Doug's Running Thingy

One last evening run today and it was back to unbearable heat and humidity - oh well.  Did five easy in the neighborhood.

Easy 4 on the trails to finish of an easy week in prep for tomorrow's 20-miler - oh boy.

Well that was both encouraging and potentially deadly I believe.  Got out to St Marks Trail and on the run as the sun was rising and it was already 77 degrees - hmph.  Cloud cover stuck around for a couple hours, but then at about 16 miles into my planned 20 miler, it became sunny and ridiculous.  Probably should have bagged it right then, but I was actually feeling pretty good about the run at that point (all miles easy between 8:30 and 8:45 pace).  Miles 17 and 18 started the struggle and steam was really pouring out my head as I neared the end of 19 so I stopped the watch and walked slowly on back to the trailhead.  Stood under the outdoor shower there for a while and drank copious amounts of water and gatorade until I stopped seeing stars.

I'm trusting that mid-50s to mid-60s and low humidity at racetime in PA will be a cakewalk compared to all this hot humid training.

Nice sweaty run on the trails this morning as the sun rose... 82° heat index.  Just getting the miles in.

Nice little progression run this morning - almost felt like a real runner again.  On the neighborhood roads for seven, with the first four dropping from 8:18 pace for first mile down to and through marathon pace (8:03; 7:58; 7:39) by the fourth.  The fifth mile starts with nearly a half-mile uphill, so it bubbled up to 7:54 pace before going 7:25 for sixth and 6:45 pace for first half of the final mile... kinda spent at that point so jogged on in from there. 

Yes, we call a 90-foot incline over a half-mile a hill around here - what about it?! 

Mostly easy six miles on the trails with last couple at marathon pace.  Getting easier and easier to settle into MP on demand... even with this heat/humidity and trail surface.  18 scheduled for Sunday - need to find nice flat route in Prattville, Alabama - heading to the inlaws for the weekend.

Four in the inlaws neighborhood in prattville bama

Pretty good long run in 'bama - lower humidity and only about 72-75 degrees over the 2 hr 40 min run - best long effort yet.

Easy three on the trails this morning to shake out the 18 from yesterday.  Felt pretty good after the first half mile.

Easy four on the trails from the track this morning.  Track and XC records boards being updated this week to reflect the 3rd place all-time 15:59 5K for Trav and the distance medley record as well - what a deal.

Didn't get the run in until this evening after a nice rainshower.  Good 8-miler in the neighborhood. Rain returned for a couple miles and soaked me pretty good, but at least it was coolish.

Pretty decent run on the trails this evening.  I haven't really done a whole lot of marathon pace running, so decided to do this run all at mp - worked out pretty well, especially considering it was on trails and about 88 degree heat index.  After the first creaky and uphill mile (8:11), all miles were under 7:55 and overall average was 7:49.  I think I'm settling in on a plan to go between 7:45 and 7:55 pace through the half and then either maintain that or drop to 7:40-7:45 for several miles before just holding on after 20.  We'll see.

Easy 4 on the trails to loosen everything up for 22 tomorrow - oh boy.

Twenty miles in 3 hrs 4 min - thatll work.  Not sure I could have gone another 6 at any pace, but it was up over 80 degrees by the end and I was fried.  Hoped to do 22, but bailed out at 20.  Three hours on the legs made me happy.

Easy five on the trails with final mile at marathon pace.

Bit more than 9 miles on the neighborhood roads early this morning.  Mostly 8:30 pace with last 1.3 at marathon pace (7:55).  Felt pretty comfy... except for the dripping wet shirt, shorts, socks, and shoes after about 7 miles.

Medium paced 7 on the trails this foggy steamy morning.  Overall average of 8:14/mi - I'm relying on that being equivalent to 7:50ish on mostly flat pavement and cooler drier weather - just go with me on that.

Easy 4 out to a preseason XC meet/community trail race, then a mile or so fartlekking around the course yelling at kids and parents, then a mile back to the car.  Travis did his first run with the team in Jax - 12 miles at 7:20 avg on the beach - said he was good through 9 but struggled a bit after that.

Fourteen mile progression run that went about as well as it could have.  Dropped from 8:45 to 8:15 pace in first 4-mile section, then down to MP (7:55) for next 4, then down to 7:30 over next three, and finished up 7:28, 7:22, 7:16 for an overall average of 8 flat.  The marathon pace miles actually felt really comfortable, even though it was heat index 84 degrees - something which pleases me greatly just 2 weeks out from my race.

Easy six in the neighborhood at sub-70 degrees!  Heat index still over 80, but its a start to Fall weather maybe.

Rolling nine on neighborhood roads this morning at overall average 7:56 - all miles under 8 flat except one killer uphill mile (#7 @ 8:08).  Mostly had to hold back to keep pace at 7:50-7:55 - good run.

Easy 6 on the trails this evening after work.

Easy couple and moderate couple running around the UNF golf course and trails before Travis' meet in Jacksonville this morning.  

Trav did ok for his first college race.  It was a low key 5K with only 4 complete teams and several unattached - total of 44 runners.  Coach could only run ten guys in uniform and Trav was one of the 5 that ran unattached.  He finished 11th overall and 9th on the squad in 16:27.  He was 5th freshman of 8 on the squad - not a bad start considering he really didnt put in the work he should have this summer.  Onward and upward.