M-pace: 10 miles in Golden Gate Park

Most of the physiological preparations have been cemented for the marathon in 4 weeks. There's not much more I can do to improve my shape before the race. However, psychologically, I need to get used to running at my goal pace, which I haven't been doing. My runs have been either considerably faster (tempo and VO2max runs) or slower (easy and moderate runs).

The first mile or two at marathon pace (M-pace) felt rough. I wasn't sure I'd even be able to do 5 miles at that pace. However, my body settled in around mile 3 and the pace felt great. I was actually a bit faster than I wanted, but it's hard to get the exact pace when running without mile markers and hitting red lights.

Mileage Summary

This Week

30.5 miles

This Month (September)

91 miles

This Year (2008)

1,229 miles

Shoe: Asics 2130 bought on 8/27/2008

127.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

M-pace for about 7 miles (after 2 mile warm up and with 0.5 mile warm down)

Start Time

9:00 am

Total Distance

10 miles

Total Time

1:15:08

Route

Flat. Out and back to Golden Gate Park, with 1 mile on Kezar track.

Pre-run

Tiger's Milk

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, a banana w/ peanut butter

Easy: 6 Miles in Dogpatch

Ran part of the marathon course to Dogpatch for a change of pace.

Mileage Summary

This Week

20.5 miles

This Month (September)

81 miles

This Year (2008)

1,219 miles

Shoe: Asics 2130 bought on 8/27/2008

117.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

8:00 am

Total Distance

6 miles

Total Time

53:05

Route

Rolling hills. Out and back on 17th, right on Indiana to Caesar Chavez.

Pre-run

Cereal w/ 1% milk

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk

Easy: 4 Miles on the Panhandle

Easy run with sprints.

Mileage Summary

This Week

14.5 miles

This Month (September)

75 miles

This Year (2008)

1,213 miles

Shoe: Asics 2130 bought on 8/27/2008

111.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

with 2 40 second sprints

Start Time

4:00 pm

Total Distance

4 miles

Total Time

33:48

Route

Flat. Out and back up the Panhandle to Masonic, then sprinting approx 200 m up and back.

Pre-run

Banana

Post-run

Glass of Cytomax

Tempo: 3 x 3200m Cruise Intervals

Another terrific track workout! I probably ran about 5 - 10 seconds too fast each mile (i.e. I could have gotten the same benefit with less stress had I slowed down a bit), but finished strong. The 8pm track workouts have been killing my sleep schedule, though.

I was thinking about switching to 2 x 5,000 m in 20:00/each next week. This down week will give my legs a chance to rest up, which should make that possible.

Mileage Summary

This Week

10.5 miles

This Month (September)

71 miles

This Year (2008)

1,209 miles

Shoe: Asics 2130 bought on 8/27/2008

107.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Tempo pace, cruise intervals. 3 x 3200m at tempo pace (12:40, 12:44, 12:43) with 3 minutes recovery after the first and 2 minutes recovery after the second.

Start Time

8:00 pm

Total Distance

10.5 miles

Total Time

77:00

Route

Flat. Kezar track w/ warm down back home

Mid-run

A GU after the track workout

Pre-run

Banana, peanut butter & jelly bagel

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, glass of Cytomax, bowl of cereal w/ 1% milk

Goals for Week of Sep 8

As I discovered last week, I have one more week until Bizz than I thought. So this week will be a down week. My goals: 45 - 50 miles total, 3 x 3200 m @ 6:30/pace cruise intervals, a 12 - 14 mile long run, an 8 - 10 mile run at 7:15 pace, and 3 x 200 m sprints during 2 runs (I think adding the sprints to the cruise intervals is too stressful).

Moderate: 9 Miles to Spreckle's Lake

Another run where ambition triumphed over common sense. 6 easy miles was the most that was called for, but I did a longer and faster run. My justifications: it's an evening run, so I had an extra half day rest; I need 9 to hit my weekly goal of 60 miles; I told my wife I'd be home for dinner, so I need to run faster; tomorrow is a rest day.

Mileage Summary

This Week

60.5 miles

This Month (September)

60.5 miles

This Year (2008)

1,198.5 miles

Shoe: Asics 2130 bought on 8/27/2008

97 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Moderate pace

Start Time

5:30 pm

Total Distance

9 miles

Total Time

75:33

Route

Rolling hills. Out and back to the water fountain by Spreckle's Lake.

Pain

Bottom of left foot was tingly on foot strikes in the toes

Pre-run

Nothing

Post-run

2 glasses Ovaltine with 1% milk, pasta dinner with broccoli, moderate strectching, ice bath for both feet.

Long/M-pace: 20.5 Miles Around the City

I screwed up my planning. When last week ended, I thought the race was 5 weeks out, but when I actually looked at a calendar, I realized it was 6 weeks out. So that means I needed a 20-miler this weekend and I'll need another one in 2 weeks. Anyway, this week is not turning out like my stated goals from Monday.

I replaced my Tuesday threshold intervals with VO2max intervals, but my legs were too weak today to add the 6 miles of threshold pace I wanted to do. Plus, the track was closed, so I ran on the upper path and wasn't sure the exact distance (luckily I guessed correctly that it was 0.4 miles). I did manage to get just over 5-k in at M-pace (7:15/mile). Now I need to start including M-pace runs to get a sense for what pace I'll run the marathon at.

Mileage Summary

This Week

51.5 miles

This Month (September)

51.5 miles

This Year (2008)

1,189.5 miles

Shoe: Asics 2130 bought on 8/27/2008

88 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Long run at easy pace with 3.2 miles (miles 12 - 15) at M-pace (7:15)

Start Time

6:30 am

Total Distance

20.5 miles

Total Time

2:53:11

Route

Rolling hills. Down Valencia, to Mission, cut over to Alemany, up Brotherhood, up 19th, wander through SF State (to look for a water fountain), back up 19th, along MLK to Kezar, 8 laps above the track @ 7:15 pace, back on MLK, cut up Stow Lake (clockwise) to JFK, back home along the Panhandle and Wiggle.

Pre-run

Oatmeal

Mid-run

3 GUs (1 every 45 - 50 minutes, including 1 about 5 minutes into M-pace running) and Cytomax

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, glass of Cytomax, peanut butter, and a bowl of cereal w/ 1% milk

Easy: 4.5 Miles on the Panhandle

Easy run to rest up for tomorrow's long run.

Mileage Summary

This Week

31 miles

This Month (September)

31 miles

This Year (2008)

1,169 miles

Shoe: Asics 2130 bought on 8/27/2008

67.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

9:00 am

Total Distance

4.5 miles

Total Time

45:00 (approx)

Route

Flat. Out and back to the Panhandle and Stanyan

Pre-run

Cereal

Post-run

Glass of Cytomax

Easy: 9 Miles up Glen Canyon Park

Starting out this morning, my legs were much stiffer than yesterday. I've noticed that sometimes I'm more sore 2 days after an intense workout than the day after. This is one of those times. However, after about 4 miles, I started feeling fresh again.

Mileage Summary

This Week

26.5 miles

This Month (September)

26.5 miles

This Year (2008)

1,164.5 miles

Shoe: Asics 2130 bought on 8/27/2008

63 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

7:20 am

Total Distance

9 miles

Total Time

81:44

Route

Hilly. Up Glen Park Canyon, down 7th Ave through Golden Gate Park and back through the Wiggle

Pre-run

Cereal w/ 1% milk

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, ice massage for my right Achilles.

Moderate: 4.5 Miles on the Panhandle

A recovery run with some strides thrown in to help loosen up the stiff legs from yesterday's workout.

Mileage Summary

This Week

17.5 miles

This Month (September)

17.5 miles

This Year (2008)

1,155.5 miles

Shoe: Asics 2130 bought on 8/27/2008

54 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Moderate pace, with 6 - 8 short (30 - 50 m) strides

Start Time

4:40 pm

Total Distance

4.5 miles

Total Time

42:00 (approx)

Route

Flat. Out and back, up the wiggle to the end of the Panhandle

Pre-run

Nothing

Post-run

Glass of Cytomax

VO2max: 10 Yasso 800's

Yasso 800's can be a great predictor for marathon time. That is, if you're Bart Yasso. Apparently it doesn't work for everyone. Regardless of whether I run a 2:51 - 2:57 marathon at Bizz Johnson, 10 800's at VO2max pace is an excellent workout.

Over the past few months I tended towards slower track workouts with cruise intervals, primarily because I felt I could only get 2 quality workouts in any given week. And since my target race is a marathon, a long run and tempo work seemed ideal. However, a buddy of mine suggested VO2max during the week, then a tempo long run on the weekend. That means 15 - 22 miles, where 4 - 8 miles is at tempo pace (~6:45/mile) and the rest of the run is at easy pace (~8:15/mile). I'll give that a shot this week and see if my body protests too much.

Mileage Summary

This Week

13 miles

This Month (September)

13 miles

This Year (2008)

1,151 miles

Shoe: Asics 2130 bought on 8/27/2008

49.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

VO2max pace. 10 x 800 m w/ equal time active rest (200 m walk/jog). 2:57, 2:54, 2:56, 2:55, 2:55, 2:54, 2:54, 2:51, 2:53, 2:51

Start Time

8:00 pm

Total Distance

10 miles

Total Time

75:00 (approx)

Route

Flat. Kezar track w/ warm down back home

Pre-run

Kappa maki and raisin bran w/ 1% milk

Mid-run

A GU before the track workout and a GU after the track workout

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, a glass of Cytomax, an English muffin w/ peanut butter, and a banana

Easy: 3 Miles in Golden Gate Park

A light run to get my legs ready for tonight's track workout

Mileage Summary

This Week

3 miles

This Month (September)

3 miles

This Year (2008)

1,141 miles

Shoe: Asics 2130 bought on 8/27/2008

39.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

8:15 am

Total Distance

3 miles

Total Time

26:07

Route

Mostly flat. Starting at the Conservatory of Flowers, around Stow Lake and back past Hippie Hill

Pre-run

Cereal

Post-run

Nothing

Goals for Week of Sep 1

These next two weeks are my final push for the Marathon (less than 5 weeks away!). This week I'll get back up to 60 miles, which will probably require 2 or 3 double workouts. My long run will be scaled back to about 15. I will run a expanded and modified version of my track workout: 3 x 3200m @ 6:30 pace finishing with 2 x 200m

Easy: 6 Miles in Golden Gate Park

Simple recovery run.

Mileage Summary

This Week

50.5 miles

This Month (August)

233 miles

This Year (2008)

1,138 miles

Shoe: Asics 2130 bought on 8/27/2008

36.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

10:30 am

Total Distance

6 miles

Total Time

56:00 (approx)

Route

Flat. From home to Golden Gate Park, through the AIDS memorial grove, back by Hippie Hill.

Pre-run

Cereal

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk

Long/Easy: 21 MIles Around the City

A nice long run, part of which was with a group from the Sports Basement run club.

Mileage Summary

This Week

44.5 miles

This Month (August)

227 miles

This Year (2008)

1,132 miles

Shoe: Asics 2130 bought on 8/27/2008

30.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Long, easy pace

Start Time

8:45 am

Total Distance

21 miles (Garmin says: 20.8)

Total Time

2:58:23

Route

Mostly flat with a couple of hills. Followed most of the San Francisco Marathon course minus a few loops in Golden Gate Park

Pre-run

Cereal

Mid-run

3 GUs (one every 45 - 50 minutes) and Cytomax

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk

Easy: 3 Miles to DMV

Today I've matched my longest previous recorded month (June 2008) with 206 miles. Tomorrow is a 20 miler (knock on wood), which means I'll shatter that record.

Mileage Summary

This Week

23.5 miles

This Month (August)

206 miles

This Year (2008)

1,111 miles

Shoe: Asics 2130 bought on 8/27/2008

9.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

10:15 am

Total Distance

3 miles

Total Time

29:03

Route

Flat. Out and back to the DMV through the Wiggle.

Pre-run

A pear and raisin bran with 1% milk

Post-run

Glass of Cytomax

Easy: 6.5 Miles to the Ferry Building

Today was not the best day to run with a group. After last night's work out, a short easy run would have been wise. When I run with a group, I find it hard to do short and easy. However, my body let me know in no uncertain terms that tonight was going to be an easy run. I kept the pace relatively slow (~10 min/mi), but ran longer than I should have. 3 - 4 would have been ideal, but I did the entire 6.5 miles. Tomorrow will be a much needed rest day!

Update: while at Sports Basement, I bought a new pair of shoes (they give a 15% discount to members of the Wednesday night run club) and I will start tracking shoe mileage in this blog now. I know...exciting, isn't it!

Mileage Summary

This Week

20.5 miles

This Month (August)

203 miles

This Year (2008)

1,108 miles

Shoe: Asics 2130 bought on 8/27/2008

6.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

8:30 am

Total Distance

6.5 miles

Total Time

65:00 (approx)

Route

Mostly flat. Out and back from the Sports Basement at 15th & Bryant, down 16th, through UCSF, along the water, past the ball park, and up to the Ferry Building.

Pre-run

Nothing

Post-run

Bottle of Gatorade

Tempo: 5 x 1600m Cruise Intervals

The sprints nearly killed me. Well, the warm up probably set me up for death. I left the Presidio in a hurry as I was meeting a pair of friends at Kezar and (as always) running a couple of minutes behind. I took the most direct path, which includes a significant hill climb. Not a good way to warm up for a track workout.

The meat of the workout (the 5 x 1600m) was fine. Our first interval was slow since it was my first workout in the dark, where my pacing is always slower. But we adjusted and by the third interval had found a good, quality pace. The sprints were much harder. My first felt difficult and my third seemed impossibly hard. It's been ages since I've pushed that hard in a sprint, to the point where my entire body feels like it's shutting down. With about 60m to go, my speed felt slightly slower than an old man hobbling. However, the actual time (0:36) wasn't too slow, so it was primarily psychological.

Mileage Summary

This Week

14 miles

This Month (August)

196.5 miles

This Year (2008)

1,101.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Tempo pace, cruise intervals.
5 x 1600m at tempo pace (6:33, 6:29, 6:23, 6:19, 6:20) with 1 minute recovery in between. Finished with 2 x 200m at repetition pace (0:35, 0:36)

Start Time

7:40 pm

Total Distance

11 miles

Total Time

85:00 (approx)

Route

Moderately hilly warm up from the Presidio to Kezar.

Pre-run

Brown rice

Mid-run

After 3 mile warm up to track, a GU and moderate stretching (giving the GU time to digest). After the 5 x 1600m and 2 x 200m, another GU.

Post-run

2 glasses of Ovaltine with 1% milk and a glass of Cytomax

Moderate: 3 Miles Through the Castro

This morning I ran one of the first routes I discovered after moving back in to SF. This used to be my staple run (2 or 3 times a week) back when 3 miles still was a decent distance. Once I began the marathon training program, this route became the short run, then eventually it was too short to be worth my while.

However, I thought it'd be nice to run it again to see how my time would compare and also allow me to keep my total weekly distance short. Anything under 24 minutes was my benchmark for a fast run on this route. Today, without pushing too hard, I kept it well under 23 minutes. Another sign pointing out the progress I've been making.

Mileage Summary

This Week

3 miles

This Month (August)

185.5 miles

This Year (2008)

1,090.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Moderate pace

Start Time

9:45 am

Total Distance

3 miles

Total Time

22:30

Route

Slightly hilly. Up 16th to Market, returning on 18th

Pre-run

Pancake breakfast!

Post-run

Glass of Cytomax and a banana

Goals for Week of Aug 25th

As mentioned in my post yesterday, this week is a down week for total mileage. My goal is to get a total of around 50 miles, a 5 x 1600m track workout (6:20 - 6:25 each), and a 20 miler.

Easy: 9 Miles in Golden Gate Park

I finished the week just shy of my total distance goal, but was spot on with my track workout and long run. I typically run 2 "up" weeks then a "down" week, meaning increasing the distance and intensity 2 weeks in a row and then scaling back for a week to let my body adjust and recover. This week was my 3rd up week in a row and I could feel that I was max'ing out. Next week will definitely be a down week.

Mileage Summary

This Week

58 miles

This Month (August)

182.5 miles

This Year (2008)

1,087.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

10:30 am

Total Distance

9 miles

Total Time

77:04

Route

Rolling hills. Up

the Wiggle, along JFK, down Transverse Dr., back on MLK through Stow Lake (CCW) to JFK, returning via the Wiggle.

Pre-run

Cereal w/ 1% milk

Post-run

Glass of Cytomax and chocolate croissant

Long/Moderate: 15 Mile Loop to Ocean Beach

Great long run today with a couple of friends. We pushed it pretty hard early on (~7:15 - 7:30 from miles 2 - 5), then we eased up for the next 5 miles, and finished with a pretty strong charge up Portola (~450 ft. climb).

Mileage Summary

This Week

49 miles

This Month (August)

173.5 miles

This Year (2008)

1,078.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Long, moderate pace

Start Time

7:45 am

Total Distance

15 miles

Total Time

2:08:16

Route

Moderately hilly. Up the Wiggle, down the Panhandle, through Golden Gate Park, down Ocean Beach, up Sloat, through Stern Grove, and up and over Portola.

Pre-run

Cereal w/ 1% milk

Post-run

Glass of Cytomax and a Tiger's Milk

Easy: 4 Miles in the Mission

My cardio-vascular system let me know I'm over training. My goal when I left the house was to do 6 - 9 miles, but I quickly realized that wouldn't be prudent.

Mileage Summary

This Week

34 miles

This Month (August)

158.5 miles

This Year (2008)

1,063.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

8:30 am

Total Distance

4 miles

Total Time

37:14

Route

Rolling hills. Out and back, down Guerrero and 30th

Pre-run

Steel cut oatmeal

Post-run

A banana

Easy: 7 Miles Around Golden Gate Park

I'm feeling good, on target for the week, and relatively pain-free.

Mileage Summary

This Week

30 miles

This Month (August)

154.5 miles

This Year (2008)

1,059.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

8:45 am

Total Distance

7 miles (MapMyRun says: 7.2)

Total Time

66:38

Route

Rolling hills. Starting at the Conservatory of Flowers, run around Golden Gate Park.

Pre-run

Raisin bran w/ 1% milk and a nectarine.

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, a glass of Cytomax, a banana w/ peanut butter, light stretching, and some preventative icing.

Tempo: 5 x 1600m Cruise Intervals

Woohaa! The best part about about track workouts is that it allows me to measure my progress. Sure they can be difficult, and some find them boring (I don't, but I'm a Masochist), but I can look at the times I ran tonight and compare them with times from months ago and see how much my training is paying off.

I started this "season" doing VO2max intervals and then shifted to 1600m cruise intervals when I realized the tempo pace training was much more beneficial for a marathon. My first bout of cruise intervals was 2 x 1600m (6:36, 6:34) and a 1200m (4:55; was supposed to be a full 1600m, but I started cramping up) in mid June. The following week, I did a full 5 x 1600m at a faster pace (6:31, 6:31, 6:30, 6:27, 6:25) and finished with 3 x 200m (0:37, 0:35, 0:36).

I hadn't gotten a chance to do a proper cruise interval workout on the track again until 2 weeks ago. My times weren't stellar, but I finished all 4 strong. This week, though, I finished 5 intervals stronger and faster and felt I had one more in me (but didn't let my ambition overpower my common sense). My 200's were also fast (0:34, 0:34)--that's even faster the Haile Gebreselassie's marathon pace!--but I've been running only 2 to avoid too much stress.

In short for this season, I'm progressing nicely. I ran about 5s/mile faster today vs. my previous best workout and felt I could've pushed another 5s/mile faster or added one more interval. And compared to my peak form from other seasons, I believe I was running 3 x 1600m (w/ 1 minute rest) in about 6:30 - 6:40 in HS (of course I was only training for up to 5k, so I was focusing more on the 400m intervals). In college, at peak I was running 5 x 1 mile (a mile is about 2.5 seconds longer than a 1600m at the pace I was running) in around 6:05 - 6:15, though with about 4 minutes rest.

Now if only there were a proper 8k I could race to compare my shape today with my shape in college (PR: 32:24). Oh, what about the 65 Roses 8k, that benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which is 2 weeks before Bizz Johnson? Maybe...

Mileage Summary

This Week

23 miles

This Month (August)

147.5 miles

This Year (2008)

1,052.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Tempo pace, cruise intervals.
4 strides (about 50 -75m each), 5 x 1600m at tempo pace (6:26, 6:29, 6:22, 6:23, 6:22) with 1 minute recovery in between. Finished with 2 x 200m at repetition pace (0:34, 0:34)

Start Time

6:15 pm

Total Distance

10.5 miles

Total Time

80:00 (approx)

Route

Flat. Ran to Kezar Stadium, ran the workout and ran back.

Pre-run

Nothing

Mid-run

After 2.5 mile warm up to track, a GU and moderate stretching (giving the GU time to digest). After the 5 x 1600m and 2 x 200m, another GU.

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, glass of Cytomax, and a banana w/ peanut butter

Easy: 4.5 Miles on the Panhandle

My legs felt a little tight from the hill in the Presidio last night. I took the run easy to help loosen them up for tonight's track work out.

Mileage Summary

This Week

12.5 miles

This Month (August)

137 miles

This Year (2008)

1,042 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

8:15 am

Total Distance

4.5 miles

Total Time

41:24

Route

Flat. Out and back: up the Wiggle to the Panhandle @ Stanyan

Pre-run

Raisin bran w/ 1% milk

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, a glass of Cytomax, a banana w/ peanut butter, 10 minute ice bath

Easy: 8 Miles to the Presidio

My right foot was sore again this morning, but I didn't feel any additional pain when walking/running, so I'm hopeful that I should be able to meet my goals for the week. I kept the run at an easy pace, despite the fact that I was running late to meet my wife and kid at Crissy Field.

The distance ended up being longer than I anticipated and I forgot to pack food, so I had a blood sugar crash when I got home. This used to happen to me nearly every day when I trained in college. I'd run 7 - 10 miles in the late afternoon, hang out for a bit with friends, then walk home and cook dinner. I didn't actually eat until about 90 minutes after my run and would grow incredibly tired after dinner. After about 20 minutes, the drowsiness passed and I'd be wide awake again.

Mileage Summary

This Week

8 miles

This Month (August)

132.5 miles

This Year (2008)

1,037.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

6:30 pm

Total Distance

8 miles

Total Time

69:16

Route

Moderately hilly. Point to point, up the Wiggle, through Golden Gate Park, up 25th, up Lincoln, past the Golden Gate Bridge, down into Crissy Field.

Pre-run

Nothing (probably should've had something)

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, dinner: gnocci w/ tomato sauce, steamed spianach, and chicken nuggets

Goals for Week of Aug 18th

Save for my still aching right foot, I feel great after last week's 56 miles. Unfortunately, when I'm running this much, the still-aching-foot could potentially be a week setback or worse. Without the foot pain, I'd shoot for 60 - 65 miles this week, a track workout (either with the Kezar Road Runners or a 5 x 1600m cruise interval session on my own), and a 15 miler. All requiring 2 or 3 double workouts.

But since I do have the foot pain, my goal is to not make it any worse. I'll play it by ear from day to day.

Easy: 4.5 Miles on the Panhandle

After last week's hilly and relatively long Sunday recovery run left my legs feeling not-so-recovered, I decided to make this a real recovery run. I kept the distance short (4.5 miles), the route flat, and the pace easy (~10 min/mile).

My muscles feel more recovered than last Sunday. But I now have this pain in my right foot (around the fourth metatarsal) that I'm feeling for the first time. It's like a small, intense bruise, but the skin shows no sign of discoloration. Just to be safe, I plunged both of my feet and ankles into an ice bath for 7 minutes after the run.

Mileage Summary

This Week

56 miles

This Month (August)

124.5 miles

This Year (2008)

1029.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

9:45 am

Total Distance

4.5 miles

Total Time

41:25

Route

Flat. Out and back to where the Panhandle hits Stanyan

Pre-run

Raisin bran w/ 1% milk

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, ice bath for both feet up to above the ankle

Long/Moderate: 19 Miles Around the City

I had an amazing long run this morning. The route I ran shows off some of the most spectacular places in San Francisco: the Ferry Building/Embarcadero, Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39, the Aquatic Park, Crissy Field, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio, Land's End, and Golden Gate Park. My wife and I call this the toenail loop (map it out and you'll understand). On top of the beautiful sites, the weather was cool and foggy and my legs and body felt great.

Mileage Summary

This Week

51.5 miles

This Month (August)

120 miles

This Year (2008)

1,025 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Long, moderate pace

Start Time

8:30 am

Total Distance

19 miles

Total Time

2:39:58

Route

Rolling hills. Down Mission St, around the bay from the Ferry Building to Land's End @ Geary, zig-zag through the Richmond, entering Golden Gate Park @ 36th, along JFK and returning through the Wiggle. I added an extra half mile when I bumped into some friends near Marina Green

Pre-run

Bowl of raisin bran w/ 1% milk

Mid-run

Bottle of Cytomax and 3 GU packets (1 every 40 - 50 minutes)

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, glass of Cytomax, spoonful of peanut butter, 2 Toaster Strudels

Moderate: 6.5 Miles to Pick Up the Kid

I broke 1,000 miles for the year! I've only been logging my mileage for about 6 years now and this is the quickest I've reached 1,000 miles for any given year during that time. I typically don't reach this milestone until November or December, if at all.

More good news: my ankle didn't bother me at all on this run, so I kept the distance as planned and even ran some fast spurts with the kiddo. I iced my ankle after the run, just in case, but it's looking more like I simply turned my ankle, rather than sprained it.

Mileage Summary

This Week

32.5 miles

This Month (August)

101 miles

This Year (2008)

1,006 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Moderate pace

Start Time

4:45 pm

Total Distance

6.5 miles

Total Time

57:26

Route

Rolling hills. Ran to the pre-school with my BOB Iron Man (empty for the first 4 miles), then back home with the kid for about 2.5 miles.

Pre-run

Nothing notable

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, glass of Cytomax, iced my left ankle and right shin.

Easy/Strides: 4 Miles around Castro/Mission

It's shaping up to be one of those days (in a bad way). I started out burning my hand on the steamer of my espresso machine. My left (dominant) hand is now blistering and nearly useless.

I felt alright during the run, still a bit sore from Wednesday's group run, so I threw in a handful of strides. I planned on doubling up today, but near the end of the run, my left foot gave and my ankle sprained. I walked for about half a block and felt good enough to continue running the last half mile home. I've had and trained through worse sprains, so I don't think this will be too big of a set back. I may still be able to get a couple miles in this afternoon, but I'll keep it conservative.

Mileage Summary

This Week

26 miles

This Month (August)

94.5 miles

This Year (2008)

999.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace with 4 strides (~40 - 60m) during the run

Start Time

9:30 am

Total Distance

4 miles

Total Time

35:31

Route

Rolling hills. Ventured through the Castro and Mission

Pre-run

Corn pockets (cereal) with 1% milk

Post-run

Ice and ibuprofen

Pains

Mild to moderate left ankle sprain around mile 3.5. I iced with an ice cup and took 400mg ibuprofen after the run.

Easy: 4.5 Miles on the Panhandle

I started this morning with the intent of doing 5 miles. Then I thought, maybe 6 miles would be better. Then 7 seemed to make the most sense. Luckily I talked myself back down to a reasonable distance for a recovery run. When I set lofty mileage goals (50+ this week), I find it easy to make excuses for adding an extra mile here and there, especially when I shouldn't. Sometimes it harder to run short and easy than it is to run long and fast. However, my body will thank me at the end of the week for keeping the distance short and pace slow today.

Mileage Summary

This Week

22 miles

This Month (August)

90.5 miles

This Year (2008)

995.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

8:30 am

Total Distance

4.5 miles

Total Time

40:11

Route

Flat, out and back. Up The Wiggle, along the Panhandle to the entrance of Golden Gate Park.

Pre-run

Steel cut oatmeal with Kiwi

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, a banana, and a spoonful of peanut butter

Pains

The sharp, mild calf pain I described on Tuesday made a brief return. I iced it just to be safe.

Tempo: 8 Miles to the Ferry Building

After an exhausting afternoon in the sun with 23 preschoolers, I opted take it easy and run with a casual group I used to run with, rather than hit the track. Of course, my group runs are never casual. Two months ago, for example, I had a chance to run with an old friend up in Portland. For the latter half of the run, I felt he was picking it up and I did what I could to stay with him. After the run, he commented to my wife that I was really pushing the pace. Anyhow, this is how most of my group runs end up. Each person feels that s/he is just trying to keep up with the group and none feel they are setting the pace. But someone is always pushing it.

So we steadily picked up the pace on the way out to the Ferry Building in a game of one-ups(wo)manship. For the last quarter to half mile, my Garmin was reading a 6:15 pace, which is far too fast for me, considering I had another 4 miles to get back home. Of course, I didn't want to be the last one to the Ferry Building.

On the return trip, I decided to turn this into a full blown tempo run, but limit my pace so as to not burn out. I had been doing 6:30 - 6:40 pace for cruise intervals, so I tried to peg my pace to 6:40 - 6:50 for the last 3 miles. I felt pretty strong the whole way back and kept with another runner I just met for most of it. Unfortunately, the last quarter mile to Sports Basement is a hill climb, and I'm generally weak there, so he lost me.

Mileage Summary

This Week

17.5 miles

This Month (August)

86 miles

This Year (2008)

991 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Tempo (lactate threshold) pace for about 4.5 miles. Running with a group, we upped the pace steadily from 7:30 to 6:30 from mile 2.25 to 4. At this point we stopped (for about 5 minutes) and regrouped with the rest of the gang and started the return trip. At mile 4.25, upped the pace again, this time holding a steady 6:45 pace until mile 7.

Start Time

6:30 pm

Total Distance

8 miles

Total Time

61:52

Route

Mostly flat. Ran from home to the Sports Basement off 15th & Bryant to meet with the group. With the group, ran down 16th, cut through UCSF, past the ball park, and up to the Ferry Building and returned in the reverse direction.

Pre-run

A banana

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, bottle of Gatorade, and a half serving of macaroni & cheese. I also did some moderate stretching.

Easy: 3 Miles to DMV

A short, easy run, since I plan on doubling up today.

Mileage Summary

This Week

9.5 miles

This Month (August)

78 miles

This Year (2008)

983 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

8:30 am

Total Distance

3 miles

Total Time

27:01

Route

Flat. Up The Wiggle to the the DMV and back

Pre-run

Rasin bran w/ 1% milk

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk

Moderate: 6.5 Miles around the Presidio

Ouch! Despite feeling strong at the end of last week and despite taking yesterday off, my legs were hurting this morning. I had a couple of nagging pains here and there throughout the run. Most went away after 15 minutes, when my legs were warm. But a calf pain that started mid-way through the run persisted. I keep cups of ice in the freezer just for these occasions.

Mileage Summary

This Week

6.5 miles

This Month (August)

75 miles

This Year (2008)

980 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Moderate pace

Start Time

8:20 am

Total Distance

6.5 miles (Map My Run says: 6.3)

Total Time

54:57

Route

Hilly. Perimeter loop around the Presidio

Pre-run

Raisin bran w/ 1% milk and a plum

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, a banana, light stretching, and icing

Pains

My left calf (about 3 inches below the top of my fibula) had a sharp, but mild pain through most of the run. I ran with a similar pain on my right calf for several months, though years ago, without it every causing any setbacks. After my run I stretched the calf and did a 5-minute ice massage.

This Week's Goals

I'm taking today off so that my legs will be fresh for the week to come, since I'm upping the ante. I'm shooting for 50+ miles this week, which will probably require one or two double workouts. If I were running solo all week, I'd do 5 x 1600m cruise intervals in the middle of the week and 16+ miles on the weekend. However, a friend invited me to do a track workout on Wednesday evening with the Kezar Road Runners--I don't know what their workout is, but will likely run with them instead of solo cruise intervals. Another friend invited me on a 12 mile run in the San Mateo hills, which would likely preclude a solo 16 miler on the weekend. If I run with him, I'll likely do a second run that day (maybe 8 miles).

Since my mileage is starting to get up there, I need to be more diligent with the post-run routine. Stretching, icing, and The Stick are all more important now. Of course, since I'll be spending more time running, I'll have less time to spend on the post-run routine...a classic runner's dilemma!

Easy: 6.5 Miles, up Glen Park Canyon

It's nice to finish out the week feeling strong and confident after my sub-par race last weekend. I achieved my goals for the week and my legs, though still a bit sore, are strong and injury free. I'll set slightly more aggressive goals for next week.

Now that the marathon training group is finished, I need to find other groups/friends to train with to keep my motivation up. Sports Basement has a Wednesday night run I'll likely return to. I have plenty of friends that I could run a day a week with, but syncing up schedules often proves to be impossible

Mileage Summary

This Week

47 miles

This Month (August)

68.5 miles

This Year (2008)

973.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

12:00 noon

Total Distance

6.5 miles

Total Time

58:35

Route

Hilly (~500 ft. climb). Ran down Guerrero, to Chenery, up Glen Park Canyon, down Portola, and back on 18th.

Pre-run

Raisin bran w/ 1% milk

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, a glass of Cytomax, a spoonful of peanut butter, and a granola bar.

Long/Easy: 15.5 Miles in/near Marina Green

I met up with the marathon training group this morning for an easy, post race 5-mile jaunt. I ran 4 miles to the meeting spot and 6.5 miles to get home. Despite not eating much before or during (a banana for breakfast and only one GU around mile 10), the run was quite pleasant. The pace was very casual, until the last 2 - 3 miles of my return trip, where I cruised in at sub-8 minute pace without feeling like I was pushing it.

Mileage Summary

This Week

40.5 miles

This Month (August)

62 miles

This Year (2008)

967 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Long, easy pace

Start Time

7:15 am

Total Distance

15.5 miles (Garmin says: 15.64)

Total Time

2:20:51

Route

Mostly flat, though with some big hill climbs (2 hills ~300ft each). I ran from home up to Marina Green via Divisidero to meet with the marathon training group for a post-race easy run. We ran along the marina to Fort Point and turned back to Marina Green. I ran through the Presidio, along Arguello, cut through Golden Gate Park and the Pan Handle to get back home.

Pre-run

A banana

Post-run

A glass of Cytomax, a glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, and a bowl of raisin bran with 1% milk. I did moderate stretching and worked some muscles (glutes and Achilles, which were sore from Thursday's track workout) with The Stick.

Easy: 5 Miles in the Presidio

My legs had a very even soreness due to yesterday's great track work out. Luckily, I didn't have any nagging pains that could indicate a looming injury. I decided to explore the trails in the Presidio, though with little luck. Most of the trails dead-ended shortly after I got on them, or they proved to just be a shortcut for a route I had already discovered.

Mileage Summary

This Week

25 miles

This Month (August)

46.5 miles

This Year (2008)

951.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy pace

Start Time

8:30 am

Total Distance

5 miles

Total Time

40:39

Route

Rolling hills. Start at the Presidio YMCA, run up Lover's Lane, right to Mountain Lake Park, blaze some trails around the golf course, then return back to the YMCA on the same basic route.

Pre-run

Bowl of raisin bran with 1% milk.

Post-run

Glass Ovaltine with 1% milk, a sample-size Clif Bar, and a teaspoon of honey roasted peanut butter.

Tempo: 4 x 1600m Cruise Intervals

This was my first track work out in several weeks, so I decided to limit it to 4 miles. I had an amazing 5 x 1600m about 2 months ago that I would have liked to repeat, but I didn't think my body would handle it--not to mention I had 3 drinks last night. Despite the 2.5 mile warm up and strides, the first interval felt the worst. I was probably still digesting the GU during that mile.

However, overall I felt better than I had anticipated and each mile was only slightly slower than where I was about 2 months ago. I may have been able to get the 5th mile in, but decided no to push it. I finished with two 200m sprints that were my fastest in ages.


Mileage Summary

This Week

20 miles

This Month (August)

41.5 miles

This Year (2008)

946.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Tempo pace, cruise intervals.
4 strides (about 50 -75m each), 4 x 1600m at tempo pace (6:35, 6:35, 6:31, 6:36) with 1 minute recovery in between. Finished with 2 x 200m at repetition pace (0:34, 0:34)

Start Time

9:45 am

Total Distance

9 miles

Total Time

75:00 (approx)

Route

Ran from home to Kezar Stadium (about 2.5 miles), ran the workout, then back home.

Pre-run

Half grapefruit and a peach for breakfast, a packet of GU about 5 minutes before starting the strides.

Post-run

Glass of Cytomax, glass of Ovaltine with 1% milk, a banana, and a teaspoon of honey roasted peanut butter.

Moderate: 7 Miles Crossing the Bridge

Now that I've gauged my legs to be ready to resume training, I wanted to get a decent run in before doing any speed work. My original plan was to do a 7.5 mile loop around the Presidio, but the weather was cold and foggy in the Presidio and I could see it was sunny and beautiful across the bay on the Marin side. Running across the Golden Gate Bridge is an odd experience. On the one hand, you're on this magnificent structure with breathtaking views, and on the other, your about 5 feet from freeway traffic. The traffic noise makes it difficult to zone out and enjoy the run.

Mileage Summary

This Week

11 miles

This Month (August)

32.5 miles

This Year (2008)

937.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Moderate pace

Start Time

8:20 am

Total Distance

7 miles

Total Time

59:43

Route

Moderate, rolling hills. Start at the Presidio YMCA, run down to Mariana Blvd, then back up on to Lincoln and then cross the Golden Gate Bridge. I stopped for a bio-break on the Marin-side of the bridge, then returned back across the bridge, through the Presido and back to the YMCA.

Pre-run

Cereal w/ 1% milk for breakfast

Post-run

Bottle of Cytomax, light stretching

Easy/Recovery: 4 Miles in Golden Gate Park

I was still sore from Sunday's race, but eager to get back to my pre-taper training regiment. Today's run was all about asking my legs how much they think they can handle this week. The soreness wasn't too bad and I couldn't sense any nagging pains, so I'll stick with my original goal of 40 - 45 miles for the week.

Mileage Summary

This Week

4 miles

This Month (August)

25.5 miles

This Year (2008)

930.5 miles

Today's Run

Workout

Easy, recovery pace

Start Time

8:20 am

Total Distance

4 miles

Total Time

32:15

Route

Moderate, rolling hills. Start at the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, half lap (clockwise) around Stow Lake, one lap around Kezar track, returning to the Conservatory of Flowers

Pre-run

Cereal w/ 1% milk for breakfast

Post-run

Glass of Cytomax

Upcoming Goals

My overarching goal is to run the Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon in less than 3:25:00.

In preparation, I need to pick a test race 3 - 5 weeks before that, probably in the 10 - 15k range.

My goal for the Week is to log 40 - 45 miles, with one tempo run and one 14+ mile run.

Disappointing Race

(photo by: sn00py78)

The San Francisco Marathon on Sunday was the culmination of the training group I had been running with for the past several months. By and large, the athletes had great, though painful, experiences and all had accomplished their goal of finishing a full marathon, for most it was their first. My wife took some great photos of the start and finish for the 2nd half marathon (I'm in the green shirt).

At the risk of sounding like a stick in the mud, I did not have a great race. While I had trained for the full 26.2 mile race, I had chosen to run the 2nd half marathon, with the goal of a sub-90 minute race. My PR (94:50) was from the Carlsbad Half Marathon 2.5 years ago while I was training for the Napa Valley Marathon. I went out on pace with Richard, the pacer for a 90 minute race pace, but quickly realized (about a mile or so in) that I wouldn't be able to maintain it.

(photo by: sn00py78)

I slowed down a tad and re-adjusted my goal to a "simple" PR. 92 or 93 minutes sounded decent and I felt I could manage. In the back of my mind, though, I feared the signals my legs and abdomen were sending foreshadowed a horrific finish. The next few miles was a gradual climb, so I settled into a comfortable pace hoping to make up some time on the upcoming downhill.

My daughter was waiting for me at mile 8, which gave me a psychological boost and helped propel me down the next mile or so through the Mission. But, the looming hill on 16th & Bryant proved to be the beginning of the end. As I had mentioned before, my abdomen was cramping up and I needed to eat at this point. I tried sucking down a GU packet while I ran, but my throat wouldn't cooperate. I stopped at the next aid station and was finally able to convince my body that it needed the food (and Cytomax and water). If you've ever stopped in a race, you understand how difficult it is to start running again.

(photo by: sn00py78)

The last four miles was psychological warfare. My brain had to promise my body that it would only run for a minute or two so that it would agree to get going again. Of course, that was a manipulative lie. After a couple of minutes my body tried to revolt by stopping, but my brain said, "just one more minute". And that is how the last 30 minutes of the race played out. (Luckily, my brain and my body were able to reconcile after plenty of recovery.)

(photo by: sn00py78)

In the end, I had a watch time of 99:48 and a chip time of 98:51--the first time my watch had a slower time than the chip. Looking back, my biggest mistakes were:

• Setting too aggressive a goal time with no recent races to back it up. I hadn't run a race since May and my track workouts had been spotty to say the least. Shooting for a PR in the first place would have prevented me from going out much faster than I knew I could and would have been more achievable.
• Sharing my "dream" goal with everyone. Typically, I like to set a couple of goal times going into a race. They tend to be (1) finish the race, (2) finish the race strong the whole way, (3) finish with a PR, and (4) finish with some amazing dream time that my body may not be capable of. When people ask me what my goal is before the race, I'll usually respond with either goal 2 or goal 3. However, this time, I responded with goal 4, the 90-minute race. This effectively commits me to trying to achieve this time at the expense of the other goals. Had I not share the dream goal, I may have re-adjusted my goal to goal 3 on race morning.
  
• Not taking in enough fuel. This has always been a problem I've had with racing longer than 12k. At a certain point I need to take in water, electrolyte, and carbs, but if I'm pushing myself close to my threshold pace, my stomach doesn't have the blood available to digest anything. I ate my pre-race oatmeal about 90 minutes before the start, but I should have had a GU about 10 minutes before.

Next stop: Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon