Last Week: a New TTCR, a Mediocre 5K, and Love Bugs

46¼ miles for the week of April 21st through April 27th

M –4 miles, recovery run, average pace 8:50 mpm, 74°F at 4AM [Dow-]
Tu – 5¼ miles, average pace 6:41 mpm, half mile warmp, then the Dow- 2 miles hard in 12:29.5, then ¾ mile easy, and the Dow- 2 miles return hard in 12:30.6, 76°F at 4AM warm and humid with foggy glasses [Ol/Dow]
W AM – 4 miles, average pace 7:49 mpm, 76°F at 4AM [Dow-]
W PM – 5 miles, with 4x800/400 recoveries, average pace 7:10 mpm, 800s in 2:47.7, 2:48.9, 2:46.2 and 2:48.8, 78°F at 7PM with a Gulf wind at 13 mph with gusts to 20 [B’Wood track]
Th – 7½ miles, recovery run, average pace 8:20 mpm, 81°F at 11:30AM waiting to go to work [FlagR-P-P]
F - 0, worked from 1630 Thursday to 0730 Friday, 75°F at 4AM
Sa – 8 miles with a 5K race at 6:07 mpm pace, RAIN, 69°F at 8AM [Freeport5K]
Su – 12½ miles average pace of 7:29 mpm, overcast with filtered sun later, 72°F from 2:30PM [SeaC/NTrail-MBTrail-2x2M MBTrail/SeaC]


Tuesday’s tempo run was the best ever, a 25:00, almost 4 seconds faster than February 19th’s previous Dow- World Record. I was really surprised and pleased with this run, especially considering the 76°F temperature with matching dewpoint in the mid-70s.

I had high hopes for Saturday’s Freeport 5K, but I ended up with a disappointing 19:00. Despite the steady rain, conditions were much better during Saturday’s race than during Tuesday’s tempo run. I just didn’t have any Mojo Saturday. After the first mile, the insole of my right shoe slipped back and folded up just in front of the heel. I can’t say it hurt my race performance much, but it felt strange and with the rain was another unwelcome diversion. I didn’t see BrettP until after the race. I’m happy he’s running and racing again. He’s only been training a few months, but I’m sure it won’t be long until I’m following him again. The competition will be good.



Love Bugs



I don't know what love bugs do other than reproduce, keep carwashes in business and irritate runners. They certainly are good at reproducing. When you see a black cloud up ahead, breath in through your nose only.

Some Boston Trivia

Can you tell I missed going to Boston? Maybe next year.

Here's an old video of the 1979 race:


Qualifying history
1970: first mention of qualifying standard- 4:00
1971: standard lowered to 3:30 w/q-times at shorter distances also
1972: shorter distances qualifying dropped
1973: shorter distance qualifying restored
1977: men under 40/sub 3:00, all others- 3:30
1980: men under 40/sub 2:50, other men/sub 3:10, women/sub 3:20
1981: male masters/sub 3:30
1987: all divisions Q-times relaxed by 10 min
* In addition, relaxed standards for 50-59, 60+ groups

1990:
18-34m 3:10, w 3:40
35-39m 3:15, w 3:45
40-44m 3:20, w 3:50
45-49m 3:25, w 3:55
50-54m 3:30, w 4:00
55-59m 3:35, w 4:05
60-64m 3:40, w 4:10
65-69m 3:45, w 4:15
70+m 3:50, w 4:20

The current standards were last updated in 2003 with more generous qualifying times for the older age groups.
18-34 3hrs 10min 3hrs 40min
35-39 3hrs 15min 3hrs 45min
40-44 3hrs 20min 3hrs 50min
45-49 3hrs 30min 4hrs 00min
50-54 3hrs 35min 4hrs 05min
55-59 3hrs 45min 4hrs 15min
60-64 4hrs 00min 4hrs 30min
65-69 4hrs 15min 4hrs 45min
70-74 4hrs 30min 5hrs 00min
75-79 4hrs 45min 5hrs 15min
80 and over 5hrs 00min 5hrs 30min

I can only dream of running up Hereford Street and down Boylston at these paces. What a race!

A New Tuesday Tempo Record

It was over 75 degrees this morning, overcast and slightly foggy: not very good conditions for a heavyweight like me. But I was able to eeek out a new course record for my Dow- Tuesday Tempo run!
5¼ miles, average pace 6:41 mpm, half mile warmp, then the Dow- 2 miles hard in 12:29.5, then ¾ mile easy, and the Dow- 2 miles return hard in 12:30.6, 75.6°F from 4AM to 5AM. I didn't quite break 25, but I'm really happy with this one. I was completely soaked in sweat and even left a puddle in the kitchen while I made my lunch.

This hasn't been too bad a year for Tuesday Tempo runs.

Some Spring Training

47¾ miles for the week of April 14th through April 20th

M –4 miles, recovery run, average pace 8:27 mpm, very nice 51°F at 4AM [Dow-]
Tu – 5¼ miles, average pace 6:40 mpm, half mile warmp, then the Dow- 2 miles hard in 12:49, then ¾ mile easy, and the Dow- 2 miles return hard in 12:30, 53°F at 4AM nearly perfect weather [Ol/Dow]
W AM – 4 miles, average pace 7:43 mpm, 63°F at 4AM [Dow-]
W PM – 5¾ miles, with 3x1Mile/400 recoveries, average pace 7:02 mpm, Miles in 5:52.5, 5:53.6, and 5:59.4, 73°F at 7PM with a strong Gulf wind 18 mph with gust to 32 [B’Wood track]
Th – 4¼ miles, recovery run, average pace 8:20 mpm, 75°F at 6PM [FlagR-P-P]
F - 4 miles, average pace 7:30 mpm, approaching lightning, 75°F at 4AM [Dow-]
Sa – 8 miles with 2 on the bridge and 6 on the beach, 7:23 mpm pace, a wonderful sunny day, warm and dry with a nice light Gulf breeze, 76°F at 11AM [Surfside 2xBridge/11-8-11]
Su – 12½ miles average pace of 7:24 mpm, overcast with occasional filtered sun, 75°F from 11AM [SeaC/NTrail-MBTrail-2x2M MBTrail/SeaC]


Tuesday’s tempo run was the second best ever, a 25:19, about 15 seconds behind February 19th’s best ever Dow-. Next up is the Freeport 5K on the 26th. I’m hoping BrettP will be run it. I haven’t competed against him for years. He’s only been running a few months, but I think he’s already going to provide some super competition.

Even the local Texas beach looked nice on Saturday

Boston!

Wish I was there. The Olympic trials, Monday's marathon, ....




Does Deena have long legs?



How about Joan Benoit Samuelson? A new American Record for women over 50. Her 2:49:08 at almost age 51 age grades to 95.7%, a 2:21:24, just a couple of seconds off of her 2:21:21 PR in 1985!


Pictures from The Boston Globe online.

What an incredible race by Tera Moody. After qualifying in the heat of last year's Chicago marathon, she ran a 2:33:54 13 minute PR for fifth place, just getting edged out at the finish by Zoila Gomez. They were both close at the Aramco Houston Half this year. Tera ran a 1:13:03 for 7th and Zoila ran a 1:13:09 for 9th.



Here's another great set of pictures by Sean Hartnett.

Return of the Gulf Wind

It's back to a few humid days again. I could feel it for tonight's track work. 3x1Mile with 400 recoveries. I hit the first one in 5:52 thinking I could work my way into the 5:40s, but that first mile ended up being the fastest. I just didn't have it tonight.

I heard a decent story about the power plant on the radio (KUHF) this evening.

Beautiful Weekend

47¼ miles for the week of April 7th through April 13th

M –4¾ miles, recovery run, average pace 8:28 mpm, 72°F at 4AM [Dow]
Tu – 4¾ miles, average pace 7:41 mpm, didn’t feel up to a Tuesday Tempo, 73°F at 4AM [Dow]
W – 6¾ miles, with 5x800/400 recoveries, average pace 7:08 mpm, 800s in 2:53.7, 2:50.3, 2:47.6, 2:43.2, and 2:44.7, 77°F at 7PM [B’Wood track]
Th – 5¾ miles, recovery run, average pace 8:22 mpm, 76°F at 4AM [Dow/Ol]
F - 4¾ miles, average pace 7:45 mpm, took it easy in case I raced Saturday, 77°F at 4AM [Dow]
Sa – 8 miles on the beach, recovered some sleep so no morning race, 7:31 mpm pace, a wonderful sunny day, cool and dry 70°F at 11AM [Surfside 11-7-11]
Su – 12½ miles average pace of 7:13 mpm, sunny and very nice with the dewpoint near 40°F, North breeze, 74°F from 11:30AM [SeaC/NTrail-MBTrail-2x2M MBTrail/SeaC]


I’m a little disappointed I skipped Saturday morning’s race, but I needed the sleep. I also had to miss Wednesday evening's LP run; no Ironfoot Award this Spring. Next up is the Freeport 5K on the 26th.

Friday morning was pretty nasty: overcast warm and HUMID, but the cold front came through as advertised and we had another gorgeous weekend. I actually ran with the long sleeved shirt from the USA 10-miler this morning!

Last Week's Training

40¾ miles for the week of March 31st through April 6th

M – 4 miles, recovery run, average pace 8:20 mpm, 73°F at 4AM [Dow-]
Tu – 4½ miles, average pace 6:44 mpm, half mile warmp, then the Dow- 2 miles hard in 13:14 and the Dow- 2 miles return hard in 13:07, 75°F at 4AM warm humid and soaked in sweat [Ol/Dow]
W AM – 4¾ miles, average pace 7:33 mpm, 72°F at 4AM [Dow]
W PM – 5 miles, with 8x400/200 recoveries, average pace 7:09 mpm, 400s in 81.7, 78.9, 78.6, 76.6, 78.8, 79.3, 78.2, and 76.2, 76°F at 7PM [B’Wood track]
Th – slept through the running alarm, 75°F at 4AM [Dow]
F - 4 miles, recovery run, average pace 8:22 mpm, 76°F at 4AM [Dow-]
Sa – 6 miles with a 5K race at an average 5:47 mpm pace, a wonderful cool and dry 57°F at 8AM in Houston [Bellaire]
Su – 12½ miles average pace of 7:21 mpm, sunny and very nice with the dewpoint near 60°F, 76°F from Noon [SeaC/NTrail-MBTrail-2x2M MBTrail/SeaC]

A Good Start for 2008

I haven't been very happy with my running lately, but after this morning's Bellaire 5K I have to admit 2008 has been a very good year.

After a warm and humid week, a wonderful cold front blew through to the Gulf. Conditions this morning were as ideal as one could hope for April: 57 with a dewpoint of 52, the wind below 10 mph and overcast skies.

The starting line was very congested and I was on the edge with several traffic cones in front of me. Shortly after I cleared the starting mat, I swerved out to the right to avoid the slug of runners in front of me. This move made me start way too fast, but I was able to avoid the crowd and having to waste energy swerving around people. I knew I was way too far up in the pack, but Steve Schroeder was in front of me so I decided to try and stick with him. The first mile ended up as a 5:40. I was still feeling OK and the average heart rate for that mile was only 157. The second mile was heading south with a slight tailwind and the usual cast of chacters passed by me, but I was able to hold with Steve. Mile 2 was a 5:53 for 11:32 with an average heart rate of 169. Mile 3 was difficult. Steve passed me and I wasn't able to hold onto him. The new course has a nice long straight-away for the finish. I slowed to a 5:55 for 17:27 with the heart rate up to 173. I have no idea who was near me the last 0.11 miles, I was only concentrating on the finish line and the red numbers on the clock. The final sprint was 32 seconds at a 177 heart rate. I was disappointed to see the clock turn over to 18:00 and 18:01 as I crossed the mat. My only hope was chip time. 17:59.1! Woo-hoo!

I have to thank Steve for this race. I never would have been able to break 18 without him pulling me along.

Here are the results for the 2008 Bellaire Trolley Run 5K.

Here's the heart rate trend:


Here's the new course:

View Larger Map

The first quarter of 2008 has been very kind to me. This 48 year old, 185 pound, bald nuke has new PRs at 5K, 5 Miles, 10K, and the Marathon. The 5K was my first sub-18 and the 10K was my first sub-38. I never would have believed it was possible.

Wednesday 400s

With even shorter races coming up, I tried running 400s for speedwork this week. On a fairly warm and humid evening, 76°F, I was hoping the 400s would be easier than the 800s or mile repeats I've doing lately. The workout was 8x400/200recoveries; I ended up with:
81.7, 78.9, 78.6, 76.6, 78.8, 79.3, 78.2, and 76.2

I thought this was a pretty tough workout until I read Lance's blog. Wow! No wonder why they're smoking me in all of the Spring races.

Tough Week

51¼ miles for the week of March 24th through March 30th

M –4 miles, recovery run, average pace 8:20 mpm, 55°F at 4AM very nice with a bright moon [Dow-]
Tu – 5¾ miles, average pace 6:54 mpm, half mile warmp, then the Dow- 2 miles hard in 13:01, ¾ mile recovery, then the Dow- 2 miles return hard in 12:47, and finally a half mile recovery, 63°F at 4AM nice conditions with moon and stars [Ol/Dow/Ol]
W – 6¼ miles, with 5x800/400 recoveries, average pace 7:29 mpm, 800s in 2:52.5, 2:49.9, 2:48.1, 2:47.9, and 2:47.3, 71°F at 7PM [B’Wood track]
Th – 4¾ miles, recovery run, average pace 8:27 mpm, 69°F at 4AM [Dow]
F - 7½ miles very easy at an average 8:49 mpm pace, sunny humid and windy, 78°F from Noon [SeaC/NTrail-MBTrail/SeaC]
Sa – 10½ miles with an 8K race at an average 6:16 mpm pace, thick low overcast, warm and humid, 70°F at 8AM in Houston [Allen Parkway]
Su – 12½ miles average pace of 7:44 mpm, gulf breeze, 80°F from Noon [SeaC/NTrail-MBTrail-2x2M MBTrail/SeaC]


The 8K was pretty disappointing. I’m not going to make any predictions for this weekend’s 5K (either Bellaire or the Gator Gallop in Brazosport). Hopefully I won’t be at the power plant Saturday morning, but you never can be sure during a refueling outage.

The street lights have been out at the Dow Nature Preserve. During Thursday morning's pre-dawn run there were hundreds of fireflies along the sidewalk; pretty cool to run through them with their lights going on and off as I passed.

It looks as though the Tornados really tore up the HARRA 2007 Fall Series Team Competition!