Sunday, December 5th

8 miles, easy
35 degrees, sunny

I drove down to Pierce Mill and ran up RCP to meet the team on their run from The Line.  The run felt rough after a long night out with our guest Justin last night.

Saturday, December 4th

9 miles, hard
32 degrees, sunny

I joined the guys for our annual XC workout on cell tower field.  The weather and faces were different this year, but the terrain was just as tough.  I had difficulty keeping up with any of the guys, and couldn't get my legs to turn over.  Despite the discouraging workout, at least my leg pain dissipated.  Two days off and a night at the gym doing stabilization work last night seems to have helped.

Wednesday, December 1st

9 miles, hard
38 degrees, dark

I returned to running by hitting the track with the team, which even at the time seemed foolish.  I joined the guys for as much as I could, and managed a somewhat decent ladder workout.  I followed or paced Dusen and Dickson for 800-1200-1600-1200-800 of their 5xmile workout.  At the end of the workout, I had some serious pain in my left shin and knee, and speculated that I had a stress reaction/fracture.

Splits:

800:  2:38
1200: 3:53
1600: 5:01
1200: 3:50 (fell off pace badly the last lap)
800:   2:30

Sunday, November 28th

4 miles, easy
30 degrees, sunny

I was able to sneak in a few miles before hitting the road to return to DC.  The hills around home are incredibly large and steep, so I didn't make it too far. 

Later on Sunday I came down with food poisoning from a Wegmans Chicken Caesar Baguette sandwich, which took me out of commission for the first half of the week.

Saturday, November 27th

5.5 miles, easy
30 degrees, cloudy

Met with Pat Matolka again for a run through the Glen, then a workout at the JC YMCA.  We just beat the snow...

Friday, November 26th

8 miles, easy
35 degrees, rainy

Met with Pat Matolka for a run through Otsinengo Park.  Cold and wet morning.

Thursday, November 25th - THANKSGIVING

 
8 miles, hard
30 degrees, cloudy

Once again I began my Thanksgiving with the Turkey Trot in Cortland.  This year I was joined by my friend Meg, and met PHuge in his hometown.  While I was warming up, I scouted the competition and it appeared light, save for one guy that repeatedly eyed me up and another Huge said ran for Cornell.  Last year Huge and I ran away with the race, but this year had the potential to be more competitive.  All I cared about, though, was winning another turkey.

When the gun went off, I quickly set the pace for a pack of 4-5 runners.  At the half mile marker my watch said 2:32, though I didn't feel as though I was running that hard.  At the mile marker the pack had splintered and I only had one guy on my shoulder.  We ran through the mile mark in 5:02, which seemed somewhat fast.  I planned to establish a gap in the next mile so  the finish wouldn't come down to a sprint, and after the turnaround I gradually separated myself from the second place runner by 10-15 yards.  As I ran through the second mile marker, my watch said my mile split was 6:04.  Clearly the course was mis-measured because I couldn't have possibly run even-effort for a one minute positive split.  I twisted through the neighborhood and began to feel that I was redlining.  At the final turn with a half-mile to go, I peeked over my shoulder to ensure that I had a comfortable lead.  I pushed the pace to the finish without kicking (I'm not sure I would have been able), and crossed the finish in 16:28.

I'm not sure how I feel about my time, but I'm happy with the solid and steady effort.  I'm thankful to be healthy enough to run this well, and I'm excited for how much improvement I can make in the next year.   I'm also thankful for the turkey I'll be bringing back to DC and thankful in advance for John roasting it.

Results

Wednesday, November 24th

9.5 miles, easy-moderate
45 degrees, sunny

I met with Jarrin, Bain, Chuck, and Murray for a morning run at The Line before driving home for Thanksgiving.  It was great to run with some of these guys for the first time in weeks or months.

Tuesday, November 23rd

6.5 miles, easy
45 degrees, sunny

I woke up late this morning and ran an abbreviated version of the regular loop in RCP.  Legs felt tired.

Monday, November 22nd

9 miles, easy
45 degrees, sunny

Ran the Chandra loop in RCP on my own before work.  Ingmar was found guilty today.

Sunday, November 21st

10 miles, easy-moderate
45 degrees, sunny

I met with several GRC guys this morning at Old Angler's Inn, just a few hours after seeing them in a surreal scene at Union Jack's last night.  It was great to see the two Jakes back out there running again, and Dickson, Sam, Wiggy and I added on for a total of 10 miles.  It was an ideal fall running weather today.

Saturday, November 20th

4.5 miles, easy
45 degrees, sunny

I snuck in a short run in the morning before going to the Penn State-Indiana game at Fed Ex Field.  Wish I woke up earlier to run farther.

Friday, November 19th

8 miles, hard
40 degrees, sunrise



I met with Dickson and Dave this morning for the first of many Friday workouts. I've been itching to run in my cross country spikes, and Dickson kindly obliged and did his tempo workout on the grass with me near the FDR Memorial. (I couldn't do this workout over the weekend with the Penn State game and Malory visiting.)

I didn't expect much after a tough workout on Wednesday, so I was just happy to get some uptempo miles and strides in wearing my spikes. We intended to run 2x10 minutes, but I struggled to keep up and cut off the second tempo at 5 minutes. We followed up with 8 strides, and it took until the last stride to finally open up. Readjusting from marathon training to 10k training is going to take a little while...

Thursday, November 18th

0 miles. Off.

Wednesday, November 17th

9 miles, hard
50 degrees, dark

We had probably the largest group at the workout ever tonight with a total of 16 guys.  Most of us ran 6x1200m, and I ran in a group with Mike C, Koonce, Jordan, and guest Bryan.  We started running 5:20/mile pace and cut down from there.  We got a little ahead of ourselves on the third one, so we took a longer break before the second half of the workout.  I felt great throughout the workout and was pleasantly surprised by my progress thus far post-Chicago.

Splits:

4:03 (5:24/mile pace); 3:55 (5:13); 3:50 (5:07)

3:55 (5:13); 3:50 (5:07); 3:45 (5:00)

Tuesday, November 16th

6 miles, easy
60 degrees, cloudy

Ran during lunch at work.  Out and back on the Mt Vernon Trail going south.

Monday, November 15th

8 miles, easy
55 degrees, dark

I didn't wake up this morning to run with Ben, so I ran alone after work.  Did the Georgetown-Mall-14th St Loop.

Sunday, November 14th - MMRF 5K

7 miles, hard
40-50 degrees, sunny

Once again, I raced the Multiple Meyloma Research Foundation 5K in Alexandria.  While the competitior in me would rather run the Veterans Day 10K with my teammates, I have a special place in my heart for this race.  My sister Kelly has been fighting Multiple Meyloma since October 2009, and John currently researches MM at the National Cancer Institute.  This year's race raised nearly $200K for MM research.  It was especially nice to be able to race in front of my parents and John this year.

The race itself was almost beside the point.  Last year I ran with another runner for 2.75 miles before kicking for the win.  This year as I scanned the crowd at the start line, I knew there wouldn't be anyone to run with.  After the gun went off and the teenagers ran their requisite 100m dash, I took a lead I would never come close to relinquishing.  I attempted to run as steady as possible and maintain about a 90-95% effort level for this time trial.  When I saw the split at the first mile marker as 5:13 I thought: "Either I'm in GREAT shape to feel this good and run that split, or that was a short mile."  After the awkward turnaround I approached the second mile split and confirmed that the marks were off; my watch said I had just run a 6:10 mile while running the same effort as that 5:13.  Whatever.  I was interested to see what the final time would be.  I maintained my effort and cruised in as the clock ticked 16:22.  The next runner finished in 18:40. 

I surprised myself with such a quick comeback from the Chicago Marathon, which was only 5 weeks ago.  After the race, though, I spoke with a woman who looked like a serious masters runner, and her Garmin said the race was only 3.05 miles instead of 3.10.  If that was true, my actual 5K time would equate to about 16:35-16:40, which still bests the 16:44 I ran here last year.  And I wasn't coming off of a marathon back then either.  Not bad at all.

Saturday, November 13th

7 miles, easy
55 degrees, sunny

Ran with the guys around TR Island on a pre-race run.  While I run the MMRF 5K tomorrow, many of the other GRC guys will be running the Vets Day 10K.

Friday, November 12th

10 miles, easy-moderate
60 degrees, sunny

Took a long lunch at work and ran on a gorgeous day in Alexandria.  I ran out-and-back south along the Mt Vernon Trail, averaging 6:40 miles along the measured parts of the trail.  Followed up with core work at the gym.

The Comeback... of sorts

October 11th-November 11th

It's been a month since the marathon, and I'm easing back into training.  Actually, I'm probably forcing it a bit.

I took a full week off after the marathon, save for a one mile trot the day after the marathon.  The only thing I gained from that experience was to never listen to JARRIN again.  In that week, I noticed that my knees felt weak while walking around work.  After two experiences of knee pain following intense training/racing, I hit the gym a few times and worked on leg stability and strength.  By the time I did begin to run again another week later, I was able to avoid a repeat injury.  I suppose I'm older and wiser now.

That first full week of running consisted of three days off and 28 total miles.  The next week I worked up to 41 miles and, by the middle of the that week, I was running workouts again.  Matt and I ran a 7x3:1 fartlek in lane 3 while the guys ran on the inside lanes of BCCHS track.  On Sunday I ran a 20 minute tempo around the Reflecting Pool, and the next Wednesday I was running 6x800m repeats on the track.  All of this was in an effort to force myself back into shape for the MMRF 5K on Sunday.  After all, I have a title to defend.

Sunday, October 10th - CHICAGO MARATHON

27 miles, hard
60-75 degrees, sunny

Today was the big day. I came to Chicago with dampened expectations and shaky confidence, but got to the line this morning feeling calm and ready to give it my best.

I can't say I've experienced a race start quite as intense as the one in Chicago. The first three miles snake through the canyons of downtown with huge, loud crowds and thousands of runners. I never saw mile markers 1 or 2 amid all the distractions, but hoped that last Wednesday's dress rehearsal would help me keep pace. Through the third mile maker I saw 17:52, so I was averaging 5:57/mile, just a hair off my goal of 6:00/mile even. I settled down on the run north out of downtown and hit consistent 6 minute miles, gradually passing hundreds of runners.

Around mile 8 Mike Cotterell caught up with me and we began to run together at a 5:55/mile clip. We both felt pretty good at that point and didn't mind pressing the pace a little. Another runner latched on to us, and entertained us with snarky comments.

We crossed the half-way point in 1:18, so I was on pace for a PR if I could hold on. We were still running 5:55 mile after mile, but I wondered if I would keep it up. Realistically, though, I knew I was banking time for when I would slow down the last few miles.

The second half of the course exposed us to the sun as the temperature rose to about 70F. It wasn't too uncomfortably hot yet, but as the race progressed the heat definitely became a factor for everyone. I made a smart move at the two sponge stations and kept my sponge to re-wet at every water stop. This, plus taking water/Gatorade at every aid station made the heat bearable for me.

While still running 5:55-6:00 through mile 18, I wondered if/when my biggest weakness would reveal itself: endurance. Much of my poor confidence was derived from a lack of training miles over the summer. At some point it had to catch up to me. Then, suddenly at mile 20, I fell off pace.

Mike and I had just passed former teammate Benedict Sloane, and were catching up to Charlie Ban, who was visibly struggling. I slowed more and more, desperately trying to kick start my pace whenever I passed a cheer station and hoping the course would turn back towards downtown soon. By miles 24 and 25 I was running close to 8 min/mile and fully blowing up.

I managed to run a respectable final half mile, passing about 6-7 runners and kicking to the finish. I did not reach my goal of crossing the line at 10:10:10am on 10-10-10, missing it by just a minute and a half. Still, I ran about what I expected to run (2:40-2:45) and recovered through the day surprisingly well. Final time: 2:42:52.

Splits:

Mile 3: 5:57 (avg); 17:52
Mile 4: 5:49; 23:41
Mile 5: 6:04; 29:45
Mile 6: 6:00; 35:46
Mile 7: 6:00; 41:46
Mile 8: 5:59; 47:46
Mile 9: 5:59; 53:45
Mile 10: 6:01; 59:47
Mile 11: 5:54; 1:05:41
Mile 12: 5:55; 1:11:37
Mile 13: 5:55; 1:17:22

HALF: 1:18:13

Mile 14: 5:54; 1:23:26
Mile 15: 5:55; 1:29:22
Mile 16: 5:58; 1:35:20
Mile 17: 5:55; 1:41:16
Mile 18: 6:00; 1:47:16
Mile 19: 6:01; 1:53:17
Mile 20: 6:02; 1:58:20
Mile 21: 6:14; 2:05:34
Mile 22: 6:21; 2:11:55
Mile 23: 7:08; 2:19:03
Mile 24: 7:52; 2:26:56
Mile 25: 7:38; 2:34:35
Mile 26: 7:00; 2:41:35

FINISH: 2:42:52

Saturday, October 9th

4 miles, easy
60 degrees, sunny

Met with Reaves, Askey, Ernst, Dylan, and Hughes for a shake out run. We headed down to Grant Park to scope out the race day set up, then had breakfast.

Despite being 60 degrees, it felt pretty warm, especially in the sun. This doesn't bode well.

Friday, October 8th

0 miles. Travel to Chicago.

Arrived in Chicago this afternoon and met up with Reaves, Mike, and Hughes to go to the expo. Afterwards we met the Askey's and Dickson for dinner. All that walking around made me glad I can stay off my feet tomorrow.

Thursday, October 7th

4 miles, easy
70 degrees, dark

Met with HUGE after work for a short run to Gtown and back.

Wednesday, October 6th

6 miles, moderate
65 degrees, dark

Met with the guys for a Chicago dress rehearsal on the track. We ran 3 miles at marathon pace to get used to the feeling of "racing" so slow. I was uneven in my splits, but felt generally good doing the workout:

Splits:
Mile 1: 6:14
Mile 2: 6:01
Mile 3: 5:55

Tuesday, October 5th

Off.

Monday, October 4th

7 miles, easy
55 degrees, sunrise

I met with Ben for a morning run in RCP.  The toughest part about this run was getting used to running in the morning again.

Sunday, October 3rd

12.5 miles, easy
55 degrees, cloudy

I met with Dickson for a run along the towpath, but he had to pull out early with hamstring troubles.  I continued on at roughly 7 min/mile pace for an easy "long" run.  One more week until Chicago.

Saturday, October 2nd

8 miles, easy
55 degrees, sunny

Met with Charlie for a store run.  Felt easy.

Friday, October 1st

5.5 miles, easy
70 degrees, sunset

I ran around Hains Point on my own after work.  Short easy run.  Felt a little sore from Wednesday's workout and going to the gym yesterday.

Wednesday, September 29th

9 miles, hard
65 degrees, dark

I met with the guys for one last hard track workout before Chicago.  We ran 3xmile, and I ran with great consistency.

Splits: 5:14; 5:15; 5:14

Monday, September 27th

7 miles, moderate
75 degrees, cloudy

I ran up the Potomac Heritage Trail along the west bank of the Potomac north of Arlington.  It was fun to explore a new trail, but it was a stop-and-start kind of run because of all the obstacles.

Sunday, September 26th

15 miles, easy
65 degrees, sprinkling

I met with a group at The Line for the Zoo Loop.  The run was a little faster than I was up for, so I held back along Beach Drive with Jarrin.

Saturday, September 25th

10 miles, moderate
70 degrees, partly sunny

I ran with the group from the Georgetown store around the Hains Point loop.  We picked it up and my legs felt pretty sore, so I shut it down the last two miles and ran with Ernst.

Friday, September 24th

0 miles.

Thursday, September 23rd

8 miles, easy
80 degrees, humid, dark

I ran into Jim Daly at an impromptu photography meet-up at the Iwo Jima Memorial, where dozens of amateur and professional photographers awaited the rise of the harvest moon over the National Mall.  None of my photos came out, but I learned a few things about my camera.  Jim came over to my place and we met up with Ben for a night run around NW DC on the Dupont-Gtown-Mall-16th Street loop.

Wednesday, September 22nd

11 miles, "easy"
93 degrees, MUGGY

Man the weather was a shock to the system tonight.  I went up to BCCHS to meet the guys, but planned on just running instead of doing the workout.  We ran along the CCT, and while Paul and Dave did a workout, Mike C and I ran out-and-back.  It was an incredible struggle just to run 6:50-7:00/mile.  I've still got some recovering to do...

Tuesday, September 21st

4 miles, easy
75 degrees, sunset

I ran around the Mall on my own after work, and my legs felt shredded.  Kept it short.

Monday, September 20th

0 miles, recovery

Sunday, September 19th - Philadelphia Half Marathon

15.5 miles, hard
65-70 degrees, sunny, muggy

Today was the big tune-up half marathon. I haven't had a lot of luck in Philadelphia, but I was feeling strong this week so I decided to go for a PR. My half marathon PR was only 1:14:20, which makes it one of my softest PRs. My goal was to run ~1:13 low, or ~5:35/mile.

When the race started, I deliberately held back to avoid being swept up in the crowd of elites and the fools who chased them. Still, I went through the first mile in 5:21... too fast, but not detrimentally so. I adjusted my pace, and let a pack run by. When I saw my mile 2 split was 5:38, and I was only a few seconds behind the pack, I made the call to latch on to them as long as I could. We ran consistent 5:27s through downtown Philly, back by the museum, and up Kelly Drive. By mile 6 I was starting to struggle keeping up with them, and I broke just before the 8 mile mark.

I had told myself before the race that if I fell off pace, I would just cruise in at marathon pace. Despite takeing a GU at mile 7, I slowed to slower than 6 minute pace. I was crashing hard, but the GU kicked in and I was able to staunch the hemorrhaging. I still couldn't get back under 6:00/mile pace most of the way down JFK Boulevard even though I tried several times to kick start my race and try to get the PR. Mile 11-12 I was only able to accelerate to 5:54, but I finished relatively strong (compared to the last few miles) with a 5:43 final mile. I rounded the corner to the finish and saw the clock already over 1:14, and I knew I wouldn't hit the PR. Oh well, I was happy I gave it a shot. This endd up being my 3rd fastest, and 4th sub-75 minute half marathon. One of these days I'll break 74.

Splits:

Mile 1: 5:21
Mile 2: 5:38 10:59
Mile 3: 5:30 16:30 5K: 17:04
Mile 4: 5:28 21:58
Mile 5: 5:27 27:26
Mile 6: 5:27 32:54 10K: 34:04
Mile 7: 5:27 38:22
Mile 8: 5:35 43:58
Mile 9: 6:03 50:01
Mile 10: 6:07 56:08
Mile 11: 6:17 62:26
Mile 12: 5:54 68:20 20K: 1:10:50
Mile 13: 5:43 74:04

FINISH: 1:14:47

Saturday, September 18th

4.5 miles, easy
65 degrees, sunny

I woke up early and ran on my own around RCP. Just an easy pre-race run. No strides though. Drove up to Philly right after for the HM.

Friday, September 17th

9.5 miles, easy
60 degrees, sunrise

Met with Dickson for the usual run around Hains Point/The Mall.

Thursday, September 16th

0 miles. I should have run or gone to the gym or something, but I didn't. It's fine once in a while, but I've been doing this too much.

Wednesday, September 15th

9.5 miles, hard
75 degrees, dusk

It's getting darker earlier now, and half of our track workout was in the dark. At least it was warm.

I ran 3xmile somewhat quick (for marathon training), and felt pretty good doing it.

Splits: 5:21; 5:16; 5:14

Tuesday, September 14th

9 miles, moderate
80 degrees, dusk

Ran on my own after work around RCP/Georgetown.

Monday, Septmber 13th

13 miles, easy
75 degrees, 50% RH, sunset

Ran on an unusually psychrometrically-perfect evening with Dickson for 13 miles.

Sunday, September 12th

9 miles, easy
80 degrees, wet

Ran on my own Sunday afternoon around Rock Creek Park before going to Bain/Shannon's for Jarrin's 40th birthday bash.

Saturday, September 11th

15 miles, easy
60 degrees, sunrise

Met with Mike Smith for an early run around Cabin John Park. Dusen and new guy Jerry (Cortland Alum) for the last ten.

Friday, September 10th

8 miles, easy
60 degrees, sunrise

Met with Dickson on a slightly chilly morning for our usual Friday morning run. I wasn't up for too many miles, so I called it at 8.

Thursday, September 9th

10 miles, easy
75 degrees, dry

Not as dry as last night, but still dry. Met with Dan Z for a run around the Mall from his new place on Capital Hill.

Wednesday, September 8th

9.5 miles, hard
75 degrees, DRY

The return of Track Hack. Finally one of our workout nights isn't jungle-humid, but it's so absurdly lacking in humidity we all got Track Hack. Crazy.

Otherwise, it was a solid workout. Some of us did 5x1000m while others did 3x2 miles. It was nice to run fast, and I finished with some of the fastest track work I've done since graduation.

Splits: 3:09; 3:11; 3:04; 3:02; 2:57

Monday, September 6th - Labor Day

10 miles, easy
65 degrees, sunny

Met with HUGE and Dickson for the standard 10 miler from The Line. It almost felt cold this morning! Fall is definitely coming soon!

Sunday, September 5th

0 miles. Recovery.

Saturday, September 4th

20 miles, moderate
70 degrees, sunny

The weather cooperated for today's long run. We repeated the double-out-and-back along the canal from the store. On the first ten miles, we ran a progression and finished in 64:30. After that, only Dickson and I ran the next ten miles, and he was having a strong day. I fell off, but still finished the second ten miles in almost the exact same split, averaging 6:25 for the entire run. It was a tough run, but I definitely gained confidence going into the last 5 weeks before Chicago.

Wednesday, September 1st

12 miles, hard
90 degrees, humid

I joined the guys for the workout in Bethesda, this time for one of Wiggy's patented workouts. We ran 6 miles back and forth along the CCT, with every other mile easy/hard.

Splits:

6:05 / 5:22

6:15 / 5:20

6:34 / 5:21

Monday, August 30th

0 miles. Funeral.

Sunday, August 29th

11 miles, hard
65 degrees, sunny

Back in Binghamton for my Grandma Murphy's funeral. She was a wonderful and kind woman, and lived an incredible 99 years. Miss you Grandma!

On the drive home yesterday my dad reminded me that it was Chris Thater weekend in Binghamton, so I called Grace of the TCRC and signed up for the 5K on the spot. I knew I wouldn't run the race seriously, especially since I had run 19 miles Saturday morning. The race was as competitive as ever, with Fred Joslyn running 15:0X and still only finishing 3rd in his age group. It was great to see running friends from home though, and a surprise to run into fellow PSUXC alumnus Dennis Pollow.

I ran surprisingly fast given my long run the day before, long warm up, and lack of racing shoes. I finished in 16:34 (5:09; 5:22; ~5:25).

RESULTS

Saturday, August 28th

19 miles, easy
80 degrees, sunny

I met with Wiggy, Ernst, and Dusen for a long run from the store. We ran about 15 miles easy, then I added on to get to 19. I knew what I was getting myself into, but I ran down to the Mall to see the crazies. As luck would have it, I got to see BOTH Sarah Palin AND Glenn Beck speak, and a surprisingly calm and respectful crowd.

Friday, August 27th

10 miles, easy
65-70 degrees, sunrise

Ran easy around the Mall, Key Bridge, Mt Vernon Trail, and Tidal Basin with Dickson. Legs felt pretty shredded from Wednesday's workout.

There is a noticeable presence of Tea Party folks in town for Beckapalooza...

Thursday, August 26th

5.5 miles, easy
80 degrees, sunset

Ran on my own just to get some miles in. Nice easy day.

Wednesday, August 25th

12 miles, hard
85 degrees, sunset

I ran the BCC workout under control, and finished with a solid, even effort along side Mike C. This was a great strength/endurance workout: 2 miles, 4x800m, 2 miles with 400m rest between intervals.

2 miles: 11:17 (5:18.5/mile)
800s: 2:33; 2:31; 2:29; 2:25
2 miles: 10:59 (5:29.5/mile)

Tuesday, August 24th

9 miles, easy
85 degrees, sunset

Ran on my own down RCP, AG Park, The Canal, and back up RCP. Along the way I caught up to a couple of decent runners (one of whom I found out just graduated from Gtown XC/Track), but didn't get to talk to them long enough to recruit them. Another time...

Monday, August 23rd

12 miles, easy
80 degrees, sunset

Met with Dickson for a semi-long run around Hains Point and The Mall. A good easy run and I felt surprisingly good after 30 miles in two days... I think I may be onto something.

Sunday, August 22nd

18 miles, easy
85 degrees, humid

What a shock coming back to DC... the heat and humidity weren't extreme, but were enough to make the third lap of Greenbelt Park pretty difficult. Ran with Jarrin and Alabama Paul.

Saturday, August 21st

0 miles. Flew back to DC.

Friday, August 20th

9 miles, easy
50 degrees, sunny

I woke up to a chilly morning, and began my run towards the same park as yesterday. This time, however, I decided to run along the mountain biking trails. I had no idea how awesome mountain bike trails were for running, but this had to be one of my most fun solo runs in a while. And, running on trails called "Gee I Like Your Pants" and "Jelly Roll Gum Drop" is fun by definition.

Thursday, August 19th

9 miles, easy-moderate
55 degrees, clouds and sun

On our first full day in Whistler I ran the trails around Lost Lake. It took me a little while to get going, but I felt great after about 5-6 miles and ran a semi-progression on one last loop around the lake. Listening to John Denver helped too.

Wednesday, August 18th

18 miles, easy
65 degrees, cloudy and breezy

I had been planning this long run for a while, and I'm glad I felt good enough to finish it. The weather really cooperated too.


I ran from the hotel towards Stanley Park and around the sea wall all the way to English Bay and False Creek. I crossed over the Granville Street Bridge and ran along the south side of False Creek by the Olympic Village and Science World. On the north side of False Creek I realized that I was going to get back to the hotel well before 18 miles, so I took advantage of one of Vancouver's ultra-clean parks to run barefoot for ten minutes. I finished along False Creek, up Denman Street, and back to the hotel.

Tuesday, August 17th

6 miles, easy
80 degrees, sunny

Finally in Vancouver, but after walking around Seattle yesterday and Gastown last night my legs were cooked. I left the hotel and ran down along Coal Harbor and by the 2010 Olympic Cauldron, then around the near-side of Stanley Park.

Monday, August 16th

10.5 miles, hard
75 degrees, sunny

Left Jake and Justin's for a workout along Lake Washington Boulevard via the Arboretum. I took advantage of the long uninterrupted stretches along this route to run a 5-4-3-2-1 workout. I'm sure I could have gone faster, but I was happy with the effort I put in.

Sunday, August 15th

10 miles, easy
75 degrees, sunny and breezy

The morning after Caitlyn's wedding, I woke early and began my run around Port Townsend. I didn't really know where I was going, but I stumbled upon a great route with beautiful views and lots of history.

An abandoned row boat near the lighthouse at Ft. Worden.

I ran near the shoreline around the corner of the peninsula, where Puget Sound meets the Straights of Juan de Fuca. Logically, this is a prime location for two things: lighthouses and military installations. First I ran down from the cliffs to the shoreline and towards the lighthouse in Fort Worden State Park. While beautiful and interesting, it was nothing compared to the artillery posts I found while running the trails of the park on Artillery Hill. This fort was built around the turn of the century to protect Puget Sound and the cities and naval stations around it. I finished my run with some barefoot running around the parade grounds.

The parade grounds of Ft. Worden made for some great barefoot running.

Saturday, August 14th

10 miles, easy
70 degrees, sunny

I woke up early on my first morning in Seattle and drove to Seward Park on Lake Washington. While small, this park has great road and trail running, and beautiful views of Seattle and Mount Rainier (as I'm learning, EVERYWHERE has great views of Mount Rainier). The weather was far-and-away the most comfortable I've run in for months.

View of Mount Rainier on my run through Seward Park.

Friday, August 13th

11 miles, easy
75 degrees, cloudy and humid

Met with Dickson in the morning and ran over the Memorial and 14th Street Bridges and around the Mall. Hitting the road to Richmond today, then flying to Seattle tonight!

Thursday, August 12th

8 miles, easy
80 degrees, THUNDERSTORM

This may as well have been Friday the 13th... I got caught in a huge thunderstorm on my run through RCP. At first it was pretty epic running hard through the park while listening to Lady Gaga with thunder and lightning in the sky, wind bending the trees, and rain falling as intensely as I've ever run in. In all honesty I am lucky I didn't get hurt; my iPhone, not as much. Lesson learned: even a ziplock back can't protect valuable electronics in a downpour.

That said, at least my morning went better than this guy's...

July 2nd - August 11th

Catching up...

So training this summer hasn't gone so well. I find myself lacking motivation to put in the mileage I planned for, and the quality of my runs has suffered as well. Perhaps it has to do with the 51 days of above-90 degree heat we've had in DC this summer, an all-time record.

A few of the highlights have been:

Longest Run: 19 miles, easy on July 31st
Best Workout: 2 mile repeats (10:55; 10:58; 10:54) on July 28th
Highest Mileage Week: 74.5 miles in the last week of July.

OK... so I had one really good week. Here's hoping this next week is just as good.

Thursday, July 1st

9 miles, moderate
80 degrees, sunset

I met with HUGE after work and ran through RCP to Walter Reed and back down 16th Street. We maintained a pretty tough pace, and pressed up the hill out of the park. Good quality run.

Wednesday, June 30th

13 miles, moderate/hard
68 degrees, sunny

Today I took advantage of a day 0ff from work and the cooler temperatures to make up for my long run workout debacle on Saturday. I ran through RCP up the western ridge to The Line and back with a pick-up on the Ross Drive hill and two ten-minute tempos near the end of the run. It wasn't a terribly long or hard run, but it was definitely one of the best quality runs I've had in a while.

Once I got home I hopped in the car and drove to Binghamton for my dad's surprise retirement party. It was a great party and nice to see how many people truly respected him. Great to see the family too.

Tuesday, June 29th

10 miles, easy
70 degrees, sunny

It was a GORGEOUS morning in DC. The heat and humidity was finally tempered and the effect on my running was palpable. I met with HUGE for a morning run through RCP-Dumbarton Oaks-AG-Canal.

Monday, June 28th

9 miles, easy
85 degrees, sunny

I had planned to run with Dan in the morning, but got a late start and missed him. I ran on my own from The Watergate down to the 14th St Bridge, back up on the Mt. Vernon Trail, did a lap of TR Island, and back via the Key Bridge. It was a good run, but it got very hot... I can't take this much longer.

Sunday, July 27th

0 miles

After watching the USA fall to Ghana in the World Cup on Saturday afternoon, I went home and went to bed.; I felt exhausted and sick. No running on Sunday... just recovery.

Saturday, July 26th

11 miles, moderate
80 degrees, sunny

This was supposed to be the first big workout for Chicago... but was probably one of the low points of my training this year. On paper I did all the right things to prepare for the run: I hydrated, went to bed early, and helped persuade the guy to start at 8. What I wasn't prepared for was the mild-food poisioning from my under-cooked burger the night before.

We met at Edward's Ferry planning to run Duel(ing) Ferries with a pickup towards the end of the run. I knew I wasn't up for the full 20 miles, but I planned to run about 16 with four hard miles near the end. By the time we were running through Kansas at mile 6 we were already running pretty hard, and my stomach was churning. I stopped eventually and shuffled back to Edward's Ferry with Dwyer. I hoped to just run 14 miles without the workout, but as the group began the second lap I was quickly dropped behind. I made it a mile out on the trail, and walked back. Between the heat, my stomach, and my weak knee, this was an awful run.

Friday, June 25th

8 miles, easy

Don't really remember this one...

Thursday, June 24th

7 miles, easy
85 degrees, sunny

Woke up late again but still ran before it got too hot. This run was even worse than yesterday's... hard to breathe, hard to keep cool, and way too much effort to run as fast as I was going. I hate summer training...

Wednesday, June 23rd

7 miles, easy
80 degrees, sunny

I woke up late this morning, but ran anyway to avoid the oppressive 95+ degree heat later today. I ran through RCP, and felt sluggish and a twinge of pain in my left knee (again.)

After work I hit the air-conditioned gym and did leg stability exercises.

Tuesday, June 22nd

8 miles, easy
90 degrees, sunset and T-storms

I met with HUGE after work for a run, but he had to drop out early because of a cramp. I continued on the Georgetown Loop and found myself caught in a strong thunderstorm that instantly cooled off the muggy conditions. Eventful run.

Monday, June 21st

0 miles - day off

Sunday, June 20th - Father's Day 8K

8 miles, easy
80 degrees, sunrise

I met with the two Jakes for a morning run from The Line. I only made it 8 miles... the jump in mileage last week has caught up with me.

In the afternoon, GRC hosted the Father's Day 8K and it went very successfully! We had over 200 entries and no complaints. In fact, we had lots of compliments, and the GRC Team really pulled together to pull off a nearly-flawless event. Here's Towpath's video of the race:

Saturday, June 19th

14 miles, easy
85 degrees, sunny, humid

Holy BONK! Perhaps I got ahead of myself the past 24 hours... Last week I only ran 45 miles. This week I foolishly found myself running two long runs back-to-back.

I met with Klim, Marren, Ban, and Ian at the Chevy Chase store planning to run no more than 10 miles. We set off down the CCT where we quickly crossed paths with my old teammate Chris Pruitt. I ran with Pruitt back to the Key Bridge, and realized that I was 7 miles away from the store and my car... I still felt OK, so I soldiered on with the guys up RCP. By the time we got to Calvert Rd, I was crashing hard. I took advantage of Marren's nearby apartment and called the run at 12 miles, exhausted and overheated. Jake and Ella provided water, a Powerbar, a shirt, and a few bucks to take the metro back to Friendship Heights. What a morning...

Friday, June 18th

15 miles, easy
85 degrees, sunset

Even though it was in the 80s, it was pretty comfortable for this run. HUGE met me for the RCP-Dumbarton Oaks-AG-CCT run, and we added on The Mall and Capitol Hill for 15 miles total. Ambitious, but easy on a gorgeous night. HUGE and his roomate Dan came over afterwards for beers on the roof... great night in DC.

Thursday, June 17th

8 miles, easy
75 degrees, sunrise

Met with Ben for a morning run around RCP. Nice to have a new face to run with.

Wednesday, June 16th

10 miles, hard
75 degrees, sunrise

Ran a workout with HUGE in RCP at the start of the day. I ran 8 x 2min/2min, and felt nearly tapped out by the end. Lots of work between now and Chicago...

Tuesday, June 15th

9 miles, easy
75 degrees, sunrise

I met with Dan Z in the morning for a run around TR Island. It was B-R-U-T-A-L to wake up so early, but worth it in the end since we avoided the heat of the day.

Monday, June 14th

0 miles. Oh well.

Sunday, June 13th

12.5 miles, easy
85-90 degrees, humid

I met with Klim, Karl, Wiggy, Marren, Bain, and Scott for a run around Greenbelt Park. We met earlier than usual at 8, but the air was already hot and muggy. We slogged through the run, and I was thankful how easy it was to drop out early after two laps. We followed up with brunch at Platos.

Saturday, May 22nd

6 miles, easy
70 degrees, sunny and humid

I met with the guys for a run at the store, but kept it short so I could go to the gym and do leg strength work.

Thursday, May 20th

5 miles, easy
65 degrees, sunrise

I met with Dickson in the morning for an easy run around the Mall and Tidal Basin. I felt REALLY sore from the PT yesterday.

Wednesday, May 19th

10 miles, easy
70 degrees, sunset

I met with Dylan and Reaves for a run after work around the Mall. The knee felt better, particularly since I saw a PT today and began to learn more exercises to strengthen and stabilize the muscles around my knee.

Saturday, May 15th - Journey to the End of the Night

10.5 miles, moderate
70 degrees, sunset/dark

Dylan and I teamed up for the third edition of Survive DC: Journey to the End of the Night. This event has grown immensely since Reaves and I won it two years ago, and now over 1,100 participants showed up.

I had been nervous about my ability to run this race given my knee pain, but the run yesterday made me much more confident. I was in it to win it.

Dylan and I began the race conservatively, departing Dupont Circle in the opposite direction of the first checkpoint. We weren't alone this year... hundreds of blue arm bands were already ahead of us. We snaked around to Pennsylvania Ave, trying to maintain a comfortable pace... most of these people were excited and wouldn't be able to keep up the pace for long. That is, until we recieved a tweet that a competitor had already left the SECOND checkpoint! Now it was doubletime.

Dylan and I jetted to the first checkpoint at the Bolt Bus Stop, and then through a busy Chinatown on our way to GW Law. Eventually, we got past the masses of runners.

Departing the second checkpoint, we encountered the first serious threat from the chasers. Dylan and I split up and outsprinted the orange armbands, but at least one chaser was on a bike! That seemed against the spirit of the game, but I didn't have time to debate. I sprinted up the slightly uphill NJ Ave as the bike closed in on me, but made a sudden turn and jumped over a median. The chaser was apparently focused only on me and not the median, because I heard a big crash behind me as I darted away. Still, Dylan and I were chased for another block before we figured out the cycling chasers couldn't actually tag us out.

On to checkpoint three, which was the finish the first year of the race. We ran through a sketchy part of DC, but arrived at the third checkpoint without any serious threats. When we asked about our status (thinking about that tweet 15 minutes earlier), we were shocked to find out that we were in the lead! Alright... time to catch our breath. The hosts had set up an Alice In Wonderland Tea Party theme, with water and snacks, and a game of croquet with a lawn flamingo and a furry vibrator. Entertaining stuff.

When we walked back out to the street, the cyclist had caught up to us, and another orange arm band was waiting across the street. We waited for them to be distracted and sprinted into the neighborhoods to the fourth checkpoint. We arrived at the next stop before the hosts were even ready, but they improvised and tested us. They were, after all, DC Improv. Again, the chasers had caught up to us, and again we duped them and got a head start on the way to the next stop.

The fifth checkpoint was actually in Mt. Pleasant, my old hood. I knew these streets and hoped to use it to our advantage. When Dylan and I arrived, something seemed off. We found a Waldo-dressed man and passed his challenge, but he didn't have the stamp or stamp pad. Somebody else in the square did, and we had to find them. As more and more chasers assembled around the square, and as tweets went out alerting chasers to assemble between us and the finish, it became obvious the organizers were stalling us.

Still, we got away while the chasers weren't looking (how didn't they figure out our MO by now?) and ran a round-about route to Adams Morgan. We planned to attack the finish from behind, hoping the chasers would all be in the most direct route. Unfortunately just yards from the finish Dylan and I were ambushed and caught. We replayed the final moments of the game over and over, but there was little we could have done differently.

We were exhausted and disheartened, but we definitely had a fun and adventurous night. I'm glad I got to share a memory with Dylan before he heads off to grad school.

Friday, May 14th

5 miles, easy
75 degrees, sunny

After going to the gym twice since Tuesday and doing light leg exercises, I decided to see how the knee felt. Was it actually a problem with the knees? Or was it really just a matter of my unstable quads/IT bands putting stress on my knees? Thankfully, it turned out to be the former. I was able to run 5 miles slowly and without (much) pain. I'm headed in the right direction.

Friday night we had a black-tie-optional going-away party for Dylan, who is about to move west in pursuit of higher education. Jarrin was gracious enough to host, and it was great to get together with a large group of GRC people outside of a run.

Tuesday, May 11th - Injured?

3 miles, easy
65 degrees, cloudy

I met with Dylan after work to attempt my first run since Broad Street, and had a rough transition back. The very first step of the run, I felt the pain in my knee(s) that plagued me after my first marathon. Still, I pressed on hoping that a softer surface and warming up would loosen up my knees. No luck. After a single lap of TR Island, I was forced to walk back to Dylan's.

My instincts told me a few things, thanks to my previous experience with this pain:

• Don't force the run. Just stop and you won't do any (more) damage.
• Get new shoes. Looking back, I think I honestly ran over 700 miles on the last pair. Rediculous.
• Get back to the gym and work on my leg strength. I had let it go while tapering, and riding my bike to/from work in the past 24 hours actually seemed to exacerbate the problem.

Thankfully this is happening now, while I can afford time off. And, hey, I did PR in the marathon coming off that last knee injury...

Sunday, May 2nd - Broad Street Ten Miler

12 miles, hard
80 degrees, sunny and humid

This race just wasn't meant to be. I already felt somewhat burned out in the days leading up to it, but the weather gods made sure I wouldn't have a performance to be proud of. This year's Broad Street Ten Miler was one of the hottest - if not THE hottest - race in three decades. And I don't run well in the heat (see: Summer 2009).

I told myself to go out conservatively, but the majority of the change in elevation on the course occurs in the first 2 miles. I clocked two sub-5:20 miles before the heat got to me, and I quickly fell behind. By the 5 mile mark I was running a minute slower than at Cherry Blossom, and I felt a lot worse. Fire hydrants on every other block were open for the runners to cool off through, and I poured water over my head at every water stop, the cool water rapidly warming up as it trickled down the back of my neck. I had just clocked a 6:23 mile. Shoot me. I just wanted to get to the finish and end this miserable race; I just wanted to get to the finish and end this underwhelming season.

Then, with about two miles to go, after I had been surpassed by the 3rd place female and several males wearing gym shorts, I had a Philly moment. I heard that cliche Rocky theme song and found a second wind. Really, it wasn't a second wind as much as it was a new determination to not let my season end like this. I worked too hard and ran too many miles for this. I even ran through a blizzard every day for a week (mmmm.... blizzzardddd...)! I closed out the race with a 5:4x and a 5:30 mile, overtaking the female runner and the gym short all-stars. 57:38.

On a positive note, the weekend was a blast. I rode up to Philly with Wiggy, Klim, and Dickson, and stayed at Wiggy's home. His mother cooked us a fantastic Italian dinner the night before the race, and her hospitality was truly appreciated. Plus I got to see my old teammates DOC, Moceri, Cavanaugh, and Fuller (who all ran much better than I did), and even Mr and Mrs Askey. When we got back to DC, we kidnapped Klim and brought him to a surprise picnic with the GRC team and friends, and closed out the weekend on a definite high note. Now, for some much deserved time off.

Monday, April 19th

0 miles. Recovery.

Sunday, April 18th - Penn Relays 20K

17 miles, hard
65 degrees, sunny

I ran my 5th Penn Relays 20K this morning, the 4th under Coach Groves. In celebration of Groves' 80th birthday and 65th Penn Relays, a team of PSUXC Alumni gathered in Philadelphia to run at his favorite event. It was great toeing the line again with Artie, Munro, and others with a shot of earning yet another wheel for the G-Unit.

I had worried about the short recovery time between Cherry Blossom and this race, and it wasn't unfounded. I was not at my best going into this race, but I had done all the right things this week to regroup. I knew that the only way to contend in this race is to go out hard and try to hold on. Unfortunately, this was the most competitive of my 5 races here, and I wasn't alone. By 5K, I was just trying to hang on to Artie and the eventual winner, with the second place runner quickly catching up. I fully admit that I allowed a mental lapse to allow me to drop off the pace. Could I have hung on and contended for the watch? Almost definitely no. But I could have tried harder.

Instead, I began to let Artie's already small frame shrink over the horizon, and was subsequently passed by my new Philly "rival," Brian Lang. I didn't even try to keep up. I ran a decent effort, but certainly not my best, for 7th in 1:08:44. It was only a minute off my collegiate best, which offered some solace.

Artie had a fantastic day and finished 3rd overall in just 66 minutes, and Dave Moore followed me in 70 minutes, which helped us eeke out a team win over Bucknell. Another year, another contested team title. Thankfully, I was able to redeem myself for allowing another team to win the wheel in Groves' last year as coach.

I cooled down extra long with friend-of-GRC Luke Holman and Brian Lang, and ran barefoot for the first time in a while on the Franklin Field infield. After cleaning up, I stopped by Pat's for the requisite steak sandwich "wit-out" and headed back to DC.

Saturday, April 17th

5 miles, easy
60 degrees, sunny

My first lesson from Cherry Blossom was that my pre-race run is too long. So this morning I did my own thing and ran up Beach Drive and back along the horse trails on an easy run. I FINALLY felt good again, and just in time. I'm driving up to Philly to meet the PSU alums and Coach Groves for the Penn Relays 20K!

Friday, April 16th

0 miles.

I needed another day off this week.

Thursday, April 15th

7 miles, easy
45 degrees, sunrise

I met with Dan Z on my way to work and we ran an out-and-back along the canal. Another rough morning.

Wednesday, April 14th

7 miles, easy
45 degrees, sunrise

I met with HUGE for a morning run, and it was R-O-U-G-H. I have had trouble waking up in the mornings ever since the race, and I still felt sore from the race and last night's run. We cut the usual morning RCP loop short at the stables.

Tuesday, April 13th

10 miles, easy
50 degrees, dark and wet

I ran with Dickson after work from his place, down Hains Point, and back along the Mall. By mile 7 I really started to feel the race in my legs, and I haven't felt that fatigued at the end of the run in a while. Heard a great story about Dickson's marathon adventure in Africa, though.

Monday, April 12th

0 miles. Regroup.

Sunday, April 11th - Cherry Blossom Ten Miler

14 miles, hard
60 degrees, sunny

Today was the big day. I've been training for over 100 days for this race, and I thought I did all the right things to prepare. I went out aggressively, but at mile 2.5 I started to fall off the pace, and by mile 4 my legs felt heavy. At mile 5 I did the math wrong after seeing a 26:20 split, and thought I was on my way to a poor performance. Miles 6 and 7 were less than stellar after I had psyched myself out, until I realized I still had a shot at a good time. But still, my legs were heavy and wouldn't turn over as quickly as my heart rate and breathing would allow. I faded to a finish in 54:06. It was a respectable finish, but nowhere near the time I hoped to run. Oh well. There are still two more races to redeem myself.

Towpath produced another fantastic race video:

Saturday, April 10th

6 miles, easy
65 degrees, sunny

Ran the normal pre-race loop with the GRC. I've started to think this loop is a little longer than I want to run the day before a race...

Friday, April 9th

4 miles, easy
68 degrees, sunny

Ran a few miles around Alexandria after work. I forgot socks, and started to cut up my toes, so I called it early. That's probably a good thing, though. Two more days!

Thursday, April 8th

0 miles

First day off in a while. Felt odd.

Wednesday, April 7th

10 miles, hard
65 degrees, sunset

It was time for another tempo run on the CCT in preparation for Cherry Blossom! I love this workout. This year, Klim, Dirk, Jimmy, Mike, and I ran 2.5 miles hard down the trail to simulate the first 2.5 miles of the race this weekend. Klim, Dirk and I took it out in 5:04, 5:03, and finished in 12:32. SOLID. I probably ran at the threshold of my ability, and it was slightly downhill, so this workout is probably a notch faster than I will be running on Sunday.

Tuesday, April 6th

12 miles, easy
85 degrees, sunset

I met with Dan after work, and we ran down to the Tidal Basin to meet Dickson. From there we ran across the 14th St Bridge, up the Mt. Vernon Trail, and back across Memorial Bridge and down the Mall. I decided to make the run a little longer so I can take a day off later this week, so Dan and I ran around Capitol Hill before heading back to Foggy Bottom. Nice night for a run in DC.

Monday, April 5th

11 miles, easy
80 degrees, sunset

Ran with Dylan after work up AG park and back down RCP. Bumped into Chuck and ran with him through AG park.

Sunday, April 4th

9.5 miles, easy
80 degrees, sunny

I met with Patrick Muray to ride up to the Line and run along the trails from there. Great day for a run, and nice to catch up with Patrick.

Saurday, April 3rd

14 miles, easy
75 degrees, sunny

A large group met at the store for the run today, but most were doing a workout. I opted out and ran long to get one more day of rest between the long run and the big race. Dickson, Nubbins, and Emily's sister joined for the run up the towpath, back on CCT, and a lap around TR Island.

Friday, April 2nd

3.5 miles, easy
70 degrees, sunset

Ran in RCP from Pierce Mill to Military Rd and back... nice easy and short run.

Thursday, April 1st

10 miles, hard
65 degrees, sunrise

It's Cherry Blossom season in DC, and the photogs were out in force early this morning for the peak bloom. I parked at the Watergate boathouse and ran to the Tidal Basin to meet Dickson for a workout. We ran around the Jefferson Memorial to the field adjacent to the FDR Memorial, and ran a 6 x 3 min/1 min fartlek. I felt strong and greatly encouraged for the racing season ahead. April means race time!

Friday, April 2nd

3.5 miles, easy
70 degrees, sunset

Ran in RCP from Pierce Mill after work.

Wednesday, March 31st

9 miles, easy
55 degrees, sunrise

Met with Dan at his place, and ran over to Key Bridge to meet Dylan. Then we ran two laps of TR Island and back to Foggy Bottom.

Tuesday, March 30th

AM: 8.5 miles, easy
50 degrees, sunrise

PM: 4 miles, easy
60 degrees, sunset

I met with Dylan in the morning on the way to work for a run around RCP-Dumbarton Oaks-AG Park, and felt a little sore from running last night.

After work I ran again around the Alexandria waterfront and hit the gym for some core work and squats.

Monday, March 29th

9.5 miles, easy
60 degrees, sunset

Met with Dan after work for a run around Hains Point. I felt surprisingly comfortable given the string of difficult runs lately. Dan has spring back from his first marathon nicely.

Sunday, March 28th

13 miles, moderate
65 degrees, partly cloudy

Patrick and I drove out to Umstead State Park to meet Jake and Patrick's training partner Liam for a long run. We started easy, but I was overdressed and began to struggle in the "heat" by the turnaround. I shed a few layers and felt better, but the fatigue, heat, and hills made for a rough final few miles.

Saturday, March 27th (85 mile/wk)

AM: 7 miles, hard
40 degrees, sunny

PM: 6 miles, easy
55 degrees, sunny

For the sake of getting a workout in this weekend, I joined Reaves for a local 5K in Durham. We were "sponsored" for the race by Patrick's friend from Duke, who helps run Corral, which seeks to pair rescued horses with at-risk girls to promote healing, transformational growth and ultimately, lasting life-change. This was definitely a noble cause.

On the warm up, I felt pretty sluggish, and I didn't bother going through the whole pre-race routine. When I toed the line, I wasn't all that ready to lay down my best. Reaves and the eventual winner took it out hard, and I was completely outclassed. I ran tempo for the rest of the race, and finished the rolling course in 16:35 for 3rd. It was a decent workout and I helped a good cause. I can't be too disappointed with that.

In the afternoon, Patrick and I ran around the Duke Forrest on an easy run, and again, I felt MUCH better on the second run of the day. I may be on to something here...

Friday, March 26th

10 miles, easy
45 degrees, wet and windy

I had intended to run the 5K at the Raleigh Relays at NC State this evening, but last night Reaves noticed that the race organizers screwed us and placed us in a morning heat. I suppose this was a blessing in disguise, though, since my running this week has been bearish and I knew I didn't have a 15:30 5K in my legs.

Instead, I still rode down to NC with Jake and Valerie, and watched Jake run to a new PR. Reaves and I ran around the campus and joined Jake on his warm-up and cool down.

Thursday, March 25th

AM: 8 miles, easy
40 degrees, sunrise

PM: 6 miles, easy
65 degrees, dark, drizzle

I met with Dylan in the morning on my way to work and ran down the Mall and back. This was another rough run... just trying to get to the taper next week.

After work I joined Joanne to watch Syracuse play in the Sweet Sixteen. Despondent with their loss, I went on another run in the rain. Thankfully I felt much better than this morning.

Wednesday, March 24th

10.5 miles, easy
60 degrees, sunset

Met with Dylan again after work for an easy run. We both felt pretty whipped and slogged through 10 miles on a new route: Key Bridge-Towpath-AG Park-Mass. Ave-Calvert-RCP-Towpath-Key Bridge. I can't wait for the taper...

Tuesday, March 23rd

7.5 miles, hard
50 degrees, rain

Maybe it was the high mileage I've run lately. Maybe it was the cookie I ate on the way from work to the track. Whatever. I met Dylan, Marren, and Ban for a workout at AU tonight an came away disappointed. I felt tight during the workout, and gradually more neauseous as the miles accumulated. Eventually I threw in the towel and went home. Thankfully, at least, I'm in a position to be disappointed with this workout, and have great teammates to help me through a tough workout.

Splits:
1600m: 4:55
1600m: 5:03
800m: 2:25
800m: 2:21

Monday, March 22nd

12 miles, easy-moderate
55 degrees, sunset/dark

Met with Dylan for a longish run around Hains Point and back along the Key Bridge. Ran into Chuck along the way. I felt good for the first few miles, but the fatigue of a long week caught up with me.

Sunday, March 21st

17.5 miles, easy
65-70 degrees, sunny

The first day of spring was ideal for a long run, and I joined Klim, Dickson, and Jim for my longest run of 2010 and felt great doing it. Joined Klim for an "ice bath" in the Potomac. Old Angler's/Great Falls was PACKED with people enjoying the weather.

Saturday, March 20th (80 miles/wk)

12 miles, moderate
55 degrees, sunny

The National Marathon was run this morning, and I met P. Huge to watch the race go by our places, and bike down to the mile 15 mark to run with Dan. We helped Dan through miles 15-23 running 6:30-7:00 pace, then split off to run to the finish. Afterwards we added on to do a lap of the Capitol and made fun of the Tea Party protesters gathered to rally against the health care bill. There must have been a million of them. Or 800... Depends upon whom you ask.

Friday, March 19th

AM: 8 miles, easy
45 degrees, sunrise

PM: 6 miles, easy
65 degrees, sunset

Another beautiful day in DC. In the morning I met with Dylan for a few laps around a very muddy TR Island, and followed up with a light gym workout.

After work, I stopped at the Lincoln Memorial to get another run in before the sun set. Surprisingly, I felt better in the second run of the day than the first, but the high mileage this week is definitely beginning to take a toll.

Thursday, March 18th

12 miles, easy
65 degrees, sunset

Met with Dylan and ran towards The Mall to meet Dickson. We ran together around Capitol Hill and back, where Dylan and I split off and added on along the canal. It was a GORGEOUS evening in DC.

Wednesday, March 17th - St. Patrick's Day

8 miles, easy
45 degrees, sunrise

About feeling OK last night... not so much this morning. I slogged through 8 miles around Gtown and The Mall, and back up 14th St. But it was great to get the run out of the way early, and celebrate Ireland's national holiday with the GRC crew at Union Jack's.

Tuesday, March 16th

10 miles, hard
60 degrees, sunset

Met with Dirk and Wiggy for a track workout at BCC. We all ran 1600, 3200, 1600 pretty agressively. I felt surprisingly strong after successive race and long-run days.

Splits: 4:59; 10:19; 4:56

Monday, March 15th - The Ides of March

14 miles, easy
50 degrees, wet

I hadn't planned to do a long run today, but somehow my run with Dan turned into one. I felt pretty good, thankfully.

Sunday, March 14th - Shamrock 5K

10 miles, hard
50 degrees, wet

Finally racing season is here! For my first act, I decided last year I wanted to run the Shamrock 5K in Baltimore. Similar to the parade race I help my dad with in Binghamton, this race leads the St. Patrick's Parade, and raises money to host the parade. That's where the similarities end.

The course is known for being a fast, downhill point-to-point. I decided I had nothing to lose, and went out hard with the leaders for the first half mile down Charles St. Klim and two others put a big gap on me over the next half mile, but I wasn't really holding back. I allegedly clocked 4:42 through the first mile, but there is debate about the accuracy of that particular mile-marker. In the second mile I felt like I was running in no-mans-land with a huge gap to the lead pack, and I couldn't hear anyone behind me. I didn't feel as if I slowed down at all, but my second mile split was 5:15 (refer to the inaccurate first mile marker). At the turnaround I could see Ben Ingram (Falls Road) and Pat O'HUGE just steps behind, so I knew I would need a strong final mile to hold them off. Once I rounded the harbor onto Pratt Street I knew I needed to kick, but the difference between my kick pace and my race pace was pretty insignificant; I had been going (relatively) all-out.

I made the last turn and crossed the finish line in 15:32, a new road-5K PR and my fastest 5K in three years.

We ran a long cool down along the harbor and I checked out my construction project, then took advantage of the post-race party at Power Plant Live, and went out in Fed Hill with Jake and Ella. Great start to the spring racing season!

RACE RESULTS:

1 David Berdan M 28 Parkville MD 14:29 4:40
2 Jake Klim M 29 North Bethesda MD 14:48 4:46
3 Izzy Mehmedovic M 25 Columbia MD 15:06 4:52
4 Patrick Murphy M 25 Washington DC 15:32 5:00
5 Benjamin Ingram M 32 Baltimore MD 15:41 5:04
6 Patrick Hughes M 23 Washington DC 15:52 5:07

Saturday, March 13th (72 mi/week)

10.5 miles, easy
55 degrees, rainy

Ran with several guys from the Georgetown store around the Mall, and added on along the CCT and canal. Definitely training through tomorrow's 5K.

Friday, March 12th

11.5 miles, easy
50 degrees, rainy

Parked at FDR on my way to work and ran up to meet Dan, then over to Georgetown to meet Dylan, then out-and-back along the canal.

Thursday, March 11th

8 miles, easy
60 degrees, dark

Met with Dylan after work and ran two laps of TR island while discussing grotesque injuries.

Wednesday, March 10th

9.5 miles, hard
60 degrees, dark

Met with the largest GRC group ever for a mid-week workout (!) and put together a very encouraging effort. I arrived late so I warmed up quickly while the other guys started their workouts. 2000m (6:21 - 5:10/mi pace); 1600m (5:05); 1200m (3:45 - 5:00/mi pace); 800m (2:26); 800m (2:19); plus three 200s.

Tuesday, March 9th

12.5 miles, easy
50 degrees, dark

Ran on my own after work up Wisconsin to Bethesda, and back down Connecticut. Listened to a great episode of This American Life to pass the time.

Monday, March 8th

12 miles, easy
45 degrees, sunny

Met with Dan before work and enjoyed the first sunlit morning run of the year. We took advantage of the daylight and ran through RCP and AG Parks.

Sunday, March 7th

9 miles, hard
58 degrees, sunset

With the sun quickly setting and DC over an hour away, I decided to stop and do my run at Patapsco State Park outside Baltimore. The trail from the road to the paved trail was very muddy, but once I was on the paved trail I was able to hammer out a good 4 mile tempo run.

Saturday, March 6th

9 miles, easy
40 degrees, sunny

Met with Pat Matolka in Otsinengo Park for the usual 9 mile out-and-back. Then over to the 43rd annual St. Patrick's Parade in Binghamton. It's a great day for the Irish.

Friday, March 5th

6 miles, easy
45 degrees, sunrise

Met with HUGE for a morning run - the first one in over a month. I forgot how much is sucks to get up and run in the morning, but I was glad to get it out of the way. I still felt tired/sore from the run less than 12 hours earlier.

Thursday, March 4th

9.8 miles, easy
40 degrees, dark

Met with O'Huge and ran the Capitol Hill Loop. Good run, but I felt a little fatigued from the workout yesterday. I'm also ahead of pace on mileage for the week, so I should back off a touch the next few days.

Wednesday, March 3rd

11.5 miles, hard
40 degrees, dark

Met with a large group of GRCers at the AU track for a workout. I ran mile repeats with Dylan and Mike as Wiggy was running a 5 mile tempo. Our first three miles were controlled and steady - 5:23 for every one. I ran the last mile alone and closed in 4:59. This was a very encouraging workout. Headed over to 4Ps for dinner and drinks after, and rocked at bar trivia.

Tuesday, March 2nd

9 miles, easy-moderate
40 degrees, dark

Met with Dan Z for another run around Hains Point and the Mall. We started easy and picked it up gradually as we went.

Monday, March 1st

10 miles, easy
40 degrees, dark

Met with O'HUGE after work and ran up Connecticut Ave to Military Rd., and back down Wisconsin Ave. Definitely going into Olympics Withdrawal. Thank God March is here and Syracuse is ranked No. 1!

Sunday, February 28th

15 miles, moderate
40 degrees, sunny

Met with Dylan and JARRIN at The Line, and ran into Towpath on the usual Winter Zoo Loop. JARRIN and I picked it up on the out-and-back to E-W Highway and even though I doubt I wasn't going as swiftly as two weeks ago, my breathing was much more under control this time. Progress.

Headed over to JARRIN'S to watch an epic USA-Canada gold-medal hockey game that went into overtime. Great to see JARRIN'S new diggs too.

Saturday, February 27th (60 miles/week)

10 miles, hard
40 degrees, sunny and windy

Met with Charlie, Mike, Max, and Klim at the Chevy Chase store, and ran an out-and-back along Western Ave and Massachusetts Ave. On the way back, Charlie, Mike and I ran a workout uphill and into the wind: 10 min/6 min/3 min. I felt relatively strong, but I'm eager to get onto a track to gauge my fitness next week.

Friday, February 26th

6 miles, easy
35 degrees, dark and windy

Met with Dylan for an easy run around Arlington after work.

Thursday, February 25th

11 miles, easy
35 degrees, dark and WINDY

I planned to make up for the lost workout yesterday, but rediculously strong winds eliminated Hains Point as a workout route. Dan and I tried to use the CCT trail instead, but the winds and snow brought down tree limbs every few feet. We decided we wouldn't force the workout, and just put in some miles. Perhaps I'll get that workout in Saturday...

Wednesday, February 24th

0 miles.

Got stuck at work and missed the workout. As frustrating as that is, this is a "down" week, and I have a planned day off tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 23rd

9 miles, easy
35 degrees, dark

Ran with Dylan from Roslyn to Capitol Hill and back, and ran into Matias again. A restraining order may be necessary if this keeps up...

Monday, February 22nd

9 miles, easy
35 degrees, dark and rainy

Met with P.Huge for a run after work, and did the usual Georgetown-Mall loop. We ran into Matias and he joined us all the way back up 14th St. Great to see a familiar face! It's becoming common to run into GRCers down around the Lincoln Memorial...

Sunday, February 21st

15 miles, easy-moderate
35 degrees, sunny

Ran with the group out on the roads around Riley's Lock. I'm back on an "off" week, so I turned back early with Ban.

Saturday, February 20th (74 mi/wk)

12 miles, easy-moderate
40 degrees, sunny

Met with a large group at the store. Most of the trails are still covered in snow, so we ran on the sidwalks down the Mall and back, and added on Hains Point.

Afterwards I tried a curling lesson with Jake, Dylan, and Karl. Sochi, here we come! Plus Dusen announced he and Emily will be having a baby! Congrats!

Friday, March 5th

6 miles, easy
40 degrees, sunrise

Ran with O'Huge in the morning - my first AM run since the blizzard(s). Not fun.

Friday, February 19th

10 miles, easy
40 degrees, dark

Ran after work on a longer version of the Nebraska loop.... ran all the way up Connecticut to Military Rd/Western Ave, and back down Wisconsin.

Thursday, February 18th

6 miles, easy
72 degrees

Ran on the treadmill at the gym after work and before I raced to the Verizon Center for the Syracuse-Georgetown game. It was pretty rushed, but thankfully I scheduled it as a light day anyway.

Orange won in a nail-biter after being up by more than 20. Can't wait for March!

Wednesday, February 17th

8 miles, easy
30 degrees, sunrise

Met with Dylan for a run before work. Our routes were limited, so we ran across Key Bridge and up Wisconsin for an out-and-back. My body felt pretty beat up, probably because I'm staying up late watching the Olympics and I ran 11 last night.

Tuesday, February 16th

11 miles, easy
35 degrees, dark

Ran into Klim and JARRIN while I was waiting to meet Dan Z, so we all ran together around Hains Point. Dan and I continued up to Mass Ave and ran up to the bridge across RCP before we turned around. New route by necessity... there's still snow EVERYWHERE.

Monday, February 15th

11 miles, hard
30 degrees, cloudy

Met up with the group along Beach Drive and joined them for a workout of 60/60s. I completed two sets of 5 60/60s, but was definitely feeling maxed out towards the end. I'm sure running long plus an uptempo finish yesterday didn't help. I'll probably lower the intensity this week, but the mileage will hopefully be my highest in a year.

Sunday, February 14th

16 miles, moderate
28 degrees, sunny

Met with a few GRC guys at the Line to run a modified Zoo Loop along Beach Drive. We ran a very controlled pace until we got back to the Line, where some of us decided to pick it up the last two miles out-and-back to E-W Hwy. This was the first "workout" I've done in nearly two weeks, but my legs felt great and my pace was smooth. My breathing, however, needs work. 8 more weeks to Cherry Blossom.

Saturday, February 13th (64.5 mile/wk)

10 miles, easy
35 degrees, cloudy

Met with Jarrin for a run up and down Beach Drive. It looked like lots of stir-crazy runners have taken over Rock Creek Park.

Considering the epic (by DC standards) snowfall this week, I'm happy to have gotten within 10% of my goal mileage for the week. Not all is lost, but looking forward to getting a few workouts in.

Friday, February 12th

8 miles, easy
28 degrees, sunny

The Olympics start today! I ran down to the Canadian Embassy before work to take a picture of the countdown clock to the Games, and added a lap of Capitol Hill. Can't wait to host the Opening Ceremonies party tonight!

Thursday, February 11th

9.5 miles, easy
30 degrees, sunny

Another snow day. I met with P. HUGE for a run in the morning down to Capitol Hill and the Mall. The main roads have finally been plowed down to the pavement, but sidewalks are still spotty at best.

Wednesday, February 10th

8 miles, easy
21 degrees, BLIZZARD

I may have described Saturday's conditions as "Blizzard," but that was nothing compared to today. Visibility was limited to no more than half-a-block, and the wind was harsh and constant. I met with P.Huge at 10 once we both concluded this would be another snow day, and ventured over towards Gallaudet and H Street since we so rarely get to run around there (safely). I'm glad he made me do it, but that was a tough way to get the miles in today.

Tuesday, February 9th

10 miles, easyish
72 degrees

I gave in and did my run on a treadmill. It was easily the most boring run of the past few days, but also probably one of the most consistent and solid. I finished up with stretching and core work, and a long trek through the snow to the metro...

Monday, February 8th

7 miles, easy
30 degrees, sunset

Tried to run outside, but didn't have much success. I ran down into Rock Creek Park, but many roads on the way there were only partially plowed, if at all. I tried running in the tracks up Ross Drive, but didn't get too far. The treadmill in the basement isn't working...

Sunday, February 7th

12 miles, easy
20 degrees, sunny

Met again with Jake Marren to run north through RCP. We felt like the only people in the park, until we came across Max. We joined him for the remainder of the run up to Silver Spring, and then ran back down the middle of 16th Street all the way to Columbia Heights. This might be the last day we have free reign to run in the streets... looks like I'll be hitting the treadmill this week.

Saturday, February 6th

12 miles, easy
20 degrees, BLIZZARD

Met with Jake Marren to take advantage of the opportunity to run down the middle of DC's empty boulevards. I ran through Columbia Heights/Adams Morgan past lines of cars buried under over a foot of snow on the way to meet him.

I met Jake, and we ran down Connecticut Ave through Dupont Circle to the White House,

then down the middle of Pennsylvania Ave towards the Capitol Building. We stopped along the way at the Canadian Embassy to acknowledge that the 2010 Winter Olympics are only 6 days away!!

After we ran around Capitol Hill, we ran down the Mall via Independence Ave and Constitution Ave...

... and up Rock Creek Parkway.

By the time we finished, people were awake and had taken over the streets. It was cool seeing the city so quiet, and seeing neighbors talking to and helping each other... we'll see how long this lasts.

Friday, February 5th

9 miles, easy
35 degrees, sunrise

Met with HUGE for a run around Georgetown/National Mall before the SNOPOCALYPSE arrived. This was a good call since I ended up working later than planned, and the snow quickly accumulated in the afternoon.

Thursday, February 4th

0 miles

Planned day off. Plus I had to be in Frederick, MD at 6am today... ugh.

Wednesday, February 3rd

10 miles, easy
30 degrees, dark

Planned to run a workout in the AM with Dan Z, but a late Lost season premier and snow overnight changed the plans. We met after work on Ohio Drive but did not plan to workout. While waiting, I saw Jake Marren roll by on his mid-week long run, so we joined him for the finish of his run up to Cleaveland Park.

Tuesday, February 2nd

Groundhog Day
8 miles, easy
30 degrees, sunrise

Ran down around Caitol Hill with HUGE and saw a spectacular sunrise over the Capitol Building. The footting was a little shaky on the mall and my legs felt a little weak. I did some leg excersizes when we finished.

Monday, February 1st

8.5 miles, easy
35 degrees, dark

Met with Dylan for a few miles after work. Ran around Arlington and learned there is a Front Page, Hard Times, AND a Rock Bottom over there!

Sunday, January 31st

15 miles, easy
25 degrees, sunny

Met with GRC guys at The Line for a run down/up Beach Drive. Very cold run.

Saturday, January 30th

10 miles, easy
30 degrees, SNOW

Ran the AG-Connecticut loop from the Georgetown store. There was little more than a dusting of snow when we started, but by the time we finished there was over an inch!

Friday, January 29th

0 miles

Planned day off... good timing too. It never broke the freezing point today.

Thursday, January 28th

5 miles, easy
35 degrees, sunrise

Met with Jake III for a short easy morning run. Don't think I could have gone much further after last night's workout.

Wednesday, January 27th

9 miles, hard
35 degrees, dark

Ran a 6x3/1 fartlek on Hains Point with Dan Z. Good hard effort. Legs definitely felt tired on the cool down.

Tuesday, January 26th

7 miles, easy
35 degrees, sunrise

Ran in RCP with Jake III. It was nice to have sunlight finally.

Monday, January 25th

9 miles, easy
55 degrees, dark

Ran around Hains Point with Dan Z. and gradually picked it up throughout the run, finishing in ~6:45/mi pace. I meant to run 7-8 miles, but ended up running 9. Felt good though.

Sunday, January 24th

12.5 miles, moderate
38 degrees, cloudy, wet

Ran two laps of Greenbelt Park with the GRC crew. I definitely felt the workout from yesterday, and had some difficulty getting my pulse under control in the first half of the run. Otherwise it was a good run. Brunch at Plato's afterward.

Saturday, January 23rd (66.5 mi/wk)

11 miles, hard
45 degrees, sunset

Ran the RCP-AG loop before the sun set and threw in a 6x120/60 fartlek. My legs felt relatively fresh and strong, and I was able to put in a decent effort. It won't be too long before I hit the track again...

Friday, January 22nd

3 miles, easy
45 degrees, sunny

Ran a few easy miles in Wilmington before Jake and Diane's wedding.

Thursday, January 21st

8 miles, easy
32 degrees, sunrise

Met with Dylan for a morning run around the Mall. Felt a little sore from running ~11 miles less than 12 hours before.

Wednesday, January 20th

10.8 miles, easy
38 degrees, dark

Met with Dan Z for my first midweek "long" run. Eventually these runs will be around 14 miles, but this was a good start. Ran around FDR Memorial, up to meet Dan at Watergate, then a lap of the Mall to Capitol Hill, and around the Tidal Basin. The legs felt good again too.

Tuesday, January 19th

9.8 miles, easy
50 degrees, dark

Met with HUGE after work for a lap of the Mall from Columbia Heights. The legs felt much better tonight, and a few miles on a softer surface surely helped.