The next four weekends each have a race:

Saturday August 29 – 7:45am – The Great Escape Run 10k/4 Mile Fun Run – Ft. Leavenworth

- I placed 1st as a 29 year old (in the 20-29 age group) in this 2 years ago, and last year slept in and missed it if you recall (which worked out well). This year… I may try to make it out. It’s a pretty fun race complete with pre-race show and with one ginormous hill to go up *and* down.

Saturday September 5th – Clinton Lake North Shore Trail Run – 8.5 miler, Lawrence, KS

- This is a KC Trail Nerd Run. It would only be my second trail run, and the two people I’ve tried to get to go out there with me have both bailed – so… may not end up doing this one… But at only $8 – and a bandanna (yeah how many race bandannas do you have??) – its a heck of a deal and would probably be quite enjoyable. Chance of me going… 40%.

Saturday September 12th – “Three Mile Creek 5k River Run” – 8:45am men’s race, (8:00am for women), Leavenworth KS.

- As far as I know this is the first year for this run… and its about time Leavenworth got a 5k run together!! I will definitely try to go to this one… I may end up running into all sorts of people I haven’t seen in a while! From what I’ve been able to tell over the past few years by scouring the web for information, Leavenworth has had in its storied past, quite a few runs – but none in the recent past. I was only able to find vague references and scant recollections about runs that used to be run there… but definitely nothing in the past 5-7 years at least. One year, a local middle school Warren Middle School did sponsor a 5k… and although I found out after the fact that it was open to the community – it was never made clear before the run… so I suppose that’s the one exception. Anyway – congrats Leavenworth! I’ll be there.

Saturday, September 19th, “Steeplechase 5k” – 8:00am – Lansing, KS

This one is just a hop skip and a jump from my house literally. Last year I just jogged down to the start line which I’m lucky enough to do over the course of a calendar year with a couple of other local races as well. This is a nice small race on a course that I literally train on all year (parts of it) since its set in rolling hills through a couple of close-by neighborhoods – just a standard place to run. It’s a nice enough race and last year I missed 3rd place by 19 seconds. I finished in 22:11 which I was happy enough with, one of my faster official 5ks. This year I’ll just try to best that 22:11. I’d really like to run a 5k in under 20:00 and should have plenty of practice this fall!

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Yes week 3 is here already, hard to believe… of six scheduled runs I’ve completed four, and neglected perhaps the most important two: the two long runs, 13 & 15 miles.

Well as you well know by now this is the ALMOST FIRST program in which workouts are carefully evaluated and measured against other activities that are simultaneously scheduled – and then usurped. So yes, I missed the 15 miler this weekend, but I did manage to get in Week 2 Run 2 which should have been this:

ALMOST FIRST, Week 2, Run 2:
7 mile run; 1 mile easy
5 miles @ MP
1 mile easy

Actual Run:
6.85 mile run; 1 mile easy
4 miles @ MP (faster actually)
1 mile @ 10:10 (MP + 1:13)
.85 mile “easy”

So — pretty darn close. Only problem was I was beat at the end. Granted it was hot and humid, but I should have been able to knock this one out pretty easily. Oh well… could have been a lot worse I’m mostly happy with it. The MP Miles averaged to: 8:35 pace it was just under 8:37 MP anyway. Good.

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Hmm… well about that third run… yeah that was that long weekend-er run… 13 miles or something. That’s crazy!!!

OK – Well I’m sure there’s plenty of time left to do lots more long runs right? I mean who wants to do a 13 miler in August!? This is the ALMOST FIRST program remember!?

15 miler for this weekened…. Hmmmmm…… maybe! Maybe not! I’d like to… so we’ll see.

For now though we have DUN DUN DUN!!!!!! THE FOURTH FIRST RUN!!!

And you’ll never guess what…?

I did it completely!! Killed it!!!

Last week’s Run-1 was tough:
10-20 minute warm-up
3 x 1600m (1min. Recovery Interval)
10 minute cool-down

OUCH!!!! If you remember I managed:
13 minute warm-up
2 x 1600m (3:45 Recovery Interval)
8 minute cool down

This week’s Run-1 was:
1 mile warm-up
4 x 800m (2 min. RI)
10 minute cool-down

And what did I actually run?
1 Mile Warm-Up
4 x 800m (2 min. RI)
10 minute cool-down

YEA!!! NAILED IT!!! I even kept pretty good pace:
1×800 – 6:30 pace
2×800 – 6:21 pace
3×800 – 6:34 pace
4×800 – 7:04 pace

Pace for these runs is – remember – my 5k record pace of 6:47 – So I think that went well.

Updated Marathon goal time: 3:45:55. That’s a 8:37 pace. I needed to figure out my goal MP for sure because I have a LOT of MP and MP + X runs coming up where MP = Marathon Pace and X = number in seconds of which to run slightly slower for training.

I would have liked to lay this all down (writing on the blog) sooner… but I’ve been so busy I’ve barely had time for these runs! (And not enough time for a 13 miler…. yet….)

There are quite a few races coming up soon, and should I run any, I’ll be sure to report back here.

Also got my daughter out running with me now too (she’s 11) so… maybe I’ll have more to say on that soon too! Well… back to being busy.

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Yeah so, last year as you know, I tried the Hal Higdon plan. I think I only made mileage ONE week, of the eighteen week training program… that’s not really following that program I know… but whatever. This one I may fare better with — at least I’m hoping… I’m really going to try to stick with it. It’s the FIRST (Furman Institute of Running & Scientific Training) Marathon program – not to be confused with the FIRST First Marathon program (which does exist), its just the FIRST Marathon program. Confused? Hahahahaha ok so anyway…. Tonight I had one hell of a workout and it was only run 2 of week 1! The run 1 of week 1 was no easier… this program just jumps right in, has you running like crazy right away! This Saturday I have a 13 miler to do, I wasn’t planning on running a half-marathon this weekend, but I suppose I’ll try it…. I may come up a couple of miles short That’s right I’ll just revise this as we go along. Since FIRST only comes in one flavor (hard as hell) I’ll just create my own program which is only slightly easier, its called ALMOST FIRST. Just how tough is this thing? First run: 10-20 minute warm-up 3 x 1600m (1min. Recovery Interval) 10 minute cool-down Ok, so thats a nice easy warm up — good. I think those intervals are supposed to be at 5k pace though, which for me I’ve determined is 6:47, based on my current 5k PR of 21:05. For not being a race, just training, that’s a fast pace! Ok so here’s what I ACTUALLY ran (remember this is the ALMOST FIRST plan): 13:40 minute warm-up 2 x 1600 (4 min recoveries) 8:16 minute cool down So – ran the warm up. Just down the street, and back a bit to the local track (its less than half a mile from my house… awesome!) where I proceed to run intervals! First mile is a doozy… I knocked it out at 6:51 pace which I was 100% satasfied with. Killed it! But tired though, so ok… walk 1 lap… and shit!!! Time to ramp up again already!? Well I manage a 7:30ish pace this time, which I’m pretty happy with too, cept now its time to quit. Here’s the garmin: Garmin Week 1 Run 1 So… I’d say I came darn close to getting this one right. Total time, 40:08. We’ll see how long it takes me next time. That was two nights ago!!! Tonight I did Week 1 Run 2 which is supposed to be: 6 mile run; 2 miles easy, 2 miles @ ST 2 miles easy Ok I think “ST” is Short Tempo? No matter, … it should be 5k pace + 20 seconds. So, 7:07 pace. Here’s what I actually ran: 6 mile run; 2 miles easy 1 mile tough pace, 1 mile grimacing through a sorta tough pace 2 miles run/walk/run/walk I’m now officially too tired to add all this shit up, so here’s another picture: More, better posts soon. For now… I’m tired!!! I was pleased with this run too though. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……

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Reading the newest Runner’s World (Sep 2009), I happened across a section: “The Rules (Revisited)”, in which 15 usual recommendations have their respective conventional thinking’s challenged by their subsequent correlatives: uncommon wisdom.

Many topics are covered but paramount of course is “Miles for Marathons”. You’re probably aware that long ago miles, miles, miles, miles, miles, and even more miles were prescribed for marathon training. Then the weekend long run was invented; normal mileage was done during the week with an increasingly long run ran on the weekends… starting from about 12 miles and increasing to 20. Total weekly mileage on these plans averages at the start from about 20 to near the end about 55 miles per week.

I attempted one such plan last year, Hal Higdon’s Intermediate II Marathon training plan. Although I did reach my goal of breaking a 4 hour marathon, I found this training difficult to keep up with due to if not the mileage – the sheer number of runs. In the end I basically abandoned that plan due to failing to complete *any* long runs. I ran a 13, an 11, and a 10 (prescribed were 20,20,20,19,17,16,14…etc). This spring, training for the Minneapolis Marathon I did a 14, two 13s, and a 10… I didn’t finish any better, about 4 minutes slower in fact.

Add to this – even without running the *multiple* 20 milers that are prescribed for the training… I still managed to develop shin splints and other minor injuries.

So of course with my busy lifestyle and proneness to injury I was thrilled to read about a 3 run per week plan, whose maximum peak weekly mileage didn’t exceed 31 miles! Boy was I in for a surprise!

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Where to start? First of all, I’m doing well… took some time off, but managed to run here and there and managed not to lose too much shape I think…

Well how did this start? I ran the Minneapolis Marathon on May 31st. It was tough. Those last 6 miles were painful!!! Was it worth it to have done it after the fact though? It must have been because I’m ramping up again…

Anyway – at the time I finished it (Minneapolis) I was thinking: “ok WHEW! Got THAT out my system / done with. Now I can relax the rest of the year.” Well when I got home from Minneapolis waiting in my mailbox was the new Runner’s World issue. That always makes my day… so fun to read. This time however I was horrified to see a red bullet/circle on the front cover which proclaimed:

AHHHH!!!!!!!!! Just when I thought I was in the clear. Well I guess I had toyed with the idea of running the KC Marathon again anyway…

So. Here’s the plan:

I will run the KC HALF-Marathon on October 17, 2009.
I’m going to feel really guilty for only doing the half, but I think that it will be for the best. Plus I have a grand plan: I’ll actually get to witness the finish of the marathon! Yes that’s right… a scant few minutes after I finish up the half, the full Kenyan winner should be pulling down the home stretch! That should be nice to witness.

I will run the Gobbler Grind Full-Marathon on November 22, 2009. This gives me:
A) A marathon I haven’t already done twice.
B) A marathon in Kansas (that’ll be three states now mister!!)
C) A marathon to fulfill the slave-driver’s at Runner’s World challenge.
D) A potentially cold, snowy, sleety marathon to freeze to death on.

Now doesn’t all that sound like fun? It sure does!!

Goal so far is 3:55, but that may change. My PR is 3:58:18 – so, I’d like to beat that but we’ll see how the training goes – might be doing some drastically different training. Stay tuned!

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