Lifting again!

After months of little to no lifting, I lifted shoulders heavy today, and it felt great. There is no doubt that I lost a considerable amount of muscle as part of the 19 pounds I lost in my marathon training. Doing my exercises, I realized it was much more difficult to put up the same dumbell weights that I had previously become accustomed to.

I did: Seated Shoulder Press (behind neck), Shoulder Raise (front), Shrugs, Row (upright), Abs.


Weight = 168

First Post-Marathon Run

I spent quite a bit of time over the Thanksgiving holiday down in Orlando, hanging out with my brother, Amy, Erin, Jimmy, Juliana, Jake, Dad, Beth, etc.. We had a great time. On Friday night, Scott and I went for our first post-marathon run of about 3.5 miles. We both felt pretty sore on the run, but we finished hard, running the course at close to an 8 min/mile clip. I need a few more days off before I get back into any sort of training!

MARATHON FINISHED

I'm not sure how I can even begin to summarize this weekend, so I'll start in chronological order and let you all follow along.

Saturday:
Early Saturday morning Sara and I began our trek from Waltham to Manchester Airport in New Hampshire to catch our flight to Philadelphia. With the realization that I was on the doorstep of beginning an adventure that would culminate with the running of my first ever marathon, I must admit my nerves were already getting the best of me. We arrived at Manchester, got onto our plane, and enjoyed the brief 50 minutes of flying before touching down in Philly. When we arrived Scott and Amy were there to pick us up. After exchanging greetings, we were on our way to downtown Philadelphia and the Art Museum (the site of the marathon expo and start line). The four of us snapped some funny pictures, and wandered through the expo trying the free samples. After we checked into our hotel we relaxed for a couple of hours before heading over to Maggianos to get take-out. We all hung out with Scott's buddy Kyle and his brother Brett over dinner and shared a few laughs. Finally at about 9:15 Kyle and Brett left and the four of us turned off the lights for what would be an eventful "Marathon Sunday".

Sunday Pre-Race:
I'm not sure how, but Scott awoke at 5:17 to the realization that the wake up call never came at 5:15, and the alarm clock never went off either! So much for setting up the double-alarm system. After quick showers, Scott and I mulled over our apparel decisions and began the layering process. At 6 we went down to breakfast and gobbled some food knowing that we would need every calorie we could jam down our throats. When we returned to the room Amy and Sara were rising and getting ready as well. At 7 we went down to the lobby and caught a taxi to the "Start Line". The porta-potty line was out of control. This year, the Marathon website indicated there would be approx. 100 facilities on site. Well let me tell, all 100 porta-pottys had at least 15 people in line. That was the first amusing observation. Then as we were standing around, we saw a runner in a Spongebob costume waltz by apparently prepared to run 26 miles. Around 7:40, we walked over to the start line to find our 4Hour pace group leader by the name of "Star". As we arrived, Star was already telling some folks that this was her 10th marathon this year, and her 60th overall. Mind you, the girl could not have been much older than 30 or so. Unreal.... Anyways, not long after saying our goodbyes to Sara and Amy, the gun went off to begin the Race of Death.

Miles 1-10:
I would guess that the temps were in the high 40's when the race started under a bright sun at 8:05am. As the gun went off, Scott and I started our watches and began walking. We finally started running about a minute after the gun when the crowd in front of us cleared out. Literally on our 3rd or 4th step into our jog, Scott was making his final adjustments with his gloves and dropped one! "Oh $hit" he yelled as he turned around run back and grab his glove, not thinking about the fact that three thousand people behind him were about to trample him. So after a second he gave up and we started running again. Miles 1-3 took us through Philly and out to the waterfront. Scott complained of a muscle just above his achilles bothering him, but other than that we were running a good pace. We both took water at the crowded mile 2 stop without issue to report. At mile 4 though, the station had somehow run out of cups and the volunteers were pouring water frantically to the masses of runners. Around the same time, we both dipped into our shorts and went for our first gel. We settled into a comfortable pace miles 4-8 as we ran past Independence Hall and through the crowded downtown streets. At this point, everyone around us were were in a jovial mood, and Scott and I started cracking a few jokes to keep the run entertaining. At mile 7 or so, Scott spotted Amy and Sara on the sidewalk as they took this quick picture of us. Around mile 8, we passed Drexel University and started heading up the first hill. The coeds outside the frat houses were entertaining and very supportive, which gave everyone a boost. Throughout this time, Scott and I kept constantly within 30-40 yards of our pace leader Star, who continued to talk non-stop throughout the race. Also Scott was becoming more and more concerned about finding a bathroom. After looking for a place for him to duck into the woods for about a mile, he finally pulled over around mile 9 as I jogged slowly waiting for him to catch up. Within a couple of minutes he was back with our group. I think other people may have had the same feelings as Scott because we saw quite a few runners (guys and girls alike) ducking into the woods. By the time we hit double digits at mile 10, both of us were feeling great and the temperature had risen to the mid-50s with continuous sunshine.


Miles 11 - 18:
Scott and I really hit our stride so to speak between miles 11 and 18. During this time we began concentrating more on the task at hand of withstanding 26 miles of our feet hitting the pavement. We crossed the half-way mark of mile 13 up past the Philadelphia Zoo and we were both feeling pretty good. Around this time we also spotted Amy & Sara peering down at us from an overpass. We waved to them, though I guess they never saw me as I was about 25 yards behind Scott in conversation with a fellow runner. At mile 14 we crossed over the Schuylkill River and headed up towards a cool town called Manayunk. This stretch along the river was beautiful, but it was a bit disappointing to see the crowd support really start to thin out in this area. At about mile 18, I felt a sudden tweak in my left quadricep muscle. It was a quick spasm, but certainly cause for concern. I told Scott of the spasm and he suggested we pull over to see if stretching it would help me. I declined the offer hoping that jogging through it would keep the pain at bay. It didn't... Another half mile later I had another muscle spasm in the same quad and finally told Scott I needed to pull over.

Miles 19-23:
Scott waited as I stretched my quad out for about 15 seconds and then we were off and running again. Another quarter mile or so and bam, again the quad. He graciously stopped again for 15 seconds or so and we began jogging slowly. I don't fully remember the sequence of events, because we certainly never had a formal conversation about it, but he pushed the pace and I stayed behind trying to recover. I hoped the best for him as I jogged along slow at maybe a 10 minute/mile pace. Along this stretch, we started heading into an artsy area of Philadelphia called Manayunk. Downtown Manayunk was great and the crowd support was amazing, but none of this helped my legs. A few times I had to walk when I knew that running anymore would cause my leg muscles to seize up. By the time I hit the Manayunk turnaround at mile 20, I'm guessing that Scott was about 4-5 minutes ahead. After the turnaround, I jogged slowly through downtown until we were back along the river around mile 22. At this point, the cramps worsened and I was forced to walk more often. After a couple of severe cramps in both calves around mile 23, I was forced to stop for over a minute. The crowd lining the sidewalk was very supportive and encouraging me to rest until I was able to continue. I waited patiently as the pulsating in my calves came to an end, then continued on with a fast race-walk.

Mile 23-26:
Overcoming adversity and damage control. Being forced to a "race-walk" all I could think about was how worried Scott and the girls would become at the finish line. When Scott last left me, he knew I was starting to cramp up, though I'm not sure he or I at that point was aware of the severity of the cramps that ensued in the coming miles. Because these miles were an "out-and-back" stopping was really never a thought that came to my mind. I knew that one way or another I needed to get back to the start line if only to see Scott, Amy, and Sara again. So I continued to race walk and re-established mini-goals of going through each mile under 20 minutes. I was able to keep miles 23, 24, 25, 26 all under 18 minutes, though I knew I was losing over 9 minutes per mile to Scott and my pace group. I never experienced "the wall" as many people talk about with Marathon running, mostly because I had to deal with my cramping and being resigned to walking probably prevented "the wall". In these miles, it took 100% concentration to put one foot in front of the other and continue on. Unfortunately not every one else had the same fortune. In fact, around mile 24, I saw a femal runner around 25 yrs old or so, collapsed and unconscious in the middle of the road being attended to. It was truly disheartening to see that happen to anyone that had come so far and given so much. I kept concentrating on my race walk even though occasionally I would have to slow down the walk to prevent cramping. Finally I hit mile 25. 1 more to go I thought. I continued the race walk until the crowd thickened and the cheers from the crowd became deafening. Many of the spectators lining the streets were urging me to run the last few hundred yards, thinking I was walking due to being tired, not understanding my physical injury. Finally, in the last 50 feet I picked it up to a jog and trotted across the finish line, finishing my first ever marathon in 4:41.15

Post-Race:
I stumbled across the line and over to the group of volunteers that help with the chip removal from the shoe. After somehow getting my chip dislodged, I received my marathon medal, then posed for a picture in front of the American Flag by a Photo Volunteer. I then limped my way through the race tent, passing the massage tables, food tables, and people milling around to exit the opposite side. I arrived at our pre-arranged meeting spot to find myself all alone. After staying on my feet for about 10 minutes waiting, I finally decided to lay down and lean my feet up against a tree to try and free some of the lactic acid build up. At that point, Sara arrived and everyone followed shortly. It was great to see everyone, especially Scott, who had the determination of a madman to finish the marathon in 4:03. I am incredibly proud of how he met my challenge, got in great shape, and ran an incredible race. 4 months ago he was hurting after a 2 mile run. Yesterday, he ran his ass off for 26.2 miles showing just one of the ways he proves to be an inspiration to his family day in and day out. Congratulations Scott, I'll never forget this day for the challenges we both overcame to finish. We may be sore now, but we'll be sharing lots of laughs and fond memories in the years to come about yesterday. Also, I owe a huge thank you to Mom, Dad, Stephen, Ann, Amy, Sara, my coworkers, and my friends for being such a great support group.

Mile Splits:

1: 9:46

2: 9:17

3: 8:51

4: 8:52

5: 8:52

6: 9:13

7: 9:16

8: 9:14

9: 9:15

10: 9:50

11: 9:01

12: 8:49

13: 8:44

14: 9:00

15: 8:59

16: 9:11

17: 9:20

18: 10:00

19: 10:30

20: 12:37

21: 13:00

22: 13:11

23: 17:12

24: 15:48

25: 14:40

26: 15:54

.2: 2:50

------------> Net Time = 4:41.15

Day # 120: Final Thoughts....

I never had the chance to get in my final taper run of 2 miles today due to work and the cold temps tonight, but I'm as ready as I can be. After reading Scott's blog I am feel compelled to say a few words about the race on Sunday.

To give a little history, my brothers and I have always been competitive in any undertaking. When Scott and I were talking on IM back in July, I brought up a subject that I had personally been thinking about for a few weeks. Running a marathon. I mentioned it because he was making a comment about he felt out of shape and felt old after turning 30. So, on the spot I made the challenge to him. I told him it would great if we could choose a marathon for the fall and decide to fly and meet up and run--achieving a tremendous goal together. I was 90% sure he wouldn't be up for it. He was understandably reluctant at first, but within a few minutes had agreed to do it.

So here were are 17 weeks later - facing the reality of running the marathon.... this weekend. As I commented on Scott's blog, I am incredibly proud that he has made it this far. After being diagnosed with Chrone's disease and being hospitalized for a week a few years back, it is hard to imagine he'd be running 26.2 miles this weekend. So with a little luck, and a lot of preparation and a lot of will---we'll be able to look at each other Sunday afternoon thinking "What's next"...

Actions speak louder than words..Let's do it bro...

Day # 119: 4 Miles in the Boston Darkness

Due to some heavy traffic, I didn't get home until 6pm, so I had to run 4 miles tonight in complete darkness in downtown Boston. It was pretty windy, so I opted to run down Comm Ave. as opposed to running down near the river that is less protected from the elements. The run worked out well besides having to stop periodically to let traffic go by. I ran all the way down to Fenway Park, back to the Public Garden, around the perimeter of Boston Common and then back down Charles St. and up Beacon Hill. It was a pretty good slow run, as I finished the 4 miles in 37:09.

Route is here. Almost exactly 4 miles.

Day # 118: 3 Slow Treadmill Miles at the Ritz-Carlton

Ah, the final days are upon us! Tonight I took advantage of a guest pass to the Ritz Carlton's Sports Club and jogged 3 miles on the treadmill in 28:30. I think the setting was around 6.3 for the duration of the run. I stretched a little before and after running, then hit the steam room to eradicate the excess sweat from my pores. It was a nice little workout tonight as I prepare for what awaits on Sunday.

Day # 116: Last Long Run - 7 Miles in 61:30

This afternoon I completed my last "long run" prior to next weekend's marathon. To be completely honest, I felt quite a bit of pain in my right hip/groin, something that has been persistent for a few months. I felt most of the pain in the first 20 minutes of the run as my muscles needed a bit of time to warm up. Besides the injury, the run went pretty well, and I am definitely excited for next weekend after finishing the 7 mile run in 61:30.

Also, tonight began the first real day of "Carbo Loading". For dinner I grilled 2 thin chicken breasts marinated in teriyaki, and then mixed them in with asian style noodles.

Day # 115: Day Off - Recounting the Miles

This being the final week before the marathon, I thought it would be interesting to recount the training that has led me up to this week, in preparation of running the Philadelphia Marathon. Looking back on my first day of running in July, it was awfully hard to imagine that I would find myself in this physical condition 4 months later. You see, I remember working out at the gym in the summer of '04 weighing in the ballpark of 185lbs. Sure, I'll admit I lost some muscle along the way, but as of last week I weighed in at 165, a full 20lbs lighter than a year ago, and in much better aerobic shape. In looking at my miles by month, I found the breakdown quite interesting.

July - 42
August - 86
September - 92
October - 98
November - 45 (targeting 50)

In total, I have run 363 total miles. To put this into perspective, the driving distance from Boston to Philadelphia is 311 miles.

Also, throughout my training this year, I have had the amazing opportunities to run in 7 different states - Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, Maine, Oregon, California, & Minnesota. I have competed in 2 10k Road Races and a half marathon as well.

Day # 113: Day Off

After three consecutive days of training during the first of two "taper weeks", I am taking today off. Yesterday afternoon I started feeling a bit of pain in my right knee that is still present today. Definitely a good idea to give it some rest. Tomorrow I plan to run 3 SLOW miles at 9:30-9:45 pace, then this weekend run 7-8 miles at a SLOW 9:45 pace. All of next week is about carbing up, drinking water, consuming potassium, and preparing myself mentally and physically.

Day # 112: 6 Trail Miles in Great Brook State Park - Carlisle, Ma

With temps in the low 30's this morning and after feeling exhausted last night, I had a feeling motivation would be an issue when my alarm went off early this morning. Sure enough it was. At 6am, I shut it off and reset it for 7am, intentionally missing a morning run opportunity. However, on my way to work I decided to go for a lunch-time run if I could find a good park nearby. With the help of google, I found Great Brook Farm State Park only a 10 minute drive from the office. I arrived there just before noon, changed and started my mid-day run. With a temperature in the low 40's, the weather was perfect (ok maybe a little cold). I ran through several trails in the expansive state park before finally asking a lady on the trails how to get back to my original starting point. You'd be amazed at how confusing the trail system was. Luckily she pointed me in the right direction and I made if back to my car completing the 6 mile run in 54:58.

Day # 111: 4 Early Morning Miles around Fresh Pond in Cambridge

According to weather.com, the temperature today is supposed to hit 60, with the next 9 days after in the 41-54 degree range. With that said, I took advantage of one the last warm days of the year to get in an early morning run at Fresh Pond in Cambridge. If you've read earlier entries, you will recall that the loop around fresh pond is exactly 2.5 miles. Having to run 4 miles today according to the Higdon program, I ran the first 2.5 mile loop in 22:38, and then reversed direction and ran a 3/4 mile out and back loop to give me the 1.5 miles split in 12:21. I therefore finished the 4 mile run in 34:59.

12 More Days!

Day # 110: 4 Treadmill Miles at the Ritz-Carlton Boston Gym

Running in style today! My dad gave me a couple of guest passes to the Ritz-Carlton gym last week for my casual use. With the 20-30 mile winds whipping around Boston tonight, I took advantage of one of the passes tonight after I got home from work. The Ritz-Carlton gym is a 100,000 sq. foot facility with a basketball court, junior olympic pool, squash courts, steam room, sauna, etc. etc. Tonight I started with a 15 minute ride on the upright bike, finishing after biking 5.13 miles. Then, I walked over to the treadmill and proceeded to run 4.10 miles in 35 minutes. Don't be alarmed, the slow pace was planned tonight as I continue my tapering with less than 2 weeks to go. After running I worked on my shoulders a bit before retiring to the steam room for an awesome 10 minute relaxation period.

Day # 108: 7.5 Miles in Minnesota in 59:32

After flying to Minnesota Friday night and getting to the hotel around 9, Sara and I met up with friends to drink and catch up until about midnight. I woke up Saturday feeling great with no hangover, so I layered and went out for a run in the 45 degree weather. I ran an out-and-back course taking me 31 minutes out and 28 back to finish just under one hour. I am still trying to measure out the run, but I think it was in the area of 7 to 7.5 miles for the morning trek. Feeling good with only 2 weeks to go!

Day # 106: 4 Miles on the Treadmill

Today at lunch I took a ride over to Gold's Gym to run 4 miles on the treadmill. Although it was a bit warm and humid inside, I pushed the dial up to 7.5mph, which equates to an 8:00/mile pace. I ran mile 1 at 8:00, mile 2 at 8:00 (16:00), mile 3 at 8:00 (24:00), and sped it up a bit in mile 4, running a 7:58 split to finish with an overall time for the 4 mile run of 31:58. I don't exactly love treadmill running, but at least I did the mileage. Also my new shoes worked great, no issues to report!

Day # 105: 5 Early Morning Miles

This morning I was going to head to the gym, but once again made the decision to head to Fresh Pond instead. The temps were in the mid 50's and breezy, making conditions a bit worse than yesterday but certainly doable. I arrived at Fresh Pond just before 7am and then proceeded to run 2 laps around the pond. I completed lap 1 in 20:23 and the second lap in 20:39 --Finishing the 5 mile run in 41:02.

Also, tonight I bought a racing shoe for the Marathon. After visiting the Boston Running Company down on Charles ST., I was advised that the Brooks Adrenaline would be my best choice. Can't wait to put some miles on it!

Day # 104: 7.5 Early Morning Miles around Fresh Pond

I woke up this morning at 6am with every intention of heading straight to the gym for a cross training workout with a little treadmill running thrown in. However, as soon as I stepped outside into the 57 degree morning, I knew I'd be better off getting a long run in. As I walked to the parking garage, I decided that Fresh Pond would work best because it is on my way to work, has a nice trail that skirts the perimeter of the pond, and is off the busy streets. Because the trail around the pond is exactly 2.5 miles long, I decided to run 3 loops, thus getting in a 7.5 mile run. Lap 1 was completed in 21:58 (with a brief clock stoppage to stretch), Lap 2 was completed in 22:11, and I turned it on for lap 3, completing it in 19:46. Total total time for the 7.5 mile run was 1:03:55. The run was quite enjoyable and my quads felt 95% recovered from Saturday's horrific 20 miler.

Weight = 165

Day # 103: Happy Halloween

I have been trying find a break to get to the gym today, but it just isn't happening. When I get home tonight I am planning for 200 situps, 100 pushups, and some light lifting of the dumbbells.

Ah well....

Day # 101: 20 Mile Run in 2:51:55

It is done. The 20 mile run has been hanging over my head like a rain cloud for the past several weeks. This training run has been weighing on me, and today I finally completed it with the help of the Cambridge Running Club. I met the group of 15 or so runners at 8:30 this morning at 900 Beacon St. in Brookline to begin the run. We ran the Boston Marathon course backwards for 10 miles, which brought us over Heartbreak Hill twice as we went out into Newton and Wellsley before coming back. The club had volunteers that gave out water, gatorade, and Gu at miles 4, 7, 10, 13, and 16. With that said, here are the splits that I captured.

4 - 30:09
7 - 26:34 (56:44)
10 - 25:00 (1:21.44)
13 - 26:06 (1:47.50)
16 - 29:04 (2:16:54)
20 - 35:01 (2:51:55)

My quads cramped up pretty badly just as I finished the run. They are still incredibly sore tonight. I really need to work to devise a plan to prevent the cramping over the next couple of weeks. If I cramp up during the Marathon, my race is pretty much over. It is very difficult to run after they have tightened up to that point. Well, at least the run is over. Now it is time to taper for 3 weeks til Marathon Sunday!

Day # 98: 11.5 Windy Miles in 1:39:45

After work tonight I decided to hit the city streets despite the windy conditions. I ran all the way from Boston to Cambridge along Storrow, while trying to fight some vicious winds. I ran past Harvard Sq. to the corner of Brattle St and Mt. Auburn before turning around and running back home. The mileage came out to 11.5 miles in 1:39:45. I finished in complete darkness.

Day # 95: Recovering from the Groin Injury

After reaggravating my groin injury yesterday morning, I chose to take today off and try to recover. With less than 4 weeks until Philly, I am in danger of not being 100% when I run the race. This injury is going to force me to take 3 or 4 days off from serious training, which could be devastating. My plan is to take Monday and Tuesday off from running, and start back up on Wednesday if the groin isn't bothering me. With 8 miles planned on Wednesday, and 5 on Friday, I'll be ready again to try for 18 next weekend. We'll see how things go.

Day # 94 Continued: 6 Mile Run Instead of 18

A couple hours of rest after my morning soccer game had me ready to make my longest training run to date of 18 miles. I had my entire route mapped out and I good to go as I left the house around noon. Everything was going well for the first couple of miles, but around mile 2-3, my groin started killing me, yes the same one that has plauged my soccer season over the past 2 months. I ran through the pain for a bit longer, but eventually came to the conculsion that I could not make the full distance. I turned around at BU and jogged back to Beacon Hill, finishing with a time of 49:12 for about 6 miles or so. A dissapointing run. Given the results today, I think I am going to shut down my soccer season (with only 2 games left) and plan to fully recover in time for the marathon next month. I really need to get in a long run either in the middle of next week or next weekend. I just hope my groin will cooperate.

Day # 94: 75 Minutes of Cross Training (Men's League Soccer)

Showed up in Melrose this morning at 8am to play a little Men's League Soccer. My groin injury is amazingly persistent so I was only at about 75-80% for the game, but it didn't matter much as we easily won the game by a score of 5-2. Our offense played well and our defense could have been a bit better, but either way we walked away winners and I got a good workout playing 75 of the 90 minutes.

Day # 92: Day Off

Day off as planned today. Wasn't really necessary, but basic training tells you that a day off gives the muscles some time to recover, especially in advance of Sunday's planned "long run". I'll check back in tomorrow.

Day # 91: Speed Track Workout @ Bentley College & 60 Minutes of Soccer

Tonight after work I drove over to the Bentley track and warmed up for a workout with temps in the low 60s and breezy. I warmed up with an 800, then stretched and got ready. I ended up running 200,400,600,800,800,600,400,200. My splits were 29, 72, 1:56, 2:36, 2:42, 1:54, 75, 31 or so. I didn't have my digital watch, but I tried to monitor as best as possible with my Bulova watch. Afterwards I cooled down with another 800 and stretched out. After stretching I drove over to Panera, got a bowl of soup for dinner, then drove over to Newton for a soccer game. I played 60 minutes of the 70 minute game, but again we found ourselves on the losing side when the 0-1 score went final. It was a good workout, but too bad we didn't win. All together lots of good exercise tonight. I plan to take tomorrow off and resume with a 5-7 mile run on Friday, Saturday morning soccer game, and long run (15-17) on Sunday.

Day # 90: 60 Minutes of Cross Training @ the Gym - Lifting & Bike

I woke up early this morning and drove over to Gold's Gym for a morning workout. After fighting the rainy commute to the gym, I did dumbell press, bench press, tri pull-down (rope), sitting chest press, tri pull-down (bar). Then I finished off the workout with 15 minutes on the exercise bike.

Day # 89: 5.5 Miles in 45:03

After getting home tonight I decided to once again hit the streets for a run before darkness. I cruised on down to the Charles River, ran to the first bridge, ran across the bridge into Cambridge (next to MIT), and then ran along the River all the way up to the next bridge (about a mile up or so). I crossed back over the Charles and into Boston right next to BU, jumped onto Beacon St. and ran it 2.5+ miles back to Boston. Feeling good, I kept a fast pace tonight, finishing the 5.5 mile run in 45:03.

Day # 88: 6.3 Windy Miles in 51:03

The sun came out for the first time in 8 days, but the wind decided not to subside quite yet. Consequently, I found myself battling 30-35mph winds in downtown Boston as I ran all the way to the old BU armory building in Allston before turning around and heading all the way back into Boston. I felt ok throughout the run, but the wind made getting comfortable a difficult task. I stopped my watch at 51:03 to end the 6.3 mile run back at my apartment.

Today's course

Day # 86: 4.03+ Rainy Miles in 32:48

I recovered amazingly quick from yesterday's 24-hr bug thanks in part to lots of rest, lots of fluids, and taking Zithromax. Driving home in the rain I knew I had to get in a run after doing nothing the previous day due to feeling sick. So, when I got home I changed and hit the streets for a 4.5 mile trek down along Storrow and then I cross over the bridge near Fenway and followed Beacon St. back to Charles St. A little over 4.03 miles in 32:48.

Day # 85: Zero Miles - Sick as a Dog

I never quite understood the analogy of "sick as a dog" but nonetheless that is how I felt today. A little after noon I started getting the chills at work and was feeling light-headed. Also, my throat was a bit sore. I think this is all attributable to watching the US soccer game last night at Gillette Stadium in the cold temps, wind, and pouring rain. I took my temp when I got home and it was 99.9 degrees. I have spent the entire night (6pm-10pm) in bed, and now plan to fall asleep. I hope this is a 24-hr bug, otherwise this will be a major obstacle in my marathon training.

Day # 84: 4 Treadmill Miles in 31:22

With the deluge of rain the past few days and for the rest of the week, I took the greatest show on earth (my marathon training) indoors to the Gold's Gym today. I arrived at Gold's at 7:15 and proceeded to run 4 miles on the treadmill in 31:22, burning 534 calories in the process. After the run, I cooled down with a 2 minute walk, did 200 situps, 1 shoulder exercise, and headed for the shower. The run felt good today and my muscle soreness is wearing off. The only thing that made this morning's run difficult was the high temperature in the gym and the lack of a fan near me.

Weight = 167

Day # 82: 1 Mile Recover Run in 7:32

When my dad came home from Otis tonight, I took the opportunity to drive the car to his parking garage so that I could run home in an attempt to loosen up my leg muscles. It worked pretty well as I jogged the mile home in 7:32. . There is no doubt that there is still significant quad soreness, but at least I was able to loosen up the lactic acid that has built up since yesterday morning. Tomorrow I'll try to for a longer run or at least get on the bike so that I don't lose valuable training days trying to recover from yesterday's half marathon.

Day # 81: Boston Half Marathon (13.2 miles) in 1:44:15

Wow. The running conditions were tremendous for today's race (low 60's and rain) as the gun went off to start the 5th annual Boston Half Marathon. The race was an exciting experience and I had the opportunity to talk with some good spirited fellow runners along the way. It was a 6.5 out and back loop starting at Fenway Park, heading out to the Franklin Zoo, before coming all the way back to Fenway. The course featured a few gradual rolling hills with the same hills going downhill on the way back. I took a GU gel at mile 8 from the race volunteers and tried to jog slowly through the water stops to get down at much fluid as possible. In the last 2 miles (12 & 13) my quads were really starting to hurt, but other than that I felt great as I crossed the finish line. A tremendous thank you to Sara for putting up with my nervous energy, the rain, and then my blabbing after it all finished. You truly are a keeper. Mile splits are as follows: (8:12, 7:36, 8:07, 7:35, 7:48, 7:55, 8:05, 7:52, 8:04, 7:57, 8:06, 8:06, 8:02, :43) for a total of 1:44.15 for 13.2 miles---Making my pace 7:58/mile. After seeing the complete results online, I also finished 563rd out of 3,073 runners.

http://tinyurl.com/a9h7e

Day # 80: 30 Minutes of Cross Training (Men's League Soccer)

Well, I thought my groin injury had completely gone away, but I learned the hard way that it had not. In the first few minutes of my Men's league soccer game today I was forced to clear a ball away by kicking it hard, which aggravated the injury. The pain came back right away, and for the next 15 or so minutes it hurt to kick the ball and sprint at full speed. I took myself out of the game with 15 minutes left in the first half and never returned. I did get 30 minutes of good exercise in before leaving the game that we ultimately tied 0-0 on a cold and rainy day in Dorchester. Half Marathon tomorrow!

Day # 79: 4.5 Miles in 37:34

Tonight I went out for a 4.5 mile run in preparation of this weekend's Half Marathon in Boston. I ran a 4.5 loop from my house in Boston out to the Mass Pike and back. I took it easy and ran around an 8:15 per mile pace and arrived back at the house in 37:34. I guess I'm ready for this weekend...It will certainly be a good test to see if my training is paying off and to see how much further my will can carry me.

Day # 77: 80 Minutes of Cross Training (Coed Soccer)

I played 2 full 40 minute halves of coed soccer tonight. Unfortunately we lost 0-1, but I did have the stamina to play the full 80 up front without getting tired. There was a bit of lingering muscle soreness from the run on Monday, but it pretty much went away as I started playing and stretched things out a bit.

Day # 76: 16+ Mile Training Run

What can I say about tonight. I left the house at 4:30 with my water belt, quarters, and my house key. I started my watch and jogged down the st. and stopped in a running store on Charles St. to buy a packet of Gu gel for the run. With temps in the high 70s, I ran over the Fiedler Bridge and down to the Charles River. I ran west out of Boston through Cambridge, through Belmont, through Watertown, then looped back through Cambridge and all the way back into Boston. I ate my Gu gel at the 1:30 mark and felt great. Around the 2 hr. mark when I made it back to Cambridge, the sun was down completely. I ran the last half hour in complete darkness along the Charles, which made things interesting. I am extremely satisfied with my ability to fight through the run tonight and survive a 16.2 mile run in 2hrs and 31minutes and 6 seconds. My quads and calves feel sore tonight, but other than that I am doing pretty well. Tremendously difficult, yet gratifying run.

Day # 75: 90 Minutes of Cross Training - Tennis

After the 6+ mile race yesterday, I took today off to relax my legs and get ready for a solid week of training ahead. However, I did find time to hit the tennis court at Bentley for a about an hour and a half. It was a great workout, though I admit I was a bit sore from yesterday's race. Looking forward to the week ahead.

Day # 74: 10K Road Race in 47:29 - 1st Place in 18-29 Age Group

In what I consider to be a milestone achievement in my marathon training thus far, I competed in a 10K Road Race in Milton, MA. today and finished first in my age group with a time of 47:21. The conditions to start the race were perfect---Sunny, mid 70s, light breeze, and a shady course. I went through mile 1 in 7:11, mile 2 in 7:23, mile 3 in 8:07, mile 4 in 7:27, Mile 5 in 7:56, Mile 6 7:45 and the last 2/10ths in 52 seconds. Making my pace 7:47 per mile. I appeared to finish in 14th place overall, but apparently everyone that beat me was in the 30 and over agre brackets, so after the race my name was announced as the winner for my age group. I won a $50 Gift Certificate to "The Rack" restaurant/bar in Boston just oustide Fanueil Hall. All together the race went very well.

Results are here:
http://www.coolrunning.com/results/05/ma/Oct1_1stAnn_set4.shtml

Day # 71: 8 Mile Run in Waltham

I took to the streets of Waltham this evening before my soccer game. I ran a very hilly 8 mile route, but felt great throughout. No feeling of soreness from earlier runs, just the nagging groin soreness that I have had for a couple of weeks now. I ended up finishing the 8 mile run tonight in 59:07, a little bit over 7/mins per mile due to the number of hills on the course. The temps again tonight were great as it was in the 60s with a light breeze.

Day # 70: 4.5 Mile Run Under the Cloak of Darkness

Arriving home at 6:15 tonight, I had no choice but to run part of tonight's workout in darkness. It was the first "night run" of my training program thus far, but the run went well. I only went 4 tonight, but they were comfortable miles at 7 mins/mile pace. I ran all the way down to Fenway, turned around and ran all the way up Boylston past the Public Garden and Boston Common until it intersects Tremont. I then did a loop around the common, ran up Charles, then finally ended with a sprint up Pinckney St. to end the run. Great run tonight under good conditions, albeit in the darkness. 4.5 miles in 33:27.

Day # 69: Climbing up on Beacon Hill

Driving home from work with temps in the low 60s and overcast conditions, I knew it would be a fantastic evening for a run along the Charles. Leaving the house, I jogged down Pinckney, crossed over the Fieldler Bridge, stretched out, and then proceeded to run 2 hard miles (6:30ish pace)to the workout area before the BU Sailing area. I did 100 situps and 50 pushups at the workout area, then turned around and jogged comfortably (7:15ish pace) back to the Fiedler Bridge and out to Beacon St. I ran up Beacon St., turned on Charles, then ran down to the intersection of Pinckney and Charles. I completed 3 hard sprints up Pinckney to our door, each time following the sprint with a slow jog back down the hill. As I finished up the last couple of hills, it started raining hard, just the time to duck inside my apartment satisfied with completing 5 miles in 36:47.

Day # 68: 60 Minutes of Cross Training - Tennis

For the second consecutive day, I started off my morning with 60 minutes of tennis down at the community court in our neighborhood in Otis. Although the weather wasn't quite as nice, it was still decent. The good news is that I felt great playing tennis only 15 or so hours after running more than 7 miles of hills.

Day # 67 Continued: 8 Hilly Miles in 61:01.29

After getting home from a long day visiting my grandfather and godmother, my dad talked me into hitting the roads for a long run in Otis. I started in the center of Otis at the general store, ran an our and back loop, then 2 more miles up to our house. The route was very hilly and the roads had no sidewalks, so it ended up to be a pretty difficult run. The only positive about the run were the cool temperatures. Also, after finishing the run with a tough hill 1.8 mile hill finish, I recovered very quickly. Not a bad day covering 8 miles in 61:01.29

Day # 67: 60 Minutes of Cross Training - Tennis

I started off the morning with 60 minutes of tennis. It had been awhile since I played the sport, but it was certainly fun, yet tiring. Tennis uses mostly fast-twitch muscles as opposed to the slow-twitch muscles used in long distance running, but either way it was a good workout and change of pace from the marathon training.

Day # 65: 9.5 Miles in 1:13.56

Knowing that I was in dire need of a fitting in a long run, I got home from work this evening and hit the roads just before 6pm. I ran from my apartment on Pinckney St. down to the Charles River, ran on the Boston side for about a mile, then crossed a bridge and continued my westward trek all the way to Harvard Square in Cambridge. I crossed back over a footbridge in Harvard Sq. and ran all the way back to the apartment. A nice long run a quite a quick pace. I didn't feel all that great, yet I also felt the need to push it a bit due to some of the workouts I missed in the last few days. All together it was a decent run. The only problem was finishing in darkness. It is really getting dark at 7pm here, and I finished by run around 7:20, so it was pretty much pitch black. We need the 1 hour fall back to come soon!

Day # 64: 25 Minutes on the Bike in Reston, VA.

Due to another business trip, I once again found myself scrambling to fit in some exercise in lieu of running, which I did not have time for on a very busy day. Tonight I was able to ride 25 minutes on the stationary bike at the Sheraton fitness center in Reston, VA. Not exactly a tiring workout, but a chance to work the quads and calves nonetheless. An O.K. workout, better than doing nothing.

Day # 62: 5 Miles in 46:01

Starting at a park on Soldiers Field road in Cambridge, I ran a 5 mile path along the Charles River in 46:01. The weather was nice (mid 70s) and there was little to no humidity. The pace was nice and even and I was good about getting in a long stretch prior to running and after as well. I think I am close to beating this groin injury, which would be terrific.

Day # 61: Day Off

Today was a day off for travel. We left our hotel at 8:00am for the airport, ate breakfast and got to LAX around 10am, then were on a plane were 11:20am PST to 4:20 PST. That means it was 7:20PM est when I got home, and the sun was already down. By the time I got back to my apartment it was 8:30 and too late to run. Anyways, it wasn't a bad day to have off. Tomorrow I have a wedding to attend, but will try to squeeze in a run early in the day or in the evening.

Day # 61: 5 Miles in 42:04 in Laguna Beach, CA.

Running in Laguna Beach for the second consecutive day, I decided that I would run a bit further through Laguna and enjoy the scenic roads along the ocean. Running in the morning gave me the opportunity to hit the roads before there were too many pedestrians in downtown, and I was able to tackle some monsterous hills. As some of you may know, many of the cities in California (including LB) are built into the side of a mountain, to provide some fantastic views, but also some perilously steep roads. I ended up finishing the 5 mile run in 42:04.

Day # 60: 3.5 Miles in 28:01 in Laguna Beach, CA.

After flying out to LA, I took the opportunity in the afternoon to go for a run along the picturesque Pacific Ocean. Laguna Beach is right along the ocean, so the run was quite scenic and the weather was perfect (low 70s, w/ no humidity). I ran from our hotel that is north of downtown, to the downtown area around a few streets, and back to our hotel. The run was great even though I am still nursing a bit of a sore groin. I ended up running 3.5 miles in 28:01.

Day # 58: 60 Minutes of Cross Training (Coed 11 v 11 Soccer)

Had my first 11 v 11 coed soccer game of the year. Our team, playing together for the first time ever pulled out an impressive 3-2 victory. I fed Brian on our team's first goal in the 4th minute to get an assist. Starting the 2nd half tied 1-1, Brian again found open space and knocked home another goal so that we went up 2-1. With 10 minutes left, the opposing team's defender misjudged a bouncing ball in from about 15 yards out, and I ran around him, gathered it and placed a shot into the opposite lower corner to help us go up 3-1. It was nice to get a win in our first game, and nice to cross train and not think solely about running for a day. Tomorrow is the semi-final and final of my 6v6 coed league.

Day # 57: 12.5 Mile Run in 1:41:19

Wow. What a run. What I was expecting would be about an 11 mile run ended up being about 12.5 miles or so I think. I'll know better once I get a chance to mark the mileage in my car. I felt good for the first 8 miles or so from Boston into Watertown. Once in Watertown at the 60 minute mark, I ate the Gu gel that I had stored away in my water belt. After washing it down and running a few more minutes, I definitely felt my energy level come back, which really helped me in the last 40 minutes. At the end of my run, I certainly was not out of breath, it was more of a case of my quadriceps burning Even tonight after some Mineral Ice they are still hurting and I'm sure they'll still be sore tomorrow. Still worth it though. I'm still satisfied with my results tonight and proud of running my furthest distance ever. 12.5 Miles in 1:41:19 ain't bad.

Day # 56: 6 Mile Run in 46:57

I ran the same 6 mile loop as on Thursday, but with much better results as my groin injury is going away. I can't say I really "pushed the pace" too much, but I did run pretty quick while staying comfortable. The result was finishing the 6 mile loop in 46:57 (apprx. 8min/mile pace). Looking forward to a good week of training ahead.

Day # 55: 60 Minutes of Cross Training (Men's League Soccer)

Well, we lost a tough a game today to the #2 ranked team in our league. It was a dissapointing loss as we hit the crossbar twice during the game. However, it was a good physical workout and I am definitely exhausted.

Day # 53: 6 Mile Run w/ Groin Injury

Ouch. All of last night I pretty much stayed awake with a pain in my right groin from over-extending for a kick during the game. Today at work I still felt the pain and had to walk around the office favoring the muscle. Tonight, I knew I had to stay dedicated to the training program, but not overdo it and sustain a permanent injury. As a result, I ended up running the full 6 miles tonight, but ran it extremely slow (apprx. 9 min/mile avg). I finished the 6 mile run in 52:18. This was actually a mixed blessing. I really needed to log a few slower runs and was able to because of my injury. I look forward to resting the muscle tomorrow and getting ready for my Men's league soccer game on Saturday.

Day # 52: 50 Minutes of Soccer (Cross-training)

I laced up the Copas for the first time in a few weeks and kicked the old round ball around for a little while. We won the game 9-2. I managed 3 goals and 2 assists before taking a break and letting the time run out. It should be noted that after the second goal, I tweaked my right groin muscle. It felt really sore after the game, and still does tonight.

Day # 51: 3 Miles on the Treadmill in 22:32

I have finally reached day #50 of the training! A bit of a personal milestone because I wasn't sure at the beginning that I would even make it this far. I was too tired to run this morning, and from training I have learned that you have to listen to your body. As a result, I figured on running tonight after work, but I forgot Sara got us free tickets to the advanced screening of "The Man" featuring Samuel L. Jackson & Eugene Levy. Learning of the change in plans, I hit the gym at lunch time for a quick 3 miles on the treadmill. I puposely ran the first mile in 8:00, then ran the 2nd mile in 7:34, then ran the 3rd mile in 6:58, thus running a total of 3 miles in 22:32. I felt comfortable throughout the run, and according to the machine, I burned 401 calories in the process.

Weight = 168

Day # 49: 5+ Miles of Walking

Walked from my place on Beacon Hill to Downtown Crossing area, then walked across both parks, all the way down Newbury to the end, then all the way back up Boylston St., back through the parks and back to my apartment. I only mention this walk because it was extensive and I needed it because my leg muscles were feeling a bit sore today from my 12 mile run yesterday. Tomorrow I am going to take the day off and try to stay off my feet.

Day # 48: 12 Miles in 1:34:35

In what was my most difficult run thus far of the training program, I completed the 12 mile run in 1 hour, 34 minutes and 35 seconds. Today marked the longest continuous run that I have ever made. I paced the run pretty well with each mile split in the 8-9 minute/mile mark. As a result, I felt pretty comfortable and had no respitory issues, but towards the end of the run my knees and heels were in a bit of pain. After running all the way from Boston into Cambridge, I looped all of Storrow Dr. came back up Beacon Hill, then ran through Govt. Center, the Financial District, the Wharf area, Downtown Crossing, Boston Common, Public Garden, then back up Charles St. and Public Garden. An incredibly draining, yet satisfying run today.

Day # 45: 5 Miles + Beacon Hill Finish

Although it was just as humid tonight as previous evenings, I walked out of the apartment and started jogging down Pinckney Hill to begin my 5 mile run that the Higdon program suggested. I took a similar route to last night by running down Mass Ave., but tonight I ran past the Prudential Center and all the way down to Lansdowne St. next to Fenway Park before turning around and running back down Mass Ave. and Newbury St. Hitting the Public Garden, I felt strong so I ran across the park then ran the perimeter of the Boston Common before running down Pinckney, down Charles and then sprinting up Pinckney. A tough 5+ mile run completed in 41:08.

Day # 44: 3 Miles + Beacon Hill Finish

I left the house at 7pm tonight for a 3 mile run in Boston. After running the Charles last night, I was more interested in running the streets tonight, so I ran down Charles, onto Beacon, then Arlington, then ran down the park on Mass. Ave. til I got down to the Prudential Center. Once I was parallel with the Pru, I went down a block to Newbury and ran it all the way back to the Public Garden again before jogging up Charles and sprinting all-out up Pinckney St. It was still very humid tonight, but not as bad as last night. That combined with a drizzle made for less than favorable running conditions, but beggers can't be choosers. I ended up finishing the 3 mile run in 21:34. Roughly 7:11 mins/mile

Day # 43: 7 Miles in Extreme Humidity in Boston + Beacon Hill Finish

Wow, what a difficult run...Arriving home after work at 6o'clock, I quickly laced up the running shoes and trudged out the door and down Pinckney St. for what was one of my most difficult training runs yet. 92 degrees and extreme humidity greeted me as I jogged down the hill and towards the Charles River. I stretched at the 5 minute mark, then proceeded to run from the Arthur Fiedler bridge all the way down Storrow to the Mass Turnpike exit. The run is roughly 3 miles each way. That plus my 1/2 mile jog to get over the bridge got me to the 7 mile mark. Coming home, I crossed back over the Fiedler Bridge, and once I got to the intersection of Charles + Pinckney---I sprinted full speed 1/6th of a mile straight up Pinckney. If you've seen my street, you fully know why they call it Beacon Hill! A great day run considering the conditions. I finished off the 7 miles in 49:55 - just over 7 mins/mile.

Day # 42: No Day Off - 8 Hours of Moving!

I spent today lifting couches, love seats, box springs, mattresses, dressers, a dining room hutch (weighing well over 300 pounds), all in an effort to help Sara move to her new house in Waltham, and also in my move from Waltham to Beacon Hill in downtown Boston. I wasn't able to fit in my scheduled 7 mile run, but it was certainly no day off for the legs. My plan is to run 7 tomorrow evening after work if I can get out early enough and if the weather cooperates.

Day # 41: 90 Minutes of Cross Training - Morning Soccer Game

This morning at 10am, my Men's League Soccer Team had our first fall game in Framingham, MA. We won the tightly contested game by a score of 3-2, a big win against the defending league champions. My fitness was superb throughout the match, which was a nice surprise seeing that in the past I tended to tire out in the last 20 minutes of every game. This game certainly required as much, if not more running than other games, and I was able to play the full 90 mins without a substitution.

Day # 40: 3.2 Comfortable Miles

I left the house this morning with the idea that I would run a very relaxed pace, trying if at all possible to simulate the mile splits that I'd like to run on November 20th in Philadelphia. I accomplished that much. I ran the 3.2 mile course in 25:28, which comes out around 8:30/min miles, which is what I'd like to hit in Philly. I felt comfortable throughout the morning and now I can look forward to my first fall soccer game tomorrow morning.

Day # 39: Day off to Give the Legs a Rest

After running 6.5 miles yesterday morning, I played a coed soccer game at night, so my body was feeling pretty sore this morning when I woke up. In a few minutes I am leaving to help Sara move a bunch of her stuff up to her new house as well. Not a bad day to give the legs a rest. The plan tomorrow is to go for a run (not sure on morning or afternoon yet), and then rest up for my first fall soccer game Saturday morning. I hope to jam in my weekly long run (of 7 miles) sometime on Sunday morning, but I'm playing it by ear at this point given all the activities going on this weekend.

Day # 38: Tough 6+ Mile Morning Run

I woke up this morning at 6:20 intending to go out and run a fairly easy 5 mile loop. I started off well and felt good, but about 1 mile into the run, I was having some stomach pains that were hurting me pretty bad. I tried to run through them, but they forced me into walking a few times. So, I decided to take a shortcut on the run and get back to the house sooner. About 1 mile later, the pain completely subsided. Rather than just jog home, I decided instead to punish my body and run the loop completely over. I ran right past my house and completed a 3 mlie version of the loop. I'd say combined the first loop was 3.5 and second loop was 3 miles, thus making 6.5 miles-- but I'll have to measure it out tonight. I crossed in 52:34, but that time probably isn't very accurate given my walking, jogging, hard running, etc... Regardless I am satisfied that I was able to work through adversity this morning and complete the planned mileage.

Day # 37: 3.2 Mile Run in 22:00.57

I woke up at 6:25 this morning to ideal temps! Stepping outside into the sunshine and mid-60's, I proceeded to start off with a hard, yet comfortable running pace. My legs felt great to start so I had no qualms about pushing the tempo. Other than slowing down a few times to change my ipod song, I maintained a good pace. Entering the final 1/4 mile homestretch, I peered down at my watch and saw 20:56, so I ran/sprinted through the finish line in exactly 22:00 for the 3.2 mile run. Calculating the pace, I averaged 6:53/mile. Just a note, if you scroll back to earlier entries, this was the same loop I was running in 24 to 25 minutes just a few weeks ago. Nice!

Day # 36: Day Off - Good idea w/ the Late Summer Humidity

For all the cursing of "Mother Nature" in my previous posts, she finally cooperated with me yesterday and today. After the pleasant weather last week, the heat and humidity returned yesterday and today. Perfect timing for once! Yesterday was cross training day, so I was able to stay inside and bike in front of a monsterous fan. Today was my day off - One that I probably needed. This past weekend I went for my first double digit run of the program in hitting 10 miles. So getting back to the temps...today I worked from 8:30-5:30 and took care of some errands this evening. Back to the running tomorrow morning with a 3 mile trek. Kind of strange that I'm actually looking forward to running. It really becomes quite addictive.

Day # 35: 1.5 Hrs of Cross Training at Gold's Gym

With the rain coming down hard this morning, it was the perfect setting to head up to Burlington to Gold's Gym to get in a cross training workout and stay dry. Surprisingly, I wasn't feeling very sore from the 10 mile run yesterday, so I hopped on the bike and pedaled 7.11 miles in 20:00. I then switched to the eliptical and went 2.05 miles in 15:00. After completing the cardio session, I walked downstairs and did 2 bicep exercises, 2 chest exercises, 1 shoulder exercise, and 150 situps. All together it was a great workout and my energy did not begin to wane until the final few minutes of the situps. Well, time to make myself a protein drink.

Weight = 169

Day # 34: 2.5 Mile Warmup + 5 Mile Road Race + 2.5 Mile Cooldown = 10 Miles

I accomplished the goal today of running 10 miles. I showed up at Fresh Pond in Cambridge, MA. to run the 2.5/5 Mile weekly 10am Road Race. The race happens rain or shine every Saturday morning, and is free. 1 loop around the pond is exactly 2.5 miles...if you raise your hand at the finish, they give you your time and popsicle stick with the place you finished. If you want to run 5 miles, you keep running through the finish line. That was me today. I arrived at 9:25 with 76 degre temps and started with running the 2.5 mile loop once for a warmup in 19:50.

I then stretched, and got ready to compete in the race. I completed the first 2.5 mile split in 17:21, and during the second lap started to fade a bit. My second 2.5 mile lap was 17:41, giving me an overall time of 35:02 for 5 miles. Thus making my per minute pace 7:00. Awesome pace for 5 consecutive miles. Finally, I finished with another lap for my cooldown in 21:07. Adding it all up, I ran a total of 10 miles in 75 minutes and 59 seconds.

Day # 32: Hardest Track Workout in Over 2.5 Years

I arrived at the Bentley track tonight anxious to test myself against the clock in a true 3 mile run. I certainly was a bit excited as I ran the first mile in 6:29. Realizing the split, I backed off on the second mile and ran through 8 laps in 13:43 (7:14 split). Stepping up the tempo on the third mile, I crossed the finish line in 20:34 (6:51 split). Although I went out too quick, I was extremely satisfied having averaged a per mile pace under under 7 minutes for 3 miles, without anyone pushing me.

As I was cooling down, 2 old Bentley track teammates (Spinney and Johnny Cal) showed up and asked if I wanted to do some speed work. Reluctantly I agreed, and we started by running an 800 in 2:34 (74 & 80 splits). I then paced the back-2-back 400 splits for Spinney's 800's in 74 & 72 respectively. A great evening of running.

I must say that I have surpassed all of my expectations of my training program thus far, and I'm only 4 weeks into training! However, I am far from becoming complacent. I will continue to push myself with the end goal of reaching the finish line of the Philadelphia Marathon with my brother Scott.

Day # 31: 4.8 Miles in 40:38

I worked on setting a slow tempo this morning, knowing that I ran 2 hard 10K runs over the past 4 days. The slow pace worked as I felt comfortable for the duration of the run and finished without forcing myself to push the pace.

Day # 30: Cross Training Day

I hit up Gold's Gym this morning for 20 minutes on the bike (6.8 miles), 200 situps and 100 pushups. Was nice to have a day off from running today, especially considering that my left hamstring is pretty sore. In the coming weeks, I really need to concentrate and pre and post run stretching to keep from getting injured.

Weight = 170

Day # 29: What Recovery? 6.2 Mile Run in 45:59!

So much for a recovery run! After temps in the 80's combined with humidity levels in the 60% range over the weekend, today the temps were in the low 70's with no humidity, perfect summer weather running conditions. So, I went for what I hoped would be a 6.2 mile recovery and relaxation run. Well, it didn't go as planned. 1 mile into the run, my muscles felt surprisingly great, and my spirits running high, so I decided to slowly push the tempo and look to continue the pace for the duration of the run. I ran a solid pace of the various hills on the run, and did not even push hard at the end. I finished in 45:59, easily my best 6.2 loop run ever! Calculating it out, the pace turns out to be around 7:25 per mile! That just goes to show what the combination of the humidity and course difficultly did to my 10K time this past weekend. I am extremely satisfied with my run today. 4 Weeks ago, that time would not have been possible even pushing it hard.

Day # 27: Bridge of Flowers 10K Road Race in 49:44

On an unbelievably humid morning and sunshine beating down, I lined up to run the www.bridgeofflowers10k.com in Shelburne Falls, MA. In what was the hardest road race I have ever competed in, I finished the 10K in 49:44, eclipsing my goal of finishing under 50 minutes, with only seconds to spare. Mile 1 and mile 2 both featured short short rolling hills. I remember hearing my split of 6:58 when crossing mile 1, obviously coming through way too fast. I then remember hearing my 2 mile split of 14:07, still way too fast (7:09). Mile 3 began the infamous Crittendon Hill, which was a 1 mile run (or should I say slow jog/walk) up a 10% gradient hill. The hill is literally exactly 1 mile, as the mile 3 marker is at the top of the hill. By the top, the heat and humidity had pretty much sucked the energy out of me and the rest of the 983 competitors in the event. Nevertheless, I trudged on, still cognizant of the goal to beat the 50 minute mark. Miles 4 and 5 I pretty much recall as being recovery/hanging on miles where I was trying to ignore thoughts of walking. My guess is that I ran in the 8:45-9 minute range for those 2 miles. Finally, I remember hearing 39:48 when I began mile 5, exactly 1.2 miles from the finish line. Lucky for me, the remaining distance was mostly shaded and featured quite a down hill trek. Realizing the finish was near, I pushed the tempo and started running much harder. Crossing the iron bridge from Buckland to Shelburne Falls with 200 yards left, I had no choice but to stop and dry heave. After thinking all was lost, I told myself again that I needed to finish under 50, seeing that my watch was reading 49:00. I turned towards the finish line and jogged through the line at 49:44, beating my goal and accomplishing a great feat under the circumstances! My reward for finishing? A carnation, 3 bottles of water, and a very happy Sara and my mom. Thanks for cheering me on and being so supportive! A side note, upon reading my results online later on, I realized I ran exactly an 8:00/min pace. Not bad at all. I dedicated today's race to my grandparents. I miss you.

Day # 25: 3 Mile Warmup for the 10K

Today was all about pacing a controlled 3 mile run. For the last 3+ weeks, I've gotten into the habit of running a bit harder than I should on my long runs. Today, it was especially important that I revert back to the original plan of pacing myself into a controlled run and running even splits. I achieved that much today. I ran a relaxed 3.2 mile run tonight in 25:28 in preparation for the Bridge of Flowers 10K in Shelburne Falls, Ma. this weekend. I felt good before, during, and after the run, not to mention a shorter 3 mile run like today served as a bit of tapering leading into this weekend's race. If I feel rested tomorrow morning, the plan is to hit the gym to ride the bike for 20 and the eliptical for 10 minutes, just to keep my muscles loose. My preliminary goal this weekend is fairly basic by looking to break 50 minutes. Looking forward to a great race on Saturday, hopefully the heat and humidity don't get to me!

Day # 23: 4.8 Miles & Feeling Good

Going into my 10K this Saturday, I wanted to get out and run a bit longer than the scheduled 4 miles today. I picked a route starting at my house and going through Lexington before coming back, which was exactly 4.8 miles. The route worked out well as it was very shady and not too trafficky. The best part about the run tonight was how I felt. I started with a slight twinge behind the back of my left knee, but about 1 mile into the run I was feeling fine and running comfortably. I'd say I slowed down a bit between miles 3-4, but finished the last 8 tenths very hard. I finished the run in 36:51, which makes it about a 7:35 pace, very comfortable and faster than race pace.

Day # 22: 3 Miles of Sweat

Now I understand why New Englanders enjoy fall, spring, and winter. Summer here is way too humid! Honestly, for the past 2 months or so, the humidity here in Massachusetts has been awful. It is one thing to be down in Florida in the hot sunshine, at the beach, getting a tan, baking in the humidity, and being able to cool off at the ocean or in the myriad of pools. But when it is overcast, 88, with the humidity over 70%, it is simply ridiculously rough here in New England. I hope fall comes soon. Well so anyways, I ran the 3.2 mile loop tonight in 23:21, even though I said I'd run at marathon pace. So I ran the mile pace at 7:28. My fastest pace for 3+ miles in non-race training.

In other exciting news I did 4 things to further my commitment to the marathon today.

1) I registered for the 10K road race in Shelburne Falls, MA. this Saturday. Check out the race site at www.bridgeofflowers10k.com
2) I registered for the Boston Half Marathon in October. Check out the race site at http://www.baa.org/HalfMarathon
3) I booked a room at the Hampton Inn in Philadelphia for the night of November 19th.
4) I booked a roundtrip flight to Philadelphia on Southwest (leaving Nov. 19th, returning Nov, 20th)

Day # 20: Hilly 6 Mile Run

I got up at 8am this morning and ran my familiar 6 mile loop, which has some pretty rough hills. It was already humid out, but equipped with my trusty Ipod Mini, I took my mind off sweating and pounded out the miles. I felt good for the first 3 miles, but the 1 mile hill from 3 to 4 took a toll on me. However, I kept up a decent pace up the hill, so when I got to mile 5 and 6, I got a second wind that carried me home in 48:55---just over an 8 minute mile pace, which I am very happy with considering the big hills where I probably ran 9:30 pace.

Day # 18: 3 Miles on the Maine Harbor

A summer outing to Portland, Maine was the perfect opportunity to put in my 3 mile run in the afternoon, while enjoying the smell of the ocean, a great breeze, and some fantastic sights. I started at the Eastland Park Hotel, ran a 1/2 mile down to the harbor area, and ran by some beautiful powerboats and yachts as I completed the easy 3 mile jog. I finished the workout today in 31:18, well over the 3 mile goal without pushing it. Felt good all the way today!

Day # 17: 4.4 Miles in the Humidity

I was planning to run this morning, but when my alarm went off at 6:30am, my body was telling me otherwise. After two straight days of minimal sleep, I needed the extra hour this morning. I'm glad I got it because I ended up working at the office for 10 hours before getting home at 6:30 this evening. According to the program, I needed a 4 mile run tonight, but the problem is that I know two different 3 mile loops, a 6 mile loop, and a 9 mile loop. So I took one of my 3 mile loops, and added on a couple of extra streets going further away from the house. It worked....
I finished my run in the 78 degree humidity in 33:22. I didn't feel all that great, but I pushed hard as you are supposed to on Wednesdays on this program. After I got home, I went out and drove the course to measure it and it came out to be 4.4 miles. 4.4 miles in 33:22 means that I averaged about 7:35/mile, which was fine considering the temps, hills, and running through sand for 1/4 mile on one of the roads.
Well, I'm off to a 9:30pm soccer game! Nothing like a little cross training after a 4.4 mile run.

Notes: Multi-vitamin this morning, drank accelerade before my run, and drank protein after. Not sure how I'll fit in a run next 2 days---I'll be in Maine and waking up real early both days.

Day # 16: Running Through the Tough Days

There will be days like these. I woke up this morning still a little jet-lagged from my west-coast trip, and having only slept about 5 hours, but I still feel the need to stay comitted to running. I hit the streets at 7:40 this morning with 67 degree humidity, and started my 3.2 mile loop. The irony is that when I don't feel too well on a run, I always have the tendency to push too hard to overcompensate. That is precisely what I did this morning. I fought through my fatigue and ran hard, finishing back at the house with the watch stopped at 24:48 for the loop. I'll take that time and look to get a good night sleep tonight.

Day # 13: Seven Miles in Portland, Oregon

Well, I got home from Seattle at around 1:30am this morning, but needed to stay committed to fitting in my 7 mile training run. I woke up at 7:20, and was out on the Portland city streets by 7:30am. Temps were in the low 70's, with no humidity and a light breeze, ideal for a long run. Instead of taking to the city streets today, I ran 1/2 mile down to the Willamette River. I then ran along the river, over the bridge, and again along side the river for several miles. When I ended up back at the Benson Hotel, I stopped my watched at 66:31, which easily eclipsed my 7 mile goal, especially considering that I ran 2 of the middle miles at around a 7 minute pace. Great run!

Day # 12: Oregon Trails

Checking in from beautiful Portland, Oregon. I did not run yesterday because I spent the bulk of the time on an airplane and exploring this awesome city. As a result, I woke up at 7am this morning and ran for 26:06, which should have eclipsed the 3 mile goal with relative ease. The temps were in the high 60's with no humidity, and the streets of Portland were perfect for training. Second LONG RUN of my training program tomorrow.

Day # 10: Keeping it Fresh

In an effort to keep the runs from getting monotonous, I found a new 3.2 mile run last night that I thought was worth trying this morning. Although the run is very shady and offers one steep hill, a couple of the roads have far too much traffic on them at 6:30 in the morning. The run takes me on the road that brings drivers to 128, and another road that connects to route 2. Both are major commuter highways. Well, as for the results of my run, I finished the intense 3.2 mile run in 26:06, not too bad considering the traffic distractions, steep hill, 87% humidity, and not feeling my best.

Notes: - After waking up, I ate a small sized yogurt, took my multi-vitamin, and downed it with 8 ounces of accelerade before getting out the door. After my run I mixed a tablespoon of whey protein with 8 ounces of water and drank that as well.

Day # 9 Continued: GNC Visit

After reading through the latest copy of Runner's World, there were a few nutritional ads that caught my eye. Having competed as a track & field sprinter for 8 years, I have come to the realiziation that I will need to work hard to develop my slow-twitch muscles and opposed to the fast twitch muscles that are developed via sports like sprinting and soccer. Read about the difference between fast and slow twitch muscles here. Having said this, my trip to GNC this afternoon was extremely productive. I explained my marathon training program and goals to the employees, and they were quick to ask a few questions and make a few suggestions concerning my present intake of vitamins, protein, etc..

• First, they reiterated several times that it would be important to continue my intake of whey protein after workouts to improve muscle recovery.
• Secondly, they said that I should stop taking my "once-a-day" vitamin supplement and switch to a "twice-a-day" time-released multi-vitamin as this will be better for endurance based training when the nutrients and energy from the vitamin are needed for a longer period of time throughout the day. The time-released vitamin should prolong my ability to workout at an intense level.
• Third, they highly recommended a drink mix product called "Accelerade" for my intense mid-week workout (wed) and weekend long run. The Accelerade product is comparable to a glorified "Gatorade Endurace" product, but one-step higher. The product is high in carbs, while very low in sugar (which dehydrates). It is designed to help sustain hydration in the body for a longer period of time than traditional sports drinks. Check out http://www.accelerade.com

I'll take be sure to follow up with my opinions of these nutritional changes in the coming days.

Day # 9: Raising the Commitment Level

The temps today are supposed to peak around 97 degrees without the humidity factored in. I had no choice but to raise the level of my commitment this morning and hit the streets for an early morning run. I set my alarm for 6:30 and was out the door by 6:35 for a beautiful, but humid morning. In fact, the humidity level is already at 83%. Believe me, 100 yards into the run I was already sweating profusely. So, I ran the 3.2 mile loop this morning in 25:26, which was right around what I wanted to hit. I really want my mile splits between 8:15 and 8:30 for now. I am just trying to build my base mileage, finish my runs comfortably, and the totally limit the number of times that walking is needed. I think I succeeded this morning as the only stop I took, was one after a half mile to stretch out. Oh, and a good night sleep is always important for a run like this. Well, I am looking forward to a great day at the office. Signing off.

Weight = 168

Day # 8: Feeling Surprisingly Good

Higdon's program specifically sandwiches the long run between 2 rest days. Being the rest day after the long run, I felt surprisingly good this morning and don't feel sore. Tomorrow, week 2 begins in earnest with another 3 mile run, which I am looking forward to.

Day # 7: First "Long Run"

Well, this weekend was the first of the "long runs" in the program. The program called for a 6 mile run today. While Sara and her mother were attending church in Vernon, NJ, I decided that I would hit the roads for a good workout in absolutely beautiful weather in NJ. The temps were in the high 70s with no humidity, and a light breeze. Additionally, the area near the church was incredibly shady as well, which also helped me on the run. So, I was not at all familiar with the back roads in the neighborhood I was running, but I knew I had to complete a long run, so I told myself to run between 50 and 60 minutes, and that should comfortably put me over 6 miles. Well, I ended up running for 60:11. At even a 10 minute pace that would have eclipsed 6 miles! I definitely concentrated on slowing my pace to ensure that I could finish comfortably, which I thought I did really well. It is actually pretty tough to pace at around 9 to 9:15 per mile, but I think I managed pretty well.

Day # 5: Rest for the Weary

Rest day! And well deserved I'd like to think. I ran more than 3 miles a day for four straight days, and thus have earned my first official day-off according to the training program. The ironic thing is that I should probably be making my weekend "long run" today, because I'll be in New Jersey through Monday. As a result, I'll have to run some unfamiliar roads at some point this weekend. The problem with unfamiliar roads are that you usually haven't had the opportunity to measure them. With that said, I've been pretty consistently running 8-9 minute mile pace on long runs in the past, so if I can just get out and run for 9x6 = 54 minutes, then I can safely assume I achieved the 6 mile goal. Wish me luck. I'll blog again on Monday!

Day # 4: Trackin it

My fourth day of the training program is in the books. I wanted to switch up the routine a bit tonight so I headed over to the Bentley track to run my 3 miles. This also served the dual purpose of giving me a very accurate idea on pacing as well. Going into the run tonight, my thought was to run considerably slower than the past 2 days - in the 8:15-8:45 range. I discovered it is much harder to actually do. I started out running a rough pace for the first mile due to a dull pain in the back of my knee and came across in 7:35 (way too fast). The second mile I ran a more comfortable 7:20. My final mile, I made the mistake of running too fast again, and finished in7:10, thus making my time 22:05 for the 3 mile run. After the run I walked a 1/4 mile cool down, then did 100 situps.

Weight = 169

Day # 3: Beer Belly Blazing

I really carbo loaded today! I went out with some co-workers had had 3 beers and some calamari after work, but I felt as though I could not let myself and my brother down on only my third day of the program. Consequently I left early to get back and get a run in before darkness and my 9:30pm soccer game tonight. Well, believe it or not, I ran the same 3.2 mile run as yesterday and finished in 24:38, which was way too fast and very dumb. As I was explaining to my brother on the phone, if you have ever tried running with a "buzz" it is impossible to pace yourself. The end result is you quit and walk, or you finish the run with a blistering pace. I ran too fast, and will probably feel the consequences tonight during soccer, during the day tomorrow, and on my 3 mile run tomorrow. Oh, and it was humid and 87 degrees when I left the house.

Day # 2: Higdon Humidity

In sticking with the Higdon program, I ran 3 easy miles today (or so I think) in another day of thick humidity and temps in the mid 80s. I haven't gotten a chance to jump in my car and measure the run, but I finished in 25:21. I must admit that for the first mile I was pretty sore from my 7 miler yesterday. I haven't gone out for consecutive long runs since college, so this will take some getting used to again!

Hal Higdon's Marathon training program is widely recognized and wildly popular among both novices and marathon veterans alike. Interestingly enough, when I began serious research last week on marathons, I realized that the Philadelphia Marathon was exactly 18 weeks away and coincidentally, Higdon's program happened to be exactly 18 weeks long. Just as a sidenote, I looked specifically into fall marathons due to the difficulty of running a spring marathon because of the need to train in January-March in Boston, when most days are below freezing. Wanting to run a semi-popular and prestigious fall marathon, that left me with looking at NYC, Chicago, and Philadelphia. Upon further research, I realized that NYC and Chicago registrations were both closed, and both seem like a zoo. NYC's marathon averages close to 60,000 runners, while approx. 40,000 runners traditionally start Chicago's marathon. To me the size of these 2 events seemed a bit overwhelming. Conversely, Philadelphia's marathon had 9,000 runners last year, and expects about 10,000 entrants this November.

Day # 1: Lets get it Started

My training started this evening. I went out for a nice long and easy 7 mile run in Waltham. The 7 mile that I traditionally run starts out very flat until mile 4, where there is a long rolling hill for over 1.8 miles. Finally, the last mile or so is a sharp downhill with a flat finishing stretch.

I finished the 6 mile run in 53:48 in brutal humidity, with temps in the mid 80s.

Weight = 171

Welcome to my running diary (figuratively & literally) of my training leading up to the Philadelphia Marathon on November 20th, 2005. I have always enjoyed seeking new challenges, whether they be mental or physical, and running a marathon seemed like a good idea to combine one of my high school and college activities with trying to live a healthy lifestyle and push my body to its limit. Finishing a marathon will be undoubtedly one of the hardest tasks I have ever undertaken, but I look forward to meeting the challenge and proving to myself that I can sustain a difficult training schedule for 18 weeks and finish one of the most difficult athletic events possible.

I hope you enjoy my posts as I keep this running diary for my own purposes, and for the purposes of pushing my oldest brother to attain his goal of reaching Philadelphia on Sunday, November 20th.