2018 Johnny's Runnin' of the Green

A beautiful morning for a 5 mile run with 1,000 or so of my closest

sort-of acquaintances. (3/17/18)

Weather: Fair, 24°F (feels like 12°F) , 80% Humidity, Wind: WSW @ 13 mph.
Route: Johnny's Running of the Green, an out-and-back course.
Time (Pace): 41:29 (8:08 min/mile) Unofficial.

Pre-Race Observations: With my forty-ninth birthday less than two months away, I have only recently returned to actively "running". My "competitive" racing "career" has entered a new stage beginning with this morning's awesome annual community run, the Johnny's Runnin' of the Green. In years past, I would fancy myself occasionally competitive. Now, I am just happy to be out there.

Following January's aborted Winter Warrior Half-Marathon, due to very inclement weather and, if I am honest, poor pre-race training on my part, this morning's (morn's?) run is my first organized one since December's equally festive Reindeer Run 5k. In the interim, I have been rehabbing my hamstrings, reading books, and whining about the weather (oddly, a time-honored tradition for those in Western New York born to it!).

Pre-run jitters less of a problem when

you're doing it for fun. (3/17/18)

After getting out and about on one-day-icy, one-day-spring-like roads for the past week-and-a-half, I registered for the Flower City Half Marathon this past week. This run takes place toward the end of April and today's run is just another step toward accomplishing crossing that finish line with a smile. This is my sixth Johnny's, and third consecutive one, and after posting admirable times the previous two years (38:20/7:40 per in 2016 and 38:33/7:43 in 2017), I suspect the law of diminishing returns will bite hard this year as I project a finishing time of around 45 minutes based upon the past two weeks. Like most "old grey mares", this one ain't what he used to be. An increasing comfort with that new reality does not mean I am resigned to not going faster, further in the future!

Post-Run Reflections: As usual, the Johnny's Runnin' of the Green was a festive, enjoyable community event regardless of how well one might have run. Lots of friendly faces, green t-shirts and picturesque skies made for a very pleasant morning jaunt. Though I am a little socially awkward, it is always nice to see some familiar faces enjoying their time together as a community of runners. It is even nicer to be a small part of it for a few hours on a cold March morning.

I felt remarkably well for initially feeling so unprepared to run. Though my pace was slightly slower than in years past, I was happy with both the final time and mile pace. As is to be expected with a back-of-the-pack position at the start (intentionally), my first mile was at a leisurely 8:49 pace though the final two miles were consistently faster (7:51 and 7:42). In both instances I settled within 5-10 meters of faster runners in an effort to pace with them. The pace also allowed me the breath with which to thank the many volunteers and police officers who helped keep the course safe.

While there was some slight discomfort in my hamstring, overall, I felt strong and excited about what comes next. With a little ice, core work and stretching, I look to be ready for tomorrow morning's longer, slower training run and ultimately (fingers crossed) ready for that half-marathon a few weeks.

2017 Johnny's Runnin' of the Green 5 Miler

Weather: Cloudy, 12°F (feels like 0°F) , 70% Humidity, Wind: NNW @ 8 mph.
Route: Johnny's Running of the Green, an out-and-back course.
Time (Pace): 38:33 (7:42 min/mile)

Pre-Race Observations: Windpocalypse be damned! Despite calls to postpone the St. Patrick's Day Parade which sets off hours following, the Johnny's Runnin' of the Green is going to go off as planned. Brutal winds, cold temps and a lack of electrical power to 40,000 citizens (including myself) are not enough to stop the hardy weakened warriors and Irish revelers of Upstate New York.

My goal in running this morning is to have a fast pace run as I begin to taper for the Syracuse Half-marathon in two weeks. Last weekend was my longest training run (12.3 miles) in this most recent training cycle, so I am hoping for a fast pace today. Reviewing last year's run, I am surprised by just how fast (7:40 per mile, finishing time of 38:20) my pace was last year, making me unsure of bettering it this year. I have come close to that pace in my faster paced training runs and am hoping that my competitive nature (if not a desire to more quickly get to the warmth of the nearby War Memorial) may push me to go faster...

Post-Run Reflections: The temps were cold (as advertised), but it wasn't as much of an impediment as one might think. The roads were clear and though the winds picked up in a few spots, with 876 other people running there were plenty of opportunities to share drafting duties.

I finished the race in 115th place with a time of 38:33, which while admirable given the conditions (which, other than the wind, were not really favorable) just  missed bettering my time from the previous year by only 13 seconds. I felt strong and confident coming down the final 1/2 mile but did not finish as spent as I could (should?) have. Despite not improving upon my time this year, my age group place was better than last year as I finished tenth (of 65 finishers) in the M45-49 age group. Likely due to fewer participants, I bettered last year's place by 16 positions in my age/gender group and 140(!) slots overall.

All-in-all another solid run for fun and a step in the right direction. There is a good chance that the weather will be similar in Syracuse in a few weeks so this shorter distance dry run did yield some valuable information about just how much to wear (that Turkey trot sweatshirt was not really necessary) and how effective the running mantra/breathing I've been working with in training. I'm excited to run Syracuse in two weeks with my son, who because, he was under-the-weather, gave me the honor of being the first finisher... name Jean-Paul.

2016 Running Reflections

My twin brother, son, Jack, and I following the 2016 Utica Boilermaker 15k in July.

During the build up to New Year's Day tomorrow, many of my friends on Facebook and Twitter have been posting some pretty impressive annual running accomplishments. Whether cumulative mileage (1900 miles!) or number of competitive races, I continue to be impressed by the dedication and training acumen of those within my local running community. While I have always had an awareness of the commitment of local runners, the quantifying of performance that comes with year-end reflections makes concrete that which I have always suspected.

My wife, Anne, and I immediately

following the 2016 Winter Warrior

Half Marathon.

My own numbers for 2016 are less impressive, but I remain very proud of the small achievements I have accomplished. My cumulative mileage (including training and "racing") comes to just over 427 miles, the majority of which were accrued during roughly 30 weeks of training. I ran in only six races this year, covering a wide range of distances ranging from a 5k to two half marathons. It is interesting to note that I started the year with the 2016 Winter Warrior Half Marathon in January and concluded with the Reindeer Run 5k just three weeks ago. In between I revisited a few old favorites (such as my fourth Utica Boilermaker 15k) and found some challenges to embrace, like my first Phelps Sauerkraut 20k.

Although there was a lack of PR (Personal Records) performances for me in 2016, it was the most enjoyable year running I have had in many years. Having the opportunity to go to events with members of my family made the race experience much more satisfying. Whether spectating or running it was motivational to know I had someone with whom to celebrate the finish with.

In 2017, I'm looking forward to continuing the "something old/something new" balance struck in 2016. I will be returning to give the Winter Warrior another go (with slightly slower expectations) next weekend, and Jack and I have signed up to run a new (to us) half marathon together. After 10+ years, I am still learning more about running. The challenge of refining my training in light of other responsibilities (teaching, coaching, falling) has me excited to try some new things this year with a more intentionally consistent approach.

My stepson, Gregory, and I prior to the 2016 Webster Turkey Trot.

Scoutin' Routes: Phelps 20k

The "folk art" official Phelps 20k course map (left) and another made using Mapmyrun.com.

Four weeks ago, my son, Jack, and I ran the 2016 Utica Boilermaker. I had been coming off a four month layoff from training, so prepared in 2 1/2 weeks with a goal of finishing the race by using a run-walk training plan and strategy for completing the 15k run. In training long runs  as well as the race itself, I adhered to a pattern of 3 minutes running followed by 1 minute walking and repeat until completed. Following this approach I did ultimately cross the finish line in 1:26.31 for a mile pace of 9:17. The following Tuesday, Jack and I registered for the Phelps Sauerkraut 20k. For Jack, Saturday's race is just another run building to what will be his first full marathon in mid-September and for me it provides the opportunity for me to both challenge myself and to (briefly) run with my son.

To train, I continued running four days a week (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), running complete shorter distances Tuesday and Thursday from 4-6 miles at a moderate pace, while committing to longer runs (7-10 miles) using a run-walk ratio of 5 minutes to 1 minute. Sundays were for easy 3-4 mile recoveries, often on a treadmill. On "off days" I would walk for 45-60 minutes early in the morning. While not the most rigorous training approach, given a variety of factors (aches, pains, wear-and-tear), I am hopeful it will be enough to put in me the position to finish the 20k in two hours.

As a runner, I rely on visualization to help me get through longer races... and for me at 48 with many miles under my belt, 20k is long. So, when possible, I travel to courses in advance of running hem to get a sense as to what to expect. Last week, Jack and I went on a short roadie to Phelps to scout the race route. At that point, the potential challenges became clear: not the course, but the weather conditions. Though it would be unfair to label the terrain as a whole "hilly," there are a few interesting features. In addition to a few manageable rolling hills, there are 2 extreme, short inclines. The primary possible challenge, just as was the case at Utica, will be the weather. The temps in July at the Boilermaker actually turned out to be fairly favorable this year, and the race organizers did a tremendous job having a myriad hydration stations along the course. The Phelps 20k course is also very open, with zero shading from the sunlight during the course of the race. With a start time of 8 a.m., barring a change in weather projections, the entire race will be run in direct (rising) sun, with a strong likelihood of high humidity.

Here's what Jack and I saw, with a few caveats: the picture quality is somewhat inconsistent as it is difficult to take shots from a (mostly) moving vehicle through the windshield, and distances noted in the captions are my estimates based on reviewing the maps.

Race starts at (roughly) the corner of Main St. and William St.,
in the image above, the start goes to the left.

Other than a quick pass through town, the first 2 miles is fairly flat and open road.

At m the 2.5 mile point the course continue straight, though you veer to the left in the
"fork" where Rt 96 turns to 13.

Flat country roads take you past Midlakes High School on the left.

The first turn, at 3.6 miles, comes after a pass through residential Clifton-Springs
at the corner of Main St. and Pearl.

Continue south, passing through the town of Hopewell, until Pearl ends. To the
right is Taylor Rd., but take the sharp turn right onto Waddell Rd. onto...

The first incline of the day at almost exactly the 5.5 mile mark.

The course flattens again following the ascent and one mile later the
course crosses 488 and Waddell becomes Railroad Ave. for less than a quarter mile.
Over half way to finish!

You'll pass a small-ish water tower on your left and shortly come to the end of Railroad
Ave. Turn left at County Road 23 and onto...

The second "major" hill of the race, starting exactly at the 7 mile mark.
Warning: this one is a long one.

At approximately the 7.3 mile mark, take a left onto Wheat Rd. where
you'll be for just about 2 miles.

Rollin', rollin', rollin'... on Wheat Rd. where you'll come across fields
with bales of... wheat. Really beautiful scenery throughout!

At Case Rd. take a right. This is nearly the 9 mile mark... it's all downhill from here!

Case Rd.

At Toll Rd. take a left, where you'll be on this road for a cup-of-coffee;
 you've made it 9.5 miles, hang in there!

Time for a right onto Griffith Rd. Halfway down, just past the
intersection with Melvin Hill Rd., you'll hit the 11 mile mark!

This left on Fort Hill Rd. means you have less than one mile to go;
you can probably hear the cheers!

Back into Phelps and a little downhill. Fort Hill Rd will turn into S. Wayne Street as
you move into the residential area...

You'll take one final left onto Park St. leaving only about 200 meters to go! 

As you approach the finish on Park St. the gazebo above will appear to the left.
The finish is parallel it on the street.

At the very least we'll be running through some beautiful, classic, Western New York country.
Ideally, the weather on Saturday will be very much like the day we went out to Phelps: overcast. At least in the morning. For the sake of the 50th Phelps Sauerkraut Festival, I hope it's super sunny and pleasant after the race for the remainder of the weekend.

2016 Utica Boilermaker 15k

Post-race party at Saranac Brewery in full swing. (7/10/16)

Weather: Showers followed by clearing, 65°F, 90% Humidity, Wind: W @ 8 mph.
Route: Utica Boilermaker 15k
Time (Pace): 1:26.31 (official), 9:17 min/mile.

Pre-Race Observations: Heading out very early this morning to participate in my fourth(!) Utica Boilermaker 15k. Despite being the fourth time I've run the course, and the second consecutive year, I come into this run with my lowest personal expectations. As previously shared, I committed two weeks ago to following through with running it "with" my son. While my son, Jack, has been diligent in training toward this race (as part of a larger effort to complete this first marathon in September), after too many weeks away from formal training, I needed to choose an alternate path to competition.

I have in the past two weeks followed through on my "get fit(-ish) quick" scheme consisting of multiple run-walk "workouts" ranging in distance from 3 to 8 miles with the occasional 3 to 4 mile ez runs mixed in for good measure. As one might expect, there are some challenges with run-walk, th most significant being the necessity of disciplining oneself to adhere to the 3 minute run-1 minute walk schedule, even when feeling as though you could continue on through the entire thing at the run pace after suitably warming up. The need to honor my plan, while maintaining my breathing and mantra has been challenging to do when running alone, and will be even more difficult in the context of 11,000 other folks running the race. I am embracing both the challenge of the new race plan (whcih means accepting a slower finishing time than in years past) and finding the joy in simply participating with my son (who will only be held back if he chooses to stay with me).

An unanticipated added benefit is that my brother happened to be in town this weekend (he lives and teaches in Monterrey, Mexico) and will be making the two-hour drive to Utica with us...

Post-Run Reflections: This was the fourth Boilermaker I have "run," and despite being the slowest time I have put forth, it was the best one I have been part of. Beyond my finishing the course it was great to have have my son run the course for his first time (and doing well) and to have my brother make the trip with us. The logistics of meeting up aside  (FYI: it is not easy to find one person among 13,000 of your closest friends at the post-race party!), celebrating having finished with your family is definitely the way to go.

While waiting in our assigned pre-race starting coral, my son and I talked quite a bit about how incredibly well organized the Boilermaker weekend is. The Utica community once again did a fantastic job making what could have been a nightmare (and what I have experienced as a hug pain in the butt in races of significantly smaller scale), very easy. From parking at the finish to picking up post-race swag, the entire experience was very smooth... and dare I say it, enjoyable!

My run-walk approach, at a ratio of 3 minutes running followed by 1 minute walk, worked well. I did vary slightly at the beginning however. Given the 11,000+ participants, I did need to run the first two miles at a pace of about 8:50--to stop to walk would have been much too disruptive to those around me. By about two miles in, it was much easier to find my way to the outside lane without impeding others. from that point forward I faithfully fell into my desired pattern. (My son, ever the optimist, suggested at the beginning that I could run the whole thing; while true, I reminded him that I needed to "trust my process" despite the impulse to attempt to hang on.) I did need to ficus while walking to resist the cheers from spectators to "keep going, you can do it!" because I sensed to do so woudl result in my ultimately having to walk at the end. In the end, I finished 3,670th of 11,359 15k finishers, which was good enough for 216 of 562 in my 45-49 Male age group, with an official time of 1:26:31 (9:17 min/mile).

Complete results for all Boilermaker Weekend events are searchable HERE.

Summer Runnin'

After a three month break from training, I decided to take some of my own recently dispensed advice and stop living like time won't run out. In March, after a pretty nice morning run in the local St. Patrick's Day five-mile Running o' the Green, I signed up for the July 9 2016 Utica Boilermaker 15k. To raise the level of personal significance to the race, my son also signed up with the intent of "running it with me." Of course, now that the race is two weeks away, I find myself needing to quickly catch-up, just to put myself in a position to finish.

Finishing 2008
Boilermaker 15k.

When speaking with friends at work about the probability of still running the race despite a lack of preparation, I reminded them that at this point it would be an issue of whether my pride would allow me to participate in a race I knew I would not be competitive in. It has been a long time coming, but after a few years of being a "pretty good" weekend runner, it is time to admit that the PR days may be behind me. (Yes, I am fully aware that were I to commit to a formal training regime, including speed workouts and repeats etc., I could be faster--but my own recreational interest in running is a matter of "therapy" rather than any desire to be an Olympian.) I have zero delusions that I have a 15k PR in me for 13 days from now, I am hopeful that I can finish in two hours, which while an absolutely terrible personal performance, could still be seen as a victory of sorts as it would represent a completed race.

This past Saturday morning, the first day of my summer break from teaching, I put in 3 workman-like treadmill miles (despite fairly pleasant weather outside) just to get jump started. This was followed by a miserable 1.5 miles of a planned 5 easy miles on Sunday. I walked the balance of the planned run, feeling a little demoralized. When I made it home, I decided to do my best to persevere and change focus slightly. Moving away from my standard training model, I looked up a Run/Walk Half Marathon Training Schedule, with the intention of picking up the plan at the seven week point. I have used a run-walk training plan before, and to pretty good effect, when preparing for the Finger Lakes 50k Trail Race wa-a-a-ay back in 2009. Given my current fitness level (I could handle a plan requiring a 10-15 mile weekly base), my new-found purpose, and the timeline, it seems my best bet to prepare for a 9 hazy, hot, humid and hilly miles.

This morning, I finished the first day of week seven, which calls for 4 miles in the following pattern of exertion: run for 3 minutes, walk for 1 minutes and repeat until the distance expectation is met. It went fairly well, and allowed me to feel a small sense of accomplishment after the prior day's aborted 5 miler. The mile pace was consistent with what I might hope to do on July 6, but over the course of 9 miles I may need to adjust expectation even more.

The desired optimal 10 min mile pace is much slower than I have run in past Boilermakers, but would result in a (literally) pedestrian 1:45 to 2:00 hour finish time. For reference, my prior Boilermakers (including last year's run after a seven year hiatus from the race are:  2015 1:19.40 (8:33 min/mile), 2008 1:07:27 (7:15 min/mile), 2007 1:08:52 (7:24 min/mile). The hilly and crowded course accompanied by potentially difficult weather (humidity and heat) make for a notoriously challenging race. The intent is that dialed-back and reasonable expectations will help avoid defeating myself mentally before crossing the finish line. For me, this year (in addition to being a small part of what I am confident will be a good run for my son) is about finishing. And, a finish is a finish.

Owning the Quit

About ten days ago I quit running. Though unlike politicians who "suspend" rather than "end" campaigns (few if any have any intention of "unsuspending"), I figured I was done. Really done. I have quit a number of times over the past twenty-five years for a variety of reasons, all of which are, in truth, lame excuses: work, children, injury and burnout, to name a few.

Crossing the finish line in a green tee...
eight years ago!

This morning I woke up after a day home from school for illness, desiring again to move. Really move. I'd had ten days of sedentary living, my exercise limited to standing in class teaching (or talking depending on whom you ask), walking around the building during planning periods, or logging many minutes and virtual miles destroying mutants and zombies in my console game obsession of the moment. While it was acceptable (not really "fun" or "satisfying" in nay sense) being lazy with my diet and exercise regiment, despite not wishing to go out into the cold, I did the next best thing by pulling on my CROCS and clothes to head to the gym and roll a few miles on the treadmill.

Months ago, I had signed up for next weekend's local running tradition, a St. Patty's Day 5-miler through downtown Rochester. I had considered skipping it up until this morning, but after waking up feeling older and more tired than I should, I re-committed to finishing what I had started when I signed-up. Last year at this time of year, I found myself in a similar training funk and went the distance in a noble (if pedestrian) time. With the goal this year of performing at least as well, I put pen to paper journal and once again began tracking my miles and pace. More importantly than finishing next Saturday's run, I aspire to use this festive race to continue jump starting my training.

If experience has told me anything, owning the small victories of finishing a race you have worked hard to train is a much more palatable pill than owning the fact that you've quit... again.

700 Miles(tone) and More

When comic books hit issue 700 of a single continuous run, it is a tremendous accomplishment. It is an especially  rare occurrence nowadays for industry deeply enamored of the potential financial windfall of frequent #1's; as a result, every title seems to hit the reset almost annually.

Seven-hundred sounds like a lot. This morning when I scrawled "709" in my hard copy training journal as the to-date cumulative mileage since March, it seems like I've come a long way. In addition to comfortably completing a 12.5 mile training run, the 700 miles(tone) is a personal accomplishment. To 35 year-old me, 700 miles might have represented a rare year marred by injury. To 46 year-old me, it is thrilling, especially with a few more weeks to go in the calendar year.

This morning's surprisingly frosty (31°F, but felt like 26°F at 7 a.m.) and foggy early morning run also reminded me why I once preferred cold weather running--something I've avoided for most of the past 4 years. Though I have continued to register and train for the occasional road race, most have been limited to early summer or late fall events where I could train outside of my teaching/coaching schedule and in warm(er) temps. This current calendar year, I began much earlier (albeit on treadmill) than in recent history (February) and am registered to run a half marathon the first weekend of January 2016. While we have yet to have had measurable snowfall in Western New York just yet, it is a very real possibility for January 9, and I am almost assured that the temps will not be much higher than a balmy 40°F.

Now that I've reached the unanticipated 700 mile mark, it's time to continue moving forward toward other benchmarks. Like comic books, I too will hit the numbering reset button in January and begin with a brand new #1. Ultimately, the primary goal, one for which I am most thankful, is simply getting up and out every once and a while, regardless of how fast or slow or far I go.

The Running Wheel Turns Again

In most matters, I am what can best be described as a "planner." For my work (teaching) it is a fine attribute, especially as I am willing to quickly deviate from a lesson plan if the situation (or class) necessitates it. While a willingness to map out goals, whether personal or educational, appears to be a mostly positive trait, the most significant drawback can be that on occasion I spend too much time planning and not enough time acting: it allows me the out that "I am working on it." Such has been my on-again-off-again love affair with recreational running.

Past best laid plans.

In September, my previous plan culminated in my successfully completing a half marathon, a race that was perfectly scheduled for my purposes as the taper came during the start of the school year and the recovery afterwards was positioned during a period of intense coaching and teaching. But now, weeks later, I find myself saying at the the end each work week, "This weekend I begin a new plan," even going so far as to jot down a course for the following morning.

This morning, after waking up early at the dawn of the second-to-last meet of the high school girls' cross-country meet of the season, I acted. The past three years it has become increasingly difficult to get outside on the streets in "the cold."  Years ago I loved running in the hard pact snow at 5 a.m., an experience which, of late and in much kinder conditions, held little allure. Today was a cool, damp, autumnal one and it was glorious. Inspired (deluded?) by the short, easy three miles I put in, I decided to blog about it here (thus inspiring accountability) and begin to put in action another plan for a future race. In a little over two months I will be running another local half marathon with other more lofty goals crystallizing in the ether beyond January. For now, it has to be first things first.

At least that is the plan.

A Training Milestone (of Sorts)

The 10 mile route around Rochester I ran this morning.

Like many, each day after running I write down the weather, distance covered, intended pace, actual pace, as well as any goals I may have had for each run. (Though I use online resources for the information, I still enjoy writing the info and reflection in pen and paper rather than using one of the running social networks.) Following this morning's 10-mile jaunt, and after adding up this week's mileage, I realized that I have now covered 502 miles since getting back into things 25 weeks ago on February 15.

The total includes the training runs, two half-marathons, one 10k, one 15k and one 5-miler I've competed in since, resulting in a straight average of 20 miles weekly during 3-4 runs (one of which is generally a longer run accounting for 40-50% of total mileage). Though I fear jinxing myself, I am glad to have slowly returned to a consistent, meaningful training pattern, and am pleased to have chosen to work through a few different plans in an effort to find that which works best. As always, the challenge will be continuing to maintain the effort once school (work) begins anew in September, but I remain confident that it will happen.

Reading, Racing & Running Plans

As my summer break from school begins at the end of the week, I am working toward avoiding whatever fitness momentum I have built up over the past two months. Without consulting the numerous books on the subject, I realize that nearly all training literature suggests two things: 1) have a training plan and 2) work toward specific goal races. Given this, in addition to adding yet another book to my personal summer reading list, that is just what I have done.

Just realized I'm still wearing the same
 running gear I had back in 2008 when
I ran the Boilermaker!

After following the successful completion of the April 26 Rochester Half Marathon, followed soon thereafter with a last-minute decision to give the May 17 Rochester Lilac 10k a try for the first time in a long time, the "plan" I have been training with has been a slowly evolving entity. Initially I slid into an ambitious training plan that would have me preparing for a possible ultra in late-August, a concept that while attainable (I'd run three ultras in the distant past), was in retrospect something of a reach at this point.

I have a tendency to over-do things, such as making unusual jumps in logic when it come to race selection... consequently I've learned not to fill out my training log too far in advance lest I commit to copious amounts of white out. What was necessary, though, was to solidify my commitment by signing up for a race or two. Going into Summer 2015, I now have two things on the docket.

First up is the 2015 Utica Boilermaker 15k on July 12, a challenge race I'd run twice many years ago (2007 and 2008). Due to the HUGE number of entrants, participants are assigned corral starts based upon their projected finishing time. I used a projection based upon my April half-marathon finish ensuring I'll be wa-a-a-ay back. I used a similar strategy during my first attempt in 2008 and regretted it as I was in the final corral and was pretty sure the winner of the race finished before I'd even crossed the start. This is a challenging 15k course and there is a likelihood of serious heat, so it is definitely not a PR course. As is the case with my "competitive" efforts of late, the initial goal is to first, finish, and second, to improve upon a pre-determined target time. (The time I enrolled with is about 13 minutes slower than my finishing times 8 years ago.)

This weekend, I also signed up for the local Shoreline Half-Marathon on Saturday, July 18. The goal here would to be to better the time I ran in May. This half-marathon race is the Saturday immediately following the previous Sunday's Boilermaker.

Three weeks ago I took that plan and modified it slightly to create a four-day-a-week plan, similar to one I'd used in the past to prepare for a marathon. This past weekend, I further modified my plan to consist of three key runs with cross-training sprinkled in with rest days. I had previously followed the Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training (FIRST)'s three-a-week plan, when younger, and now that I have a few more miles on my legs it seems to make sense. In addition to the plan's goal of "limit[ing] overtraining and burnout while producing faster race times." Another benefit is that it will help me avoid the bugaboo of settling into a single pace with no variation (which will result in little eventual improvement). Years ago, the FIRST Training plans were available online (and in Runner's World magazine where I first came across it), and while still can some be found on pdfs, I purchased Runner's World Run Less, Run Faster.

As I read and continue to run, with some "races" on the horizon and a series of successive plans taking hold, I am confident that I will stay the course and continue having fun with this new phase of my running life.

Flower City Challenge... Accepted!

Sporting a look not many can pull off, it was all fun-and-games in the
early going at mile 5. (4/26/15)

Weather: Partly Cloudy, 38°F, 78% Humidity, Wind: From NNW @ 4 mph; feels like 38°F.
Route: Flower City Half Marathon
Time (Pace): 1:50.31 (8:26 min/mile)
Effort: 5 of 5

Pre-Race Observations: Roughly ten weeks ago, the day following Valentine's Day, I out together a plan to get myself in shape to run the Flower City Challenge Half Marathon. I had previously run a race of that distance (albeit many moons ago), but I had yet to have run this particular course (come to think of it, this race wasn't even around when I was running road races more regularly).

In preparation, I have run most sections of the course and just this past Friday evening, drove with my wife the part with which I was least familiar. The weather forecast for this morning's race is ideal and the aching I feel in my legs s nothing unusual and therefore something I can handle. In fact, the only thing that really makes me nervous is the fact that I am typing this for fear I'll jinx any good mojo I do have working this morning; "athletes," even recreational weekend-warriors are after all a superstitious lot.

Repping the indoor track team
I used to coach with a classic tee.

Post-race Reflections: The weather perfect and my effort was solid but I fell into a couple of pitfalls common to beginning runners. In the early going, during the first 5k (25:47/8:19), I was filled with confidence and the pace crept beyond what was wise. This meant that toward the end of the race (the last 5k was at 8:48) it caught up with me and as a result my focus was challenged. Despite this I did not stop, but rather took the pace down slightly, saving a little for an attempt at a kick. In the end, I was happy with my run which was almost 10 minutes faster than I had intended, and following which I felt pretty darn good.

I was extremely happy with the support I received from my wife (who met me at mile 5), the local track and field teams who manned the aid stations (each of which I took advantage of) and the volunteers who cheered for everyone participating and kept church traffic at bay. An unexpected added bonus was seeing a number of colleagues, students and former students out cheering and running. As with any endeavor, the value was in the experience and the lessons gleaned from having followed through. I learned (or rather was reminded of what I had forgotten in the four years since my last race of this distance) that will be of value when I sign up for another road race.

Full results for all participants in the Flower City Challenge Half marathon are available the good folks at Yellowjacket Racing here.

Only two blocks from home but... 8 more miles to go! (4/27/15)

Best-Laid Plans?

Three different logs for one goal...

Sometimes the literary context for the source of one of John Steinbeck's most popular novellas rings in my head. Just as the title (taken from "To A Mouse" by Robert Burns") suggested doom and gloom for Lennie and George, the echo is often not a sign of good things to come, but rather a harbinger of failure: "'the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." I've really worked to have this particular plan come out on the positive side of the ledger...

When I began this most recent training cycle back on February 15 it was with the goal of completing next weekend's Flower City Half Marathon. At the onset, I lacked a true plan due mostly to my own waffling for a few weeks prior to actually stepping foot in the gym. The cold, icy and snowy weather pattern, that only recently broke for consecutive days, couldn't last forever.

This morning's 10 mile loop.

The thought of pacing a friend on his quest for a 2 hour half-marathon had been gestating for a few months before I my having acted upon it the morning following a Valentine's dinner party, and while many in the local running community will be realizing their lifelong dreams of running Monday's Boston Marathon, my aspirations are less lofty. Over the past nine weeks, I have been trying to chip away at four years of rust in hopes of comfortably completing a slightly less heralded (though popular) local race at a shorter (by 50%) distance.

Having survived a few weeks on the dreadmill early on (a situation I no longer dread quite so much, and one I actually seek out weekly for its variety), Sunday morning I completed my final scheduled long run, a ten-miler at what has become my only pace, between 8:20-8:30 minutes per mile. I have made efforts to consciously slow down or pick-up, but whether running 2 or 10 miles, that has where I've settled for the moment. All that remains in preparation for the race, is to taper into two rest days prior to Sunday's 7:30 a.m. start.

Now that my current plan will soon be reaching its conclusion (fingers crossed!), it will soon be time to consider next steps. I like a great deal the current plan's structure of four weekly runs, with cross-training on one day and rest on the remaining two, one of which follows the Sunday long-run that accounts for 30-40% of the overall mileage. I have put together similar plans for myself in the past in preparation for distances ranging from a 13.1 to 33 miles, so it has helped me achieve previous goals, so there remains a strong likelihood that I will stick to that organization. I am, however, leery of counting any chickens before they've hatched, so will wait until I finish one goal before setting too much of a foundation for the next.

Over the last ten days my left hamstring has been "acting up," so in some ways, I'm just trying to make it through next weekend. Taking a conscientious approach of  stretching, icing, and targeted resting, I remain confident that it will play out favorably with a finish in the two hour range. After that (and a suitable recovery period), there will be time for basking in the afterglow of having successfully followed through on one set of plans before setting some new ones in the days that follow April 26.