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. 

Day 199

• 5 miles
• 6:54 mins/mile pace
• 0710
• From/To home
• Ran hard this morning.   Started off thinking I needed to average sub 7:15/mi pace since I won't be doing a long run this weekend (traveling for work), I at least needed to make myself hurt a little bit.  Well, first mile was 7:10, so I figured I needed to hold onto that...then I relaxed a bit and sped up.  Legs felt fine, but the lungs weren't very strong, I was breathing pretty hard and was unable to push the pace on the last mile beyond what I settled into during miles 2-4...I take this to mean that I was pretty much done as I wasn't averse to making myself hurt the final mile, I just couldn't sustain an increased effort.   Anyway, I was very pleased with the overall pace considering I didn't believe I could hold sub-7 minute miles for more than about 2 miles, but then I started realizing things like:   I need to average 4 seconds per mile faster than that, for 5 times as long and then for 1.2 miles after that if I'm going to break 3 hours in a marathon.  Being unable to push the pace at the end means that I was done, so, while I stopped the run because I didn't have time to run anymore and still make Case's soccer game, it's just as well since I wouldn't have made it much farther anyway.  Not sure how I'm going to get the speed aspect of my sub-3 hour goal down, but at least I have some time [Still targeting Tucson marathon in early December, though I haven't signed up yet]...and at least I finally decided to pick up the pace a bit.    That is also good in relation to the effort Craig and I will make in a few weeks, which is really what I should continue thinking about instead of some race months away, I guess. 
• Current shoes now have 417+ miles on them, need to get a new pair...

Day 118

• 5 miles
• 8:49/mile pace
• 0625
• From/to home
• Very easy pace, but didn't feel as easy as 8:49 should -- legs felt better today, though still a little sore.   Rolled I.T. band today and think that I now have to incorporate that regularly as I am, per Becca, old.   Thinking I simply have to break 3 hours in Tucson before it's too late.   So much training to do.

Day 116

• 20.07 miles
• 8:33/mile pace
• 0720
• From Sherry's house, West on Bell until it turned into some Parkway, went around some of the White Tank (Tawk) Mountains and return same out and back route.  
• Uphill going out, downhill returning...the downhills beat me up pretty good, need to do more downhill running.   Case and Finn stayed with Sherry :).   First time I have done a 20 miler in over a year, wasn't that horrible, though I clearly need to get more under my belt.   Thinking a lot about signing up for a marathon now...perhaps the Tucson Marathon in December as it is fast/downhill etc.