New Mileage Records in March

I have always counted my weekly mileage from Sunday to Saturday just because it's straight across one line on the calendar but maybe I should do Monday to Sunday so I don't get 2 long runs in one week. But last week I just happened to do a long one on Sunday one week and Saturday this week with a couple 9 mile days in between and skipped right over the 50 mile mark and hit 60 last week, previous best was in the 40's. I also hit 155 miles for the month of March and that has to be well over any other month.
Saturdays long run at Hinckley was one of the harder long runs I've ever done, but those hills will make us stronger when the Akron Marathon comes around again. Dan and I met Chuck and Charles at 8am and we all ran some miles together, C and C ran about 11 I'm guessing and we ran 21-22 or more but not sure exactly cause Mr. Garmins were not catching a great signal on all those hills and it will only get worse when the leaves fill in soon.
April will be here in just one hour and it should be a good running month with a couple half marathons and the Nashville Country Music Marathon near the end of the month.

Lots of Miles and Rest Days, Last Week of March 2009

Sunday afternoon we had a group run starting at our house with 9 people in attendance running anywhere between 10 and 21 miles. Marsha's group of 5 ran 10 miles while my group of 4 ran varying distances. Dan and I had planned on doing 19 but talked and decided that maybe we would do a bit more. Our 4 some was me, Dan, Chuck and Charles. Charles ran our Chippewa loop of 11.7 miles and left when we arrived back at my house, Chuck ran that loop plus the almost 2.7 miles back to his house (14.4 total miles) because when he got to my house he locked his keys in his car. Dan and I kept going from Chucks house circling the hilly south side of town and reached 21 miles before we got back to my house in about 3 hours averaging somewhere around a 8:38 pace for the entire run. It's fun to tell non running friends we did this because they think it is insane as my old high school friend told me. I took the next 2 days off to recoup as I knew we would be doing speedwork again on Wednesday evening. We had a nice turn out tonight with Chris Rolling making his speedwork debut along with Charles Elkins, Chuck Damman, Frank Dywer, Dan DeRosha and myself. We did almost 9.5 miles while doing 7 800's averaging I'd say about 3:07 per 800. Now it's time for another one of those rest days but I will be running Friday with Marsha for her marathon pace run and probably Saturday morning. With 2 runs this week and 2 coming up it could be a record week with 30 miles already racked up. A record week possible with 3 rest days in there.

MCRR Group Meeting

Tonight we had a great meeting. Joanie from Half Moon Yoga came and did a yoga session with us. I came to find out that we are a bunch of whiners! First we had a group run and ran 5 miles at a 9:12 pace, Joanie led most of the run. Then we changed clothes, spread out yoga matts and got to work. Wow what a workout, I had forgotten how hard yoga is! I hope that I am not too sore tomorrow!

Strongsville Super Saturday

Marsha and I ran this race this morning Saturday March 21. They have a 1 mile race and a 5k race and we ran both last year and won some really nice trophies so we decided to run both again this year. We arrived early and ran the 1 mile course for a warm up and then ran a fast 1 mile. I ran it in 5:47 last year and ran it in 5:33 this year and won my age group for the second time 2 years and was 6th overall out of 90 runners, Marsha ran 6:44 last year and knocked 16 seconds off her time with a 6:28 and won her age group also. Now this race is over and we have less than 20 minutes til the 5K begins so we hang around outside and talk to friends til we line up again. I lined up in the front to avoid the large crowd of 364 runners and went off faster than I should and hit the 1 mile mark at 5:55, too fast with the LARGE hill coming up in mile 2 but headed up that darn hill nice and steady with some company. I end up following the guy I beat last week by 2 seconds up the hill until he slows to a walk and I pass him, knowing that he would be coming I kept pushing and not long after there he is again. He (V.R.) passes me when we get to Rt. 82 and picks up the pace which I then have to to keep up with him, as we get down to the last 1/4 mile I pull up next to him and we both begin a sprint to the finish and again I just make it to the finish line 2 seconds in front of him with a 20:21. (19 seconds slower than last week but great for this hillier course and 2 minutes 6 seconds better than last year). I finished in 36th place overall and Marsha finished in 23:41 in 112th overall and beating last years time by 54 seconds. This is a very well run race and has the nicest wicking t-shirt of any 5K we have ever ran, some of the nicest trophies also.

REST NEEDED

This is my 5th consecutive day in a row to run, Saturday's 5K with a 2 mile warm up and 1 mile cool down for a total of 6 then Sunday's hilly run with Connie's group (8 miles) then Monday nights 6 fast tempo run miles with Chuck then speedwork tonight that has my calves feeling a bit tight (almost 9 miles). Now I'm thinking I need a couple days off but Marsha needs to run 7 miles at her tempo pace tomorrow and I may have to let her down unless I feel really good tomorrow. I think I need the next 2 days off to rest the calves and the rest of my body so I can start all over again with Super Saturday's 5k and a 19 mile run planned for this Sunday.

21 miles

Last REALLY long run before Nashville. This was my third longest run ever. Sharon and Nancy joined Lisa and I for the first 11 miles, which was very nice as the conversations made the run fly by! Lisa and I then ran 10 miles. The whole run was ran at a pace of 10:30.

The New Season Has Begun

This week was a week of firsts for the season, 1. did speedwork for the first time this season on Wednesday evening, Ladd, Marsha, Chuck, Dan D. and Frank atending. It was a good work out for my 1st outing, probably a little to fast being we did a 200 to start then 400's with 200 recoveries and 800's with 400 recoveries. Our first 800 at 2:59 then 3:00 and 3:23 and I don't think I ever ran an 800 under 3:00. Now I just have to keep doing our weekly speedwork and hopefully we'll have some new PR's for 2009.
2. Saturday was our first Subway Challenge series race in Louisville, the Louisville Leoprachaun 5K. Their biggest race yet with 323 entrants, I tried to sprint to the finish line when I saw the clock but missd breaking 20 minutes by seconds with a time of 20:02 finishing 33rd overall and 2nd in my age group, Marsha finished in 22:59 in 93rd overall and 2nd in her age group and also breaking 23 minutes for only the second time ever. I now owe her a backrub due to a bet I made her, I told her I would beat her by 1 minute for every mile we ran ( 3 minutes ) and I guess I lost being I only beat her by 2 minutes 57 seconds. Next up Super Saturday in Strongsville.
Today I picked up Charles, Chris R. and Chuck and we ran almost 8 miles in Peninsula with Connie's group. The hills we ran up were enormous. Glad I had a tee time that I had to get back to because the 4 of us left after the 1st loop and Connie's group went back out for another pass.

Lots of March Miles (10 Friday, 17 Sunday)

Friday I got off work and Dan D. and I ran 10 miles in 1 hour 22 minutes at around a 8:15 pace, it was a perfect afternoon with the temps in the lower 60's, perfect for shorts and a t-shirt. We took a little different route than normal, we ran from Ryan to the black Chippewa Rail Trail to 162 to Deerpath into Buckeye Woods and out into the large field near 42 and then onto a trail that takes you towards the other park down the road (where we came upon a young couple making out, talking as we were approaching them they didn't hear us til they were somewhat surprised to see us), from there we were already at 6 or more miles so we ran back up 162 and home for a perfect 10 miler just past my house. This now stands as the longest after work run I have ever done. Saturday was to be the first Subway race but Marsha was sick all week and didn't want to run it which was a pretty good idea since we had a 17 mile run planned for today. So this morning we get up and it was pouring and the forecast showed a 90% chance of rain all day and temps in the lower 40's. The first cancellation call was at 7:45 then another at 8:15 and another forgot to change the clock, another passed yesterday due to the forecast and one no show but we did have 5 brave people for this group run. Marsha, Lisa G. and Sharon S. all ran 10 miles and Dan D. and I ran 17 miles. Over 10 miles down to Chippewa and back then 7 more over towards Lexington Ridge and back. It was dry for about the first 7 miles then the rain picked up and we got soaked head to toe but I still enjoyed it a lot. A run like this makes every other run seem like a piece of cake!

Training and the weather

What a great day for a run..... 40's and rain, constant rain. Woke up to the sound of pouring rain, we weren't sure anyone would show up for the scheduled group run. We were expecting to have 10 runners, but 4 men and 1 woman cancelled this morning, which looked like the smart thing to do. The run consisted of Lisa, Sharon and I running 10 miles at a 10:40 pace and Ladd and Dan running 17 at an 8:15 pace. To be honest there was no rain during 4 miles of the run, but the last 4 miles were so bad that I forgot the good miles....

March Has Arrived

Monday was March 2 and I don't like to take 2 days in a row off so I decided to go for a run even though it was pretty cold, so what I ran a half marathon in the mid teens but this was cold. When I left it was maybe 18 out but the windchill I later found out was below ZERO, the first 5 miles out really weren't to bad but the last 3 heading home were insanely cold. Ran the 8 mile loop on the Chippewa trails in 1hour and 2 min. (7:50 pace), when I walked in the door I could barely untie my shoe laces. After getting the shoes off and looking for volunteers to help me warm my hands, Kyle said my hands were colder than ice, I called the dog and the cat over and and petted them til I could feel my fingers again. Off Tuesday, and today, Wednesday I ran 4 miles in 30 min. 44 seconds (7:44 pace) and it was about 38 degrees but it was amazingly warm compared to Monday and the forecast is looking up. Friday I have plans to run 10 miles with a 5k possible on Sat. but not looking good unless Marsha gets better soon and a group run early Sunday morning for ten miles with the group with a couple of us going on to get in 17 for the day. How many people will do the 17 with us Dan D.?

Can't even think.... Sinuses blocked

Had my highest mileage week to date last week. I ran 43.5 miles: 10 on Sunday (our group run), 4.5 on Monday (MCRR group run), Tuesday-rest day, Wednesday 4 mile pace run (8:20)with Ladd with a 1 mile w/u / c/d (5 total), Thursday strength training, Friday, 5 miles with Abra and Ladd, and lastly 19 miles on Saturday with Lisa as part of our training for Nashville. Then on Sunday, I started feeling sick. Today I came home from work, as my head feels detached and I was having a hard time focusing on anything! Hoping it will pass quick with rest and relaxation. No running yet this week, did strength training this morning, no plans for any running for a couple days.