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.

Checking In

A lot has happened this past year since my last post. I had a recent PR in the half marathon: 1:39:55 at the Hartford Half Marathon. I have a bunch of things to recap but just wanted to post again since I plan to keep this blog active. I am now on Twitter "mattr262". I'll be back more more soon.

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.