Week 4 Goals, 15 Weeks until Boston!

Week 3 goals were all met!  The week could not have went better!  More sleep on days I did not have to wake up early to run.  Had the best long run of my training (16 miles in 7:40 pace).  Weekly mileage was a little lower than goal but was up 6 miles from last week (55miles).  Introduced the first LT run, I was ok with the workout but not thrilled.  My LT run consisted of 9 miles with 4 miles at LT pace (10k- 1/2 marathon pace).  I ran 2 miles as a warmup and immediately started into my LT pace at 2 miles.  I hit 6:39 pace for my 4 LT miles.  (I will take it but it needs to be closer to 6:25).  Then 3 miles as a cool down at average pace (7:30ish).  Great Week!!

Week 4 - Disaster!!

As you can see by the date of this post that week 4 goals should have been posted 4 days ago.  I actually got sick on January 1st at night.  No, it is not due to the night before.  There were no hangovers here :)  It took me down pretty hard and I was either in my bed or on the couch for at least 36 hrs.  I have missed my runs Mon - Thurs this week.  I still have a lot of muscle fatigue from it but will get back to it today.  The only goal for week 4 at this point is to salvage the week the best I can.

Fri Jan 6 - 7 miles

Sat Jan 7 - 18 miles

Sun Jan 8 - 5 miles

Weekly mileage - 30

Week 3 Goals, 16 weeks until Boston!

Week 2 goals were definitely challenged last week.  On Tuesday I was supposed to do 12 miles but I had to cut it off at 8.  I had a muscle tighten up in my calf at 4 miles and I made it to 8 but was just too tight.  I did not want to risk an injury this early.  I got in to the Chiropractor late in the week and it was just my right side out of alignment.  So ended up just giving me a sore muscle for a few days.  I shortened my long run as well this week because I have added so many miles so fast.  Weekly goal mileage was 55, weekly miles accomplished 48. 

Week 3 Goals

1.  Introduce some intensity into the workouts.  Lactate Threshold workouts start. 
2.  More sleep on nights I don't have to wake up early to run. 

Weekly Mileage:  58

Mon - Off

Tues - 9 w/4 @ LT pace (10k pace)

Wed - 13

Thurs - 5

Fri - 11

Sat - 15

Sun - 5

Week 2 Goals, 17 weeks until Boston!

Week 1 went well and hit my goal on most of the days.  I had to move some things around, I took Friday off of the easy run that was scheduled and ended up running 19 miles for my long run instead of 16.  Ended up with 51 miles and goal was 53.

Week 2 goal - Listen to my body and be smart about adding mileage. Total Mileage 55.

Mon - 7

Tues - 12

Wed - 5

Thurs - 9

Fri - 5

Sat - 17

Sun - Off

Wineglass Marathon Course Description, Just 12 days away!

The point-to-point Wineglass Marathon course starts at Philips Lighting, just north of Bath, NY. If your adrenaline and a 40 ft. drop over the first mile doesn't get you started on the right foot, then the cheering crowds in downtown Bath will push you through those first few miles.

Miles 2-4 are absolutely flat, and will give each runner a chance to get into a rhythm. At about 4.75 miles there is a 40 ft. uphill that finishes at mile 5. For the next 4 miles, the course passes through the countryside, with two more smaller hills, but an overall elevation drop of 90 ft. until you reach Savona (the first Team Relay exchange zone). Savona is an excellent viewing opportunity as it is conveniently located just off Interstate 86 which parallels much of the marathon course, and offers easy access from start to finish.

Out of Savona, runners continue through the countryside while continuing on a slightly downhill trend (40 ft. over the next 4 miles). The halfway point is in Campbell (home of Polly-O String Cheese), where again the crowds turn out to cheer runners ahead… back into the country again. Runners ascend about 30 ft. just beyond mile 14, before gradually losing 80 ft. in elevation as they reach Coopers Plains (Mile 18.2). Team Relay exchange #2 is in Coopers Plains, so again, the activity and spectator level is high, just as the runners need an additional moral boost.

Proceeding from Coopers Plains to Painted Post is only a couple miles. There runners enter a park (after the last, brief climb of 25 ft.), and tour a residential neighborhood. They then exit onto a bike path, that takes them through the village of Riverside and into Corning. Once the runners enter the bike path (mile 22.5), it is a flat trek to the finish.

In Corning, runners are greeted by many spectators as they proceed through several neighborhoods, before hitting the downtown area.

Green Bay Marathon

Another Marathon in the bag!  No where near what I wanted but will get it in the next one.  Breaking 3hr was the goal.  Aggressive?  Maybe, guess I will find out.  Race start is 7am, it was 48 degrees and pretty much no wind.  It warmed up quickly though.  I take my first bag of sport beans while heading to the start line.  Ten minutes till start and their calling for preffered corral runners to line up.  Damn it!  I just realized I forgot my sunglasses and the sun is beating down already.  Oh, well don't have enough time.  Gun goes off at 7 am on the dot.  Thoughts start rolling through your mind.  Did you put in enough miles to run this time?  I haven't run a Marathon in a year and a half.  Will this new training program I decided to do work?  Nothing that can be answered though until the later stages of  the race.  You will find out be patient and go for it!  I come across mile marker one in 7:09.  Just what I wanted stay conservative.  At mile 3, I strike conversation with a guy that is also trying to break 3 hrs.  So, I latch on.  My normal startup conversation about how many marathons each of you have done and what is your fastest.  I find out he is from Milwaukee and when I tell him I am from the Toledo area he asks:

Milw:  Are you a Browns fan. 

TJ:  Of course! 

Milw:  I actually taught Joe Thomas (Browns Offensive Tackle) in High School. 

TJ:  Sweet! 

So, we were hitting 7 flats through 5 miles.  Still being smart but mile 6 we start picking it up a bit.

TJ:  Another hill?  This damn course sure isn't flat like they claimed! 

Milw: That's for sure... 

TJ:  Their elevation chart sucks! 

Now we are hitting 6:52 (3hr pace).  The miles are starting to pass by quickly.  Clicking 6:52 or so through the halfway point.  We are 1:30:40, awesome only 40 seconds off pace and the pace is feeling pretty comfortable.  Although, I am feeling some muscle fatigue setting in.  My thoughts, not already it is way too early!  Keep it rolling, you will find out.  That answer came quicker than expected.  We roll past mile 15 still on target.  Then we come up to a bridge at 15 1/2 miles to cross over Fox River.  This was not an extremely steep bridge but it was long and gradual for more than a quarter of a mile.  Just like many of the other upgrades on this course.  This one affected me though.  I started losing my knew found running partner.  I still ran a 7:05 that mile so not off too much but my legs never recovered.  I lose 16 more seconds the next mile.  So, I decide to stop at the next water stop for a few seconds, walk, drink, go!  That gave the legs a little rejuvination.  Ok, back at it...  I was back on pace then ahhhhhh cramp in my right calf!  Crap, it's only mile 18.  We all know once that starts it is all down hill from there.  After that the goal is to get to the finish line without destroying your legs.  On and off for the next 5 miles I could run about 7:30 pace but would get the cramp back every quarter mile or sooner.  Then of course the cramps start in other muscles as well.  At about mile 23 I have this young runner come from behind and he asks. 

YR:  So, what are you trying to run? 

TJ:  That pace is long gone man...  I was trying to break 3 flat. 

YR:  He says I know what your feeling so was I. 

There are always others sharing your pain!  It is not always your day.  Later I find out though that that kid was only 14 years old and this was his second marathon.  That is pretty impressive.  I know I would have never thought about marathon's at that age.  Same rough times through the later miles but now I can hear the crowd.  I can see Lambeau Field.  I am almost there.  About a mile away.  I turn left on to Holmgren Way.  Oh man big cramp!  Turn right towards Lambeau.  Your finally going to enter the field.  Even though my muscles are wrenching down as I pass through the tunnel that the Green Bay Packers enter the field on.  I take in the significants of this field as I do my lap around and out to the finish.  Finally, the finish line.  Oh thank god, I feel like I could pass out!  All I can think is this is the least prepared I have ever been for a marathon and I paid for it.  This was not intentionally under prepared though.  I tried a new program but obviously was not righ for me.  All in all I enjoyed seeing Green Bay and sharing this trip with my lovely wife.  It is the challenge that I love so much that keeps me coming back for more!!