Fighting through fatigue

Throughout the week the legs felt heavy, flat and tired. I sort of expected it as I came off a 100-mile week last week, which was followed by 13 on Mon, 17 on Tues, 11 on Wed and 15 yesterday. The runs were doubles with the exception of Wednesday's. Tuesday's workout also included a fartlek run of 12 x 1' hard/easy.

The workout I had planned for the day was 3 x 2-mile tempo at 5:36-5:40 pace with 2' rest in between. After a 3-mile warm-up and a few strides I circled the track hoping that the legs would have some pop in it. When I hit the first mile in 5:31 and the legs feeling okay, I thought to myself that it just might be a good day for the legs. A couple laps later (about 1.5 miles into the tempo) I began questioning myself whether I should be running 3 x 2-mile tempo or 2 x 3-mile tempo. The two workouts may produce the same results, but I was easily convinced that the longer tempo would be more beneficial for marathon training. The 3-mile tempo is not only a tougher workout physically, but also mentally. I'm sure marathoners would agree that mental fitness is as important as physical fitness during marathon training and the actual race. I ended up having a good workout. I ran the 3-mile tempo runs in 16:38 (5:31, 5:33, 5:34) and 16:24 (5:26, 5:31, 5:27), an average pace of 5:33 and 5:28. I'm very satisfied the legs held up after battling fatigue throughout the week.

Just go with the flow

That's basically what I did in today's long run. The plan was to go 18 miles or 2 hours. Going into the run the legs felt okay, definitely not fresh or rested. As I strolled on the cycle path the Forerunner split my first mile in 6:48. This is about 30 seconds faster than what I normally hit the first mile in my daily runs. I thought that I shouldn't worry too much about pace if it feels easy and relaxed. The 2nd mile split at 6:26 so I decided to just go with the flow. I settled into a good rhythm at low-6:30ish pace for the next 7 miles. To my surprise the pace slowly increased (i.e. faster) for the remainder of the run. I ended up doing 20 miles in 2:08:40, a little over 2 minutes faster than last week's 20-miler. The 5-mile splits for the long run were 32:56 (6:35), 32:35 (6:31), 31:46 (6:21), and 31:23 (6:16). An average pace of 6:26 for the 20-miler.

It was a good run to end the week. In fact, I hit the magical 100 mile/week. I'll have to look back on the logs because I don't recall the last time I had a 100-mile week. Here's a recap of this week's training.

25-31 Aug

Mon: Noon - 6M (42:50 - 7:08 pace); PM - 6.1M (43:20 - 7:07 pace) easy run; 12.1M total
Tues: Noon - 4.2M (30:44 - 7:19 pace); PM - 7M with 1200 & 1K intervals (1200s = 3:44, 3:43, 3:46; 1K - 3:02, 3:02); 11.2M total
Wed: Noon - 7.1M (50:01 - 7:03 pace); PM - 9.2M (1:02:05 - 6:46 pace) surprisingly the HR was consistent in the mid to high 130s at 6:40ish pace; 16.3M total
Thur: Noon - 7M (48:34 - 6:56 pace); PM - 9M (1:01:58 - 6:53 pace); 16M total
Fri: Noon - 6.2M (44:07 - 7:06 pace) easy but legs felt crappy; PM - 10M (1:02:40 - 6:17 pace) including 6 mile tempo in 34:32 (5:45 pace); 16.2M total
Sat: 9.4M (1:05:44 - 7:01 pace) was only planning on 6 miles but it turned into 9+ miles.
Sun: 20M (2:08:40 - 6:26 pace) steady pace; 5-mile splits: 32:56 (6:35), 32:35 (6:31), 31:46 (6:21), and 31:23 (6:16)

Weekly Total: 101.2 miles

Planned workout gone out the window

There are just about 7 weeks of training that remains before the marathon. I'm pretty happy with where I'm at in my fitness. Today, I decided to get on the track to practice some marathon pace. I was sort of concerned about the workout (6 miles at MP), because I had no clue how the legs would respond. The last couple days I had put in 32 miles (16 on Wed & Th); this was following the track workout on Tuesday. Also, I had just finished running 10 km during my lunch hour. The goal was to hit the mile splits at 6:00 pace. After a couple miles of warm-up, I headed off for the first of twenty-four laps. I looked at my watch just as I hit the 400m mark and saw 1:22. I could not believe it. The pace felt very comfortable, but a bit too fast. From there on I decided to just go with the pace which felt comfortable. Feeling relaxed I came through the mile in 5:49. It seemed like the legs were in cruise control as I followed through the next 4 miles in 5:52, 5:47, 5:47, and 5:46. Feeling unreasonably good I made the decision to pick up the pace in the last couple laps finishing off the 6th mile in 5:31. The workout ended up being more of a tempo workout (on the slower end) versus a marathon pace workout. Okay, the initial plan of marathon pace went out the window, but it was still a good workout.

Today's run: Noon - 6.2M (44:07 - 7:06 pace) easy but legs felt crappy; PM - 10M (1:02:40 - 6:17 pace) including 6 mile tempo in 34:32 (5:45 pace).

Yesterday: Noon - 7M (48:34 - 6:56 pace); PM - 9M (1:01:58 - 6:53 pace)

Wed: Noon - 7.1M (50:01 - 7:03 pace); PM - 9.2M (1:02:05 - 6:46 pace) surprisingly the HR was consistent in the mid to high 130s at 6:40ish pace.

A streak of Tuesday track intervals

Today was the second consecutive Tuesday linking up with the Dutch runners at the Sittard-Geleen track for intervals. The running group is coached by an older guy (Will - about mid-40s) who has a marathon PR of 2:25, so I'd say he knows how to coach. After a couple miles of warming up we do some stretching followed by drills, some of which I'd never done. Will yells out in Dutch the workout for the day. Just as I give him the lost-man's look he begins to explain the workout to me in English. The Dutch people speak fairly good English, so it's easy to carry on a conversation. Will tells me the workout: 1200, 1000, 1200, 1000, 1200 - each followed by 200m recoveries. Immediately, I try to calculate what I should be running the 1200 and 1K intervals in. With the legs feeling a bit heavy from the 20-miler on Sunday and 12 miles yesterday I thought I'd shoot for 3:50 for 1200 and 3:10 for 1K. I end up running the workout in 3:44, 3:02, 3:43, 3:02, & 3:46. It was a good workout, but the legs were certainly done.

Today's run: Noon - 4.2M (30:44 - 7:19 pace); PM - 7M with 1200 & 1K intervals (1200s = 3:44, 3:43, 3:46; 1K - 3:02, 3:02); 11.2M total

Yesterday's run: Noon - 6M (42:50 - 7:08 pace); PM - 6.1M (43:20 - 7:07 pace) easy run; 12.1M total

8 Weeks till Amsterdam Marathon

I'm finally situated and have internet access so I hope to post updates more frequently. Training the past three weeks has been fairly good. Felt good in today's long run as I was cruising along at 6:30ish pace after 4 miles. Oh, I'm officially entered for the Amsterdam Marathon on 19 October. The Dutch runners I linked up with on Tuesday's track workout all claim that the Amsterdam course is fast. I must not forget that the training must be put in first.

Here's the training log for the last 3 weeks.

18 - 24 Aug

Mon: 8.4M (58:20 - 6:58 pace)
Tues: AM - 5M (35:54 - 7:11 pace) short and easy run
Tues: PM - 7M including track workout; 4 x 300 (46, 49, 46, 49) + 5 x 400 (68, 68, 70, 70, 68) + 4 x 300 (50, 50, 51, 51); my first speed workout on the track in ages. legs were done in the end.
Wed: AM - 4.2M (31:18 - 7:27 pace) very easy; legs tired from yesterday's track workout
Wed: PM - 9.1M (1:02:31 - 6:52 pace)
Thur: AM - 8.4M (57:24 - 6:50 pace) easy on trails
Thur: PM - 6.6M (46:33 - 7:05 pace) easy run
Fri: 11.1M (1:13:06 - 6:35 pace) including 5 x 2' at 5k pace with 1' easy
Sat: 7.2M (50:37 - 7:01 pace)
Sun: 20M (2:10:56 - 6:33 pace) steady long run; last 10 miles in 64:02 (6:24 pace);

Weekly Total: 87 miles

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11 - 17 Aug

Mon: AM - 6.5M (44:07 - 6:47 pace)
Mon: PM - 4.3M (29:25 - 6:50 pace)
Tues: AM - 9.1M (59:49 - 6:33 pace) including fartlek 12 x 1' hard/easy
Tues: PM - 6.1M (41:19 - 6:49 pace)
Wed: 5.5M (39:11 - 7:07 pace) short and easy
Thur: AM - 10.1M (1:05:14 - 6:28 pace) middle 4 miles at 5:50 pace
Thur: PM - 6.6M (45:43 - 6:57 pace) easy; legs felt a bit heavy
Fri: AM - 7.5M (52:35 - 7:00 pace)
Fri: PM - 7M (47:41 - 6:48 pace)
Sat: 11M (1:13:53 - 6:43 pace) easy with a couple miles at 6:00 pace
Sun: 15.1M (1:36:22 - 6:23 pace) long run with miles 7-12 at 6:02 pace.

Weekly Total: 88.8 miles

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04 - 10 Aug

Mon: AM - 9M (1:01:44 - 6:51 pace)
Mon: PM - 6.3M (46:17 - 7:21 pace)
Tues: Did not run
Wed: Did not run
Thur: AM - 8.1M (55:28 - 6:50 pace)
Thur: PM - 10M (1:04:15 - 6:25 pace) progression run; last 5 miles in 31:19 with the last mile in 5:43
Fri: AM - 8.6M (1:00:27 - 7:01 pace)
Fri: PM - 8.4M (1:00:05 - 7:10 pace) easy run on treadmill
Sat: 10M (1:07:03 - 6:42 pace) mostly easy with the last 4 miles progressively faster
Sun: AM - 16M (1:47:26 - 6:42 pace) steady long run
Sun: PM - 7M (48:07 - 6:52 pace)

Weekly Total: 83.4 miles

The Netherlands

In the Netherlands. South Limburg, the southern-most Dutch province, will be called home for the next three years. The region is beautiful and offers a great deal of places to run and bike. It's a runner's dream place to run with tons of trails. Unfortunately, there are not much runners as cyclists. I’m lucky if I cross paths with another runner during my runs.

Here’s how the last 3 weeks of training went.

14 - 20 Jul
A frustrating week of running as the right ITB and knee was acting up again, probably from all the pounding on asphalt and concrete over the past couple weeks.

Mon: DNR; giving the ITB and knee some rest
Tues: 6.5M (48:39 – 7:29 pace)
Wed: 7.1M (50:03 – 7:04 pace)
Thur: 7.3M (51:04 – 7:00 pace)
Fri: 8.6M (1:00:48 – 7:04 pace)
Sat: 5M (37:55 – 7:35 pace); still feeling some pain on the right leg.
Sun: DNR;

Weekly Total: 34.5 miles on 5 runs/5 days
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21 - 27 Jul
Lots of flying early in the week. The 2nd half of the week of running went well. Trying to get in more double runs. The right leg felt fine this week. Hitting the core exercises hard again.

Mon: DNR; an entire day of flying from Guam to NC.
Tues: 7.5M (52:15 - 6:58 pace); easy run + 3 x hills
Wed: DNR - travel day to the Netherlands
Thur: 9.3M (1:06:10 - 7:07 pace)
Fri: AM - 6.5M (45:33 - 7:00 pace) lots of core and stretching
Fri: PM - 6.2M (42:36 - 6:52 pace)
Sat: AM - 9.1M (1:04:10 - 7:03 pace) drills and core exercises
Sat: PM - 7.1M (50:02 - 7:01 pace) on treadmill; weights and core
Sun: AM - 13.5M (1:34:17 - 6:58 pace)
Sun: PM - 4.5M (33:12 - 7:22 pace) very easy

Weekly Total: 63.7 miles on 8 runs/5 days
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28 Jul – 03 Aug
A much better week of running. Almost an increase of 30 miles each of the last couple weeks. Definitely not a mileage increase I’d normally do, but I think the base fitness is there.

Mon: AM - 9M (1:03:31 – 7:03 pace)
Mon: PM - 3.5M (24:45 – 7:04 pace) on treadmill and core afterwards
Tues: AM – 10M (1:07:44 – 6:46 pace) with 10 x 1’ fartlek w/ 1' easy
Tues: PM – 5M (37:26 – 7:25 pace) easy run; core exercises
Wed: 9.5M (1:06:43 – 7:01 pace); drills, strides and core afterwards
Thur: AM – 10M (1:07:54 – 6:47 pace) avg'd 6:26 pace for last 4 miles
Thur: PM- 6.4M (45:00 – 7:01 pace)
Fri: PM - 8M (54:31 – 6:48 pace) last couple miles at 6:20 & 5:50
Sat: 8.7M (1:01:13 – 7:02 pace)
Sun: AM – 16.2M (1:48:47 – 6:42 pace) last 5.2 miles at 6:34 pace
Sun: PM – 4.7M (33:01 - 7:01 pace) easy; core afterwards

Weekly Total: 91 miles on 11 runs/ 7 days

Running on different surfaces

I've been taking this week a bit easier on mileage after feeling some tightness and lingering twinges on my right ITB following Sunday's run. I feel that the right leg is only about 80-85% healthy since the injury. On Monday I gave the legs a break from running. Since then I've kept my runs at about 50-60 minutes while running on different surfaces. Ran on the treadmill on Tuesday, beach on Wednesday, track on Thursday and mostly on grass today. Tuesday and today's run was lovely as I took in the beautiful scenery of Guam's water.

View of Tumon Bay from Two Lover's Point

Yesterday's run on the track was fun. Instead of just circling the track at an easy pace, I decided to add a little speed with some circuit training. After 20' of easy running I did 400s at 5k pace with some core exercises (pushups, situps, crunches, leg-raises, etc.) and plyometric drills between each 400. Did only 7 x 400s as I didn't want to aggravate the ITB. Splits (80, 80, 79, 78, 77, 78, & 80) were fairly consistent at about 5:20 pace

Missing the running trails.

It has been a successful last couple weeks of running. Following a week of recovery from Grandmas I'm slowly building my base mileage. One thing I realized is how lucky and spoiled I've been while stationed at Fort Bragg. The Army post has many running trails (grass, dirt, and sand) and roads to run on giving runners an option to run on soft or hard surface. I think most runners would choose to run on trails versus asphalt/concrete any day of the week. This hasn't been the case for me over the past two weeks as there aren't much running trails in Okinawa and Guam. All of the last 130+ miles has been on asphalt/concrete. There is no doubt that I could feel the extra stress and pounding on the legs and knees. I'm missing the trails.

30 Jun - 06 Jul
Mon: DNR;
Tues: 8M (56:58 - 7:07 pace)
Wed: 8.9M (1:03:23 - 7:07 pace)
Thur: 9.2M (1:04:24 - 7:00 pace)
Fri: 10.1M (1:10:08 - 6:57 pace)
Sat: 10.6M (1:12:35 - 6:51 pace)
Sun: 10.1M (1:10:38 - 7:00 pace)

Weekly Total: 56.9M in 6 runs

07 - 13 Jul
Mon: 7M (1:00:37 - 8:38 pace)
Tues: 10.1M (1:09:22 - 6:52 pace)
Wed: 12M (1:23:07) - 6:56 pace)
Thur: 10.6 (1:14:56 - 7:04 pace)
Fri: 10.2 (1:12:13 - 7:05 pace)
Sat: 11M (1:16:40 - 6:58 pace)
Sun: 14.6 (1:44:23 - 7:09 pace)

Weekly Total: 75.5M in 7 runs

Finally an update

After some convincing from friends, It's time to get back to updating my blog. I have no reason not to blog now, especially that I've recovered from my ITBS and back on the roads and trails. Here's an update of what has taken place since my last post a couple months ago.

Injury
I was sidelined with an IT Band Syndrome on 1 April . After 7-8 weeks of almost no running, plenty of core exercises and weights, nightly foam roller tortures, and lots of stretchings I managed to get healthy and put one foot in front of the other. All I can say is that it was a great feeling to run for 10 minutes, then 15, then 30 and so on.

Grandmas Marathon
After 4-5 weeks of pain-free running, I decided to continue with my planned trip to Duluth, MN for Grandmas Marathon with my friend Bobby. Bobby and I registered for Grandmas so that we can finally say we ran in the same marathon. I ended up running the marathon despite no training. My longest run was a 10-miler on Wednesday the week of the race. I know many people disagreed with my decision to run the marathon, but I truly didn't want it to be my first DNF in a marathon or in any race. I could have easily decided not to make the trip, but then it would mean I'd waste a few hundred dollars and abandon a friend. There were no regrets making the trip. I had lots of fun and still broke 3-hours. Finished in 2:54:08.

Okinawa
I spent a week in Okinawa visiting my brother and playing tourist. Okinawa is beautiful and reminds me of home. The only thing I'd hoped for was that it be a different time of the year. It was just too hot and insanely humid....but again what place isn't this time of the year. I was able to get in at least an hour long run each day, thanks to these drink machines. I was very impressed to see these drink machines (Coke, coffee, juice, tea, water, gatorade, etc.) about every 1/4 mile along the roads. I'd run into these drink machines in places that I'd never thought they'd put one. And they all worked too. 120 Yen was enough to get me through a hot, sweaty hour run.

Guam
Currently in Guam visiting family and friends before heading out to my next duty assignment in the Netherlands. The weather here is nice, around 70-80 degrees with some humidity. As far as running goes I'm trying to put in as much base running as I can while home. So far I've managed to get in 65-85 minutes of easy running each day. These next few weeks will serve as my base phase in preparation for a fall marathon (hopefully ING Amsterdam Marathon).

Don't forget to include those supplemental workouts

Eric brings up an excellent point on strengthening and weightlifting. I truly believe that my ITBS was caused from a lack of core/strength exercises, weightlifting and stretching. I'll admit that I've neglected to include these supplemental workouts with my running over the past 6 months. Not intentionally, but mainly due to limited amount of time to work out during the deployment. In most cases, I would have about 90 minutes to work out, so I chose to use it entirely for running.

Many folks may think that I raced too soon following my deployment. I personally don't think so because I've been able to put in some quality running (60-80 miles/week) from Nov - Mar. It was mostly base mileage, but I did include at least one fartlek workout and/or a 20 min. tempo run. Now what I didn't mention in my earlier post was that I ran an 11-miler at 6:30ish pace the day after the race (which was a total of 18 miles for the day). I definitely knew it was a mistake when I finished that run. In fact, I wrote on my runlog "What was I thinking!".

So, what was the cause of the injury? I'd say a lack of core/strength exercises, weights, and stretching, lack of recovery from a race, and stupidity. A lesson learned. Don't forget to include those supplemental workouts.

Good and Bad News!

(Good) I ran my first race (Inside-Out Sports Classic Half-Marathon) last Sunday, only 10 days following my arrival from Iraq. I'd say it was a 13.1M time trial vs. a race. I placed 2nd overall in 1:15:45 running just about the entire race alone from mile 2 to the finish. The course was very challenging as it was mostly rolling hills. I had a hard time getting out of my comfortable zone and pushing myself as I knew there was noone close behind me. My splits were 11:46 (2M), 5:39, 5:45, 5:53, 5:59, 5:49, 5:49, 5:39, 5:30, 5:47, 5:41, 5:55, & :33.

(Bad) I would write more about my race, but I'm not so much motivated to. The reason being is because I'm in a depressed mode due to an injury. Two miles into my run on Tuesday I felt some pain on the outside of my right knee. The outside of the knee would hurt each time I bend it or push off. It turns out that I encountered an Iliotibial Band Syndrome. For now, I'll take a few days off of running and hope to get healthy very soon.

(Good) In other brief news: I signed up for Grandma's Marathon (21 Jun). I also have about 3 more months (till end of June) remaining stateside before I head out to my new duty assignment (Brunssum, Netherlands). Can't wait!

15 months later....

My 15-month deployment to Iraq has finally come to an end. It is great to back stateside and breathing in some clean fresh air on my runs. Despite being very busy during the deployment, I was able to get out almost every day for a run. I put in some good base mileage from Nov - Mar which led to a good base fitness. I'll see how good the fitness is as I attempt to run my first race (1/2 marathon) since last October.

Why run?

Sometimes I wonder what it is with runners that compel us to get up each morning to put one foot in front of the other. My motivation for running has been at a record low over the past couple weeks. Snoozing the alarm 3 or 4 times and then finally turning it off has become a routine. But the body still somehow finds itself stumbling to the door into the dark and cold morning for a run. I know it's not because of upcoming races because there is none for me, at least for the next 4-5 months. It's not because a training partner is waiting because I don't have one right now. Is it guilt, is it the fear of gaining weight, is it the feeling of accomplishment, or is it because we love our sport? I’m sure every runner has their personal reason. For me, there are many reasons and so far the mind has done a good job of choosing one each morning. On Saturday, I will run and dedicate the first 5.5 miles of the run to Ryan (Shay). Feel free to comment on your reasons to run.

Not a whole lot to write about on training. This week consisted of mostly easy one hour runs. I did get in a fartlek on Tuesday and a 3 mile tempo this morning, so there's still a little motivation to run fast.

Mon: 9.3M easy (1:03:34 - 6:50 pace)

Tues: 10M (1:06:20 - 6:38) including 10 x :30 with 1' easy

Wed: 9M easy (1:04:36 - 7:11 pace)

Thur: 10M (1:06:03 - 6:36 pace) w/ 3M tempo in 17:39 (6:00, 5:52, 5:47);

Updated

Fri: 4.5M including APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test): Push-ups: 128, Situps: 103, 2-Mile Run: 11:23; 2 mile WU and .5 mile CD; hip flexors and quads were done after the situps.

Sat: 8M (53:20 - 6:40 pace) fairly easy; ran the last 1/2 mile in 2:45.

Sun: 15M (1:40:30 - 6:42 pace) long steady run; first 7 miles easy at 6:55 - 7:10 pace, then settled in at ~6:36 pace for the next 4 miles. cruised the last 4 miles in 6:25, 6:10, 6:05, & 5:49. still felt very good and comfortable in the end.

Weekly Total: 65.8M in 7 runs

Rain, rain stay away

It's been about two weeks since I've been back. Not a whole lot of excitement on the running side and I don't think there will be until I complete this deployment. The weather right now is wonderful for running, low-60s in the morning and dry. I mention dry because in about 3-4 weeks the rain will touch ground and it will be ugly. I will have no choice but to run on the dreaded mill. The dirt/sand will turn into mud and will not dry up till around March. Yes, you got that right.... it will be a few months of treadmill running. The plan is to run easy with maybe one key workout and the mileage somewhere around 50-55 miles/wk. Hopefully this will keep me in decent shape.

Thur: 9.1M (58:51 - 6:28 pace); ran a 4-mile tempo at slower than tempo pace. splits: 6:06, 5:52, 5:47, & 5:40; really didn't feel like running any faster so I just went with it.

Wed: 8M easy; (56:17 - 7:02 pace)

Tues: 10M (1:06:15 - 6:38 pace) Fartlek workout: 3 x 3-2-1 @ ~3k-5k pace; felt good to get in some fast pace running.

Mon: 8.5M easy; (1:00:04 - 7:04 pace)

Sun (28 Oct): 10M easy; (1:08:36 - 6:52 pace)

Sat (27 Oct): 10M easy; (1:07:39 - 6:46 pace)

American Tobacco Trail 10-Miler - 56:35 (1st Overall)

It's been an amazing two in a half weeks of rest and recuperation leave and now it's time to head back to Iraq for the remaining 5 months of this marathon deployment. My leave was wonderful as I was able to visit family & friends both in hometown Guam and in NC. To make things better I was also able to run 3 awesome races in 3 weekends: Army 10-Miler (DC), Guam Ko'ko' 20K, and the American Tobacco Trail 10-Miler (Apex, NC) this morning. Oh, I can also say that I've won two of the three races.

Of the three races I've ran, the American Tobacco Trail 10-Miler wins the prize for best race. Reasons include: trail race, nice flat course, excellent competition, perfect weather, and good race performance. I went into the race with the mindset to have fun and run a sub-59 since the race was on trails. The race started and I immediately found myself in 3rd place. The two runners up front took off and I had no intentions to follow. They were wearing their running club racing singlet so I knew they had to be pretty good. I came thru three miles in 17:23 (5:44, 5:49, 5:50). The first guy had about a 100 meter lead and the second guy only about 25 meters in front of me. At the 3-mile mark I was feeling too comfortable and I told myself that I'd better put a little more effort into the race. I caught the 2nd runner with a 5:29 4th mile and was still feeling very good. At that point I knew it was going to be a good day. The course is out and back so I knew I'd get a good look at how far I was from the lead runner at the turn around point. I came across mile 5 in 28:27 (5:36). I could now see the lead runner coming back to me and it was only a matter of time before I'd catch him. My 6th mile split was 5:32. A half mile later I caught the lead guy and ran with him for a few seconds. Still feeling good I took the lead and kept pushing never looking back. I came across the 9th mile marker in 50:48, at which I knew a sub-57 was well within reach. I slowed in the last mile (5:47) and finished with a 56:35. The 2nd place runner ended up almost a minute back. I did not know until I got home that my PR was sitting at 56:35. It was a kick in the butt knowing that I definitely could have broken my 10-mile PR. It was my best race this year as I ran negative splits of 28:27 & 28:08. Mile by mile splits were 5:44, 5:49, 5:50, 5:29, 5:36, 5:32, 5:39, 5:31, 5:38, & 5:47. I was awarded a gift certificate which was used to get some new shoes (Saucony Progrid Trigon 5 Ride). It was a good day to end R&R leave.

Ko'Ko 20K - 1:13:40 (1st Overall)

My race went fairly well despite the humid conditions early in the morning. I won the race in 1:13:40 with the 2nd place runner a little over 2 minutes back. Coming into the race I was not expecting to run a fast time because of the conditions. I had to remind myself that running in Guam year around is like running in the Southeast during the summer time.... hot and very humid. The race also had an Ekiden (4-person relay) race, which started 15 minutes after the soloist. Personally, I liked the idea because it prevented me from going out hard with guys who may only be running a 5k leg. The gun went off at 5am in the dark. After a couple hundred meters the course took us up a decent hill in which I found myself and two other runners already alone in the front. My plan was to go out at 6:00 pace for the first couple miles. Even with the hill the three of us came across mile 1 in 6:01. A half mile later one runner dropped off the pace and it was just me and a high school runner Chris (later found out he won All-Island Cross Country). After hitting the 2nd mile in 5:59 (12:00) I asked the kid if he wanted to take turns leading every quarter-mile; however, he passed up the offer. I think he was new to the distance and didn't know that exchanging leads would help him. For the next 4 miles (5:53, 57, 56, 54) we ran comfortably stride for stride. I knew that if I kept running at 5:50+ pace then I was only keeping him in the race for the win. Following the 6th mile, I decided to start picking up the pace. We came across miles 7 & 8 at 5:46 pace. After 8 miles I could hear Chris' breathing rate become faster so I increased the pace a bit more. A 9th mile split of 5:44 was enough to put him back about 10 meters. Another 5:46 split and I knew the race was in the bag. Here is an article on the race. My GPS watch registered the course at 12:52 miles.

It felt great to run a race back home again. It also reminded me how tough it is to race here in the beautiful island.

Back home in Guam

Wow! It's been a month since I last posted. Last Sunday I ran the Army Ten-Miler in DC. It was a bad day for racing. Ran 57:28, 54th overall and 20th in my division. It was hot and humid. I know I could have dealt with the heat since I was training in it in Iraq. But the humidity was the problem. It was 87% humidity. Splits were 5:30, 5:37, 5:34, 5:38, 5:43, 5:40, 5:52, 5:57, 6:03, & 5:54. As you can see, everything went downhill after the 6th mile. The good side was that Fort Bragg's men and women's team placed 2nd overall.

I'm currently in Guam spending my last week of R&R (rest & recuperation). What a wonderful feeling it is to be back home with family and friends after 4 years of absence. This morning I went for a short easy run at the War In The Pacific National Historic Park in Asan. I played tourist and took my camera along with me. Below are some pictures. Tomorrow, I will run the Guam 20K Ko'Ko' Road Race. It will be an early morning race as it starts at 5am.

Torpedo missile

A walk into the ocean

Kid drinking on the ride

Running path

Inspiration

This post is dedicated to Mike Mann, an Air Force running friend who recently lost his battle with cancer. I first met Mike at the Marine Corps Marathon in '03 when he ran for the Air Force marathon team. He was someone who really loved to run and compete. He was also a fast runner with a marathon PR of 2:28. More importantly, Mike was an inspiration to many people. He underwent chemo and battled back running the 2006 Shamrock Marathon in 2:54.

A few links about Mike.
Running Carries Airmen Through Chemo Treatments

Washington Running Report

Running community mourns Mann's death

What's one more mile...

The original plan was to get in 15-16 miles. It wasn't going to be an issue because my unit doesn't do a morning BUB (battle update brief) on Sundays. Well, that changed when one of my soldiers woke me up at 2am to tell me that there will be a BUB at 0800. Okay, I can still get in about 13-14 miles. I headed out at 0520 for a steady easy run, which turned out to be 14 miles in 1:34:18 (6:44 pace) with the last mile in 6:06. The shoes, socks, and shirt were off within minutes of finishing the run. As I walked out to the shower trailer with a towel and hygiene bag in hand my battle buddy stopped me and told me that our meeting had now been pushed back to 0900. Great! I immediately did a U-turn and put my shirt, socks, and Boston Classics back on. I intended to run only a couple more miles to reach the original plan of 16. I got to 16 and decided to get in one more; 17 miles and a running time of 1:54:00 later I thought to myself "what the hell, six more minutes and I'll be at 18 in 2 hours". I can honestly tell you that there were no thoughts of going any further. The legs felt fine as miles 16-18 were comfortable at 6:25 pace. The body just had no energy left. According to my Garmin (Forerunner 205), I burned 2422 calories for the run. Not sure how accurate the Garmin is with calories burned, but I do know it had to be a lot with the run leaving my body feeling depleted.

Weekly Summary
Mon: 10M (1:12:22 - 7:14 pace) nice and easy

Tues: 13M (1:25:05 - 6:33 pace) 20' tempo (3.45M @ 5:48 pace) followed by 3' easy + 3 x 400m (77, 79, & 71) w/ 400m rec. + 2 x 1-mile tempo (5:33 & 5:37) w/ 1' easy; Legs really didn't get going until about the 3rd mile of the tempo; the 1-mile tempo felt comfortably hard but I could feel fatigue creeping into the legs in the end. Overall, a good workout.

Wed: 11M (1:18:00 - 7:05 pace) easy run

Thur: 13.2M (1:25:47 - 6:30 pace); 4 x 1-mile cruise intervals (5:34, 5:32, 5:22, & 5:23) w/ 2' easy + 6 x 200m (36, 35, 38, 36, 36, & 37) w/ 200m rec. + 2-mile acceleration run (12:35) - started out easy at 7:00 pace and increased the pace every 1/4 mile; last quarter in 1:21. Going into the run I was expecting the legs to be a bit tired. Ended up feeling pretty good.

Fri: 11M (1:17:36 - 7:03 pace) easy run

Sat: 11M (1:14:10 - 6:45 pace) progression run; easy for the most part with the last 4 miles progressively faster (6:38, 6:16, 6:08, & 5:42); last 1/2 mile in 2:39.

Sun: 18M (2:00:25 - 6:41 pace) steady long run; miles 13 & 14 in 6:19, 6:06; miles 16-18 at 6:25 pace; body is done in the end; longest run since Nov '06.

Weekly Total: 87.2 miles in 7 runs

Tough lost

It was a tough week as I lost a good friend. Erick, a fellow commander and paratrooper, paid the ultimate price for freedom. He was an easy going guy who had a great sense of humor. Erick and I worked together as staff officers before we transferred to take command. He didn't go far though as our offices were only about 50 meters apart. I'm going to miss the mornings at Ft Bragg where we would come into work at the same time and yell "Another day in the double A". Erick, you will be missed!

It wasn't the best week of training, but also wasn't the worst. I missed two consecutive days of running due to operations. Taking a day off from running was probably a good idea as the legs were feeling fatigue on Monday's easy run. Well, not sure if I'd call it a day off since I spent majority of the time on my feet in body armor and in 115 degree heat. It's quite funny that I add on almost half of my weight (which is a whopping 120 lbs) with just my body armor , ammunition, and water. On Thursday I contemplated whether to run easy or put in a tempo workout. I hated the fact that I missed two days of running so it was an easy decision to run the tempo. The workout had me confident that my fitness is quickly improving (at least that's what I think). Ended the week at 60 miles on 5 runs so I'm pretty satisfied.

Weekly Summary
Mon: 10M (1:10:43 - 7:04 pace); fortunate to get in a run before heading out for a few days

Tues/Wed: unable to run

Thur: 13M (1:25:30 - 6:35 pace); 3 x 2-mile tempo w/ 2-min easy (11:24, 11:20, & 11:18) plus 4 x :30 fast w/ 1-min rec jogs; breathing was more controlled in last 2 tempo repeats; felt good on the legs when I added in the quick 30 sec. of fast running.

Fri: 10.5M (1:15:25 - 7:11 pace); last night was very tough and sad; good friend Erick passed away; ended up getting only a couple hours of sleep; really didn't feel like getting up to run, but it was necessary to clear the mind; God Bless Erick.

Sat: 11M (1:13:04 - 6:39 pace); progression run; averaged 6:56 pace for first 7 miles then 6:08 for the last 4 miles; ran last mile in 5:47

Sun: 15.5M (1:44:38 - 6:45 pace); mid-long run; pace slowly progressed during the run; average pace for 5 mile splits were 7:10, 6:46, & 6:25; finished strong with mile 15 in 6:01 and the last 1/2 mile in 2:48. Legs felt real sluggish early on, but better when I took in some Gatorade which I ended up carrying along for majority of the run.

Weekly Total: 60 miles i n 5 runs