NEW PR IN HALF MARATHON!

Final chip time: 1:43:21 (7:54 pace)

Finished 144th out of 1049 runners in the half marathon.

Finished 11th out of 65 in my age group.


I am very happy with my race performance. The speedwork, hot weather running and faster paced long runs over the last two months definately helped me race better than I ever have on Sunday. This is the best race experience I have had in my years of running.

Here is the recap:

Mile 1 = 7:01
Mile 2 = 7:24
Mile 3 = 7:34
Mile 4 = 7:50
Mile 5 = 8:07
Mile 6 = 7:44
Mile 7 = 7:50
Mile 8 = 7:55
Mile 9 = 8:01
Mile 10 = 7:58
Mile 11 = 8:03
Mile 12 = 7:59
Mile 13 = 8:27

I felt great the entire race. Around mile 8 I needed to dig deep and focus on the miles ahead. I took it one mile at a time and stayed focused on running 8 minute miles or better. The temps were perfect, it was a very cool morning. I could write much more about the race but I have no time or reason to do so at this point.

My 2007 racing season is over. I am pleased with my performace this year. I only wish I set a new PR in the 5K (missed by seconds). This year I ran a PR in the 15K and half - I am happy. I plan to run a marathon in 2008, most likely in the fall. I plan to set a new PR. The marathon is a completely different race and after running five of them, I still have things to figure out. My goal is a sub 4 hour in the marathon next year.

For now, I will enjoy running for the sack of running. I won't race until next spring and I won't have a formal training schedule. I will run. That is all. Run for the fun and pure enjoyment.

Happy running!

7 days to go

The Rochester Half Marathon is just 7 days away now. I am really looking forward to the race (and hopefully good weather!) I am determined to set a new PR and I know I am ready to do so. Although my weekly mileage is on the low side, I feel good about my overall running performace. I still have a nagging left ankle/knee issue but the minor pain has been going away as I warm up in my runs. I am due for a new pair of shoes soon, maybe that is part of the issue. I hope to run another 60 miles or so in my last pair of Asics-2100 (pair number 6 for me). I plan to get into the new Asics-2120 next. That is all for now. I'll post again after the race.

Happy running!

Updated running log

Just a quick post today, still very busy with move related projects etc. I updated my running log (finally) and all miles are posted on the Buckeye link I have on this blog. Had a decent 10 miler yesterday on a very humid morning. Hope I can continue with strong running the next 3 weeks before the race.

Congratulations to Mike on his awesome Ironman Canada finish today! I just checked the Ironman website and saw the results - solid race, Mike! His blog is one that I read and enjoy every week.

That is all for now. I am due for a new pair of shoes soon - I can feel my shoes going flat. I have a $45 store credit to use at Dick's Sporting goods so I might go shopping soon.

Happy running!

Where are my shoes?

Hello again! Yes, I am still around but I am very busy getting settled in our new home. The last three weeks have been wild but luckily I have managed to get a few runs in. I am basically off my running plan for the half marathon. However, I still plan to run strog and set that new PR! I ran a great 11 miler on Sunday with a friend at an average 8:30 pace. I am feeling good about the long runs. I now have a nagging knee issue that just won't go away. I hope it clears up by the weekend. I have one more moving truck to manage this weekend and somewhere I hope to squeeze in another long run.

Anyways, I'll be checking in on the blogs I read this week. Hope your training is going well. Drop me a note if you get a chance.

Run strong!

Back to running

The past two weeks have been very, very busy. I just moved and I took a week off from running because of everything we had to get done. I guess hauling boxes and furniture could be considered cross training, right?

It is good to be settled again and although the list of house projects is growing longer I decided that I had to lace up the shoes and head out the door. I was over due! It really felt good to get out the past two mornings at 6am. The temps were in the 90s the past two days so the early run was perfect. I plan to run 10 on Sunday and I will be back on track for next week.

That's all for now, just checking back in. Need to go do some painting now so I can cross another project off of the list!

Happy running.

Matt

Lake Placid & Badwater

Congratulations to all the Ironman Lake Placid finishers! I watched some video on the website earlier today and it looked awesome. Good luck also to those running the Badwater Ultramarathon that starts tomorrow. Another event that is just amazing.

The weather was great here is Western NY today. I went out for a 10 miler and it was sunny and in the high 70s when I was out this morning.

I am not sure if this will be a good training week. I am moving into a new house and there will be lots to do from Tuesday afternoon through the weekend. I will get out a run whenever possible but I won't worry about the weekly total. I will just treat it as a taper week. I will have lots of cross training: painting, hauling furniture, cleaning etc.

Thanks for the comments and for checking in. This world of blogging is really cool and it is great to hear from other endurance athletes. I have enjoyed reading various blogs and will comment more of that in the near future.

Take care - talk to you all soon.

Online training log

I recently added a training log link on this site which highlights my weekly mileage and most recent training day. The Buckeye Outdoors website has a great online training log for endurance athletes. It is a free site and is worth checking out. You can follow the link to the Buckeye Outdoors website from my training detail which will allow you to vie my entire training log. I am in the process of updating my training through the beginning of 2007. I still keep a detailed hand written journal but the website allows me to track miles on my shoes, make calculations and share with others.

I am now officially training for the Rochester Half Marathon which takes place on September 16th. I decided to focus on the half marathon rather than another marathon this fall. I have not raced a half marathon since 2005 and I am eager to set a new PR. I have structured a training plan for myself which should help me set a new PR.

That's all for now. Get out there and run!

Running around the entire perimeter of the United States

Now I feel like a long run! Running to help The Children’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado:

www.runwithreza.org

I find this interesting

I wrote about this a couple months back and now the 3100 mile race is in progress.

The leader has covered 1906.53 miles in 27 days. I find the race quite interesting. It takes places on a city block in Queens, NY. Yes, that is correct, the course is a city block - over, and over and over again! I first heard about this event about three years ago while listening to a news radio station in Manhattan. Runner's World recently covered this event in one of their ultra running editions.

I thought about why this intrigues me. After all, this race appears odd to most non-runners and is even odd to some regular runners. I think ultra events are great. I have tremendous respect for those that have raced ultra events and Ironman triathlons. These events help our endurance and we go beyond what we thought we were capable of doing. I use the term "we" but I have never registered for an ultra race . I have, however, started visiting the Ultra Running Online website and a few others. Does this mean I will be planning to run in an ultra event anytime soon? Well, maybe not "soon" but I am thinking about the possibilities.

I am looking out the window right now and the weather is perfect. Today I am running and it is a great day!

Alberto Salazar update

By now most of you know that Alberto Salazar had a heart attack last week. I am happy to read tonight that he has been released from the hospital. Salazar is 48 years young and it was a shock to hear the news of his heart attack.

NEW 15K PR = 1:13:39

It has been a while since my last post. Just busy with a lot of things these days and not much time to sit down and post a blog entry.

My running highlight this week is a PR! I ran the Utica Boilermaker 15K yesterday and set a new PR which I am very happy with. I finished in 1:13:39 taking almost 3 minutes off my old PR. My old PR from 2005 is 1:16:30.

My race recap:

I finished 1,976 out of 10,882 finishers

Splits:
5K = 24:00
10K = 48:27
15K = 1:13:39

For those of you that have run the Boilermaker, you know that the course (and the warm weather) can be challenging. It is a great race with a lot of energy and crowd support. Very well organized and definately on my race calendar every year now.

The elite runners were again very impressive. Nate Jenkins was the first American to finish in 46:22 - NICE!!! (13th overall). Nate is a great runner and I just read a few articles about him and reviewed some of his race results. Keep up the great running, Nate! Looking forward to hearing about your future races.

I am now looking to run the Rochester half marathon in September. I am setting up a training plan for myself starting this week (only 10 weeks to go!). I plan to set a half marathon PR at that race.

I'll be posting a recap at the end of the week. I would like to at least post once weekly with my weekly training updates.

That is all for now. Happy running!

Matt

Week in review

Here is a quick traiing log recap since my last post:

June 15 = 3 miles on trails at lunch - lots of fun and the hilly trails!
June 17 = 3.8 miles for day (includes 5K race - details below)

Total for week (6/11 - 6/17) = 18.3 miles

June 18 = 5.1 miles
June 20 = 5.4 miles (7 x 1/2 mile repeats at 5K pace)
June 22 = 4.6 miles
June 24 = 10 miles

Total for week (6/18 - 6/24) = 25.1 miles

First, I will start off by saying I really enjoyed the Father's Day 5K race that I ran on Jue 17 (Medved 5K to Cure ALS in Rochester, NY). My wife and son were at the finish waiting for me - what better way to spend Father's Day morning. The race started at 8:30am and the temps were rising but not much of a factor. The course was fast and flat (you never know until you really run these races) and only one minor incline (I won't call it a hill). It has a nice finish in Frontier Field (baseball field in Rochester for AAA baseball). Over 600 runners started and the race was well managed. It definately was tight in some spots and I had to work on passing other runners. I missed my PR by 14 seconds but I was very happy to finish the race in 22:11. This gives me a good gauge on my current fitness and I am curious to see what I can do at the Boilermaker in a couple weeks.

This past week of running was good. I have been feeling good and I completed some quality runs at decent paces. I did some speed work one day this week and will do another this week as I prepare for the 15K.

That's all for now. Thanks for the emails and for stopping by the blog.

Mike Morgan / Hanson-Brooks

Check out this short interview with Mike Morgan. Mike was the first American finisher in the 2006 Boilermaker that I ran last year. He ran the 15K in 45:49. I wonder if he is running the race again this year (next month). Recently, on May 6, 2007 he won the Lincoln Half Marathon in 1:07:50, despite heavy winds.

His PR's include a 14:30 5K and a 2:15:11 marathon (debut) 2006 Chicago. You can read more about Mike and other Hanson-Brooks runners at this link.

I am always interested in reading about the elite American runners. There are some really great runners out there and the race times are getting faster!

Colgate recall and my running

What does colgate and running have in common?

It's been a while since I last posted but not much running to report. Things have been very busy and I lost time to run last weekend so my mileage is down. I have tried to do my weekday running faster, here is a recap since my last post:

June 7 = 5 miles in 41:50 (8:22 pace) - 70 degrees
June 11 = 3 miles in 22:55 (7:38 pace) ; .25 on track in 1:21
June 13 = 4.05 miles in 34:34 (8:33 pace) - 84 degrees, and I felt it!
June 14 = 4.2 miles in 35:52 (8:33 pace) - 74 degrees - amazing how 10 degrees can change a run!

The weather is looking good here for the next few days so I should be running a 5K on Sunday.

Entries on record pace for 30th Boilermaker

Very cool...I can't wait! The Utica Boilermaker is around the corner!

This week was a true rest and recovery week. After the marathon, I took three days off and then ran the Chase Corporate Challenge in Rochester, NY. I finished the 3.5 mile race in 26:30. This was a good fitness test for me as I plan to run a 5k in two weeks. I would love a new 5k PR but I need to kick the training up this week and get some speed sessions in. The only other run I had this week was a 4 mile Saturday morning.

That's all for now. I'll have some more to post later this week.

Happy running.

Buffalo Marathon race recap

Official time: 4:37:41 (final chip time) - 477th overall of 637 finishers (gun time)

Overall, this race was a good experience. I woke up at 5am as I needed to pick up my race bib/chip. Temp was a comfortable 63 degrees. Luckily, the hotel was only three blocks from the start line. I had almost a full hour to sit down, relax, and finish my breakfast before heading out the the start. I was at the start line with approx. 10 minutes to go. I was able to get close to the start line with no problem. I was ready to go. I did a few final stretches and then the "3 minutes to go" was announced. The gun went off and we were headed through downtown Buffalo towards Lake Erie.

A summary fo the first 10 miles:

Mile 1 = 8:01
Mile 2 = 8:49
Mile 3 = 8:50
Mile 4 = 9:03
Mile 5 = 8:44
Mile 6 = 8:53
Mile 7 = 9:31
Mile 8 = 9:11
Mile 9 = 9:16
Mile 10 = 9:00

I felt great. The first 10 miles were easy and I tried to slow my pace down but the race atmosphere got the best of me. I definately went out much faster than I wanted to and I think this hurt me later in the race. I think if I went out slower, my time would have been better.

The thunderstorms never arrived and there was just a light rain for approx. 10 minutes. The sun came out by mile 18 and really warmed things up quickly. I finished the race and the temp was 73 degrees. The humidity was high in the morning but I was well hydrated.

My pace definately slowed down later in the race and it was hard to pick things back up. I officially "hit the wall" at mile 22 (which was much better than previous marathons). Early signs of bonking came to me around mile 18 but I kept moving and was able to work through the fatigue. At mile 22 I felt my body shutting down. I was sick to my stomach and made the last stretch very tough. The last mile of the race is always the longest. I did not see the 25 mile marker but I knew I was close. I could hear the announcer over the PA and the crowd at the finish was getting closer. I soon passed the 26 mile marker. What a feeling! This race was in the bag. I picked up my pace and made the final turn towards the finish. I could now see the finish line and I ran as fast as I could through the finish chute. There is nothing better than crossing that line and getting the race medal.

Overall, a great experience and a fun race. I enjoyed running this race and I feel I am in good shape for my upcoming races and then planning for my fall marathon.

Based on this race, I know I have a very good shot at a marathon PR in the fall. It is time for a new marathon PR! I know I am capable and will one day run a sub 4 hour.

That is all for now. Thanks for the comments - I be checking in on your running blog soon.

Happy running and good luck with the races!


BUFFALO MARATHON NEWS LINK: http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/85863.html

In memory of Steve Prefontaine

Well, the race is less than 24 hours away. I'll be headed to Buffalo later this afternoon. Race is at 7am tomorrow.

I will be featuring stories and links about runners that I follow and about interesting stories that I read. To start, I am a big fan of Steve Prefontaine. I saw this commercial clip recently and wanted to pass it along.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYgDz9atz58

Prefontaine is a true inspiration. Check out the movies about his running when you get a chance.

Make sure you sleep well...

...the night before the night of the marathon. I'm packing it in early tonight. I am hoping for decent weather on Sunday in Buffalo.

Mostly cloudy and breezy with a couple of showers and a thunderstorm - High of 71. According to the latest hourly forecast, the rain starts around 11am. With any luck I will be dry most of the race. Of course, the weather always changes and I pay may too much attention to it. I must be getting anxious!

I can't wait for the race - marathons are tons of fun.

Buffalo Marathon - 5 days to go!

Posts that contain Buffalo Marathon per day for the last 30 days.

Get your own chart!

Last long run

I ran 7 miles yesterday for my last "long" run. I ran it in 1:01:39 (8:49 pace) which I am very happy with. I did not intend to run this faster, but it just felt right so I went with it. I continue to feel very good although my legs feel a bit heavy today and my energy is down a bit. I need to focus on good diet this week and get some good rest every night. One week to go...

Great Wall Marathon

Another unique race: The Great Wall Marathon. Good luck to all on Saturday!

No running today - I am running 8 miles tomorrow morning. Taper, taper - the big race is around the corner.

11 days to go!!!

Well, I have only 11 days to go until the Buffalo Marathon. I am completely psyched for this race. I really don't know how I will run overall but I have been feeling good lately. As long as I can get at least 4 hours of sleep the night before, I am good. I will also make sure I get great sleep for at least 3 days prior. I want to cash in on all of my reserves on marathon day. After all, these races take all of the fuel that we have...and then some.

My week so far:

Monday: 4 miles in 35:38 (8:54 pace)
Wednesday 4.1 miles in 33:51 (8:15 pace)

I am planning a couple more 4 mile runs and then an 8 mile over the weekend. I plan to get my inspiration this week from this story about a runner racing the Everest Marathon.

Happy running. Good luck to those of you with big races this weekend!

Week in review

The photo to the left my final stretch of the 2006 Rochester Marathon.

Here is a quick recap of my running week (just 2 weeks from today is the Buffalo marathon!):

Monday: 4.2 in 38:04 (9:04 pace)
Tuesday: 4.8 in 40:14 (8:23 pace)
Thursday: 4.2 in 37:27 (8:55 pace)
Saturday: 12 in 1:52:48 (9:24 pace)

Total miles: 25.2

I felt great Saturday morning on my 12 mile excursion. I decided to cut my long run before I went out on Saturday since I do not want to add too many miles in these "taper" weeks. I figured 12 miles is much easier for me to recover compared to my typical 20 miler. I headed out the door at 6:20am Saturday and the temperature was 46 degrees, as I expected. Everything felt great on this run. I definately felt like I could go many more miles as I finished. The pace I ran felt comfortable and I added in some hills along the way. Perfect morning to run. Everything was quiet as I ran through farmland and back country roads. I can't wait for the race. I am not sure what kind of time I will run but I want to get out there and do my best.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone!

72 degrees: 4.8 miles in 40:14

Went out for another lunch run today and felt great even with the sun and warmer weather that I need to get used to running in again. It is amazing how the weather can go from the 40's to the 70's in the span of just a few weeks. I plan to get a couple more weekday runs in before another long run this Saturday.

Great weather

Today I was able to get out for a lunch time run. I left around noon and the weather was perfect: sunny and 68 degrees. After the first mile or so I really started feeling the sun. I don't usually run very well in the heat so hopefully these afternoon runs will help me out. I am sure things will get tough when it hits the high 70's and 80's but my lunch runs are uaually between 4 and 5 miles so it should be ok for me.

Today was my first run since last Tuesday. I ran 4.2 miles today in 38:04. My average weekly mileage for this marathon training is very, very low. The marathon is around the corner so my last long run will be this Saturday morning. Usually I like to run my last long run three weeks prior but I could not schedule it this time.

I am running in my last pair of Asics GT-2100 shoes. This is my sixth pair since the model came out and I can no longer find my size. I'll be due for a new pair in a couple months. I'll be purchasing a couple pairs of the 2110 model. I really enjoy the Asics shoes and have had very good experiences training with them.

Four days after the marathon I will be running the Chase Corporate Challenge in Rochester, NY followed by the Utica Boilermaker 15K in July. More talk to follow on these races.

The 3100 mile road race

Check out this 3100 mile race event that is run on a city block. The longest road race in the world (and interesting loop course). Not your typical road race, but an interesting story.

No miles today, hopefully get out early tomorrow morning.

4 miles in 33:41 (8:25 pace)

Today was a great running day. The forecast called for 80% chance of rain and I was able to get out and run on my lunch. I felt good today - I tried to maintain a faster pace and I felt decent. The first mile clocked in at 9:33 on my Forerunner 201. I picked it up and finished strong. I am not sure how these workouts will really help my marathon race. My long run pace has slowed quite a bit since the fall. I am not sure what to expect when I run Buffalo at the end of the month. I am looking forward to the race. I just love the whole marathon experience.

20 miles in 3:44:27

Plan put into action today: alarm woke me at 5:15 and I was running on a trail by 6am! I felt very sluggish this morning. I was running on less than 5 hours sleep. I brought a few Clif Shot Blocks and they have a little caffeine - not that I felt that much better. I am glad I got the run in, no time for any excuses - just go out there and run! I have 4 weeks until the marathon.

I am back!

I will try to post more often but things have been very busy lately. I have had trouble getting in sufficient mileage and the marathon is just weeks away! I am running 20 miles tomorrow morning at 5:30am. Weather looks decent for the morning: 43 degrees at 5:30am. Looking forward to another long run. My mileage has been low but I am still running the race! This will be my first spring marathon so I can't miss it. I hope to get in about 4 miles later today.

More posts to follow this week. I will try to get at least a short daily update on this site. Good luck with your running and racing!

More to follow soon......Matt

3 miles in 24:03

9:48pm

Just finished a 3 miler on the good old treadmill. It is tough getting in some of these weekday runs but I always feel better when I am done! I am feeling decent this week although I have some discomfort in my left hamstring. Nothing I really need to worry about but I will try stretching more - I need to get better at doing that.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, Buffalo will be my fifth marathon. I have learned quite a lot about my running throught the last three years. Marathon running has really helped me focus in a lot of areas. For this next race I am really focusing on my nutrition leading up to the race and on race day. There is nothing worse than completely bonking at mile 18 with nothing left in the tank. I think if I make some adjustments it could help me on race day. More on this plan later but I have some ideas. For now I will try to get many fruits and vegetables in my system. This really works for me.

I bought a few Powerbars so I can pack one for my weekend long run. I am looking for Clif Shot Blocks but have yet to find a local store that carries them. I want to compare this to the GU I usually pack. Often I find that I require a little "solid" food on a long run rather than just GU and liquid.

More thoughts and stories soon. There is tons to talk about in the world of running!

4 miles in 32:33

The post headlines simply read my overall time for my daily run...no big statement, just a way for me to highlight my times in the effort to run better and faster.

I ran 2 x 1 mile @ 7:30 pace and did .5 mile @ 7:30 pace. The balance of the run was at a comfortable pace.

I felt decent during the run - I cranked up the tunes on my iPod which definately helps with treadmill running!

My schedule for the rest of the week:

Wed = 3M
Thurs = 5M
Sat = 3M
Sun = 15M

The weather might actually be decent this weekend. Long range forecast calls for 35 degrees Sunday, although icy in the morning with cooler temps. Let's see if they are right.

By the way, I posted a few items from Amazon that some of you may be interested in if you currently run or are thinking of running. These are products that I currently use and would recommend. I know every runner is different and each foot varies for a particular shoe, but the items are worth looking into.

Asics shoes have worked out well for me. I have run in 5 pairs of the 2100 model and have one more pair left. I'll be switching to the 2110 model since the 2100 model is only available in limited sizes.

The Garmin Forerunner is also a great GPS watch. I can run wherever I want and track all my mileage etc. There are a couple newer models out now but this watch still works great for me.

GU is also excellent for long runs. Every runner has their own favorites...these are just a few essential items for me.

More to follow soon. Have a good run!

Day off from training today

My current training plan allows me a day off on Monday. This is a good day for rest since I usually plan my long run on Sunday. I will discuss my training plan in more detail as I continue to post in the days and weeks ahead.

I plan to run about 29 miles this week with a long run of 15 miles this weekend. I will have more details to follow.

Get out for a run! (Or at least hit the treadmill this week!)

5 miles in 45:02

I am finally starting my blog. One of my reasons for starting this blog is to have another way to document my training. This blog will help me focus on my training plans and share my running experiences will fellow runners. This will be my 5th marathon. I will have some race stories and other thoughts on training and running as the weeks unfold. The Buffalo Marathon is approaching fast and I would love a new personal record! My marathon PR is 4:21:57 (2004 Chicago).

This morning I ran 5 miles on the treadmill in 45:02. Most of my training is indoors on a treadmill right now. I can't wait for spring!

More to follow...stay tuned.