February 16 - 22 Training

Mon: AM – 8.5 miles easy with 6x30s pickups (7:01); PM – 4.5 miles easy 7:39). Massage in the evening. My first one in a long while. Calves were tender and glutes were tight.

Tue: AM – 14 miles with 10 miles tempo in 57:26 (5:45); It snowed ~6 inches overnight so I had no choice but to run the workout on the treadmill. Started out at 5:50 and worked down to 5:40ish. Thought the tempo would feel tough, but it actually felt smooth and controlled. Finished the workout feeling like I could go for a few more miles. PM – 4.1 miles easy (7:52)

Wed: AM – 10 miles easy (7:09); Freezing run. PM – 5.2 miles easy (7:40)

Thu: AM – 10.1 miles with 6x.33 fast/.67 easy (7:18); didn’t feel like running outside as the roads were still coated with snow and it was 8 deg with a real feel of -9. Ran the fast portions at 5:05-5:07 pace. Felt fast and controlled. PM – 5.1 miles easy (8:05)

Fri: 10 miles easy (7:05); -18 degrees real-feel called for a treadmill run.

Sat: 20 miles with 4x3 miles (17:40, 17:20, 17:01, 16:27) w/ 1/2 mile rec jog. Today was supposed to be an easy day with a 10-mile race tomorrow, but the race was cancelled due to weather. Glad they made the cancellation on Friday because it allowed me to adapt my training and fit in a long run workout. Ran a 4-mile warmup and then did 4 loops of the 3-mile downtown loop with a small 1/2 mile loop for recovery. The goal was to run each 3-mile segment in 17:45, 17:30, 17:15, and 17:00. I ended up running the workout in 17:40 (5:54, 5:53, 5:53), 17:20 (5:47, 5:47, 5:46), 17:01(5:39, 5:44, 5:38), and 16:27 (5:27, 5:31, 5:29). The first two segments felt easy, the third comfortable and the last one I ran aggressive. It started to snow and the winds picked up in the last segment which made things a little tough. Was really happy with the result of this workout.

Sun: 8.6 miles easy (7:32); It snowed ~8-10 inches in the late afternoon/evening with freezing rain overnight. I was okay with running on the treadmill.

Weekly Total: 100.1 miles on 11 runs/7 days.
This week was supposed to be sort of a down week with a 10-Mile race on Sunday. But since the race was cancelled, I got in a quality long run workout and ended the week right at 100 miles. I’m really happy with my current fitness and with a couple more weeks of hard training I should be able to improve my half-marathon PR at the Rock ‘n’ Roll DC Half-Marathon. The course is tough though, so I’ll see. Boston is just 8 weeks away now.

February 9 - 15 Training

Mon: AM – 8.5 miles easy w/ 6x30s pickups (7:07); PM – 5 miles easy (7:37)

 

Tue: AM – 12.1 miles with 4 miles Tempo + 4x1/4 mile; Ran 22:17 (5:34 pace) for the 4 mile tempo.  Splits were 5:33, 5:35, 5:33 and 5:36.  The first 3 miles felt good and comfortably hard, but the last half mile started to feel a little tough.  Following the tempo, I ran an easy mile and then did 4x1/4 mile downhill repeats.  I ran down a different hill than last month because the road was slippery from freezing rain the night before.  1/4 mile splits were 63, 63, 63, and 64.  Definitely worked the calves and quads.  PM – 5.1 miles easy (7:32)

 

Wed: AM – 8.2 miles easy (7:27); PM – 5 miles easy (7:48)

 

Thu: AM – 12 miles including 10 miles medium in 61:05 (6:07); Goal was to run 6:10ish average.  After 3-4 miles, I settled in at 6:04-6:07 pace.  I thought that the workout would feel a little tough, but it wasn’t.  Felt comfortable and controlled.   My left calf was a little sore from yesterday’s downhill repeats, but it didn’t bother me once I got going.  PM – 6 miles including 10x200m w/ 200 rec jog. This was the first time running a quality workout as my second run.  The intent was to get some faster running on tired legs.  The legs actually felt good. I ran 33-34s for the 200s.

 

Fri: AM – 6.4 miles easy (7:51); It was freezing (-7 deg Real-Feel), so I opted to run on the treadmill.  PM - 5.1 miles easy (7:53)

Sat: 21 miles long run (6:43); Ran the first 9 miles fairly flat and then the last 11-12 on rolling hills.  Felt very good and strong on the hills.  

Sun: AM - 6.6 miles easy (7:49); Treadmill run as it was 8 degrees with 25-40mph winds, -18 real feel.  PM - 5 miles easy (7:30); 

Weekly Total: 106.1 miles on 13 runs/ 7 days.  Another great week of training.  It was my 5th consecutive week at 100+ miles.  I'm planning to run my first race of 2015 this weekend at the MD/DC RRCA Club Challenge 10-Miler.  I'll see though because the weather doesn't look promising.  

February 2 - 8 Training

Mon: AM - 8.5 miles easy (7:16); PM - 5.6 miles easy (7:42)

Tue: AM - 11 miles with 4 miles in 23:14, 5:49 pace (6:32 overall avg pace). First six miles were easy and then the next 4 at marathon pace/effort. Splits were 5:49, 5:49, 5:48, 5:48. It was freezing (18 deg) with 12mph winds.  Pace felt controlled;  PM - 5.1 miles easy (7:27)

Wed: AM - 8 miles easy (7:17); PM - 5.1 miles easy (7:20)

Thu: AM - 10.6 miles with 6x800 w/ 400m rec jog. Conditions were windy with 15mph winds gusting to 25mph.  The 100-200m and 500-600m stretch were tough because of the headwinds, but I ran strong.  Splits were 2:30, 2:31, 2:29, 2:30, 2:30, 2:29.  PM - 5.2 miles easy (8:15)

Fri: AM - 8 miles easy (6:54). Felt really good but I about froze my tail off; PM - 5.4 miles easy (7:37)

Sat: 20.2 miles with 16 miles moderate at 6:07 pace. Goal was 16 miles at 6:10 pace.  Ran 5 loops of the downtown loop (2.97 mile loop) and a shorter 1 mile loop.  Felt good, smooth and controlled.  Definitely could have gone one more loop feeling controlled.  

Sun: AM - 7.6 miles easy (7:19); PM - 3.8 miles easy (7:49)

Weekly Total: 104.1 miles on 13 runs/7 days

Another 100+ mile week.  I'm really happy with how quickly my legs recover from the hard workouts and back-to-back weeks of high volume.  Saturday's workout wasn't a walk in the park, but it also didn't feel tough as I thought it should.  This may be a sign that I'm getting fitter.  

January 26 - February 1 Training

Mon: AM - 8.5 miles easy with 6x30s pickups (6:58); PM - 5.1 miles easy (7:23)

Tue: AM - 13 miles including 8x3:00 fast/3:00 steady over rolling hills (6:38).  Plan was to run the 3:00 fast portion at HM/10K effort with the recovery portion at a steady effort (about 6:15 effort).  This was a very tough workout, especially with the hills.  I lasted for 6 reps, but still continued on with the remaining two reps even if the pace and effort was slower.  What makes this workout tough is the recovery because you really don’t feel like you’re recovering.  As my coach told me, this is a gut-checker type workout.    PM – 5.1 miles easy (7:10)

Wed: AM – 10 miles easy/medium (6:37). It was a freezing 16 degrees with 15-20mph winds, so I chickened out and ran on the treadmill.  Ran the first 5 miles easy and the last 5 medium starting at 6:20ish pace and progressing down to 6:05.  Last 5 miles was in 31:03 (6:13 pace).  PM – 5.2 miles easy (7:13)

Thu: AM - 8.3 miles easy (7:08); PM - 4.6 miles easy (7:41)

Fri: AM - 10.3 miles with 10x400 w/ 400 rec jog. The track had a light coating of snow, but it wasn't slippery so I was able to run the workout.  The goal was to run fast, keep smooth and get the legs turning.  Splits were 72, 70, 72, 72, 71, 71, 70, 70, 70, 70.  The last 3 reps were tough, but I still managed to split 70s.  PM - 4 miles easy (7:41)

Sat: 20 miles long run on rolling hills (6:47).  Goal was to run at a normal long run pace, whatever that means.  Felt really good even with yesterday's interval session.  

Sun: AM - 8 miles easy (7:20); PM - 3.8 miles easy (7:55)

Weekly Total: 105.9 miles on 13 runs/7 days
A tough and good week of training that included some high volume and intensity.  This week's total put me at three consecutive weeks of 100+ miles.  

January 19 - 25 Training

Mon: AM - 8.5 miles easy with 6x30s pickups (7:02); PM - 4.5 miles easy (7:37)

Tue: AM - 12.4 miles with 10x3:00 on/1:30 off (6:38); Started around 5:45 pace for the first 3 reps and then worked my way down to 5:30 pace for the last 5. PM – 4.2 miles easy (7.43)

Wed: AM – 8.5 miles easy (7:02); PM – 5.1 miles easy (7:15)

Thu: AM – 12 miles with 10 miles medium progression in 63:19, 6:20 pace. Roads were slick from snow, so I ran the workout on the treadmill. Started out at 6:30ish and then slowly increased the pace to 6:15-6:10. The effort felt much easier in the last 5 miles than the first 5. PM – 4 miles easy (7:10)

Fri: AM – 5 miles easy (7:34); PM - 7 miles easy (7:04)

Sat: AM - 20.1 miles long run with miles 16-19 in 23:10, 5:48 pace (6:30 overall avg pace); Ran the first 15 miles easy and controlled on rolling hills averaging 6:40 pace, the next 4 miles (16-19) at sub-6:00 or MP effort, and the last mile easy.  I ran 23:10 for 4 miles with splits at 5:49, 5:47, 5:46, and 5:48.  I thought sub-6:00 or MP effort would feel tough, but it actually felt fast and controlled.  

Sun: AM - 8.3 miles easy (7:16); Expected the legs to be fatigued and heavy, but they actually felt good.  Felt like I was jogging at 7:45 pace.  PM - 3 miles easy (7:51)

Weekly Total: 102.7 miles on 13 runs/7 days
It was my 2nd consecutive week of hitting 100+ miles.  100 miles/week is starting to feel more like 80-90 miles/week.  Definitely a good sign.  

January 12 - 18 Training

Mon: AM - 8.25 miles easy with 6x30s pickups (7:14); PM - 5.1 miles easy (7:52)

Tue: AM - 10.7 miles 4 miles Tempo (22:49, 5:42 pace) and 2x400m (67, 66); Goal was to run the tempo at 5:40-5:45 pace. Mile splits were 5:50, 5:41, 5:41, 5:37.   I ran the 2x400s on a slight downhill.  The intent was to get some quad-pounding and used to running downhill in preparation for Boston's course.   PM - 5 miles easy (7:24)

Wed: AM - 10 miles easy/medium (6:41); Ran easy for the first 5 miles and then at a medium pace (6:15-6:20ish) over the last 5.   PM - 5.1 miles easy (8:02)

Thu: AM - 5 miles easy (7:29);  PM - 6 miles easy (7:14)

Fri: AM - 10.6 miles with 16x60s on/off Fartlek; Plan was to start a little slower than 5K pace and then work my way down.  I ran the first 8 reps around 5:15 pace.  In the last half I felt like I was running close to 5K pace/effort or even slightly faster, but then the actual pace was a little slower.  The legs were probably feeling the effects of a faster day-to-day running (Tue tempo followed by an easy/medium run on Wed).   PM - 4.4 miles easy (7:50)

Sat: 20 miles long run easy/medium (6:37); The first 10 miles were nice and easy at a 6:51 avg pace.  The last 10 miles were on rolling hills at a medium pace/effort starting at 6:30ish pace and working my way down to 6:15-6:10.  Felt really good and was cruising comfortably over the last 10 miles, which I ran in 63:37 (6:21 pace).  

Sun: AM - 6.6 miles easy (7:32);  PM - 4.6 miles easy (7:42)

Weekly Total: 101.3 miles on 13 runs/7 days
It was a good week of training both with volume and intensity.  I did some faster running or quality workouts on back-to-back days, which is a different than what I've done in the past.   I also hit my first 100+ mile week in this Boston marathon training cycle, whereas I only had one week at 100+ miles leading up to CIM.  

January 5 - 11 Training

Mon: AM - 8.5 miles easy (7:07); PM - 4.1 miles easy (7:13)

Tue: AM - 9.5 miles with 6x60s uphill and 2x60s downhill. Ran the workout on the treadmill because the roads were slippery and covered with snow.  I ran the uphills with the treadmill incline at 6-7% grade, which is the grade of the Newton hills.  For the first 3 reps, I started at 5:15 pace and then increased the pace to 5:10 for the last 30 sec.  The last 3 reps I started at 5:10 and increased to 5:05-5:00 pace.  For the downhills, I was only able to run 5:00 pace at a -2% grade because that's all my treadmill was capable of.  While I got the leg to turnover, I didn't achieve the downhill pounding and quad-beating which was the purpose of the downhills.  PM - 6 miles easy (7:58)

Wed: AM - 5.3 miles medium (6:32); Planned run was 10 miles at an easy/medium effort. I woke up late and didn't have enough time to put in 10 miles, so I hopped on the treadmill for a quick 5 miles before I had to get ready for work.  After a mile warm-up, I ran the next 4.3 miles in 27:07 (6:19 pace) starting at 6:30ish and then working my way down to 6:10.  Pace felt very comfortable and steady;  PM - 6.2 miles easy (7:20)

Thu: AM - 5.1 miles easy (7:25) treadmill; PM - 6.1 miles easy (7:06)

Fri: 8.6 miles with 6x30s pick-ups (7:00) treadmill;

Sat: 18.3 miles long run with 6x1/2 mile at marathon effort with 1/2 mile easy; Ran the first 12 miles averaging 6:48 and then alternated 1/2 mile at marathon effort with 1/2 mile easy for the last 6 miles.  Splits for the 1/2 mile at marathon effort were 2:56, 2:56, 2:55, 2:53 and 2:57.  

Sun: AM - 7 miles easy (7:12); PM - 4.6 miles easy (7:36)

Weekly Total: 89.3 miles on 12 runs/7 days
This week was a little rough with the freezing temps, but I still got in some pretty good volume and a couple decent workouts.  I just hope that there isn't any more snow days.  

December 29 - January 4

Mon: 10.1 miles easy (6:50)

Tue: AM - 6.6 miles easy with 4x30s pick-ups (6:59); PM - 3.6 miles easy (7:49). Wanted to try my wife's new treadmill, so I hopped on it for my 2nd run.  The advantage of owning a treadmill is that I can run when the weather is bad. The disadvantages are that I have no excuses for not logging the miles and that I might get soft and choose to run on the treadmill versus on the roads.  However, I don't see the later happening because I love running outside. 

Precor TRM 425 (iPad not included)

Wed: 11 miles with last 3 miles in 17:31. Plan was to do 10 miles with the last 3 at 5:50-6:00 pace.  I ran 11 (last mile was cool-down) because I didn't want to stop at a major intersection during the 10th mile.  First 7 miles felt very easy and comfortable. For the fast-finish I was hoping to run 6:00 and then slowly pick up the pace to 5:50, but instead I ran the same pace at 5:51, 5;50, and 5:50.  Last mile felt much harder than 5:50 because of 8-12mph headwinds and a slight uphill at the end. 

Thu: AM - 4 miles easy (7:27); PM - 7 miles easy (6:55)

Fri: 8.5 miles easy (6:59)

Sat: 17.3 miles long run (6:58). Plan was to run the first 9 on rolling terrain and then the last 8 on the flat downtown loop.  However, I missed a turn and had to change my route, which ended up being all rolling.  Felt pretty good the entire run.  Was hoping to keep the pace above 7:00, but I ran mostly 6:50ish, which felt very easy.  

Sun: AM - 8.5 miles easy (6:59); PM - 3.8 miles easy (7:49). I was bored so I got on the treadmill and ran an easy 30' while watching the finish of the marathon record in Berlin.

Weekly Total: 80.4 miles on 10 runs/7 days
Good week of volume considering it's only been a month from CIM.  Wed was a good sign that I was able to bounce back to marathon pace fairly easy.  

2014 Year in Review

2014 was a pretty busy year marked by parenthood and travels. My wife and I had our first baby in February. The summer and remaining months of 2014 were filled with travels.  In June, we moved from North Carolina to Maryland as part of my military change of duty station.  In transit we took a road trip to the northeast making stops at New Jersey, Connecticut and Boston before coming back down to Maryland.  We then traveled to the Dominican Republic for a Herbalife all-expensed paid vacation.  In July we traveled to Chicago for the annual Herbalife Extravaganza and then a couple weeks later drove up to Niagara Falls for a friend's wedding.  In September we traveled across the country for my brother-in-law's wedding.   In October I traveled to Fort Bliss (El Paso), TX for 5-weeks for work and got in some altitude training.  Travels that included running were Boston in April and California International Marathon in December. 

Herbalife Vacation in Dominican Republic

2014 by the numbers:

• 3416 total miles
• Avg'd 65.6 miles/week 

• 3 Marathons 
• Boston Marathon - 2:53:34
• Worst marathon performance; cramped badly and literally jogged the last 10 miles
• All-American Marathon - 2:48:03
• 3rd Place Overall
• 13 days after Boston
• California International Marathon - 2:32:29
• Personal Best & Guam National Record in the Marathon

CIM - 2:32:29 (PB)

• 8 races (4 wins)

• 6 pairs of Saucony Kinvaras

December 22 - 28 Training

Mon: 8.6 miles easy with 3x30s pick-ups (6:53). Threw in some 30sec pick-ups to get a little leg turnover.  

Tue: 10.5 miles with 6 miles of .33/.67 miles hard/easy (6:54).  Goal was to run the .33 mile at 5:00-5:10 pace, which I had no problem doing. Splits were 1:37, 1:41, 1:42, 1:40, 1:42, and 1:43.  

Wed: 10.2 miles with 8 mile progression from 6:30-6:15. Felt very comfortable, smooth and easy. Ran the 8-mile progression in 50:41 - 6:20 pace. Splits were 6:29, 6;29, 6:22, 6:23, 6:18, 6:16, 6:13, and 6:15.

Thu: 9.8 miles easy (6:58)

Fri: 8.1 miles easy with 6x30s pick-ups (7:08). For some reason I chose to run the pick-ups on the hilly portion of the run.  Not sure why, but it felt good.  

Sat: 16 miles long run (6:44). Ran in Williamsburg, VA. I thought that I'd run most of the miles at 6:50-7:00, but by mile 4 I was running very comfortable and easily hitting 6:30-6:40ish pace.  Was nice to run in historical Williamsburg. 

Sun: 7.2 miles easy (7:12). Nice and easy in downtown Williamsburg and around the William and Mary College campus.  I think I strained a chest muscle in my upper right chest when I stopped at an intersection and stretched my upper body. Guess it was a sign that I should be stretching my legs and not my upper body.  

Weekly Total: 70.4 miles on 7 runs/7 days
Pretty good volume considering it's my 3rd week following the marathon.  The body and legs feel completely recovered from CIM.  
I'll end 2014 with just over 3400 miles, about 66 miles/week.  

December 15 - 21 Training

Mon: 4.1 miles easy with 2x30s pick-ups (7:14)

Tue: APFT: push-ups - 105, sit-ups - 103, 2-mile - 10:35; 3.1 miles easy (7:40). 
It was a scheduled day off from running but I had my semi-annual Army Physical Fitness Test. I haven't done much push-ups and sit-ups over the last couple months, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm glad it went well and I still broke 100 reps. The 2-mile run felt like a good hard tempo. Ran 5:23 and 5:12 splits.

Wed: 7 miles easy (7:02)

Thu: 8.1 miles easy with 4x30s pick-ups (7:02). Felt good and smooth.

Fri: Did no run. Scheduled day off as part of recovery. Massage. 

Sat: 12.2 miles long run (6:50). Felt nice and easy

Sun: 5 miles easy (7:15)

Weekly Total: 41.5 miles on 6 runs/6 days

It was a good week of recovery. I should be ready to transition to some moderate workouts over the next couple weeks.

CIM Marathon Training Review

I achieved great success at the California International Marathon (CIM) and it would be a shame if I didn't capture all the things that went well or didn't go so well during my marathon training and CIM race.  

What I did well:

• Coach. I've been self-coached the past couple years using a mixture of Greg McMillan's training philosophy and Jack Daniel's Running Formula (book).  While I had good success as a self-coached athlete (56th Overall at 2012 Boston, 3rd Place at 2013 Boston2BigSur Challenge, 3rd Place 2014 All-American Marathon), I felt that I needed a coach not only to stay discipline and keep me accountable, but more importantly I felt I needed and wanted to try a different training structure.  Deep inside I wanted to get back to running sub-2:35 or hopefully a PR for the marathon, but knew I would need some guidance and coaching.  Thanks to Coach Scott Wietecha (2:17 Marathon, 63 Half) I was able to run a new PR and break my own Guam National Marathon Record.

• Miles.  While I've always been a moderate to high-mileage runner, I only averaged about 70-80 miles/week with a few weeks at 80-95 during my previous marathon training cycles.  This time around, during the 18 weeks of training (not including a 2-wk taper) leading up to CIM, I ran 5 weeks at 80-89 miles, 11 weeks at 90-99 miles and one (1) week over 100 miles.  I averaged 89.7 miles during the 18-week marathon training cycle.  

• Running doubles.  I ran more doubles as part of my mileage increase.  A normal training week consisted of about 11-13 workouts.  It may seem like I had a lot of time on my schedule to run, but that wasn't the case.  During the work week, I would normally have to run my first workout as early as 4:30-5:30am and my second workout during lunch or after work.  On double-days, my 2nd workout was no more than 4-5 miles at a very easy pace.  

• Take it Easy.  I actually ran "EASY" on my easy days.  After seeing how slow and easy Scott was running his easy runs, I figured I should run my easy runs easier.  I averaged 7:00 pace or slower on my easy runs, whereas I used to average about 6:40-7:00 pace.  The slower pace running allowed me to increase the mileage without feeling very fatigue and saved the legs for the faster workouts.    

• Progression Runs.  I ran a lot of my quality workouts as a progression run.  It didn't matter if it was an interval session on the track, mile repeats, tempo run, or marathon pace workout, I ran or tried to run a faster pace as the workout progressed.  This was key because it taught me how to be patient early and to save the faster running for the second half of the workout/race, therefore running negative splits.   CIM was a perfect example: I ran negative split halves of 1:16:41 and 1:15:48, with the last 10K being my fastest section of the marathon.  

• Long Runs.  I alternated my weekly long runs between normal long runs and long run variations mostly on rolling terrain to simulate the CIM course.  The long run variations included workouts at marathon effort/pace or faster.  There were a couple long run workouts that I thought were key during my train-up.  One was an 18-miler at 4300 ft elevation that consisted of 5x2 miles at marathon effort.  Each 2-mile rep was faster than the previous.  The other key long run workout contained 10 miles of 1/2 mile steady (6:15-6:20pace) followed by 1/2 mile hard (5:30-5:40ish pace) on rolling hills.  I also ran many of my long runs without taking in any fuel (electrolytes, gels, etc.), i.e. glycogen-depleting long runs, which teaches the body to metabolize fat more efficiently and enables runners to maintain race pace longer.   

• Altitude Training.  I was fortunate to get in 5 solid weeks of moderate altitude (3900 ft) training while at Fort Bliss (El Paso), TX for work.  Studies have shown that moderate altitude training improves performance.  (Zap Fitness trains at moderate altitude of 3500-4000 ft.) I'm sure I reaped some benefits from the 5 weeks of altitude training.  I averaged just under 93 miles/week and got in some very good quality sessions.  

• Nutrition. I stuck to what works for me.  I always took in my Herbalife24 (HL24) Rebuild Endurance recovery shake immediately after my workout.  Pre-race: I ate lots of carbs the two nights before the race and stayed hydrated.  On the morning of the race I had my usual pre-race meal: bagel, HL24 Formula 1 Sport shake, yogurt, banana and coffee.  During the race, I consumed a total of 5 PowerGels and 1 GU (offered on the course).  I also alternated my hydration between an electrolyte drink (Nuun) and water at each aid station.  I think I only skipped one aid station.  

• Race strategy.  I think the one thing I'm good at with marathons is running my own race.  It's very rare that I'll get suckered into going out too hard or running faster than I should be running.  At CIM, I was patient early in the race and did not push the pace even when things felt very easy and comfortable.  Obviously, it paid off because I ran a huge negative split and did not die in the end.  

Run your own race.

What I can do better at:

• Stretching.  I'm horrible at it.  I'll be honest, I did almost no stretching besides maybe some calf and quad stretches (for about 15 sec) immediately after my runs.  I don't think it's a matter of not wanting to do it, but not having the time to do it (excuses).    

• Core exercises or cross-training.  I'm usually good about doing my core exercises or some cross-training, but during this training cycle I was not consistent with doing them.    I need to get back at it to ensure I stay injury-free.

• Races.  I like to run races, but it didn't seem like I raced much or maybe I did.  I think I felt like I didn't race much because I ran most of my races (ran a total of 4 races between Jul-Nov), besides Philly Half, as tempo runs or hard workouts.  

With CIM in the books, it's now time to look ahead towards my next big race, 2015 Boston Marathon.  My plan is to continue doing the things I did well for CIM and improve on the things I didn't do so well.  I already started incorporating some structured stretching after my runs.  

December 8 - 14 Training

Mon: Did not run (DNR); Marathon recovery. Legs are a little sore and tight, but not nearly as bad as I felt after previous marathons.

Tue: DNR

Wed: DNR

Thu: 4 miles very easy (7:44). Legs still a little sore and tight, but other than that I felt good.

Fri: 7 miles easy (7:10). Still on recovery. Felt good and smooth. 

Sat: 6.6 miles easy (7:11). Happy with how the legs felt.  

Sun: 10.1 miles easy (6:50)

Weekly Total: 27.7 miles on 4 runs/4 days

I'll use the next few weeks to recover and then transition to some moderate workouts and start getting ready for Boston.  

California International Marathon (CIM)

I was really looking forward to CIM. I had an excellent build up, trained hard and was eager to redeem myself after a couple sub-par marathons earlier this year. My 1:13 Philly half-marathon in September followed by five solid weeks of moderate altitude training in El Paso indicated I was fit and ready to run close to or faster than my personal best. My main goal entering this race was to run 2:35 or better, which I haven't done in over 3 years. However, in the back of my mind, I truly wanted to run a new marathon personal best. CIM was the right marathon to take a shot at a new marathon PR because of its fast course (but not easy) and the depth of runners in the 2:30s. 

I woke up at 4am and went downstairs to the hotel dining area for breakfast. I had my usual pre-race meal: a bagel with peanut butter and jelly, yogurt, banana, Herbalife24 Formula 1 Sport shake and a cup of coffee. An hour later I hopped on the runners' shuttle bus to Folsom. When we got to Folsom I remained on the bus to stay warm and hydrated with Herbalife24 Prolong. About 30 minutes before the start I went for a mile jog, did some strides and then headed to the start line. At the start I lined up about five rows back so I wouldn't take off like I was running a 5K. 

When the race started I slowly settled into what felt like marathon pace/effort, around 5:50-5:55 pace. About a mile into the race, I found myself running alongside a pack of about 8-10 girls.  I'm sure the girls were all aiming for the US Olympic Marathon Trials A (2:37) or B (2:43) Standard. I asked the guy leading the pack what pace he was running, and he responded with 2:37 and that he was running the entire marathon. I was actually surprised because we had split Mile 1 at 5:52, which in my mind was a little too fast for a 2:37 marathon. The pacer might have realized it because I didn't see him or the pack of girls shortly after. (I later read that a total of 20 US women and 10 men qualified for the 2016 Olympics Marathon Trials.)

I clicked off mostly 5:52's for the first 6 miles (5:52, 5:53, 5:49, 5:52, 5:49, and 5:52) feeling comfortable and smooth.  At 4 miles I was 10 meters behind a pack of about 12 runners which was being led by Michael Wardian.  Mike had competed in the North Face Endurance 50-miler in San Francisco the day before. I'm not sure if he even had time to clean up after the 50-miler.  The guy's a Beast!  I thought about putting in a surge to catch up to the pack, but decided not to since I was more focused on running my own race.  It was the right decision because within a few miles after the 10K mark, which I crossed in 36:31, the pack began to string out and I eventually overtook most of the runners with the exception of Mike and a couple other guys. I took my first gel at 5.5 miles.

I hit the half-marathon mark in 1:16:41 still feeling great.  The hills in the first half were noticeable, but not steep or long enough to break up my rhythm. The hill I remember most was the semi steep hill on Sunrise Blvd around 10.5 miles.  The steep hill is part of the San Juan Hills which rolls from miles 10.5 to 13.  Approaching Sunrise Blvd we ran ran downhill and then climbed a hill that was about a 1/4 mile long.  I think my strong hill running ability showed here because I ran splits of 5:47, 5:48 and 5:51 on the San Juan Hills (11-13 miles).  I was well prepared for the hills and the rolling course because 1) my coach (Scott) put together a solid training schedule that incorporated some intense training on rolling terrain, and 2) I trained on hills that were steeper in grade and longer than the CIM hills.  I took my second gel at the 13 mile mark. Splits for Miles 7-13 were: 5:52, 5:56, 5:54, 5:47, 5:47, 5:48, and 5:51.  

Miles 14-20 were uneventful.  I continued to throw down splits between 5:47-5:53 (5:53, 5:53, 5:48, 5:52, 5:51, 5:43, and 5:50).  During this stretch of the race I took in a gel at miles 16.5 and 19.4.  At Mile 20 (1:56:57 - 5:51 pace), I was still feeling good, but was a little worried I'd suddenly encounter a cramp in my legs.  In my last two marathons (2014 Boston Marathon and All-American Marathon), I cramped badly between 18-20 miles and suffered through the last 10K of those races.  I didn't want to experience the suffering again.  

Around Mile 21, I passed the women's pre-race favorite and 2:27 marathoner, Renee Metivier Baillie.  I was surprised and felt bad to see Renee, because she was hoping to take down the 2:29 course record and was obviously not having a good day.  Shortly after passing Renee I had a little scare.  I felt a minor twinge on my left hamstring, almost as if a cramp was about to happen.  To fight off the developing cramp, I took in my last gel (carried 5 with me) and some Nuun, an electrolyte drink offered on the course.    The gel and electrolytes must have helped because I didn't break a stride and ran splits of 5:48 and 5:49 for Miles 21 and 22.  On the 23rd mile, I felt another twinge on the same spot.  Luckily, there was an aid station at 23.5 miles that offered GU.  I took a GU and drank two cups of Nuun at the aid station.  The fuel must have worked again because I ran 5:43 and 5:48 for Miles 23 and 24.  I don't know what flavor of GU it was, but it didn't taste all that good and I really didn't care.  I just didn't want to cramp this late in the race when I was on pace to run a PR.
  
With only a couple more miles to go, I kept telling myself to relax and stay focus.  Around Mile 25, I caught up to Mike Wardian and briefly chatted with him.  For some reason, seeing and catching up to Mike gave me a boost of confidence.  I told Mike that I was having a good race and was on pace to run a PR.  He told me to Go Get It!  Mike finished in an impressive 2:33 following a 50-miler. Impressive!  Mile 25 was a 5:48. In the last mile, I pretty much gave it my all.  With about a half mile to the finish, I passed the 3rd place female, Kristen Zaitz, and was closing in on the 2nd place female, Jane Kibii.  Unfortunately, I ran out of real estate and could not overtake Jane.  My Mile 26 split (5:33) was the fastest split of the race.  

The CIM Finish can be heart-breaking to runners because you can't see the finish line from 8th St.  It's not until runners make the turn onto Capitol Mall that they'll see the finish about 50 meters ahead.  When I turned onto Capitol Mall I saw the clock read 2:32:xx.  I was so happy I started celebrating by throwing fist pumps in the air as I approached the finish.  I crossed the finish with an official time of 2:32:29, a personal best by 1:21.  


CIM Finish.

As my coach said, I ran this race like a pro.  I've ran negative splits for the marathon a few times, but I've never ran almost a minute faster for the 2nd half.  I ran the 1st and 2nd halves of the race in 1:16:41 and 1:15:48, a 53 second negative split.  I also ran the last 10K of the race in 35:32 (5:44 pace), which is the fastest 10K split in all of my marathons.  Below are my official splits and GPS splits:

Mile  Split

1       5:52

2       5:53

3       5:49

4       5:52

5       5:49

6       5:52

7       5:52

8       5:56

9       5:54

10     5:47

11     5:47

12     5:48

13     5:51

14     5:53

15     5:53

16     5:48

17     5:52

18     5:51

19     5:43

20     5:50

21     5:49

22     5:50

23     5:47

24     5:43

25     5:48

26     5:33

December 1 - 7 Training

Mon: 6.2 miles easy (7:18)

Tue: 8.2 miles with 2x2 miles at MP (5:50-5:55). Felt good and comfortable. First 2M was in 11:38 (5:48, 5:50) and the 2nd in 11:39 (5:49, 5:50).  The legs felt like it wanted to go faster but I tried to stay within range. 

Wed: 6.2 miles easy (7:29) I ran sort of a hilly route so I would run very easy. 

Thu: 7.2 miles with 2x1/2 mile at half-marathon effort with 1/2 mile easy. Leg turnover felt good.  I didn't worry about splits but it was nice to know that I ran 5:30 pace, which is what the effort felt like.  

Fri: 3 miles very easy (7:38)

Sat: 4 miles easy with 2x30s pick-ups (7:30)

Sun: 27.2 miles with California International Marathon (CIM) in 2:32:29, 64th Overall & 6th AG. It was a new Personal Best by 1:21 and new Guam National Record for the Marathon. As my coach said, I ran this race like a Pro.  My half splits were 1:16:41 & 1:15:48, the last 10K in 35:32 (5:43 pace), and the last mile in 5:33.  

Weekly Total: 62 miles in 7 days/7 runs
CIM was by far my best executed race.  I was patient, ran comfortable early and then dropped the pace in the later part of the race.  Race report to follow.  

November 17 - 30 Training

November 17 - 23

Mom: AM – 6 miles easy (7:34)

Tue: 8.2 miles eas with 6x30s pick-ups

Wed: AM – 9.5 miles with 14x60s on/off.  Weather was crap – cold (39 deg) and rainy.  Ran the fartlek on rolling terrain with the on portion at 10K effort and the off portion moderate.  Averaged 5:20 and 6:30 for the on/off portions.  PM – Skipped run. Traveled through a winter storm for the Thanksgiving weekend.  

Thu: 6.4 miles easy (7:06). Lots of snow in Lexington MA, but as expected the roads were cleared.  

Fri: 12 miles with 5 miles moderate at 6:35-6:30 followed by 5 miles at MP 5:50-5:55. The 5 miles moderate (32:30 – 6:30 pace) felt comfortable. The next 5 miles at MP felt controlled, but not as smooth as I’d hoped for.  Splits for the MP portion were 5:47, 5:48, 5:54, 5:49, 5:50 (34:08 – 5:50 pace). 

Sat: 8 miles easy (7:12)

Sun: 15 miles long run (6:54). Ran out (52:30) and back (50:48) on the Minuteman Trail.  Pretty amazing that the trail was cleared of snow.  There were some slick spots from black ice but nothing to worry about.  

Weekly Total: 65.1 miles on 7 runs/7 days

One week down one more to go.  Legs are starting to freshen up from the decrease in volume.  

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November 23 - 30

Mon: AM – 8.3 miles with 4x30s pick-ups (7:00);  PM – 4.2 miles easy (7:05)

Tue: AM – 11.5 miles with 4 mile Tempo (22:34 – 5:38 pace) and 4x400m uphill sprints.  Plan was to run the 4M tempo at 5:35 pace and the 400m uphill sprints at about mile effort.  It was so cold (12deg RealFeel) I considered running the tempo on the treadmill.  However, I manned up and ran the tempo on the track.  The tempo was tougher than I thought it should have felt.  The 1st mile (5:36) was okay, but I didn’t feel smooth.  The next couple miles (5:43, 5:41) were a struggle.  I actually thought about cutting the workout short because I wasn’t hitting my splits.  I toughed out the last mile and ran a 5:33.  The 400m uphill sprints were just brutal.  I thought that I'd feel the wobbly legs on the last 2 reps, but experienced it in all of them.  400m uphill splits were 1:28, 1:34, 1:30, and 1:38.   PM - 4.2 miles easy (7:05)

Wed: AM - 10 miles easy (6:58); PM - 4.3 miles easy (7:11)

Thu: AM - 6.5 miles easy (7:29); PM - 4 miles easy (7:20)

Fri: AM - 16.2 miles with 2x6 miles at 5:50-5:55 pace. First 6-mile segment felt tougher than the 2^nd segment.  Splits were: 35:20 (5:55, 5:52, 5:54, 5:52, 5:53, 5:54) – 5:53 avg pace, and 34:57 (5:50, 5:51, 5:48, 5:49, 5:51, 5:49) – 5:50 avg pace.  PM – 3.5 miles easy (7:23)

Sat: AM – 6.5 miles easy (7:13); PM – 4 miles easy (7:28)

Sun: 20 miles long run (6:48). Ran comfortably to get in the distance.  The first 13 miles were on rolling and the last 7 fairly flat.  Felt like I was jogging in the late miles.  

Weekly Total: 103.2 miles on 13 runs/7 days.  

It was my last tough week of training for CIM.  It was also the first week of 100+ miles during this training cycle.  I think the last time I logged 100+ miles in one week was about a year ago. 

November 10-16 Training

Mon: AM – 8.5 miles easy with 6x30s pick-ups (6:53); PM – 4.2 miles easy (7:19)

Tue: AM – 12.4 miles with 10M moderate progression run (62:20 – 6:14 pace). Goal was to start at 6:30 and progress down to 6:10 pace. Felt comfortable and controlled. Splits were 6:24, 6:25, 6:21, 6:14, 6:14, 6:11, 6:10, 6:07, 6:09, and 6:09. PM – 4 miles easy (7:29)

Wed: AM – 7 miles easy (7:26); PM – 4.8 miles easy (7:07)

Thu: AM – 8.6 miles with 8x200m w/ 200m rec. Felt good despite the freezing temps (real-feel of 32 deg). Goal was to hit the 200s in 32-33s. Splits were 32, 31, 32, 32, 32, 32, 32, and 32. PM – 4.6 miles easy (7:42)

Fri: AM – 5 miles easy (7:39); PM – 4.2 miles easy (7:23)

Sat: AM – 16.1 miles long run with 10x1/2 mile steady, 1/2 mile hard on rolling terrain. Really tough (physically and mentally) workout. Ran a 4mile warm-up and then 10 miles alternating a 1/2 mile at a steady pace with a 1/2 mile hard. The intent of the workout was to simulate the changing of pace for a rolling course like CIM. What made this workout tough is the steady pace running after running hard for a half mile….a hilly course also made the workout more challenging. I had to keep reminding myself not to slack on the steady portions, which is easy and normal to do when running fartleks or intervals. My average pace for the steady and hard portion of the workout were 6:19 and 5:37 pace, respectively. Splits were 3:06/2:52, 3:13/2:51, 3:12/2:48, 3:14/2:50, 3:18/2:54, 3:06/2:43, 3:05/2:50, 3:08/2:49, 3:07/2:46, and 3:08/2:40. PM – 4.6 miles easy (7:09)

Sun: 8.5 miles easy (7:05)

Weekly Total: 92.3 miles on 13 runs/7 days
Another great week of training.  This was the 11th week of 90+ miles during this marathon training cycle.  I have one more hard week of training and then I'll start tapering/peaking for CIM.  

November 3-9 Training

Mon: AM – 10 miles with 12x1:00 on/off fartlek. Leg turnover felt good. Ran about 5:08-5:15 pace on the flats/downhills and around 5:30ish on the hills. PM – 4.25 miles easy (7:20)

Tue:  AM – 10.1 miles easy (7:03); PM – 4.3 miles easy (7:21)

Wed:  AM – 5 miles easy (7:19). Last run in El Paso, TX.  PM – Skipped Run. After traveling all day and not seeing my family for the last 5 weeks, I decided to skip the run and spend time with the family.  

Thu: AM – 13.6 miles with 3M tempo (16:41), 2.5M tempo (13:39), and 2M tempo (10:55) w/ 3:00 rec in between. Weather was crap – cold and rainy. The goal was to run the tempos at 5:35, sub-5:30, and 5:20 respectively. The 3M tempo felt good and manageable. Splits were 5:33, 5:36, 5:32.  The 2.5M tempo (5:28, 5:27, 2:44) was comfortably hard. Running 5-7 seconds faster per mile took a little more effort.  For the last 2M tempo (5:21, 5:34), I knew running 80sec laps weren’t going to be easy.  After I hit the 1^st mile in 5:21, every lap got slower and slower by 1-3 seconds.  I was done at lap 2 of the 2^nd mile, so I just tried to hang on to finish the workout. My legs were numb and head freezing (should have left the my beanie on) halfway through the last tempo.  PM – 4.4 miles easy (7:16)

Fri:  AM – 6.5 miles easy (7:28); PM – 5 miles easy (7:13)

Sat: AM – 21 miles long run with the first 15 miles easy on rolling hills and the next 5 miles alternating 1/2 miles at faster than MP effort with 1/2 easy and a mile cool-down.  Long run went pretty well. First 15 miles were in 1:43:02 (6:52) and the 5 x 1/2 miles in 2:53, 2:52, 2:53, 2:50, and 2:48.  Didn’t take in any fuel or carbs, just water at around 17.5 miles. 

Sun: AM – 5 miles easy (7:23); PM – 4.1 miles easy (7:38)

Weekly Total: 93.2 miles on 12 runs/7 days

Good week of training. I'm glad that I struggled towards the end of Thursday's workout, because it made me feel like I'm working/training hard.  As my coach said, I can't knock out every workout out of the park.  

October 27 - November 02 Training

Mon: AM - 8.3 miles with 6x30sec pick-ups (7:09); PM - 4.2 miles easy (7:32)

Tue: AM - 10 miles progression run (6:30). Started out at normal easy pace then worked my way down to 6:00ish pace around 7 miles and then hung there for the last few miles. Splits: 7:28, 7:03, 6:51, 6:48, 6:35, 6:16, 6:09, 5:59, 5:56, 5:55.  .4 miles easy cool-down;  PM -  5.3 miles easy (7:18). Ran at 4300+ ft in Alamogordo, NM where I'll be for the next 5 days.  

Wed: AM - 8 miles easy (7:18); PM - 4 miles easy (7:28)

Thu: 8.7 miles with 10x200m (.12M) w/ 200m rec. Averaged about 34-35 for the 200s.  Didn't worry too much about hitting the times but rather focused more on running fast but controlled.  PM - 4.2 miles easy (7:27)

Fri: 9 miles easy (7:17)

Sat: 18.1 miles long run including 5x2 miles with 3:00 rec jog. Plan was to start around 6:10 pace and then progress a little faster on the last 2-3 reps if I was feeling good.  Splits were: 12:10 (6:04, 6:06), 12:08 (6:03, 6:05), 12:05 (6:04, 6:01), 12:01 (6:01, 6:00), 11:54 (5:58, 5:56).   Happy with the workout considering it was at 4300 ft elevation. 

Sun: AM - 5.5 miles easy (7:22). Last run in Alamogordo, NM; PM 4.4 miles easy (7:17)

Weekly Total: 90.2 miles on 12 runs/7 days
Good week of higher volume intensity.  This was the 5th and final week at moderate altitude training.  I averaged just under 93 miles/week while in El Paso & Alamogordo, NM.  Pretty darn good because I was worried at first that I won't be able to train as much while away for work.  

Sacramento Mountains in Alamogordo, NM.

October 20-26 Training

Mon: AM - 6.8 miles with 6x30s pick-ups (7:12); PM - 4.2 miles easy (7:25)

Tue: AM - 14 miles with 10mile (61:15) MP workout. Goal was to start out at 6:15 pace and work my way down to 6:00.  This was my first marathon specific workout in this training cycle and I wasn't sure how it'll feel at altitude.  Workout turned out great. Splits were 6:14, 6:14, 6:12, 6:12, 6:08, 6:07, 6:04, 6:04, 6:01, 5:59. PM - 3.5 miles easy (7:28)

Wed: AM - 10 miles easy (6:59); PM - 4.2 miles (7:20)

Thu: 8.3 miles easy (7:07)

Fri: 8.5 miles including 3x1mile with 3:00 rec. Plan was to run the mile repeats alternating between 75 and 80 second laps.  Didn't have access to a track so I ran the workout on a 1/4 mile loop on the roads.  It was tough to feel the switching of gears because it all felt fast.  Splits were: 5:04 (73, 77, 74, 80), 5:06 (74, 78, 75, 79), and 5:06 (75, 80, 73, 78). Very pleased with this workout at altitude.  PM - 4.2 miles easy (7:25)

Sat: 21 miles long run (6:53). First 6 miles were nice and easy around 7:00ish and then 6:45-6:50ish for the remaining 15 miles.  Glycogen-depleting long run. Ran the entire 21 miles without taking in any fuel or fluids.  I also didn't stop at all during the run, even at intersections (could only be acheived when running at 3:30am).   

Sun: AM - 5 miles easy (7:24); PM - 4.2 miles easy (7:16)

Weekly Total: 94 miles on 12 runs/7 days.

It was the first week of incorporating marathon-specific workouts in preparation for CIM.  I actually enjoy marathon-specific workouts because it not only gives me confidence, but it also gives me a good idea of where I'm at in my marathon fitness.  So far, the fitness is looking good and I expect good things to happen in 6 weeks.