Mile Training has Begun

Hello Runners!
I have taken a short hiatus from blogging.  I didn't make a post all of last week after the half marathon.  To be honest, I really didn't have anything significant to write about.  Last week was a recovery week from the half marathon.  I ran 4 days last week, only about 22 miles total.  I just needed my legs to recover a bit so I didn't do any hard workouts.  This week however, is a different story.


It all started with a hot and sticky 9 mile run on Memorial Day.  It was an exact copy of the weather at the Green Bay Half Marathon the previous weekend (85+ and humid and windy).  I took it easy and grinded out the 9 miler.  I would like to think that at this point in my training I would have no problem running 9 miles, but on occasion it turns out to be difficult.


Yesterday I got back into doing tempo runs.  I'm shortening up my tempo distance, but trying to increase pace.  Yesterday I ran a 2 mile tempo at 6:25 pace.  I was quite pleased with the pace considering there were sustained 20+mph winds.  After doing about 1 mile easy cool-down, I decided to run a hard quarter.  I wasn't near the track so I had to use my GPS watch to monitor distance.  Because of this, it's hard to judge speed and distance remaining without constantly looking at my watch.  I ended up running a 75 sec quarter, but I think I could have gone a little faster if I was on the track  In total I ran 6.5 miles Tuesday. 


Today I did a 7.5 mile run at a moderate pace.  The weather was perfect for distance running.  Mid 50's, little wind, and overcast.  I felt good after about 3 miles so I picked up the pace for the remaining 4, averaging sub 7:30 for the last half of the run.  It didn't feel exhausting or difficult at all.  I love days like today!


Tomorrow I'm planning on running another timed mile, my first in more than a month.  I'm not quite sure if I'll see improvement from last month's time, but it's ok.  I'll be doing a few consecutive weeks of hard training, so tomorrow's mile is just more training to help me build my middle-distance speed and strength.  I'll be happy if all my quarters fall between 80-85 sec.  


Hopefully I'll have more in the coming weeks about setting up a good training plan.  Right now I'm just sort of flying by the seat of my pants.  I also realize that this blog needs more pictures, so I'm going to see if I can't post a few pics each week.  Here's to hoping tomorrow's run goes well!  Good night, and good luck... running that is!

An Ugly Race

Hello Runners!
Well, the half marathon didn't go so well.  The temps were up, and so was the humidity.  I really thought that I was in good enough shape that I wouldn't have to back off my pace too much, despite the heat.  I was wrong.  The race started off good, the pace was comfortable and I felt fine.  However, by about mile 3 I was starting to feel sluggish.  Oh no.  Immediately after the mile 4 marker there was a bit of a hill.  My legs bit it hard, and I started struggling.  Not good.  4+ miles into the half and already my legs felt spent.  I backed off my pace and tried to relax.  It didn't work too well.  For whatever reason I was even feeling tightness in my upper back/shoulders.  Finally just after mile 7 I stopped and walked for about a minute to catch my breath and relax.  It's the first time I've ever walked in a half marathon.  Anyway, after the short walk I just cruised into the finish, walking another 2 times for about 1 minute each.  I finished the race about 8 minutes off my goal time, nearly 13 minutes slower than my PR.  As a matter of fact, it was my slowest half marathon ever.  My heart really went out to the full marathon runners, however, because they were out in the heat for a heck of a long time.  Then, about 2.5 hours into the race, the Green Bay race director and coordinators decided to cancel the race.  All marathoners were asked to vacate the course and the finish line was taken down.  It turns out the emergency services were pushed to their limits.  Too many people were dropping out and requiring medical attention.  It was an ugly, ugly day for a marathon.  It was a difficult decision to cancel a race, but I think it was the right one.  As a marathoner, it must have been incredibly difficult knowing that your months of training were for naught.


Now for the good news:  The Green Bay Marathon serves beer at the finish.  And brats.  Well, let me tell you, I DEFINITELY had to partake.  A couple of beers and a nice brat after a race feels oh-so-good!  In funny news:  Jay won the Clydesdale division (for male runners 200+ lbs).  Congrats for Jay.  He said that award is a constant reminder to get OUT of the Clydesdale division.  Alright, so the race didn't go so well.  Time to move on and concentrate on what is really important now: going sub-5.   

Half Marathon Strategy

Hello Runners!
Well, tomorrow is the big day.  It's the Green Bay Half Marathon, and it's going to be HOT.  Starting temperatures are forecasted around 70 degrees.  The chances of running a PR (personal record) in this kind of heat are slim.  Of course, I wasn't planning on going for my PR tomorrow, I just want to run well.  The whole point of running this half marathon was to kick my butt into shape in March and April.  Coming into the race my initial goal was to run sub 1:28 (around 6:45 pace).  Even with the predicted heat tomorrow, I'm not changing my goal, but I will definitely re-evaluate my situation mid-race.  I'm not going to break myself at mile 9 or 10 trying to hold 6:45's.  So, the question is, how do you pace a half marathon?


Personally, I think I run the half with pretty good tactics.  Tomorrow will be my 15th half, so I consider myself to be pretty experienced in this distance.  Here are my 3 keys to running a successful (and fast) half marathon.

• Start off SLOW and EASE into race pace
• Hold STEADY, REAL'em In 
• Give'r HELL

START OFF SLOW: It's very easy in the half marathon to start WAY too fast.  The gun goes off and people fly off the start line.  Excitement and adrenaline make the start quick and nearly effortless.  DON'T get caught up in this.  Run easy and even hold back your pace.  I can't tell you how many times I've thought I started the race slow and when I get to the first mile I'm 15-20, even 30sec under goal pace.  YIKES!  This sort of start is sure to come back and bite you in the last 5k.  Many runners may pass you early on.  It may be tempting to run with them, but don't worry about other runners.  Concentrate on YOUR race.  Let them start off fast, you'll catch them later when their legs are dead... suckers!  Thankfully, with the advent of GPS watches, it's much easier to monitor your pace the first mile.  If you have a GPS watch, I recommend looking at it somewhat frequently the first mile.  If you don't have a GPS watch, look around.  Someone near you probably does.  Feel free to ask them what the pace is.  Most runners are friendly and they'd be happy to let you know the pace.  REMEMBER, you want to be running SLOWER than race pace, not faster.  For instance, tomorrow I want to average 6:45's for the total race.  This means I want my first mile to be somewhere between 6:50-7:00.  EASE into race pace.  I like to ease into race pace over the first 5k.  Try to run your first mile 10-15sec slower than race pace, mile 2 at 5-10sec slower, and mile 3 at 0-5sec slower.  By the time you start mile 4, you should be running right at goal pace.  If you're doing math in your head, you've probably realized that you're 20-30sec behind your goal pace after the first 3 miles.  That's ok.  You'll make up that time throughout the rest of the race.  

HOLD STEADY: By mile 4, I recommend running at goal pace.  As a matter of fact, I try to run 0-5sec faster than goal pace per mile (it gives little bit of cushion in case you are in a world a pain later on).  So, taking my example again (6:45 goal pace) I will want to run between 6:40-6:45's.  Hold this pace for the next 7-8 miles.  REAL'em In.  At some point in the half marathon, you'll notice that people are no longer passing you and that YOU are passing people!  I'm guessing this will generally happen between miles 6-9 (Remember all those people who started the race so fast??).  The quick starters will feel the pain as the race progresses and their pace will begin to drop off.  Just slowly pick them off.  One by one.  No hurry.  Just focus on the person in front of you and slowly catch them.  Once you catch them, focus on the next person.  

This does a few things: 

1. It helps you to keep a consistent and strong pace.  

2. It gives you confidence that you're running well and passing people.  

3. Passing people and focusing on catching them distracts you from the pain and fatigue of the race.  

GIVE'R HELL:  After the 10 mile mark I like to assess my pace and go for it.  By starting out slow in the first 5k, holding a steady pace over the next 7 miles I generally have some left in the tank to pick up my pace a bit.  If I'm I'm not feeling great, I'll wait until the mile 11 marker.  Either way, you have to go for it at some point.  I try to pick up the pace, quicken the turnover, and run my 3 fastest miles in the final 5k.  Remember those 30 sec you lost in the first 5k?  Well, over the course of the middle 7-8 miles you probably will bring back around 30sec.  Perfect!  With 3 miles to go you're right at your goal pace, possibly a bit quicker.  Now, it's time to run faster than goal pace.  In my case (6:45 pace) I will try to run my final 3 miles around 6:30-6:40.  I will generally try to run each mile a little faster than the previous.  For example, Mile 11 (6:40), Mile 12 (6:35), Mile 13 (6:30).  If I'm able to do this, I'll have no problem finishing the race UNDER my goal time.  Of course, this is easier said than done.  For instance, tomorrow is going to be hot.  By mile 10 I may be dead tired and just try to hold my pace the last 5k.  You never know.  Therefore, it's absolutely necessary to evaluate your pace, how you're feeling, and whether you can maintain pace throughout the race.  If it's too much effort, slow down!  It's better to run a slightly slower pace than to completely bonk and come limping into the finish.  Just my opinion. 

Let's recap:  I like to break the half marathon into 3 parts: 

• The first 5k 
• The middle 7 miles 
• The final 5k  

By EASING into goal pace I'm able to conserve energy needed for later in the race.  During the middle 7 miles I try to run a consistent pace, focusing on catching and passing runners who started off too quick.  With 5k to go I pick up my pace and give everything I've got left.  There it is, a successful and smart half marathon.

Of course, every person is different.  This formula has worked well for me in races, but it may not work for everyone.  You have to run your own race, experiment a bit, and figure out what formula works for you.  But I'm willing to be that if you follow my formula, you'll run a good time.

Other pre-race tips (in no particular order).  

• Hydrate before the race - not just water.  Gatorade or juice is good too (gotta keep those electrolytes).  I also like to drink a beer the night before a race.  It helps me sleep - plus I like beer :)
• Eat normal: Don't go crazy and change your diet or try something new for dinner the night before the race.  Eat what your body is accustomed to eat.  Tonight, I ate some grilled chicken, a sweet potato, and broccoli.  The whole "pasta for dinner" is way over rated.  You should be focused on eating some carbs in the 2-3 days leading up to the race, not just the 1 meal before.  That being said, I ate pasta last night.
• Eat a light breakfast:  DON'T skip breakfast the day of the race.  About 2 hours before, eat a breakfast.  I like to eat a banana, some toast with honey, and a little bit of yogurt with granola.  This generally sits fine in my stomach and I usually don't have any issues/cramps before a race. 
• Prep your gear the night before:  You don't want to scramble the morning of.  No need for added stress.  Get all you gear together the night before.
• Warm-up:  Even though my race strategy "ease's" into the race, it's a good idea to do at least 5-7 minutes of warm-up before the race just to loosen up the legs and get the heart-rate up a bit.  
• Get a good night's sleep... 2 nights before the race.  That's right, TWO nights BEFORE.  If your race is Sunday, get a good night's sleep on Friday night.  Sure you want to get a good night's sleep the night before, but sometimes you're nervous and anxious. The race runs through your head and you have problems sleeping.  Getting good sleep 2 nights before helps in case you get restless sleep the night before.

If you have any other pre-race tips you'd like to share, I'd love to hear them.  

Anyway people, I have a race to run in less than 9 hours (gulp) so it's time to drink my beer, pack my gear, and get some sleep.  Good night, and good luck... running that is!

New Shoes!

Hello Runners!

Yesterday my new shoes arrived in the mail (Asics Gel Hyperspeed 5).  Thank you UPS for your timely delivery!  I wore them all day yesterday to "break them in", and did my inaugural run in them this morning.  They feel great.  I did a 6 mile run today, with a 3 mile tempo sandwiched in the middle.  I ran the tempo at 6:35 pace today, my fastest pace for a tempo run.  I had no problems with the shoes.  I plan on running in them again tomorrow, which will give me a whopping 10 miles on them before the half marathon this weekend.  I only have 2 more runs before the big race.  Tomorrow (Thursday) will be an easy 4 mile recovery run.  Friday will be an easy/moderate 5 miles.  I like to rest the day before the race (see previous post) and then at 7am on Sunday, the big race takes place.  Not much going on the rest of the week, I just wanted to share the new shoes :)

Last Long run, Taper Time!

Hello Runners!
Andy happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful, tirelessly working mothers.  I spent the day hanging out with my mother but first thing in the morning I ran my final long run before the half marathon next weekend.  9 miles.  Easy.  Comfortable.  Somewhat quick.  It felt good.  
Week Recap:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 6 miles (3 High Cliff Hills)
Wedensday: 7 miles
Thursday: 6 miles (6 Slow Jimmy's)
Friday: 6 miles
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 9 miles
TOTAL: 34 miles


This upcoming week is the week of the half marathon.  I plan on taking it easy for the week, dropping my mileage for the 2nd week now.  Here is the plan for the week ahead:
Monday: 5 miles (easy)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 6 miles (3 mile tempo @6:45 pace)
Thursday: 4 miles (easy)
Friday: 5 miles (easy) w/ 4x75m sprints/accelerations
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Race Day


The plan is to have two rest days this week with only one moderately difficult workout on Wednesday.  After my final run on Friday I like to do a few sprints/accelerations to keep my legs fresh on speed and turnover.  These aren't all out sprints, they're almost like stride-outs a runner does before the start of a race.  Saturday, the day before the race, I'll rest.  The decision to rest or run the day before a big race is a decision that I think many runners struggle with.  Some (like myself) prefer to rest the day before, giving the body a little extra time to recover from the week's workouts.  Others, (like my friend Jay) like to go out on a short, easy run the day before.  Just something to loosen up the legs a bit, and keep them "fresh".  There's no right or wrong method in my opinion.  I believe a runner to needs to experiment to find which method is most comfortable and gives the better results.  
As I said before, I prefer to rest.  Especially before long, exhausting races like a 15k, half marathon or marathon.  I want my legs to be well rested and recovered before I beat them to hell over the course of many miles.  If I were to run a 5k or shorter, I would have no problem doing a short, easy run the day before the race.  Just a personal preference, that's all it is.  That being said, I think it's important to be consistent in your pre-race formula.  A routine helps to keep you calm and confident.  The training is finished, now all you have to do is go out and run, believe in yourself, and give'r all you got!  I'll post some half marathon race tactics sometime next week.  Look for them!  Good night and good luck... running that is!  

Slow Jimmy's - Round 2

Hello Runners!
Yesterday was a 7 miler, today was another round of Slow Jimmy's.  I rolled myself out to the Neenah High track around 11am.  Legs tired, joints sore, I've been a bit lethargic the last 2 days.  Regardless, it was time to do some speed work.  I met up with Jay at the track.  We did a 1.5 mile warm-up through Memorial Park.  Then, crunch time.  Slow Jimmy's, here we come!  It was a perfect day for running.  Low 60's and virtually no wind.  I ran 6 Slow Jimmy's today, two sets of 3 with a half mile recovery jog in between the sets.  First Jimmy, 82 sec.  I've now decided I'm a notoriously slow starter.  My first mile, repetition, sprint, etc. are always slow.  It just takes my body a while to get up to speed... no pun intended.  I basically ran consistent 79's after the first.  The final breakdown:
Set 1: 82, 80, 79
Set 2: 79, 79, 79


Overall I'm quite happy with how I ran the workout, but I need to start to work on building more speed (that will come after next weekend's half marathon).  I didn't feel any less exhausted after this workout than I did last week.  As a matter of fact, I think I was more exhausted.  Jay struggled too.  It's ok because this is all part of training.  There are good days and bad days.  There are even good days that feel like bad days.  Sometimes as a runner you may think you had a bad day but upon reflection, you realized that you battled through pain and mental fatigue.  You completed your workout even though it would have been so easy to just cut the workout short, or even quit.  Being able to fight through difficult days will help you to be a better runner in the future; stronger, faster, mentally sound.


I celebrated Thursday's workout with a Leinenkugels Sunset Wheat beer.  It was delicious. That's all for tonight everyone, good night and good luck... running that is!

High Cliff Hills

Hello Runners!
I hope everyone is doing great today, as it was a beautiful day for running in Northeast Wisconsin.  Sunny, temps of around 60 and a nice cool breeze made for a perfect running day.  My initial plan was to run a 4 mile tempo with a mile warm-up and cool-down, however, after much deliberation, I decided to run hills instead.  I've done tempo runs for four consecutive weeks and after last weeks piss-poor showing, I decided to mix up my workout routine a bit.  Having already made plans to meet my sister in Green Bay today, I moved my workout of of Neenah, and across Lake Winnebago to High Cliff State Park.


High Cliff is a beautiful park, situated on the east side of Lake Winnebago.  Neenah, being on the west side of the lake is a complete contrast.  Neenah is as flat as a pancake, with our most famous hills being highway overpasses.  Yuck.  High Cliff on the other hand, is exactly as it sounds... a high cliff.  The entrance to the park is at "Lake level" while the main road carves up through the rock to the top of the cliff.  This hill/incline is just shy of .5 miles long, a gradual incline with a steepening section over the final 150 meters.  


I did a two mile warm-up, running around the trails of the park.  I then ran 3 "High Cliff hills" at about 7:20/mile pace (a little slower on the last).  My rest period was the ~3 minutes to run back down the hill.  I'm definitely not in hill shape, but thankfully the Green Bay Half Marathon is mostly flat.  I also think hill workouts are good strengthening workouts.  Once my "real" mile training begins, I'll run some smaller, steeper hills to build strength and speed.  Anyway, I felt great today.  The hills were difficult (as to be expected) but overall my body responded well.  


After the run I drove up to Green Bay to hang out with my sister and her kids.  I love hanging out with my niece and nephew.  They're fun, and good kids.  Oh yeah, it's great to see my sister too.  Not only that, I only made my niece cry twice!  It was actually the first (and second) time I've ever made my niece cry so... I'm actually surprised it didn't happen earlier.  So, after a good run, and and afternoon of hanging with my sister's family, I made it home in time to watch the Brewer game and eat a Domino's pizza for dinner.  It probably wasn't the best dinner decision.  Oh well, I enjoyed it.  


Tomorrow I'm planning on running 6-7 miles at an easy/comfortable pace.  I'm also going to do another day of Slow Jimmy's this week, either Thursday or Friday.  The half marathon taper has begun!!  That's all for tonight everyone, good night and good luck... running that is!

The Hay is in the Barn

Hello Runners!
I'm not sure where the saying of this blog entry title comes from but as of this weekend, it applies to me and my half marathon training.  A 13 mile run yesterday, followed by a 4 mile recovery run today and it's all gravy from here on into the race.  Tomorrow will be an off day after my hardest week of training yet.  42 miles including a 5 mile tempo and 5 Slow Jimmy's and I'm tanked.  The next two weeks will be a slow taper until race weekend.


Week Recap:
Monday: 3.5 miles
Tuesday: 7 miles (5 mile tempo)
Wednesday: 8.5 miles
Thursday: Off
Friday: 6 miles (5 Slow Jimmy's)
Saturday: 13 miles
Sunday: 4 miles


This upcoming week will probably be around 30-35 miles.  I plan on doing another Tempo run, but only about 3 miles.  I'm going to up my Slow Jimmy's to 6 and this weekend's long run will be substantially decreased to 8-9 miles.  Add a few other slow, short runs and I should get into the low 30's for mileage.  


One thing I've decided I need to focus on over the next couple of weeks is sleep.  It's not as though I'm not getting enough sleep, I just think I need to change my sleep schedule.  Right now I'm going to bed around 11:30-midnight.  I need to start going to be earlier so I can make sure to get enough sleep the night before the half marathon.  This means I'll be concentrating on going to bed around 10:30 over the next two weeks (starting tomorrow).  


As it turns out, this weekend was a pretty big race weekend in the state of Wisconsin.  There were a handful of races and a few of my friends were out competing this weekend.  Therefore, I'd like to give a shout out to my fellow pavement pounders after this weekend of great race performances.  First a shout out to Shawn Dobbins for winning the Prairie du Chien half marathon in a time of 1:20.  Awesome job Shawn, keep up the great running.  Next a shout out to Erin Ebbin Moldenhaur for winning the women's race in the Ripin Half Marathon in 1:39.  It should also be noted that Erin did this after running a full marathon the week before.  Incredible!  Great running, Erin!  And last but not least, congrats to Andy Ruffalo for taking 2nd and Brian Udovich for finishing 4th at the Wisconsin Half Marathon, in 1:18 and 1:20 respectively.  Congrats to all!  


That's all for today, good night and good luck... running that is!

Slow Jimmy's - Round 1

Hello Runners!
Today was Slow Jimmy's day.  What, you may ask, are Slow Jimmy's?  Slow Jimmy's are an interval workout, very similar to quarters.  The difference between the two?  Quarters are typically run with a rest period of 60-90 sec between each interval while Slow Jimmy's are quarters with continuous running between intervals, a "recovery" lap (i.e. 400m fast, 400m slow, 400m fast, 400m slow, etc.)  I love Slow Jimmy's because they force your body to recover whilst still running, albeit a slow jog between intervals.  Today I ran one set of 4 Slow Jimmy's throwing in a 5th at the very end, just for kicks!  


Today's weather was quite different from Wednesday.  It was overcast, only about 55 degrees and 15-18mph winds.  As I said earlier, fighting through a strong wind during a timed, speed workout sucks.  Today was no different.  Pushing through the wind was brutal.  The silver lining of fighting through the wind on a tough workout: when you run well, you finish the workout knowing that a day like today will only make you a faster, stronger runner. 


Workout run-down:
~2 mile warm-up (8 min/mile).
4x400m @ 80sec/lap with 400m recovery jog (about 2min/lap) between each interval.  
Final splits: 82, 79, 78, 77
800m recovery with a final 400m interval - this time all out.  I ended up running my last quarter in 72 sec. 
~1.5 mile cool-down.
Total: 6 miles


My legs felt pretty strong today.  I really had to put my head down and grind it out on the backstretch of the track, running into the wind.  When I turned onto the homestretch I just tried to maintain pace and let myself "glide" into the finish.  Ok, the last three sentences may make it seem as though intervals are easy, but I assure you, they're NOT.  My the end of each interval my legs are burning and cardiovascularly speaking, I was sucking wind after each interval too.  Intervals are hard.  period.  


Interval workouts aren't just about speed, but about recovery too.  How quickly does your body recover after each interval?  Today I recovered quickly after the 1st quarter but by the end of the 3rd quarter it took me nearly an entire lap to recover, just in time to run my final quarter.  Throughout my interval workouts, I will monitor how quickly I recover between each interval.  After my 4th quarter I did two slow, easy laps around the track before giving it my all for one last 400.  I really wanted to do this just to see where my max speed is.  Turns out, my max speed is 4:48 mile pace, or a 72 sec. quarter.  It was refreshing to know that I can at least do 400m under 5 minute pace!


Finally, I should mention two more things before I sign off tonight.  
#1:  Even though this blog will track my progress towards breaking a 5 minute mile, my primary focus right now is the Green Bay half marathon in 2 weeks.  Therefore, my workouts will still focus on half marathons and not the mile.  Have patience, my friends.  
#2:  I think I'm going to buy a new pair of shoes for the half marathon.  Actually, I AM going to buy a new pair of shoes for the race.  Here they are, the Asics Gel Hyperspeed.  I have to buy them online because no local store carry them.  I generally like to try on shoes before I purchase them, but in this case I'm just going to have to hope they fit well.  Keepin' my fingers crossed!


That's all for tonight, tomorrow is a planned long run (13-14 miles) with my friend Jay.  Good night and good luck... running, that is!

  

Easy 8

Hello Runners!
Today was an "easy" eight mile run, well actually 8.5 because I miscalculated my route.  I didn't care about time or pace today.  I just wanted to get in the mileage.  All was well after yesterday's tempo run.  I was pretty tired after the run however, primarily because today jumped up to 80 degrees, quite hot for early May in Wisconsin.  Regardless, I was relaxed and comfortable for the duration of the run, tiring only in the last mile and a half or so.  I celebrated tonight by having a big glass of chocolate milk and about a dozen ginger-snap cookies, my favorite.  Tomorrow is going to be a much needed off day and I then plan on hitting the track on Friday to do my first interval workout of the year!  Perhaps I'll go for a short bike ride tomorrow if the predicted thunderstorms hold off.  That's all for today, good running everyone!

5 Mile Temp-Oh Hell No!

Hello Runners!,
Today was tempo day.  The plan was to do a mile warm-up & cool-down, with a 5 mile tempo run as the main workout.  My goal is to average 6:45 pace for the tempo.  Last week on my 4 mile tempo I easily made this pace, as a matter of fact, my last two miles were sub 6:40.  I thought I wouldn't have any real problem holding 6:45 pace for my run today... I was wrong.


I was off pace from the beginning.  Yuck.  I just didn't have it in my legs today, they were a bit heavy and sluggish.  I don't think I was fully recovered from the 13 mile run Sunday.  Also, it was frickin windy today!  +15mph.  ugh.  There's nothing like a strong wind to wreak havoc with a timed, up-tempo run.  I was able to grit out the first 2 miles right around goal pace, but I quickly fell off pace from there.  I was hurting pretty bad on the 4th mile, and nearly called it a day.  I felt like I was racing, not running a controlled tempo.  My breathing was very heavy, and my legs were tired.  I just felt uncomfortable.  Nevertheless, I dug deep and gritted out the 5th mile.  It was a painful run, but hopefully it will make me stronger for my half marathon in 3 weeks.  Final splits:
Mile 1: 6:47
Mile 2: 6:46
Mile 3: 6:52
Mile 4: 6:52
Mile 5: 6:56
It was a rather disappointing day.  Days like today make you question your ability to run a race at your goal pace.  I want to average 6:45's for my upcoming half marathon and today I couldn't even do 5 miles at that pace!  How am I going to run another 8 miles at a faster pace?  Oh well, today's run is history and tomorrow I'll get out and do a long, slow recovery run to see if I can get my legs back.  


On the bright side, I ran 136.5 miles in April, the most I've run in April since I've been keeping a running log in 2004.  I'm also off to my friend Chris's house tonight for pizza.  Check out his pizza blog!