It doesn't get better than this

I worked a little late Tuesday night and didn't have much sunlight left to hit the Pimmit Run trail for an hour, so I took it as far as I could- out to Bryan Branch, then back via Old Dominion and New Virginia Manor for 10 miles at about 7:00 pace.

Wednesday I had my ritual steak and eggs breakfast in advance of the evening's workout, which I had high hopes for- 5xmile starting at 5:15 and speeding up five seconds from there. When we got back from our warmup, the high school meet on the track was still raging, so we had to look at our options. We decided on the Capital Crescent Trail, which had half mile markers and a one-mile stretch between Connecticut Ave and the tunnel. The drawback is that heading north means going downhill and south is back uphill.
We started out downhill and finished in 5:08- I started a little late and caught up. It seemed too easy. The second was 5:11, but it was tough. The third was 4:58 and easy again, but the fourth was a struggle. I went out in 2:32, but fell back over the second half when my turnover wasn't quite there and finished in 5:17. By then it was pretty dark, and I spent enough time worrying about whether I would trip in the myriad of ditches and holes in the trail, so I retired to the track, which was just about to clear. That fourth mile busted me, though. I started to do some miles on the track, but had no sense of pace and went 70 seconds for a first lap, then jogged around a bit. I decided to try again, but felt wasted after a 75 quarter. I met up with the guys who finished the workout on the trail and we cooled down on the track while watching Diddy put some miles away, getting as fast as 4:23.

Thursday morning I woke early to head to the office so I could run among the cherry trees on Hains Point. It was miserably humid and I wasn't thrilled to do a second loop, so I headed back and just did 10. The cherry blossoms looked okay, but the real feature was the fog- I couldn't see Virginia from the west side of Hains Point. Not before I saw a guy who looked like Neal Hannan running. It turned out, however, to be his twin brother, Veal.

Looking at the forecast, Saturday morning looked rough, so I decided to do my weekend workout Friday morning. That meant an early wakeup -- 5:30 -- so I could get some water and ease into it. I headed out to McLean High School in the dark. I passed a few other runners, and wasn't feeling too spry, myself. The track was shrouded in fog and I didn't waste any time getting started with 20 minutes aiming for 5:30s. I was a little slow, though, running 5:31s, and was feeling awful. Part of me wanted to go home, but then I set myself straight. I woke up early, and I certainly wasn't going to be falling asleep again if I went home, so I might as well finish what I started. Also, this was my last chance to get an ambitious workout in that would contribute to my race at Cherry Blossom, so run I must!

I made it 14.5 laps in 20 minutes, and took an easy mile for recovery, but then the fog had lifted and the sun was all over the place. I figured I had nothing to lose from giving it a shot and running 80 second laps as long as I could. I was a little fast- 78 for the first one, and slowed only slightly as I came through my splits exactly on time- 5:20, 10:40 (with a 79.99 eight lap) and 16:00. I was a little slow on 13, but picked it up for 14 and 15 and finished in exactly 20, giving me an even 1:20.00 average. Beautiful. I thought back to the last time I did this workout successfully and remembered that I wasn't terribly sharp in the first segment, then was fine for the second. I felt like I was definitely running much harder to hit 5:31s than to hit 5:20s. When running 80s, every time I came through the 200, I threw in threw our four quick steps to keep turnover from slipping, and I think that helped. I did a longer cooldown on Westmoreland and felt magnificent. I took photos of the average split time to relish them, but I can't seem to get them off of my camera, so, no art for this post.

Saturday morning I ran all of the Pimmit Run Trail in a light rain. I finally saw the rest of the downstream section. Once I got to the end, I went up Glebe, Old Glebe, Glebe again,Williamsburg and through part of NVM to Orland, then I walked in from Longfellow for 14, no need for 15. I totaled 91 for the week and felt strong. Unfortunately, at some point on the trail, my right leg rubbed some poison ivy, to which I had just lost my immunity last year.

Sunday morning I went out for a new variation on my Brook loop. It was slightly misty in the mid 50s and felt very comfortable. I started out with a  6:15 for the first mile, but then ran 6:00 for the next. That was going to be the way things shook out. I wrote the names of the new streets I would be running on my warm, but the ink was already running seven miles in when I was supposed to turn on Daleview. I saw a "no outlet" sign, so I figured that much be the wrong road. Then I looked closely at my arm and realized it was right, and I would take my chances that the sign was full of it. I came across some fancy new houses and caught the right roads and figured out what the sign meant- there was an outlet, but drivers were discouraged from taking it because it looked like a driveway- one car wide. I then came across what might have been the nexus on the universe- the intersection of Old Tolson Mill Road and Old Tolson Mill Road. It looked like running ahead would take me into a yard, so I took a left and down a hill to a creek then back up the hill...into someone's yard. I turned around and went back, sure now that the mile markers I had committed to memory were not at least a quarter mile off. I came out on Bellview and was right in the middle of some rough Great Falls hills. It only got steeper when I crossed Old Dominion, and I was smelling lobster just about nine miles in. I didn't let that bother me, though, and took it as a challenge to push through it.

Drivers on Georgetown Pike were mostly (all but two) generous with a little space on the lack of a shoulder, and I gave so many thank you waves that I worried they seemed insincere after a while. After crossing the beltway, I ventured into the neighborhood north of GTP and liked what I saw-- rolling hills and not much traffic. Some middle-aged woman running along seemed annoyed to have to share to road with me, though I had given her a wide berth. As I wound through the neighborhood, I realized that I was doing exactly what I loved, and it couldn't get any better than this. I got back down to the rental car neighborhood (Mayflower and Enterprise) and nearly fell on my face after slipping in mud, but kept cranking. I hit 1:45 and decided to keep it up and crank it on Rupert and Lemon. I passed two hours at Crutchfield and finished up in 2:04 flat. I mapped it out to be a little more than 20.4, for a 6:03 average. A lot faster than I had planned, but it's hard to measure just how much pleasure a run like that gave me. More than anything, it gave me the confidence to head into the last month or two of my spring season with assertiveness. I can't wait until after Cherry Blossom, when I can let loose and work the miles for a few weeks. If I don't earn a Pittsburgh half entry, I'm seriously considering Cleveland, which will certainly give me a few more weeks to train.

Monday I ran an easy 8 at 6:30 pace on the Westmoreland loop. Tuesday I came home with every intention of running 10, but instead I lied around and didn't run. Wednesday's trip to the track was somewhat unnecessary, because I had my own plans and would not really get anything at BCC I couldn't do at home. I did three moderate miles- 5:12, 5:16, 5:14 and called it a day with a long cooldown. Thursday morning I did an easy reverse Westmoreland at 6:31 pace. I'll run nice and easily this afternoon, an Oak tomorrow morning with a fast 9th mile, then an easy Park++ Saturday. Sunday, I'd like to start no faster than 5:20, speed up a little over the next few miles, but really attack miles 4-9, then smell the finish line. I'm thrilled to be able to run this race, a month ago I wasn't sure it would be feasible. Even after I started running again, my quads felt like they were tearing apart. Luckily everything has tied itself up nicely.

I'll miss the Spider Relays and Monument Ave 10k, a bummer indeed, but I want to be sure I'm rested for Sunday.

Meanwhile a new Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Pittsburgh will kick off in August 2013. Though its scheduling was done with regard to the Great Race in October, holding it in early August is dubious, at best. I have confidence that it won't have the same fly-by-night, generic marketing act that 2009's Spirit  of Pittbsurgh Half Marathon carried, but at least those buffoons had the wisdom to run it in the fall. 

Also, the Richmond Marathon has a new sponsor-Anthem health insurance. As the Times-Dispatch article describes, the finish line will move for all three races. 

One-day rebound

The Tuesday afternoon following the Boston trip, I did an easy 12 miles out and back to Vienna on the W&OD, averaging 6:50s.

Wednesday night's track workout did not go well. It was warm and I didn't come prepared with enough to drink. I was exhausted from the weekend's lack of sleep and I was getting a little sick, and running did not help this time. I did the first two miles fine- 5:14 and 5:08. After a few steps of the 5:05, I stopped running. I tried a few other times to start up again, but my will to go on really wasn't there. I jogged a few cooldown laps with Beth and Dart.

I stayed in Bethesda Wednesday night in hopes of getting a good night's sleep and dispensing with the hour-long trip home, but I ended up being unable to fall asleep until after 1. I got up at 6 to go meet Jake, Luffy and Karl to run, but felt fine. The weather was superb. We did a little more than 7 and I continued to feel fine, then got totally manic at work before crashing at 3. I ran five more miles when I got home, but was pretty wiped out, despite continuing awesome weather.

I planned to run around Crystal City during the evening 5k and watch the race, but the cold rain made me reconsider, in hope of keeping myself healthy for my workout the next morning.

That night in Princeton, Luffy ran 14:15 and Tim Quinn hit 14:08. I know I say it a lot, but I remember when guys on the Richmond team were impressed with Hannay ran 15:07. Now we have three guys under 14:09 (Benford- 13:55, Llano-14:00 and Quinn). The best part has been Tim's consistent improvement. To paraphrase my high school coach, you can train Benford and Llano by having them drink beer and lift weights...Quinn's improvement, along with the rest of the Spiders' depth, is testament to Steve's coaching acumen.

I was a little bummed nobody was interested in running the four mile special Saturday morning, but no matter, I would achieve on my own! I did a good warmup, put on my old Nike Milers from 2004, which only come out for the cross country alumni race, and had at it. Great pacing in the first mile- 75.04, 2:30 on the nose, 3:45.17, 5:00.09. My recovery 400 was not good, though- 94 seconds, and I rushed to get it that fast. I did a few 400s and 800s, but never really felt up to continuing to run. I couldn't put together a decent workout. Surely my choice of hobbies needed some reexamination... I sat around with my friend's bird I'm minding, pissed off.

I went home and lied around for a while. After drifting in and out of a nap for 45 minutes, I checked to see if Alex would be up for keeping me company on his bike while I did a 10/10/10 p-word. None such luck, he was going out to dinner. I'd be on my own again.

It was 70 degrees and humid when I got going. I felt light and energetic, better than I expected. I got going too fast- 2:40 at the half mile mark, so I made a conscious effort to slow down- it worked moderately- 5:30 at the mile. Ugh, fast again, I always take this workout out too fast. Then I had to wait on the median on Route 7 to cross, the first time traffic interrupted one of these. I stayed loose into the Pinecastle neighborhood, but still came through 45 seconds soon, so I jogged around until I hit 10 minutes. I kept things more under control in the second 10 minutes- 2:52 at the half (right on), but 5:38 at the mile. I switched the second 10 minutes to follow Virginia and do and out-and-back on Hurst and Center, which is a lot flatter than going down Nottingham and coming back up the trail by Idylwood Park right before starting the third 10 minute interval. I started my last interval hoping to run close to five minute pace, though the last two times I have done this workout I have faded in the fourth quarter of the first mile and averaged 5:15 and 5:17. The entire stretch is on the W&OD Trail, which has markers every half mile, though they don't line up exactly with where I start, but I have a few landmarks that are easy enough to see when I am trying to keep my eyes up. I hit Virginia Lane at 75 for a little more than a quarter, which is a little fast, but downhill, though narrow. The next half mile rolls, and I managed to keep a consistent rhythm, coming through that measured half in 2:30 and getting a passing compliment from a biker. This is where these workouts usually falter, and I felt like the heat was going to give me trouble, but when I hit the second marker I was at 4:59. With less than four minutes to go, I found no reason not to just keep going. The trail crosses a few small streets, but there was only traffic at one, and I got through the intersection faster as a result. Time was counting up to 30 minutes, and I just wanted to get close to the telephone pole near the Great Falls intersection that marked a little more than two miles from my starting point. I made it.

In the end, I had what was probably my best workout of the season, not 12 hours after what I thought was the end of my competitive season, because I couldn't imagine trying to race after having run like I did in the morning. I have run under 10 minutes for two miles twice this year- 9:55 and 9:56, both in track races, in spikes, pulled along by other runners, after a dead start. This time, after running decently hard for 20 minutes, with nothing really pulling me along, I ran pretty much the same pace. I also felt great doing it. When I have raced lately, I haven't felt the same drive I had from 2004-2009, when I would just go out and lead road races and still be pushing at the end with nobody to chase, including races where I didn't have anyone contend with me at all. There are a lot of workouts when I wonder where that drive has gone, then I have workouts like these, where I know I've found it. In the end, that is going to be necessary for me to run a good time at Maryland next Thursday. I'm not going to have a huge pack to stick in and run with, even if I have someone else, a good portion of my race will require the same drive that this workout took.

Sunday morning, I ran with Jake, JARRIN and Tex on the trails behind JARRIN Manor. It was warm, humid, muddy and hilly and I was pretty tired. I did about seven miles and called it a day. I decided against running in the afternoon.

Monday morning, I got up to do 400s at the George Marshall track. It was muggy and I was tired, but I got up there and started off with 70,69,70,69, with a large goose watching me from the long jump runway. When I started number five, though, that same ambivalence and malaise hit me, and I was done. I did some 200s, but I felt empty and once again lacking the drive to keep going. Suffice to say, 400s are hard on your own.

Getting my groove on, so to speak

I always look at a stretch of training in Pittsburgh as an opportunity to get myself in a shape in a hurry- there's no choice if you put in the work on the hills that permeate the region.

Wednesday night, I joined the GRC guys at BCC for their 2.5-mile warmup and then added four miles around the track during their workout. Not bad, a PR for distance since I came back.

I came back to Pittsburgh on the Thursday before Christmas with plans to run with Ann Mazur, another Pittsburgh native who now runs for Charlottesville's Ragged Mountain Running. When I arrived home, however, she blew me off, so it made me that much happier that the GRC beat her men's team at nationals. I ended up waiting until rather late to run, and attempted the 6.5-mile winding Mt. Washington run that I did while recovering from my seizure in 2006. I made it 2.5 miles before I gave up -- the snow and hills combined with my brisk early pace to send my heart rate through the roof. That evening I accomplished one of my culinary goals-- a meatball sandwich, at the Bigham Tavern a few blocks from my mom's house. Matt Ciccone and I enjoyed simultaneous Penguins and Steelers victories.

Friday morning I headed to Mt. Lebanon for the annual WPIAL alumni run. Two other GRC-related dudes showed up- Predator and Scott Munro, who first told me about the team a few years ago. We had probably our biggest group, larger, perhaps, than the original run in 2000.

From Mt. Lebanon- myself,

Greg Costello, Mark Delaney and Ross McGowan

Baldwin- Larry Quinn, Ryan Sheehan, Dan Mazzocco

Cannon-Mac- Taryn, Kyle, Gibson

Chartiers Valley- Ryan Hanson, Marco Dozzi

Peters Township- Michelle Corkum

Seneca Valley- Matt Gaudet

Highlands- Tom Slosky

Norwin- Jess McGuire

Thomas Jefferson- Brad Shapiro

Carrick- Craig Woshner

Riverview- Dave Hackworth

Bethel Park- Ed Koontz

South Park- Scott Munro

Northgate- Brandon Gillingham

Pine-Richland- Greg Byrnes

Notable absences: Timmy Wu, Sean Kennedy, any North Allegheny guys, Brian Quinn,

A good group, but unfortunately much faster than I was ready to accompany. I stuck with the pack well through 5.5 miles, but going up Kane destroyed me. I tried to stick with Moonrow and Maz, but my heart was pounding and I was gasping for breath. Thank goodness Slosky was also in rudimentary shape, because he hung back with me and kept me going up Bower Hill Road to Kelso. We took it very slowly the rest of the way and in doing so I hit my longest run yet- 8.25 miles. I was able to eat one of two pancakes at Gab & Eat, which was actually a good sign.

Christmas morning I went out on my own and ran a 5.5 mile loop in Schenley Park- down the hill from the overlook to the collegiate trail, back up to Phipps, then backwards up through the golf course and down Serpentine and to the car. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't hard.

I was planning to run around Fox Chapel the morning after Christmas, but I decided to go to church with my dad and stepmother to hear my brother Edward sing. I hadn't heard him before, despite my appreciation and encouragement for his pursuit of a music education. He was outstanding. Later that day, I made up a new loop in the West End. Starting at Tramps, I headed up Greentree Road to Kearns, which is closed for a portion, which happens to be really steep, and covered in snow. I took Kearns to Poplar and Noblestown, then went out and back on a dead end street before finishing up.

Monday, I met up with Predator at Mt. Lebanon's track for an eight-mile run of moderate hilliness. We didn't go fast, but it was good to push my endurance.

I met up with Slosky on Tuesday in Shadyside to run my classic loop from my tenure in that neighborhood- the Emerson. We averaged 8:02 over 10.5 miles, which was sobering, but I relished that I had broken 10 miles.

Wednesday I planned to run with Brandon G in Fairywood, Windgap, McKees Rocks, Kennedy Township and Thornburg, but I ended up running alone from my mom's house. I intended to run nine miles around Chatham Village, but that is ridiculously boring. I just did three miles, at 6:35 pace. I headed back to DC that afternoon.

Thursday after work, Alex joined me for the first two miles of an Oak loop, which we did around 7:35-7:45 pace. He departed at Fairwood and I sped up down Shreve. By the six-mile mark I knew I was under 7:00 pace, but by the time I got back, I realized I ran 6:36 pace for 10 miles. Not bad.

I had plans, the next day, to try to double- 8 and 5, but I slept in and just did the 8- a Westmoreland averaging 6:32, with a definite slowdown in mile five.

Saturday I closed off a 50-mile week with a short workout at B-CC in the afternoon. I ran 2x2k with this dude Brian, and I ran 7:05 and 7:01, 5:41 and 5:38 paces. Considering it was the fastest I had run since the Herndon Turkey Trot and was a minute faster than a lot of my mileage, I was pretty happy.

The weather, which improved significantly on Wednesday, helped, but I do think I am starting to regain my legs and lungs. My long run this week will be a big step- 12 miles, as I shoot for 60 this week.

Enjoying November

Friday night I came home and went out for a Westmoreland and realized two miles in that I was running 6:10 pace. I knocked that off after another mile and noticed how much I was sweating and how cold it was. Since the Marine Corps Marathon I have been unnaturally cold, and about five miles in I really started to feel the chill, so I cut the run short and went back on Haycock to run 6.5.

Saturday morning I waited for 17 hours for Wiggy to show up at the store to run. Eventually he and Ryan joined Outlaw and me for a run around Hains Point so those DC racing neophytes could check out the Veterans' Day 10k course. It was windy, of course, but I sufficed with shorts and short sleeves, though I brought a long-sleeved shirt as backup, which I used on the way back.

Sunday morning I ran with a big group at the Line, heading off for another trip through Rock Creek Park's trails. My left foot landed oddly a few times and I sprained it a bit the last time, this being my most serious running injury since I messed up my back on the Lauder/Molz floor-sleeping incident before the alumni race. Much like burning your tongue on hot chocolate, the resulting pain is constant and lingering. It hasn't affected my form, but I decided to cut the run short because my ankles were getting tired of navigating the rough trail covered in leaves. I did about 6.5 miles with Jakes Marren and Klim, Dickson and YF/Anonymous. Later in the day I went out and ran another four miles on the Idylwood north loop, but it didn't feel great.

Monday I had to get up and out the door by 5 to get to a conference in Baltimore that turned out to be useless, yet I still worked until 5:45. On my commute home, I expected to take the day off and just relax until the Steelers game started, but when I felt how excellent the mid 50s temperature felt in Falls Church, I couldn't resist. I set out on a Presidents' Loop-- Allan (Chester Arthur), Quincy, Harrison, Roosevelt, Johnson, Tyler, Jefferson, Grove(r Cleveland) starting pretty easily, 6:50 through the first mile, but before I knew it, I was moving. Checking later, I found I hit three and six miles at 6:20 pace and kept it consistent through 10.25. Not bad. That loop is great in the dark, a situation I will certainly be getting used to thanks to winter's approach.

I went to Washington and Lee's (the Fighting Pat Fishers) track Tuesday evening to do my first fast workout since September, and suffice to say it didn't go well. I was planning on 4x2k at 5:12 pace. The first one went splendidly, though my second lap was three seconds fast. After 1200 of the second, I started feeling some GI pressure, which hasn't really been a problem since April. After dealing with it, I went out for a cooldown and came back for some HMDs.

On Saturday I will likely race the Candy Cane City 5k in Chevy Chase, my first race last year after I moved. This time will likely be more successful- I am in remarkably better shape, will get to the front of the pack and will likely have my shoes on and tied when the race starts.

Hopefully after a trip to Terra Haute, I will run the five mile YMCA Turkey Trot in Pittsburgh, which is making its return after two years of road-construction-caused hysteria. I was really worried the booming participation numbers for the 5k, which served as the alternative, would keep the Y from resuming the race. They are compromising by holding both a 5k and a 5 mile. I expect that they will jut have the 5 milers take a different turn after the end of the 5k. The course isn't great- starting at PNC park and consisting of a few out-and-back stretches. It won't rival the pleasantness of the 2003-2004 course, but what will anyway?

I hope to double that morning and run the Gutbuster again, this time the four mile race. I found out, almost a year later, that I, as Gary Kline, won the four mile last year. How about that?

I wasn't sure Sunday, because I was generally feeling crummy, but I probably will do the USATF Cross Country meet in December. I will struggle to break 33, but it's not and experience I want to pass up.

BROTHERRRRRRRRRR

I wanted to run the two days after Marine Corps, to follow through with JARRIN's post-race recovery plan, but I found that my 25.2-mile run had suppressed my immune system a bit and gave my cold a chance to regroup, so I ended up taking Monday and Tuesday off.

By Wednesday, I had enough sitting around, and went up to B-CC to be around runners again. For one thing, I hadn't seen any of them since Jake left me to fend for myself on Sunday.

I planned to do the warmup and some sedate laps around the track, but Lindsey needed some help pacing her mile workout. So I helped her out by running 6:16, 6:13, 6:10, 6:03 and 5:56. I kept my breathing easy and my body relaxed. Texas Paul and I hit a pretty speedy cooldown, and before I knew it I had 9.5+ miles, and I was feeling great.

Thursday evening I came home and headed out on a new loop, first returning a book to the library in Falls Church. I headed up Sycamore to Williamsburg, which sports bike lanes on both sides of the road and great rolling hills. I turned onto Albemarle, which was the darkest street ever. Eventually a car drove by and illuminated things, but otherwise it was pretty awesome. It had been raining all day, and my shorts were a little too light to keep my appropriately warm, but luckily I don't have to deal with 2.5+ hours of being wet and cold.

After that run I felt fantastic- my legs were looser than they had been in weeks,

like I hadn't even run either of those marathons.

I am starting to get some seeds of regret that I didn't push through to finish, but the birds of my renewed confidence swoop down and eat them before they begin to sprout.

I'm aching for a short race, but will have one soon enough. If Molz doesn't do the Richmond marathon, we will drive to Louisville to watch Richmond run the regional meet. If we don't go, I will either do the Candy Cane City 5k that Saturday or a 5k in Vienna on Sunday. Then, a five mile in Pittsburgh on Thanksgiving. I can't wait to not even think about carrying GU in my shorts pocket.

Fatty Z had a great guest column in the Collegian.

Relief, on two schedules

After a pretty miserable Wednesday, Thursday brought some relief.
Wednesday evening I was so tired on my way home that I kept falling asleep on the Metro. My attempts to correct my ingrown toenail on my right foot seemed largely useless.
When I woke up Thursday, though, the toe was feeling much better. When I stepped outside for my morning four miles, it was a temperate 72 degrees, with 65 percent humidity. At this point, if the humidity is lower than the temperature, I am pretty happy. I cruised along at 6:50 pace.
In the afternoon I went to see my ENTs, Dr. Ali and Dr. Chia, about correcting my sleep apnea. The situation is this: my tonsils are gigantic, and they choke me when I sleep, enough that I stop breathing for 10 seconds or longer an average of 26 times an hour. I tried a mouthpiece that was supposed to shift my jaw, but I couldn't sleep with it in my mouth. We discussed surgery, and their expectation was that the resulting pain and weakness would keep me from training for three weeks. The prospect of losing three weeks of training was grim, especially in August, when I planned to have the procedure, so I am delaying it until December, after the cross country national meet.
In the evening, I took a quick nap and headed out to do a quick four-mile tempo on the roads. I found what looked like a pretty nice, but somewhat complex, loop in Falls Church that I adapted from the Woodley Loop. I did a stride and headed off. Within the first quarter mile I had already made a slight misstep, starting to turn down a cul de sac. I hit a half mile in 1:40, then almost took a wrong turn again. I hit the mile in 5:14, then headed to what I thought was familiar territory. I covered the next half at 5:17 pace and kept it up for the rest of the second mile, but then things went wrong. I ran a block too far, up to route 7. Though I didn't have to cross the road, I could tell I went wrong. Then, I started to turn onto the right road, then changed my mind. I then realized I was totally off track, but decided to just roll with it. I got back on course for my Woodley loop and finished up a little under 23 minutes, hoping I was somewhere under 5:30 pace. I mapped it out later and I found I went 4.25 miles, averaging 5:23. Not bad, because I definitely didn't have the same drive once I knew my route was shot.

Mulligan

After Sunday's aborted long run, I had to try again. Running before work, at least 16 of running, was a bad idea, so I decided to cobble together a run around the city after work to fit an errand in. I am trying to meet with a few groups to promote the GRC Father's Day 8k, and The DC Capital Striders are among the primary groups I want to contact. I was going to meet up with them and talk to various runner, get about 6 miles in, surrounded by 10 miles otherwise.
I ended up offering to help the Striders stuff bags for their race instead, then Laura O'Hara suggested I run with her. She would be ready at 6:15, so I started off down Massachusetts to Potomac and Pennsylvania in Southeast and added a lap around the Capitol and the Botanical Gardens.
Laura took me down the mall and over the 14th street bridge to the Mt. Vernon trail and a loop around the Iwo Jima Memorial. At this point, I was reaching about 10 miles and the heat and humidity had me worn down, but she kept me going. We ran into Klim and Dickson near the Lincoln Memorial and headed around the Capitol and then I headed back to the office for a cold shower. I felt pretty darn good, having totaled about 16.75 miles in the conditions prevalent that afternoon.
I unfortunately did not remember my calf compression sleeves, which I have come to really enjoy. I think they'll work wonders after long runs, though I am making it a habit of wearing them after most runs of six miles or longer.

Alright, you killed me a little bit, half marathon

I ran a half marathon honestly today, and it hurt. What hurt the most was probably the realization that I did not do everything I could to prepare for the distance, and even if I had been "on" last week in Pittsburgh, it wouldn't have been enough. It would have been better than today, but the chances of me breaking 1:11 were very slim. When I finished the race today, even falling off pace as much as I did to the point where I was going my distance run pace , I was wiped out.

The weather seemed great in Rosslyn as I warmed up for a half marathon that some running store or something held. I felt loose, light and ready to go. Robbie Wade and Mike Wardian were there, so I expected to just tuck in behind them. The horn went off and we headed right down the hill and onto Jefferson Davis Highway...and I was in front. Whaaaaat? I thought about stopping dead in my tracks until the other guys caught up to me, but I decided to just keep rolling and try to stay relaxed. I came through the mile in 5:15, despite trying to jog.

The other guys caught up to me and I was ready to let them go to work. 5:22. It was starting to get windy. A quick out and back showed me that this dude in a Calvin College uniform was closing in on me. He passed me in the third mile, but I tried to focus on him for a while. 5:31. Hmmm, things don't seem to be going my way in terms of keeping the pace under 5:25. I started to run into the wind, though it was coming at an angle and we turned a bit. When I hit the fourth mile in 5:37, I figured my shot at sub 1:11 was over, and I would just try to keep running at a decent pace. 5:43, as I took it easier and enjoyed a long turn on an interchange onto Wilson Boulevard, where I felt the true strength of the wind, right in my face.

The next 1.5 miles were miserable. It was starting to hit me just how well this wasn't going and how quickly it got that way. 6:03 for my sixth mile, during which another guy passed me and I fell into fifth place. I hit the halfway mark in 36:59- 5:38 pace. As I approached the turnaround I thought, oh, if I can repeat that I can break 1:14. A second after the turnaround, I knew I was wrong. I managed to repeat the 6:03 at mile 7 and dip under at 5:58 for eight, and I thought I could power through the last five miles, but I couldn't. All alone at this point, the wind was wearing me down, now somehow coming from all sides. I slowed down to 6:15 for the ninth mile, then pushed for a 6:07 to break 58 for 10 miles, which I did in 57:58.

After that, you would have had better luck preventing a mess by filling a 12-year-old up with a mixture of orange juice and warm milk then strapping him to a merry-go-round in an Oklahoma stockyard. I hit 13:03 for the next two miles and 6:36 for mile 13. A volunteer yelled "good race!" to me and I deadpanned back "no, it's not." She responded, "oh, well then I'm saying it to the guy behind you." As poorly as I was running, my bruised pride was still technically pride, so I kicked it in, finished, and turned around to see the guy was much farther behind me than I expected from the way the girl was talking. I ended up 1:18:19, still not what I want for a half marathon PR, but it's better than 1:29:14. Though I didn't need to go to a medical tent this time, I was exhausted, and had to lie down for a bit and just breathe a little. I stretched my legs out to make sure I didn't pass out or fall asleep, grabbed my bag, and went right home. Blue Powerade never tasted as good as when I finished.

My diagnosis: I tapered too much. My training volume in April dropped off too much from a great February and March. My weekly mileage went as such: 75, 80, 75, 80, 80, 81, 72 (took a day off), 74, 63, 60 (took a day off), 55, 42 (Pittsburgh), 56. My last long run was the first Sunday in April. The two weeks after Cherry Blossom were seven and six miles, respectively, on the Sundays. That just wasn't enough. It wasn't tapering, it was atrophy. I forgot what it was like to run 13+ miles on a regular basis. That's going to be my medium long run from now on. I have no trouble imagining that if I was hitting my splits in Pittsburgh or today through 10 miles, I would have just fallen apart.

I now have three months until my next serious race, I'm looking forward to taking a long-term approach to developing speed and endurance for the half marathon and getting ready for a serious attempt at a full marathon. It's time to become a long-distance runner.

Watch your back, half marathon, you haven't killed me yet

I'm taking another shot at the half marathon. I'm hoping any number of factors- no travel necessary, much better weather (a low of 43 and no rain anywhere nearby), and a sense of gratitude at having another chance will inspire a more...well...inspired performance.

Last week's race ended up being less a race than a tempo run followed by a long cooldown. Though I tried to think of it that way, it was a lot more evident Tuesday on a run with JARRIN where we hit the trails pretty hard in the afternoon sun and I felt better than I had in a week. Chris Sloane reinforced my thoughts on that and I knew by Tuesday evening I was ready to go and redeem myself at the half marathon.

Tuesday night I got some news that deflated me a bit, disappointed me greatly, but in a way makes me more tenacious. I'm not sure how much I want to elaborate on it right now, but suffice to say it put my future in a whole new perspective that truly frees me to do what I want. In similar circumstances, I've focused in races and achieved a lot, so I hope that happens again. By the same token, I have a new approach to how I will look at my running, one which removes a lot of restrictions on how I will go forward.

I needed a race, though. I kept hearing about the historic half in Fredricksburg, May 16. Plenty of time to recover and rev up. But it meant travel and staying a night in Fredricksburg, two expenses I didn't want. The Lynchburg Half in August seemed viable, and would give me time to prepare more, and it seems a fair goal. It's a month earlier than the Philly Distance Run, which was too close to Chicago for my tastes. Joe Wildfire's wedding precludes me from racing the Patrick Henry Half, so Lynchburg is now on the books. I figured I was settled on Lynchburg when I became aware of Jimmy Daly's plight. Like seemingly everyone on the GRC besides HUGE, he had an off day on Sunday, and was eager to get back at it I suggested Fredricksburg, which doesn't work for his schedule, but he told me about a race held by another shoe store, right in Arlington. Sunday. With much more favorable weather. Dare I, or dare I? I dare.

While I would like to still break 1:11, that will not be my singular focus this time. I just want to enjoy the race and see what I can do. I'll likely be in better shape to do it at Lynchburg, because I had 10 miles to nitpick my fitness on Sunday. That's not to say I won't, but I'm going to see where things take me tomorrow. I spent so much time tossing and turning the night before Pittsburgh because of the stress I put on myself to overcome the elements I know would be rough. I analyzed the course too much, staring at the map when I ended up standing on the Metro. I have no idea what this course is like, except that it's two loops. Arlington isn't THAT hilly and whatever hills I climb I'll have to come back down. This is going to be fun.

The Disney Cross Country Festival in 2003, another hot muggy race that went poorly but was followed by a lot of fun that changed my outlook.

Hot as bells

I don't deal well with heat. During college, when I lived in Pittsburgh during the summers and would visit my then-girlfriend in Centreville, I would try to run at the same time as I would in Pittsburgh and it was a total disaster. It was just so hot in Virginia. Well, I thought by living here in the spring I would adjust incrementally. To do that, however, I would need the temperature to ease upward, not jump to the mid-80s. Unfortunately, that is what happened.
Monday, I met up with Melissa for a jog around the cherry blossoms. The 1.5 mile jaunt from my office to our meeting place on the Mall, however, left me panting and parched. I invariably went too fast for the conditions, which she rectified, because she now only runs when we meet up. The heat was too much for her, too, and we truncated the run and I extended a little by running around east of the Capitol on shady streets that were thankfully light on traffic.
Tuesday I tried to explore Pimmet Hills for the first time since my awful December Saturday run. I first had to drop off a long-overdue book at the library on Leesburg Pike, so that part was pretty awful. I also had a weird sensation in my right hip, and that was making running uncomfortable. I ended up skipping one of the out and back loops and heading back to my apartment.
Wednesday, I foolheartedly showed up at B-CC for a 2.5 mile surge on the Capital Crescent Trail. After a warmup during which I really didn't feel like running and was already thirsty, we reached the appointed starting point- right in front of a bridge climbing over a road. Uphill starts blow. I tucked in between Klim, Murphy, Matias, Dirk and Mike and decided to just hold on as long as I could. They were shooting for 5:05s, I hadn't run that fast for one mile in months. Thankfully half-mile markers made the segmentation of the workout mercifully easier. We went through halves in 2:33, 2:30 (for a 5:03 mile, my season's best) then 2:33 again and about a minute before I started to drop. I was just so dry... I tried to spit but there was no fluid component and the detritus spread over my shoulder. Dirk encouraged me to stay focused, and I did, just at a slower pace that I would have liked. 2:35 for my next half, 5:08 for the second mile. Everyone else picked it up from there, so I lost a lot of my pack mentality, and they were too far ahead anyway, but even though my pace slowed to 2:37 for the last half mile, I dug in. I didn't run through the line as much as I would have liked, probably adding an extra second I really didn't need to be running, but I finished in 12:47. Lost in the agony of running in that heat was that it was technically a PR for an open distance, even though I obviously went much faster en route to 5ks, but the last time I ran about 2.5 miles was at the 2004 Peters Township 4k, when fueled by the fury of having gone off course the year before and maddened by the heat, I ran 12:51. I'll take it. The cooldown was brutally slow, and I was light headed as all get-out- stopping was always a bad idea on the way back.
Jimmy said his GPS watch indicated the second mile was long, so I had that going for me, which was nice, but he is a Delaware track alumus and thus an associate of my arch frenemy ELI, so it might be a clever ruse to lull me into a false sense of confidence..

Modest reinvigoration

I planned to get up at 6:45, take the Metro into the city, cheer for the GRC running the Jingle all the Way 10k, plus Marley, then run around the city. Unfortunately, little goes as well as I plan it at 2:15 the night before. When I woke up, I heard a a driving rain, checked the temperature (33 degrees) and gave up on it. Thankfully, I had only met two of the GRC team members running that race and I'll see Marley next week, so I don't think anyone was that torn up about my decision to sleep in. That did leave me, however, needing to run later in the day. Luckily, Alex was willing to put in a solid LaMarr Woodley. We handled the loop at 6:52 pace- decent, compared to yesterday's athletic miscarriage. I relented and wore tight running pants, and thanked myself, because there was still a strong freezing rain, but luckily no problems with the road. I felt a lot better after the run, too, and enjoyed some delicious egg rolls. They weren't from the Sichuan House, but you can't always get what you want, I guess.