pounds heavier than my lightest weight.

My 5k times have went from 33:44 on my 30th birthday to 19:50 5 weeks ago.

My marathon times have went from ok (4:34:06) to great (3:39:45) to disappointing (4:42:33) to not-as-great-as-I’d-hoped (3:32:20) to DNF to I’m-so-glad-to-be-close-to-4-hours-again.  3 extended injury periods (4-8 weeks) during marathon training. One canceled marathon, one failed marathon, 8 marathon finishes are under my belt.

I’ve discovered that the soft, i.e., flat, marathon is often a lie, especially if it’s Chicago. Flat is often harder than rolling hills, and Chicago weather is unpredictable. It seems that cool weather in October is not a guarantee in Chicago–a strange concept to someone living 3-4 hours to the south.

I’ve discovered that you can’t have any time expectations in a marathon of over 20,000 people once you’re behind half of them.

I’ve discovered that running at the beach at sea level is often hot, humid, and rough, even at 5:30am, but you’re still running at the beach.

I’ve discovered that a marathon race experience is often dependent on the nuttiness of the race director.

I’ve discovered, in my training, that I’m not as patient as I’d like myself to believe.  That’s where the injury often comes in.

I’ve learned that half-mile repetitions at my 5k pace will more safely improve my 5k time than half-mile repetitions at a pace that my body is unfamiliar with. Making the extraordinary commonplace automatically moves the bar on extraordinary.

Finally, I’ve discovered that running slow for 2 1/2 hours isn’t any easier than running the same distance at a faster pace, and a 4:42 marathon can hurt far more than a 3:39 marathon.

Best of luck to those just now discovering running. You’re guaranteed to have days in which you won’t want to continue. I still do. I had days this past week while on vacation where I laid in bed trying to rationalize sleeping in during my first week of marathon training, but I somehow managed to find a way to motivate myself. Regret lasts forever, and the reward of sleeping in lasts a couple of hours.

• Guess my 20 miler time: I ran 6.29 miles in the first hour + highest mileage week in a year. This was not a set up for a good long run today: I had a mid-back spasm in the first mile of my 5-miler yesterday morning that was still bothering me this morning. [Managed to fight for a 9'22" pace yesterday] The first hour of the run didn't break 9:30......
• Trying to actually run easy. Very nice weather this morning. 65'F outside, partly cloudy, and not too humid. Rain came in about an hour before my run.I tried to run "easy" based on my 5k time. According to Vdot Calculator and Training Paces based on a 21:54 5k (using Daniels' Running Formula, 2nd edition), that......
• My splits This was a very consistent run for me. A little pain the last three miles, shortened my gel intake to every 5 miles instead of every hour. Lap Time Distance 1 8:34 1.00 2 7:51 1.00 3 8:04 1.00 4 7:51 1.00 5 7:56 1.00 6 8:04 1.00 7 8:44......
• 2251.2 miles for the year and other accomplishments #running #twit2fit Accomplishments for the year: 10 more 60 mile weeks than I've run in my entire life. My first 70 mile week, and 5 more 70+ mile weeks. My first 80 mile week. My first 2000+ mile year. My first 300+ mile month. Two 5k PRs under 21 minutes. Sub 4......
• First long run in a while I barely consider 14 a long run anymore, but consider it's 6 miles longer than my longest run in 3 weeks, it was a long run. My goal was to hit 8'51"/mile for every mile. I averaged it, but went over on three different miles.My tendon next to my ankle......
• Race Report: Monumental Marathon I've spent the past 6 months working up to this day.  Twice in the past 16 months, I've been sidelined from running for more than 6 weeks.  I began running everyday at the end of my last injury recovery, making it my goal to be able to run the......

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I’ve been using brewed loose Jasmine Tea for this purpose…

• Fill 16 oz glass full of crushed ice
• Pour brewed Jasmine Tea cooled to room temperature to about 90% of the glass.
• Pour 3 Splenda(TM) packets in the glass.
• Fill the remainder of the glass with milk.
• Stir by plunging spoon into ice.

• Mile 3.5 smells like nuoc mam, mile 4 like jasmine #twit2fit /caption] Among the smells that fill the air in late spring, some are less pleasant than others.  There must have been some magical combination of garbage day, warm weather, and fresh rain, which made the air smell like fish sauce.  Not just any fish sauce, either.  My heritage has acclimated......
• 40 days in a row #twit2fit I'm still able to run today after running my 3x800 intervals yesterday @ 6:53 pace. I dropped down to 172 pounds from an average of well over 175, mainly from both lack of food and liquids yesterday. I wouldn't recommend it. Today's run was a 3.2 mile hill run at......
• On pre-marathon meals Don't necessarily do as I've done here--I'm just illustrating a point. For my three fastest marathon times, I've eaten as the last meal before: - 3:32 - cheap mediocre Mexican food. - 3:39 - Mexican in Florence, KY on the way to Cincinnati and pub grub at Nicholson's in Cincinnati.......
• Running is enjoyable Despite the fact that my post Pig self would scoff at my workout today, I found my RUN enjoyable.I ran 2 miles in 18:27. (9'14" pace)To complete the workout, I biked 10.88 miles in 30 minutes at level 20 resistance on the StairMaster bike downstairs. Until at full strength (and......
• Post- fall marathon & turkey training run #twit2fit 7.1 miles in 65 minutes... that's good for 9'10" per mile.Training Begins AgainI ran a day after Thanksgiving Day run last week downtown, but this is the second day of the start of my recovery and build-up to the next marathon, some time in the spring. Goal time: sub-3:30. That......
• Trying to break the monotony of running outside... *heh* #twit2fit #running It's amazing how running 50 miles in 7 runs over 4 days can make even running in pleasant weather a bit of a mental challenge.  On Monday-Wednesday of this week, I ran outside, starting at 5:45 AM.  Daylight doesn't bleed into the sky until near 7, so running down streets......

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• Hills and snow long run - a trail run despite the pavement technicality My long run today was going to be fairly sluggish just because of my piriformis soreness issues lately.  However, I never thought that it would be as dicey or as slow as it was today.  Those who know my running habits and philosophy know that I never run outside with......
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• Reflecting on injury Here I am, for the second time in about 6 months.  My sacroiliac joint is messed up, and I'm fighting the urge to run. Okay.  I'm not fighting the urge at all.  I'm trying to pretend that everything is okay, and going out anyway.  That's the way it was on......
• Day 30 of the streak. #twit2fit A lot of stuff going on here.  First of all, my graph.  30 runs in 30 days--no gaps in the graph: Secondly, I did this last run at 4:55 AM, on the treadmill in the basement of a house that's not air-conditioned at the moment.  It's warmer in the basement......
• Sockless in the Mizuno Wave Rider 9s, 3.1 miles. #twit2fit Streak day 8. I broke out my first model of running shoes (Mizuno Wave Rider 9s) to run tonight, to see if the running in them affects me differently than in my other shoes.  Since my thin socks are just about completely worn out, I ran in my shoes without......
• A journey of 5,000 miles begins with one mile. 1,189 days ago, on April 24,2006, I began a quest that was doomed to fail like so many times before. I weighed over 220 lbs. At some point during the preceding winter, I weighed over 230 lbs (at just under 5'8").  That's a BMI of 35.5--obese. Something was different this......