Took 2 minutes off of last year’s time. Yeah!  Andy lead the way, and I tried to follow.  Man, he’s fast – especially downhill.

Congrats Andy and Calhoun on a great race, and thanks for making me run faster than I wanted to – especially up the mountain.

Splits below:

2006 time (first) vs. 2007 time (red)

• Mile 1 – 7:33 (right before you make the turn up Paris Mtn.) 7.24

• Mile 2 and 3 – 17:56/ 25:30 (I never saw the 2 mile marker. This is going up the mountain, so essentially 9 minute miles on the way up) 17.10/24.34
• Mile 4 – 8:17 / 33:46 – 7.59/32.34
• Mile 5 – 8:05 / 41:51 – 6.57 / 39.31
• Mile 6 – 6:01 / 47:53 (No way! It was downhill, but I can’t run that fast. I think the markers must have been off a little) – 6.50 / 46.21
• Mile 7 – 6:36 / 54:30 – 6.36 / 52.57
• Mile 8 – 6:50 / 1:01:19 – 6.40/ 59.38
• Mile 9 – 7:04 / 1:08:23 – 7.06 / 1:06:44
• Mile 10 – 7:27 / 1:15:51 – 7.12 / 1:13:56
• Mile 11 – 7:01 / 1:22:52 – 7.10 / 1:21:07
• Mile 12 – 7:07 / 1:29:59 – 7.00 / 1:28:08
• Finish – 3:41 (last .4) / 1:33:40 – 3.35 / 1:31:42
• Overall Average – 7:33 – 7:24

After a long few months of slowly recovering from  nagging knew injury, I’ve been slowly working my distance back up.  I’ve refrained from all speedwork, and my knee feels better, but it’s still not 100%.  I ran Shut-In this year with a lot less training, but had my best time ever (3.25.44).  I was able to run the entire section before the dreaded 151 crossing (and managed to fall pretty hard once), and I think that was the difference in picking up an extra 5 minutes.  The last part was pretty brutal as always, but I went up with a pretty brisk pace.  Well, it felt brisk anyway.  On the last downhill, the guy behind me was barreling down the hill, really out of control, so I let him pass.  Better to drop a spot than be taken out from behind with .2 miles to go.

I’m going to move my training log over to mapmyrun.com and see how that goes.  It looks like it will calculate mileage for me.

I found this by way of another running blog. It’s the last 1.8 miles of Shut-In (running from right to left) – see the 151 crossing just over the top to the Mt. Pisgah parking lot.

I get dizzy and nauseated just looking at the profile.

That was tough!

Although I was disappointed that I didn’t hit my Boston cutoff of 3:20, I had kind of given up on it before the race based on the projected conditions.  I was excited to set a PR though (by 26 whole seconds)!  My previous PR was 6 years ago (much closer to my prime), on a flat course in Kiawah, and in ideal weather conditions (low 40s), so it was hard to be too disappointed.  This was my first time with FIRST, so I think that was key in helping me get faster.

All in all the race was pretty well run, but I thought the water stations were pretty disorganized.  It felt a bit like a scavenger hunt, and I kept having to ask what was in the cup, powerade or water (mostly water).  The last 10k was a bit frustrating.  There were a lot of walkers from the half marathon walking side-by-side and even many walkers that didn’t seem to be in the race, so there was a lot of weaving to be done to get through.

I took the first 10k pretty conservatively and then decided to at least try to get myself to mile 20 with enough cushion to give myself a long shot at Boston if I had a great last 10K, which didn’t happen.  So from 6 to 20, I ran a little harder than I probably should have.  I had a sheet with project pacing, which I abandoned at the half way point and just decided to run how I felt.

Piedmont Park (mile 18 – 20) seemed to do a lot of folks in.  Quite a few runners were walking or hurling here.  The tree cover was gone, and the heat and the sun really seemed stifling.

The last 6 were tough.  I remembered what a colleague and much better runner said and considered mile 20 to be the halfway point. Susannah and the kids were hanging out at mile 24, so just getting there was my goal from mile 20.  The kids peppered me with squirt guns, which was great.  I bonked hard at about 25.2 and really battled my brain which was telling me to stop and walk, even though I was so close.  I didn’t walk though. It may not have looked much like running to a spectator!  I’m not sure if I was cursing out loud or in my head.

Once I got to the top of the hill, you could hear the crowd and see the finish, which really helped get through the last half mile or so.

FIRST seemed to give me a deeper well from which to pull and more confidence to run faster and know I’d have something left.  Thanks to the race coordinators for a great inaugural race and all the volunteers and spectators, and mostly family and friends for cheering us on.

10K        Half        20Mile    FINISH
49:37      1:41:48      2:35:42     3:26:14

How ironic is this?  The record high on marathon day is in jeopardy by 8 degrees (86 degrees).  Al Gore is right!  It’s going to look like the movie ‘Cool Hand Luke’ on Sunday.

Sunrise:	7:35 AM ET
Avg. High:	66°F
Record High:	78°F (1959)

This isn’t going to be pretty.  The forecast for marathon day is really ugly.  86°/54°.   Not being a hot weather runner, I think this puts Boston out of reach for me.  Argh!  The high temp has gone up 7 degrees in the last 4 days.  Oh well, all I can do is try my hardest.   Come on unexpected cold front from Canada!!!

3/21 – Weights.  Didn’t push it too hard.  Stretching, pushups, and other light weights.

3/20 – FIRST called for 6 x 400 with 10-20 warm up and cool down.  Having never done speedwork the week of the race, I was going to bail.  However, I see Higdon calls for 4 x 400, so I put my trust in the program and ran the 6 x 400 (1.29 – 1.33).  Feel fine the day after.  Seemed pretty easy, actually.

3/19 – Was going to swim, but the pool was packed.  Back and arms instead.

 3/17 – 8 miles in 59.09.  Felt good.  Actually went a little too fast.  From home to 4 mile mark on Green Valley run and back.

3/16 – Chest, shoulders, and stomach

It has been a long time since I posted. I hope I can remember it all.

3/15 – Tempo run – 2 easy, 3 fast (not sure the pace), 1 easy.  Feeling a little better.  Still leg weary though.  Come on legs, heal!

3/14 – Weights (chest, shoulders, stomach)

3/13 – Ran in the evening. Supposed to speedwork.  Decided to do 5 and push the last lap around the mall (.9 miles) in 5:57.  Felt okay.

3/12 – Presented at conference. Ate way too much.

3/11 – Ran 13 @ PMP before driving to Chattanooga. Man that was an awful run. I must be worn down. 1:37.50, so right around 7.32 / mile.  2 hours in the car before the run and 4.5 hours right after.  Argh.

3/10 – Rest. Hung out with Kevin, kids, Jamie, et al. Lots of fun!

3/9 – Rest – drove to Athens.

3/8 – 5 mile tempo. 37 – 38 mins

3/7 – Weights

3/6 – Speedwork. 8 x 800. I had some good times going (some under 3 minutes), but my knee was sore. On the sixth repeat I got a pretty sharp burn behind my knee (hammy area) and decided that was enough.

3/5 – Swimming – 40 lengths

3/4 – Weights at the gym.

3/3 Last long run today. Lots of folks ran 3 mile out and back, so that although we had different paces, we could cheer each other on. When I first heard the plan, I thought the repeats would kill me mentally, but the camaraderie was great, and breaking the run into six mile chunks was mentally kind of nice.

Started out rough. I thought I was running faster, but I wasn’t. My legs were heavy to begin with, but once I got some miles in, things loosened up.

1st 6 miles – 47.40 (7.56s)
2nd 6 miles – 46.40 (7.46s)
2.2 mile (I didn’t want to do this last) – 16.20 (7.25s) – I estimated, and we drove it afterwards. It was 1.1 instead of 1.
Last 6 miles – 44.42 (7.27s) Yeah!! I felt really good until the very end.

If my math is correct that’s 20.2 miles in 2:35.22 (7.41s) – just five seconds off PMP

Today just reinforced that negative splits are better for me. I don’t want to crash and burn. I’d love for my last 6 miles in the marathon to go like today. With about 250 yards to go, I ran completely out of gas, after pushing it for 6 miles. That would be perfect!

Today also reminded me that a cruddy start doesn’t necessarily mean it will be bad the entire time.

Congrats Scott, Jen, and Diane on reaching the training summit!

I feel horrible now but am somewhat optimistic that with some much needed rest, I may have an outside shot at my goal.

3/2 – Rest

3/1 – Tempo run on treadmill.  7 miles @ 7.30.  Every once in a while put the incline at 1% but couldn’t hold it very long.  7.30 felt like 6.30, so not a very good run at all.

2/28 – Very short workout.  Some back, arms, and a little stomach.

2/27 – Speedwork after work. My legs, knee, groin were so sore on Sunday, I thought there was no way I could do speedwork this week, but I’m kind of encouraged by how much recovery has happened in the last few days. Good warm up and stretching. Knee was a little stiff, so I decided to knock things down to 85% effort or so. I focused on smooth, long strides, and didn’t worry so much about pushing the envelope. 10 x 400s. Stretched a lot afterwards too. I saw the ITB stretch on a poster in the PAC (the one where you cross on leg over the other and lean to the side). It helped the knee soreness a good bit. I gotta remember that one. Although it tweeked my lower back some. Getting old really sucks.

1.35, 1.30, 1.29, 1.29, 1.28, 1.28, 1.28, 1.29, 1.27, 1.25

2/26 – Swim 40 lengths after work – just under 30 minutes. Man, I’m slow in the water -really, really, slow. Nice to get back in the water though.

2/25 – Chest, shoulders, and lots of stretching. Abs hurt from run, so stayed away from that. Stretching helped work out the soreness. Man, if I keep this up, I might be able to touch my toes in a few years! Maybe yoga instruction is in my future 😉

2/24 – 15 miler. Plan was PMP + 10. I forgot to restart my watch for a few minutes after crossing 25, so I wasn’t quite sure my pace until I made the turn and got a time for the part I missed. Pace felt pretty close to the same and it was a short time period (3 minutes or so), so I think the overall time is pretty accurate. 1:54 (7.36s), so actually PMP. I felt whooped. Groin hurt last couple miles and hurt for a couple days afterwards.

2/23 – Busy day. Rest.

2/22 – Schedule called for 10 @ PMP, but I didn’t have time. Ran route at lunch around lake and mall which usually takes 40 minutes or so. Came in around 37 mins, so good pace.

2/21 – back, arms, and stretching at lunch

1/20 – Speedwork.  3 x 1600.  I spent a long time warming up and stretching.  I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the stretching is starting to feel good and definitely helps the knee and the stride.  Good sets today.  6.03, 6.06, 6.04.  There was a guy on the track flying.  I clocked his last 400 of a 1200 set at 1.10!

I forgot to note (so I can figure out when to buy again), but I got new shoes which I wore for the 23 miler.  The bounce was great then and today.  First toenail is turning black (second toe left foot).  Now I know I’m ready 😉

I’m so ready to begin tapering!  Almost there. This is the most I’ve focused on pace … ever.  This is a hard training program, and I’m tired.   I think if I keep giving myself breaks when my body cries “uncle”,  I may make it.   In that spirit, I’m thinking of dialing back this week’s tempo mileage.

Icing the knee now.  Twinges of soreness on the outside of the right knee but hanging in there.

1/19 – 30 minutes on the eliptical machine.  I took it real easy with very low resistance.  Cross training program 3.  My HR was low (118-120), as measured by the machine.  That seemed low, but a manual check confirmed.  Lots of stretching.  Towel around foot hurdler stretches, and towel around foot lying on back, etc..