Race done, taper begins

I didn't quite meet the first goal today, but can't be blamed for giving it a try. Was on pace for a 2:15 finish for today's Around the Bay 30K right until the 28th kilometre. It was close but I think a winter without tempo, trackwork and few pace runs caught up to me. I didn't go sub 2:20 but came right in there, with a 2:20:38.

Did I feel good and strong in the first 28 kilometres? Sure, felt great. In the end, I decided to call it a day so I wouldn't risk injury.

Boston! It's around the corner and today's race was the last long run. I know it's 18.6 miles but since I did most of it at strong pace, I reaped a lot of benefit.

I'll do a race report in a few days.

Here's the medal.



And here are the splits and map

Setting some goals

I've been checking the forecasts the past few days, finicky about what I would put on for tomorrow's race and I picked up a pace band.. Hm, you might think that tomorrow may very well be a goal race.

The Around the Bay finish line inside Copps Coliseum.
And in a spring where I have no real goals in my two upcoming marathons but to have fun, maybe the competitive minded me is coming into play.

I think I may go for it tomorrow, go for the sub 2:15 (and it's gotta be a clock time too). This pace goes with a 3:10 marathon and is one I'm well accustomed to. In fact, my last four 30K races in the past few years have be right at that level.

2009, A Midsummer Night's run: 2:16:17 (Started out at a 2:19 pace then stepped it up after the half marathon mark): Race report

2009, Around the Bay: 2:21:09 (Was just coming out of two winter colds/flu and was a tad undertrained) and, oh yeah, it rained! Race report

2008, Midsummer Night's run: 2:13:24. This was the summer I was training for my first BQ attempt so I ran it in 2:15 pace but was obviously a minute and a bit faster. Great race, warm day, good pacing. This is what I can do when i'm on: Race report

2008, Around the Bay: 2:16:31. Aimed at a 2:20 - 2:22 but got progressively faster. In fact, this kinda reminds me of my half marathon last week. I ran the last 10K in about 43:30 and dominated those hills. If I run the last half like I did back then tomorrow, it will be a great day. Race report

Anyways, so here is the battle plan if it doesn't rain: Aim for sub-2:15. That's 4:30 kilometres. Second goal is sub 2:20. Third is to do half marathon at that pace then relax, cause it's my last long run before the taper.

The Shirt (an appreciation of Around the Bay 30K)

The race shirt. The mythical piece of swag. The unofficial rules dictate that you do not wear it until you finish the race. That in most cases you do not wear it while you are running said race. It is perfectly kosher to wear it afterward.

I have my share of favourite race shirts. Marine Corps Marathon gives out these gaudy but neat false turtlenecks. The Sporting Life 10K tends to give loud bright coloured ones. My favourites include ones from a local 8K run on the first day of summer (cool iconography).

Certain shirts are, in some minds, better than others. Which leads me to The Shirt, as I will call it.

I first saw The Shirt during a hard-fought 10K race years back. I was running hard on the heels of a runner and my oxygen deprived mind appreciated the little puzzle on the back of the shirt staring at me.



Older than Boston, the Shirt said tauntingly.

Huh, I wondered. He is older than Boston? He's getting older so he has a better chance to get to Boston? Oh, I get it, he doesn't care about Boston so much so that he OWNS Boston, therefore he's older than Boston.

Don't get it. Sorry.

A few years later, I finally found out what that meant. The thing that's older than Boston is the Around the Bay 30K, the oldest road race in North America. Its claim to fame is more than just its age relative to Boston, though.

ATB is typically run three weeks to Boston, which makes it part of many a Boston Qualifier's final long run before the taper.

It was featured as that road race the main character in Saint Ralph ran before he raced Boston.

It is really one of the biggest races in my home province.

It has an awesome distance that's worth training for -- more than a half, just enough distance before your body hits the wall. Just perfect for hard long distance running.

It can be raced on a perfect spring day, or in miserable rainy or snowy conditions, a victim or beneficiary of Mother Nature.

It has a wicked course, flat for the first 13 miles, then big-ass rolling hills, including a deadly one in the last three miles, followed by a nice downhill. Makes for great tactical racing.

It's run literally "Around the Bay" starting in industrial Hamilton, over a bridge days before the shipping season begins, and into a more tony lakeshore of Burlington before ending INSIDE a stadium.

It has different type of medals (gold, silver, bronze) depending on how fast you finish. I will gun for a silver one day soon.

And, of course, it has The Shirt.

Today, I did part of a 10 miler with Lee. As I rushed home, I felt it was cool, but warm enough for shorts. I dug around for a top, thinking maybe a long sleeve I could roll up would be good to wear. Then I saw The Shirt and thought, "Hey, it's the Around the Bay shirt, time to put it on an represent." Turns out, that was not a very original thought.

As Lee and I were running along and chatting (he's also running ATB and Boston) it started.

Little groups of runners were coming toward us and I saw The Shirt. Orange ones (like mine) from 2008. A red one from last year. Blue ones from god knows what year.



That's me above in The Shirt during the Toronto Marathon last year. Appropriately, I guess, I BQed while wearing it. As I crossed the finish line, a women who finished right behind me told me, "I like your shirt." I got the sense that she didn't know what it was from like I didn't all those years ago, but it was just mysterious enough to cause comment.

Tonight, Lee and I laughed after we saw the sixth orange Shirt. We talked about how great they were, the slogan on the back, and about the mythical race.

I noted that wearing The Shirt on the first days of spring says a few things about you. It says that yes, you ran through a winter to earn that shirt. It says you are a long distance runner, training up to 30K.

But it also means you know why I call it The Shirt.

Sunday, will be proud to earn my next colour. Wonder what it'll be.

Race report: National Half Marathon

Every race tells a story, and if this half marathon was one, it would be a three parter. The mini chapters would be "confused start", "relearning to race," "on the attack".



But that's getting ahead of myself. I placed this race on my calendar months ago thinking it meshed well with my frequent visits to DC to visit R. Once I started picking races in March, I realized that It's in the middle of my very own March (race) Madness. Five road races in four weeks, ranging from 5K to 30K.

The National Half (see course) was race number two, a good warmup after my ho-hum 5K last week. Even though this wasn't a goal race, I don't like to enter anything longer than a 10K without a specific purpose. I was thinking of using the run to get some marathon pace training in. MP runs are difficult to do by yourself so my plan was to race my BQ MP pace (A 1:35ish half with maybe a few minutes added). My 1:31ish PB from 2007 still stands since I have yet to go out on a planned PB effort since.)

The race expo was understated but also had managed to get Bill Rodgers and Joan Benoit Samuelson. They are both amazing and humble, and I was left from a message from Joanie to always, in life and on the roads, "race your own race."

I did hydrate and fuel up for this race and so race morning began with a 3 a.m. wakeup call to have my breakfast, a brioche with peanut butter. Took a packed Metro to the stadium and did my routine, finding myself in the 7:38 per mile pace area (1:40 half marathon).

The confused start
I knew lining up that I'd have to do weaving in the first bit to get good running room, but in the first kilometre, I decided not to care that much. While other runners were frantically hitting the sidewalks to get ahead, I just shrugged my shoulders and took it easy, advancing whenever an opening happening. It was a little frustrating but hey, that's what happens in big races: people line up faster than they know they can run.

Other than that, the first 5K was uneventful. I had run these routes during previous races (the Capitol Hill 10K for example) and was just enjoying a mass start. At one point early on, I saw Bill Rodgers running and chatting with another runner. Wow, that was awesome. I said quickly to him "pleasure running with you" before heading out.

By the 2nd mile, I had enough room to start getting up to my pace and that was followed by a nice downhill by the Capitol, accounting for a 4:23 kilometre (7:03 mile pace).

1-5K: with corresponding mile pace
1K. 5:25 / 8:43 miles
2K. 4:51 / 7:48
3K. 4:40 / 7:30
4K. 4:23 / 7:03
5K. 4:39 / 7:29
5K split in 23:58

I felt at this point I was giving some effort but I needed more time to find comfort. We passed a first bank of portapotties and some runner I was with said "I don't know if I could ever hold it in". That got me thinking that I actually had to take a break so at the next bank of portapotties, I took my break (20-30 seconds in and out)

6K. 4:56 / 7:56 (washroom break)

Then i resumed, seeing that I'd lost all the recent gains on the 3:20 group i had passed just minutes earlier. I decided then to start making some ground and go for sub 1:40, for which i had to get ahead of the 3:20 group. Turning on the speed, felt good, comfortably hard but not taxing on my cardio. That was good. We hit a turnaround and I went wide with intention of speeding my way through the turn. At that moment, I was finally getting into a race mode.


7K. 4:35 / 7:22

Relearning to race

Of course, racing means drafting, measuring effort, doling out speed bursts to keep with other runners, passing when necessary and testing yourself on the hills. Miles 5 - 8 (8K - 13K) included quite a few hills, and we were tackling one of the first when I realized my left shoe felt a bit loose.

Doh, it had come untied. Weird, since I always, even in day-to-day training, double tie my knots, my brand new shoes on their second run decided to fail on me. So I went to the side, bent down, tried not to cramp my calf, and did a double knot. The 3:20 caught up and passed me so I had to regain and pass them again.

8. 4:47 / 7:41 (shoelace break)
9. 4:34 / 7:21
10. 4:39 / 7:29
5K split in 23:31

So I ran the second 5K almost 30 seconds faster than the first 5K, even with the hills. I really zeroed in on the group I was running with and kept mental note of who was around me, who was looking strong, who was ripe for overtaking. And so the hills I took as opportunity to use as hill training, thinking of next week's Around the Bay.

Still, the pace was still conservative for a half marathon. I was running at around a 7:30 to 7:40 mile or 4:40 to 4:45 kilometres. Not a bad pace but it I've also run entire marathons at that pace or faster. Hills, I knew, had to be taken with patience. Empty all your energy on climbing them and you can max out your heart rate. I was pushing up them, then using the flats and downhills to recover while going out at a decent pace.

11K. 4:46 / 7:40
12K. 4:39 / 7:29
13K. 4:27 / 7:09

On the attack
So by 8 miles/13K, I felt I wasn't racing up to my potential. It was pretty much the same group of people, including a few marathoners, I was jockeying back and forth with. As we hit 8 miles, I decided to let it rip, really leave my group and start targetting way ahead.

It was good timing, because right when I decided to attack the course, we had a slight downhill followed by a flat that ran alongside the McMillan Reservoir. The sun was shining on the water, the road looked pancake flat and the wind was blowing just right. As I've done in other 10 mile to halfs, I turned it up to a whole other gear.

14K. 4:11 / 6:43

That 14th kilometre in 4:11 really felt good. I had shed my group and was looking far ahead for opportunities. Instead of pack running, I was running entirely by myself. Instead of drafting, I was pulling alongside, then targetting ahead. Not attacking the runners, but attacking the course.

15K. 4:27 / 7:09 (5K in 22:30)
5K split in 22:30 (1:30 faster than the first 5K split)

The next 5K (3 miles) was spent on this mode of racing, just attacking, leaving nothing. I wasn't really content to catch a pack of runners then run with them. This sort of racing is exhilarating (if not a bit of a cheat) because if you use the strategy of going slower than you're capable of, you will catch runners who went out too fast. Kilometres 16 - 17 were pretty much tempo pace, while 18 - 20 where also in the lower tempo ranges. All felt decent and I felt there was plenty of gas left.

I remember the 10.5 and 11 mile areas because they had pretty sharp turns. I entered each one at full speed and it felt great.

16K. 4:12 / 6:45
17K. 4:15 / 6:50
18K. 4:20 / 6:58
19K. 4:27 / 7:09
20K. 4:22 / 7:01
The 5K split in 21:36 (funnily enough, only 18 seconds slower than my 5K race last week)

The last mile or so was directly into the sunlight and I saw plenty of runners that I could pass so I did. In the final straightaway before a curve, they split the marathoners from the halfers and I wished the marathoners well before finishing up the race.

21K. 4:04 / 6:32
Last .100 in 4:08K pace / 6:39

Really happy with this race. Not a PB by a long shot but a well executed race plan from the moment I decided to race. The last 5 miles is how I know I could have run the majority of the race. Despite the lack of real quality work this marathon cycle, I know that my body has the built-in fitness, muscle memory from experience, and the now-countless road race experience, plus on top of all of that, the miles I do on a consistent basis.

I'm also pleased because yesterday's runs served multiple purposes: I ran at MP for quite a few miles, I turned the last 5 miles into a tempo run, and then I piled on seven miles after the race to give me 20 miles on the day. That equals the last 20 miler since next week i'm racing a 18.6 miler that's 'Older than Boston'. Gulp.

Chip time: 1:36:37
Average page: 7:22 miles / 4:34 kilometres
Overall: 472/6239
Category: 75/520
Gender: 388/2909
5K Splits: (Love them, a progressively faster run!)
5K: 23:58
10K: 23:31
15K: 22:30
20K 21:36

Splits
1K. 5:25 / 8:43 miles
2K. 4:51 / 7:48
3K. 4:40 / 7:30
4K. 4:23 / 7:03
5K. 4:39 / 7:29
6K. 4:56 / 7:56
7K. 4:35 / 7:22
8K. 4:47 / 7:41
9K. 4:34 / 7:21
10K. 4:39 / 7:29
11K. 4:46 / 7:40
12K. 4:39 / 7:29
13K. 4:27 / 7:09
14K. 4:11 / 6:43
15K. 4:27 / 7:09
16K. 4:12 / 6:45
17K. 4:15 / 6:50
18K. 4:20 / 6:58
19K. 4:27 / 7:09
20K. 4:22 / 7:01
21K. 4:04 / 6:32
.1 4:08 (200m) / 6:39

Race report: Achilles 5K

Up to last Sunday, I hadn't laced up for a race in 5 months, a very long time for me. For me, this 5K is the start of the race season and depending on my fitness and training, I'll race it or use it as a quality speed workout.

Of course, race = pain and quality speed = a little less pain. I've gone sub-20 a few years ago, hit 20:01 last year and this year knew it would not be a PB type day.

I arrived at the site with rain threatening and wind howling. Did a few striders and settled into the corrals. In retrospect, i kinda wish I had at least set some goals for my splits (4:10 kilometres for example) but i went out with feel.

First kilometre included a slight uphill with a plunge downhill. Did that in about 4:04. The next was fairly flat with a few turns but also faces into the wind. My watch has the second kilometre in 4:07, which tells me it wouldn't be a fast day.

I saw Lee blast by about a mile in (he finished more than a minute ahead) and could have given chase but I was content to be running along with my group. Not a good idea, because we were going at a not-too-fast pace. Kilometres three and four (which included bad GPS reception areas) in 4:18 and 4:15.

With about a mile to go, I decided to turn back into racing mode and started to pick off some runners. I used the last hill (I tend to race okay on inclines) to pick up five or 6 runners, and turned that into momentum. Ran the last kilometre in 4:04 with the last 200 metres in sub 4 minute kilometres.



Splits
1. 4:04
2. 4:07
3. 4:18
4. 4:15
5. 4:04
5+ Last bit in 3:53 pace

Chip time: 21:18
Average pace: 4:18
Category: 25/170
Gender: 71/574
Overall: 82/1412

Really, not an all-out race but it would qualify as a decent tempo workout. In fact, the best part of the day was hanging out with some fellow runners in the beer distillery afterwards, sneaking in extra glasses of beer (we each sneaked in three extra after getting our one alloted beverage) followed by chili. Good company, beer before noon, not a bad way to spend a Sunday morning.

Putting it in perspective

This year, I'm going to run the 'double' at the Harry's Spring Runoff 5K and 8K races. This race means a lot to the runner in me, it's the first race I ran years ago. The hills of High Park inspired dread but also sparked a love for this sport.

My company is the media sponsor for this race, and since I signed up earlier this year to run the 5K with friends, my workplace picked up the tab for me and my co-workers to enter one of the races (one runs at 10 a.m., the other at 11 a.m.). We put our weight behind it because Harry's is run in support of the fight against prostate cancer, a very worthy cause.

Last week, I got a gentle email company reminder that it would be great if we could raise money for the race. I typically donate to many causes, and cancer (which has touched my family) is one I routinely give out money to every year in different venues. I love to sponsor friends who are raising for these causes. I put the reminder in the back of my mind, deciding to sponsor myself and also maybe ask a few friends to donate.

Then tonight, I find out that our fellow run blogger, Marky Mark, posted a few days ago about his latest challenge, his fight against cancer, and is raising money in the same race.

My thoughts go out to Mark, but there is something we can all do. Tonight, I took the registration fees I would have paid to run the 8K, plus a few bucks more, to sponsor both Mark and myself. Please consider donating, if not to one of us, then to any cause that could use your help.

A whole lot of posts... 1000th

One thousand blog posts. Jesus that's a lot of writing. Forget Twitter and its 140 characters, or thousands of tweets, this is a real milestone. I was kind of thinking of novel ways to mark this but there is no better way than to look back.

It has been quite the ride. Blogging has become part of my routine, just as it is to slip on my running gear and putting on my Garmin. I used to sit down to type in my thoughts after a long run. The ideas turned into posts and it was gratifying. I used to think up blog posts in the middle of runs, a nice way to distract from the pain at times. As I hit 1000, the pace of posting is slowing, but the commitment to this form of record keeping endures. I can just rely on the Garmin and runsaturday and SportTracks or even a diary with columns and rows, but what fun would that be. There are always stories behind the runs and races and athletic life, and I am lucky to have found this venue, an open place to express the reasons why I run.


In numbers
Number of days this blog has been in operation: 1535
Number of words I've written, give or take a few thousand: 243,803
Number of times I recapped a race: 50+
Number of jobs I have worked in the time I have had this blog: 4
Number of marathons I've written a race report for: 8
Number of Garmins I have gone through: 3
Number of pairs of shoes I have worn down in those years: 22
Number of miles while this blog has been operating: 7986
Number of kilometres: 12852.2
How many times I would have crossed the country (Canada, that is): 2
The most written word: miles

Words: This is the tag cloud generated (by Wordle)

Most mentioned words that sum my running life: run, pace, Sunday, faster, morning, Marathon, training, Toronto, hard, pretty, felt, fast, hours.

In pictures:

Landmark moment (first marathon):

From "I am a marathoner" on October, 22, 2006

Self portrait:

From "Week 16 complete, 104 days to go" on July 9, 2006.

Food!
From "Rest day = eating badly
There's fuel, then there's fuel" on October, 11, 2009


Food to avoid before a race (learned the hard way):
from Race report: Harry's Spring Run-Off

Always running: Even while on vacation
from Picture the beach

Snow (Yes weather is a big deal for runners)
from A big snow storm coming in!

Candy cane (This gets my blog so many hits over the years - people love to search 'world's biggest candy cane')


My Obama sighting on Inauguration day (when this blog turned from running to covering the inauguration) from Obama's inauguration: Presenting, the President and First Lady, in photos!


Race swag: from Night Crawler 5 miler on June 17, 2009


Random photo:
At the end of the rainbow... from June 15, 2006


Favourite running photo from Toronto Marathon


Favourite posts

On running with company: "Company on the trail"
We then talk about the trail. Our favourite runs. The races we've done. We're both year-round outside runners and, on this hot day, we talk about running on this same trail, about how in the late fall it empties of spring and summer runners, about treading on snow and about winter cleats.

On melting down during a race: "Stumbling to the 5K finish line..."
All of this is to say that we're asked to train smart, but maybe I should learn to race smart and listen to the body. When it says slow, I shouldn't do the pig headed thing

On finally learning: "10 things I've learned about 'advanced' marathon training"
I'm still learning this, but rest is when your body repairs itself to become stronger

A moment or two of fame: A mention in Phedippidations blog of the week and a podcast interview with a friend on RunCast.

On pursuing a dream, and then achieving it:
Dreaming: "Race report: Scotiabank Waterfront" on September 28, 2008
A volunteer who was guiding me toward the wheelchair asked me if this was my first marathon. I just held out my hands, put up my four fingers and smiled. 'Four,' I said. 'This is my fourth.' I'm sure she'd think I was crazy if I told her I'm running my fifth in 28 days.

Scheming: "Elephant in the room
Funny, walking home from the race, I tried to come to grips with a wide range of emotions, but I can only describe myself feeling resigned. What an odd feeling

Achieving: "Reflecting on the BQ" on October 23, 2009
I've been on cloud nine over the past week. I don't think about it too much during the day, but every time I've gone out on a run since last Sunday when I qualified for Boston, there have been moments when I'm just beaming, smiling, and wanting to pump my fists

On running for my mom:
"Why I'm running today" on May 4, 2008.

Oh I wish she could see me, I think she'd be so proud. And so I run this race for my family, just for the four of us, and in the final miles, I hope to bring mom with me. (PS: I set a PR that day)

On why I run (one of many): "Winners and losers" from June 16, 2006
But of gains and losses, of pluses and minues, I see my Nalgene bottle half full. With every stride I force myself to run hard, I feel stronger somehow, and not only in my legs. I may regret forfeiting a longer slumber during my morning workouts, but relish in it when I walk into work, feeling fully refreshed and alive. Alive, good thing I mentioned that.

On Twitter and the running community: Why runners should tweet on April 9, 2009.
Us running bloggers are a real community. Although we are often separated by time or distance, there are some common themes: We love to run. We run for fitness. We train for races. We obsess over marathons and all distances that require a bib and pins. We write race reports. We log our daily miles. There's one thing I've always loved about reading other running blogs. We encourage each other, offer up advice so that although we may not run with groups, we have a group to talk back to.


On rediscovering my origins of running: "Homecoming"
It's about 20 years ago, and yumke, at aged 10, is in phys-ed class running portion, which consisted of running around the track, then around the neighbourhood. The streets are wide, with tall trees providing ample shade. On the left and right are long patches of grass, with wide houses. The path weaves, and the little runners, in Grade 5, struggle to keep up with the distance. It feels like forever for us. We take walk breaks, only speeding up once in awhile when we catch our breaths.

On the mystique of the marathon
"The Biggest Loser and the mystique of the marathon" from May 6, 2009
I saw a headline the other day in the newspaper describing a 12 inning 'marathon' game. I see on TV how there's a Seinfeld marathon. I read about a marathon bargaining session by the union.

On seeking redemption "Braving it" on Nov 3, 2009
We reach the start line ready to race, ready to "express our fitness." Marathoning for us mere mortals is not about showing off your natural running talent on race day. We freaking work for it.

Hardware: "Meaning of medals on July 20, 2008

I hang them there to remind me of what I'm working for. I hang them there on my fridge to remind me to eat well (funny, huh). They inspire me, they give me goals, they humble me and they just want me to add more hardware to that collection.

On being a bad-ass: Don't mess with runners on May 13, 2009
The kid is on my heels and we blast out for another 30 metres, and I can literally feel the wind against my body, when he says something like 'I give up' and drops off.

Bad ass part 2: Weird encounters on a long run on Jan. 31, 2009
Stickboy is running right on my heels. He's got some speed but there's one thing I like to think. You take a marathoner in the latter part of a training run, and even on a bad day, he'll take down any drunken freak who thinks they can 'run fast'.

My favourite race report: "Race report: Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon on October 18, 2009
Yesterday, I pulled on my running gear and ran a scant 2 kilometres. The air was crisp, the sky clear, the wind slight. Later, I traded email with my friend Lee who said he had a good feeling about today. Weather was perfect, he said. I agreed.

Seeking something big: Epic on July 30, 2009
I went to the nearby plaza where I used to buy fries with gravy AND ketchup after school, and gobbled a few slices of pizza, a bottle of water and a bottle of orange juice, with barely enough change to take the train back home.

Not a post, but a book: And one thing I was proud to produce in 2008, and about ready to do a second one after Boston: A blog that became my own book

A burst of spring and along with it some pace

Had one of the best runs of the year, and it was not a coincidence it was the first spring-like day we`ve had. I have purposefully skipped pace and speedwork this year, just concentrating on running.

Yesterday, put on the shorts and T-shirt and took to the streets for a 17 miler. It felt great and I put some pace. I wasn`t even paying attention to my splits but more than half way through it, I noticed I was pulling in much faster than 8 minute miles. Hit the half-marathon mark at 1:41 and didn`t loose any of that speed for the last four miles. Ended up with an average pace of 7:41.

Out of nothing came a 17 miler pace run. Not 3:10 or 3:15 pace, but something close to a real marathon pace run. Not bad.

14:34:21 1.00mi 00:07:46 7.72mph 23.3mph
14:42:17 1.00mi 00:08:05 7.41mph 7.8mph
14:50:23 1.00mi 00:07:40 7.83mph 8.2mph
14:58:03 1.00mi 00:07:50 7.66mph 8.0mph
15:05:53 1.00mi 00:07:35 7.91mph 8.4mph
15:13:29 1.00mi 00:07:41 7.80mph 8.2mph
15:21:11 1.00mi 00:07:47 7.71mph 8.2mph
15:28:58 1.00mi 00:07:38 7.86mph 8.3mph
15:36:36 1.00mi 00:07:42 7.78mph 8.6mph
15:46:22 1.00mi 00:07:46 7.72mph 8.7mph
15:54:09 1.00mi 00:07:51 7.64mph 8.3mph
16:03:40 1.00mi 00:07:35 7.91mph 8.7mph
16:11:16 1.00mi 00:07:43 7.77mph 8.1mph
16:18:59 1.00mi 00:07:41 7.81mph 8.4mph
16:26:40 1.00mi 00:07:39 7.83mph 8.3mph
16:34:20 1.00mi 00:07:28 8.03mph 10.3mph
16:41:49 1.00mi 00:07:09 8.38mph 10.3mph
16:48:58 0.01mi 00:00:05 8.69mph 0.0mph

Did 50 miles for the week, which, piled on with last week`s 55 miles, is starting to give me a great endurance base.

Next four weeks will bring better running conditions, we `spring forward`next Sunday and I start a month of races. A 5K next week, a half marathon in two, a 30K in three and a `double`5K and 8K` race day in early April.

By then, taper will have started and I will be well on the way to the marathon.