Start time: 3/12/09, 5:30pm
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 2.5 miles x 2
Average pace: 8:16min/mile
Total Miles For March: 33 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 150 miles

Originally this was going to just be a 5-mile run—but I had to stop to take care of something two and a half miles in, so instead I turned it into a repeat session. It worked out pretty well; I got about 3 1/2 minutes of rest between the first 2.5 miler and the second and I was really happy with the end results. Doubly so because for the first one, 1.5 miles were downhill and only 1 mile was uphill; for the second, it was reversed and I ended up with a faster time. Yeah, I can deal with that. (Doubly so since I was home from work sick, yesterday.)

1st repeat: 8:12, 8:21, 4:17 (8:20avg)
2nd repeat: 8:17, 8:19, 3:51 (8:11avg)

Start time: 3/9/09,6:00pm
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:45min/mile
Total Miles For March: 28 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 145 miles

It was such a nice day that I decided to hit Tuesday’s run after work today, instead. (Originally I was going to run it this morning, but I didn’t get much sleep last night.) It was really beautiful out, 60 degrees and cool. Actually, the last mile was a little too breezy; I was wishing right then I had on long sleeves! Best of all, though, is how consistent those first three miles were. Especially two days after running an 18-miler, no less. Yay!

I also ordered new shoes from my local store this morning; none of their locations had them in stock (I have to wear 2E wide) and while I could have ordered them online, especially in this economy it feels good to support the local economy. Doubly so when Pacers always does such a good job of organizing local races and the like! Hopefully they’ll show up before the half marathon on the 21st. The current pair of shoes have about 400 miles on them so I can certainly use them through the race, but that’s really about it.

(8:50, 8:50, 8:50, 8:29)

Start time: 3/7/09,10:30am
Location: SW Waterfront, National Mall, Georgetown, Capital Crescent Trail
Distance: 18 miles
Average pace: 9:34min/mile
Total Miles For March: 24 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 141 miles

Oooooof. Be careful what you wish for, indeed.

After all the snow and ice of the last week or so, it seems the DC area’s collective thought process did indeed bring a warm front into the area. I’m not entirely sure, with 20/20 hindsight, that 74 degrees and humid was the way to go about it. I like to think that it was a combination of the temperature jump and new mileage that made me start face-planting by the end, but we shall see. I ran the old AIDS Marathon 18-miler course, which starts at 4th and I Streets SW, heads through the National Mall, across the Georgetown Waterfront, then on the Cap Crescent trail all the way to Maryland before heading back. It was a nice (if slightly hilly on the Cap Crescent heading outbound) course, and I haven’t run it since fall 2007. For a run that I did entirely on my own, it was comforting to have those old memories with me.

That said, once I got back into Georgetown, I was definitely running out of gas. When I got all the way to Constitution and 20th Street (finishing up mile 15) I just felt about ready to quit; so, for miles 16-18, I took a 1 minute walk break at the start of each mile, and that seemed to help a bit. At least I didn’t lose any additional ground doing so, right?

Interesting, it was the same finishing time for my 18-miler (or within an average of 1 second per mile) for 2008, which was a nice relief. 2007’s was about 12 seconds per mile faster, and in really hot weather to boot, though. Happily, I demolished 2006 and earlier’s paces…

And hey, on the bright side, the bruise on my leg didn’t bother me at all while running. Woohoo!

(8:42, 8:05, 9:02, 8:47, 9:23, 9:17, 9:21, 9:25, 9:52, 8:56, 9:18, 9:42, 9:52, 10:00, 10:53, 10:46, 10:06, 10:43)

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2613871

Start time: 3/5/09,7:00am
Location: TJ Community Center
Distance: 3.5 miles
Average pace: 8:17min/mile
Total Miles For March: 6 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 123 miles

Between smashing my leg into the side of my bed late Tuesday night (why Greg, what a lovely bruise you have) and then my toe into the side of the bed this morning, I am feeling a little battered. The toe is thankfully barely hurting (phew) but the bruise on my calf is still really tender and sore. Geez. I made today’s run a tiny bit shorter as a result; I’m supposed to have a long run this weekend so I don’t want to push it too hard. Let my poor bruise finish healing, right? It wasn’t too bad while running, but I was certainly aware of its presence the entire time I ran. Fun fun fun.

8:29, 8:13, 8:12, 4:05

Start time: 3/3/09,7:00pm
Location: TJ Community Center
Distance: 2.5 miles
Average pace: 7:49min/mile
Total Miles For March: 2.5 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 119.5 miles

I have year-round allergies, and normally if I’m going running I have done at least one of the following: taken an afternoon dose of my allergy medicine, flushed my sinuses out with a neti pot, taken some sprays of Asmanex. Guess which of these I did today? That’s right, none of them.

I ended up terminating the run after 2.5 miles, but on the bright side, I knew after mile 2 that I wasn’t going to stick around much longer so I at least made it count. Ah well.

8:02, 7:48, 3:41

Start time: 2/28/09,12:00pm
Location: Arlington & W&OD Trail
Distance: 8 miles
Average pace: 8:43min/mile
Total Miles For February: 72 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 117 miles

I hope February really is the coldest month of the year, because while today’s run isn’t bad, I am soooo ready for spring to arrive. I think Thursday’s 60 degree temperatures spoiled me! Still, a nice run; headed down 10th Street until I got to Wilson Boulevard, took it to the Bluemont Park trail, and ran along that until I hit the W&OD Trail for a little over a mile. Then, turned around and headed back. Some big hills in miles 2 and 7, but I think I did a pretty great job. Especially when you look at my crappy 8-miler from last month. Much, much better.

8:40, 8:40, 8:29, 9:05, 8:45, 9:05, 8:28, 8:32

Start time: 2/26/09,5:00pm
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:22min/mile
Total Miles For February: 64 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 109 miles

After skipping Tuesday’s run due to feeling sick/tired/rundown/overheated, it was nice to not only get running on Thursday, but to do so outside and in shorts. Miles 2-3 were a bit of a climb, but of course miles 1 and 4 were slightly downhill to compensate. It just felt nice to get out there, a pity the temperature is supposed to drop again this weekend…

(8:23, 8:28, 8:34, 8:04)

Start time: 2/21/09,12:00pm
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 16 miles
Average pace: 9:38min/mile
Total Miles For February: 60 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 105 miles

Ok, for this 16-miler I decided to just stick with the W&OD Trail, running from marker 3.5 in Arlington up to marker 11.5 in Vienna, since I knew that there would be water fountains on the trail at several places (near markers 6.0, 7.0, and 11.5) so I wouldn’t have a repeat of the disaster from two weeks ago. As for the run itself, well…

PLUS SIDE:

No calf cramps like last time, yay! I hydrated a bit better this time through, and I also took an extra potassium supplement in the morning. Maybe it was that, maybe it was because most of the second half is at a slight downhill grade (although there are still some uphill portions), but for whatever the reason, no real issues on that front.

I finished the run without needing to stop, save for refilling my water bottle. Also good and makes me feel a lot more confident on that front.

All the ice is finally melted off the trail, and while it was cold out, it wasn’t as frigid as earlier in the week. All this cold weather dodging and such has made me (at this point) vow to not train for any more spring marathons, mind you.

And a faster pace than my 14-miler, which was admittedly the cramp-o-matic run, but still.

MINUS SIDE:

My slowest 16-miler in three years. It was at least faster than the pace for 2005 (12:00) and 2006 (10:00), but not as good as 2007 (8:59!) or 2008 (9:31). I worry that 2007 is when I peaked in terms of running, to be honest.

Crappy last two miles, although since they were new mileage that’s not any particularly large red flag. I’d have been happier with some stronger times for them, but still, not as good as I’d hoped. I’d been hoping to not dip into the 10+ realm on this run.

I really don’t like this winter running, because getting up early and hitting the run then is an exercise in frozenness. Brrrrr. So instead I wait until a little later in the day, but it means by the time I’m done the majority of my Saturday is over.

Maybe I need to rethink my training strategy? It’s hard to say what’s wrong at this point. Just getting older? Not enough speed work? Lack of someone to train with? Honestly, the last one has definitely been on my mind. I saw that Pacers had a 16-miler scheduled for this morning and I’d thought about it, but it was at 8am (and I knew I would need more sleep, plus it was still going to be below freezing at that point in the morning)… and it’s actually really important for me to train for a marathon on my own this time. I’ve never done that before; it was AIDS Marathon in ’01-’06, and then Empowered & Fit in ’07 (plus ’08, despite the actual running of a marathon at the end of the program; stupid bronchitis). So I really need to train for one by myself to know that I can do it. I hope that sounds logical to someone besides me. Afterwards, maybe I’ll train for my fall marathon with E&F, or Pacers, or perhaps still on my own? I’m not sure. But I feel like I can’t buckle yet. This might ultimately be a mistake, but there’s only one way to really find out.

(9:25, 9:28, 9:12, 9:22, 9:46, 9:25, 9:19, 9:08, 9:29, 9:26, 9:44, 9:58, 9:53, 9:48, 10:17, 10:24)