Run: 13.7 miles in 1:57.35 min. @ 5:45 a.m.

Despite the warning sign at the park entrance suggesting that one enters
"at their own risk," I haven't come across any causes for concern.
Weather: Cloudy, 62°F, 75% Humidity, Wind: From SW @ 6 mph; feels like 62°F.
Course: Half Marathon Training Run from USATF Map It!
Pace: 8:34 min/mile
Effort: 3 out of 5
How did I feel? Great!
Gear: Amphipod RunLite Trail Runner

Note the absence of the "≈" in my training log above; today, rather than running "nekkid" I brought my watch to gauge my overall effort, with a target towards an 8:30 pace which, given the distance, would equate to a (roughly) two hour run time.

A very consistently paced long slow distance run which I accomplished with a fair degree of active comfort, and during which I benefited from the welcome, slightly cooler (62°F!), temperatures. Following up on last week's hydration questions, I did cut my two flasks of H2O with blue PowerAde to fairly good effect--one variable that was to my benefit this morning (and will likely not be the case on the upcoming weekend races) was the coolish temps and the fact that I was partially running undercover of the dusky morning. It might be helpful to commit to some training runs later in the morning or (ugh!) maybe even in the afternoon.

No more stoppping for long periods of time to get across the
busy street for local canal-goers!
This morning's course took me onto the Erie Canal for the first time in over a year and some wonderful civic improvement projects have been completed, specifically at the Clover Road lock park where one no longer needs to stop to walk across a fairly busy road mid-run. How fortunate I feel to live in an area that is so supportive of its community of athletes (bicyclists, walkers, runners)!

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Run: 7.3 miles in ≈:61 min. @ 5:20 a.m.

Weather: Clear, 70°F, 87% Humidity, Wind: From SW @ 8 mph; feels like 70°F.
Course: Awkward Bowtie 7.3 found on USATF Map It!
Pace: ≈8:21 min/mile
Effort: 3 out of 5
How did I feel? Better!
Gear: Amphipod RunLite Trail Runner, Amphipod Xinglet Reflective Wear

Another dark ad warmish early morning, and one on which I felt slightly more motivated at the onset than on the previous one. This morning I attempt a more "minimalist" approach to training, not a barefoot one, but a bare watch one.

Before leaving home in the dark I make the conscious choice to leave my watch behind, with the thought that perhaps I had been checking it a little too frequently (what I am looking for it to tell me, I'm unsure) and that the action of doing so only serves as a misdirection from the task at hand--being in the running-breathing-moment.

As an experiment I found it did help, though the occasional nagging urge to check my phone or the sunrise/moonset to garner a sense of to-the-second pace was strong, I am glad to report that I avoided doing so and found no change in my pace while experiencing an improvement in my ability to stay wholly in the run.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Boosting from Pedro to Pay Raoul

Run: 5 miles in :37:00 min. @ 4:10 a.m.
Weather: Cloudy, 62°F, 79% Humidity, Wind: S @ 9 mph; feels like 62°F.
Pace: 7:23 min/mile
Course:Kaz2way 5 the Easy Way made using USATF Map It!

My son has a baseball game schedule at 6:00 pm this evening, and I will be administering, scoring, and organizing Regents all day, immediately followed by a CPR/AED training class until 5:00 pm. Simply, I have a full day and though I am unsure that I will be able to dedicate enough time to run the suggested ten miles, I at least wanted to get a few quick miles in early this morning.

To make this happen, I had to boost from Pedro to pay Raoul, or use time usually dedicated to morning meditation to my running... fortunately I did have had some spare change left and (despite sweating profusely!) was able to spend a few minutes sitting prior to showering, getting my boy up and heading out to take on the day.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Webster Hi-Octane 5000 cc Run

Weather: Fair, 65°F, 73% Humidity, Wind: SW @ 9 mph; feels like 65°F.
Run: 10 miles in 1:08:56 min. @ 8:00 a.m.
Pace: 6:54 min/mi.
Course: A ten-mile loop in Webster, NY, described as "Flat, fast, and few turns (Hi-Octane)."

Pre-Run Ruminations: The Webster Hi-Octane 5000 CC Races is just one of at least three road races being held this morning at roughly the same time (as well as one the evening before!). Relative to registration (and according to our local online running discussion page) it is also likely to be the "smallest," despite offering the longest distance at ten miles compared to a five kilometer jaunt. Given this, I'm glad I registered for this race, if for no other reason then to support the longer distances, which seem to be fewer and farther between, thanks to the brevity (I think) and attainability of completing a 5k... which is great, but for those of us who want to try longer and don't travel, they can be both a financial drain (could be run every weekend... again, a "good" thing) and a little stagnating.

Though I've thought of signing up for this race in year's past, I could use a little quiet and "think time," so the course and run have come up at just the right time. The weather seems perfect for a comfortable run along a flat (yet, I based on what's outside my window and not on Weather.com, a little windy) course should make for a fine "deep thought environment." The goal for today is to complete the run strong (in recognition of the need for another moderately distanced and paced training run tomorrow to complete the week-end back-to-back) and to enjoy the scenery...

Post-Race Reflections: It was indeed a small, but hearty, turn out this morning and was a pleasantly surprised to see a number of familiar faces and a LARGE number of very friendly and supportive volunteers. Fortunately for me, I was able to pace myself with one of the lads with whom I usually compete for time and place. I got the better of him today (returning the favor from the Boilermaker) and was definitely aided by his steady pace, in addition to the fact that he generously share the split times when we got to the mile markers.

Once again, while on the surface, weather conditions appeared ideal, there was a sneaky humidity which would have been much more challenging had the course not had a number of water stations (nearly one per mile). I don't necessarily "drink" at each one, in fact I never "drink," but there is something rejuvinating about a sip or splash of H2) when the miles get long and the humidity becomes heavy. I also think my "karma running" strategy came through for me again, further showing the power of being nice... it's wonderful how a "thanks" to a peer and the returning comment can motivate you on!

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

The BIG 21-Mile Trial Run!

Run: 21 miles in approximately 3:03:00 min. @ 8:06 a.m.

Pace: about 22 minutes total walked, the remainder was run at a pace of roughly 7:40(!) min./per mile avg.
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 56°F, 72% Humidity, Winds: From NW @ 6 mph; feels like 56°F

Course: Erie Canal Footbridge (Genesee Waterways Center) to 490 Expressway and back on the Erie Canal Trail. (10.49 miles each way)

Supplies: My hydration belt loaded with two 16 oz. “flasks” filled with H2O, one plastic baggie containing 3 Strawberry flavored Clif Shot Bloks, one 1.44 oz. Raspberry flavor PowerBar Gel and my cell phone.

Here was the plan for this morning's run: Start with approximately five-and-a-half miles (Erie Canal Footbridge to Clover equals 5.69 miles) of continuous running at a pace of 9:30 min-per-mile (Easy Henrietta Road to Clinton Avenue is just short of 1 mile, so use this as a check?), then walk for 1 minute (timed), thus beginning a run 10 min./walk 1 min./run 10 min. rotation. The purpose of this "trial run being not to focus on “cumulative time,” but on 1) going the distance, 2) testing an identifying supply needs and 2) establishing and preparing psychologically for the necessary run-walk-run rotation.

So, how did it go?

Now that I've taken a shower, eaten two (!) bowls of granola with raisins and bananas, and regained some psychological balance (thanks in no small part to my wife talking me back)the most productive way to look at this might be considering what worked (+) and what challenges still exists (-):

(+) Pluses: despite walking the last half mile (let's call it a cool down) I finished! I did as planned running the first 5+ miles before settling into the run 10/walk 1 pattern, I did eat all three Clif Shots Bloks and they seemed to did the trick, I managed to use the water I di bring and it was effective in offering hydration.

(-) Challenges: I lost my mental balance at about mile 17 (which also happened during my three marathons), I ended up dropping and losing my PowerBar Gel, so did not have it to eat, though I wanted (and needed) to, I could have used more fluids, the average pace (though I suspect it started fast and got progressively slower) was way too fast at 7:40 min/mile.

What's Next? Fortunately a recovery day! I also need to work on increasing my training time on trails to better prepare for the actual race--this is hard as most of my available tie is in the dark, either early in the a.m. or late in the p.m. When I came home from the run, I was mentally exhausted and told my wife "maybe I shouldn't do this (the 50k). I don't think I can finish it."

"You did it today," she reminded me. She's right.

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Waking Moment, Matrix Moment

Run: 8.8 miles in approximately 1:07:00 min. @ 6:45 p.m.

Pace: roughly 7:39 min./per mile avg.
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 56°F, 59% Humidity, Winds: From WSW @ 14 mph, gusting up to 21 mph, feels like 56°F
Course: a slight variation of the 8 Mile Edgewood route (loop, mostly flat, roads) I found on USATF Map It!

Before leaving for my evening run, my stepson, who was reading the most recent issue of Discover magazine (which we had received in the mail earlier in the day), began sharing some of the details included in an article. I didn't see the title , but noticed that it was accompanied by pictures from the movie Tron, "You know, some people say that our life is like a video game... like in The Matrix."

I thought for a moment, and told him, "well, it really is if you think about it."

"How so?"

"Hmmm, how do I say this?" I measured my words trying to articulate in simple terms some of the BIG thoughts I had been noodling recently, "you really are making you're world every minute. Not in a "I'm plugged-into-an-alien' sort of a way, but in a 'every-second-you-are-awake-you-can-make-your-world-the way-you-want' sort of way."

He looked at me weirdly, but I was on a roll, "Think about it, every second gives you the chance to be the person you want, the only thing is, most of us don't even know we're in a second, let alone a world of our own making... some of us, me, too, alot of the time... don't even wake up enough to pay attention to what we did during the day."

All of this talk of perception, reality and Keanu Reeves filmography brought me winding back to yesterday when I thought of making the conscious choice to forget my watch when I run, if only occasionally... maybe I should run in the moment, refining my active practice of monitoring my breath and pace. Maybe I shouldn't allow myself to be pulled from within the running moment by responding to the nagging urge to check the watch.

Why not run while wide awake?

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Time...

Run: 4.8 miles in :37:13 min. @ 4:10 a.m.

Pace: 7:45 min./per mile avg.
Weather: Cloudy with Lite Rain, 64°F, 87% Humidity
Course: Castaway’s 4.8 Mile Jaunt

"I'm hip about time."~Wyatt, Easy Rider

I noticed at the cross-country meet on last Friday evening that the race officials told runners to make sure that they were not wearing any watch. Apparently watches and jewelry (including the popular Livestrong type bracelets) are prohibited. It got me thinking, “If students aren’t allowed to wear watches when they compete, why do hey wear them to train?”

The obvious answer, and the one my daughter shared with me when I asked her the same question, is that they (watches) are necessary for keeping track of time over training runs. “You know,” Jordyn, my daughter said, “like when the coach says ‘do a ten minute run.’”

Still, why not run without the watches, have someone else time your splits, and grow accustomed to (and eventually internalize) your pace? This morning I tried to minimize the number of times I looked at my watch… I really did… but still felt beholden to the timepiece. What I am keeping track of is, in the big picture, really pretty inconsequential and could be addressed in other ways less confining:

My overall time run could be kept with the kitchen clock at home, the time in general could be checked using the cell phone I carry with me on my ever-present hydration belt, and my spilts could be determined later using the general time and distance…

As I move forward with my running, despite all the doctrine around training, it may be time to move beyond simply keeping time.

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Run: 4.9 miles in :39:21 min. @ 4:30 a.m.

Pace: 8:02 min./per mile avg.
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 48°F
Course: Harvard to Oxford to Monroe to Winton to Highland to Culver and home

Yesterday’s whirlwind schedule just wasn’t conducive to meeting my mileage goals for Thursday, so I had to adjust and move my “recovery day” to Thursday, while planning on running on Friday. The next two days of the week are equally busy, so I decided I would roll out of bed and squeeze in the four I had hoped to run yesterday, thereby giving myself at least twenty-four hours before my next planned run… the first of back-to-back 18 and 10 mile days—which I’m not sure how I will fit in.

This is an exciting time of year for me as all of my kids are competing on their school’s cross-country teams, and even better, seem to be enjoying it. My daughter, who runs varsity, has had two meets thus far, and my son had his first scrimmage yesterday (their school district's mascot, a kooky pirate, is to the left).

My stepson (his school's "knight is to the right)is running in an invitational tomorrow afternoon, and I’m hoping to get the opportunity o see his race, although the other two kids practice commitments may make that difficult. It’s an exciting time of year… but an extremely busy one, during which it's hard to be selfish about my own training.

There are plenty of miles behind and ahead for me, but the kids will be young for only a short time...

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!