July 28, 2012

Saturday morning bliss: out the door at 500 am for an 11-mile long run to cap off week four of training.  Feels great getting the majority of a run in before "the sunlight hits the olive oil." The heat and humidity were still oppressive, but I managed.  Multiple water stops along the way helped to keep hydration issues in check.  Solid run.

Time: 1:45:53
Distance: 11.02 miles
9:36 avg. min/mile
1,731 cal.
Temp: 79 degrees Fahrenheit

Week Four Summary:
23 miles (89 for training period)
3 runs and 1 gym day
Weight: 198 lbs. (no change)

July 27, 2012

A nice Friday run after a couple of days off.  Six-miles in new shoes.  It felt good getting back to running after missing Wednesday's run.  It was hot and humid, as is the normal in these parts right now.  Stepping out to 75 degrees at 500 am is one thing...adding 98% humidity only exacerbates it!  Planned long-run of eleven miles for Saturday...cooler environs on the horizon.

Time: 56:08
Distance: 6.05 miles
9:17 avg. min/mile
948 cal.
Temp: 75 degrees Fahrenheit

July 26, 2012

A whirlpool and sauna morning! Back on the trail Friday...

July 25, 2012

Did not run due to this annoying summer cold. Most likely could have without any problem, but I decided to rest instead. Will get back to the gym on Thursday, then hit the road for Friday and Saturday's planned runs of 6 and 11, respectively.

July 24, 2012

Standard Back and Bicep workout. As with the Chest and Tricep workout, it basically keeps me active on my two non-running days.  I will never be mistaken for a powerlifter, but it is nice to lift weights a couple of times a week!

Dumbell Curls  3 x 10
Barbell Curls    3 x 10
Preacher Curl   3 x 10
Lat Pull Down  3 x 10
Seated Row      3 x 10

July 23, 2012

Monday of week four! Out the door and in to the pre-dawn sauna for a six-mile run.  The base run will be six-miles for about a month, up from five.  Anyhow, it was a solid (and slow) run, even as I crossed paths with a skunk and came damn close to getting sprayed.  My shoes, purchased the first week of May, are shot after 300 miles.  I know this because my knees and ankles are telling me so.  A new pair is on the way, over-nighted from the good people at Road Runner Sports!

Time: 57:05
Distance: 6.00 miles
9:31 avg. min/mile
949 cal.
Temp: 81 degrees Fahrenheit

July 21, 2012

While I loathe to call a six-miler a "long run," for all intents and purposes that's exactly what it was for this week of Higdon's training regime.  The week before the marathon will incorporate an eight-mile long run, otherwise the long runs will range from nine to 20-miles from here on out.  Week Three is in the books; feeling good at this point.  This week's schedule: 6-6-6-11. 

Time: 53:38
Distance: 6.01 miles
8:56 avg. min/mile
941 cal.
Temp: 81 degrees Fahrenheit

Week Three Summary:
22 miles (66 for training period)
4 runs and 1 gym day
Weight: 198 lbs. (no change)

July 20, 2012

Extremely warm 88 degrees at 500 am! Easy five-miles with a six-mile Saturday on tap. A slight decline in miles, but a solid week nonetheless. Have seemingly settled in to a consistent nine-minute mile pace. Water stop at mile three due to the absurd heat is nice...real nice.

Time: 46:53
Distance: 5.21 miles
9:01 avg. min/mile
815 cal.
Temp: 88 degrees Fahrenheit

July 19, 2012

Chest and Triceps workout.  Reminiscent of circuit training due to the fact that I only have 30 minutes to get in a solid workout.  Feeling it today.  Below is the standard workout.  I have been known to tweak it from time to time.  It is, more than anything, a way to rest the legs and still be training. 

Bench   3 x 10
Incline  3 x 10
Decline 3 x 10
Tricep   3 x 10 (rope pull-down)
Tricep   3 x 10 (overhead)
Cable    3 x 10 (cross-over)

July 18, 2012

Dawn Patrol.  Five and change in sauna-like conditions.  Cake.  Blew off the Tuesday gym workout just because!  Times have inched back up a bit, as usually happens.  Will definitely be ready for a chest and tri workout on Thursday, followed by a couple of short ones, 5 and 6, to finish the week.

Time: 46:49
Distance: 5.19 miles
9:01 avg. min/mile
807 cal.
Temp: 79 degrees Fahrenheit (75% humidity)

July 16, 2012

The third week of training kicked off with a pre-dawn six-mile loop around familiar territory.  I felt a bit sluggish.  The weather was typical--hot and humid.  I remind myself that I will miss these hot and humid runs this winter...if winter decides to return to these parts! All in all a solid beginning to the week.  The Tragically Hip playlist is still trending!

Time: 54.04
Distance: 6.0 miles
9:01 avg. min/mile
898 cal.
Temp: 75 degrees Fahrenheit (94% humidity)

July 14, 2012

Great way to finish the week: out the door at 500 am and greeted by a relatively cool Saturday morning--5 degrees cooler than the week's average. Nine easy miles at a very manageable pace ensued. Sunday is truly a day of rest: no running or weights! This week's schedule is a planned 6-5-5-6, which will represent a slight drop (2 miles) from this week's total.  Such is Higdon's methodology. 

Time: 1:22.27
Distance: 9.0 miles
9:10 avg. min/mile
1353 cal. burned
71 degrees Fahrenheit

Week Two Summary:
24 miles (40 for training period)
4 runs and 2 gym days
Weight: 198 lbs. (-1)

July 13, 2012

Hot and humid Friday morning loop in familiar territory.  Recently a friend asked why I didn't run in the afternoon after work instead of getting up so early to do it.  I had to laugh! The thought of running in the 100 degree heat is horrific.  I cannot fathom the thought of running, much less training for a marathon, under such brutal conditions. It just seems so uncomfortable...

Saturday's long run of nine miles looms...

Time: 45.13
Distance: 5.17 miles
8:45 avg. min/mile
763 cal.
76 degrees Fahrenheit

July 11, 2012

Stepped out to a hot and humid Summer morning!  77 degrees Fahrenheit with 100% humidity at 500 am.  The run was solid, though.  Looking forward to a gym day and then back-to-back days on the trail.

Time: 44.50
Distance: 5.04 miles
8:54 avg. min/mile
758 cal.
77 degrees Fahrenheit

July 9, 2012

Monday morning five-miler in the pre-dawn hour is a super way to start the week.  A bit on the humid side, but rain could be on the horizon for the early part of the week.  Physically, all is well. A solid 25-mile per week base makes transitioning into Higdon's plan very easy, especially at the onset.  The middle weeks of September and October are the most difficult...obviously!  To the gym on Tuesday.

Time: 44.53
Distance: 5.09 miles
8:49 avg. min/mile
765 cal.
76 degrees Fahrenheit

July 6, 2012

Friday's run was the longest of the week at seven miles. Took Saturday off, though it would have been an eight-miler.  The first week of training was actually less intensive as a normal, non-training week. This will soon be rectified. Cooler temps are on the way, according to the talking heads.  This week looks like a 5-5-5-8.

Time: 1:03.11
Distance: 7.03 miles
8:59 avg. min/mile
1,044 cal. burned
Temp: 77 F

July 5, 2012

Back and Bi workout at the gym. 30-minutes: in and out, nobody gets hurt. The classic rock station keeps things interesting.  I will never be confused for a bodybuilder; however, lifting a couple of times a week is a nice diversion...plus it let's me rest my legs for a bit!

July 4, 2012

Up at 400 am to enjoy an hour of stillness prior to beginning the day.  It's a beautiful time, those precious hours before dawn.  Hit the streets at 500 am, as usual, but with it being Independence Day there was absolutely nobody out.  Had the Tragically Hip's Live Between Us blaring...nice to hear Gordie's voice again, as it's been a while.  The run was almost identical to Monday's: same route, similar time.

Time: 43.52
Distance: 5.0 miles
8:47 avg. min/mile
756 cal.

July 3, 2012

Chest and Tri workout. I have to be at work by 700 am now. Unfortunately, the gym does not open until 530 am, which gives me a limited window of 30-minutes to workout. The sacrifices are the steam room and whirlpool time that I used to enjoy so much. The horror...

July 2, 2012

Stepped out to a very pleasant Monday morning.  Did a nice and easy 5-miles to inaugurate this phase of training! The basic campus loop that I've been running since relocating here in '08 can be tweaked from a couple of miles to upwards of nine.  It offers asphalt, grass and sidewalks and is generally well-lit for the pre-dawn hours.  The goal throughout these next 18-weeks is to run four days a week, lift weights twice a week and rest on Sunday.  This may change from week to week; however, I've had good success with this schedule in the past and cannot envision any large-scale deviation...but it's still early. The run data below was taken from Runkeeper, which I highly recommend.  Running with a phone may take some getting used to, but I enjoy having all of the run data in one place.  Gone are the days of driving the route to get mileage and keeping a run log on a legal pad!  Cheers.

Time: 43.57
Distance: 5.0 miles
8:48 avg. min/mile
756 cal.

July 1, 2012

Wow!  Lot of water under the bridge since my last post.  A non-running related back injury forced me to take January and most of February off to recuperate.  I spent a lot of time in the pool...but it's simply not the same. I was, sadly, unable to run the Memorial Marathon in May.  I have steadily increased mileage through the spring and early summer.  I am currently logging 25 miles a week.  July is here, which means that 18-weeks of training kick off for the Route 66 Marathon in late November.  So here we go again...again. I will keep a log of time, distance, temp and my weight throughout the process.  I will attempt to keep the commentary down to a minimum! The only break in training will be a two-week span in late July when I take the family on a brief holiday.  So, thanks for checking-in! Hitting the pavement in the pre-dawn hours tomorrow to get things underway.  Cheers.