Training Log - Week 19 of 28 - Saturday

Brrrr. Cold and damp. At least it didn't rain!

10 miles

Shoe mileage = 105 miles

Training Log - Week 19 of 28 - Friday

Got up early and ran in my own neighborhood. To the middle school, through Willowbridge, and to Sonic (it was very tempting to stop and eat; alas, I brought no money) then back to the house.

3 miles

Shoe mileage = 95 miles

Training Log - Week 19 of 28 - Thursday

Stomach bug. Not conducive to running.

Training Log - Week 19 of 28 - Wednesday

Rainy in the morning. Cleared up later as a cold front moved through.

Ran at lunchtime.

3.5 miles

Shoe mileage = 92 miles

Training Log - Week 19 of 28 - Monday/Tuesday

Weather is absolutely awful. Pouring rain and cold.

Did not run. Back on the horse this Wednesday.

Training Log - Week 19 of 28 - Sunday

Race day! I had a good day but it was eventful.

HMSA Classical 25k (15.5 miles)
2:47:28 (personal record)

Last year I ran this race in approximately 2:59:00. Shaving off 12 minutes is good thing!

A beautiful day. Sunny and cool.

I decided that I would run this race as a 10/1 (run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute) just to see how that would work. The theory is that your 10 minute run time will get better because who get a break every mile or so for your body to recover.

I think I would have had an even better time but for a few things.

From the start of the race I had many bathroom stops - never eat brisket with spicy BBQ sauce the night before a race.

At around mile 12, a member of our club (Janet, an older lady) took a pretty bad spill. I ran back to help her clean off the blood and decided to run the rest of the race with her at her pace. She got back up and placed 2nd in her age group (that's toughness!).

The first one on the scene to help Janet turned out to be an old college buddy of mine at the University of Houston who I had not seen since 1992. So we ended up talking the rest of the way.

So if it weren't for the extra potty breaks and the "caution flag" for my club mate, I think I could have finished this in 2:40.

Running 10 minutes and walking 1 really helped me keep from tiring out too quickly. At the end of the race I had enough energy left to go further. Also, I was no where near as sore as I was after the 13 mile race three weeks ago.

October 26 -13.1 miles - 2:15:40
November 9 - 15.5 miles - 2:27:28
November 29 - 18.6 miles -
December 20 - 21 miles -

Shoe mileage = 88.5 miles

Training Log - Week 18 of 28 - Thursday

Hills. Four up and down. Ran with Susan C and Kathleen G. Humid but cool. Glad we got the run in early because it's going to rain today.

Friday brings a day trip to Dallas for work and Saturday is a day off. Sunday will be the Houston Masters 25k race in Downtown. Second of our series of four preparation races.

Next Saturday is our annual beer run (more on that later).

4 miles/hills

Shoe mileage = 73 miles

Training Log - Week 18 of 28 - Wednesday

Ran at lunchtime. The weather page on the Chronicle said it was 79F but there was no way it was that hot. Humidity was in the 30% range after lunch.

Ran on San Felipe. I enjoy this route but there's a lot of car dodging when running across the intersections.

3.5 miles

Shoe mileage = 69 miles

Training Log - Week 18 of 28 - Monday/Tuesday

Haven't run since Saturday. Dad went into the hospital Sunday. He collapsed Sunday evening (it's a miracle there was no head trauma). Paramedics came. As best we can tell he didn't have a stroke. Seems like it was seizure.

So, I didn't run Monday because I was with Mom and Dad in the ER until 2am. Tuesday, I messed up when setting my alarm and woke up too late.

Training Log - Week 17 of 28 - Saturday

Good run this morning. Humid but reasonably cool.

Had a running partner this morning. A guy named Todd. Veteran of Afghanistan (Army). Had a great discussion about our second ammendment rights. Said he met his wife while over there (she was in the Army also). "We'll always have Kandahar..."

11 miles

Shoe mileage = 65.5 miles