in between trainings...

Tuesday mid-morning:

As I enjoyed a last couple of v-days off from work (use them or lost them policy) earlier this week I got myself outside on on a picture perfect day Tuesday for my last run in the training books for the 2008 season. I decided just to run a "whatever" route in our region to just enjoy the day and the run felt really good with that mindset :-)

I covered 6.2 miles in 54:51 for a mile pace of 8:51 and an average HR of 137bpm. I picked in the pace each mile after I used the 1st three miles as a warm-up so in the last mile I acheived my max HR at 150bpm.

It was a perfect way to end the 2008 training season!

b

Some Obi pic's when we had snow...

Here's some pictures of puppy Obi at 20 weeks old enjoying the snow day a couple Fridays ago when we did have snow in our region...he likes chasing Kristen around the yard :-)

a long run sunday...

Sunday morning:

I headed out to Barrington Hills (Home Economist) with Kristen as she needed to get in a long run for her early spring 50k race training. The temps were cold and very windy with lots of frozen mini-ponds covering the county roads of Barrington from the previous days rain and snow melt-off. K controlled the pace perfectly as we covered the 10.6 mile hilly course in 1:44:25 for a mile pace of 9:51. My average HR was at 127bpm with a max climbing a headwind hill at 141bpm.

My running conditioning has dropped dramatically as this is only my second run since Tecumseh on 12.06.08...but this break from running is much needed as my body needs to heal from the 2008 racing season ;-)

b

Happy Holidays

and...

Merry Christmas to all :-)

Brian

An early Christmas Present has arrived!!!

the long awaited custom etched Tecumseh Trail Marathon Finishers Medal has arrived via mail on Christmas Eve...of the four marathons I ran in 2008 even though this was my slowest time due too the toughness of the race and I will have to say this is my favorite marathon medal to date of the 12 that I have run so far :-)

thanks Santa for the present!

Winterfest Chicago style...

A couple weeks ago K & I went to the Daley Plaza Center for the Annual German Christmas time market in Chicago every year...

Chicago's Christkindlmarket 2008

Here's some pic's I took that day :-)

first run in two weeks!!!

Saturday morning 12/20:

I finally got my body out of the house to go on a 8 mile hilly run up in Lake Zurich with Kristen & a whole bunch of other runners. It was my first run in two weeks time since the Tecumseh Trail Marathon on 12.06 so I have lost alittle conditioning since then but all went well. I covered the distance in 1:12:29 for a mile pace of 9:03 and an average HR of 137bpm. I had a max HR climbing one of the hills into the wind at 151bpm .

Afterwards a group of us went out to Panera for breakfast in Deer Park as I consumed the ever awesome chicken noodle soup in sourdough bread bowl...hit the spot perfectly!

b

back to biking for now...

I have purposely chosen not to run since Tecumseh to give my body & mind a much needed break from running after such a long season of racing...so I have decided in the interim to start training once again on my tri-bike via the indoor training since I have not ridden the bike as of 10.04.08 at the 10 Mile outdoor cycling time trial...

Thursday 12/11:

Rode for 30 minutes via the tri-bike on the Kinetic rear-wheel training to help flushout the dead leg (mainly quads) syndrome I was still suffering from at Tecumseh. I covered 6.9 miles in that time frame with an average HR of 95rpm plus average cadence of 90rpm. Average speed was recovery low at 13.9mph with a max speed on a push at 19.2mph...this is just what I needed!

Sunday 12/14:

Another 40 minute recovery ride on the tri-bike via the trainer this time covering 9.5 miles with an average HR of 102bpm and average cadence of 88rpm plus an average speed of 14.2mph. Legs were starting to finally feel better on this day...

b

My 2008 Tecumseh Trail Marathon Race Report...

2008 Tecumseh Trail Marathon Race Report

I remember last December thinking about racing the “Thingy” for my first trail marathon but thru early to mid-2008 I forgot about the race since I had a very fully race season scheduled already. But post-Chicago 2008 Tom M. reminded me that Tecumseh was filling up fast so I always listen to what Tom tells me :-) I forged ahead and signed up for the trail marathon. Since I ran Chicago and then New York I then was going to run Tecumseh as a “fun” marathon run with some friends to close out my 2008 racing season…sure brian…a fun run :-)

So on Friday 12.5.08 I headed out for the 4 hour drive to Bloomington, IN with plenty of time to spare before package p/u at the host (small) motel between the hours of 6 to 8pm. I decided to go out for a 3 mile easy run to loosen up my legs from the car travels and I was running out of the hotel parking lot another running was pulling the lot in their car as she smiled and waved to me. The hilly training run went fine so I cleaned up afterwards I drove out to the Yellowwood Forest finisher’s area to get a better idea of the region for which I noticed immediately entailed hills, hills and more hills! After seeing where the finishers area was and needed to be the next morning to pick-up the bus ride to the starting area I headed to the package p/u motel were I immediately spotted a group of serious looking racers and started to wonder what I had gotten myself into…I’m a rookie trail marathoner with no trail training…just some very basic thrown together, very simple maintenance training since Chicago & New York! I then remembered this was a “fun run” for which I was aiming to finish in the 4 to 4.5 hour time zone…

Afterwards I met up at Italian Restaurant in downtown Bloomington with fellow Tapirs Leann, GregC and DaveK for a much needed carbo dinner and strategy session on how to approach this technically challenging trail race. GregC ran this event back in 2005 and shared his wealth of knowledge about Tecumseh mainly telling us to take it easy up till mile 18 as all the major climbing is done in these early miles…walking up the steep hills were a must! Also Leann told me she was the one in the car pulling into the hotel lot that afternoon…a small world :-)

After a perfect night of sleep I finally decided on my race attire as I ate breakfast that early morning. I headed out early to the curvy, hilly country road luckily before the snow started to fall and as I parked at the finishline area the snow then started to fall. As I ate alittle more pre-race food and drank some more electrolyte drink I must have reviewed the elevation profile chart a hundred more times http://www.dinoseries.com/maps/TTMprofileB.gif and thinking about GregC’s words about taking it easy the first 18 miles before getting out of the car to get on the school bus at 8:45am to head to the starting area. I spotted Leann as we rode on the bus together to the start area which kept my mind off the race that we were about to take part in with 598 other runners. As the bus delivered us to the start I wished her well and I would she her at the finish area. I spotted GregC with his foot just millimeters behind the spray painted on two inches of fresh snow starting line and Tom M. spotted us both as Tim Miller was here also with us just weeks after his awesome Indy Marathon time. We all wished each other the best and after the race organizers finally got the led vehicle running the start horn went off at 10:20am…

As the race commenced I started near the front as I heard the trail pinches into single track close to mile two but I was running at a comfortable pace. The race is quite majestic in the especially as the lightly falling snow flakes were settling to earth. The ground was frozen icy due too the cold nights they had just the days before the race which suited me much better than mud. As we entered into the single track areas I was very glad I had chose to wear my Solomon Speed Cross 2 trail shoes http://www.sport-evasion.fr/catalog/images/speedcross2.jpg as I noticed alot of runners in front of me struggling with grip on the uphill and especially downtown switchback descents. They performed perfect traction over the 26.2 miles except on very icy layered large flat stone slab rocks which were very few and far between. The miles went by comfortably and in control as we approached the “infamous” mile 13 uphill fire road with large gravel rocks on it. As I walked up the 200 foot climb uphill with several other runners it kept my mind off the steepness of it. After the crest of the hill we all resumed running downhill to the slightly smaller uphill at mile 16 which required walking once again with conversation once more. Once again after the crest we resumed running downhill as the next uphill started at mile 17 but went till mile 18 at a slightly less steepness and then…

I exploded by hitting the marathon “wall” running along the long plateau zone just after mile 18 even with all the hydration & nutrition I was carrying and consuming up to this point…I didn’t listen to GregC’s words but it felt like I was before this situation dissolved upon me. To be honest I don’t remember much from just after mile 18 till about before mile 22 as I was delusional from this massive bonk scenario. I attempted to run the flats and the downhill’s but I was way out-of-balance so I choose to walk & slight jog when I could as I was consuming massive amounts of nutrition to attempt to reverse this trend. As I would step off the single track to let fellow runners by I provided words of encouragement to them as they ran by in packs of either 3 or 5 runners. Also everyone whom passed me provided encouragement to me also which was truly appreciated during these challenging times which is what finally kick started my return to running once again just around mile 22. Everyone whom was a volunteer, aid station working and spectator was great motivation to all us runners also …thank you folks!

As I ran now on the switchback downhill heading toward the lake near mile 23 I was feeling much better now as the singletrack then followed the ebbs and flows of the typography along the beautiful snow covered frozen lake my energy was coming back but at a reduced rate of speed which I was happy to have at this point. I could hear the speaker PA system announcing runners finishing the race from the other side of the frozen lake which meant the end was near. At about mile 24.5 I had my one & only fall for the day as ran up a short uphill out of a dry creek bed after a quick downhill …my left foot toe box hit right onto the face of a dark colored flat-top granite slab rock but I bounced up quite quickly since I was more embarrassed about that fall than anything else. Luckily no one was near to witness this as I pretty much ran the last 4.5 miles of the race solo anyways. The race then had one last uphill walking climb around mile 25.5 and then I found some reserve energy to kick-in the last half mile and I had finished with a big smile on my face…finish time was a marathon PW at 4:56:34 but a trail marathon PR since it was my first one!!!

After I ate the awesome post-race homemade vegetable soup, turkey panani style sandwich, chips & peanuts I headed back to the car to change out of my race clothing and into some warm, dry winter ski clothing as it really was quite cold outside at about 30 degrees now with flurries still falling. As I headed back to finish area Tom M. spotted me after he finished this challenging race. After Tom consumed his food we spotted Leann whom just finished as we talked alittle bit about this experience we all went through today. I then drove Tom back to the cabin his family had rented for the weekend as Tom & his family invited me over for homemade Italian Beef sandwiches, brew and family time. It was truly appreciated as ever, we shared race experiences as that race was completely exhausting. Thanks Martin family once again!!!

As I left the hotel the next day on Sunday to return home via car I had a lot of time to think about how much I really did enjoy this new experience. I had a fantastic time at the Tecumseh Trail Marathon and sharing it with friends also, I would highly recommend this race to anyone looking for a new challenge. This race took me back a couple decades ago when I went to school out in Gunnison, CO where outdoor sports were plentiful to participate in. Running this “Thingy” thing reminded me of those times and running Tecumseh was an absolute perfect way to cap off my racing 2008 season…

BTW…I will return in 2009 with a much wiser & seasoned approach towards Tecumseh :-)

Brian

also…here’s a link to my polar HR data from the event as you can clearly see my bonk zone… http://www.twodogzdesign.com/run08/ttm120608.JPG

and here are the 2008 results and Tecumseh info if interested… http://www.dinoseries.com/2008TTMresults.htm
http://www.dinoseries.com/marathon.html

a brief Tecumseh note before I head home...

4:56:34

That was the toughest challenge I have raced too date and I earned that 'dang sweatshirt & medal :-)

That wall at mile 18 crushed the life from me :-)

Congrat's to everyone whom raced Tecumseh and thanks for the much needed support!

brian - TTM08 4:56:34

now for the backside...

of the Tecumseh sweatshirt...

I'm here...

the front of the Tecumseh sweatshirt...

off i go to bloomington indiana...

Just wanted to say thanks for all the great support from everyone as I headed to the tecumseh trail marathon race tomorrow...the weather forecast looks like this...

Tomorrow: Variably cloudy with snow showers. High around 35F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 40%.

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http://www.dinoseries.com/marathon.html

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Above is the picture of the bad boy trail shoes I will be wearing for the slippery race...these are awesome shoes :-)

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Keep an eye on my blog here as I'll post up info here over the next few days...

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Have a great weekend everyone :-)

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Brian

lakefront run...

Saturday morning 11.29.08:

K and I headed down to the lakefront to meet up with our friends for our usual weekly long run. She ran with the group as I went ahead at my pace for training towards next Saturdays trail marathon. My legs felt good after running a hilly ten miler just 48 hours earlier as I was able to cover the 8 mile run in 1:06:54 for a mile pace of 8:21. My average HR was 137bpm with a max HR near the end at 150bpm as I was testing my legs reaction to some speedwork.

Afterwards the group of us went out for a great breakfast at Schuba's which has become a tradition at this point :-)

b

Thanksgiving morning...

Thanks everyone for the very kind notes about our 15 week old puppy Obie the wavy coated Portuguese Water Dog. He had a blast last Wednesday afternoon at his first ever trip to Lake Michigan at the Montrose Harbor dog park on the beachfront. Obie is quite the social butterfly as he gets along with all types of dogs as you could see from the video :-) He really enjoys these adventures...

The PWD breed type size is about 50 to 60lbs when fully grown so a medium size dog he will be :-)

Thursday morning:

K and I headed out to meet up with about 70 running friends on Thanksgiving morning in Long Grove, IL for the annual 10 mile run that has been going on for years hosted by the Alpine Runners. Kristen ran with our friend Bridget and a few others that started at 6:30am! I ran with the main group that started at 7am and it was fantastic to see so many people out there enjoying the beautiful crisp fall morning. The running loop was perfect as that area has some nice hilliness to it which worked out perfect for my Techumseh training :-)

I ran with a friend whom is training for the Arizona marathon in January then running Boston in April. The mileage went by quickly and before we knew it the run was over with. Afterwards people had brought food & drink for a nice gathering post-run.

We ran the 10.1 miles in 1:26:38 for a mile pace in the hills of 8:34 with an average HR of 134bpm...

It was just the kind of training run I needed ;-)

b

Obie at the beach...

His first visit to Lake Michigan at 15 weeks old...

some training info...

Thursday evening 11.20.08:

Headed over to the health club to run on the indoor track after work but GI issues all day and into the evening cut this run short to an interrupted several times 3 miler in 26:11 with an average HR of 121bpm…not a fun attempted run…

Saturday morning 11.22.08:

Kristen & I headed over to our friends house in Lombard for the group gathering for their annual 8 mile run on the Illinois Prairie Path with a wonderful breakfast set-up for afterwards. I ran with K’s "Bandit" group as they call themselves during the winter/spring training month’s post-chicago. We all ran the 8 miles together in 1:17:23 with my average HR at 115bpm. Afterwards we had an awesome breakfast feast and socialized with everyone as all the girls are planning on running the Pig Marathon next May…great time :-)

Sunday morning 11.23.08:

As Tecumseh approaches quickly I headed back out to the hills of Barrington to get in a mid-distance long run for the weekend as I prepare for the hilly trail marathon. It was a perfect day for a run as I saw several groupings of deer near the mansions of this beautiful region. I covered the hilly 10.6 mile loop in a comfortable time of 1:34:19 which is a 8:53 mile pace plus my average HR was at 132bpm…it was a great way to cap-off a good weekend of running!

Tuesday evening 11.25.08:

After work I ran a recovery run in the neighborhood for 6 miles in 54:49 with an average HR of 123bpm. Both of my hamstrings were screaming at me so I forced myself to run at a total recovery pace…hopefully this feeling won’t last the rest of the week ;-)

b

thanks everyone :-)

Things have been kinda hectic in my life right now especially with Thanksgiving right around the corner. Exercise wise I have been maintaining my running base towards the Tecumseh Trail Marathon on December 6th 2008 but it has been very tough for me motivational wise post New York City Marathon...oh well I'm planning on just having a fun time at the trail marathon as a few of my friends are also running in it this year :-)

http://www.dinoseries.com/marathon.html

Have a great day everyone!

b

Puppy Obie pic from 11.6.08...

I will have to post some pic's this weekend as he grown so much already...

just a run...

Tuesday mid-day:

Ran a recovery run in the neighborhood region mid-day of 6.4 miles in 56:17 with an average HR of 129bpm. The temps were nice and cool outside with plenty of sunshine also!

Yet another training run in the books...

b

the cold winds and hilliness...

Sunday morning:

I needed to get in a semi-long run this day as I’m gearing up for the Tecumseh trail marathon (Bloomington, IN) on December 6th 2008 which is 5 weeks post the NYC marathon we ran few weeks back plus the Chicago marathon was just 3 weeks prior to that race…confusing…yes ;-)

So I headed out to Barrington Hills for a hilly semi-long run for which I started at 6:30am while the sun hasn’t even hit the horizon yet this time of the year. It was a crisp 26 degrees but the winds were quite strong out of the NNW at a constant 18mph. I also carried my Solomon twin water bottle belt as hydration/nutrition is critical on this loop run. Plus I added some mileage and extra hilliness early on into the training run to the loop distance since I hear this trail marathon is quite a challenge. I ran the training run at a comfortable pace from the beginning to the end.

I covered 15 miles in 2:13:44 with an average HR of 134bpm and my max HR was near the end as I was heading towards the parking area at 151bpm on a slight downhill. I felt mentally strong getting in a good semi-long run just two weeks post-NY as I plan on running Tecumseh as a fun run for the experience…

b

wow...another run...

Thursday evening:

Headed back over to the health club indoor track after work to get in a 50 minute run at a comfortable pace. I wore for the first time my new Asics DS Trainer 13’s which felt quite nice compared to the Kayano 14’s I normally run in. My sports chiro wants me to try a lesser stability shoe in the off-season because the Kayano’s are too much stability for me and is effecting my proper foot movement while running.

So I ran for 51:32 as I covered 6.2 miles on the indoor track as my legs felt better during this run and the shoes felt light on my feet.

On a different note since my return from NYC I have visited my doctor and been to the hospital for specific testing several times to hopefully find out some answers to my health issues…the off-season from running right now is the proper time to do this for myself…more testing early next week.

b

i have finally returned to exercising...

Tuesday evening 11.11.08:

Ok…so this was the first bit of any sort of exercising I have done since running the New York City Marathon with Kristen on November 2nd 2008…my body needed the much needed rest from exercising as my running legs felt very "flat" at the NYCM…

So afterwork on Tuesday evening I decided to run on the health club track based only on time instead of specific mileage…I haven’t run on the HC in about 18 months time so it was a very nice change of pace. Five laps on the indoor track make up one mile in distance so it’s pretty nice for an indoor track set-up. The night before I was at my sports ortho chiropractor doc so she really beat up my legs with the MAT treatment session for which you feel sore for two days after the treatment.

I took the run easy to help heal up my legs as I ran for 45:22 for which I covered 5.2 miles during this time frame with an average HR of 130bpm. The run felt good to at least tell me I remember how to run but I’m still suffering from the same problem since April of this year – severe left glute & hamstring pain while running which really limits my pace & stride capabilities. It’s frustrating to say the least…

b

Our newest family member...

I would like to introduce everyone to our newest family member "Obie" short for obi-wan...he is a 12 week old wavy coated Portuguese Water Dog which we brought home later last week after our return from NYC...he is quite the energetic young puppy as one would expect ;-)

So since things have been pleasantly busy in another way I have not exercised since the NYCM but thats perfectly fine as my body needs a break from running every now and then :-)

Brian

Short note about the NYCM...

On Sunday Kristen and I ran the New York City Marathon together to enjoy the experience. Her finish time was a strong 4:18:59 as mine was a 4:19:00 even...it was the second marathon for both of us in three weeks time! Also we did alot of touristy things while on Manhattan which made for a great long weekend...I shall write-up a proper race report later this week :-)

b

Kristin Armstrong day on Sunday October 26th 2008...

On this past Sunday 10.26.2008 our friends whom own Runners High n' Tri in Arlington Heights, IL had a very special guest they brought into town for the day - Kristin Armstrong...she won the Gold Medal in Beijing this past August for Team USA in the Women's Cycling Time Trial. Below are some pic's I took that day as it would take me hour's to report on this great opportunity!

The group of us that ran 4.5 miles with Kristin early morning on Sunday...

Some of our runner friends children posing with the Champion and the gold...

Of course brian had to get a picture with Mrs. Armstrong too...

Here's a pic I took of the ladies after Kristin's presentation speak in the later afternoon...l to r...Our friend Jillian (whom is racing in Florida Ironman this past Saturday & is now an Ironman!), Kristin and my Kristen...

This was a fantastic experience for all to meet Kristin Armstrong that day...she is absolutely a fantastic & very nice person and also very competitive which is how she focused on this one event & met that dream :-)

Brian

a special guest appearance...

Ok...so here's the scoop...this Sunday at our friends running/tri-shop in Arlington Heights they are bringing in a very special guest speaker for the afternoon...She is a gold medal winner at the Women's Cycling Time Trial for Team USA at the Beijing Olympics...here's a few pic's to keep you guessing...

Her name is Kristin Armstrong (no relation to that other armstrong) and she is a wicked cyclist!!! K and I are going to the shop Sunday afternoon for her speaking engagement there...we can't wait and you all know how much I love racing cycling Time Trials :-)

"Kristin Armstrong of the United States rides during the women's individual time trial of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games cycling event in Beijing, China, Aug. 13, 2008. Kristin Armstrong finished the 23.5km course with a total time of 34:51.72 and won the gold medal of that event."

Also they are attempting to have a group ride that day with Kristin Armstrong depending on what mother nature throw's at us this Sunday in chicagoland ;-)

I so can't wait...

b

drizzly rain running...

Thursday evening:

Went for yet another 6 mile run in the neighborhood afterwork again in the light rain with balmy southern winds for fall time. Total time was 52:08 with a pace of 8:41 plus average HR of 127bpm...miles 3, 4 & 5 again were p/u tempo pace with a max HR on that last half mile of 147bpm...my body is tired but I pushed thru it :-)

b

just a run...

Tuesday evening:

Ran afterwork for 6 miles in the neighborhood region in 51:40 for a pace of 8:36 plus an average HR of 129bpm. Miles 3, 4 & 5 were pick-up tempo pacing with my left glute/hamstring yelling at me...

b

random thought's...

I will be running the NYCM with my wife the whole distance...an experience with her that I would never think of passing up :-)

I rec'd my NYCM bib # which is 14483 in the orange start via wave 1 at 9:40am but I shall bump back to K's wave 2 at 10am in her corral for the entire race...Our bus transport is at 4:30am at the NY Public Library...it will be here before we know it ;-)

b

back at it...

Saturday morning:

K and I headed down to Lake Michigan not so early last Saturday to re-kindel the training efforts now towards New York. We needed to run 12 miles dependent on how our bodies felt only 6 days after Chicago. We parted our seperate ways after the first half mile of running together as a warm-up portion at our own paces southward down the lakefront path.

I was surprised once again how good my legs felt so soon after a marathon but I controlled the pacing the whole way through. I ran the 12.1 miles in 1:41:52 for a mile pace of 8:25 plus an average HR of 141bpm. I was happy when it was over with though ;-)

b

NYCM and just beyond...

Well now that the Chicago Marathon 2008 version is in the history books it's time to start-up a new interim blog with a few objectives to obtain.

1st on November 2nd 2008 I shall be running in the New York City Marathon with my wife Kristen...I cannot wait to share this experience of this race with her since we have both not run in this race yet at this time. Also this will be the 11th marathon for each of us as were now in the double digits 'thon wise :-)

After New York I will allow a very proper recovery timeframe from any sort of structured running training program. I'm am continuing to see my Sports Orthopedic Chiropractor for my lower back and glute/leg/foot pain. I will probably during this down time have a MRI done of my L4 & 5 herniated discs to see if they have worstened over the last several years since my last MRI...

The only race I'm currently signed up for in 2009 is the Indy Mini Half Marathon as I will not be doing a spring marathon in 2009. K and I plan on tackling the Steelhead half IM in August 09 again for payback to a proper HIM...I would like to race a second half IM somewhere in 2009 but I have plenty of time deciding on that thru the late fall/winter months...also K & I plan on racing a full IM in 2010 which I'm so looking forward to this new challenge :-)

Thanks for following my path and course with my training/racing as always...

b

B's Chicago Marathon Race Report...

Going into Chicago this year I was planning on attempting to BQ but with mother nature not cooperating yet again for the second year in a row and the lack of my proper training for this event due to nagging running injuries all year I was realistic about my chances of making this goal last Sunday as I only logged 454 training miles this year in 18 weeks compared to last year logging 862 training miles towards Chicago 2007 in 18 weeks. . Still as I walked into corral C I lined up with the 3:30 pacing team and was gonna give it a shot anyways.

As the starting gun went off I was already warm even with the bare minimum clothing to be wore that is acceptable in our society. I’m a tall guy that does not like warm/hot weather unless I’m at a beach somewhere on vacation with a proper drink in my hand. About a quarter mile into the marathon heading up Columbus you are running thru a lower drive tunnel zone for about another quarter mile which act’s like a pottery kiln oven which gets you nice and toasty out of the gate. After that the first nine miles of the race I was running close (but not too close to smother) to the 3:30 pacers but my HR was much too high due to the hot weather that day plus I was finding it a challenge to keep pace. Just after mile 9 I spotted & abruptly shouted out hello to Chris V. watching from the sidelines so he re-energized me. As I reached the 13.1 mile digital sign my watch said 1:46:19 for the 1st half but my body was cooking itself. At that point I initiated my “B” plan which was to turn this into a training run to make it to the finishing line safely so I gingerly took off the 3:30 pacing bib off my lower back of my singlet and disposed of it properly…now the monkey was off my back.

Anyone whom has run this race knows from about mile 13.5 to the finish line there pretty much exists no shade for protection from the hot sunlight with no breeze this day also. As I ran the last half of the marathon at a cruiser pace hundreds which felt like thousands of runners streamed by me. As I chugged along at my pace I got payback time for those individuals as a lot of runners were starting to walk by mile 18 as they went out to quickly and the folks were really starting to fade just after Chinatown near mile 22 which provided me with a lot of energy. As the I crossed over the Dan Ryan Expressway bridge I found a welcomed sight – the Hash Hounds Harriers were there offering their usual Dixie cup size beverages of Old Style which tasted great at that point. As I reached Michigan Avenue near mile 23.4 I got re-energized again because I knew the end was near and a lot of runners were walking at this point. Also the spectator support on Michigan Ave was fantastic this year the whole way to the finish line. At mile 25.2 I kicked the pace up slightly and felt solid going up Mt. Roosevelt (spotted Chris V. again) to turn left at the top for the .2 mile finishing chute straight away as I kicked it into a track workout repeat finish. This was the first year for me that no one passed me heading down Columbus Drive as I passed suffering runners.

I crossed the finish line in 3:47:32 for an 8:40 mile pace with an average HR of 145bpm & a max HR of 157bpm heading to the finish. That ice cold Goose Island 312 never tasted better also in the finish area, thanks marathon management for bringing back a real beer back to the race. I waited back in the CARA tent where more 312 was available for consumption as I patiently waited for my wife to finish (4:28:xx as a Sherpa) and the rest of our training group friends to finish. Everyone arrived safely compared to last year…

As I reflect now a few days after the race I can honestly say I made the right decision out there on race day because I ran well within my current abilities and ran the race & finished with a smile on my face the whole way. I’m really looking forward to running the New York City Marathon with my wife Kristen in a few weeks time to share that great experience together also :-)

B

I survived...

Just a short note for now about the Chicago Marathon yesterday...I finished the race conservatively...I will post up a proper race report over the next couple days ;-)

Chip time: 3:47:32

Brian

Well it's time again...

Tomorrow will be the Chicago marathon one once and it looks like it might me a tough day in the heat & humidity...Indian Summer is here with a vengeance in in Chicagoland...two years in a row for this race...not much you can do about Mother Nature ;-)

b

B's 10 Mile Time Trial Race Report...

ABD Cycling Club 10 Mile Biking Time Trial Report:

*** Be Warned...it's long winded ***

On Saturday morning I left home long before the sun even though about shining for a small town named Maple Park which is about 7 miles east of DeKalb, IL. This town is out in the middle of cornfield country Illinois and ever spring & fall the big Chicagoland Cycling Club ABD put on an awesome 10 mile cycling Time Trial. I missed the spring race this year because it was on the same day as the Athens Ohio marathon I was running and there was no way I was going to miss this race even if Chicago is next weekend. So I missed by last 8 mile training run but this is so much more well worth it to race in.

My start time was at 9:02am as I was the second bike to let loose on this awesome course. But before I race I warm-up properly for about 40 minutes on my Kinetic trainer slowly working up my HR to LT zone where a cyclist needs to ride a good Time Trial. About a half hour before my start time I un-hook the bike from the trainer, make sure all bike components are operating properly, change into the TT race outfit and consume an eGel right at this point. Then I head out on the long open stretch of two lane county roads surrounded by cornfields for some high-speed blasts to make sure my bike and body are working properly plus it gets me used to the TT aero-position. The temps were perfect for me at 45 degrees (runners like cool weather) as I pulled into the starting line lane and I was more than ready to roll.

Right at 9:01am the rider with the number one bib took off and I moved up to the starting line as each rider starts at a one minute intervals. There are a couple ABD officials at the starting line as one of them holds your bike vertical via the seat for you as you can then have both shoes in the clips for maximum power right from the start. They use a countdown analog timer just like when I used to downhill ski race in College which really gets the adrenaline going before the ten second beep countdown for release…10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Blast off I go and within 23 seconds I’m near my low end of my LT heart rate zone (for biking) already around 157bpm plus I’m already in my proper gears for the ten mile time trial. As you turn out of the neighborhood region left at full speed your back in your aero position quickly and pounding out the pedals while on the rolling county roads heading east. After an approximate three mile straight away the county road sweeps nicely to the left (northward) before you sent up for the 45 degree right hand turn that turns you eastward again for about a half mile before a very tight hairpin 180 degree turn and then you blast back westward one again semi-county road where its another right turn at fullspeed heading back northward on the better county road. The road sweeps nicely once again to the right before the 2nd & last of the hairpin turns so then you can let it fly all the way back to the finishline clock since your on the nice county road for the rest of the way. About a rolling hill mile and a/half away from the finishline I took my HR into my cycling "red zone" as my hamstrings & cardio were screaming at me to stop it but it’s an awesome short-term pain at this point.

As I crossed the finishline I pushed my Polar HR lap button which showed my time for 10 miles at 23:29…I PR’d this same course from 2006 which I rode it in then at 25:58…that’s a big PR in that short of a cycling Time Trail…below are my race stat’s:

10 miles in 23:29 – average speed of 25.55mph or 41.12kph & my max speed was at the finishline at 28.4mph – my average HR was 156bpm with a max at the finish of 161bpm – my average cadence was at a torquey 93rpm and a max cadence of 105rpm coming off the 2nd hairpin turn…

You can break down the average speed for my Time Trial ride in several ways…I averaged 2 minutes and 21 seconds per mile or 1 minute 28 seconds per kilometer or 11.42 meters per second...

Anyway you look at it I was simply ecstatic in my cycling performance this morning. On my 3 mile cool-down ride I realized that nothing running wise gives me such an adrenaline high as a biking Time Trial. I wish I could bottle this "feeling" for every running race I do.

When I got back to my car I talked for alittle time to some of cycling friends, then I loaded my biking gear in the vehicle and changed into my running clothes and headed out on the chipped, gravelly roads in the other direction westward of the bike race thru the 8 foot high cornfields surrounding me on both sides for an out & back 5.6 mile run in 45 minutes and 11 seconds which is a pace of 8:03 per mile as my average HR was still high from the ride at 144bpm but I wasn’t feeling any pain because of the awesome bike ride I just completed.

When I got home I was very happy to see in the final results in the Citizens Men’s class I tied for 3rd place in my group out of 27 riders…below is a link to the results and also to the course map…

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pD2UGnLl-8p__WM3EUt74Kw

http://www.twodogzdesign.com/cycle08/TTMap10408.jpg

Oh yeah...I decide to take a day of rest from exercising on Sunday :-)

Thanks for reading my long winded race report…

b

rabbits everywhere...

Thursday morning:

After deciding yesterday to give my body some more rest which was greatly needed I decided this morning to go out and run my 800 meter intervals in our neighborhood region. It was 46 cool degrees with a slight NNE wind so I wore my CW-X running tights with running shorts over them, a dri-fit long-sleeve shirt, dri-fit lightweight skull cap and gloves. Start time was at 6am in total darkness with an easy mile warm-up as the rabbits were out galore this morning…as the bunnies were zipping around all over the place I was wishing I had their speed but for 26.2 miles of it ;-)

I ran 4 by 800 meter repeats with 2 minute recover jog in-between each. Below are my repeat times, average & max HR per repeat also…

800 meters – 3:31 – AHR 140bpm – MHR 145bpm
800 meters – 3:24 – AHR 141bpm – MHR 147bpm
800 meters – 3:27 – AHR 141bpm – MHR 149bpm
800 meters – 3:19 – AHR 143bpm – MHR 152bpm

After the repeats I ran a cool-down mile at a recovery pace. The repeats didn’t feel so bad but I really did not push myself 100% as to preserve my running legs for the Marathon on October 12th. My speedwork towards Chicago has not been top-notch this year like last years preparation. Last year I ran a very similar workout at the same time before Chicago were I ran 6 by 800 meters all in the time range of 3:12 to 3:16…what a difference a year can make.

As always taking one run at a time…

b

saturdays time trial info is posted...

ABD Cycling Club has just posted the 10 mile Time Trial map for this Saturday as shown below. It's back to the old style two hairpin course due to the Illinois State Police...last time I raced this 10 mile TT style course I finished in 25:58 for an average pace of 23.45mph back in April 2006...

The better news is the first rider goes off at 9:01 am and I am rider number two which leaves at 9:02am...so far a rider goes off every minute and the last person currently registered starts at 11:40am with registration still open... http://www.abdcycling.com/racesevents/2008/Fling/flinginfo.htm

Pleasant Prairie Oly Tri 40k bike 08.08 - split 1:01:59

Can't wait for Saturday as my current running injuries do not effect my cycling abilities at all...a positive note as I will be riding this event an-aerobically :-)

b

thanks for the notes :-)

Thank you Trish & Steve for the notes about my running health...I haven't really talked about it much this fall but it's the same problems I was experiencing in spring/early summer...below is my blog entry from April 27th 2008 about what I'm currently going thru once again since early September...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From An April 27th blog entry:

"Back before I started running again in the summer of 2004 in late 2001 and the summer of 2002 I was diagnosed with 5 bulged/herniated discs in my spine...in the Lumbar region it's the L4 & L5 discs, in the Thoracic region it's the T6 and in the Cervical region it's the C4 & C5. The Doc's all stated they were not of the surgury requirement type because post-surgery scarring would out-weigh the benefits.

It took me a couple years to adjust but by spring 2004 I was feeling healthy once again...I mentioned that I have been running thru some health issues since mid-February this winter and it all stems from lower back "Sciatic Nerve" pain which has only worstened since then...running is quite painful at this point even as I mentally blocked it out during yesterdays 8 mile run. I used two icy/hot back pads on my lower back/glute region during this run in the form of an inverted V sign "/\" which masks the pain only so much...(now I use Kinesio tape)

I have tried everything over the last two months such as lite core strength training, my yoga routines, stretches, ice baths, heating pads, etc...these are short term solutions at best. My glutes, hammies, calves and heels of both legs besides my lower back at what are affected the most. These major running muscle groups never get a chance to recover hence when I run (or sit/walk) it always feels like any one of these major muscle groups are going to cramp/knot up at any point which affects my running stride length drastically...anyhow...I'm confident that I can overcome this setback with proper treatment once again.

I have a appointment with a running group friends Sports Chiropractor as the Doctors are marathon runners also on May 5th...The amazing part is I can tri-bike and swim with very minimal dis-comfort...

Sorry for the rant in my blog about the health issues I'm experiencing currently for the last several months but I thought I would bring that out into the open...

Thank you all for patience and understanding :-)

Brian"

evening run...

Tuesday night:

With the cooler weather upon us at this time I went our for a basic 6.1 mile recovery training run in the neighborhood region. Nothing special to report about here as I ran the 6.1 miles in 52:21 for a pace of 8:34 and an average HR of 126bpm. Body is still not healing...frustrating at this point...

I have my next sports chiro appt on Oct. 7th so yes I'm still taking one run at a time...

b

that's more like it...

Monday evening:

After a day of solid rain and the cool front moving thru I choose to scrap my 6 mile outdoor run for the day to help recover my running legs plus the gloomy day had me highly un-motivated to get out and run in the darkness of the evening…I’m going thru a taper time frumpiness with my running attitude right now!

So I decided to get in a higher quality tri-bike ride in the comforts of home via my Kinetic trainer. So I threw in my favorite DVD from the mountain Stage 15 of the 2007 Tour de France of the climb known as "Col de Peyresourde". This climb always provides me with great inspiration with my trainer bike rides since it’s an attack ride instead of a flatland tempo ride.

My cycling legs felt solid & strong throughout the 45 minute ride duration where I averaged 16.5mph and 12.4 miles in distance on this simulated hill climb. My average HR was at 112bpm with a max HR during a climbing sprint of 139bpm. My average cadence was great at 96rpm with a max cadence of 108rpm during an uphill power spin.

Now that ride was exactly what I needed as it is my last training ride before this Saturdays 10 mile cycling time trial…

b

a tough spin...

Sunday morning:

Decided to ride my tri-bike via the trainer in the house early morning Sunday to get the workout in the books for the day so I could do the rest of my chores around the homestead that day. So I put in a cycling DVD in the recorder and started to spin away for my one hour recovery, endurance ride as prep for this coming Saturdays 10 mile cycling time trial.

My legs felt heavy during the whole ride duration so I decided not to push the envelope and just kept spinning easier gears. I covered 14.5 miles during the 1 hour ride which means I averaged 14.5mph…simple math. My average HR was 93bpm and only a max HR at one point of 116bpm which told me I was still recovering from the 12 mile run the day before. My average cadence for me was low at 89rpm with a max cadence at about minute 12 of 102bpm.

It was a good recovery spin as I really had to focus on just getting the ride in the books…

b

a couple special guests...

Sara and Ryan Hall

Saturday morning:

Early Saturday morning K & I headed down to Lake Michigan to run with our Chicago Marathon Training group known as CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association) which met's at Montrose Harbor along the lakefront path. We had a couple very special guests whom were there to send us off at 6am in complete darkness...I'll dicuss more about the "Halls" alittle later in my story.

I ran with the 8 minute pace group for the 12 miler as a tester for my legs towards the Chicago Marathon in two weeks time. The air was cool at 65 degrees at 6am but the dew point & humidity were very high this morning with no wind movement. The run went fairly well for myself but by mile 8 the tightness in my lower back, glutes, ham's and calves returned even with the proper hydration. We ended up running the 12 miles in 1:37:05 which is a mile pace of 8:05 with an average HR of 137bpm plus a max HR about mile 7 at 150bpm as our pacer was a little to quick during this mile...

I'm still taking just one run at a time to see what pace I might be able to run at Chicago...

Me - b and Ryan Hall

-

As you can see by the pictures I have provided above CARA had brought in two special guests to our Saturday morning run...Sara and Ryan Hall. It's not often you get a chance to talk with some of the USA's highest caliper athletes especially so soon after Ryan Hall finished 10th Overall at the Beijing Olympic's. Ryan spoke to us all just before our 6am group headed out on the run and stated he was very inpressed with our dedication towards training so early in the morning towards the Chicago Marathon...he said they don't start training till 8:30am out at Mammoth Lake. After our run a group of us had a chance to speak with Sara & Ryan which was very nice...they are both very nice individuals :-)

-

It was a very inspiring morning down by Lake Michigan...

-

b

friday swim...

Friday noon:

Quick 800 meter pull-buoy swim at the health club during my lunch today...nothing special just trying to stay used to the water indoors prepping for the winter season ;-)

Tomorrow is our CARA 12 miler by the lakefront at 6am sharp...

b

watchout for that critter...

Thursday evening:

After feeling guilty for missing a critical speedwork session the night before I decided to run a different type of run tonight based on a one hour time frame at whatever pacing felt good to me to relieve some of this running stress while tapering for the Chicago Marathon. I wasn’t able to get out the door until after 7:30pm which means I ran in total darkness last night within our neighborhood region. I’m forced to run a lot of my distance on the sidewalks during the night due to the motorists in our area…safety reasons.

Also I saw a lot of rabbits as usual in our neighborhood but I always need to keep my eyes open for the random skunk so wouldn’t you now it at about mile 6 walking across the street and right in front of me on the sidewalk was a larger size skunk staring me right in my face as I stopped very abruptly about 30 feet from the creature whom has their tail raised and ready to go…luckily I was saved by my quick reaction to turn around and basically choose a different running direction…that was too close…whew!!!

So I ran for one hour and 49 seconds as I covered 7.2 miles in that time for an average mile pace of 8:26 with an average HR of 126bpm. My max HR was some where within the last three miles at 138bpm as my running legs started to feel better towards the end of the endurance run…

b

the big ring...

After Wednesday nights track workout was a no go due to the massive raining out in Palatine at Harper College plus lightening was striking all around the region which caused the College Soccer game to have a delay holding with 27 minutes left to play and the track has no artificial lighting(it gets dark at 6:45pm these days). I only got in a two mile warm-up run which was shortened due to the storm system so I waited around till 6:15pm before calling it a night…I know I wussed out but better to be safe than sorry plus my body appreciated the additional rest from running…

Thursday morning:

Rode the Tri-bike in the house this morning via the Kinetic rear wheel trainer as it’s getting closer to the cycling time trial event on October 4th 2008. I rode for 45 minutes with a couple big chainring pushes for 5 minutes each thrown in there for good measure. I covered 11.7 miles during this time frame with an average rate of speed of 15.6mph with a max speed of 22mph during a push. My average HR was at 103bpm and max HR during a big dig at 142bpm plus my average cadence was at an even 90rpm’s.

My legs felt good during this bike ride…I wish they felt this good while running ;-)

b

Lance Armstrong to race with Team Astana...

**** Late breaking news ****

Cycling legend Lance Armstrong confirmed Wednesday that he would join Kazakhstan's Astana team for his competitive comeback.

"I will race in 2009 with Astana," he told a press conference in New York today. Armstrong said he would start with the Tour Down Under in Australia; would also compete in the 2009 Tour de France, which he has won seven times; and was interested in the Giro d'Italia.

Team Astana's Press Release:

http://www.astana-cyclingteam.com/news_press/teamarmstrongpressrelease.html

2009 will be an interesting year in the world of Pro Cycling...

b

mugginess...

Tuesday evening:

Went out for a recovery run after work last night in the neighborhood region to get in some taper mileage. The weather was warm & muggy so I left some electrolyte fluid drink outside of the house so I could drink some every two miles. I ended up running 5.4 miles in 46:34 with an average HR of 131bpm. My legs were pretty sore and tired because of Sundays 20 miler plus then Monday night’s MAT treatment from the Sports Chiropractor. Afterwards my body was so over-heated from the mugginess I proactively took a 20 minute ice bath to cool down my body core temperature from a relatively short run.

b

cycle spin...

Tuesday morning:

After a day of rest from exercising on Monday and my sport chiro appointment last night I was ready to get back to some training during this taper time period. I rode my tri-bike via the trainer in the house this morning for a very basic training ride to see how my body was feeling which turned out to be very well. I cruised for 45 minutes watching a burnt DVD from the 2007 TdF Stage 15 for motivation. I had two fans going on me since the humidity levels area still pretty high in our region including inside our house.

In the 45 minutes I covered 11.4 miles for an average pace of 15.1mph with a max at one point of 19.4mph. My average HR was 101bpm and a max HR during a 5 minute tempo pull of 126bpm which shows me my HR was recovered from Sundays 20 mile run. I spun an average cadence of 92rpm and a max cadence at about minute ten of 101bpm.

My cycling legs are feeling pretty good these days as I get ready for the cycling 10 mile Time Trial on October 4th 2008…my favorite cycling event of the season :-)

b

taper time...finally...woohoo

Well it actually started yesterday ;-)

I’m hoping my body recovers (nagging injuries) some before Chicago so I can run the race at a pace I would really like to run it at ;-) to be honest I don’t feel really properly prepared to run Chicago at the pace I need to BQ because this season was a little different than past years due too the half Ironman I raced in early August... I know that training & race built up an awesome endurance base in my body but that was over three disciplines…how that might help me on marathon day I do not know just yet. The things I believe I’m lacking for a properly run Chicago Marathon is running mileage, tempo work and speedwork since post half IM I have been dealing with a lot of injuries.

Anyways last night I finally had my Sports Chiropractors Doctor appointment that I have been waiting for over the last 18 days. Dr. Egan is simply the best and it was well worth the wait to see her for last night’s appointment. She once again analyzed my problems, treated with the muscle activation treatment technique and provided me with some more exercises to do at home to help slowly correct my problems while running. She also informed me that during the off season she recommends that I try a lesser style stability running shoe than the current Asic Kayano 14’s I’m running in presently. I’m only able to get in another appointment on October 7th just before Chicago which is better than no visit at all. I always feel sooo much better after the appointments!

Once again thanks everyone for the great notes and I’m still taking one run at a time ;-)

b

the last 20 miler for this training session...

Sunday morning:

K & I ran in the CARA Nike Ready to Run 20 miler along the lakefront which ran from the north to the south next to Lake Michigan. This was our second year of running in this training event so we were better prepared on what to expect before, during and after the run which made for a smooth day. The only thing out of our control was Mother Nature once again where the start temps at my wave 7 time of 6:33am were at 73 degrees already with high dew points and close to 100% humidity.

That being said I attempted to run with my registered 8 minute mile group for the best that I could in the current state of my health condition. Everything was good thru mile 10 but I noticed my average HR was much too high for this pace and it was due to the weather conditions. As we were heading south just past McCormick Place I spotted Dave-O & GregC as I gave them a shout out as they looked so in control at their running speed. After that heading southward along the lake there is very little shade as I was starting to get too warm at the current pace I was running. At about mile 16 I purposely choose to slow down around a 8:30 pace just to save my body and energy for this training run to get to the end which helped me out alot. On the last mile I was able to pick-up my pace to where it was before and the finish line could not have come any sooner ;-)

As I waited for Kristen and all our friends to finish this challenging 20 miler safely we had pre-parked a couple cars there as the group of us went out for a much needed breakfast/luch at a Chicago establishment known as 11...that food never tasted better :-)

Below is a link to my HR graph and if you notice the chart this run was more of a LT burn training run for me due to the weather. Also I didn't get a positive 10 mile splits as I was shooting for and overall I ran this almost 5 full minutes slower than last years Ready to Run...

1st 10 miles - 1:20:45 - Average HR 142bpm
2nd 10 miles - 1:22:43 - Average HR 151bpm

Total run time was 2:43:28 for an 8:10 pace and an average HR of 147bpm with a max HR at one point at 157bpm...

Took a nap once we got home and a long ice bath after that...

Still just taking one run at a time...have my Sport Doc Chiroprator appt Monday evening...looking forward too that!

b

Contador and Astana Win the Tour of Spain...

Team Astana and Alberto Contador made history today by becoming the only Spaniard to win all three (3 week) Grand Tours (Tour de France, Tour of Italy and Tour of Spain) and joined the likes of Anquetil , Gimondi , Merckx, and Hinault as one of only five men who have accomplished this feat – and he did it in the shortest time frame in cycling history in only a 14 month span...Bravo!!!

Here's who the Top 10 GC Finishers were:

1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 80.40.08
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 0.46 seconds back...
3 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank 4.12
4 Ezequiel Mosquera Miguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia 5.19
5 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 6.00
6 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 6.50
7 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 6.55
8 David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone 10.10
9 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 10.57
10 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre 11.56

And how the rest of Team Astana riders finished Overall:

20 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 25.13 minutes back...
22 José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana 28.26
26 Sergio Miguel Paulinho Moreira (Por) Astana 41.43
62 Benjamin Noval Gonzalez (Spa) Astana 1.30.06
95 Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) Astana 2.09.36
130 Assan Bazayev (Kaz) Astana 3.06.52
131 Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Astana 3.25.28

Congratulations to all on Team Astana on this fantastic result :-)

saturday brick...

Saturday morning:

After the 90 minute deep tissue massage after work on Friday I needed to test out my body early Saturday morning to see how my body felt before Sundays 20 miler. I rode the tri-bike via the trainer in the house for 30 minutes after a recovery pace of 13.6mph with an average HR of 93bpm plus my average cadence was 91rpm. My legs felt fine on the bike and I used this to warm-up for my short training run afterwards.

After changing then into my running clothes I headed out the door for a short recovery run of 3.2 miles. Immediately I noticed a good change in my running stride as the massage really helped work out my over-tightened lower back, glutes and all leg muscles. I ran at a very nice pace of 8:30 miles with an average HR of 125bpm with a max HR of 136bpm while I was running one of miles at a slightly sub-8 mile pace to test how I felt which was good...the massage really helped alot :-)

Now onwards towards Sundays last 20 miler...

b

little swim time...

Friday lunchtime:

Walked across the street from work to the health club to get in some quick lap pool swimming during my short lunch time frame so I made it a quicker 800 meter tempo swim with the pull-buoy to de-activate my legs to focus on upper-body and cardio…felt good!

So tomorrow morning I shall spin for a half hour on my tri-bike in the house and then go out to run a couple or three miles to see how my body is feeling after that because our last CARA 20 miler is on Sunday down along Lake Michigan via the "Ready to Run" event…

b

a short bike spin...

Friday morning:

After a much needed day of complete exercise rest on Thursday I woke-up this morning feeling refreshed and partially recovered. So before heading out the door to work I rode the tri-bike in the house via the Kinetic trainer for 45 minutes to test out my legs and getting in some cycling conditioning towards the October 4th 2008 10 mile cycling time trial I’m racing in a few weeks time.

Back to the morning training ride as I covered a comfortably paced 11.3 miles which averaged to 15mph in that timeframe with an average HR of 101bpm plus a max HR during a push at 125bpm. My average cadence was right at 90rpm and a max cadence at one point of 98rpm. If was a very controlled spin on the tri-bike this morning which is what I planned and the most amazing part is that the pains I feel while running are not at all felt while I’m riding my tri-bike…maybe I should become a pure cyclist ;-)

After work I have my re-scheduled deep-tissue massage which I’m very much looking forward too!

b

the best i could do...

Wednesday evening:

I went to the track workout last night out with the group at Harper College in Palatine, IL afterwork for some interval repeats. The group was running 10 by 800 meter Yasso repeats with a recovery 400 meter lap in-between each as it was the group’s final big workout test for the Chicago Marathon next month. I ran a solo 2.7 mile warm-up before hand and I also only did 4 – 100 meter stride-outs as the group did eight of them.

Below are my repeat times with average and max HR values per each one:

400 meters – 1:56 – AHR 125bpm – MHR 133bpm
800 meters – 3:39 – AHR 134bpm – MHR 144bpm
800 meters – 3:39 – AHR 137bpm – MHR 149bpm
800 meters – 3:32 – AHR 140bpm – MHR 157bpm
800 meters – 3:34 – AHR 141bpm – MHR 154bpm
800 meters – 3:38 – AHR 141bpm – MHR 151bpm
400 meters – 1:55 – AHR 131bpm – MHR 142bpm

To be honest my running has been suffering more & more as each day goes by so I went out to the track workout not forcing myself and just running some repeats safely so I do not injury myself further. Playing it cautiously during running at this time is the way I have to take each run at the current time. I will take a complete rest day on Thursday and then bike & swim Friday with my massage on Friday evening that was canceled last Saturday due to the flooding in our region. Next Monday evening I’m seeing my Sports Chiropractor to see what’s going on with my body ;-)

I’m still just taking one run at a time though...

I covered 6.9 miles with my warm-up, strides, repeats, recoveries and cool-down…

b

the plain basics...

Tuesday morning:

Before heading off to work I rode the tri-bike via the trainer in the house for 35 minutes to help flush out the legs from the long run the evening before. Recovery pace at 14.6mph average and an average cadence of 92bpm…but I forgot to write down my HR info…oh well.

Tuesday evening:

Simple 4 mile recovery run outside in the neighborhood with an average HR of 122bpm.

Perfect evening for a run…

b

felt guilty...

Monday evening:

Due to Mother Nature issues over the weekend which were out of my control I was feeling very guilty yesterday for missing out on my weekend Chicago Marathon long training run. So after I got home from work and made sure our home plus my parent’s home were ok from any threat of flooding I decided to head out on an extended neighborhood region run based on a two hour time frame to get in a long slow endurance distance run in the books. Since the temps were nice at 60 degrees but the humidity was at about 100% I decided to run with my Salomon water belt which I had 36 ounces of electrolyte fluid in the two bottles. I ran with the fuel belt for two reasons; the weight of it keeps my pace down plus I wouldn’t have to stop at home all the time for fluids.

I ended up finishing the run about 8pm as I ran through neighborhoods I haven’t run through in years. As I was at about 87 minutes into the run I had enough of carrying the heavy Salomon water belt as my lower back was killing me but a lot of that had to due with all the sandbagging we were doing on Sunday. Immediately I noticed a big difference running as I was able to run the last miles within the 8 to 8:15 per mile zone. I ended up running for 2:03:18 for which I covered 13.4 miles. My average HR for the run was at 125bpm but the last 36 minutes of the run I was in the 140bpm zone constantly with a max HR of 148bpm. It sure was a nice 3/1 style LSD run…

I felt much better having that run in the books plus I slept like a baby last night as a benefit...

b

one workout weekend...

Saturday afternoon:

After not being able to make it to the lakefront for my weekend long run due too the massive raining and flash flooding in our neighborhood plus the sewage back-up in the house I was able to get in a short tri-bike workout via my Kinetic trainer in the afternoon as I needed to burn-off some exercise energy. The house was humid due too all the rain that day even with the two fans I had forcing a false breeze at my face.

I rode for an hour straight focusing on some pushing each 30 minutes selecting a tougher rear cassette gear every 5 minutes. I only covered 14.7 in that timeframe but I used this training ride as if I was climbing hills so my average speed was 14.7mph with a max speed of 20.6mph. My average HR for the ride was 106 with a max HR happening during the big chainring push at about minute 47 into the hour ride plus my average cadence was good at 93rpm and a max cadence of 104rpm.

Afterwards I felt better getting in some sort of workout for the day at least before going back to dealing with the water issues in our home…

b

ps...I was not able to get in my 14 mile long training run this weekend...oh well...