"By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail"

Today I Ran (Sort of) My Longest Training Run Ever

I needed to get in a long run this weekend. I hit the rail trail I like to run on at about 1PM (after church and lunch). It was 65 degrees when I started, and I decided to try to make it to the little store at the State Park at the end of the trail...15.5 miles away. I had my fuel belt and 3 little bottles of Gatorade to start. I ran the first 13.1 miles in about 1:44 (7:50/mi), and made it to the store to refuel. Bought a Snickers bar, 1/2 liter of water, and a 32-Oz G2 Gatorade. I ate the Snickers, drank the water, and refilled my fuel belt bottles, guzzled the remain 12oz or so of Gatorade, and headed back. At around the 20 mile mark I decided to start taking a few walk breaks. I was feeling a few wind-stitches (probably from all the Gatorade/water sloshing around in me), so I took it easy all the way back in. I didnt' decide to run 31 miles until I got to the trail. I didn't do any special carbo-loading, and I didn't bring any GUs with me. I probably would have been a little stronger at the finsih, had I prepared a little better. I was very glad to get that overwith. I really need to find my MP3 player if I'm going to continue to run these long solo runs.

IT IS NOW TAPER TIME FOR BOSTON!!!! WOOOHOOOOO!

AP: 9:28 (lots of walking on the way back in)

TEMP: 65-70 degrees

WIND: 20 MPH S

Got my new Asic Speedstars in the mail yesterday. Time to break them in for Boston. Ran what I thought was going to be and easy 6 miler at lunch w/ Darin. It was another windy day, so when the wind was behind us, we cruised.

splits: 7:46, 8:03,7:46,7:38,7:26,6:32

AP: 7:31

HR: 143,143,138,141,150,163

Gotta love new shoes!!!

Decided to run another 4+ miles after work with Tom. AP: 9:40

(I REALLY ran 6 easy miles at AP 8:12, with the fastest mile being the last one at 7:16. I guess that is believable..eh?)

THIS WAS MY POOR ATTEMPT AT AN APRIL FOOLS JOKE... 

I decided to take a vacation day today and get in one last long run before I totally taper for Boston. There is a 1-mile loop around the parking lot. I parked my car at about 9 AM, while all of my coworkers were just getting to work, and started doing laps. Every couple laps I'd stop off at my car and refuel. The temperature was about 55 degrees, 10 MPH wind. It was great. After about 3 hours, people started leaving for lunch, and the road around the plant got a little crowded...I chugged along for another 3 hours, and decided 40 miles was enough...I weighed myself when I finished. I was down 9 pounds!

AP: 9:09
AHR: 123
OK...so this didn't really happen. But I thought about it...Happy April Fools' Day! (I'll modify the mileage once I do my real run after work :)

I run by feel..and today I didn't feel like it. (50 MPH wind gusts, work, kids, life got in the way)

Finally! The wind was below 10 MPH! I forgot what it was like to not have lean forward so much while running.

Darin and I ran a quick 6 at lunch:

Splits:7:19, 7:20,7:27,7:25,7:36,6:47

HR: ***, 146,146,145,152,161,165

My MP is 7:38/mi (3:20:00)-- I need to get to the point where 7:20-7:30 pace is my normal tempo run pace. The run today felt pretty good. I pushed the HR a little high on the last 2 miles (they were into a 9 MPH headwind).

Not sure what Saturday holds for me. I need a 13.1 mile MP run either Saturday or Sunday (There is a race in Dallas on Sunday - Big-D Half Marathon, but I'm not sure if I feel like spending $70 + gas to go run it....decisions, decisions...that's a couple Boston t-shirts I could be buying :-)
 

Family Day. Went to boys' soccer and baseball games. Then bought some plants for the veggie garden. Gorgeous day for being outside. 81 degrees and sunny.