3 Miles on the Mall in DC

Another early morning run on the Mall before work.  I really enjoy that time of day for running (6am) because it's cool, quiet and not crowded with tourists.

Not much else to add. 

6 Miles at Haynes Point, Washington DC

I went to work in my running outfit and dropped my bag at the office and then headed out.  I was running down Independence Ave. by 6:00am.  I decided to run what I felt like running (pace-wise) and only looked at the Garmin to measure my distance.  I ended up running 9:00 miles on average, but my splits were interesting.  I started fast, then slowed for the second mile.  And then each mile after that was increasingly fast.

By the way, my training program called for only 5 miles today.  I assumed it was another 6 mile Wednesday run and didn't look at Hal Higdon's site until later in the day.  Oh well... I liked my 6 mile run.  And that last, bonus mile, was the best!

Last night I had pizza and ice cream for dinner.  I could have eaten better, but I enjoyed this break from the 'healthy' routine.  And it seemed to fuel my run OK too.

5K (3.1 Miles) around the Mall

I went to work wearing my running outfit.  I dumped my bag at the office and was out on the Mall by 6:10.  It was still and quiet and cool... a great atmosphere for running.  I decided to run a fast (for me) 5K.  I almost beat my time from the Herndon 5K I ran many years ago.  I felt strong and enjoyed it very much.

My bump on my cheek has nearly disappeared.  There's still a scab but the swelling is not noticeable any more.  That's good.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend and running in Central Park with Tolga.  Hopefully the weather will remain as it's forecast now... clear and in the 70s.  Should be fun!

Oh... and I've decided that Mondays I will run with Handan and help train her for her 10K race.  It will be very light jogging (fast walking) for me, so I'm not too worried about the impact on my training.  Monday is an off-day (cross-training day) for me, and Tuesday is always a light run day as well.

12 Mile 'Long Run' on the W&OD

I haven't run yet.  It's 7:30 and I'm having coffee (decaf) and a ClifBar (Chocolate Chip).  I'm writing now, before the run, to make a prediction.  My prediction is that I'll have a good run.  Why do I think this?  Well, for one thing I didn't have curry for dinner last night!  I had my turkey chili with a salad and a very decadent dessert by Handan (rich chocolate).  I think that will fuel me very well.  For another thing I got good sleep last night and I feel well-rested.  Also the weather is very nice...  cool and calm.  And finally, I think if I predict a positive run that will psychologically predispose me to have a good run.

So let's see what happens.  I'll check back in about two and a half hours.

.............

Well, here it is three and a half hours later.  I know now that I brought Nazar (the Evil Eye) down on myself with my arrogant prediction.

Just at the halfway point of my run I tripped and fell.  I broke the fall with my hands and my left shoulder and the left side of my face.  I left some DNA on the asphalt from my hands.  My shoulder is sore and I've got a big welt on my left cheekbone.  Thankfully nothing is broken.

After dusting myself off and making sure I didn't have any serious injuries I continued my run.  My adrenaline was pumping after the fall and the next few miles were as good as the first half of the run.  Then I hit mile 10 and I lost all my energy.  Maybe I need more water or maybe I ran too fast early on, or maybe I'm just not that strong yet.  I don't know.  But the last three miles of the run were tough (as you can see in the chart).

Next week is a 'step-back' week where the long run is only 9 miles.  Then the following week's long run is 14 miles.  But I may opt to redo this week's plan instead since I'm not happy with my progress so far.  Since I have many months before the marathon I have no problem stretching out the program a few weeks or months.

Off to ice my face now.

 

Here's me after icing.  The skin is red from the ice, not the injury.  Nice bump, eh?

And no more Nazar!

6 Slow Miles on the W&OD

Today's run was a slow paced 6 mile event.  I set the Garmin for a 9:15 minute/mile pace but I didn't really look at it too closely during the run.  I'm trying to learn my pace by 'feel', and I think I've learned over the last few weeks that a 9:15 pace is what I'm comfortable running when I run 'slow'.

Unfortunately during the last mile I had a bathroom emergency.  Last night we had a Thai curry for dinner and that, coupled with the bran flake cereal dessert, did not sit well.  Lesson learned: no curries before long runs.

My splits were a little erratic, but on average my pace was just under 9:15 which was my goal. 

3 Slow Miles on the W&OD Trail

Today I ran three slow miles on the W&OD trail.  I have to admit that my legs were tired after yesterday's 6 mile run.  Actually... my whole body was tired.  I think I need more sleep and more fuel in my belly.  I only had oatmeal this morning and then soup and some bread for lunch.  After work I had a ClifBar about an hour before the run.  Usually that is enough to fuel my run, but today it seemed lacking.

Still, I enjoyed the run and three miles goes by like nothing now. 

Tomorrow is a day of rest and then 6 miles on Saturday and 12 miles on Sunday.

(I'm not sure what happened to the chart.  The bars on the sides are 'squished')

6 Slow Miles at Haynes Point, Washington DC

My mid-week 'semi-long run'. Today was warm (high 70s/low 80s) and a bit humid. My run was supposed to be a relaxed run, but again I was so energized about running downtown that I started out too fast and tried to maintain that pace. Even though I set my Garmin for 9:15 miles (which should have been 9:30 miles) I tried to run faster. I ended up averaging 9:00 miles with a steady decline in speed as the run went on (corresponding to the elevation change on the return as well as my energy/heat levels). 

I started my run at 10:00 with the idea of beating the heat.  Probably I should have started at 9:00 because I was feeling overheated by the time I got back to work at 11:00.  I need to remember to pack a hat and sunscreen next time too.

I had a ClifBar half and hour before setting out and that helped.  I liked the flavor of this one (white chocolate with macadamia nuts) but the fat content was worse than the other ones I've been eating.  I don't think I'll restock this one.

3.5 Miles on the Mall in DC

I ran on the Mall today.  I decided to do this since they were calling for rain later in the day.  Of course as soon as I got outside at 10:00 it was sprinkling.  It let up though after a while and really, it never bothered me.  The temperature was great and there was no wind at all.  There were a lot of tourists to avoid but besides that it was a great run.  I was supposed to go slow but I felt like pushing myself and I ran about 8:30 miles.

Not much to report nutritionally.  Oatmeal breakfast.  Chicken dumplings last night with bok choy. 

11 Miles on the W&OD Trail

Today I was scheduled for my long run of the week - eleven miles at a comfortable pace.  I've picked 9:30/mile as my pace for these runs.  It's 45 seconds per mile off of my desired marathon pace.  I set the Garmin for 9:30 miles and set off.

It was a beautiful day. The kind of clear day you get after a day of heavy rain. My only issue is that there was a bit of a breeze and, as luck would have it, it was in my face for the return trip. This, coupled with the fact that the return trip is mostly uphill, made the return less enjoyable than going out. But only slightly less so. I felt great today.  I went out 5.5 miles, turned around and came back.  My average pace was less than the 9:30 I aimed for.  According to the Garmin it was around 9:16/mile.

I did get a 'stitch' in my abdomen around the 6 mile mark that lasted almost until mile 10.  I attribute it to the heavy food I ate last night at my uncle Ed's 70th birthday party.  It was worth it. :-)

Now to replenish a bit with a light snack.

6 Pace Miles on the Treadmill

Today I was scheduled to run 6 "pace" miles (at my desired marathon pace).  I actually ran faster than that because I was on the treadmill and that is always easier than running outside). I don't know the exact time of my run.  After 4.25 miles I accidentally hit the STOP button and ended my workout.  I noted my distance but not my time.  I ran the remaining 1.75 miles as a separate workout.  I think 50 minutes is a good approximation of the time.  If you want to do the math, this is what I ran...

3 miles @ 7.0 mph
1 mile @ 7.2 mph
1 mile @ 7.4 mph
.75 miles @ 7.6 mph
.25 miles @ 8.0 mph

(all without any incline)

Regardless of the actual speed/time, I felt great.  Last night Handan and I pigged out at the Outback restaurant.  We shared their dessert trio sampler (brownie w/ ice cream, cheesecake, carrot cake) and ate ourselves sick.  Of course this was after crab cake appetizers and our meat and potato main courses (pork tenderloin for me, rack of lamb for Handan).   Despite the bloated feelings last night, all the food gave me a lot of energy for today's run.  I only wish it wasn't raining outside so I could have run on the trail instead.

3 Miles on the W&OD

Today was an unfortunate collision of perfect long-run weather and a short-run on the schedule.  I followed the schedule even though there couldn't be better weather for a long, long run.

I felt really good today and ran quickly despite the instructions to run off of my goal pace.  I ran pretty much what my marathon pace should be (ideally).

6 Miles on the Treadmill

I mixed up the speed between 6.5 and 7.0 mph and did part on a 1.0 incline and part flat (0.0).  I felt pretty good except by mile 5 I got a 'stitch' and slowed myself down for a while until it went away.  I think I wasn't hydrated properly.

I ran for 54 minutes which averages out to 9 minute miles.  That's probably too fast for what was supposed to be a 'slow run'. 

3.6 Miles on the Treadmill at the Gym

Today begins week four of my training routine.  The schedule called for an easy 3 mile run.  I went to the gym because it was raining outside.  I set the treadmill for 33 minutes, 6.5 mph (9.13 pace) and 1.0 incline.  I ran that pace pretty easily.  For the last 3 minutes I bumped up the pace to 7.5 mph just for fun.  That brought me to 3.6 miles.  More than I was supposed to run, but it really felt good.

Post run I'm enjoying a banana with peanut butter for some carb and protein replenishment. :)

6 Slow Miles on the local loop

Exercise
I haven't run the local loop lately.  This is a favorite path of mine... W&OD trail to Runnymead trail to the Folly Lick trail to home.  It's about a 7 mile loop.  I ran 6 miles without focusing on my Garmin... I just tried to judge my pace by how I felt.  It is supposed to be a slow pace wherein I could hold a conversation if I wanted to.  Since I ran alone I didn't try talking with myself. 

Looking at the run data it seems as if I was feeling better and better until that last mile (which is mostly uphill) when I slowed a bit.  My slow pace is supposed to be around a 9:30 mile, but I did a little more than that.  Anyway, I felt good and it was a nice run.  After the 6 miles I reset the Garmin and ran another 0.9 to get home, but very slowly (and again all uphill).


This reminds me- I'll have to start running hills sometime.  The marathon course has hills at mile 3 and at mile 8 which I'll need to be prepared for.

Nutrition
Last night I had Handan's Kofte with Bulgar along with sweet potatoes and some clementine oranges.  This morning I had a ClifBar for breakfast.  I think for a 6 mile run I might need a little more fuel.  I'll try to eat more in the future (or bring a Gu gel).

 

(what happened to the chart?)

5 Pace Miles on the W&OD

Today I set the Garmin for an 8:45 pace (my desired wish-list marathon pace) and ran 5 miles. Unfortunately I was not disciplined and I ran too fast to start so I petered out a little for the last mile. Still, I felt really good out there today... no pain in my foot, ankle, bowels or toes.

Last night I had two slices of pesto veggie pizza (home made) for dinner followed by a big bowl of cereal with non-fat milk and craisins.  This morning I had two cups of coffee (decaf) and a ClifBar.  I don't think I ran out of fuel during the run.   The last mile was slower just because I spent my muscle energy in the first four miles.  Lesson learned: I need to focus more on pacing in my training.

5K (3.1 Miles) on the W&OD

Today's run was supposed to be an easy three miler.  But I was feeling so good after work that I pushed myself to run at my fast pace.  I didn't even use the Garmin to pace myself.  I just ran as best as I felt I could. 

I did get a 'stitch' in my side after only about half a mile, but it wasn't so bad that it slowed me down.  I kept running and even though it never really went away it also didn't bother me.  My ankle bothered me a little to start out but that went away as well.

I think the pain I had in my side might have been due to the fact that I ate lunch later than usual today because work was busy today.  Aside from my bowl of chili for lunch and my oatmeal at breakfast I also had a banana in the early afternoon and a PowerBar on the way home from work.

Tomorrow I rest and then Saturday is 5 miles at race pace (8:45).

I went to the foot doctor after my run.  He thinks the wart is gone, but just to be sure he gave me one more acid treatment.  You can rest assured that I'll be much more careful when I take the bandage off this time!

 

NOTE: chart is in 1/2 mile increments 

5 Miles on the Treadmill

Today I ran 5 miles in 43 minutes.  I started at 6.5 mph and 0.5 incline. Every 5 minutes I added 0.1 mph.  until I was running 7.2 mph for minutes 35-40.  For the last 3 minutes I bumped up to 7.5 mph just for fun. I really felt strong today.  Same as yesterday, I ate a ClifBar as soon as I left work and that fueled my running.  I will continue with this practice.

Tomorrow I have another appointment with the foot doctor for my wart.  The wart seems (to my untrained eye) to be all gone and nothing but good flesh remains.  But what do I know.  I really hope that's the case and the doctor doesn't do anything to hinder my running tomorrow (3 miles again).

3 Easy Treadmill Miles

Tuesday is an easy day.  Three miles on the treadmill at 6.5 mph and 0.5 incline.  It felt so effortless today I think maybe I should have gone a little faster or with more incline.  But Hal Higdon's instructions (week 3 of his Intermediate Level 1 program) were less-than-exact, so I opted on the easy side.

Tomorrow is a 5 mile run, again at a "comfortable pace" (whatever that means).

One thing that I think went well today was this - I ate a Clif Bar right when I left work at 2:15.  By the time I got to the gym it was 3:35 (or so), and I think that was just enough time for my body to start turning the food into fuel for my run.  At least it felt that way.

Whatever the reason, today's run felt (as I said) effortless.  I like days like that. :-D

I'm following up the run with a bowl of cereal with non-fat milk.  I've read that eating within 30 minutes of exercise is key to replenishing stores of carbohydrates and rebuilding muscles.

9 Mile Long Run

Today was my day for the nine mile 'long run' (again).  As you may recall, I already ran this distance a few weeks ago.  But since I had my setback with my foot I decided to redo the Week Two training plan.

Exercise
The weather was great for running today.  There was a little wind, at my back to begin and in my face at the end of the run.  But still it was a joy being outside on a day like today... 50s and sunny and SPRING. :)  I set my Garmin for a 9:30 pace and for the most part I stayed pretty much on-pace for the run.  You can see in the chart that some miles were better than others, but on average I was only off a few seconds either way.

Physically
I felt good today.  My legs didn't tire until the last mile or so.  My lungs were strong as were my back and my shoulders.  Digestive-wise... that was another story.  Last night we'd eaten out (Thai food) and even though I'd gone to the bathroom before I began my run, at mile 4 I began to have a certain urgency in my bowels that I couldn't satisfy until I was home 45 minutes later.  That was quite a distraction!

Additionally I could feel that a toenail was giving me problems throughout the run.  I don't know how this suddenly cropped up as I felt absolutely no problem yesterday.  But there it was... scratching and digging into my flesh the entire run.  It wasn't so bad that I had to stop and walk (or call a cab), but bad enough to make me uncomfortable in my normal gait.

Nutrition
I went out this morning at around 10:00am after having woken up at 8:30 (or thereabouts).  We'd been up late watching TV last night but I was pretty well rested when I left.  Since we ate more yesterday than I normally do (with our guests visiting we do things differently... I'll have to be careful about that when the marathon comes since we'll have guests then too) this morning I was still feeling full.  I didn't eat anything before heading out, and that was OK.  I had lots of energy from the food yesterday (chicken curry with rice, mango with sticky rice, and later cereal before bed).  As I mentioned though, the digestive after-effects of the meal did bother my run.

I ingested a Gu gel pack at mile 4 (Chocolate) and that seemed to help the second half of my run.  I like that flavor but I'm still not used to the texture and consistency of the gel.  I think I need to take it with more water.

So, overall I was very happy with the run despite the digestive and toenail issues.

Next week is a slow week, and then another week of building my mileage base towards the marathon.

5 Miles on the W&OD Trail

Exercise
I ran five very inconsistent miles. I was feeling alternately tired and energized. I think it had something to do with the slope of the trail. But also I think my poor sleep and a lot of walking at the Smithsonian yesterday contributed to my overall lethargy. I was trying for a pace of 9 minute miles, but my splits were all over the place. I walked a bit in mile #4.

Nutrition
Last night Handan cooked salmon and mashed potatoes and a nice salad.  Later at night we all had chocolate truffles which Tolga bought for us at the Reston Town Center.  A great night's eating, but not great for my run this morning.  I felt like I had no fuel in the tank... even after having a PowerBar this morning.