Week 14 and 15: Uh-Oh

I was a little surprised the 30K race didn't hit me much harder than a normal Sunday long run. Of course I was disappointed by my performance in the 30K, but at least it shows I'm capable of sub-3 on a good day this year. I wanted to run the 30K in about 2 hours (6:30 pace) and was in a good group at that pace the first half, with RichF, the lead woman, and another guy. But I left them drift ahead of me a little on the second loop. The water stop at the turnaround for the third loop was crowded and I overran the last person with water. I had to turn around and run back to get to someone passing out water. I completely lost contact with the group running 6:30s. Not that I could see very far; I ran the race blind without my glasses because of the fog and mist. I tried to maintain pace, but I slowed into the upper 6:40s. Just after the end of the third loop I was blown away by DaleL, another 50+. He passed me so fast I couldn't try to keep up with him. I ended up fifth in the 50 to 54 age group. I can't believe I used to look forward to turning 50.

77 miles for the week (December 14th to 20th)
M AM - 5¾ miles recovery run at 8:40 pace, foggy 59°F at 4AM
M PM - missed
Tu - 6¾ miles at 7:25 pace, 66°F and foggy again at 4AM
W AM - 7¼ miles at 7:25 pace, 49°F and windy at 4AM
W PM - 5 miles with 6x600/200 at an average 7:11 pace, 600s in 2:09 to 2:01, 49°F and occasional light rain
Th - 6¾ miles recovery run at 8:14 pace, raining and 48°F at 4AM
F - 15¼ miles at 7:15 pace, 54°F at 10PM
Sa - 10¼ miles recovery run at 8:40 pace, some sun and 63°F at 1PM
Su - 20 miles LSD, average 7:36 pace, sunny and nice, 56 to 59°F from Noon



54¾ miles for the week (December 21st to 27th)
M - 10 miles recovery run at 8:46 pace, 65°F at 3PM
Tu - missed, traveled to Glen Rose to get furnace repaired (600+ mile round trip), 66°F morning low temperature
W - 11¾ miles with 4x1M, miles in 6:12, 6:02, 6:04, and 6:05, average pace 7:48, 74°F windy and humid at 11AM
Th - missed, just too busy, 71°F at midnight but a strong cold front came in and lowered temperature down to the 40s by the end of the day
F - missed, too busy again, 35°F morning low
Sa - 11 miles at 7:23 pace, 52°F at 5PM with continuous light rain
Su - 22 miles LSD with some sub-7 miles near the end, average 7:15 pace, sunny and nice, 55 to 58°F from Noon

I can usually find the time to keep up with marathon training through the holidays but it just didn't work out this year. Week 15 was supposed to be 91 miles, the last hard week before beginning a three-week taper. I was very discouraged Saturday. But Sunday's long run reminded me of why I enjoy distance running. I'll push as hard as I can this week and cut the taper to two weeks. This marathon won't be a PR, but I still hope for a strong race.

Week 13: Still Not Performing

82 miles for Week 13 (December 7th to December 13th)

On vacation all week
M - 9½ miles recovery run at 8:57 pace, 60°F raining with deep puddles at 5PM
Tu - 15 miles medium long run at 7:33 pace, 74°F windy and humid with deep puddles at 3PM
W - 10½ miles easy at 7:50 pace, 56°F at 11AM
Th - 11¾ miles with 4x1 mile hard, average 7:12 pace, miles in 6:18, 6:04, 5:57, and 6:01, 43°F and windy at 10AM
F - 8¼ miles easy at 7:54 pace in Glen Rose, my left knee bothered me on the hills, 46°F at 1PM
Sa - 7 miles recovery at 8:20 pace, 68°F at Noon
Su - 20 miles with a 30K race at an average 6:38 pace, 47°F from 7AM with fog and mist

The 30K time was a little better than the earlier races, but it's still not near where I want to be.

Here's a little copperhead I nearly ran over on Wednesday:

Houston Marathon Training Week12: Knee Again?

72½ miles for Week 12 (November 30th to December 6th)

M AM - 6¼ miles recovery run at 8:43 pace, 55°F windy and raining at 4AM
M PM - missed
Tu - 6¾ miles general aerobic at 7:09 pace, 51°F windy and raining at 4AM
W AM - 6¾ miles general aerobic at 7:28 pace, 47°F at 4AM
W PM - 6 miles on the track, 6x600 with 200 recoveries, my left knee started bothering me on the turns, 600s from 2:07 to 2:09, average pace 7:04, 48°F at 7PM
Th - 5¾ miles recovery run at 8:13 pace, 46°F at 4AM
F - 11 miles medium long run at 7:27 pace, my left knee started bothering me again, 35°F starting at 4:30PM (first 30s this Fall)
Sa - 10 miles easy at 8:41 pace, 47°F at 3PM
Su - 20 miles at an average 7:41 pace, left knee started complaining quite a bit the last couple of miles, 63°F from 1PM with continuous rain


The knee flair-up was a huge disappointment. I want to do the work, but dealing with this knee is just more frustration. I think I made a mistake by combining scheduled 6/4 recovery run doubles into one easy to get done run during my days off from work. Those ten mile recovery runs probably were too much of a stress. I still have hope for the Sugar Land 30K, but if the knee isn't back to 100% I won't be able to race.

Catching Up: Weeks 9, 10, and 11

I've been busy with the power plant finishing its refueling outage and then the Thanksgiving holiday. I'm also still somewhat discouraged with my training.

73¼ miles for Week 9 (November 9th to 15th)

M AM - 6¾ miles recovery run at 8:37 pace, 70°F at 4AM
M PM - missed
Tu AM - 6¾ miles recovery run at 8:32 pace, 64°F at 4AM
Tu PM - 4 miles on the treadmill at the power plant, 8:08 pace
W AM - 11 miles general aerobic at 7:15 pace, 62°F at 4AM
W PM - 7 miles on the track, average pace 6:46, 69°F at 7PM, plus another 1¼ miles to pick up my wife's van
Th AM - 6¾ miles recovery run at 8:23 pace, 59°F at 4AM
Th PM - missed
F - 13 miles medium long run at 7:16 pace, 71 to 74°F starting at 9AM (home waiting for the power plant to heat up)
Sa - 7½ miles easy at 8:11 pace, 79°F at 9AM with a Gulf breeze
Su - 9 miles at an average 7:21 pace, 78°F from 4PM after working all day at the power plant; came home too late for a long run



73¾ miles for Week 10 (November 16th to 22nd)

M AM - 4¾ miles recovery run at 8:16 pace, 75°F at 4AM
M PM - missed
Tu - 7¾ miles general aerobic at 7:09 pace, 46°F at 4AM first 40s of the season!
W AM - 7¼ miles hard general aerobic at 6:54 pace, 47°F at 4AM
W PM - 6 miles on the track, 6x600 with 200 recoveries, sped up on each 600, from 2:10 to 2:04, average pace 6:59, 65°F at 7PM
Th AM - 4 miles recovery run at 8:01 pace, 64°F at 4AM (woke up late)
Th PM - missed
F - 13 miles medium long run at 7:23 pace, rain all day with deep puddles, 66°F starting at 4:30PM
Sa - 9 miles easy at 8:44 pace, overcast 58°F at Noon
Su - 22 miles at an average 7:21 pace, 57 to 62°F from 9AM

Running in the cool 40s on Tuesday and Wednesday morning felt wonderful.


75 miles for Week 11 (November 23rd to 29th)

M - 10 miles recovery run at 8:54 pace, 71°F at 10AM (vacation day)
Tu - 10 miles recovery run at 8:30 pace, 66°F at 11AM (vacation day)
W - 11 miles medium long run at 7:17 pace, 64°F from 4:20PM, started too late to finish scheduled 15-miler (vacation day)
Th - 10 miles recovery run at 8:32 pace, 58°F from 10AM (Thanksgiving Day)
F AM - missed a 12-miler with 7 miles at LT; just felt bad
F PM - missed 4 mile recovery run, busy with family
Sa - 10 miles easy at 8:22 pace, 71°F at Noon with a Gulf breeze picking up
Su - 24 miles at an average 7:37 pace, 76 to 75°F with the dewpoint in the upper 60s°F starting at 10:45AM


There were some decent long runs, but I was disappointed I didn't even attempt the hard LT run on Friday. I don't know whether it was from Thanksgiving dinner or just apprehension about a long, difficult run, but I felt horrible that morning. At least there's another two weeks before the Sugar Land 30K.



We're getting pretty close to race time:

Week 8: New Shoes But Same Old Racing Rut

My new Nike Air Zoom Elite-4s arrived Friday. Here they are with my Mizuno Elixirs (916 miles) and Saucony Tangents (894 miles).





81¾ miles for Week 8 (November 2nd to 8th)

M AM - 6¾ miles recovery run at 8:50 pace, 55°F at 4AM
M PM - 4 miles on the treadmill at the power plant, 8:23 pace
Tu - 7¾ miles general aerobic at 7:15 pace, 57°F at 4AM
W AM - 10 miles general aerobic at 7:12 pace, 57°F at 4AM
W PM - 6 miles on the track, average pace 6:34, 66°F at 7PM, these miles felt so much better with the cooler temperatures
Th AM - 6¾ miles recovery run at 8:18 pace, 59°F at 4AM
Th PM - missed
F - 8¾ miles easy general aerobic at 7:37 pace, 58°F at 4AM
F - 4 miles on the treadmill at the power plant, 8:11 pace
Sa - 7½ miles easy at 8:42 pace, 78°F at Noon with a Gulf breeze picking up
Su - 20¼ miles with a 25K race at an average 6:55 pace, Hobby Airport had 70 to 71°F with the dewpoint 66 to 67°F (YUCK) at least it stayed overcast

The weather was beautiful this week, EXCEPT for Sunday's 25K race. Even considering the warm weather, I wasn't happy with my performance. I was encouraged by this week's training and thought I had a good shot at a decent 25K. At least there's another four weeks before the Sugar Land 30K.

These first three races don't project any glimmer of a new marathon PR:

Marathon Equivalent Performance
10M: 3:09:51
Half marathon: 3:08:03
25K: 3:08:08

Karen Thibodeaux has some good pictures, I like the ones rounding the corner leaving downtown. Stupid water-saving washing machines!

Week 7: Inspiration!

I watched Meb tear up Central Park Sunday morning and then I got the chance to run my first 22-mile long run under a beautiful deep blue sky in nice cool, dry air. You'd have to be dead to not be inspired.

75¾ miles for Week 7 (October 26th to November 1st)

M AM - 5¾ miles recovery run at 8:45 pace, 78°F at 4AM
M PM - missed
Tu - 7¾ miles general aerobic at 7:25 pace, 56°F at 4AM but not feeling very good (blew off a planned tempo run)
W AM - 10 miles general aerobic at 7:24 pace, 70°F at 4AM
W PM - 6 miles on the track, average pace 7:24, 80°F and very humid at 7PM, added another 1¼ miles to pick up a car
Th AM - 4 miles recovery run at 8:44 pace, 81°F at 4AM, just before I went out to run I heard a noise in the garage and found the hose to the washing machine spraying water into a flooded garage
Th PM - missed (replaced the washing machine hoses and valves)
F - 10 miles general aerobic at 7:27 pace, heavy rain and deep puddles, but a nice cool 57°F at 4AM
Sa - 9 miles easy at 7:38 pace, 69°F at Noon, very nice and sunny!
Su - 22 miles averaging 7:38 pace, very nice and sunny, 71 to 72°F from 11:30AM with the dewpoint in hte upper 40s!


I'm hoping this inspiration and nice weather will carry over to Sunday's 25K race.
I still need a new pair of shoes.

Week 6: I Need New Shoes

My current running shoes, Mizuno Elixirs, now have over 900 miles on them. I think I'm starting to feel it too, especially in the lower legs. I've been searching shoe sales, but I haven't found a pair of lightweight support shoes for under $70. To make matters worse, I lost my work shoes at the power plant on Monday. I had to walk in pouring rain from the office building to the plant, getting my shoes completely soaked. And wet shoes are contamination magnets:



So I had to buy new work shoes Monday evening. I still don't have new running shoes.





72 miles for Week 6 (October 19th to October 25th)

M AM - 6¼ miles recovery run at 8:26 pace, 58°F at 4AM
M PM - 4 miles recovery run at 8:03 pace on the treadmill at the power plant
Tu - 10 miles general aerobic at 7:19 pace, 76°F at 4AM
W AM - 8¾ miles general aerobic at 7:31 pace, 79°F at 4AM
W PM - 6 miles on the track, average pace 7:05, 79°F and very humid at 7PM
Th - 6¾ miles recovery run at 8:41 pace, raining and 76°F at 4AM
F - 5¾ miles general aerobic at 7:35 pace, a very nice 56°F at 4AM but I drove to San Antonio Thursday evening to pick up my daughter from UTSA and didn't make it back home until after midnight
Sa - 7 miles recovery at 9:00 pace, 73°F at Noon, very nice and sunny!
Su - 17 miles with a half marathon race averaging 6:48 pace, overcast to partly cloudy, Hobby Airport had 66 to 71°F from 7AM, with the dewpoint going from 58 to 61°F and a east-southeast wind at 5 to 8 mph. A little better than the humid 75 to 76°F down on the coast where I live.

The half marathon was another disappointment. I wish there was more time until the 25K.


Good luck to everyone running the New York City Marathon Sunday, including Peter Sagal from Wait-Wait Don't Tell Me!

You can't mention NYC without Grete
Photo Gallery: NYC Marathon: Grete Waitz - Universal Sports

Week 4 and 5: First Test

Houston Marathon Training Week 4 finished with my first test, the Space City 10-Miler in Clear Lake. I failed.
The weather was decent: overcast, 63-61°F with the dewpoint at 61 to 59°F and a light North 7 to 8 mph wind. I started out easy, but even a 6:25 first mile felt hard. When I ran a 6:39 second mile, I knew I didn't have it. I don't know if it's the slow running because of the recent heat and humidity, or if I'm getting too old, or if it was just a bad day.

74 miles for Week 4 (October 5th to October 11th)

M AM - 6¼ miles recovery run at 8:55 pace, 82°F at 4AM
M PM - 4 miles recovery run at 8:17 pace on the treadmill at the power plant
Tu - 10 miles general aerobic at 7:47 pace, very warm and humid 84°F at 4AM
W AM - 8¾ miles general aerobic at 7:46 pace, 84°F at 4AM with the dewpoint inland at Angleton all the way up to 80°F
W PM - 6 miles on the track, average pace 7:15, 85°F and very humid at 7PM
Th - 6¾ miles recovery run at 8:41 pace, full Summer heat 85°F at 4AM
F - 8¾ miles general aerobic at 7:57 pace, another Summer morning, 85°F at 4AM
Sa - 7 miles recovery at 9:06 pace, 59°F at 9AM, so much better!
Su - 16½ miles with a 10-mile race averaging 6:47 pace, overcast 63-61°F from 7AM



66 miles for Week 5 (October 12th to October 18th)

M AM - 6¼ miles recovery run at 8:57 pace, 71°F at 4AM
M PM - 4 miles recovery run at 8:02 pace on the treadmill at the power plant
Tu - 10 miles general aerobic at 7:36 pace, very warm and humid 84°F at 4AM
W - had a very bad sore throat and took the entire day off, maybe that's my excuse for racing so poorly Sunday, 83°F at 4AM
Th - 6¾ miles recovery run at 8:28 pace, 82°F at 4AM
F - 10 miles general aerobic at 7:38 pace, 71°F at 4AM
Sa - 9 miles easy at 8:00 pace, 68°F at 11AM, sunny and nice dry air
Su - 20 miles averaging 7:36 pace, beautiful sunny day, 68°F from 11AM It's so much more fun to run in nice cool, dry air!

There just isn't enough time to prepare for the Houston Half Marathon this Sunday. I'm afraid that's going to be another disaster.

Week 3: Cold Fronts Welcome Here

Attention all Cold Fronts: Please come on down to the Gulf and please feel welcome to stay as long as you want. We really want you to visit.


72¾ miles for the week (September 28th to October 4th)

M - 6¾ miles recovery run at 8:35 pace, 82°F at 4AM
Tu - 9½ miles general aerobic at 7:33 pace, the schedule had 4@LT included as part of this run, but I was worn out after just one LT mile, 74°F at 4AM
W AM - 8¾ miles general aerobic at 7:20 pace, 69°F at 4AM
W PM - 6 miles on the track, tried to run Tuesday’s 4@LT but I was dead after just 1½ miles, average pace 6:59, 80°F and very humid at 7PM
Th - 5¾ miles recovery run at 8:26 pace, 82°F at 4AM
F - 10½ miles general aerobic at 7:51 pace, 80°F at 4AM
Sa - 7½ miles recovery at 8:47 pace, 79°F at 11AM
Su - 18 miles LSD with emphasis on the ‘S’, average 8:40 pace, sunny and unbelievably humid 86 to 87°F from 2:30PM

Wednesday morning's cool weather only lasted a few hours and by Wednesday evening's run the dewpoint was back in the 70s. Friday morning's run was just before some severe thunderstorms came through and Friday ended up being a very pleasant day. But by the time Saturday came along, it was back to warm and humid. Sunday was just awful.

Work Versus Week 2

Two Runs this Week Below 70°F!

52 miles for the week (September 21st to 27th)

M - 5¾ miles recovery run at 8:46 pace, 82°F at 4AM
Tu - 7¾ miles general aerobic at 7:31 pace, very warm and humid 83°F at 4AM
W AM - 6¾ miles general aerobic at 7:19 pace, 69°F at 4AM
W PM - 7 miles slowing picking up the pace on the track, average pace 7:01, 72°F at 7PM
Th - 5¾ miles recovery run at 8:31 pace, 68°F at 4AM
F - 12 miles general aerobic at 7:47 pace, 76°F from 10:30AM
Sa - 7 miles recovery at 8:47 pace, 79°F at 11AM
Su - received a 3AM call-in to work at the power plant, humid and foggy morning, low 76°F

After oppressive morning runs in the 80s Monday and Tuesday, the first 60s of the Fall came through to the coast. 69°F feels so much better than 83°F! But the warm and humid air was back by the weekend. Sunday's planned 18 miles would have been a struggle if I had a chance to run it.

Here is proof there is some athletic talent in my family. My nephew Cody is one of the incoming freshmen on the UCLA baseball team. He's third from the left in the second row.

Week 1 Is in the Book

123 days since last run below 70°F

66 miles for the week (September 14th to 20th)

M AM - 4¾ miles recovery run at 8:32 pace, 75°F at 4AM
M PM - 1¾ miles recovery run at 8:27 pace, 77°F at 9PM
Tu - 8 miles general aerobic at 7:12 pace, 72°F at 4AM
W AM - 5¾ miles general aerobic at 7:41 pace, 74°F at 4AM
W PM - 6¼ miles steady on the track, average pace 7:12, 85°F at 7PM
Th - 4¾ miles recovery run at 8:31 pace, 75°F at 4AM
F - 10 miles general aerobic at 7:32 pace, 77°F from 10AM
Sa - 7¾ miles recovery at 8:27 pace, 76°F at 9AM
Su - 17 miles LSD with emphasis on the ‘S’, average 8:16 pace, sunny but humid 84 to 86°F from before 10AM

Nothing fast this week, but at least I was able to complete all of the runs.

18 Weeks to GO!

Ready or not, the 18-week Houston Marathon training has begun. I haven't had a convincing recovery from hurting my right ankle back on Wednesday evening at the beginning of the month. I was desperate so I tried running in compression socks to help ease the stress on my Achilles tendon. I always thought Paula Radcliffe was silly in her compression socks and I'm not sure they really help at all. But at this point I'm willing to take advantage of anything I can, even if it is just a placebo effect. I ran a decent 8+ miler Friday, my first non-recovery pace run since that Wednesday the 2nd. So far the AT is OK. I certainly have max'ed out on the geek quotient though:

There's still plenty of time before the marathon. I've been considering taking some time off and starting fresh. But I just sent in my entry for the Space City 10-Miler. With only four weeks to go, that race is my biggest concern now.



The alligators at work have been loving this recent rain. Here's a picture of a 'gator party along the sidewalk between our office building and the power plant:

Not Again

2009 has been a frustrating year. In March, just as I was finally recovered from the marathon and ran a decent 8K race, my left knee started bothering me. I took a few weeks off, and struggled through the Summer to slowly build back up. Wednesday evening I ran five miles on the track and was feeling good. The first mile was a 6:53 and I slowly sped up to a 6:32 fourth mile. I was still feeling good and sped up to 6:00 pace for the last mile. But on the first turn of the third lap I felt a momentary pain in my right ankle. The pain came back a few more times on each curve. I debated immediately stopping, but slowed a little and finished the fifth mile in 6:22. After walking about thirty yards, my ankle tightened up and walking remained difficult every step. I'm suspecting I did something to my Achilles tendon. There's no swelling but it it still hurt some Thursday morning. I had to do a pressure test walkdown at the power plant, but thankfully my ankle quit hurting the more I walked. I was considering running Friday, but the ankle was still a little tender walking.
I can't believe this year. Whenever I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, it ends up being a train.



I heard about this video clip from Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me this morning:

Speed Walker vs. Samurai

"And he doesn't run very fast"
I love it.

The Dog Days of Summer Are Over

It's been a difficult Summer, but it's finally cooling down here. It was 73°F this morning with a little ground fog and it felt wonderful. This was the coolest running conditions I've seen for over three months, or 104 days to be exact. The moon was out and Orion and Sirius were both visible in the East. I've used the constellation Orion as a signal that it's time to get serious about training for the Houston Marathon. Orion will be out each morning as the training gets intense, and by January when it's time to start tapering, Orion will be walking on the edge of the western horizon.

Summer '09 really was a bad one. Here are the data for Clute (June, July, and August):

2009
Average Daily Low Temperature 81.0°F
Median Daily Low Temperature 82.1°F
Average Daily High Temperature 91.0°F
Median Daily High Temperature 91.2°F

2008
Average Daily Low Temperature 79.8°F
Median Daily Low Temperature 79.0°F
Average Daily High Temperature 89.9°F
Median Daily High Temperature 90.0°F

2007
Average Daily Low Temperature 81.3°F
Median Daily Low Temperature 81.7°F
Average Daily High Temperature 90.4°F
Median Daily High Temperature 90.6°F

2006
Average Daily Low Temperature 77.4°F
Median Daily Low Temperature 77.0°F
Average Daily High Temperature 87.5°F
Median Daily High Temperature 88.0°F

Now Available on Amazon!

Amazon offers so much more than just books! Check out the blue-box sponsored link on this screen print from a New York Times web page search:



Free shipping on qualified orders! I wonder how they're shipped?

IAAF World Championships

There's been some interesting action in Berlin. Universal Sports has had great coverage over the internet.

Of course, this amazing race has to lead:


The finish of the woman's 10K was also pretty awesome. Don't celebrate until after you cross the finish line.




The marathon races are next weekend. The men's marathon is early Saturday morning (0445 CDT). The USA team :
1169 Daniel BROWNE USA 24 Jun 75 2:11:35 PR, 2:13:23 Qualifier
1182 Matt GABRIELSON USA 28 Jun 78 2:17:38 PR 2:17:38
1193 Nate JENKINS USA 6 Oct 80 2:14:56 PR 2:14:56
1237 Edwardo TORRES USA 22 Aug 80 2:17:54 PR 2:17:54
1247 Justin YOUNG USA 25 Jul 79 2:13:54 PR, 2:18:50 in 2009, 2:13:54 Qualifier

The women's marathon is early Saturday morning (0415 CDT). The USA team :
980 Desireé DAVILA USA 26 Jul 83 2:31:33 PR 2:31:33
992 Zoila GÓMEZ USA 7 Jun 79 2:33:53 PR 2:33:53
993 Kara GOUCHER USA 9 Jul 78 2:25:53 PR, 2:32:25 in 2009, 2:25:53
998 Paige HIGGINS USA 12 Jul 82 2:33:06 PR 2:33:06
1012 Tera MOODY USA 18 Dec 80 2:33:54 PR 2:33:54

Here's a great picture by Sean Hartnett of Tera Moody and Zoila Gomez racing the US Olympic Trials Marathon.


Here's the entire starting list.

UT standout Leonel Manzano qualified for the 1500m final Wednesday.



And Bekele blew away the field in the Men's 10K

Is It Fall Yet?

Days Since Last Run Below 80°F: 12 counting my trip to Washington DC. It's been 24 days since it was 78°F down here on Sunday morning, July 19th.
Days Since Last Run Below 70°F: 83 (May 21, a pretty nice Spring this year)

45¼ miles for the week of August 2nd through 9th

I'm just so tired of sweating. It was nice to run in the lower 70s°F while I was in Washington DC. But those were still sweat soaked runs. My shoes were completely soaked after just three miles Sunday. This has been a bad Summer. Here's a graph of the daily high and low temperatures for Clute this year.



South Texas Summer Snow



View of the prison farm while driving home from work

Back from DC

Wouldn't you know the week I spend in DC is their week of Summer. Each run ended up soaked in sweat, but it was still much better than down here and I was able to notch my pace up somewhat. The best dewpoint I saw was a decent 65°F on Thursday morning and the worst was 72°F on Friday morning. Much better than the upper 70s, but still humid. The best temperature I saw was 73°F on Tuesday and Thursday morning and the worst was 85°F late Monday afternoon. Not too bad!
DC is an interesting city with all of it's diagonal (state) streets, circles, and monuments. From my hotel, I had a short warmup/cooldown to the Rock Creek Trail and the C&O Canal Trail. Of course, I did my share of tourist runs, looping the White House and the monuments on The Mall. The C&O Canal Trail is a nice unending stretch of crushed rock along the old canal, great for serious runs. Stepping up and down the curbs and the faster running took a toll on my left knee. I just felt a few niggles; hopefully, it's nothing serious.

Here's a picture of me from a tourist run Friday morning (at this nuke's favorite monument):

To DC

I'm going to Washington DC this week for a meeting with other nuke engineers. I'm hoping it will be a little cooler. After one my slowest 5Ks in years, I was hoping to redeem myself at the Mosquito Chase this morning. I ran a little better (19:20), but I really wanted to be under 19. Oh well. It was a little warmer and more humid than last weekend. 82°F from 7AM to 8AM at Clute.

RAIN!

Days Since Last Run Below 80°F: 1 It was 78°F Sunday Morning!
Days Since Last Run Below 70°F: 61 (May 21, a pretty nice Spring this year)

47½ miles for the week of July 13th through 19th

M – 5½ miles, average pace 8:10 mpm, 85°F to 85°F from 8AM but dewpoint in the low 60s [Glen Rose 2xStadium-Paluxy Loop]
Tu - 5½ miles, average pace 6:59 mpm, 82°F from 7AM with the dewpoint in the low 60s [Glen Rose 2xStadium-Paluxy Loop]
W – 5¾ miles, 6x400/200, average pace 7:34 mpm, 400s in 83, 83, 81, 82, 81, and 79 (a little better than last week), 87°F at 7PM [B’Wood]
Th – 4 miles, average pace 8:51 mpm, 84°F at 4AM [Dow-]
F - 7½ miles, overall average pace 9:06, 86°F at 9AM [SeaC/SSTrail-MBTrail/SeaC]
Sa – 6¼ miles, with a 5K race at an average pace 6:17, 77°F at 7:53AM at Houston Clover Field [Lunar Rendezvous 5K]
Su – 13 miles, average pace of 7:40 mpm, cooler temperatures after some rains 78°F from before 8AM [SeaC/SSTrail-3x2M/SeaC]

This wasn't too bad a week for running, but Saturday's 5K race was very disappointing. I went to Glen Rose last Sunday and was able to run up there on Monday and Tuesday. The drier air up in Glen Rose was very nice. We received some much needed rain this weekend and it helped cool the temperatures down a little. Sunday's run was very enjoyable, even though I was still soaked in sweat.

I don't know what happened to me in the Lunar Rendezvous. I saw the first and second place runners in my age group pass me at the beginning of the third mile and then saw third place pass me by 0.1 second at the very end. I don't really care that much about the placing, but it just demonstrates how poorly I ran. I've gotten pretty sleazy about starting weekend runs late, and then crashing in the heat. After the race, LanceC raised a good point about getting up early for the important runs. We're already as heat acclimated as we're ever going to be. Running important training runs when it's hot just keeps you from accomplishing the purpose of that workout. I took that to heart and was able to get out early enough Sunday morning for a decent 13-miler. It's so much better to work the legs instead of fighting heat exhaustion.

Same Temperature, But Not As Hot

Days Since Last Run Below 80°F: 23 It was 77°F on June 25th.
Days Since Last Run Below 70°F: 56 (May 21, a pretty nice Spring this year)


37½ miles for the week of July 6th through 12th

M – 4 miles, average pace 8:51 mpm, 84°F at 4AM [Dow-]
Tu - 4¾ miles, average pace 7:24 mpm, 84°F at 4AM [Dow]
W – 4¼ miles, 6x400/200, average pace 7:28 mpm, 400s in 85, 84, 80, 82, 81, and 81 (a little better than last week), 87°F at 7PM [B’Wood]
Th – sleep, 84°F at 4AM
F - 7¾ miles, overall average pace 8:12, 92°F at Noon [SeaC/SSTrail-BR/SeaC]
Sa – 7¾ miles, overall average pace 7:56, 89°F at 10AM [SeaC/SSTrail-BR/SeaC]
Su – 9 miles, average pace of 8:31 mpm, crashed in the heat after about six miles, 83°F from 8AM [SeaC/SSTrail-2M/SeaC]

I went to Glen Rose Sunday and was able to run up there on Monday and Tuesday. I started Monday's run just before 8AM and it was heating up fast. The Glen Rose High School had 85°F to 88°F and that was about the same temperature recorded up at the Granbury Airport. But the dewpoint was way down in the lower 60s and a recovery run at 8:10 pace felt nice and easy. Tuesday morning I got out a little earlier and was able to run in 81°F conditions at 7AM with no dew or fog anywhere! Even though the high temperatures both days were around 105°F, running was much easier.

Here are couple of pictures from the courthouse square in Glen Rose:

Balance Training?

I ran across this article in The New York Times. I haven't had ankle sprains, but I've never had very good balance. I wonder if standing on one foot might help resolve some of my lower leg problems?

I love this word.
pro·pri·o·cep·tion (prō'prē-ō-sĕp'shən)
n. The unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within the body itself.
[Latin proprius , one's own + (RE)CEPTION.]

Hottest Morning of the Year

Days Since Last Run Below 80°F: 11 It was 77°F Wednesday morning last week.
Days Since Last Run Below 70°F: 45 (May 21, a pretty nice Spring this year)


41¾ miles for the week of June 29th through July 5th

M – 4 miles, average pace 8:27 mpm (125 bpm), 80°F at 4AM [Dow-]
Tu - 4¾ miles, average pace 6:51 mpm (153 bpm), 80°F at 4AM [Dow]
W – 4¼ miles, 6x400/200, average pace 7:27 mpm (150 bpm), 400s in 84, 85, 85, 83, 82, and 81 (first time on the track since June 10th), 89°F at 7PM [B’Wood]
Th – 4 miles, average pace 8:34 mpm, 80°F at 4AM [Dow-]
F - 7 miles, overall average pace 9:04, 93°F at 3PM [SeaC/SSTrail/SeaC]
Sa – 6¾ miles, with a 4 mile race at average pace 6:25, mile splits were 6:11, 6:34, 6:36, and 6:21, 86°F, start at 7:30AM [LJ Firecracker 4]
Su – 11 miles, average pace of 7:50 mpm, the race motivated me to start this run earlier, 85°F from 6:50AM [SeaC/SSTrail-2x2M/SeaC]

I think I drowned my GPS watch Wednesday evening. I can't coax it back to life.
Saturday's race was tough. The morning low for Clute was 85.3°F and that was from 4 to 5AM. The race started early enough, but Clute had 86.2°F from 7 to 8AM. Farther inland, the airport in Angleton had 84°F with a dew point of 78°F during the race at 7:53AM. That's a heat index of 95°F. I knew this was not my day when I ran a 6:34 second mile. OH well, this race motivated me to get off my rear and start my training runs earlier.

Here are couple of pictures from an article for the local paper:




Here's the topside watch of the USS Ohio enjoying 4th of July fireworks in Pearl Harbor:

More Slow Sweat-Soaked Running

Days Since Last Run Below 80°F: 4 It was 77°F during the run Wednesday morning!
Days Since Last Run Below 70°F: 38 (May 21, a pretty nice Spring this year)

40 miles for the week of June 22nd through June 28th

M – sleep, 82°F at 4AM
Tu - 4¾ miles, average pace 7:04 mpm (151 bpm), 81°F at 4AM [Dow]
W – 4¾ miles, average pace 7:38 mpm (136 bpm), 77°F at 4AM and foggy [Dow]
Th – 5¾ miles, average pace 7:41 mpm (142 bpm), 82°F at 4AM [Dow/BS]
F - 7+ miles, overall average pace 8:47 (130 bpm), 91°F at 11AM [SeaC/SSTrail+/SeaC]
Sa – 7 miles, average pace 7:38 (149 bpm), 88°F at 9AM [SeaC/SSTrail/SeaC]
Su – 10¾ miles, average pace of 8:42 mpm (138 bpm), sunny and hot - crashed coming home, 90°F to 92°F from 9:30AM [SeaC/SSTrail-MacL-2M-BR-SSTrail)/SeaC]

The sea-breeze was cut off Wednesday morning. That allowed it to cool down into the 70s. It was pretty nice, but there aren't that many places in the US where one would consider 77°F and foggy nice. Without the sea-breeze Wednesday, the temperature really shot up with the sun. It got all the way up to 96°F before the "cooler" wind started come in off the Gulf.


I opened a facebook account. I found an electrician from the Kamehameha who had two old pictures of me. From 25 years ago:

Summer Solstice Sweat

Days Since Last Run Below 80°F: 17
Days Since Last Run Below 70°F: 33 (May 21, a pretty nice Spring this year)


36¼ miles for the week of June 14th through June 21st

M – sleep, 82°F at 4AM
Tu - sleep, 83°F at 4AM
W – 5¼ miles, average pace 7:49 mpm (143 bpm), 83°F at 4AM [Dow/Ol]
Th – 4¾ miles, average pace 7:37 mpm (142 bpm), 83°F at 4AM [Dow]
F - 7 miles, overall average pace 8:28 (141 bpm), 87°F at 6PM [SeaC/SSTrail/SeaC]
Sa – 7¾ miles, average pace 8:07 (143 bpm), 89°F at 11AM [SeaC/SSTrail-BR/SeaC]
Su – 11½ miles, average pace of 8:29 mpm, sunny and warm - crashed coming home, 90°F at 11AM [SeaC/SSTrail-BR-MacL-@M-BR-SSTrail)/SeaC]

I really don't like running in the heat.



Celebrating the Summer solstice at local noon, latitude 29 degrees North.

Summer Is Here

Days Since Last Run Below 80°F: 10
Days Since Last Run Below 70°F: 26 (May 21, a pretty nice Spring this year)


39¼ miles for the week of June 7th through June 13th

M – sleep, 81°F at 4AM
Tu – 4¾ miles, average pace 7:08 mpm (155 bpm), 82°F at 4AM [Dow]
W PM – 4¼ miles, 6x400/200, average pace 7:36 mpm (154 bpm), 400s in 83, 82, 86, 86, 88, and 88 (first time on the track since March 25th), 85°F at 7PM [B’Wood]
Th – 4¾ miles, recovery run, average pace 8:30 mpm (129 bpm), 83°F at 4AM [Dow]
F - 8 miles, overall average pace 8:19 (145 bpm), 87°F at 10AM [SeaC/SSTrail-BR-MBT/SeaC]
Sa – 7½ miles, average pace 9:21 (129 bpm), 88°F at Noon after working all night for another pump test [SeaC/SSTrail-MBT/SeaC]
Su – 10 miles, average pace of 8:22 mpm (132 bpm), sunny and warm - embrace the slow, 87°F at 10AM [SeaC/SSTrail-MBTrail - 2M-MBTrail)/SeaC]

Some pretty slow runs this week with Summer coming on strong.

Trying to Come Back Again

My left knee is still causing problems, but I was able to squeak through the Heights 5K this morning. I've never run this race before, but it's a good one. The course is a simple run down one side of tree-lined Heights Boulevard and then return up the other side. Hobby Airport had a decent 76°F, with a dry 65°F dewpoint (nice and dry for a June race) at 7:53 AM.

Shortly after crossing the finish line, both of my calf muscles cramped. After a 5K! I need to start some tempo runs and intervals.

I know it's crazy to drive over 100 miles for a twenty minute race, but I get stale if I just run week after week without racing. I'm always inspired just talking to other runners. Nearly all my Houston running friends were there and I even got to meet some new people.

My little old Queen Anne Cottage in Glen Rose looks like a hovel compared to the grand Victorian mansions in The Heights.



The crushed granite trail down the median of Heights Boulevard.

At Least the New Pump Is Running Well

I was at the power plant most of the day Friday and into Saturday morning getting my new million dollar pump in service. I slept right through Saturday morning's Freeport 5K. It was probably just as well that I did, because my knee was still bothering me when I ran a few miles Saturday afternoon. On Sunday I decided to dump the cautious approach and run fairly hard and fast. I felt great for the first six and a half miles, but in the last mile the left knee started bothering me again. I had to work Monday night to support testing a steam turbine driven pump, so I skipped running until now. I'm thinking about testing the knee again Thursday morning. We'll see.

I stumbled across this Boston Marathon race report from a sub-elite runner (courtesy of GB). I thought it was interesting to hear a Boston story from the elite runner perspective.

Running Boston Vicariously

I couldn't go to Boston this year, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the race. My coworkers surrounding my cubicle already know I'm crazy, but I'm sure that impression was confirmed while I cheered for Kara, Ryan, and the locals Monday morning. Here are some highlights I've stumbled across.

Kara making the turn from Hereford onto Boylston at the fire station.

The three women race down Boylston Street



Ryan Hall heading up Hereford


Hall taking third place. (from Ryan's Boston blog)


Ryan throwing the first pitch at Fenway.


Elite fluids staged near the 30K point (from KG's 30K/20M pictures)




The Boston Globe has many great pictures
Merga Breaks the Tape


Tune collapses after being edged out at the finish line


40 year old Coleen DeReuck pushed the pace early


Jim Rhodes has volumes of pictures from 1 mile, 30K, and 20 miles.

And of course, here are some of my old Boston pictures.

Down Hard

I've taken workdays off the last couple of weeks hoping to resolve the problem with my left knee. But the knee felt even worse last Sunday, so I'm in an eleven day period of complete rest. I missed a local 5K Saturday, but I'm looking forward to the 5K coming up in Freeport. I won't run again until Friday, so it won't be much of a race.

This was supposed to be my year to run the Boston Marathon. There's no Spring refueling outage at the power plant so I thought I could get vacation in April. But we're installing a new million dollar pump this week so no vacation allowed for me. I guess it's just as well. I'd really be miserable running Boston on this knee.



Ready to put the new pump into the building


My knee feels pretty good now. I feel like like I'm in taper, I have so much energy built up. I want to go out and blast a 10-miler. But this week is still recovery and installing the new pump.

One Step Forward, Four Steps Back

Last week I ran a decent 8K race following a pretty good training week. I ran my fastest Tuesday Morning Tempo of the year and a decent set of 800s Wednesday evening, despite warm temperatures, near Summer dewpoints, and a strong Gulf breeze. I followed Saturday's 8K race with a near-effortless 15-miler Sunday, averaging 7:16 pace with my heart rate at only 139 bpm. But during that run I hit a couple of fire ant mounds that stressed my left knee. About an hour later, my left leg was sore from the thigh to the calf and my knee was screaming with pain whenever I tried to straighten it or fully bend it.

The knee continued to hurt the next morning just walking. I took Monday off. The knee still hurt walking Tuesday. No run Tuesday. My left knee hurt when it was fully bent Wednesday; no run Wednesday. Thursday was better, but I didn't want to stress it.

I was able to run a very easy 7½ miler Friday on one of those days so beautiful you just have to run. Disregarding any common sense, I drove up to Bellaire Saturday morning to run the Trolley 5K. I figured my chances of finishing were about 50-50. I ran the first mile in 5:36; the knee held up but I didn't. I ended up slightly over 6 minute per mile pace. At least my knee didn't bother me during the race. But it did flair up a little during the cooldown.

Having to deal with this knee is incredibly frustrating. Over the years I've been told over again and over again by non-runners that I'm ruining my knees. But I'd always countered that I'd been running since 9th Grade and my knees are just as good now as they were in 1973. I can't say that anymore. I'm worried I might do something that will permanently sideline me. If I had a choice, I'd rather continue running another twenty years but never race again than run a sub-2:50 marathon and burn out. For running, I don't think it's better to burn out than to fade away.



The highlight at Bellaire was SabraH smashing the World Record for the Woman's 60-64 Age Group Road 5K She ran a 19:11.6. 

That's a 100.71% age graded result!

A New 8K PR!

OK, it was slower than the 5-mile race last year and 8K was probably my oldest and weakest PR. But at my age, a PR is a rare occasion. The weather was beautiful: cool, dry, and sunny but very windy. Hobby Airport had 43°F with a desert-like 19°F dewpoint and a NW18 wind with gusts to 30. The 8K course is a down-and-back on Allen Parkway from downtown. The trip out Allen Parkway was mostly into the wind, so I started out faster than planned to hang onto a big group fighting the wind. At the turnaround the group broke up and I drifted back a little. Splits were:
5:54, 6:13, 6:12, 6:08, and 5:51 (6:01 mile pace) for a 30:16

A few views of downtown Houston:









Yes, it was that windy. I hope noone was inside.

Blue Gatorade, pumpkin pie filling, and cocoa puffs were used to create the falling port-a-can scene in the movie North Country.




There was a full 180° rainbow when I left the nuke plant Thursday evening.