I was wiped out this morning. Saturday was an exhausting day, all in all, between running the 20 miles with Chris and then hosting the party. I was able to get to yoga yesterday and relax a bit, but when the alarm went off just after 6am, I had little desire to get up and run.

The run with Chris was really nice, but my legs were fried, too. Because of my adjustment last week for the issues with my feet, I had run 11+ miles on Wednesday and then 15 on Thursday. To get back to 20 miles so quickly was taking a bit of a toll. I debated either taking today off or giving some sort of recovery run, but after a cup of coffee and some morning email work, I decided that I should just bite the bullet and run my scheduled 9 miles with 5 x 600m at 5k race pace (w/90 seconds jog in between).

It was rainy and a cold 45 degrees this morning. I ran relatively quickly, feeling a bit of pep in my step. I liked the feeling of the cold drizzle as it fell on my face. I ran in Rock Creek Park and then popped out at P Street and made my way to the track at U Street/Cardozo High School.

The speed repeats were a bit tough, but much better than last year. One thing I tend to forget is that these aren't supposed to be "all out" dashes. In fact, they give you an intended pace - a 5k race pace. My one 5k, a number of months ago (actually, the Navy 5 miler), was run at just over a 6 minute/mile pace. So, I use that as a basis, and try to run a tad quicker than that.

This morning I ran the 600s (and it might even be a bit further than 600m) in just around 2 minutes and 5 seconds. I usually hit the one lap mark (400 m) at 1m22s - 1m25s. It was pretty exhausting, but also exhilarating.

I am wondering how to run the Cherry Blossom 10 miler on Saturday, and also what I should do for a long run this weekend. I am supposed to go 17 miles, which I may just have to shift until Sunday. I can take off Friday, run hard Saturday, and attempt to go long on Sunday. I am hoping I can run a 6:30 average pace for the 10 miler, giving me a finish in 1 hour and 5 minutes.

I searched around for a running calculator which would give me an idea of what I need to finish the 10 miler in to indicate what I'm capable of in the marathon. I came across the MacMillan Running Calculator which shows that if i do finish the race this weekend in 1 hour and 5 minutes (65 minutes) that I can expect to finish the marathon in 3:02:03.

A finish in 64 minutes (6:24 pace) projects that I can run a 2:59:15.



I am not entirely sure if I am mentally there or not, but this will be a good test. 6:24 for 10 miles is going to be really, really tough, but I am going to see if I can nail it.

The rest of this week looks like:

11 mile Medium Long run tomorrow morning

6 miles w 6 x 100m strides Wednesday

5 mile recovery Thursday

OFF Friday

Cherry Blossom 10 Miler Saturday

17 mile long run Sunday

OFF MONDAY

3:45:30. That was the time on the clock above the finish line at the National Marathon yesterday morning when I looked up as Chris Hesse and I rounded the final corner of the 26.2 mile course. Just then I slipped to the right of the barricades between the sidewalk and the street, ensuring that I wouldn't cross the finish line as an unregistered runner. We didn't stop there, though, I kept gazing left as I sprinted down the sidewalk, watching Chris continue his sprint to finish the race stronger than I could've imagined.

I started the run with Chris and "local runner" Mike Garrity (who was running the half) on Columbia Road in Adams Morgan, just after the race crossed 18th street. That was around 8am, roughly an hour, somewhere between miles 6 and 7, after Chris and Mike began their respective races at 7am at RFK.

I had gotten up with Chris at 5am to ensure he got out of the house alright. I managed to sneak in a few more minutes of rest after he left the house, but was up again just before 7 and out the door by about 7:20. I walked down Sherman Avenue to Harvard Street and then trekked West towards Adams Morgan. I wanted to see the race leaders, and they came by just as we were by my old apartment at 14h and Harvard Street. There were 3 guys leading the pack, and I believe they were all running the half marathon. Then came more and more men, and eventually the leading woman. It's always fascinating for me to see the front runners. They looks so calm and smooth as they are flying by at 5 min/mile speeds.

As soon as I met up with Chris and Mike we went past the spots I'd just walked by. It was cool to run with Chris past 14th and Harvard since we both lived in separate apartments there. He's been out of DC for a couple of years so the construction changes going on in the area are pretty marvelous to him. Garrity used to live our friend Issa further down Harvard Street, and he pointed out the spot he got mugged at 11th and Harvard. It's pretty fun to run through streets that you know so well.

Speaking of Issa, he and his very pregnant wife Marie (who was scheduled for a C-section the next morning) had linked up with Chris's wife, Sheela, their son, Kaya, and a few other friends just on the corner of Sherman and Harvard. It was great to see all of them, before we took off further down Harvard, across Georgia Avenue, and eventually to North Capital street.

I really needed to use the rest room and stopped at one of the port-a-pottys at the next water station. There were 4 stalls, but nonetheless a short lined had formed. Chris and Mike kept running and after the few minutes it took for the line to dwindle I hustled to catch up to them. It was nice to stretch out my legs a bit and run a tad faster pace, but I was to ensure that I saved some energy. Though I was scheduled to run 20 miles that day, which, of course, is shorter than the 26.2 of the full marathon Chris was running, I need to ensure that my legs would be strong enough to push him at the end, when he needed it most.

Once I caught up to them I was trying to engage both of them in conversation. I was talking about the Washington Capitals hockey team with Garrity, and learned that there are different ways to gain points in the standings in hockey. I didn't realize they'd done away with the tie, in favor of either an overtime win or a shoot out. It used to be that during the regular season if two teams were tied after the 3 regulation, 20 minute periods, a tie was registered for each team and they gained one point in the standings. Now, however, they play overtime, and if that doesn't resolve the winner, they go to a shootout. The eventual winner receives 2 points, and the loser in either of those instances (overtime or shootout) receives one point. However, if the game ends with a clear winner during regulation, the winner still receives two points, but the loser gains no points.

I thought I'd figured it out as clearly as I'd just written it (if you're still confused, don't worry, you probably don't follow hockey anyways), and was trying to affirm this with Garrity. He was having trouble concentrating, so we let it die. Soon thereafter, Garrity had dropped behind both Chris and I. Turns out his concentration problem was due to his need to use the restroom. Unfortunately, it had only been about a mile since I had stopped, and we both knew that the next bathroom was at least another mile ahead. Unfortunately, though, he had to go really badly. I stayed with him as he walked and tried to figure out a solution. At this point there were police everywhere and we were running through a neighborhood near Union Station. There was nowhere to ditch out and go without drawing major attention to himself. I thought about asking one of the few people in the neighborhood who were out watching the race, but that seemed a tad awkward. Eventually, though, we rounded on to H street and I spotted a coffee shop. I ensured they had a bathroom and threw Garrity in it, wishing him well with the finish of the half marathon (he had a little over 2 miles left) and then set off to catch up with Chris once again.

I cruised down H Street NE, another DC street which is seeing signs of gentrification. The actual street, however, is bumpy, worn and torn with tons of potholes and uneven surfaces. There were a few people out on the streets shouting "Welcome to H Street Northeast." Most of the pack, which was relatively thick at this point, seeing as this was roughly the 4 hour marathon pace runners, was running on the right side of the yellow lines (that is, they were running in the 3 east bound traffic lanes). I scooted just outside the lane divider and sped up in hopes of catching Chris. There's always a bit of nervousness when trying to find a runner during a race (either as a spectator waiting on the side, or, in this instance, a runner trying to catch another). Doubt and second guessing creep into your mind as you're looking for the person. "Did I already pass him? How far ahead can he be?"

I tapped my "lap" counter when I crossed the 11 mile marker and began running a bit faster. I felt a tad guilty passing so many people. I wasn't a registered runner and here I was flying by people who were working their hardest just to maintain this pace. Many of them had a "HALF" bib pinned to their backs, indicating that they were 2 miles from the finish. As I didn't have a "HALF" I reckoned that most of them were thinking (if they noticed me at all) that I was running the full marathon (there was no "FULL" bib). I wondered what people thought of a guy who was running the full who decided to kick it in to a sub-7 minute/mile pace at mile 11. Did they think I had gotten a late start and was making up for lost time? Who knows. I let the feelings of guilt subside as I passed mile 12 and still hadn't found Chris. Luckily, however, I did find him just a few more minutes up the road, just before the half marathon runners were directed off towards their finish.

Again I tapped the "lap" button on my watch as we crossed mile 13. I had run the past two miles in 14 minutes, or a 7 minute/mile pace. One tenth of a mile (.1) later, we crossed the halfway mark for the full marathon, and the clock read 1:56 (and some seconds that I don't remember). I quickly did the math and realized that if we kept up the same pace we would finish in 3:52. I mentioned that to Chris, who reminded me that this was the "clock" time and not his "chip" time. He thought it took him and Garrity three to four minutes to cross the starting line, which mean their "chip" was starting when the "clock" was 3 or 4 minutes. Therefore, he'd really done his first half marathon in around 1:48 to 1:49.

He and I began to figure out our remaining race strategy as we went around RFK Stadium and back down East Capitol Street. That is such a nice, beautiful street, that it allows your mind to run in many different directions. Chris struck up a short conversation with a couple of older looking guys who were just ahead of us. He prompted them for their expected finish time. They mentioned that they were shooting for under 4 hours. One of them was running his 12th marathon and the other his 15th, so they had an idea of what they were doing. From Chris's response, though, I could sense that he had hoped they were shooting for a faster time. Though his goal was to "finish strong," I know deep down he was expecting to finish faster than 4 hours. Therefore, we began to pull away from them just after that.

It got windy and a tad colder as we ran in front of the Capitol. The route we were taking was one I was well familiar with. On many of my runs this year (and in previous years) I've run around the Capitol. It was here that I started a new strategy to attempt to shield Chris from the wind (let him draft me). Thinking about it now it must've been kind of funny thinking this bean-pole could do anything to shield the broader-shouldered runner behind me from the wind. He did, however, indicate that it was helpful.

A few minutes later we both pit-stopped to use the bathroom and then ran under the mall through the 9th Street tunnel. I was happy to run there, since this is the way I drive to work most mornings. I told Chris that many of the times I called him on my way to work (which corresponds with his morning break period at school - he's a teacher) I was driving through that tunnel!

We came out of the tunnel and were down in Southwest DC. I lived there at one time, too, so it was great to go through yet another neighborhood I was familiar with. We passed by the tennis courts Issa and I used to play on, and it was funny to see that the drooping nets still hadn't been fixed. It was sort of unbelievable, in all honestly. The course then thinned out, and we ran along the sidewalk of the "River walk" just across from Hains Point. This reminded me of the Outerbanks Marathon that Chris and I ran together back in November of 2006. That small race had us run through neighborhoods onto sidewalks and through trails in the woods.

At the next water stop I offered to fill one of Chris's empty bottles with water and a package of his "Ultima" energy drink mix. That took a bit longer than I had hoped for. I was juggling my blackberry, the bottle, a bag of clif shots and the gel that I was going to eat for energy. I ended up dropping the entire package into the water bottle and had to try to fish it out. I was wearing gloves, which exacerbated the challenge. Eventually my fingers were able to snag the packet, but then the powdered substance had congealed a bit inside the packet. I had stopped to walk, realizing that the sooner I got it done the sooner I could actually get moving at a faster speed once again. Chris was once again ahead of me, and therefore I, again, had to increase my speed to catch back up to him. I did that just as we went off of a little jut on the course; a small "out and back" that was added solely to ensure that the course could follow it's overall path, but still have enough miles to accumulate to 26.2. We had a small laugh about that, and then passed mile 19 right by the home of the new Washington Nationals stadium.

The approach to the stadium didn't make it obvious that it was the structure in front of us. Suspecting that it was, though, I looked up and saw the lights. I pointed it out to Chris, a former college baseball player, hoping it was invigorate him. We talked a bit about baseball and how it will be neat to go see a game there, eventually. As we crossed one of DC's many bridges into Anacostia/South East, we caught a much better view of the stadium.

After the bridge we were entering the home stretch of the race. We hit mile 20 and did a bit of math to figure out that it was definitely possible for Chris to finish the race in under 3:45. We would have to pick up the pace a bit, but we also had to do that strategically. If we picked it up too quickly we could incite burn out too early. If we waited too long, though, we might miss the cut-off for a 3:45.

This part of the route, though, wasn't nearly as fan friendly as the beginning 13 had been. We were running along the Anacostia River, on a bike path. The wind was whipping at us relatively fiercely. There wasn't anyone out there to cheer us on, but we kept our conversation alive. Chris had asked me about running a record label and putting on shows, two things I did for a number of years before transitioning into music management. I explained to him that to me and my friends running a label, writing for a magazine, playing in a band, putting out a CD, and a number of other "astonishing" things to most people was the norm, not the exception. We all "did it ourselves." I tried to draw the analogy to Chris using him and his college baseball card as an example. He grew up an athlete and most of his friends in high school and college were also athletes. To them it wasn't strange to have a card. Hell, I can't even count the number of times Chris and I have turned on a baseball game or Sports Center to hear him say "that guy used to play for (insert rival team here)" or "my brother used to play against him." To those of us in the world outside of that level of athleticism, having a card or knowing someone "in the bigs" is really exciting. Just as to those outside of the underground music world knowing someone who put out albums or CDs or someone who plays in a band is something astonishing.

We kept a good pace along the river trail, which went around a small loop and doubled back on the trail prior to mile marker 23. As we we were on the return of the loop we saw the two guys we talked to near the Capitol. They spotted us, shouting "hey guys, good running!" I know we were looking relatively strong because for the past mile or so we had begun to pass more and more people. We were running a strong negative split (where the second half of a race is faster than the first half) and I hoped we could keep it up.

From the trail the route put us out on Minnesota Avenue North East. These final three miles were the same as the half marathon route was last year. I ran that race, a PR for me (1:29) in preparation for my Vancouver 2007 Marathon qualifier for the Boston Marathon, so I was familiar with the route. Therefore, I knew that the remainder of the run was relatively hilly, and it might be tough to push Chris as hard as I would like to. However, I kept on him, reinforcing that his training had prepared him for this and that his son would be very excited to see him after the race. We kept picking off people one by one and even passing large groups of people. The uphill stretches of Minnesota Avenue were not easy. In fact, my legs had been hurting for the past few miles, but I knew that I could push onward and upward, helping Chris meet his goal of "finishing strong." He stayed behind me as we passed mile 24 and then mile 25.

We ran that mile in under 8 minutes, an on the spot goal Chris had indicated during the race - he wanted to run one mile sub 8 minutes. I always figured it would be mile 25-26, but we were able to hit it one mile early. However, I needed him to run another mile sub-8. I wanted him to continue pushing, finishing strong. We came across the bridge back towards RFK and Chris asked if we were going to finish inside the stadium. Unfortunately the course isn't set up to do that (RFK doesn't even have a track inside of it). I did keep running right in front of him, asking him to follow my feet and dig as deep as he could. He did, and shined well. The stretch just before the final tenth of a mile before the race is also slight uphill, similar to the other DC marathon - Marine Corps. That's always a tough way to finish!

There was no 26 mile marker, a pet peeve of mine. Even though the distance between that mile marker and the finish line two tenths of a mile, it's really nice to know when you have only those two tenths left. Last year, at the half marathon, there was no 13th mile marker (bad luck?). It turns out that the course was laid out incorrectly and we ended up running farther than 13.1 miles. That was no the case this year with the marathon, but it was still a tad frustrating.

Nevertheless, after we crest the top of the hill, I slipped to the right of the barricades which separated the course from the sidewalk/spectators. Unfortunately the clock read 3:45 and some seconds. A shot of disappointment entered my mind as I'd really hoped Chris would finish under 3:45. Nevertheless, Chris dug in and began sprinting towards the finish. I was able to parallel him since the right side of the spectator area was completely barren from people. He was moving quickly and it was tough for me to keep up. I stopped at another barricade as he made his way across the line. I didn't see the final time, but did realize that there was a difference between the "clock" and the "chip." I was pretty sure he'd beaten 3:45.

I quickly found Chris who had been draped in a finisher medal and space blanket. I hugged him and led him towards the area where he could return his chip. He looked at me with tears in his eyes and said "I'm so happy!" followed by "I'm so tired." Indeed he should have been, he ran a perfect race! There were computer terminals set up to view your "chip" time and we found out that he ran a 3:43:59! Surely a personal record for Chris, and better than one of his least favorite runners of all time, George W Bush.

We grabbed a few things for the road and got in the car and headed home. Chris was able to field a few congratulatory phone calls and text messages as I maneuvered the car through the imminent DC traffic. Chris was exhausted, yet elated, and kept telling me that it was a "team effort" and that I was "MVP."

To me it was a pleasure. Chris had pushed me through the Marine Corps marathon in 2005, and we'd run Outerbanks at the same time in 2006. I was really happy to see him run so well.

I forgot to mention that while we were on the bridge running by Nationals Stadium (around mile 19) Garrity had called to let us know he'd finished very strong, after a bathroom delay. All in all, a good run for everyone involved!

Chris and I got back home and prepared for the celebratory BBQ at my house! A great day, all in all.

My feet were sore this morning. I'm pretty tired, too. I think the running and work, and life in general have got me a bit worn out. I need to rally, though, because tomorrow is the day I am to support Chris in his run at the National Marathon.

I did see that the Boston Marathon is going to be televised. I took the article from here

Boston Marathon Will Be Televised Live, Wire-To-Wire, On April 21
The WBZ-TV (Ch. 4) local coverage for the Boston area runs from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern time. WBZ, owned and operated by CBS, has partnered with the Boston Athletic Association for 28 years. VERSUS, on cable, will provide a complete live national telecast from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The elite women's start is at 9:35. "Boston is one of the most prestigious races in the world, so it's fitting to have such respected outlets as television partners so that our race can be enjoyed by fans around Boston and across the country on April 21," declares Guy Morse, Executive Director of the BAA.

Here's to hoping all of it pans out!

I must admit that I'm feeling a bit of a lull in the entire training. What once seemed so clear, and accessible, has lately become a bit of a monkey on my back. I think part of it is that I've let my guard down just a bit lately. I've acted as if I've already finished the race, as opposed to someone who is only 2/3rds of the way into his training. And, even though the bout with plantar fascitiis has yet to run its course, it's contributed to a bit of a more relaxed attitude about everything.

However, after my 15 mile run this morning, I think I might be able to hone in all of the extraneous energy and keep my eyes on my goal.

I did end up skipping my runs on Monday, and then, as I was about to begin my 11 mile run on Tuesday, I decided that I would take the advice of my friend Morgan. He was visiting from Sweden as I began to notice the signs of plantar fascitiis, and I explained to him my disappointment that I wouldn't be adhering to my schedule. He simply said "can't you just shift everything one day?" So, as I finished my the first 5 minutes of my run Tuesday morning, I decided to keep that one to a 6 miler. I felt little pain, but did notice my feet more than I had ever before.

I spent some time icing my feet after the run, and took a frozen bottle to the office to roll along the bottom of my foot (simultaneously reducing inflammation by icing and breaking up the "build up" of tension via the rolling and pressure). Though I wasn't motivated to do so, I did end up getting in my 4 mile evening run on a treadmill in the office gym around 9pm.

Yesterday morning now called for an 11 mile run with 6 x 1000m repeats. Unfortunately I ran a bit longer and a bit faster before reaching the track than I should have. And, on this run I noticed that my right foot was actually exhibiting more signs of discomfort than the left (the one which was initially feeling the worst). By the time I reached the track I had already run 8+ miles, so my repeats weren't particularly strong. I only ended up doing 4 x 1000m with 2 minutes of rest/jogging in between. My legs were definitely tensing up quite a bit by the end of the workout.

I definitely felt a tad distraught that I wasn't able to complete the workout, but consoled myself by noting that at least I was back on my feet. And, the soft nature of the track actually seemed to help my feet.

This morning, again, i wasn't elated to get out of the bed. The past few mornings in Washington, DC, have been really beautiful. I've been fortunately to run in relatively warmer temperatures amongst the blooming Cherry Blossoms. It's a fantastic time of year! This morning, though, it was a bit gloomy. Nevertheless, I knew once I left the house I would be fine. Indeed, I was right!

The 15 miles passed relatively quickly, and aside from my left quad feeling a tad strained, and my hips being as tight as ever, I felt really good! I was moving pretty quickly and paid special attention to the fact that my route had a lot of hills (through the hilly part of Rock Creek Park, coming out on Nebraska Ave, all the way to Mass. Ave, down to Dupont Circle and then making my way home).

Tomorrow will be an easy recovery day, and then I plan to run 20 miles of the National Marathon with my friend Chris Hesse. I had considered running the National Half, as I did last year. However, Chris has supported me in races prior - he was instrumental in helping me finish Marine Corps, and we both ran the Outerbanks Marathon - and it's time to return the favor. I'm a tad afraid his 8:45 pace will be a bit mind numbming to me, but I hope that we can have a good time and he can reach his goal.

From there we're down to 3 weeks until the race. That's a bit scary!

I decided to skip my 6 mile am run this morning in favor of trying to lessen the damage to my feet. I've never been good at resting an injury, but as I get older, train more, and read more, I realize that a day or two to recuperate could go a lot longer towards recovery than a day of training can to the overall performance in a race.

I iced my feet last night and took some ibuprofen. I've iced them already this morning, too, and did about 20 minutes of yoga. Without some sort of "release" (running, yoga, etc) my legs and body end up feeling pent up and sluggish. It can be tough for me to concentrate on an entire yoga routine in my living room, but this morning was a nice follow up to the afternoon class I went to yesterday.

I really hope I can mitigate this pretty easily. I don't mind missing recovery runs this morning and this evening, but I'll be concerned if I can't run tomorrow.

Well, I think I might have an overuse injury: Plant Fascitis. I'm going to monitor it this week, but am a bit concerned. I've worked really hard to get where I am so far in my training, and don't want to have this impede my ability to reach my goal.

On a positive note, I had a really good session of yoga today. On the weekends I've been home I've been getting up and going on Sunday mornings. Today was a slow morning so I opted to go with CJ to the 4 o'clock class. It wasn't overly challenging (much to CJ's dismay), but we focused almost entirely on hips. And, my hip flexors are consistently as sore as can be. Though it was a tad painful at times, I walked out of the class feeling "open."

I need to do more yoga and stretching on my own, which can be really hard. However, th e benefits are what's allowed me to run the miles I'm running thus far. So, I may want to increase the amount I do both as I round the corner of 4 weeks left until race day.

I woke up this morning, Sunday, with a bit of pain in my left foot. I noticed a slight discomfort in my left achilles as I was walking. I presumed it was loosely associated with the overall soreness my legs were feeling from yesterday morning's 18 mile run. However, the discomfort in the arch of my left foot is still there this morning. Hopefully with today as a day off I'll be able to recuperate a bit and be back on track tomorrow.

Yesterday's run was decent overall. My legs, in particular my quadriceps, were sore from Friday's simulated "race." I don't think I ended up writing that much about Friday's run. Seeing as this blog is as much a running journal I am supposed to look back upon as a training guide (many people keep running journals to look for patterns in success or injury - so if my left foot turns out to be more than just a slight discomfort I may be able to see how my training has changed or not by re-reading this blog), I should note that Friday's run was a tough one.

I wasn't terribly interested in facing yet another chilly morning on Friday and opted, instead, to run at lunch from my office. I postponed my departure there a number of times, and finally got out the door around 2pm. I headed towards the Potomac River and the George Washington Parkway trail, which is a straight downhill shot from my office. I set out at a blistering pace, somewhere in the 6:00-6:15/pace. The wind was at my back, the sun on my face, and my legs felt relatively fresh. Unfortunately, once I hit flat ground, down by the river, and the wind made itself apparent, I'd expended myself quite a bit. I was supposed to simulate an 8-15k race, and instead had pushed myself hard for 5k. Nevertheless, I persisted and managed to make an overall successful run. However, I was quite spent at the end, and my quads felt the strain.

Come Saturday morning I found it much easier to get out of bed and hit the roads. 18 miles doesn't even phase me anymore. I convert it all into hours and minutes and know a number of routes, locally, that accommodate those times (and distances). I just put one foot in front of the other and go until it's done. I don't have to push myself too hard, seeing as I am supposed to run the long runs 10 - 20 percent slower than my marathon pace.

One thing I did notice about yesterday's run was that I had to use the bathroom more frequently than usual. I downed my usual cup of coffee before taking off and carried my water bottle in my hand as I've done on every run over 14 miles this year. I usually have to use the bathroom within an hour, but yesterday it seemed to come on within the first half an hour. Then, I went again about an hour and 10 minutes in, and finally one last time around the 2 hour mark.

My legs felt strained and a tad sore, but I still found myself able to push my pace in the middle of the run (specifically Hains Point, which is miles 7-10). However, by the time I'd reached 15 miles my hips and quads were aching. I easily finished the run, but didn't feel incredible at the end. Not bad, but just not incredible.

I was sore most of yesterday, and pretty tired too. I went out shopping with my friend Morgan from Sweden, who is in town. We were on our feet most of the day. So, the Friday sprint and yesterday's long run, coupled with an entire day on my feet, could be what's causing the strain in my left foot. On my shopping excursion I did buy a new pair of running shoes (Asics 2130). Though it seemed strange to replace last pair of shoes after having only run in them for 2 months, I believe I've read that a good measure of a pair of shoes is 500 miles. If I've had the last ones for 8 weeks and have gone almost 70 miles each of those weeks, I am right at that 500 mile mark.

So, this week will start tomorrow with an easy 6 miler in the am, and then a 4 miler in the afternoon/evening. Hopefully that schedule, coupled with my new shoes will allow me to keep on track for the next four weeks of running before the almighty BOSTON.

I did it! I got out there and went for the run. I tried to delay as much as possible, but inevitably 2pm rolled around and I knew I needed to go.

It wasn't pretty, though it started that way. I headed out from the office with music blaring, the wind at my back, and running downhill. I was flying at a pace I knew I couldn't maintain, especially once I would hit the river with the wind at my face.

I ran 8 miles in about 53 minutes, so essentially it was a 14k "race." If it would've been a 5k I would have done it just under 18 minutes (sub 6 min/mile pace), but I wasn't able to sustain that pace.

The run is done and I can get on with my day. Tomorrow is 18! Should be good.

I find myself in an unfamiliar situation this morning - I'm at the kitchen table finishing breakfast - having not run a mile yet today! Uh oh. The bottom line is, I'm still tired, and with the weather still showing sub-40 degrees (not to mention the wind chills), I've decided to wait until lunch or this afternoon to run.

Normally I wouldn't fall in favor with such a decision, but I am going to spice things up just a bit! We'll see how it goes. It's Good Friday which means that I'm hoping this afternoon will be quiet at work. Instead of watching the NCAA College Basketball Tournament, I'll make sure I get out the door for my 8k-15k "race."

I went to yoga today for the first time in a while. I went to a lunch time class that I go to every once in a while. I wasn't terribly motivated to get myself to it, but remembered that it would leave me feeling much better afterwards.

My run this morning was an easy 5 miler, which I kept relatively easy except for the 50mpg gusts of wind.

Tomorrow I'm supposed to run an 8k-15k race, and then run 18 miles on Friday. I'm not sure what I'm going to do to simulate the race, but have a few ideas. I'll probably run down to the National Mall, which is 2-3 miles, run a nice 5 mile route down there (5 miles is 8k) and then make my way back to the house. All in it'll be around 9-10 miles (15k-16k) with only the 5 in the middle being run at "race pace."

My friend Chris is coming up next weekend for the National Marathon. I'm pretty excited about that!

I'm not injured!!

My Dad wrote me an email asking if I was hurt since my last update was March 10th. I'm proud to say that even though my left hip has been causing me a bit of discomfort, I've powered through and been able to complete every training run as planned.

It hasn't been easy, specially since I was in Austin, Texas, for South by Southwest (an annual music conference). I pulled an exhausting 21 miles there on Saturday, after a week of good runs last week in DC, returned home late Sunday and have already done 9 miles of lactate threshold Monday, a 15 mile medium long run yesterday morning and then 7 miles with some speed this morning. I'm feeling great and looking forward to the final month before the race.

I've already raised $1426.00 for my friend Mark Beemer's charity. I'm still about $3500 shy of my goal of $5000.00, but I do know a lot of people have commented that they plan on donating. If you have yet to donate, or would like to pass along the link to someone who would like to donate, please direct them here: http://www.syrentha.org/events/bostonmarathon08.php

Again, I'm feeling great and elated to know that at the very least my Dad reads this thing!

Daylight savings time is upon us, and though I was able to go to sleep at a reasonable hour last night, there was no kidding my body and mind that by waking up at 6:15am I was really waking up at 5:15am. I didn't sleep great last night, having gone to bed on a full stomach and then having a number of noises wake me throughout the night. I've found that occasionally the nights I try to get the most amount of sleep are sometimes the most fitful.

Nevertheless, I am a morning person, and was able to hop out of bed after the alarm had gone off. I spent a bit of time looking for my running hat as I slurped a timer-made cup of coffee. I headed out the door feeling a pep in the first step. Soon after, though, I was feeling a tad strange during the run. Recently, at the start of most runs, I've felt a sharp pain in my left ribs/chest. It's usually semi-strong at first but then goes away a few minutes into the run. This morning I began to breathe into that location, a strategy I've found works quite well with cramps (and one I can thank yoga for inspiring).

I continued on, as the morning run called for 8 miles w/10 x 100m strides at the end, towards the Capital for a very familiar route. I listened to my downloaded podcast of an interview with ultramarathoner Scott Jurek and wondered if I was pushing things too hard or not. The thing is, I wasn't pushing myself very hard. I felt that I was running a relatively regular "general aerobic" pace, but it didn't feel as easy as it should. With yesterday as a day off, I hoped to have felt more rested.

My mind traveled away from my sore left hip as I hit Pennsylvania Avenue and a beautiful view of the Capital came into sight. The sun was rising around 6:50am and the late winter morning provided a pretty backdrop of orange and grey. I watched the people at the Newseum trade out the front page papers.



The rest of the run was good. After the Scott Jurek podcast ended I listened to another podcast about ultrarunners. It surely makes an 8 mile jog in the morning seem drab in comparison to someone attempting to complete 100 miles in extreme conditions. I did need to use the bathroom and thought about the fact that the National Mall doesn't seem to have many options in that regard. I presume it's a safety and sanitary reason, and thought I would have to hold in my morning coffee for another half an hour, when just as I crossed Pennsylvania Avenue on 14th Street there were about 20 port-a-johns there. Normally when these toilets are placed down on the Mall they are locked, but these were probably hired in association with an event which occurred yesterday, and were open. I relieved myself and carried on.

I made it to the track feeling a tad sluggish, but pounded out my 10 x 100m strides. My left hip and my quads were both feeling a bit strained, and stride number six was probably the fastest one with the best form. From then on I was a bit sluggish, especially on the finishes.

I jogged the mile home up 11th Street and stopped my watch at just about one hour and ten minutes. I came inside to do a bit of stretching and already begin to focus my mind on the 14 miles which lie in front of me bright and early tomorrow morning.

Today was an off day, and I went to yoga. By the end of the day yesterday if I coughed too hard my hip flexors ached. With daylight savings time upon us I longed for another hour this morning, not to sleep, but to just relax and read.

Yoga was nice and mellow and though it took a long time to get my hips comfortable, I walked out of there feeling ready for another week of running. I hope to get to go another class either Monday night or Tuesday during the day and then again on Wednesday night. We'll see.

I'm feeling a tad irritated, a classic sign of overtraining. However, it could just be the accumulation of everything. I just wish there were more days off in a week, month, year!

I downloaded a few pod casts for this week's runs. Most of them are with endurance runners like Scott Jurek and Dean Karnazes (Ultramarathon Man).

It's really hard to believe it's been an entire week since I've been able to write anything about running. It's not to imply that I haven't been doing any running, or thinking about what I'd write after each respective run. It's just that things have been too busy to write.

It's obvious that I like to use a lot of words to describe my experiences, but in the interest of time, I think I'll just do a quick recount of the week. Suffice it to say, overall, this week was a good one. I was very motivated at the start of the week, embracing a busy work and travel schedule and anxious and excited to see how I could continue my training while doing such. By week's end, however, my tone was completely different. I was worn out, exhausted, and unsure if I was going to be able to get out the door this morning for my Saturday long run. Luckily, though, I recalled that most of the time with running it is so much about just getting out the door. From there my legs tend to do the rest.

One thing I've noticed with the training schedule I'm following is that there really isn't much room for mental relaxation. At least every other day, and at certain times, back to back days, involve runs longer than 10 miles. I am either mentally recovering or mentally preparing for a major run at some point during the day. It can really begin to wear on me. The end of this week was a perfect example of that, but as I type this I can proudly state that I was able to pull myself together and get out on the roads this morning for a successful, fast, long run.

I was headed to New York for work Monday through Wednesday this week, and Sunday I got a really poor night's sleep. Robert was in town and we went out to dinner on Sunday. I was feeling good and relaxed and because he and I had a thirty minute wait for seats I decided it would be okay to drink a beer. With dinner, I decided it wouldn't hurt to have a second one. I didn't even feel remotely intoxicated upon leaving the restaurant, but the little bit of alcohol did affect my sleep. Therefore, when the alarm went off at 6am for a six mile run on Monday, I was already operating at a sleep deficit. Nevertheless, I skated through the six miles and made my way to New York.

The scheduled required me to do a second run that afternoon, of only four miles, and thankfully I was able to squeeze it in on the treadmill in the basement gym of the hotel. The one thing I did notice is that 8 minute miles seemed fast on the treadmill. I wanted to keep my run to 30-32 minutes, and had to do the last two miles at 7:45 pace. It felt a tad quick, or at least not really relaxed.

Monday night I had a show in New York and was thankful that I was able to turn down the few drinks I was offered. I was in bed by 12:30pm, but up Tuesday by 7am and in Central Park by 7:30. Heidi, who lives and runs in NYC, convinced me that I would be able to do some speed work around the reservoir in Central Park. The workout called for 11 miles with 5 x 1200m at 5k pace with a 2.5 minute jog in between. I warmed up with 5 miles running counter clockwise through the park. This was the opposite direction of the Men's US Olympic Trials that we watched back in November, but I was still able to conjure up images in my mind of those guys running considerably quicker than I was on that fair fall morning. The warm up felt good and the speed work around the reservoir was nice, though it was windy. When I'm not able to find a measured track I use a "time" model in place of a "distance" one. I figure that 1200m would probably take me 4:30 to run, so I run at the perceived rate of exertion for a 1200m run and do that for 4.5 minutes. It seems to work out pretty well. I jogged back to the hotel happy that I'd completed the workout.

Tuesday night was an even later one than Monday, and I did end up having one beer that evening. I hadn't planned on drinking, but I figured one celebratory beer at night's end would be acceptable. Luckily I didn't have the same sleep problems I'd had Sunday night. I was only able to get about 5 and half hours of sleep before waking at 7am for a 15 miler. The weather wasn't very nice and my route involved running through the city streets across town to the East Side path at 23rd Street. I've always enjoyed running through the streets of New York City and this morning was no exception. Dodging people and cars and going where the green lights take you (that is, crossing streets from west to east or south to north depending on which light at an intersection is green) keeps your focus directly in front of you. Before I knew it I was on the east side.

The wind on that side was pretty fierce and unfortunately I wasn't dressed as warm as I would have liked. Nevertheless, I persisted through the run and after stopping for a bathroom break in the facility where people catch the Staten Island ferry, I had the wind at my back from Battery Park up to 57th Street. The rain started with about 15 minutes left of my run, and I logged a fast two miles in Central Park. At this point in the week, after two late nights and two difficult runs I was feeling quite good - very on top of my game.

I was beat when I got home on Wednesday and snuck in a nap before going out to a show that night. I did not stay out late and was up for 10 miles early the next morning. I wasn't elated to get up and go, so I ended up running at 7am instead of my normal 6 or 6:30. It's amazing when a 10 mile "general aerobic" run seems short. However, it did, and I felt fast. I ran with at the pace my body was leading me, cognizant of the fact that I was going to have to run hard on Saturday. Nevertheless, once again, I was feeling good about running Thursday morning.

Continuing with the trend of shows followed by runs, I had another show on Thursday night. With only a five mile recovery run on Friday I thought I could get away with a few drinks. However, we were out past midnight, and though I was barely feeling the positive effects of alcohol, the next morning was rough. I think by Friday everything had caught up to me, and dragging myself out of bed by 8:30 was tough. My run was fine once I got out there, but it was rough to get out of the door. The rainy weather wasn't helping either. Again, the run itself was fine, but the rest of Friday was miserable. I was very, very tired and just worn out. I had hoped to get to yoga Friday evening but when you're feeling tired and unmotivated it's tough to motivate yourself. Therefore, I skipped the yoga class, full well knowing that it would do me more good than harm. I was able to sneak in a few poses Friday evening, but I was wrecked by 9pm. I fell asleep on the couch around then but didn't really get to bed until after 10:30.

This morning was Saturday and I woke up around 6:45 thinking I could try to get out of the house by 7:30am. I spent some time downloading some podcasts for my run, and didn't make it out of the house until 8:15am. Today's run called for 16 miles with 12 at marathon pace. I decided I'd do a nice out and back along Rock Creek Parkway heading towards Hains Point. I wanted to run the first four at a slower pace and then log the last 12 at marathon pace. However, I started off quickly and by mile two I was surely running a pace faster than I'd hoped to at that point. I went with it and kept on at what I perceived to be marathon pace. It was raining out and there seemed to be more and more runners out than in the past few, colder weekends. When other runners looked serious I would wave at them and I noticed a time or two where people were noticing I was running with a lot of effort.

I hit the eight mile turnaround still feeling pretty good, but knowing it would be very tough to hold up for the remaining 8. I wasn't exactly sure when I started the twelve miles for race pace, but was a tad afraid I wouldn't actually run a full twelve at race pace. Nevertheless, feeling how I had been feeling, exhausted from the travel and the work, I already viewed this run as a success. The rain picked up with just a few miles to go and I noticed myself slowing with about three miles left. By the end of the run I felt a tad sick, once again. That's attributable to the lack of sleep, non-stop pace, coffee intake and consuming a gel halfway through the run. I ended the run at home feeling quite out of it, thinking that the remainder of the day would probably be a wash. I did want to write this blog so I can have a record of this week of training.

Overall it was a successful week. I was able to log the 68 miles my schedule called for with a lot of travel and late nights. I want to be able to make things less hectic, but this week I am going to Texas for South by Southwest on Thursday. I'm supposed to run hard Thursday morning and do a 4 mile recovery that afternoon. Maybe I'll do something similar to what I did on Monday of this week when I went to New York - hit the treadmill at the hotel before heading out that night. Friday will be a 6 mile recovery run, but Saturday calls for a 21 mile long run. That's the only thing I'm really worried about. I was able to run 18 miles there last year, but was drinking and on a bit different of a schedule. I would presume that NOT drinking will help me, overall, if I can remind myself that I feel better when I haven't been drinking. However, sometimes when I'm drinking I have more energy. I'm sleeping less but the combination of alcohol and coffee seem to fuel me through some of these runs. I guess all I can say is - I'll see.

5 weeks to go to the marathon:

Sunday - off/cross train (yoga)
Monday - 8 miles w/10 x 100m strides
Tuesday - 14 mile medium long run
Wednesday - 5 mile recovery
Thursday - 12 miles w/7 miles at half marathon pace in the am and 4 mi recovery pm
Friday - 6 mile recovery run
Saturday - 21 mile long run

Total of 70 miles

Today was a much needed off day. I got a good night's sleep, even though I've felt tired all day. It hasn't affected my productivity, but I've felt tired "in my head."

I went to yoga at 10am. It's really been an integral part of my training; it's been a recovery tool. My legs hurt after yesterday's 20 miles: my hips were tight and sore, my lower back ached and my legs had built up lactic acid.

As we began our hour and a half class this morning I had trouble just sitting with my legs crossed. Every movement that involved use of my hips was accompanied by a tad bit of an ache. However, I knew if I could perform the asanas (yoga movements) in the class I would feel much better. It's something that's hard to remember, but I'm very glad that I've been able to make my schedule so my "day off" is on Sunday, when there's a yoga class and no work. I do try to go to other yoga classes during the week, or even perform my own workout after a morning run, but with my busy schedule and being tired after individual runs, it's proven to be a challenge.

One thing I've noticed is that this blog would be more interesting and enjoyable to read if it had photos accompanying it. When I used to run while on tour I always thought it would be great to take a video camera along with me. It would be like my very own version of Google's "Street level view." Now, I don't really think I'd want to interrupt a run with a photo opportunity, but I do hope to add a bit of that flavor from time to time.

What I've got for now, in honor of a complete month of training (February), is a picture of my training calendar. I write a small bit about each run in the space below the number of the day. The last week isn't filled in because I began using this blog again - and I can only spend so much time writing about all the time that I already run.



I am heading to New York tomorrow after a 6 mile am run. I'm supposed to fit in 4 miles in the evening, so I hope to do that in Central Park. I've got to do 11 miles Tuesday and then 15 on Wednesday. I very well may do it all in Central Park. We'll have to see.

Unfortunately the first 20 miler of this marathon training was preceded by a night which fell outside of my routine. A college roommate (which seems weird to say, because I don't really identify college as "unit" of time in my life) turned super-DJ was making a rare Washington, DC, appearance, and agreed to meet me for dinner beforehand.

We met downtown on K Street NW across from the Lotus Lounge, where he was set to spin later that evening. I arrived at Lima, the restaurant the promoters responsible for bringing him to DC, recommended after finding out I was a vegetarian. I arrived a tad late for our 9:45pm reservation, but still managed to beat these guys by half an hour.

I grabbed a drink while waiting and felt completely out of place in this Miami/Peruvian inspired club and restaurant. We caught up over food and I had a glass of the wine the table ordered. It was good to see him, and though I'm in the music industry too, our worlds seemed so far apart. Here he was, about to start his night (after having slept on the plane), and I was feeling restless about being out past 11pm.

I was convinced by him and the promoters to at least come and check out the club across the way. It was what I expected - very loud and packed with well dressed people dancing to the 80's inspired house music the DJ was blaring. We were led to the DJ booth, which happened to be about 15 feet away from the dance floor and bar. As the first DJ wound down her set I asked my friend if this was "normal." He told me it was completely out of the norm, and that a lot of his sets are more like the "shows" we used to put on in our house in college - he even confessed that he'd taken to stage-diving on more than one occasion while DJing.

I was offered a few more drinks but opted for a Gatorade knowing that 20 miles loomed at some point in the morning. He started his set at midnight and I stayed for a bit. It was pretty fascinating to see him spin, and it would have been a fun place to have a few drinks. However, in the end, I had to keep my training goals in mind.

I got home around 1am and had no trouble falling asleep. I awoke at 8am and realized that I didn't have any coffee in the house. I went over to the local coffee shop and realized what a beautiful morning it was. Though I was tired, I was excited about the prospects of running on a spring-like day. In fact, today was the first day of the year I ran without my running tights on. In fact, I ran in shorts, a short-sleeved shirt, a fleece, my reflective vest, a hat and my lightest pair of gloves. Within a minute of stepping out of the house, however, I realized that the weather had changed.

I pay quite a bit of attention to the weather since all of my runs are done outside. All this week they said that Saturday would probably be breezy with highs in the 40s. However, things have been known to change, and the short jaunt to the coffee shop made me think today was one of those days. I was wrong.

The strong breeze had me wondering if I should head back after only 5 minutes and put on some warmer clothes. However, I rarely ever want to go back after getting out the door. It took me an hour and a half to get out of the door after returning from my coffee trip (downloading podcasts and lollygagging in the bed). I was tired and the late night was already working against me. So, I pushed on.

I kept the pace quite slow because of the number of miles I'd already logged this week. As I noticed earlier in the week, my calf was being finicky and my quads were feeling a tad strained. I ran down to the Capital and figured I would run a route similar to my 17 mile run a few weekends ago. I added a mile by going up behind the Capital and on the way down noticed that the breeze was quite strong at this point.

However, the worst was yet to come. I ran the "out" part of Hains Point and could feel the wind pushing me from behind. Once I rounded the tip and headed back towards Georgetown, though, I was rudely confronted with the strongest winds I've had to run in. I remember hearing stories from last year's Boston Marathon about windy and unfriendly running conditions. I kept thinking of how miserable I would be if these were what is waiting for me come April 21, 2008.

Halfway down the backside of the Hains Point loop I noticed a Coast Guard boat rushing along the water, breaking the large white caps as it sped over to two other boats. From what I could gather, while not wanting to stop, a row boat of some sort was having trouble in the very windy, cold conditions, and people were climbing over the railing which separates the water from land. It didn't appear as if anyone was injured, but as I continued on fire truck upon ambulance upon park police vehicle sped towards the scene. Unfortunately for me, the wind that these rushing vehicles carried with them added insult to the already injury-inducing winds.

I don't mean to sound completely over-dramatic, but the winds were utterly punishing. And, there really wasn't any relief in sight over the next two to three miles between coming out of Hains Point and along the trail to Georgetown. But, eventually, I surpassed that stretch of the run! That was about an hour and 40 minutes into the run, leaving me with just about an hour, or 8 miles, left.

Though i was moving slower than usual, i was still hovering between 7:30 and 7:45 minutes/mile. This pace against the wind was doing a number on my form, and therefore my legs. With an hour left to go I began to feel my calf strain and my quads ache. Nevertheless, I was able to persist, no thanks given to the 1.5 mile stretch from coming out of the park and running up Massachusetts Avenue. Upon reaching the top, I did contemplate stopping, but as has happened so many times in my training runs over the years I thought "if I stop here it's a really long way to walk back. And on top of that I'm really cold as is." Plus, I really knew the hardest part, aside from the last hill on Harvard Street, was behind me.

I cruised down through the picturesque neighborhoods of upper Northwest DC back towards Rock Creek Park. The podcasts - The Competitors Radio show interviews with Dan Brown and Ryan Hall and a few various NPR shows - ended and I changed over to the shuffle feature on my iPod. Conveniently enough, a few of the songs really hit at the exact right time, powering me through the remainder of the run.

I was wiped when I got home and now, two hours after having returned, still feel a tad out of my element. Though sometimes I do have to make a change to my training schedule to accommodate my personal life, I want to attempt to keep with my efforts to go to bed early and get a healthy 8 hours of sleep. I'm really looking forward to a day off tomorrow, with an hour and a half of yoga in there to aide with recovery.