01/25 – Sunday – 3M Half Marathon – 13.1 miles – 14:7:24
01/26 – Monday – off
01/27 – Tuesday – Class – 5 miles – 60 minutes
01/28 – Wednesday – Stationary Bike – 30 Minutes
01/29 – Thursday – Neighborhood – 10 miles – 110 minutes
01/30 – Friday – off
01/31 – Saturday – Last 7 miles of marathon – 14 miles – 2:08
Weekly mileage: 42.1 miles
Monthly Archives: January 2009
3M Half Marathon
I ran my little heart out today. The weather was a bit cool (started at 32 degrees F), but over time it warmed up a few degrees. I was warm throughout so it wasn’t an issue. I wanted to complete in under 1:50. The night before I prepared a pace band, but in the morning I was so worried that I wouldn’t accomplish it that I didn’t use it. I started with Richard. Terry was no where in sight. However within 1 mile Richard was out in front by 100 feet and pulling away (he finished in 1:40!). So I ran without any company other than the hundreds of unknown runners around me. I really do like having a running buddy to team with. I still remember running 3M with David R. about 5 years ago and we were pushing each other, and just cruising along – nice. I again used chocolate chip cookies as my fuel. I still had problems with opening the baggie, then getting one out quickly was tough, and finally some pieces fell down my tights and bothered me (along with making me appear to have large bumpy warts on my inner leg which were sticky, icky). I’ve got to remember not to eat any cookies the day before or the day of the race so the taste is new and fresh in my mouth. There times today that I held off eating because of these difficulty and the taste. I just kept pushing for the whole race always fearing I wouldn’t be under 1:50 because I did not having a pace band. At the last half mile I caught Nadia B., and told her to run, she sped up and we finished within 5 feet of each other. I was beat, but I did it. I completed it under 1:50. Woohoo! Overall Place: 952 out of 4140 finishers (excellent), 35 in age group M 55-59, First 10K: (Rank=973, 50:54.06, 8:12/M) Second 10K: (Rank=1030, 56:29.84, 8:12/M), Total Chip Time: 1:47:24.35
01 8:39.00* 0:08:39* (missed mile marker)
02 8:38.00* 0:17:17* (glanced at watch, but forgot to push it)
03 7:43.00* 0:25:00.31
04 8:00.90 0:33:01.21
05 7:38.59 0:40:39.59
06 8:33.59 0:49:13.68
07 8:04.00 0:57:17.68
08 8:17.84 1:05:35
09 8:13.50 1:13:50
10 8:46.89 1:22:35
11 8:07.65 1:30:43
12 8:02.21 1:38:45
13 7:56.04 1:46:41
13.1 0:49.58 1:47:31
* estimate
Running log week of 2009-01-18
01/18 – Sunday – off
01/19 – Monday – Neighborhood – 6 miles – 60 minutes
01/20 – Tuesday – Class – 4.0 miles (8 x 200) – 60 minutes
01/21 – Wednesday – Stationary Bike – 30 minutes
01/22 – Thursday – Neighborhood – 10 miles – 110 minutes
01/23 – Friday – off
01/24 – Saturday – off
Weekly mileage: 20 miles
8 x 200m
In class I ran eight 200 meter diagonals at 5K pace, but actually I was running all out, that is, no 5K pace. If I really did 5K pace I should have completed 200m in 1 minute. “Diagonals” means I ran 200m on the track (first number) and then cut across the track back to the start (second number). What is interesting is that my time overall improved from run to run. This was because I was at first chasing Monica and Nadia, and then I caught up to them and they seemed to ran faster so I had to also. What was good is that I had to do eight repeats (I’m in the beginner class) where they had to do ten (they are in the intermediate class).
Run, Recovery
50.41, 50.63
51.63, 46.72
51.38, 48.25
48.00, 52.18
49.57, 50.63
49.37, 52.52
47.60, 54.50
47.90, 1.01.00
End of Austin Marathon long run
Yesterday I ran the last miles of the Austin Marathon. It was 22.5 miles and took 3:37 or 9:39/M. I felt strong for most of it. I again used chocolate-chip cookies as my fuel (as opposed to Clif Shots) and they seemed to work. I was able to eat them with delight and without gagging. I would run miles with the sweetness swirling in my mouth. Nice! The end was tough because I had to unexpectedly run zig-zag across the UT campus, across Dean Keeton, down Guadalupe, across MLK, down San Jacinto, across 11th, down Congress, and across 4th. Ugh! During those last miles I could only put one foot in front of the other. See the race route. Now why am I doing this long run even though I’m not running the marathon? Well it’s because it’s part of the running class that I’m taking. I do what I’m told. Also it makes me stronger (I think). So I do it. I’m looking forward to the 3M half next week and the Austin half in mid-February.
Running log week of 2009-01-11
01/11 – Sunday – RunTex Twenty – 20 miles – 3:02:22
01/12 – Monday – Neighborhood – 5 miles – 50 minutes
01/13 – Tuesday – Class – 3.5 miles (2 mile time trial @ 14:38) – 60 minutes
01/14 – Wednesday – Stationary Bike – 30 minutes
01/15 – Thursday – Neighborhood – 10 miles – 150 minutes
01/16 – Friday – off
01/17 – Saturday – End of Marathon – 22.5 miles – 3:37
Weekly mileage: 61.0 miles (I have never run this far in a single week)
Two Mile Time Trial
Each year at the beginning of my running class we are required to run a two mile time trial. This typically sets our pace for future workouts. Then later in the course we run another time trial to see how much we’ve approved. So at the beginning of the year I ran 15:45 or about 7:53/M. Well today at class we had another time trial and I ran 14:38 or about 7:19/M. That’s a 34 second improvement per mile which is significant. I think this improvment comes from both my conditioning and my weight loss. Both of which makes me feel good.
RunTex Twenty
It’s not often I can set a PR especially these past three years, but today I did. My previous 20 miler was a disaster (ARA 20 Miler where I walked for several miles), so there was no place else to go but up. I completed the race in 3:02:20 for 9:07/M.
Mile 01 - I don't remember seeing a Mile 1 marker, I don't think there was one
Mile 02 - 20:09.81 - 0:20:09.81
Mile 03 - 09:22.00 - 0:29:31.81
Mile 04 - 09:34.15 - 0:39:05.96
Mile 05 - 09:19.47 - 0:48:25.43
Mile 06 - 09:27.40 - 0:57:52.83
Mile 07 - 08:49.10 - 1:06:41
Mile 08 - 08:43.13 - 1:15.25
Mile 09 - 09:05.97 - 1:24.31
Mile 10 - 10:29.87 - 1:34.59 (this seems to be out-of-wack)
Mile 11 - 08:23.29 - 1:43.23
Mile 12 - 08:39.84 - 1:52.03
Mile 13 - 08:50.39 - 2:00.53
Mile 14 - 08:29.23 - 2:09.22
Mile 15 - 09:10.38 - 2:18.33
Mile 16 - 08:38.49 - 2:27.11
Mile 17 - 08:30.00 - 2:35.41
Mile 18 - 08:46.02 - 2:44.27
Mile 19 - Missed marker again?
Mile 20 - 17:54.86 - 3:02:20
Running log week of 2009-01-04
01/04 – Sunday – off
01/05 – Monday – Neighborhood – 5 miles – 50 minutes
01/06 – Tuesday – Class – 5 miles – 60 minutes
01/07 – Wednesday – Stationary Bike – 30 minutes
01/08 – Thursday – Neighborhood – 10 miles – 150 minutes
01/09 – Friday – off
01/10 – Saturday – off
Weekly mileage: 20 miles
Beginning and Ending of Austin Marathon
I ran the first and last miles of the Austin Marathon today. Our training group, that is, the beginners, were supposed to run 16 miles, but I decided I needed to up it to 18 miles, that is, what the intermediates were supposed to run. So now you should be saying. Why are you running 18 miles when you’re not planning on running the marathon? That’s an interesting question and one I really can’t answer. All I can say is that I had planned to do all the training, but not run the marathon so I’m still doing that. Note a few days ago I signed up for the last three races of the year – the RunTex Twenty, the 3M Half Marathon, and the Austin HALF Marathon (yes, only the half – I’m retired from the running the marathon). Since I was doing 20 miles next weekend I decided that I should do 18 miles to prepare for the race next weekend. Whatever that means. Yet I’m having misgivings now about signing up for the RunTex Twenty. I don’t know what got into me. That’s 20, two-zero, miles. But what is done is done. Now I have to follow through. Back to the run today… During an early part of today’s run I caught up and passed Sadie saying hello on the way by. Then near the end she caught up to me at a water stop and asked how old I was. I told her 59 and she said that it was remarkable (or something like that). Well a few minutes later and about a half mile down the road I was beat, started to walk and Sadie yelled at me and spurred me on to start running again. Thank you Sadie I needed that. I finished in 2:47 for 18.3 miles or about 9:08/mile.
