Yasso 800s - A fresh start

I am looking for a fall marathon to run and with approx 18 weeks to go next week is week #1 of marathon training. Today was a great speed workout on the track with my brother-in-law, Mitch (it was his idea to incorporate into training). I plan to run Yasso 800s up to the marathon. Hopefully this will help me set a new marathon PR.

Today's workout @ 6:30pm

Track workout: Yasso 800s

Warmup: 4:35
800m #1: 3:33
Rest #1: 3:17
800m #2: 3:37
Rest #2: 3:27
800m #3: 3:29
Rest #3: 2:19
800m#4: 3:28
Rest #4: 3:13
800m #5: 3:25
Cooldown: 4:46

Rochester Chase Corporate Challenge

It was raining heavily during the race but it was still a ton of fun. Tonight's 3.5 mile race at RIT was my best Corporate Challenge race time to date. I finished the race in 24:49 (7:05 pace). Had a great time hanging out and enjoying the time with my friends at Martino Flynn and Mirror Show Management.

Year To Date

Numbers really do tell a story. I love baseball and enjoy reviewing the statistics of players I would like to draft in my fantasy league. I also keep a very detailed running log online to track every mile I run each year. So far 2009 has not been a great running year due to a nagging injury that does not want to go away. I am still very happy to get out and run a 4 miler but I do miss going for a really long run.

So here is what my 2009 log looks like to date:

Running Summary
Runs: 19
Avg. Time: 00:31:30
Total Time: 09:58:41
Avg. Speed: 6.6 MPH
Avg. Mi Pace: 9:01
Avg. Dist.: 3.5 Mi
Total Dist.: 66.3 Mi
Avg. Cal. Burned: 503.9
Total Cal. Burned: 9575

I won't be at 900 miles by the end of December which is what I had hoped back in December but I am still happy I can get out and run a few miles a few times each week. I know my leg will get better but for now I will DEAL with it.

Happy (and injury free) Running,

Matt

Checking in

I am slowly getting back into running more miles. I am looking forward to a nice 4 mile run tomorrow.

First run in a long time

I have been taking it easy for the last 4 weeks, just stretching and almost no running. I only ran a few times to test the leg, each time leading to some pain. I took it easy today, just a simple 3 miler on my treadmill. I had some mild discomfort in the first mile but after the first mile it went away as I warmed up. A slower, easier run than I am typically used to but I do not want to push too hard since recovery is the most important thing right now. I stretched for 10 minutes afterwards and so far the leg feels ok. I hope to try another 3 miler tomorrow. See how it goes. I feel like I am finally back to running. I won't be at the weekly mileage I am used to for a while but every little run along the way is worth it.

My mileage for the year is now at 682.6 and I plan to pass 700 by end of year. I would like to run a full 900 miles next year but I still have some time to think about running goals for 2009. That is all for now.

On a side note, the tackiest Christmas sweaters.

Rest, rest, rest

I have about another week before I can start running again (darn hip). Anyways, not really missing my run outside today. Currently 37mph winds, temp is -4F with wind chill and the high is only 25F tomorrow. I miss running and I have have been pretty good about stretching twice a day so I can get back to running soon.

The physical therapy should get me back on track. My total mileage for this year will be my lowest in many years. I started this year with very little running and I am ending it with no running. Prior to my hip issue I was on track to run almost 900 miles for the year. Oh well, I just need to sit back and be patient at this point.

I am reading a good book about running right now. It is "A Race Like No Other" by Liz Robbins. A great read about the New York City marathon. Not just a book about running a marathon but one that describes it from the perspective of elite runners and non-elites with interesting stories and perspectives.

Happy Thanksgiving

I can't remember the last time I slept past 7am. I guess I am conditioned to get up early, even on holidays and weekends. If I am headed out for a morning run I would be up at 6am anyways. Unfortunately my running is on hold for a while until I take care of my hip flexor/IT band injury. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst, I rate this a 5. I started going to physical therapy and they have me stretching a lot. I just don't know how long it will be until I am able to get back on the roads and get the miles back in. I am taking care of this now so it does not get worse. At least I was able to run strong through the summer and fall. I was able to complete another marathon and set a PR in the half marathon in Hartford.

I won't recap the past year of running. There was a large gap between posts from last year to present and I was not sure if I would continue this blog. I decided to start posting again mainly to function as a running journal.

Anyways, I am confident I will be back out running soon. Until then, hopefully your running is going well. If you don't run now maybe I can convince you to give it a try. Don't worry, I could not even run one mile when I first started but it all can change quickly. I have been having a blast. Now I am thinking about which marathon to run in 2009.

Happy Thanksgiving.