"By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail"

6 lunchtime miles with Darin (Dave is still nursing his sore calf). Enjoying the cool, dry weather. Started with a 7:40 miles, and ended with a 6:20. Felt good, especially for having taken 5 days off and getting over the sinus infection thing.

60F, Sunny, 44%, N8

Wednesday intervals w/ Darin.

1 mile warmup - 8:15

800 m - 2:55 - 5:50/mi into S wind 10mph

200 m recovery - 1:37

400 m - 1:23 - 5:36/mi

400 m recovery - 2:39

400 m - 1:26 - 5:49/mi

200 m recovery - 2:23

800m - 2:49 - 5:35/mi

200m recovery - 2:16

400m - 1:20 - 5:19/mi

200m recovery - 2:16

200m - 0:36 - 4:45/mi

1.22 mi - jog back to work - 8:38/mi

I entered the Mayfest 10K race in Ft Worth on Saturday. I was planning to run about 6:40/mi, but ended up with 7:03/mi and still managed 3rd in my AG (about a minute behind Darin). It was windy, and about 70...but I just wasn't feeling it. (I ran a fast 6 miler on Thursday than I did at this race). Maybe it was the 2 bratwursts I had for dinner the night before??? It wasn't my day. 

I'm not entering this as a Race Report, because I don't feel like I raced it. :)

Solo lunchtime recovery run. It was a little too hot for me, so I took it easy.

87F, S15-20 MPH, Sunny, 51% humidity

I WON THE ST GEORGE LOTTERY...4 for 4!!!! (I'm guessing it is not totally a random drawing). This means I can totally slack off this summer. With about 100 days 'til SGM, I'll pick up the training, but for the next month or so, I'm going to enjoy shorter mileage and short races.

Met Darin and Dave (Dave has now started running again after giving a sore calf a few weeks of rest) for a 7:00AM run before work.

It wasn't too bad out, but for some reason I felt really sluggish. We only did 3.5 miles.

AP: 7:33

It was lightly drizzling at lunchtime when Darin and I headed out for our Wednesday speedwork. We kept close to our plant, so if we saw any lightning we wouldn't have too far to hussle back to safety.

It was a short workout.

1 mile warmup - 7:48

.5 mi - 2:53 (5:46/mi)

2 minute rest/walk

.5 mi - 2:55 (5:49/mi)

2 minute rest/walk

.25 mi - 1:22 (5:29 /mi)

1.5 minute rest/walk

.25 mi - 1:20  (5:26/mi)

 0.75 mi recovery back to work (9:47/mi)

Darin and his son, Zachary were planning to run this race, and seeing that the weather was supposed to be unseasonably cool (for Texas), I somehow I talked myself into driving the 40 miles to run it with them. Dave, who has been cutting back on his running was there, too. Darin and I believed it was our day to beat Dave (who has beat us in most other races we've been in this year). 

A week ago Darin schooled me at a 10K, by about a minute. I was hoping for redemption.

It was about 50 degrees when the gun went off at 7:30. Abouta 15MPH NW breeze. I took off at a comfortably painful pace, one that I was hoping I could maintain for 3.1 miles. Darin and Dave were somewhere behind me. The race had the most turns of any 5K I've ever run, meandering through a mall at the start, then out on the perimeter of the mall, then some meandering to the finish. Check out the Garmin. It wasn't too bad, but I thought it was going to be a slow day because of all the corners...and there was some wind (I don't like wind). Maybe 15 MPH - it's my friend when it's behind me, but when I feel it against me, I mentally start checking out.

I was doing OK. I managed to pass the first place female and about 1 mile into the race, and stayed ahead of her by just a little bit. I kept hearing her fans telling her that she was the first female (I'm pretty sure she was a highschooler).

At about the 2.5 mile mark, we turned into the wind and up a slight incline. That's when Darin passed me. Dangit! I was running out of gas, and he turned on the after burner. I just let him go and hung on 'til the finish. I crossed the line at 19:54 (I forgot to stop my watch..so ignore the Garmin time)

Darin finished about 20 seconds ahead of me (yes, I choked badly, losing 20 seconds to my training buddy, my peer, my equal, in the last .6 miles of the race). I'm a little bummed that I couldn't finish stronger, but I'm happy that Darin placed 1st in our AG, and I was second. It turns out Dave was only about 20 seconds behind me...and I ended up beating the 2 top women finishers by 2 seconds! (They must have been gaining fast...they had identical time 19:56)

We hung around for the awards, and this race, even with a couple hundred entrants gave out certificates and goody bags to the 1st place finishers in each AG. It was a little disappointing to go home empty handed after another podium finish, but that's OK. It was a nice morning for a race and I went sub 20:00 for the first time in about a year! I'll take it

I just read a report HERE. I didn't realize that men and women were competing for the same awards. That stinks even more...especially for the women. I'm sure they'll straighten it out next year. I believe people who organize races should be veterans of a few races, or at least consult a few veterans to find out what works at most races, and what people expect for their entry fee. The awards aren't a very big deal, but race directors need to be clear in their advertising, and by all means, separate the men from the women.

6 solo miles at lunch. No watch. About 8:00/mi. Enjoying cooler temps and some sunshine.

70F, N6, Sunny, 44% humidity

I forgot my running gear today and had to scrounge around for shorts and ended up wearing my VFFs for the first time in quite a while.

Ran with Darin, Dave, and a new, younger, faster guy, Michael. We started out with an easy 8:20 mi, then sped up from there.

AP: 7:23

70F, SSE 10MPH, 46% humidity, sunny

Wednesday intervals w/ the fast guy (Michael, 33)

I predicted that the weather conditions would make today's run challenging, and I wasn't disappointed.

1 mile warmup

800 m - into the wind - 3:21

2 mine recovery

800 m - into the wind - 3:20

2 min recover

400 m - into the wind - 1:33

2 min recovery

800 m - with the wind - 3:01

2 min recovery

400 m - with the wind - 1:27

2 min recovery

400 m - with the wind - 1:28

2 min recovery

200 m - with the wind - 0:37

2 min recovery

short spint - 500 yards @ 4:24/mi

81F, S 14-24MPH, 57% humidity, cloudy

Well, this was my first run in the past 4 days. My wife went to visit her sister for the weekend, so I got the opportunity to see what being a single parent is like. So, like any father of 7 and 8 year old boys...what did I do? I bought the boys a go-kart. Yes, a little spontaneous, but I had to follow through with something that slipped out of my mouth. Something about how when I was a boy, I always wanted a go-kart...and I saw the little gears turning in their little heads. And before you know it, we were buying a go kart. We spent the majority of the weekend riding around our property making trails. The goats didn't seem to mind too much....anyways we had a blast and...it seems like I have a new tool for getting them to do their chores. "No riding until your room is clean" ...until the dishes are put away... genius".

Anyways, today's run was a short one with Darin just after a thunderstorm passed. It wasn't too bad. We got progressively faster.

80F, cloudy, humid, S10

7:53, 7:38, 7:25, 6:44

AP: 7:25

After an evening of continuous tornado warnings, rain, and hail, it was good to see the light of day and and run intervals with Darin. I forgot my watch, so I had to keep up with Darin and use his.

1 mile warmup - 8:30

800m - side wind - 2:50

2.5 min recovery

400m - 1:20

2.5 min recovery

200m - 0:40

2.5 min recovery, then turned around and headed in other direction. Wind was from the side, but slightly from behind. Much better.

800m - 2:48

2.5 min recovery

400m - 1:15

2.5 min recovery

200m - 0:37

1.2 mile recovery jog back to work

80F, W10, sunny

Lunchtime 6-mile progressive run w/ Dave and Darin. Started out with a 8:30 mile, then sped up from there, finishing into the wind with a 6:48.

75F, NW10, Sunny, 45% humidity

AP: 7:24

After 4 days off of pool parties, eating, and yard work...I ran w/ Darin and Dave before work. It felt pretty good. Breezy, and 75F.

5.25 miles / AP:: 7:25

75F, partly cloudy, 10-15W