Terrible Tyler - Shortened

I just wasn't up to running the total 9.3 miles in this morning's Terrible Tyler Race which is part of the Bucks County Road Runners Winter Series so I limited my running to the first loop of the race, a 'measly' 5.3 miles L I am still recovering from my a cold and my body was telling me to stop. As I drove home, I was beating myself up thinking that I really could have gone the whole distance but in retrospect, now that I've had several hours to recover and knowing that I basically rested for the remainder of the day, I know I made the right decision. This afternoon's nap felt so wonderful and I needed to conserve my energy as I have a full week of travel for work ahead of me again.

Wishing everyone a great week of running!
John

Technical Difficulties

I ran into a few technical problems with my laptop and it was in the repair shop for about a week but I have it back home now and it appears to be as good as new – Fantastic!

Although I haven't been 'on-line', I have been keeping up with my running, training and racing. Last Sunday (January 22) due to snow and ice on the ground, the Bucks County Road Runners 4.6 Mile Honest Abe Race became an 'informal run' but I ran it nonetheless and proceeded very cautiously because of the conditions. Actually, it was the first time I ever ran on trails in the snow and ice, so now I have yet something else I can check off my 'bucket list'. And, I managed to do it injury free J

I've been keeping up with my interval training on Thursdays each week and I am convinced that the training is paying off by increasing my speed. Plus, I've noticed that my Achilles tendons are not bothering me as much if at all. Could it be that I am also strengthening my calf muscles with my interval training? Yes, I think I am.

I was out of town for work again this past week and was talking to one of the flight attendants who planned to run the ING Miami Half Marathon tomorrow. It was really great talking to someone else who also enjoys running. This will be her first half-marathon and she was determined to do it before she turned 50. She was so excited and was running it with friends really just to have fun. I love to hear stories like that. Good luck tomorrow to everyone who is racing!

The next race in the Bucks County Road Runners Winter Series is tomorrow – the 9.3 Mile Terrible Tyler. I am supposed to run the race but I managed to catch a nasty cold this week and have been vegetating on the couch most of today. I just managed to finish a light dinner, Chicken With Rice Soup with some buttered toast. It tasted so good and I am feeling much better at the moment but I'll have to see how I feel in the morning. Hopefully, after a good night's rest, I'll be up and ready to go tomorrow.

Happy and Safe Running Folks!
John

Polar Bear 8-Mile Race

Today was the 8-Mile Polar Bear Race – typically the coldest race in the Bucks County Road Runners Winter Series and this morning was no exception. It was about 18 degrees when I arrived at Tyler State Park and the runners were all huddled around the fire. Today's turnout looked like it was the smallest so far this year - I am guessing that there were about 250 runners today. Final results have not been posted yet but my unofficial time (according to my Garmin) was 1:08:10. That's an 8:36 minute pace which is 14 seconds faster than my best time for a 10K (6.2 mile) race! And, considering the hills in Tyler State Park, I am pleased with the progress I continue to see with my speed.

The hot chocolate sure did taste good at the end of today's race!

Happy and Safe Running,
John

Interval Thursdays

As I was heading into this New Year, I made a commitment to begin adding speed work to my training to help improve my overall speed. So, I've added 'Interval Thursdays' to my program and have made good progress over the past 3 weeks:

• 1 mile warm up
  
• 6 x 100 meter (0.25 mile) interval sets
  
• 1 mile cool down
  

When I look at my splits, I am noticing an improvement in my best (fastest) pace for each split. Also, not represented in these numbers is the overall quality of my workout which I measure by my energy level after my workout and throughout the day. And, I've been feeling great! (Not to mention my 5K results from last weekend when I achieved a new PR with a sub 8:00 minute mile J)

Split	Dec 29, 2011	Jan 05, 2012
1	10:34	09:41
2	08:31	08:15
3	08:15	08:00
4	08:20	07:32
5	08:46	10:33

So, 2012 is starting off on a good foot (no pun intended). I hope to expand on my interval training by beginning to add the number of sets (increase from 6 to 8) and eventually increasing the distance (move from 100 meters to 200 meters).

Keeping this blog will help me to stay focused on my objectives and targets so stay tuned for more updates.

Happy and Safe Running,
John

A Beautiful Day for a Run in New Mexico

Run: Easy Run by jbaker614 at Garmin Connect - Details

I arrived in Albuquerque mid-afternoon today and couldn't resist getting outside for a 5-mile run! Beautiful blue skies, temperatures in the 50's, perfectly flat terrain and I was ready to go. Sure beats running on the treadmill at the hotel 'Fitness Center'.

I guess it's a testament to my overall good shape that I didn't seem to be impacted by the high elevation here in Albuquerque. Today's run was at 5,300 feet whereas I am more accustomed to running at elevations between 200 - 400 feet!



Not sure how many more times I'll be able to run outside this week so I wanted to take advantage of this picture perfect day.

Happy and Safe Running!
John

1,421 Miles Logged in 2011

When I look back on my running accomplishments during 2011, I can see a gradual improvement in my overall performance and that makes me feel great. Running 1,421 miles represents a 142% increase over my 2010 mileage (588 miles) and I managed to achieve several new PRs as well as completing my BIGGEST accomplishment thus far – running my first marathon!

2011 marked the third year that I ran the Philadelphia 10-Mile Broad Street Run. This has been one of my favorite runs because of my Philadelphia roots. The race course (Broad Street) is mostly flat and a straight run through many of the Philadelphia neighborhoods that represent my upbringing and schooling. The race starts in North Philadelphia where I am able to pass by both of the campuses of Temple University (Main and Medical) where I attended college, Center City where I was born (Hahnemann Hospital) and lived after finishing college and ends in South Philadelphia where I lived up until I was 22 years old. It's a great run with about 40,000 runners and I plan to run this event once again in 2012 where my goal will be to run it as close to a 9.0 minute mile as possible – Look Out!

During 2011 I ran quite a few 5K races and my best pace for this distance was 8:01. That puts me as close to an 8:00 minute mile I've been able to achieve and I have my eyes set on achieving a 'sub 8.0 minute mile' for a 5K in 2012!

The Half-Marathon is probably one of my favorite distances and I managed to run a 9:06 minute pace in Philadelphia during 2011. Similar to my goal for the 10-mile Broad Street Run, I hope to achieve as close to a 9:00 minute mile pace as possible. I have not registered for any half-marathons thus far but I hope to run this distance in at least 4 races in 2012.

The one thing that's nice about running a new distance for the first time is that you automatically have a new PR, right? Well, that is exactly what I did when I ran the Philadelphia Marathon in November, 2011 and finished in a respectable 4:23:46 – that was a 10:05 mile! Clearly, this puts me so close to the 10 minute mile, I have no choice other than setting a 2012 goal to run a marathon at a 10 minute pace or better! I am still undecided as to whether I should plan to run 1 or 2 marathons in 2012. I definitely would like to run the Marine Corps Marathon in October. The jury is still out on whether or not I run another marathon in the May-June timeframe. I hope to make that decision within the next month.

So, all-in-all, I have lots to be thankful for with regard to my 2011 running accomplishments and plan on continuing to improve my performance and definitely stay injury free J

Happy New Year!
John

Starting the New Year with a 5K Race and a PR!

12 Noon was the perfect time to start my first race of this New Year. Sunny skies, mild temps in the low 50's and an eagerness to start the New Year doing one of my favorite things – Running! There were 333 runners and I placed 131^st overall with a time of 24:33. That's a PR as well as the first time I finished a 5K race with a sub 8 minute mile (7:56). I am very excited to start off 2012 with a beautiful day and an even more beautiful finish.

Happy New Year Everyone!
John