Week 4, May 29-June 4

From Rogue Running
Date: Monday, May 29, 2006; Workout: Easy 5 miles
Date: Tuesday, May 30, 2006; Workout: Meet at RunTex Riverside @ 6:30 p.m.; warmup jog 2 miles to Zilker soccer fields or if wet Zilker xmas tree; 1 set of 10 x 50 mtr downhills w/ slow jog uphill recovery; 2 mi cooldown jog back to store; 5 miles total.
Date: Wednesday, May 31, 2006; Workout: Easy 5 mi or cross train (XT) 1 hr; XT=bicycle, weights, water running, elliptical training, swimming, etc.
Date: Thursday, June 01, 2006; Workout: Easy 6 mi
Date: Friday, June 02, 2006; Workout: off
Date: Saturday, June 03, 2006; Workout: Group run at RunTex Riverside annex at 6am: 10 miles on Town lake trail. Afterwards: seminar in the annex on "Shoes and Custom Foot orthodics for a Successful Marathon" by Bill Stone, RunTex shoe expert and board certified Pedorthist. Attandance incentive: Forward Motion Pedorthics will raffle off one free biomechanical examination, gait analysis, shoe fitting and one pair of custom foot insoles worth $300.
Date: Sunday, June 04, 2006; Workout: Easy 5 mi w/ 4 - 5 strides (strides are 50-100 mtr accelerations at 5k-10k pace effort with 50-100 mtr slow jog in between)
WEEKLY TOTAL = 36 MILES

Trail running

Each Sunday after my Saturday long run I have been doing trail running. There is a local park, Walnut Creek Park, about 1.5 miles from my home. My running course requirement is to do 5 miles with 4-5 strides (speed up for 50 meters). However after running my butt off on Saturday, I've liberally interpreted the strides to be the mini-hills found in this park. Since there is over 6 miles of trails I just run a trail until it comes to an intersection and then I randomly choose another trail. Basically I try to get lost. Sometimes I had to cross the creek jumping from stone to stone. Every so often I pop out of the park into some local neighborhood. Depending on how tired I am I either head home on the local roads or I turn around and head back into the maze of trails. Today I found a neat trail that wandered back and forth in the shade. Finally I headed back home covered in sweat. It was straining on my sore ankle, but I hope that running trails will help strengthen it. In any case I've been enjoying this for the past three weeks.

Roguette long run

I ran 12 miles today on the long run. I stuck with a small group (Dan, Larry, Bob, Jennifer, and sometime George) and didn't talk much since I didn't know them very well, and I was trying to keep up. It was over seventy degress at the start and I was feeling "slow" because I have a sore left ankle. I'm beginning to think it's tendonitis. I have to be very careful not to push it too much or it will flair up. This issue began in January on a long run and has been coming and going over the past few months. Yet as I warm up I can ignore it, and then it returns when I'm done.

Somewhere around mile 9 heading down Duval and toward University of Texas and downtown Austin on the current Austin Marathon course I had to pick up the pace. Prior to that I kept saying to myself that there was no way I could do that, but when the time came I sped up and it felt great. I mean it really felt good. I wasn't huffing and puffing. It just felt smooth, and I got emotional shivers as I did the next mile and a half. It was a great moment. One that makes me feel that running is very special to me - making all this strenuous execise worthwhile. Other runners would understand this kind of moment. It was sweet.

Here is my heart rate graph. I did pretty well, but in general it's still too high.

Chicago is closed and Preferred Start II

Well I'm lucky. Today I received an e-mail stating that "The 2006 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon reached its 40,000 participant cap today and has officially closed registration." Wow, I only entered 10 days ago. In addition I checked my registration and, thanks to Kathy faxing in my Austin Marathon results on Thursday, I'm now in the Preferred Start II group which requires proof of a Full Marathon time: < 3:55:59. It has an expected capacity: 4,700. So I'm no longer going to start in the main mass of runners.

Week 3, May 22-28

From Rogue Running
Date: Monday, May 22, 2006; Workout: Easy 4 miles
Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2006; Workout: Meet at RunTex Riverside @ 6:30 p.m.; warmup jog 2 miles to Zilker soccer fields or if wet Zilker xmas tree; 3 sets of 10 x 50 mtr downhills w/ slow jog uphill recovery; 2000 mtr jog in between sets; 2 mi cooldown jog back to store; 8 miles total.
Date: Wednesday, May 24, 2006; Workout: Easy 4 mi or cross train (XT) 1 hr; XT=bicycle, weights, water running, elliptical training, swimming, etc.
Date: Thursday, May 25, 2006; Workout: Easy 4 mi
Date: Friday, May 26, 2006; Workout: off
Date: Saturday, May 27, 2006; Workout: meet @ Riverside RunTex @ 6:00 a.m. for 12 mile easy run, Route: the Roguette. Afterwards: seminar on Maintenance by Cassidy Phillips and Lucy Rojas
Date; Sunday, May 28, 2006; Workout: Easy 5 mi w/ 4 - 5 strides (strides are 50-100 mtr accelerations at 5k-10k pace effort with 50-100 mtr slow jog in between)
WEEKLY TOTAL = 37 MILES
From Rogue Running

St Edwards long run

I ran with Dan, George, and Bob. It was 10+ miles up and down hills. At the end George broke away, then Dan with me trailing and Bob trailing me. I finished by myself, but that was OK. I didn't stay afterwards, because Kathy and I were heading out to College Station to help Matthew move into his new apartment. I also forgot my heart rate monitor.

The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon

I have signed up for The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on October 22, 2006. My flight there is with American Airlines leaving at 9:30 AM through Dallas, and arriving 1:27 PM on Friday October 20 at Chicago Midway. I will be staying at the HI-Chicago Hostel from Friday October 20 through Sunday October 22 with a bunch of 6-10 strangers. My flight back is leaving at 4:10 PM on Monday October 23, 2006 from Chicago Midway, and arriving at 9:10 PM. This should be interesting.

Week 2, May 15-21

From Rogue Running
Date: Monday, May 15, 2006; Workout: Easy 4 miles
Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2006; Workout: Meet at RunTex Riverside @ 6:30 p.m.; warmup jog 2 miles to Zilker soccer fields or if wet Zilker xmas tree; 2 sets of 10 x 50 mtr downhills w/ slow jog uphill recovery; 2000 mtr jog in between sets; 2 mi cooldown jog back to store; 7 miles total.
Date: Wednesday, May 17, 2006; Workout: Easy 4 mi or cross train (XT) 1 hr; XT=bicycle, weights, water running, elliptical training, swimming, etc.
Date: Thursday, May 18, 2006; Workout: Easy 5 mi
Date: Friday, May 19, 2006; Workout: off
Date: Saturday, May 20, 2006; Workout: meet @ Riverside RunTex @ 6:00 a.m. for 10 mile easy run, Route: St Edwards. Afterwards: seminar on Marathoning Nutrition by nutritionist and ultra marathoner Meredith Terranova.
Date: Sunday, May 21, 2006; Workout: Easy 4 mi w/ 4 - 5 strides (strides are 50-100 mtr accelerations at 5k-10k pace effort with 50-100 mtr slow jog in between)
WEEKLY TOTAL = 34 MILES

Trail long run

Here is my heart rate.

Week 1, May 8-14

From Rogue Running
Date: Monday, May 08, 2006; Workout: Easy 5 miles
Date: Tuesday, May 09, 2006; Workout: Meet at RunTex Riverside @ 6:30 p.m.; warmup jog 2 miles to Zilker xmas tree; 10 x 50 mtr downhills w/ slow jog uphill in between; 2 mi cooldown jog back to store; 5 miles total.
Date: Wednesday, May 10, 2006; Workout: Easy 5 mi or cross train (XT) 1 hr; XT=bicycle, weights, water running, elliptical training, swimming, etc.
Date: Thursday, May 11, 2006; Workout: Easy 5 mi
Date: Friday, May 12, 2006; Workout: off
Date: Saturday, May 13, 2006; Workout: meet @ Riverside RunTex @ 6:00 a.m. for 10 mile easy run on the trail; Afterwards: potluck breakfast in the annex and seminar by physical therapist Allan Besselink on injury prevention and this year's Athlete Support program.
Date: Sunday, May 14, 2006; Workout: Easy 5 mi w/ 4 strides (strides are 50-100 mtr accelerations at 5k-10k pace effort with 50-100 mtr slow jog in between)
WEEKLY TOTAL = 35 MILES

My goals

My goals are basically the same as last year, that is, to qualify for Boston. However, last year I pushed very hard on all my runs. I feel that this hurt me by causing my legs to bulk up. So this time I'm looking to work hard, but to do my long runs at an easier pace and intensity. I also plan to work with the advanced Boston Qualifier group. Maybe it'll help me last a little longer. Finally, I'm running during the summer which will be quite different since I don't feel that I can breathe as well in Austin's summer heat.