Making the Most of the Master Years

Steady state run on the Brookwood Manor route.  Felt good today.  Stride and pace were very manageable.  Some slight pain in the left SI/IT band area and some mild ache in the left foot at the end.  But all in all, it was a very good run in terms of effort, energy and mechanics.  Goal was 7 min/mi by the McMillan pace calculator, but I slowed it to 7:15 thinking about where I am in reality fitness wise.  Judging by my increased ventilation rate with relatively less muscle fatigue, I believe it was the right pace.  The HM pace was 7:38 so I figured the steady state would be something quicker than that but not down around the 10K pace which would be a tempo run.  Splits were 7:25, 7:09, 7:10 and 7:17 for an avg of 7:15.  Had a side stitch at the end of the run and a left kidney pain at the end.

13 mi long run at avg 8:47 mpm on the Crews, Craig, Holly Brook, Mtn View, Kohls route.  Felt good today. Some intermittent mild ache in the left foot and mild pain in the left SI/IT area.  Foot hurt some after and the  posterior tendon around my left knee hurt after I drove Katie to work.  Felt very strong the whole run.  Could have run more miles easily.  The weather was yucky.  Kinda rainy and blustery winds at times.  Streets very damp.  I noticed to today that on the left side I tend to not let the joints hinge on the foot strike and through the stride.  It produces the effect of "pole vaulting" over the left leg.  Concentrating on letting the ankle and knee hinge freely seems to take the pressure off the hip and reduce the pain in the foot and SI/IT area.  Woke on my own at 04:50 hours. Went to bed at 21:30 hours the night before.

easy pace 5 mi in an avg of 8:39 mpm on the Craig and back route.  good run today.  felt good.  38 degrees and very windy.  First day back at work so the first day getting up to an alarm, which went off at 03:50 hours.  Went to bed a little after 22:00 hours the night before.

10 x 300m fartleks in approx 70s each on the BHS track.  Best was 69 seconds and worst was 73 seconds. Followed by 2 x 100m sprints.  Felt really good today.  Stride and pace were very good.  Some mild pain in the SI/IT band area.  Largely unaware of the left foot, which was good.  No pain after the drive to work either.  1.5 mi warm and 2.0 mi cool. 

4 mi recovery run in 35:50 (8:58 mpm). Felt ok but legs a little heavy today.  some pain in the left SI/IT area throughout and some in the right SI/IT area in the last 0.25 mi.  Also, strangely some muscle soreness in the last 0.25 mi across the top of both gluts.

7 mi in 55:43

Brutal run this morning.  3 mi steady state run avg pace 7:10 mpm after 1 mi warm on the treadmill and 1 mile warm on the road at easy pace followed by 2 mi cool at easy pace. Stride was good today but the pace felt brutal after the first SS mile, including the cool down.  The left foot felt fine again today.  The left SI/IT area had some mild pain in the first mile but was fine after that.  Had some soreness in both hip flexors for the last mile.  Not sure why the pace was so hard today.  Ran 1 mi shorter on a less hilly route but only averaged 5 second per mile quicker than last week. (The target was to run 15 sec/mi quicker this week.)  I haven't slept well this week, it was very cold (10 °F) and I had to bundle up against it but I didn't feel very restricted.  The 5 seconds aren't as concerning to me as the greater feeling of fatigue than last week.  I felt very very spent at the end of the run today and still feel that way at this moment 2 hours after the run is over.  Perhaps I need to investigate the fueling as well as the sleeping.

15 mi 2:18:35 at Riverside in Roswell

First 4 mi with Cherie then 11 mi alone.  Cold but clear weather.  left foot hurt by the end. But otherwise felt good today.  Felt strong throughout.  Struggling a little bit after to refuel.  Recovery was interrupted by some errands on the way home from the run.

5 mi in 43:28 on the Bridgewater course.

easy pace run.  Felt just ok today.  Didn't feel heavy exactly but the easy effort produced a much slower pace than normal until deep into the run.  Stride was ok.  Did a good job of keeping the right stride mechanics.  But there was some mild pain in the left foot intermitently and some mild ache in the left SI/IT area the second half of the run, also intermitently.  The weather was ok.  It was very damp.  100% humidity but I dressed correctly so I was comfortable on the run.

7 mi in 57:34

10 x 25s strides on the Brookwood Manor loop.  Felt good today.  Stride and pace were easy.  Some mild pain in the left SI/IT area.  Was mostly unaware of the left foot.  Damp streets but the air, while probably still very humid, wasn't as foggy or wet as yesterday. Sleeping better this week.

5 mi in 44:21

felt good today.  some mild pain in the left foot once and in the left SI/IT area toward the end of the run.  But things are getting better.  Stride and pace were easy.  Mechanics good.  Weather about like yesterday, wet streets but no misting or rain.  Ran the Providence route after going by Crews.  BIG hills.

7 mi 1:03:06

10 x hill repeats on FC up from the front pool to Providence in 75 to 80 sec each.  Felt good today.  None of the usual pains.  Left hip flexor got sore/tight abt halfway through  the hill repeats.  Didn't feel as strong today on the hills as I usually do.  Was able though to maintain the good stride mechanics through the whole run.  Weather was good.  Abt 31°F and foggy but the streets were dry.

17 mi in 2:29:02

great run today.  felt really good and strong the whole run.  stride mechanics and pace were on point today.  Some mild ache in the left foot intermitently from 11 mi on.  ran the River Rd through Hannary estates and Tom Smith.

5 mi in 44:03

easy pace run today.  felt just ok.  little bit tight for 3+ mi.  landing heavy on the footstrike.  left foot had a pain in the tendon running across the top from my femur to the top and inside of my foot.  Had to stop twice to adjust my shoe to relieve the pressure.  Mildly aware of my left SI/IT connection a few points later in the run.  maybe I should call this a recovery run.  ran alone on the the Webb Gin into Brightwater route.  Weather was great, clear and dry.

7 mi in 55:37 on the Moon Pl course

4 x 3/4 mi repeats w/ 1/4 mi recov in between. Splits were 4:52, 4:50, 4:53 and 4:57 for an avg of 4:53 which is 6:32 mpm pace.  Target was 6:20 pace.  Missed a little but I felt really good today and the pace wasn't too easy so perhaps it had the right effect anyway.  Two moments of mild pain in the left foot in the plantar facia area as has been there for months now.  Some mild pain in the left SI/IT area intermitently over the run though not by the end.  Felt good and strong on each of the repeats, though I thought I ran the last one faster than I did.

4 mi in 35:47

recovery run on the Kenilworth route.  good run. felt good for the day after a hard WO.  overslept though, missed the alarm.

5 mi in 43:09

Felt really good today.  Nice recovery week run down past the front pool and up 5 Forks.  Stride and pace were easy and fluid.  Some mild SI/IT pain early.

13 mi in 2:00:09

Didn't feel it today.  Wet and windy (though not actually raining) from the Lilburn Park.  8 mi alone then 5 with Jonathon and Neal.  Felt much colder than the thermometer would indicate.  Hands frozen by the end.  Left foot and SI/IT area had some pain today especially by the end of the run. Planned to go  no more than 12 but inadvertently ran t 1 mi too many before meeting Jon and Neal.  Supposed to be a recovery week. Glad that one is over. 

6 mi in 50:24

Great run today on the Dogwood loop.  Felt strong and smooth.  Stride and pace were excellent.  Probably attacked the hills too much for an easy run.  Some periodic mild discomfort in the left foot and left SI/IT connection.

7 mi in 54:01

Great tempo run today on Moon Place. Little slow from the target pace but 10+ sec quicker than this WO in the last marathon training cycle. Had to concentrate on my stride mechanics, but no pains or discomforts other than the hard WO. 1.5 mi warm followed by 4 tempo miles (target was 7:00 mpm or slightly less). Splits were 7:04, 7:04, 7:02 and 7:01 for an avg of 7:02.75. Really surprised the last one was the fastest b/c it "hurt" the most. I would have guessed I backed off the pace. it did have the most decline, but I wasn't running well on the declines. I had been slowing for a little recovery on the declines after concentrating on maintaining pace on the inclines just before. 1.5 mi cool down. Switched this WO from Thursday when rain is predicted. Didn't want to run this one wet.

5 mi in 44:49

Recovery run.  The running part was good.  Stride and pace were excellent.  I woke with a headache and a crick in my neck.  So I'm not feeling great.

7 mi in 55:43

Felt really great today on the Brookwood Manor loop with 14 x 30s fartleks at around 6:20 pace with 1 min recovery at 8:05 pace.  Went out for 10-12.  The 12th fartlek was 45 seconds because I thought it would be a good way to end a strong run.  Since I was feeling really strong still, and since I wasn't struggling to hold form during the fartlek and since I wanted to get closer to 2 miles for a cool down, I tossed on 2 more fartleks.  Still felt great running the last 2.5 miles at near 8 min pace.  Good run today.  

4 mi in 37:28

Recovery run with Neal from his house to the park and back.  Felt great.  It was really windy but tried out some new gear which felt good too.

18 mi in 2:36:40

Great run today.  Felt really strong.  Weather was clear and cold.  Ran the hilly Dogwood Rd 6 mi loop 3 times, counterclockwise, clockwise and then counter again.  Was strong on the hills even on the last loop.  Some slight discomforts in the left foot and left SI/IT connection, which also has some intermittent pain.  But concentration on the running form improved things and by the end I was very good.  No residual afterward either (so far).  Fought the stride a little after 13.5 mi.  But up until then, the stride was smooth and comfortable mainting form without any effort.  I felt really good at 17 but by 17.5 I was struggling a little bit.  Still finished well.

6 mi in 51:24

Easy pace run.  Felt ok today.  Some mild pain in the left hip.  Not sure if it was the SI/IT area or the hip flexor.  Pain was sorta in between the two.  Otherwise the stride and pace were fine.  Very windy out today.  Streets were wet but no rain.  Decent run.

7 mi in 55:07

4 x 3/4 mi repeats w/ 1/4 mi recov in between. Splits were 5:02, 4:56, 4:49 and 5:01 for an avg of 4:57 which is 6:36 mpm pace.  Target was 6:20 pace.  Missed a little more than this WO 2 weeks ago.  It was on a hillier course, Brookwood Manor vs. Moon Place last time.  I had a pulling pain in the left postierior knee ligament.  And by the end both hips and supporting muscles in my upper thighs/quad felt completely fatigued.  Had to concentrate today to keep decent form.  Kept trying to post up on the left foot strike.  Some pain in the left SI/IT band connection.  Gutted out this run today.  Very chilly but clear and a full moon.

6 mi in 54:13

recovery run today.  was just ok.  some pain still in the left posterior knee and in the left SI/IT connection.  seemed today to be the IT band on both ends.  little bit of a headache when I first woke up and about halfway through the run.  ocular migraine beginning at 1.23 mi but I didn't notice when it stopped.  stride was fine today.  didn't fight it.  downhills were good.  was able to keep from posting up on the left foot strike pretty easily.  weather was cool again but overcast today.

7 mi in 56:15

10 x 1 min fartleks with 1 min jogging recov in between. Felt ok today.  Left knee much better.  Barely any discomfort at first nothing during and only a slight discomfort couple hours later.  Left SI/IT area hurt today.  3 fartleks on the road to BHS, 4 on the track and 3 on the road from BHS.  Felt very strong on the fartleks.  Most of them were at sub 6 pace.  Probably ran them too fast and jogged the recoveries too slow.  The last two on the roads back weren't as strong, but they were on hills.

5 mi in 42:39

easy run on soft surface at Alexander.  felt really great today.  had to discipline myself to slow down to easy pace.  left knee was perfect.  left SI/IT connection hurt a little but not the entire time.  Clear and cold this morning.

19 mi in 2:36:00

Long run with pace on the Silver Comet Trail. Ran race pace for 7 miles beginning at the 10 mile mark. Goal was 7:27 pace. Splits were 7:33, 7:26, 7:26, 7:22, 7:36, 7:32, 7:26 for an average of 7:29. All and all not too bad. Felt really strong for the first 4 of them. Had to fight hard for the 5th and 6th. 7th one, I was well and truly cooked, but it was downhill and I didn't want to loose it right at the end so, I concentrated on my form and kept going and it ended up being quicker. Made the final two miles hurt real bad even though I wasn't pushing at all. Ran them sub 9 mpm. Felt like 14 or 15 mpm.

6 mi in 53:02

easy run on the Dogwood Rd loop.  Felt just ok today.  Legs a little heavy first half.  And pain in the left SI/IT connection throughout.  Overcast but mild today.  55°F.

8 mi in 1:10:32

10 x hill repeats on FC up from the front pool to Providence in 75 to 80 sec each. The easy parts, warm-up recovery btwn and cool down, weren't particularly quick. But oddly, the hills weren't particularly hard. The effort level today didn't feel like an all out attack as it usually does on this WO. I didn't feel like I was pressing too much on the top 1/3 of the hill. Nevertheless, the times were about the same as they usually are. Had considered switching the tempo run scheduled for Thursday to today since the weather is supposed to be bitterly cold and blustery winds on that day. Ultimately decided that since I didn't feel great yesterday that I might need more recovery so I opted for the 'easier' WO that was planned. Felt pretty good today, so I think it was the right decision.

5 mi in 44:23

recovery run on the Old Snellville loop.  felt just ok, maybe a little lethargic.  legs not quite heavy but the pace as slow as it was still felt a little bit labored.  maybe overdressed today.  Thermometer in the kitchen said 30°F so I put on a heavier top and leggings.  But it felt warmer than that while running.  Car thermometer said 38°F and weather.com said 36°F.  Felt warmer than that too. no pop in the legs today.  mild pain to ache in the left high IT band at the SI joint.  better than yesterday but not great.  been trying to stretch the hip flexor more.  Probably need to walk more at work. 

8 mi in 1:01:17

Great tempo run this morning! BAM! And that's why you get up and run 'em anyway. You just never know. Strikes against the 5 miles of tempo pace this morning: 1. Haven't been feeling great the day after hard workouts probably indicating I'm not recovering quickly, 2. no surprise on the recovery since this is the 3rd week in a row of building volume and intensity, 3. I was a little intimidated by the planned route - the Webb Gin and Holly Brook hills, 4. it was supposed to be sub 20°F and blustery winds today, 5. I went to bed a little stuffy and woke up hard this morning. HOWEVER ... as I was dressing for the artic, it seemed that the temp wasn't as bad. It turned out to be perfect weather, abt 40°F and no wind. (I changed gear.) Stepped out into the street and already could tell that my body was responding. Warmed well in 1.5 miles. Hit the gas. Tempo pace target was 7 or under mpm. Splits: 7:05, 7:03, 6:48, 6:58, 7:07 for an average of (drum roll please) 7:00 minute per mile! Consider that the last time I did this WO 2 weeks ago, I did 4 tempo miles on Moon Place (gently rolling hills with max elevation change of at most 15 ft), I avg'd 7:02 and about died on the last mile to mile and a half. Today's run had max elevation changes of - I'm guessing - 50 to 100 ft. Granted I benefitted from the down hills of that size, but I usually don't run well down hill. And, I didn't really even flinch until a 1/3 of the way through the 5th tempo mile most of which was that long uphill from the low spot between Bridgewater and Havenstone all the way up (with emphasis on the UP) onto Rocky Road. Felt really great today too, in contrast to the last 4 runs. NO PAINS. Both hip flexors were sore during the final mile. But, that just means it was a great WO and that weakness was fleeing my body. Thanking God for the ability to run today and all of the previous ones (and next ones) that did hurt.

5 mi in 45:16

Recovery run.  Felt just ok.  Nothing remarkable in either way.  Some ache in my left SI/IT connection but not too bad.  Pace was easy but since I didn't try to push at all I couldn't tell if my legs had any pop.  Didn't feel heavy though.

21 mi in 3:07:00

Long run today on Ronald Reagan Parkway before the race.  Felt good today. Some mild ache in the left SI/IT connection at times but never actually hurt except for the pull I felt when I twisted around to the right to look for cars as I was heading back into the neighborhood 0.15 mi from the end of the run.  Was able to run alot of time on the soft surface of the median and shoulder on the Parkway.  I could tell instantly the difference between the asphalt and the grass. The SI/IT area felt better from the beginning than recently but even so, I could tell a difference in it between the surfaces.  Felt pretty strong for most of the run.  Last two miles were tough and I had to fight for them. But the best take away of the day was that I never lost form.  This might have bween the best week of training I've ever had. 

5 mi in 44:13

easy run.  Felt good today.  No pains.  Some mild discomfort in the left SI/IT connection a couple of times but stride mechanics took care of it quickly.  Ran from the auto shop home with some extra.  Seemed to have recovered well the first few miles including the enormous hill on Patterson.  Feeling good so I decided to go 5 instead of 4.  But at 4.1 mi I realized I should have stopped at 4.  Started straining a little bit.

8 mi in 1:10:10

easy pace medium long run (according to McMillan).  Felt really good early today except that I had not pop.  Overall, felt kinda lethargic.  Felt a shart tendon strain pain in the top of my left instep toward the inside of my foot at one point but it went away going back uphill.  Felt the left SI/IT connection for most of the run.  But it was only an awareness, not really even a mild ache. In the last mile though, it because a mild ache.  No good power today but the stride was good for the most part.  A few times I had to correct sitting back and pulling through the gait cycle instead of being forward and pushing through it.

5 mi in 43:57

easy run pace today.  felt better than yesterday.  there was still some lethargy, but not at bad.  was much better by the end of the run. more fluid in the stride and the pace felt less strained.  no pains at all anywhere.  some mild discomfort in the left SI/IT connection.  but even really the whole time.

4 mi in 32:41

easy run on soft surface at Alexander Park.  Felt really good today.  Toes got cold in the 16°F but no pains.  Some mild ache in the left SI/IT band area in the last mile.  Pace was very easy.  Pop back in the legs.

13 mi in 1:47:23

Thirds progression run at Stone Mountain.  Easy through 6.  Med through 8 and race pace from 8 to 12.  Cool down to 13.  Felt really good and strong.  Some mild ache in the left SI/IT band connection.  Lower left back kinda hurt hours after the run.  Stride and pace were great.  Splits on the 4 pace miles were 7:35, 7:32, 7:27 and 7:22.  

6 mi in 52:07

easy run in the rain.  Felt good today other than some mild pain in the left SI/IT band connection.  Some pop in the legs.  Stride and pace were easy.  Route had a lot of hills in it today. 

9 mi in 1:10:44

7x800m.  Felt good today except for pain in the left SI/IT band connection that turned into some weakness in that hip.  Actually missed a couple of steps at the end of the run b/c of the loss of stability.  Light rain began about 2/3 of the way through the run.  2 of the 800m repeats on the roads to BHS, 4 of them on the track and a final one on the road coming back.  Target was 3:10 per 800.  Splits were 3:14 (0.5 mi), 3:22 (0.53 mi; coverts to 3:11 for 0.5), 3:09 (0.5 mi), 3:11 (0.52 mi; 3:04 for 0.5), 3:13 (0.51 mi; 3:09 for 0.5), 3:17 (0.52 mi; 3:10 for 0.5) and 3:17 (0.5 mi). Using the times scaled to the exact 1/2 mile, the average repeat was 3:10.  I'm a little concerned about the hip.  It had been almost completely better.  Will have to monitor carefully.  If it doesn't respond well during tomorrow's recovery run, I may have to scrap the tempo run planned for Thursday.

6 mi in 52:07

easy run.  felt ok today.  still some pain in the left SI/IT band connection but didn't have the weakness from the end of the run yesterday.  stride and pace were just ok.  seemed to have more strength/pop in the legs than the first part of last week.  but the "easy" run wasn't all that comfortable or free.  had to think about form and staying on pace.  some of that could be attention to monitoring the hip, but the run could have been more of a reprieve from the hard WOs than it felt like today.

8 mi in 1:00:27

Scheduled 5-7 mi tempo run today.  Woke up feeling pretty lousy including a headache.  Decided to change it to a race pace run so I wouldn't have to push so hard since I wasn't feeling good.  Started out and the warm up was really good.  Started the race pace and felt great!  Was flying w/o much effort.  Race pace is 7:27.  Ran 7:16, 7:19 then 7:09.  Next two miles were both 6:52 for the tempo pace.  Wasn't really pushing as hard as the pace would normally require though I could feel the pace in the muscles.  Decided to throw another 1/2 mi in at 7:15 pace. Then one mile cool down. Finished the run feeling good, like I could have done more miles (though not necessarily at pace).  Some slight discomfort in the left SI/IT band connection at short intermittent points.  But for most of the run, it was right as rain.

5 mi in 42:58

easy run at Alexander. Felt pretty good today.  Some ache in the left SI/IT band connection and some lack of strength in the middle of the run. Ended very well.

22 mi in 3:21:55

long run around the hood.  Started down FC hill toward 5Forks some left SI/IT hip pain.  Lasted about 3.5 mi.  Then cleared up and felt fine the rest of the run with the occassional mild ache while running down hill.  Spent as much time as possible on the soft surfaces next to the sidewalks.  So, felt good through the whole run.  Cherie joined the run from 15 - 20 miles.  Struggled with some fatigue from 18 to 20.  21 and 22 felt fine though.

6 mi in 55:23

recovery run from the house to Brookwood Baptist and back.  Was supposed to be an easy run but turned into a recovery run.  Started out feeling ok.  Didn't push and  had the typical post long run lack of zip for the first mile.  But wasn't feeling weak or really all that tired, just a little stiff particularly in the quads.  Form was good without over much concentration.  First mile ended downhill.  Realized that I was running sub 8 pace at the end of it with only making sure that my form was good, no pushing.  Still, too fast!  Backed off the throttle.  Somewhere in the second mile I noticed a slight twinge or cramp in the left hamstring.  Backed off the pace some more.  The cramp continued off and on for the rest of the 2nd mile and the subsequent 2 miles.  Realized that it was happening on the inclines.  Changed the route to take all the big hills out of the run.  No cramp for the final 2 miles.  Stayed at a recovery pace.  Tried to get as many soft surfaces as I safely could running in the dark. 

8 mi in 1:11:12

easy run.  Dumped the long repeats due to the left hamstring issue.  Didn't want to strain it.  Felt good today.  Some twinging in the left hamstring twice during the 7th mile.  Some mild discomfort in the left SI/IT band area in the middle of the run.  Pain in the tendons on the top and inside of the right foot (under the tie of the shoe laces).  stride and pace were great though I didn't push at all and took it extra easy on the inclines.  ran with Marybeth and Annabel for a mile coming back on Webb Gin.

8 mi in 1:09:52

easy run.  Felt good today.  Legs maybe a little heavy.  Left hip flexor sore and right foot under the shoe laces hurt at first (maybe 0.1 of a mile).  Maybe one slight twinge of the left hamstring in the 6th mile or so.  But it may have just been my imagination.  I was closely monitoring it for any sign of trouble.  Stride and pace were fine.  Ran the hilly Dogwood road loop with some extra side streets to make it 8 miles.  Foggy and damp but no rain or mist and the temp was perfect.

7 mi in 51:48

tempo run.  Felt really great today!  Ran Tribble Mill.  2 mile warm.  4 mi tempo in 7 mpm.  I forgot my GPS but the course was marked at the 1/4 miles.  I was running 1:45 btwn the quarters during the tempo portion.  1 mi cool down.  Light rain in the last mile.

5 mi in 43:13

easy run at Alexander on the soft surfaces.  Felt great today.  Stride and pace were great.  No pains.

24 mi in 3:29:03

long run at Stn Mtn.  Felt good today.  Some twinging of the left hamstring on two inclines.  But didn't push and it never went further.  Felt very strong today.  Thought I might cut the run short when I turned for the final out and back at 21.25 mi.  But close to the turn, I met Patrick who had been running the other direction.  Ran with Patrick for 3/4 of a mile.  Ran faster to keep up with him and the legs responded very well.  Felt good after too.  Spent more than 50% of the run on the soft surfaces around the mtn.  Right foot 2nd toe nail next to the big toe is turning black.

5 mi in 46:12

recovery run from the house to Brookwood Baptist and back.  Felt ok.  Little sluggish and heavy legged.  Sore left hip flexor.  Right foot tendon pain under the laces at the very end of the run.  Finally warmed up after 3 mi.  Rest of the run was fluid and easy.  No more heavy legs.  Still didn't push though.

8 mi in 1:10:28

easy run.  Felt weak at first.  Head a little swimmy.  After the OM finished in the 3rd mile, I perked up.  Miles 4 through 7 were great.  Felt strong, fluid and the running was easy down at the 8:15 mpm pace.  Should have stopped at 7.  8th mile was very weak again though not at all swimmy like the first 2.5. Feel very depleted afterward too.  Should have stopped at 7 today.  Probably should have eaten more yesterday too.

7 mi in 55:25

race pace run.  Felt good today except for a little soreness in the left hip flexor and a strong tugging almost a pull on the left outside quad going up the steep incline from Ronald Reagan to Dogwood and then again up Webb Gin before Moon Pl.  Targeted a pace of 7:27.  Actual splits were: 7:47, 7:42. 7:39, 7:24, 7:44.  Little bit of a miss, but I wasn't pushing at all. so I guess it was more of an easy run.  Plus I backed off some because I'm still feeling a little bit depleated and because of the possible quad injury.  Didn't want to push the pace and complete the tear or pull or whatever it is.

15 mi in 2:08:45

long run at Stn Mtn.  Felt good today maybe even great.  No pains or twinges or anything.  Held form well.  Fluid almost the whole time.

Ran 5 miles total in 37:16

0.5 miles warmup.  Failed to hit the lap button at the end of the warmup, So the first half mile of the race was on the split with the warm-up.  Therefore, I had to estimate the time of the first half mile based on the average pace of 0.1 mi increments on the Garmin Training Center display.  Estimated the first 0.5 mi at 3:35.  Adding that to the splits of 6:49, 6:23 and 3:53 (for the final 0.6 mi) makes the estimate race time of 20:40 on the hilly course beginning and ending at Turner Field in Atlanta.  The course runs up through Georgia State Campus, the Fulton County admin building and the State Capitol.  Actually ran it as a tempo run targeting 6:50 pace.  20:40 averages to 6:40 pace.  Even more please b/c it followed a longish run of 15 miles the day before.  The weather was really good.  It was a balmy 68 degrees at race time with a slight breeze that made it feel cool on the course.  The race wasn't officially timed.  So the result cannot be confirmed.

6 mi in 53:12

recovery run.  Felt pretty good today though a little sore from the race yesterday.  Some discomfort to mild pain in the left SI/IT band area.  But the stride and pace were good.  Finally loosened up in the last mile.  Enjoyable run on the Crews Craig loop.

11 mi in 1:26:09

race pace run, medium long.  Felt really good today.  Still a little bit sore from the race on Sunday, but I warmed up well.  No pains or discomforts on the run.  Little bit of burning in the left SI/IT band connection after the drive to work.  The stride and pace were very good today. Was able to hold form well throughout.  Ran the Brookwood Manor route turning right on Dogwood out of the neighborhood going uphill toward Scenic.  Through shopping center over RReagan thru Eastside front lot and down Tree Ln over thru the front part of Brightwater and ending the pace part on Webb Gin at Raintree.  Ran 7 miles at pace with splits: 7:34, 7:30, 7:23, 7:22, 7:22, 7:20, 7:20 (both the 7:20s were downhill) and 7:30 - avg of 7:25.  Great run today under clear skies.

3 mi in 26:11

Running club at the Elementary School with 17 3rd-5th graders.  Felt good today.  No pains, soreness or after effects.  68 degrees with a slight cooling breeze.

21 miles in 2:54:35

fast finish long run at Stone Mountain.  Ran easy for 11 mi.  Then attempted race pace for the next 9 mi.  Splits were 7:37, 7:55, 7:38, 7:42, 8:08, 7:42, 7:47, 7:48 for an avg of 7:47.  Target was 7:27.  Felt good for most of the run.  Tried not to strain but run hard.  Was straining the last pace mile so I shut it down at 20.  Recovery cool down pace for the final mile.  Some burning sensation in the left SI/IT connection in the later stages of the run.  Form broke down a little about halfway through the pace miles.  Had to concentrate to stay relaxed in the stride and keep form. Wasn't entirely successful for long stretches.

6 mi in 52:31

recovery run.  Felt good today.  Only issue was a little tenderness in the lower left achilles tendon.  Stride and pace were good.  Thought that I was pretty loose from the beginning but I could tell a difference after a little more than 2 mi.  Even had some power going uphill on Moon Pl from 5 Forks.  Pace got easier and quicker as the run went along.

7 mi in 58:54

easy run.  Felt good today.  Took a long time to warm up, more than 3 mi.  Seemed tight, not fluid.  Quads not feeling strong.  Maybe a little bit sore.  Otherwise good run.

11 mi in 1:24:50

10 x 800m on the BHS track after 1.9 mi warm on the roads.  Felt really great today.  Quads still a little tight during the warmup but all systems were go on the 800s.  All the repeats were relaxed and fluid with good form.  Had to concentrate/push a little on some of the curves to keep from slowing and had to concentrate on the last repeat but it wasn't too hard. Didn't actually have to push on any of them except for maybe the last 50m on about 3 of them, including the last one. Target was 3:05/800. Splits were 3:09, 3:09, 3:05, 3:06, 3:04, 3:06, 3:06, 3:03, 3:03, 3:05 with about 2:35 recovery at 9:10 pace in between.  Average was 3:05.6 per 800.  I think I'm ready for the Marathon. 

3 mi in 27:39

recovery run.  Felt ok but no energy.  Stride was good but had no power to generate any pace.  Wasn't pushing since it was a recovery run and the pace in the first 1/2, at least, was 9-high mpm to 10-low mpm.  Toward the end the same effort level resulted in 8-high mpm.  Even so, I felt spent by the end of the very short and slow run (really it was all the way through, but even more so by the end).  I didn't eat anything but a rice cake ahead of time and yesterday's intake wasn't very good refueling.  Some if not most of the lethargy was probably due to poor eating yesterday.

11 mi in 1:29:32

med long run.  Felt good today.  Stride and pace were easy.  Probably pushed just a little but wasn't trying too.  Just was trying to keep good form and a good cadance.  And probably was a little worried about the time and being late for work since it was going to be a longer run and I started a little bit later than I meant to.  Second half of the run felt much easier and better than the first and it was quicker per mile.

6 mi in 49:35

easy run at Alexander on the soft surface.  Very windy and overcast today.  Felt good in running.  But woke up feeling bad.  A bit depleted, with a mild headache.  Sorta like the beginning of a migraine.  Hadn't eaten well the day before.  Not enough fuel.  Also took some ibuprofen.  Head felt better by the time I started running.  The stride and pace were good.  Each mile was quicker than the one before it without any more effort.  The last two miles were slightly sub 8 pace and it all felt like a slow pace in terms of effort.

26 mi in 3:53:14

long run at Stn Mtn.  Felt good today.  Maybe a little bit tight in the quads at first.  2 momentary twinges in the left SI/IT band connection 7 or 8 miles apart in the middle of the run.  But other than that felt good.  Splits were very consistent too, not varying too far from the avg of 8:58.  Max was 9:23 and min was 8:36.  Body glide between the toes seemed to have helped my feet survive the miles.  Nutrition worked out well today but the hydration did not.  Had to stop for the restroom after 10 miles. Drank coffee first.  Had a 12 oz protein shake and two waffles (with light syrup) before I left the house.  Small amount of gatorade (maybe 8 oz) on the way to the mtn.  1 gel at 13 mi and 1 gel at 20 mi.  Plenty of energy and no hunger pangs through the entire run.  Finally at 25.75 miles I felt a little bit of pulling inthe the hamstrings and general fatigue in the rest of my legs.  Might have been a cramp if I'd been pushing the pace more.  Ran last 6 miles with Ryan and Neal who provided some good distraction from the effort I was exerting.  Had plenty of energy left after the run too.  Immediately downed 2 handfuls of salted peanuts and a banana and 10 oz of UCAN in water.  All in all, a great run today.

6 mi in 52:11

easy run.  Felt good today.  Stride and pace were easy and fluid.  Little bit sore in the quads from Saturday's run.  Had to concentrate on keeping good form b/c any slight pulling through the gait cycle at the foot strike resulted in an increase in discomfort in the lower inside quadraceps on both legs but particularly the left.

8 mi in 1:09:00

easy run.  Felt ok today.  Some sharp pain in the lower quadraceps of both legs right above the knees.  Almost aborted the run, but the pain went away at the end of the warm-up.  Stride and pace were just ok today.  One flare-up of the left lower quad pain at about 4 miles and the left posterior knee tendon hurt after the drive to work.  Still recovering from the long run on Saturday.

4 mi in 38:22

craig running club.  3/4 mi warm up.  felt very tight at first. then ran with the kids. many starts and stops.  by the end of the run was feeling very fluid.

8 mi in 1:10:19

easy run.  felt tight and weak at first.  went to Rocky Road for some planned hill repeats, which was an adjustment off the tempo run originally planned.  but the hill repeats weren't going to happen.  wasn't recovered well yet from the long run last weekend.  finally loosened up and was running smooth.  but I never felt strong.  fortunately no pains today.

4 mi in 38:12

easy run with Andrew on Craig loop.  felt good.  quads still a little tight.  but overall the run felt great.

17 mi in 2:23:27

Long run.  Felt great on a Dogwood Rd, Tree Ln route.  Two instances of sharp pain in the the left vastus medialis (lower quad at the the knee).  Stride and pace were great.  Pushed pace the last mile.

5 mi in 43:51

easy run. Didn't feel great today.  Stiff at first and sore in the right quad.  Turned out to also be the pre-ocular migraine lethargy.  The OM occurred late, 2.11 to 2.96 mi.  So most of the run was poor.  Last mile was pretty good.  Ate very poorly yesterday. too much snacking junk.

6 mi in 48:59

11 x 25s strides on the Webb Gin to Dogwood passed BHS out and back route.  Felt good today after the 1st quarter mile which was a bit stiff.  Stride and pace after that were fluid and easy.  Strides were great.  Felt strong.  Little bit of mild pain in the lower right leg just above the knee on two brief occassions and some strain in the left hip on the last two strides.  All in all a great run.

5 mi in 43:23

easy run to Brookwood Baptist and back.  Felt ok.  Calf pain in first 0.5 mi.  Took a long time to warm up - over 2.5 miles.  After that I felt good and the stride and pace were easy.  Some pain after the run in the left lower achilles tendon.

6 mi in 45:14

2 x 2000m @ 5K pace + 3 x 200m sprint.  Felt good today.  Warmed up quickly. Walked a quarter mile before running.  Stride and pace were very good.  Averaged 6:26 and 6:28 mpm for the two 2000m repeats.  Avg'd 37s for the 3 200s (37s, 38s, 37s) No pains except a little bit of soreness in the left lower achilles tendon.

12 mi in 1:38:53

race pace med long run around house. felt good today except for some soreness in the lower left achilles tendon, which warmed up and felt better for most of the run.  Stride and pace were easy.  2 mi warm, 4 miles race pace (7:16, 7:27, 7:19, 7:32; avg of 7:24) then 6 easy with Neal.  Race pace miles were easy.  Did have to concentrate just a little to keep pace.  Totally relaxed pace was about 7:40.  Breathing was very good.

5 mi in 42:16

easy run.  Felt kinda "heavy" today at first.  Finally loosened up and was running free and fluid about 3.6 mi in.  Left lower achilles tendon sore throughout.  Thinking that the calf muscle may be tight, will stretch throughout the day.

6 mi in 48:24

3 mi alone on the Craig track with 3 x 1/2 mi repeats at 6:07, 6:21 and 6:10 mpm pace.  Then 3 mi with the Craig running club kids which included a few starts and stops.  Felt really great today.  No pains.  Very fluid.  Good run.

4 mi in 34:00

easy run today at Alexander Park.  Not feeling great.  Little bit drained, didn't sleep well and have a slight headache.  Even so, the run itself was good.  Stride and pace easy and fluid.  Was a little sore yesterday after the 800s on Wednesday. (probably shouldn't have done those.)  getting ready for Boston now.  Trying to take it easy.  I probably haven't eaten well this week for banking energy for the race.  I was too heavy over last weekend and have been a little agressive trying to get the weight down this week ahead of the carbo load on Sunday wanting to toe the line right at 150 lbs.

4 mi in 32:29

Pre marathon carbo super saturation run on Boston Common.  3 mi warm-up.  2:30 at 5K pace, 30 s sprinting.  0.5 mi cool down.  Feeling good.

BOSTON MARATHON.  Felt good at the beginning. Tried to go out slowly.  The downhill and the crowd around me who were all of similar abilities, all made keeping the pace slower practically impossible.  I had been warned about the downhill for the first 15 miles of the race.  I was pleasantly surprised about the many small uphills in that span as well.  Although it wasn't raining at the beginning or the end of the race, it did rain off and on through the bulk of the race. My feet started feeling raw at 9 miles.  And the legs started aching around mile 15.  I assume it was because of the downhills.  But could be because of all the walking the previous two days as well.  The infamaous Newton hills start at mile 16 and go through 21.  I did well on the hills.  There were more of them than I was led to believe and there were downhills between them which I didn't expect and which hurt.  The uphills were a blessed relief from the aching quads.  I briefly wanted to quit the race around mile 20. But I killed that thought and focused on proper form the rest of the way, remembering Meb's words from last year when he was hurting too and said that he focused on his form because pace follows good form. I wasn't really prepared for the amount of downhill running after the 21st mile. The quads were in agony with a sharp pain on every downhill step. Lost a little bit of pace over the last 3 miles which were flatter but not perfectly so.  Also I lost some pace because I got distracted with the crowd turning onto Hereford and Boylston Streets.  I had hoped to run 7:27 pace and ended with 7:36 overall pace.  Mile splits were 7:50, 7:29, 7:19, 7:23, 7:23, 7:17, 7:22, 7:27, 7:27, 7:27, 7:29, 7:28, 7:29, 7:30, 7:33, 7:22, 7:43, 7:44, 7:37, 7:52, 7:58, 7:24, 7:34, 7:39, 7:41, 7:43, actually ran 26.5 miles so don't have a good split on the final 0.2. First 1/2 in 1:38:02, second 1/2 in 1:41:01. Ran the whole thing without cramping or stopping. But those downhills were killing me.  I'm not sure I ever want to run downhill again.  Still met my goal of running under 3:20:00.  Dream come true!  It's done.