Day 348

• 5.02 miles
• 7:17/mile pace
• 0630
• From/To Home
• Becca ran 8 this morning, four of which were mile repeats at like 6:40/mile, which is quite strong considering...well, yeah, she hasn't run any mile repeats in years, but I don't really need to explain why that is quite strong, it just is.   Anyway, that made me feel like I couldn't just run 8:50 miles like I wanted to, so I grabbed my iShuffle thing and decided I'd run easy for a song, then hard for a song etc.  It was more enjoyable than recent efforts, so I might make a habit of this.   What I need to make a habit of is following a schedule, I have all but given up on the schedule I was trying to follow before because, well, I think I just wasn't ready for it and as a result it buried me...perhaps more mentally than physically, but felt 6 feet under regardless.   I haven't given up on the early December marathon, though I have little hope of making my sub-3 hour goal...I still want to do it even if only to hang with those that are going (The Rosenlof's and Elliot).  

Day 311

• 2.4 miles
• 8:03/mile pace
• 1652
• From/To Home
• OK, I think I seriously might be back...yeah, I'm pumped about it...and yes, I am saying this after a run that lasted less than 20 minutes and was over 100 minutes short of the prescribed time on my feet for the day.  What's really a shame is that I realized how close I was to the Dean end of South Mountain on Saturday night and was excited to get up and put in some serious time there, plus feel good about a long run again etc., then the morning came and I decided a lay off isn't really a real lay off unless it eliminates a long run right?   Well, that plus the fact that we were on "stay-cation" made it easy for me to decide to get in a streak extender only sometime later in the day...assuming at that point that I would do so on the treadmill.   Well, as the temperature reached it's apex, I decided, well, I don't feel bad...and I'm only going a short distance at a slow pace, plus I probably should log one run at a stupidly high temperature to legitimize this streak thing I've got going, so I'll just run a 5pm when it was 112 degrees F.   Turns out that it wasn't so bad, which made me feel good, which makes me feel like I seriously might be back....I felt like at any point I could've sped up without really taxing myself too much....I haven't felt like that in weeks, so, yeah, I'll consider myself back until otherwise notified by my body or mind.
• Speaking of being back -- a great friend and training partner (Dean) convinced me last week that there really is no point in changing my goals, so, back to training for sub-3 hour marathon time will now begin...here's hoping I get some confidence along the way, but even if I don't I'm going after it, so stay tuned!

Day 298

• 17.2 miles
• 8:00/mile pace
• 0510
• Fountain Hills, AZ
• Glad to be done, very glad to have run with Dean again -- hard to beat a long run with someone enjoyable who also plans the run, wears the watch and brings recovery aiding food for after.  That stated, this was another disappointing long run for me...I just hit the wall again and had to walk for a few minutes.   Before this year I could count on one hand the times I have walked during a run, this year I'd need two hand already and it doesn't seem to be getting better, not yet at least.   Anyway, still interested in trying....but not today, instead I'll just watch The Olympics again all day.   I love the Olympics.

Day 283

• 12.85 miles
• 7:45/mile pace
• 0515
• Kiwanis Park and surrounding area
• Another great Dean concept, excecuted excellently by Dean, but not so impressively by Bobby-the-streaker.   We met at 5:15, ran a little short of 10 miles, then got into an official 5k (I was a bandit, but he was offical, as was his wife Kim).   I fell apart somewhere around around the 6 or 7 mile mark of the overall effort and even though I took a bathroom break before starting the final 5k it didn't seem to fix my issues.  Glad to have logged the milage and always glad to see the Rosenlof's, so, overall positive, but I really feel like I need to have a "good" long run soon...we'll see, even though it may make little sense I've decided I'll add something just to shock my body -- thinking push-ups, but that's probably because a set of pull ups would paralyse me.  

Day 274

• 8.77 miles
• 6:51/mile pace
• 1635
• Arrowhead CC
• Well, I take back my boastful comments about surely being able to figure out how to use the Garmin 405 on still very appreciated loan from the Rosenlof's -- I haven't been able to figure it out at all yet, so I went to the gym.   As usual, maintaining a sexier than usual looking pace on the treadmill was not nearly as hard as real running, so above figures are to be taken with that knowledge, but overall I'm still happy with the run.   10 minute warm up at around 8:10/mile pace, then dropped it down to around 6:40 for 40 minutes and then did a semi-cool down at 7 somethin pace.  
• This was my first run in my new shoes, which are about a billion times more comfortable and seemingly faster, but then, that could have to do with the fact that I ran in the afternoon when I always find running to be much easier than pre-sunlight.   I do think the shoes made it more comfortable though, which means I should probably switch out my shoes at maybe 325 miles instead of 350 miles...or perhaps I should just go down to 300 miles?  
• This reminds me of my Dad's answer to what size waist he has with relation to buying pants..."I wear 34's, but 36's fit so well, I buy 38's." -- Jim Wein

Day 270

• 16.1 miles
• 7:45-8:15/mile pace
• 0520
• South Mountain, AZ
• Another great (thought difficult for me :)) run with Dean, who remains as strong as ever, or at least as much stronger than ME as ever.  We did San Juan's from first parking lot, then back up to the Y plus return.   Only negative, other than my not quite there yet fitness, was that I had to stop at the restroom at the 11 mileish point and I don't like having to stop during long runs.  Overall, happy to have completed the mileage and very happy to have logged another run with Dean, who, by-the-way, has lent to me a Garmin watch he had so no more excuses for me not to stay on the training plan.
• 3 gu's
• 16 ounces of water + 16 ounces of Gatorade
• Feeling healthy, A/C working at the house again, have a Garmin as stated, on pace to run 499 miles in July, so...all is looking up!

Day 256

• 12.45 miles
• 7:23/mile pace
• 0750
• Prescott, AZ
• A progression long run with Dean -- the plan was to run the first 30 minutes at 7:50/mile pace, the second 30 minutes at 7:20/mile pace and then finish with 30 minutes at 6:50/mile pace.   I was concerned about how much that last 30 would hurt, but I figured I'd be able to handle it even if barely.   Well, it played out that Dean and I, on the strength of his perfect pacing, executed the first two segments exactly...I mean EXACTLY on pace, then he hit the last one on pace while I pathetically watched him pull away.   It was weird and deflating, but even though I felt fine through 1 hour and didn't mind the initial push up to the 6:50/mile speed, it didn't take long at all for me to hit a wall and be reduced to near 8 minute/mile pace....even as it was happening I was surprised and confused.   I guess it could have been the altitude, which did seem to noticably affect breathing, or maybe I was just tired from the week, but the only thing that matters is that I wasn't able to do it, which I need to be able to do.   Not sure how I improve to effectively catch up to the training plan I'm trying to maintain other than to just keep going...if I don't see improved ability to accomplish the set work outs then I'll have to consider something drastic, like EPO, or going vegan.
• On a positive note, Dean is seriously strong, he seemed to handle the run with minimal effort, which is great, except that I was hoping to keep doing long runs with him and if I start falling too far behind it may cause an issue.   Where does one start when considering an EPO plan?   I mean, hypothetically speaking...

Day 242

• 15.23 miles
• 10:20/mile pace
• 0530
• South Mountain, AZ
• Ran the "National trail" from the end of San Juans road to the east end of South Mountain with Dean.  This run was absolutely fantastic, maybe my favorite trail in Phoenix...it was just really cool, well, except for the steep uphill stretch from mile 3 to 4 when I was pathetically reduced to walking/hiking.   The run across the top of the mountain was great though and worth it...as was the downhill, even though it seemed to take forever to get to it.   Overall another great long run with Dean, who likes point to point runs as much as I do, which, thanks to Kim was possible.   Very cool.  
• Carried 40 ounces of liquid (16 h2o, 24 Gatorade)
• Ate 3 Gu's.
• No issues experienced with relation to my issue, seems I have no excuses anymore, though that issue is not yet resolved.  

Day 241

• 4.58 miles
• 7:41/mile
• 0950
• Arrowhead Country Club
• Treadmill run for safety purposes.   Felt I needed to push a little further than the past few days and maybe even run 8 minute miles just to make sure I wasn't going to get all the way to South Mountain for my planned long trail run with Dean on Sunday, have a disaster and end up in the hospital.   So that's what I did...not the disaster/hospital part.   This run went really well, felt easy, gave me confidence that I could do the Sunday long run without hurting myself...that stated, I still decided to go to the doctor later in the day.   Doc said he thinks I will probably eventually need surgery, but first try to reduce swelling with salt baths and some prescription Preparation H kinda stuff.   I think the stuff works better than Preparation H, so on to the Sunday run I went...with half confidence at least.  (Oh, yes, I asked the doctor if running and running hard would have an effect, he said it would not...he cautioned against sit-ups though, which is fine with me for now)

Day 235

• 11.82 miles
• 8:35/mile pace
• 0550
• South Mountain
• Met up with Dean for a run on his turf and really enjoyed it -- good route, great conversation...and not as painful as I feared it would be considering that I completely fried myself on the Salt River yesterday with Laura, Craig, Becca, Tess, Dra and hundreds of tatooed folks.   I look like I've been stained with half a dozen tomatos shot at me from a pitching machine.
• After the run I got an absolutely incredible tour of Dean's office building and recommend it to anyone who can get the opportunity, seriously awesome.  
• Random point that is probably only interesting to me -- Dean's Garmin measured our run to be .14 miles longer than mine did...

Day 200

• 6.9 miles
• 7:37/mile pace
• 0930
• Some flat dirt road in Phoenix
• Flew in from LAX in the morning and then met up with Dean Rosenlof for what was supposed to be a nice relaxed conversational run, so we could catch up with each others lives and also discuss our plans to run the Tucson Marathon in December.   Well, it was great to see him for sure, but we fairly well butchered the idea of a relaxed run...no, it wasn't especially fast, but, for me at least, it was taxing to carry on conversation until I finally decided to slow down after maybe 4 miles just so that I could.   That fact is a good reminder of how far I need to go in terms of fitness as I'll probably need to be able to run 7 flat (on the clock and terrain) pace while carrying on conversation eventually, if I'm to meet the sub-3 hour goal.   Geez, getting ahead of myself again.   Happy to have hit 200.