Thu 2006 Nov 23 Thanksgiving Morning, 5 mi, 34 deg

St Croix Valley Runners 5 mi, 45:00, pace 9:00. Whoopee - no comment from the hamstrings. I'm back in the saddle again! Some minor soreness in both knees after the run, but that's probably normal after 18 days off; I'm not worried about it. I feel so GOOD! And what a morning: crisp with the rising sun peeking through floaty wisps of ground fog. Lots of runners on this 2nd annual Thanksgiving Day run: Mike, Al, George, Dave, Roy, Mary, Candy, A & S, Paul, Doug, Sam, Patty, & Gauss. Great run, good fellowship.

What's next? Set a target of maybe 20-25 miles for the upcoming week, build carefully after that (20%/week?) up to 40 MPW again, building the longest run at a similar rate. Hold speed down because speed means long strides which may over-stretch the hamstrings again. Just say no. Helps if we have a major race in view, then build toward that. So we're thinking about the Miami Marathon at the end of January. Only issue is whether we can afford to be traveling to so many marathons.

Tue 2006 Nov 21, no run, but what a beautiful day

Still not running. I feel the hamstring once in a while, I think. But I'm not certain. Lots of other exercise, more than 16 hours of leaf collection since Saturday. That's heavy work, and it's good for me. It's done now, too, at least for a week or so. Current plan is to run with the SCV runners Thursday (Thanksgiving) morning, see how it goes. That will be 18 days without running; I'm getting antsy. But if there's even a hint of trouble in the right hamstring by the time we reach Manning (about 1.3 mi), I'll cut the run short and walk back. Otherwise I'll jog along at the back of the pack. Scrumptious day today, a sunny 54 degrees and calm. Remember this in January.

Thu 2006 Nov 9, no run

Still not running. The only significant pain remaining is the right hamstring, though it's getting better fast. Nevertheless, I think I'd better not run for a while, until it's completely healed. Based on prior experience, that one will just keep getting worse until something pops.

Sun 2006 Nov 5, NYC Marathon Chapter Two, 3:48:46, 50 deg

NYC Marathon Chapter Two, 3:48:46, pace 8:43. So the question is: Why could I run the Twin Cities Marathon twelve minutes faster five weeks ago than I could run NYC today? Here are some possibilities: (1) NYC is hillier and therefore tougher; (2) NYC is SO big that it's hard to get past people (true); (3) I ate a BIG egg sandwich at noon the day before the race, and a little too much food altogether that day; (4) Nobody was chasing me, meaning that I had no reason to push myself other than pride; (5) I had several different pains during the race (knee, quads, hammies); (6) It was too COOL for me(!?!); (7) Two marathons in five weeks is too much; (8) It just wasn't my day. Enough excuses? I'm leaning toward (8). None of the rest of them quite pass the smell test, though I suppose (7) is a possibility. Other people did just fine today; A & S made PR's! I did everything that I had planned, including gels, salt, and caffeine. Ran the whole way in shorts and a technical LS shirt.

The pains: (a) Right knee hurt a little early on, and again a few hours after the race. At the bottom of the kneecap, inside the joint, center front. It's been warning just a little, off and on, for a few months. Time to give it a bit of a rest? (b) Right hamstring felt like it was injured - pulled. Feeling was similar to the pain that preceded my hamstring pull in the 2004 TCM. But this time it didn't break. Time to give that a rest too? (c) Right quad muscle cramped up in the later miles, after the turn into Central Park. Slowed me only slightly, and it went away. This is something new, but certainly not serious. Good news is that the calves didn't hurt at all this time.

But after all that complaining and analysis, it was still a beautiful day, I had a good time and a good run, and I'm happy. SO many people from other countries! What a truly international event. One runner invited me to the Berlin Marathon. For a while I ran with a Scot named John. He ran with the 3:40 team for a long way, but I passed him in Central Park. The hills really didn't seem as bad as I thought they would. They were much more dispersed than the TCM hills. Great marathon, great day. A masterpiece.

Sun 2006 Nov 5, NYC Marathon, 50 deg

NYC Marathon, 3:48:46, pace 8:43. Quick note - more later (does anyone read this anyway?). I was hoping for 3:40 or so, but I did the very best I could do today, which will be quite sufficient. Looks like 12^th in my age group, not great. Minor problems with right hamstring and cramps in right quads (something new). No problems with calves this time. But the real problem was just a lack of oomph. Was it the 1-mile uphill at the start? Anyway it was a great marathon, wouldn't have missed it. Perfect weather, within two or three degrees of 50 the entire way I think, mostly cloudy. Now it's time for me to go get on the subway and bring A & S in to the finish. They were past mile 16 at 4:30, so maybe 15 minutes behind their hoped-for 7:00 finish at that point, maybe headed for 7:30.

Fri 2006 Nov 03, about 4 miles, 44 deg

Ted Esau's 5k+ in NYC, one hour or more, varied pace. Two days before the marathon, several of Ted's ALARC group (not all of us runners) took his traditional run to the Queensboro Bridge, then to Central Park, then to the finish line. Walking some, running some. Fun. When we got there, Virgil K and I ran for another mile or two at a faster pace. NYC is a great place, at least to visit.

Wed 2006 Nov 1, 6 mi near home, 32 deg.

Church & Legion route 6 mi, 47:49, pace 7:58. Didn't mean to go this fast, but somehow it seemed even faster! I suppose I'm testing myself to be sure I can run marathon pace; if so, then I passed the test easily. I'm looking for a pace of 8:15 - 8:20 in the NYC marathon. I hope. Today was chilly and windy, making for an invigorating run to be sure. Even saw a flake or two flying on the wind. Wore my Teflon pants and jacket, which was just right going into the wind, though I had to open the jacket going away. But the real good news is NO PAINS NO STRAINS with the marathon only days away. Wahoo! I feel good. Let's go get 'em.