2023 New York City Marathon

New York City Marathon. Wow! What an amazing experience! I’ve been told that the NYC Marathon is a great running event, and that the course is tough. Both statements are accurate.  

The NYC Marathon was my second marathon in just four weeks. I had just run Chicago and set a personal best of 2:29:38. I didn’t have any specific time goal for NYC, but I figured with the tough course and a double marathon four weeks apart, running anywhere between 3-5 minutes slower than Chicago would be a good day. The one goal I did set for myself was to try and place Top 3 in the M45-49 age group. 

I was grateful to have been accepted into the sub-elite program. The experience and treatment was first class. The NYRR designed the sub-elite program to give a special race day experience to their most competitive entrants who are not part of the professional field. The sub-elite athletes were given special transportation to the start escorted by NYPD, a separate staging and warm-up area near the start but away from most of the 50,000+ participants, a clear starting position at the front of Wave 1, a special baggage drop-off and expedited baggage pickup at the finish, and a special professional/sub-elite post-finish recovery area. I’ve been part of a sub-elite treatment in other races, but certainly not to the extent of this, especially in a marathon or race like the NYC Marathon. The coolest part of this experience was being in the same staging and warm-up area at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Center with the professional athletes. There are not too many occasions when you get to share the same stretching area and warm-up track with Olympians and World Champions. It felt surreal to be around many professional athletes like Hellen Obiri, Gidey, Molly Huddle, Cam Levins, Elkanah Kibet, and Tola, to name a few. It was also cool to catch up with my Strava friend Steve Chu and former Army running teammate and professional runner Elkanah Kibet. 

 

The NYC Marathon is a tough course because of its hills, mainly on the bridges and in Central Park. What better way to start a marathon than on a hill. The race starts on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and is a one mile gradual uphill. I went out conservatively and hit the first mile just over six minute pace (6:01). The second mile is back down the bridge. Despite it being downhill, I stayed relaxed and made sure not to push to make up the time. I essentially made up the seconds from the uphill mile on the downhill while keeping my effort relaxed. 

The next 10 miles from miles 3-12 in Brooklyn were rather uneventful. I ran primarily by effort and feel. My Garmin was splitting the (gps) miles around the mid 5:40’s. Although the Brooklyn part of the course is considered flat, I actually felt like there were more slightly rolling hills than I expected. I ran with a group of about 10-12 runners for a good portion of 4th Ave. 

By the time I got to the halfway point on Pulaski Bridge, I was running mostly by myself. I hit the halfway mark in 1:15:56, which I was happy with because a 1:16-1:17 second half would put at around a 2:33 marathon. However, I knew that the second half of the course was going to be tough, because we still had the Queensboro Bridge and Central Park hills to run. The Queensboro Bridge was eerily quiet that I could hear my breathing and Alphafly shoes hitting the pavement. The climb up the bridge was about a half mile, but felt more like a full mile. Just as I crested the bridge, a couple of runners wearing the same singlets came from behind and passed me on the way down towards Manhattan. They must have attacked the bridge hard, because I never heard them coming. I eventually caught and passed these same two runners about 1.5 miles later on First Ave. 

The crowds on First Ave were amazing and very loud. I reminded myself to stay patient as it’s easy to get excited by the energy of the crowd. I was successful in staying patient for miles 17 (5:44 gps split) and 18 (5:48 split) on First Ave. However, I somehow got a carried away towards the end of First Ave that I threw down a 5:37 split for mile 19. 

In the Bronx and Harlem I was still feeling good and running well. As I crossed the 21 mile mark, I saw a gentleman holding a sign “Last Damn Bridge”. It actually made me smile, but I immediately thought about what was still to come. The Central Park hills! 

Around mile 23 as I headed into Central Park is where things started to get difficult. The long gradual hill up mile 24 was tough, but what made it feel even tougher was the cramp developing in my left hamstring. It felt like the cramp was on the verge of seizing up my left leg completely. Fortunately, there was an aid station up ahead where I downed three cups of Gatorade. Cramps in the hamstring around the 24 mile mark seems to be a common theme in my marathons. I experienced this same situation in Chicago a few weeks ago and in Boston earlier in the year. The Gatorade definitely helped calm the cramp, but I think what also helped was the elevation change. I felt like the downhills in Central Park allowed the hamstrings to stretch out. 

When I made the right turn onto 59th St., I was confident that I would finish strong or at least not run any slower than I was running at the time. There is a slight gradual climb up 59th St. before making a right turn back into Central Park towards the finish. Luckily, I knew what to expect as I had run this climb and section of the course during my shakeout run the day before. 

The finish line experience in New York reminded me of Boston’s finish on Boylston. There are flags of different nations and lots of spectators that line both sides of the course, as well as a large grandstand just before the finish line. With 400 meters to go, I glanced at my watch and saw that I just had to run at about a 6 min/mile pace to finish in 2:33:xx. I tried my best to enjoy the finishing stretch while thanking the crowd for their support.  I finished in 2:33:40, which I was very happy with on a tough course. 

Not long after I crossed the finish line a volunteer escorted me to the sub-elite post-finish recovery area tent. This was a nice benefit, because it was a short walk and they already had my checked bag ready for me. At the tent I looked up my results to see where I had placed overall and in the M45-49 age group category. Unfortunately, at that time the overall and age group results were not posted yet.  It wasn’t until the evening and when my flight landed in Louisville that the overall results and AG placing were posted on the website. I was ecstatic to find out that I had placed 2nd in the M45-49 AG at the NYC Marathon.  This was my second 2nd Place M45-49 placing in two World Marathon Major in a matter of four weeks.  NYC is my 4th Star in the Abbott World Marathon Major. I’ve done Boston (x9), Berlin (2009), Chicago (2023), and NYC (2023). All that’s left for the Six Stars are Tokyo and London, which I’m not sure when I’ll run it. 

Nutrition: My pre-race/raceday/post-race nutrition was no different than previous marathons. The night before I loaded up on carbs by having lots of pasta. In the morning at about 5am, I had a cup of oatmeal, a banana, and a bottle of Herbalife24 CR7 hydration. When we arrived at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Center in Staten Island, there was still two hours before the race would start. So, I had another cup of oatmeal, 3/4 of a bagel, a banana, coffee, and sipped on a bottle of Maurten 320 mix over the last hour. Ten minutes before the start I had one Maurten caffeinated gel. During the race I took in a Maurten gel at miles 4, 8, 12, 16, 19 and 22. Miles 12 and 22 were caffeinated gels. I took in fluids at all the aid stations with the exception of one (not sure why). Water at the aid stations when I took in my gels, and Gatorade at all the other aid stations. After the race at the recovery tent, I had my delicious Herbalife24 recovery shake. 

Shoes: Nike Alphafly Next% 2 (orange)

  

2023 Chicago Marathon Recap

The Chicago Marathon, as well as New York City Marathon, has always been on my bucket list of must-do marathons. I can now check off Chicago, and in about three weeks I’ll be able to check off New York as well. This will leave me with just Tokyo and London marathons to achieve running the 6-Star Abbott World Marathon Majors (Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York, & Tokyo), something I hope to accomplish. 

I got into the Chicago Marathon by earning a spot in the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championship through the 2022 age group rankings. Not only was I excited to run Chicago for the first time, but I was also pumped to be competing in the Age Group World Championships against some of the fastest masters’ runners. The AGWC is in its third year of existence. 

My buildup for Chicago went extremely well. If I was to compare this buildup to my other marathons (even though I don’t like to compare them because I think each one is different in their own ways) I’d probably say that this was the best one. In the 14 weeks of training, not including the last two weeks of taper, I averaged 102 miles/week with 12 of the 14 weeks at 100+ miles. I think the only downside of my buildup was that I did not run a tune-up half-marathon or any races in the lead up to gauge my fitness. However, I was okay with it because I’ve trained for many marathons and knew that I can determine my level of fitness based on how my marathon-specific workouts went. 

My time goal going into the race was to run under 2:30. But I’d also be happy with a 2:30 finish time since it’s the only marathon time between 2:29 and 2:39 that I haven’t ran. As for a non-time goal, I wanted to place in the Top 3 of the M45-49 division as part of the Age Group World Championships. Based on the last two AGWC, I’d have to run sub 2:30 or low 2:30 to have a chance at a podium finish. 

The weather on race morning was perfect for the marathon, mid 40 degrees with a high of 55, cloudy and about 8mph winds. For my warmup, I jogged very slowly from the Wanda AGWC tent to the start line. I was lined up in Corral A about five rows back. About 20 minutes before the start, the professional and elite field were marshaled to the start. Moments later, a couple hundred runners as part of the American Development Program assembled behind the pro/elite field. When the gun went off at 7:30am the pro/elite and ADP field took off while Corral A was at a standstill. I was confused, but immediately realized that we had a different start time. 

One minute later a second gun sounded, and we were off. I couldn’t believe how many runners were in front within the first half mile to a mile. There had to be about a few hundred or so runners, and that wasn’t including the pro/elite and ADP field. The first mile felt very pedestrian, and I knew I was running much slower than marathon pace. I came across the first mile marker in exactly 6:00, about 15-20 seconds slower than goal pace. I stayed calm and did not worry because once the front pack thinned out, I’d slowly pick up the pace. I did just that, splitting the next two miles in 5:34 and 5:37. The first three miles were manual splits at the mile markers. I did not rely on gps pace/splits early on, because the tall city buildings were causing significant inaccuracy. I remember my watch reflecting that I was running well over 6:00 pace when I knew I wasn’t. 

I stopped manually splitting my watch after the first three miles. I wanted to focus on running by feel and not rely on the watch. After 34 marathons I know my body well enough and what the effort should feel like. The plan was to put the legs into cruise control at marathon pace, and then let the brain go to sleep for at least the first half of the race. When I get to 20 miles I’d then have to dig deep and run strong over the last 10k. Of course, this is easier said than done. 

I came through 10K in 35:32 and 15K in 53:24, right on pace for a 2:30 or just under. At around 10 miles I started to feel some tightness in my right hamstring. It didn’t feel like a cramp was developing, but just some tightness that would be concerning if it didn’t go away. Luckily, the tightness disappeared after about a mile. 

One of the things I liked about Chicago besides the flat and fast course and great weather on marathon day was that there were a ton of runners to run with. At no point along the course was I ever running solo and in no man’s land. There was always a small pack of runners to run with or a string of runners up front to chase after. However, despite there being some runners to run with, I still stuck to my race plan of running my own race and pace. 

I went through halfway in 1:15:05, which was 25 seconds slower than my half split at the 2022 Boston Marathon when I broke 2:30. At this point I was feeling good and comfortable, so I thought I’d have a good shot at negative splitting or at least running even splits in the second half. 

As part of the Age Group World Championships, all AGWC runners wore a custom back bib displaying their age group division and last name. At first, I thought this was a dumb idea because it’s an easy target for other masters’ runners behind you to key off and chase after. Well, it turned out to be a good thing because I was one of them chasing and overtaking other runners. During the first half of the race, I passed a good number of runners with AGWC back bibs. It was especially motivating each time I caught and passed a runner in the same M45-49 age group. 

From miles 15 through 22, I felt great and was clicking off miles at just under 5:40 pace. I kept telling myself to stay relax as there were still lots of running left. I also reminded myself that pushing a few seconds faster than MP can easily turn into 30 seconds added onto each mile late in the race. Around the 21-mile marker, I heard a spectator yell out 2 hours 35 seconds. At first, I was wondering what the hell he was talking about, but then wondered whether Kiptum just ran a new world record of 2:00:35. 

Around mile 23 the course took us through a U-shape stretch of road where you can see the faster runners heading in the opposite direction towards the last couple miles and to the finish. This was cool, because I got to see the top American women and how the race was panning out. I was surprised to see Molly Seidel as the next woman and only about a minute behind Emily Sisson. I expected to see Emma Bates running with or just behind Emily. Unfortunately, Emma was much further back with a few other women in front of her. 

At around 24.5 miles, I caught up to a small pack of runners with a couple of them wearing AGWC back bibs, one with a M40-44 bib and another with a M50-54 bib. I was trying to decide whether to hang with the group or continue pushing through.  Since I was still running well at this point, I decided to push through. Moments later I felt a slight cramp flirting with my left hamstring. Interestingly, I experienced the same type of cramp in my hamstrings this late in the race in my past two Boston Marathons. I stayed calm because I knew how to deal with it. At the next aid station, I downed 3 cups of Gatorade. The Gatorade helped subside the cramp, just as it did in Boston. Luckily the aid station was only about 100 meters away from when I felt the cramp or else the cramp would have gotten worse before it got better. 

About a half mile later there was a sign telling us we had One Mile to Go. I don’t remember exactly what my watch read with a mile to go, but I do remember thinking that I was on track for a sub 2:30 and possibly match my PR. 

Just before the 26-mile mark we make a right turn and run up a short hill on the highway bridge before making a left towards the finish. This part of the course reminded me exactly of the Boston Marathon’s infamous finish “Right on Hereford, Left on Boylston”. I didn’t think the short hill was tough at all, but that’s likely because I still had some legs under me. After I crested the hill and made the left turn towards the finish, I checked my watch and realized that I could possibly PR by a few seconds. I made one final push on the straightaway and crossed the finish line when the clock read 2:30:38. At first, I was like “What???”, and then I remembered that I started the race a minute later than the pro/elite field. I stopped my Garmin and it read 2:29:39, so I knew I broke 2:30 and PR’d. My official time was 2:29:38, a new personal best by 10 seconds and the second time going sub 2:30, both as a master’s runner.

I was happy to have achieved my time goal of a sub 2:30 and new PR, but I was even happier when I found out I placed 2nd in the Age Group World Championships M45-49 division. As a top 3 finisher in my age group, I was invited to attend the Chicago Marathon Champions Reception later that evening.  This was an awesome experience as I was recognized and celebrated with the top performing athletes, to include the new World Marathon Record Holder Kelvin Kiptum, Sifan Hassan, Emily Sisson and Conner Mantz.  

L-R: M45-49 2nd, 1st, and F45-49 1st Place

New Marathon World Record Holder
Kelvin Kiptum, 2:00:35

I know this recap is long, but I wanted to add some final thoughts and data.

Overall, I loved the Chicago course. The course is flat and can be very fast when there is good weather, and on October 8th we had perfect weather for the marathon.  It can get very windy (I guess that’s why they call it the Windy City), but on the day the 8mph winds didn’t have much of an impact. I thought the crowd support was good.  I didn’t notice any dead spots of crowds along the course, so that was a big plus.  

I’m a big fan of running an even split or preferably a negative split race. I ran negative splits with the second half 32 seconds faster (1:15:05 / 1:14:33). Official 5k splits below.  

Nutrition: I stuck with my pre-race/raceday nutrition plan as it has worked for me in my previous marathons.  The night before the race I drank one bottle of Maurten 320 drink mix to stay hydrated and load up on more carbs.  In the morning, I had my breakfast 2.5 hours before the race and then sipped on a bottle of Maurten 320 about an hour before the race.  I took one caffeinated Maurten gel 10 minutes before the start and an additional five gels over the course of the race.  I took one gel alternating regular with caffeinated gels about every 4-5 miles (miles 4, 9, 13, 17, and 21).  In addition to the gels, I alternated drinking Gatorade and water at the aid stations. 

Shoes: Nike Alphafly Next% 2 (orange). 

120th Boston Marathon - 2:37:23, 90th Overall

I ran my sixth Boston Marathon (5th consecutive) this past Monday finishing in 2:37:23, 90th Place Overall.  While my time was much slower than I had hoped, I was still very happy to have placed in the Top 100 for the second time (I was 56th Overall in 2012).  

The finishing times were slower across the board, even for the elites, because of the warm and windy conditions.  I'll get more into the details in my race report, which I hope to post soon.  

Rock'n'Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon - 1:11:49!!

Just three weeks after the Army Ten-Miler (ATM) I hit the streets again, this time for the Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon.  Rock 'n' Roll Philly served as a tune-up and my last race leading up to California International Marathon (CIM) in five weeks.  I ran this race last year when it was in September and finished in 1:13:13.  This year the race was pushed back to the end of October to accommodate Pope Francis' first visit to the US and the city of Philadelphia.  The unique date was a "blessing" because we were treated with perfect running weather (40 degrees with very little wind) on Halloween day. 

Marathon training has been going extremely well and with a recent PB at the ten mile distance, there was no reason I wouldn't be able to run a PB for the half-marathon.  My race strategy was similar to my ATM race; start out at about 5:30 pace or slightly under for the first half and then drop the hammer on the second.

The first few miles felt pretty easy.  I went through the first mile right at 5:30 pace.  Me and a group of runners, some were elite females aiming for the Olympic Marathon Trials Standard (Women - 1:15:00, Men - 1:05:00), actually freaked out because the timing clock at Mile 1 showed 5:08.  I then heard a guy on the bike tell his athlete not to worry because the clock was wrong and that the 1st mile was a 5:30.  My second mile split was slow (GPS split for was a 5:43) even though I felt like I was running the same effort/pace.  I hit the 5K in 17:11, about 5-10 seconds slower than I had planned.  I probably fell behind because I was too busy waving to my wife and daughter.

Definitely not running hard enough!

At 10K I was still feeling really good, maybe too good. I went through 10K in 34:23.  No wonder I was feeling too good!  I practically cruised the second 5K (17:12) in the same time as the first.  After 10K is when I started to roll.  I ran miles 7 and 8 in 5:25 and 5:28.  However, mile 9 was a slow 5:38.  I think a combination of a short uphill and sharp turn onto Falls Bridge caused me to lose some seconds.  Luckily, I made up the lost seconds on the next mile with a 5:19 split. 

At the 10 mile mark, which I came across in 54:56, I caught and passed about four runners, including three-time Olympian Jen Rhines. It's crazy to think that my 10 mile split was a sub-55 and only 21 seconds slower than my PB I set a few weeks ago.  Coming through the ten mile mark in just under 55-min meant that I'd only have to run 5:30 pace for the remaining 5K to hit my goal time of 1:12. 

I wasn't going to settle for 5:30 pace, so I tried to keep the hammer down and ran 5:24, 5:29, and 5:24 for the last three miles.  When I got to the 13 mile mark, just at the base of the short steep hill before the finish, I glanced at my watch and saw 1:11:10.  I knew at this point that I would break 1:12 for the half.  I sprinted up the short hill and to the finish like nobody's business crossing the line in 1:11:49, a new half-marathon PB by a whopping 80 seconds.  According to my Garmin splits and Strava, I ran the last .1 mile of the race at sub-5:00 pace, and that's with the hill. I'd have to say that the weekly hill blasts my coach has incorporated into my training has really paid off.

1:11:49!!!  New Half Marathon PB!

Below are my splits and a comparison of my 2014/2015 R'n'R Philly race.  Interestingly, I ran much faster this year but placed lower in the overall results, mainly because the fast guys and ladies decided to show up and run a qualifying time for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.  A total of 44 runners (24 men and 20 women) ran fast enough to qualify for the marathon trials in February.  Insane!

Year	5 Km	10 Km	10 Mile	Chip Time	Pace	Place
2015	17:11	34:23	54:56	1:11:49	5:29	68
2014	17:32	35:02	56:14	1:13:13	5:35	61

Some thoughts following my half-marathon PB:

• I was thrilled to run a huge PR and sub-1:12.  However, I think if I wasn't being too patient early in the race I probably would have ran about 10-20 seconds faster. I'm not greedy though, I'll take a 1:11:49!!!

In disbelief!

• It's obvious that I'm a patient and negative split type of runner.  Personally, I think it's the best and smartest way to run the long distance races. 
• The race was a huge and perfect confidence booster leading up to CIM in five weeks.  I feel that my ultimate goal of a sub-2:30 marathon is well within reach.

Army Ten-Miler

The Army Ten-Miler was the second of three races (New Haven 20K, Army Ten-Miler, Philadelphia Rock'n'Roll Half-Marathon) in the lead up to my next marathon, California International Marathon in December.  

Before I go any further with my Army Ten-Miler race, I'll give a brief summary of my running since the Boston Marathon.  I basically took things pretty easy after Boston and did easy running during the month of May.  In early June, I had some issue with my left knee that forced me to take some days completely off from running.  I think the knee issue was a sign that my body needed time off to recover as I was going hard for about 10 consecutive months.  The only good thing about the injury was that it came at a good time.  In June, my family took vacation trips to Hawaii and my hometown in Guam.  It was the first time visiting family and friends back home since 2009.  The months of July and August were all about gaining back fitness with base mileage and some fartlek and moderate workouts. 

Vacation in Kona, Hawaii



Where America's Day Begins!



The New Haven 20K Road Race, which also hosted the USATF 20 km Championships, was my first race since the Boston Marathon in April.  The Labor Day race served as a good race-buster and fitness assessment as I began to ramp up training for the marathon.  I ran 1:10:15 (5:39 pace) for 47th Overall.  Going into the race, I thought I'd be able to average 5:35ish pace for the distance.  Unfortunately, a combination of the warm (70deg) and humid conditions and a side-stitch between miles 8-10 made for a tough day. 

New Haven 20K Road Race

Following the New Haven 20K, I had five solid weeks of training before I toed the Army Ten-Miler start line.  I put in weeks of 93, 101, 100, 93 and 77 miles (race-week) with 2-3 tough quality sessions per week.  My main goal(s) for the 10-miler was to: A) break 55 minutes; I'd be disappointed if I don't run a sub-55 because I know I'm in much better shape than a couple years ago when I ran 55:07; and B) run in the low to mid-54 minute range if I was having a great day.

My race plan was to go out at 5:30 pace or slightly under for the first half and then drop down to 5:20-5:25 pace for the last 5 miles.  I know 5:20-5:25 pace for the 2nd half was doable because a week prior I had done 4x2 miles starting at 11:00 and worked down to 10:40.  The 4x2 miles (10:56, 10:47, 10:43, 10:39) was a key workout and confidence builder heading into the ATM. 

The first mile felt pretty easy at 5:30 pace. For the next three miles, I settled into a good rhythm and crossed the 4-mile timing clock in 22:30. At this point, I was running my race as planned, but I knew I had to get moving if I wanted to run well under 55min. I then started picking up the pace and ran 5:26 for the 5th mile. During the 5th mile, I felt a side-stitch coming.  Fortunately, the stitch never evolved to a point where it would affect my race.

Memorial Hwy

The second half is where I started to roll. I clicked off mile splits between 5:20-5:25, even on Memorial Hwy, which to me was the toughest part of the course.  The mile stretch on Memorial Hwy seemed like a never ending gradual hill.  I remember running behind Oiselle Elite Kerri Gallagher on Memorial Hwy in 2013 and tried hard to keep up with her.  Unfortunately, I couldn't hang on with her and she slowly pulled away.  Kerri ended up running a Women's course record in 54:56 while I finished 11 seconds back.  This time I wasn't slowing down and I wasn't going to let the women's winner (Tina Muir - 55:20) finish ahead of me.  I ran a 5:23 and 5:24 split for miles 7 and 8, respectively.  

54:35, 49th Overall

The last couple miles was all about digging deep and finishing strong, which I did with a 5:21 and 5:23 split.  I crossed the finish line in 54:35, a new 10-mile PR and good for 49th Overall.  The nice thing is that I ran a 21-second negative split with the 1st half in 27:28 and the 2nd half in 27:07.  This big of a negative split tells me that I could have ran a little faster had I ran a couple seconds faster early in the race.  

Splits

September Training

September 22 - 28

Mon: AM - 7 miles easy (7:17); PM - 4.4 miles easy (7:11)

Tue: AM - 8.2 miles easy (7:06); PM - 4.4 miles easy with 4x30s pick-ups (7:10)

Wed: AM - 10.8 miles including 16x400m w/ 1:00 rec. Goal was to run 80s laps, but no faster than 77.  Splits: 80, 79, 78, 78, 77, 78, 77, 78, 77, 78, 78, 78, 77, 77, 77, & 77.  Finished the workout feeling like I could have ran more 400s at this pace; PM - 3.8 (7:17)

Thur: AM - 7.9 miles (7:34). chickened out and ran on the treadmill because it was pouring, cold and windy in the early morning. Didn't want to feel miserable on an easy run;  PM - 4.4 miles easy (7:06)

Fri: AM - 10.1 miles including 4M tempo in 22:12 (5:33). Goal was to start at 5:40 pace and slowly progress down to 5:30.  Splits were 5:38, 5:37, 5:31, and 5:27. Felt really good.  PM - 4 miles easy (7:15)

Sat: 20 miles long run (6:38). Felt really good. 6:40ish pace felt more like 7:00. Last 12 miles were comfortable at 6:20-6:30ish.  

Sun: 9.1 miles easy (7:04)

Weekly Total: 94.1 miles on 12 runs/7 days
My highest weekly mileage in about 6 months.  I head down to El Paso, TX tomorrow and will be there for about 5 weeks.  El Paso is at 3900 ft, so I'm looking forward to running at a moderate elevation.  I'll be working long hours, so I'm hoping that I can still put in the miles.  

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September 15 - 21

Mon: AM - 8.6 miles easy with 6x30s pick-ups; PM - DNR. Travel back home.

Tue: AM - 12 miles including 6x1mile w/ 400 rec. Goal was to run 81sec laps (5:25) for the first 4 reps and then faster on the last 2.  Hit the mile repeated in 5:24, 5:22, 5:22, 5:21, 5:16 and 5:10.  Happy with the result of the workout considering I only had 3 hours of sleep from the long travel from CA.  PM - 4.4 miles easy (7:05)

Wed: AM - 8.1 miles easy (7:02); PM - 4.5 miles easy (7:05)

Thu: AM - 9.6 miles including 8x1:00 on 2:00 off fartlek; PM - 4.1 miles easy (7:06)

Fri: 8 miles easy (7:11)

Sat: 6.1 miles easy with 4x30s pick-ups

Sun: Philadelphia Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon - 1:13:13 (5:36); Splits: 5K - 17:33, 10K  - 35:03, 10M - 56:15.  Very happy with my race considering it was warm (68deg) with 88% humidity.  It was my 2nd fastest half-marathon, only 4 seconds slower than my PR.  Every 5K was faster than the previous one.  Ran my last 5K (10M to Finish) in 16:58 (5:28).  Passed quite a few runners in the last 3-4 miles. ; 3.1 miles warm-up/cool-down.

Weekly Total: 81.6 miles on 10 runs/ 7 days.
Still a good week of mileage with the half-marathon.  Fitness is much better than I expected.  

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September 8 - 14

Mon: AM - 7.5 miles easy (7:14); PM - 4.6 miles easy (7:14)

Tue: AM - 8.5 miles with 4x30s pick-ups (6:57); PM - 4.5 miles easy (7:08)

Wed: AM - 12.1 miles with 9 mile progression. Goal was to progress every 3 miles at 6:30, 6:05, 5:45. Ended up running 19:20 (6:25, 6:27, 6:28), 18:09 (6:04, 6:03, 6:02), and 16:58 (5:43, 5:41, 5:34). First section felt smooth and easy, the 2nd steady and comfortable, and the 3rd fast and tough, but manageable.; PM - 4.6 miles easy (7:09)

Thu: AM - 11.1 miles easy (6:59); PM - 4.7 miles easy (7:07)

Fri: AM - DNR. Traveled to CA; PM - 8.8 miles easy (7:05). Very dry in San Jose.

Sat: 16.1 miles long run with 12 miles progressing from 6:40 to 6:15. (Avg'd 6:32 for entire run). Felt good and comfortable.

Sun: 8 miles easy (7:07)

Weekly Total: 90.5 miles on 11 runs/7 days

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September 1 - 7

Mon: AM - 8.7 miles with 6x30s pick-ups (7:03); PM - 4.2 miles easy (7:27)

Tue: AM - 11.2 miles with 3-2-1 mile tempo. 3-mile (17:03 - 5:43, 5:42, 5:38), 2-mile (10:51 - 5:27, 5:24), 1-mile (5:10); PM - 4.3 miles easy (7:22)

Wed: 10.5 miles easy (7:04)

Thu: AM - 7.7 miles easy (7:03); PM - 4.2 miles easy (6:50)

Fri: AM - 10 miles with 16x400m w/ 1:00 rest; plan was to keep the reps at 78-80 feeling controlled and fast for the first 12 reps and then around 75 for the last 4. (80, 78, 77, 78, 78, 79, 79, 78, 77, 77, 77, 77, 73, 73, 74, 72); PM - 3.1 miles easy (7:53)

Sat: 6 miles easy (7:14)

Sun: 20.3 miles long run (6:42); first 4-5 miles easy then steady easy at 6:40ish pace. After 10 miles (1:08), I settled in at 6:35 and slowly progressed to sub-6:30 for 14-18 miles. No carbs, just water at 13 and 16 miles.

Weekly Total: 90.3 miles on 11 runs/7 days
Good week of training with 3 quality sessions. It was nice to hit the track again for some leg-turnover.

August Training

August 25 - 31

Mon: AM - 6.5 miles easy (6:58); PM - 4.5. miles easy (7:12)

Tues: AM - 8.3 miles with 6x30s pick-ups (7:08); PM - 4.5 miles easy (7:16)

Wed: AM - 11.2 miles with 10x2:00 on/off; Started off at a little slower than 5K pace and then pushed it in the last 3-4 reps;  PM - 5 miles easy (7:32)

Thu: AM - 10.2 miles easy (6:59); PM - 4.5 miles easy (7:27)

Fri: 8.3 miles easy (7:13)

Sat: 18.1 miles long run with 12 miles at 6:40 progressing to sub-6:30. (6:38)

Sun: AM - 6.1 miles easy (7:05); PM - 4.2 miles easy (7:27)

Weekly Total: 91.2 miles on 12 runs/7 days

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August 18 - 24

Mon: AM - 8.6 miles with 8x45s hills (7:34); PM -  3.1 miles easy (7:31)

Tue: AM - 6.4 miles easy (7:27); PM - 4.6 miles easy (7:20)

Wed: AM - 10.7 miles including 10K in 35:07 - 5:40 pace; Ran the Army Performance Triad 10K on-post as a tempo run keeping the pace between 5:35-5:45;  PM - 3 miles easy (8:03)

Thu: 8 miles easy (7:12)

Fri: 7.3 miles easy (6:59); PM - 4.4 miles easy (7:23)

Sat: DNR. Was out early in the morning and didn't get back till 8pm. By then I was tired and hungry, so I decided to just skip the run. 

Sun: Philadelphia OUCH 15K Race - 52:55, 5:41 pace. Was running all alone by mile 2. There was no reason to push too hard running alone, so I just tried to maintain a 5:40ish pace.  I practically ran the same pace as the tempo run 4 days earlier, but twice as long, and it felt more comfortable; 4.7 miles warm-up/cool-down

Weekly Total: 70.1 miles on 10 runs/6 days

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August 11 - 17

Mon: AM - 7 miles easy with 6x30s pick-ups; PM - 4 miles easy (7:37)

Tue: AM - 8.6 miles with .15 fast / .35 easy; Ran the .15 at low-5:00 pace and sometimes under 5:00. Feel like I'm getting some leg speed back.  PM - 4 miles easy (7:36)

Wed: 10 miles easy (7:12)

Thu: AM - 12.2 miles including 10M progression run in 63:02 - 6:18 pace; Slowly progressed from 6:30 to 6:10 pace.  PM - 4 miles easy (7:13)

Fri: AM - 6.5 miles easy (7:15); PM - 3.5 miles easy (7:34)

Sat: 19.1 miles long run (6:36). Got out quickly immediately hitting sub-7:00 on the dreaded Bulle Rock hill.  Cruised along at 6:30ish pace for the last 11 miles.  

Sun: 8.2 miles easy (7:14)

Weekly Total: 87.2 miles on 11 runs/7 days

Another good week. Happy with Thu's progression run and the long run.  

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August 4 - 10

Mon: AM - 6 miles easy (7:28); PM - 4.1 miles easy (7:22)

Tue: AM - 7.5 miles with 6x30s pick-ups (7:09); PM - 4.6 miles easy (7:33)

Wed: AM - 9.5 miles with 16x1:00 on/off; ran the 1min at about 5:30ish pace; PM - 4.3 miles easy (7:22)

Thu: 8.6 miles easy (7:24)

Fri: AM - 10.6 miles progression run; goal was 3-mile sections at 7:00, 6:30, and sub-6:00. Ran 20:56, 19:16, and 17:42.  PM - 4.5 miles easy (7:16)

Sat: 10 miles easy (6:58)

Sun: 18 miles long run (6:45)

Weekly Total: 87.7 miles on 11 runs/7 days

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July 28 -  August 3

Mon: 8.1 miles easy (7:30)

Tue: AM - 4.25 miles easy (7:08); PM - 6.7 miles with 6x30s pick-ups (7:04)

Wed: AM - 11 miles easy/moderate (6:48); PM - 4.2 miles easy (7:30)

Thu: AM - 8.6 miles easy (7:17); PM - 2.1 miles easy (7:55) ran to the gym and back for a core workout. 

Fri: AM - 9.4 miles with 3:00/1:30 fartlek; started at about marathon effort and worked my way down to about 10k effort.; PM - 4 miles easy (7:25)

Sat: 10 miles easy (7:04)

Sun:  17.2 miles long run (6:41); ran same route as last week's long run and added on a mile.  Felt much better on the hills.

Weekly Total: 85.5 miles on 11 runs/7 days

Weekly Summary: Jun 4-10

Mon: AM - 5M easy; PM - 7.2M easy; 12.2M tot
Tue: AM - 8M easy; PM - 5M easy; 13M tot
Wed: 6M easy
Thu: 10.3M including 4 sets of 2x200 + 1x400 (35, 35, 72, 35, 35, 72, 35, 34, 71, 34, 34, 71)
Fri: 9M easy
Sat: AM - NEEC's Pioneer 5K Run: 16:35, 1st, 9M tot;  PM - 9M easy; 18M tot.
Sun: DNR; travel

Weekly Total: 68.5M on 9 runs/6 days
I ran easy with a couple double runs early in the week to recover from Hospital Hill.  On Thursday I hit the track for some short intervals, sets of 2x200 +1x400.  I had planned to run 5-6 sets, but only did 4 as it was very hot.  On Saturday, I ran a last minute 5K race (see previous post) as a hard tempo workout.  That afternoon I ran an easy 9 miles making it an 18-mile day.  On Sunday I traveled to Fort Gordon (Augusta, GA), which is where I'm currently at, for a 2-week Army course.  I had intended to fit in a run after arriving in the afternoon.  However, the run never happened because I literally spent my entire day stranded in the Atlanta airport.