Boston in The Crosshairs

Ok, So I'm using Boston to attract more readers since I'm so lonely and need attention. So welcome to my blog, enjoy the ride. I thank you in advance for any ego stroking you can muster up and send my way. Sorry I've been sooo lame at reading other people's blogs, but my laptop got thieved and I just recently got this one. That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it. I've been told excuses are like some kind of hole that everyone has to paraphrase that famous saying about everyone having one that I just heard a couple weeks ago. If you could follow that last sentence great, because I'm having trouble myself. I promise to start paying more attention to you all's blogs that will help me towards my goal as the most lame independent sales agent of all time. I'm surprised I haven't fired myself yet.

Anyhoo, to get to the point, I'm going to write a blog about the rest of my training for Chicago in October and the next marathon, Boston, in April. This has been an interesting training cycle so far coming off the month of May injured with 6 weeks of PT of which I'm just paying the final bill for. I think I'll stay healthy from now on thank you very much! I won't be wowing you with all the Garmin data and stuff cause I haven't got one yet. I'm waiting until they cost $19.99. I will give you the basics as well as plenty of opportunities for you to help me work on my self-esteem.

So here's my progress so far: Today ran 20 miles with my training group @ 8:00 pace, the first of 3. I survived and as I write have the compression shorts and calf sleeves working on the tired legs. This is week 11 of Hal Higdon's Intermediate with long runs at the Advanced plan level. This week was the peak at 46. I'm content at this point to keep the mileage as low as possible to ease back into and build slowly towards that goal race in April. The average weekly mileage has been 31.73 so far. I've been pretty consistent with the strength training scheduled on his plans and was biking on Sundays as my cross until it got real hot and I moved to doing my strength circuit indoors for a while. I like the Sunday rides after my Saturday long runs and will probably be back at those from here on out. This week I started doing active isolating stretching after reading about Phil Wharton in Running Times. I've carried over the strength routines started in May at my PT sessions and agree that holding a static stretch too long can be counter productive. So I'll let you know if the new AIS system makes a difference as I go along.

OK, so this is the official start of my blog and more details will follow as to time goals. Right now I'm just looking to have a decent BQ for 2013 at Chicago as well as a PR for Boston 2012.

Glad to see you back out and back on the blogs! Sorry to hear about the theft of your laptop.
Your training, as far as mileage, pretty much mirrors mine right now (I'll be very content to get into and stay in the mid-40's as I train for Philly on Nov. 20th.).
I read the article on Wharton and isolated stretching, but I'll be damned if I can figure out how to do it by myself. I'll be interested to reading about how you go about it.
Again, good to see your new blog.

Good luck in your training and it's good to see that you are on track thus far. Will be looking forward to seeing how things progress for you.

Seth Harrison wrote:Glad to see you back out and back on the blogs! Sorry to hear about the theft of your laptop.
Your training, as far as mileage, pretty much mirrors mine right now (I'll be very content to get into and stay in the mid-40's as I train for Philly on Nov. 20th.).
I read the article on Wharton and isolated stretching, but I'll be damned if I can figure out how to do it by myself. I'll be interested to reading about how you go about it.
Again, good to see your new blog.

Yes that active isolating stretching (AIS) seems hard to figure out if you read about it, but the instructional videos on their website help tremendously. So far so good on that, although I'll need more time to see if makes any difference. I do like the idea of a full range of motion and using opposing muscles to relax the targeted area.

Yesterday was about 1hr and 15min of strength work. Since I stopped PT I've been sticking with their prescribed follow-up strength routine based on some crossfit.com concepts. I have to admit the stuff is challenging especially what they call "Turkish Get Ups." Only did about 4 miles easy bike riding through the park since the lakefront had the Airshow crowds and didn't feel like driving to the forest preserve. Next week I hope to get a nice long ride in since it's a stepback week and September is our annual family century ride (half century for me.)

Today was a relaxed 5 mi loop @ 7:50 pace after dropping Toni at the airport.

Today was my last long pace run of this training cycle. It was fairly nice out this morning. I'd say in the sixties with a little humidity but not much. Got up a little late for my taste to avoid the crush of nutty commuters. Ran my 8 mile loop that starts west over in a ghettoish area. Did a nice warm up and hit the street running in my Asics Speedstars to test my progression from May's injury. Felt strong enough to hold a solid pace with no breakfast and 1 GU with water. I felt this wasn't marathon pace, maybe half marathon pace but since this is my only real speed work this cycle I decided to keep it kicked up a notch. So felt tired but confident that I'm on track for a decent day in October even with the minimum mileage. final results were 8.01mi @ 6:49 pace. the stepback week gave me a little bounce I'm guessing.

I guess I may be writing to myself here, but that is kind of what a blog (public diary) is in reality until someone actually reads it. Anyway, this week was spent for the most part in Ohio spending Monday taking my mom to the Cleveland Clinic (Wooster) to get a stress test as a follow up from late July when she may or may not have had breathing problems. It may have been an over- reaction on my brother's part, but better safe than sorry at 89 years old. Long story short, her heart is very strong for her age and the stress test was ruled out for safety concerns. An echo cardiogram was preformed instead. All tests show she's fine except for the falls she's been having.

So I took the opportunity to get some solid hill work in and had the luxury of running on little traveled roads where I can actually run down the center line, since you can hear cars coming from a mile away. Monday and Wednesday were a little over 5 miles to a state park and back. These were slightly hilly. Tuesday was my extremely hilly run up Bull hill, as the locals call it. I've just now realized why after 50 odd years. There is a breeding stock bull farm along the road as you climb this monster. Anyway, ran these at a recovery pace Monday and a solid pace on the hill run Tuesday, with a easy run Wednesday before spending the day riding coasters with my daughter. Thursday was a rest and travel day. Today was a 5 mi pace run @ 6:46 pace in very warm humid temps. I'd love to hold that for a full marathon, but that is unrealistic at this point. I'm feeling like if I ran a half or 10k right now I might PR, but I'm saving it for October. I think I'll stick with the stategy of 7:15 pace if all continues to go well. Tomorrow is another 20 miler, if it storms in the early morning the group run would be cancelled which would leave me the option of a solo long run later in the day or a Sunday run, we'll see.

Good to hear the test on your mom turned out well.



Your running is looking solid.

Looks like your training is going well! I don't have a Garmin either but have a Timex sports watch with 30 splits so I can use it at least if I know mile markers.

I'm hope things continue to go well with your mom.

Your training is looking strong and I'm glad to see you focused on October. No thoughts of PR's in shorter races right now. These are all training runs. Keep up the good work.

Well last night my better half and I set out at 5:30 for a bike ride to and through the forest preserve north of the city. It was a windy affair on the way there and tail wind on the return. Was starting to feel a slight chill in the air that really manifested itself today at the family cookout. Looks like fall is right around the corner, yippee! Did approximately 30 mi with some fast pedalling here and there. Today I did 5.07 mi recovery run @ 8:50 pace with the dog through the park. Then 45 min. of strength circuits with some Wharton stretching inbetween sets. So far I like the Wharton flexibility stretches and the legs seem to have responded. I'm only feeling the d'nitis stuff around the left hip a little which is part of the whole lunbar disc bulging thingy I've got. Otherwise, feeling pretty good.

Yes, I can only hope that the weather keeps dropping. With the high 80s only a few days ago, I was startign to get a little uneasy.

OK, so I signed up for my goal race yesterday. Still waiting for confirmation. I hope since I put Steven Foster down to match my credit card account that doesn't slow down the registration process, since my BQ is listed as Steve.

Great running in there - I am glad you Mom is OK, but falling is really scary! Great speed work in there - I am still working on the endurance side of things and don't think I could do a whole lot of it without getting hurt.

I wish you the best as Chicago approaches Steve.

John Kilpatrick wrote:Great running in there - I am glad you Mom is OK, but falling is really scary! Great speed work in there - I am still working on the endurance side of things and don't think I could do a whole lot of it without getting hurt.

Thanks she is now all set up with Alert One (Life Alert step sister) and 4 days a week Meals on wheels which she reluctently agreed to. All the other days she has hometown folks there helping. Now we just need to sell the 80 acres, gift out the proceeds through her trust so OHIO doesn't steal half of it away if she passes. Ahh, the joys growing old!

Dave P wrote:I wish you the best as Chicago approaches Steve.

thanks Dave, looking forward to a hopefully PR day!

OK, So got the BOSTON confirmation today. That makes this blog title Legit! Did a 5.02 mi Hal style tempo with a 7:24 ave pace at 5:10 am. Getting acclimated to this early rise thing. Really like the less traffic and quiet of the early morning.

OK, so the last 20 miler of three for the Chicago training cycle is history. Really had to hold myself back as the other knucklehead pacers they got at the last minute were pulling the 8min pace down to 7:35- 7:40. The wave behind us caught me and was catching the wave in front of us. I ask him what pace he was doing and he said 7:50-7:55. after talking to another pacer in that wave and some of the other runners they stated he was doing around 7:30's, what a lier. I could easily have done that pace but that was NOT the point, these people were counting on us to PACE them not RACE them!! I decided to let them go and let some of the stragglers hang with me as I assured them I would consistently stay in the 8:00 range. This seems to happen every year at this event for the CARA program. It's like put a number on them and suddenly it's a race! Anyway, got a lot of thanks from our straggler group who was very appeciative. Today I felt very much fine with very little soreness and did a very slow 5 mi recovery run this evening. I think keeping the long runs slower should bode well for October as I've never felt stronger after a 20 miler. So this week will be some easy runs of 6 and 5 then a 4 mile pace run, 12 mile long, and a 50mile bike tour.

I hate when the pacers pull that stuff. As you said, that is most definitely "NOT THE POINT". As a coach/mentor for our half marathon training program, I know that it is a tough assignment, but that is your job - dammit.

Keep uo the good work Steve - on to taper.

Steve, great job running the pace you were supposed to run. I have seen various pacers do all sorts of weird things. One year at Chicago this 3:30 pacer would dramatically change pace within each mile. He would start near a 7:00 mm pace and realize he was going too fast and slow don to around a 9:00 mm pace. I only hung with him for 3 miles before I was sick of it. I have also run with many great pacers and appreciate what they do.

Oh I know what you mean about the pacers. The "we want to give you plenty of wiggle room at the end so we'll start out much faster than we should even dream of" because it's not a challenging pace for them otherwise they wouldn't have chosen that time.

Great job on the 20, I hope the next 3 weeks are great and tapering doesn't get to your brain.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:I hate when the pacers pull that stuff. As you said, that is most definitely "NOT THE POINT". As a coach/mentor for our half marathon training program, I know that it is a tough assignment, but that is your job - dammit.

Keep uo the good work Steve - on to taper.

Absolutely, Michele, even though it's volunteer work it's till important to do it right.

Jim Lentz wrote:Steve, great job running the pace you were supposed to run. I have seen various pacers do all sorts of weird things. One year at Chicago this 3:30 pacer would dramatically change pace within each mile. He would start near a 7:00 mm pace and realize he was going too fast and slow don to around a 9:00 mm pace. I only hung with him for 3 miles before I was sick of it. I have also run with many great pacers and appreciate what they do.

Yeah, In the wave I started in I took up the rear and called out "bike back" and stuff. I had to use the porta potty twice and noticed he increased the pace when I was absent. He at least was running around 7:50 which is allowable. Eventually that fast wave married up with ours and I took the stragglers, it worked out. I just didn't appreciate the guy not being honest about it.

Julie wrote:Oh I know what you mean about the pacers. The "we want to give you plenty of wiggle room at the end so we'll start out much faster than we should even dream of" because it's not a challenging pace for them otherwise they wouldn't have chosen that time.

Great job on the 20, I hope the next 3 weeks are great and tapering doesn't get to your brain.

Thanks, I've got no problem with the taper, gives me time to mend the old body.

Had a fairly uneventful week. Felt excellent the day after the 20 and did around 5 @recovery pace (9:30) Tuesday was a hal style tempo 6.11mi @7:27 ave pace, Wed.5 easy @8:15 pace. Thursday is my off day. Today, did my last pace run which was way too fast, but I tend to do that on the shorter ones. 4.09mi @6:43 pace. This should make a 7:15 pace feel slow, at least for the first half, anyway. This weekend will be my group 12 mi and we plan on a bike tour which may be miserable if the forecast is accurate, hoping for a meteorologist goof up.

What are you shooting for in Chicago? It'd be nice to have a pacing buddy if we're pretty close, although I may be looking for a bit more aggressive pace than you since I'm going for 3:08 (7:10 pace) at the worst.

mul21 wrote:What are you shooting for in Chicago? It'd be nice to have a pacing buddy if we're pretty close, although I may be looking for a bit more aggressive pace than you since I'm going for 3:08 (7:10 pace) at the worst.

Yeah, sure 3:08 sounds good to me. I'm kind of planning on bending the 3:10 pacers ear a bit. They were good last time I ran it.