Week 26 – September 14, 2019

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Distance: 16 Miles

Weather at run time: Mid-70s, Sunrise 6:48am

I did not get going for this run until about 1pm. Really didn’t feel like running, but since I had missed the previous week, I knew I had to. It might seem surprising to some that the closer to the marathon, the less I seem to want to run, but I think this is normal. I have done so many long runs at this point, there is a bit of mental fatigue. My headphones also just broke, and I was unsure how I would run 16 miles without music. This actually turned out alright. As you can probably tell from the above picture, it was very cloudy day. This made for a very enjoyable run. The fall weather was very nice compared to the brutal DC summer heat. I did not need to chug water like I have on my last few runs. Next week, I have a wedding to go to, and then the following week, is the marathon. This is probably my last post on this thread until Berlin. Overall, I’m proud of my training. As you can see, it was not all perfect, but, so far, I’ve come out uninjured and with an opportunity to improve on my previous times. I’m very excited about the upcoming race. After the marathon, I will be searching for a new event to train for, and will start a new post like this one to catalog my progress while training for the event. Thanks to anyone who has taken the time to read some of these posts. I wish you all the luck as you train toward your own individual goals. And, as always, hope you had a great weekend!

Week 25 – September 7, 2019

This week I did not do my run. This was a planned skip, so I do not feel bad about it. I had all day scuba training and did not want to over exert myself.

Week 24 – August 31, 2019

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Distance: 20 Miles

Weather at run time: Mid-80s, Sunrise 6:36am

The goal for Saturday was to run 22 miles; unfortunately, I came up short. I ate a bagel with peanut butter for breakfast. I couldn’t start off as early as I would have liked to. I knew the run was going to take some time, so wanted to wait till 8am when Simi’s (my dog’s) daycare opened, so she wouldn’t need to wait for me in the crate. Because of this, I didn’t get going until about 9am. It was deceptively hot on Saturday. There was a breeze so at times it didn’t feel too bad, but after a while, I had a lot of trouble cooling off. I consumed gel packets at miles 4, 8, 12 and 16. I had to stop at water fountains several times, pouring water on myself and drinking several bottles worth, trying to rehydrate. At the last water fountain I stopped at, several other runners joined me, and we all took turns dousing ourselves and chugging water. You might notice a slight variation in my route. I was really having trouble on my way back, but didn’t want to quit. I took a turn I have never taken before – sometimes the best way to take your mind off things is just to go exploring. I found a path that I think I might have taken a number of years ago, but have never ran. This was not a huge difference in my usual route, but the change of scenery really helped me when I was struggling. Today, I woke up early and did another 10 miles, which gives me a total of 56 miles for the week. This will most likely be the last 20 mile run I take before the marathon. Hope you are all enjoying your Labor Day weekend! I for one am glad I have tomorrow off, both from work and from running!

Week 23 – August 24, 2019

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Week 22 – August 17, 2019. So August hasn’t turned out great. I’ve had a lot going on and the runs have been difficult. My family was in town, and staying with me. I also had a friend in on Saturday, and did not end up having time for my long run.

Distance: 8 Miles

Weather at run time: High-70s, Sunrise 6:30am

I needed to get back into my routine, so I made myself do this run, but was really not feeling it. I could not run early. I had a scuba diving orientation which lasted between 2 and 3 hours, so I didn’t get started until about 1pm. I wore my normal gear. I did not push it on this run; my main goal was just completing it, and getting into the next week on a high note.

Week 21 – August 10, 2019

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Week 20 – August 3, 2019 Unfortunately this was my second missed long run for something other than injury. I had some commitments that made disappearing for a few hours pretty difficult. I thought about trying to squeeze it in but decided it was a bad idea.

Distance: 22 Miles

Weather at run time: High-60s, Sunrise 6:16am

Thank God! The worst of the heat appears to be over (hopefully). Today was a beautiful morning. I woke up around 6:30am and had a bagel with peanut butter for breakfast. I got started on my run around 7:20am. I took my belt, water bottles, and 5 gels. I consumed gels at miles 4, 8, 12 and 16. I skipped the gel at mile 20; I thought it might make me feel worse, and I felt in good shape to finish. While it did get hotter during the course of the morning, there was a steady breeze and it remained much cooler than it has been lately. I was very happy with this run. My legs feel a lot stronger, and in the later miles, I continue to notice a big difference. I think the thing that has helped me the most is stacking my runs. I currently run Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat (long run) and Sun. Tomorrow I will cap off the week with a 10mile run, totaling 52miles for the week. You might notice my route doesn’t look much different from previous weeks. Today, I did that loop around Georgetown 3 times instead of 2. I debated running back toward Maryland after the the second lap, but these runs feel like psychological warfare, and I like the idea that when I turn north I’m running back toward home. Next week will be more weight training focused. I’m debating now if I should do a longer run than today’s before the marathon at the end of September. Hope you are all having a good Saturday and get outside! Saw a ton of people biking, running, and fishing today. Enjoy it!

Update: 52m complete!

Week 19 – July 27, 2019

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12K Run Post

Week 18 – July 20, 2019

Distance: Spin Class

Weather at run time: High-90s, Sunrise 5:58am

I pivoted this week. Early on in the week, the forecast called for extreme heat over the weekend. There was a heat advisory issued for the DC area. As my runs have started to get fairly long, I didn’t think it was smart to attempt to push through. Instead I went to a spin class at my gym, Vida Fitness. I find these classes to be a good alternative when my legs feel shot from running, or on days like Saturday when the weather doesn’t cooperate. I didn’t realize when I was training for the first marathon how much easier winter running is. If it’s cold, you just wear more layers. It’s tough in summer, when the temps are getting so high. Next long run will be a little different too. I signed up for a 12k Christmas in July race, which I will be competing in this Saturday. My goal is just to get more comfortable in an official race setting. Look forward to updating you all on how that run turns out!

Week 17 – July 13, 2019

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Distance: 20 Miles

Weather at run time: Low-70s, Sunrise 5:54am

I woke up early today. For breakfast, I had half a bagel with peanut butter. Got running at about 6:45am. The goal of waking up early was to beat the heat. I was sort of successful. When I started my run, it said on my phone that it was in the low-70s, but the humidity is intense these days. My clothes were drenched with sweat by mile 4, and, by mile 8, made a squishy noise as I ran. I consumed gels at miles 4, 8, 12 and 16. Today was one of my better runs. My legs used to really cramp up around mile 16 or so, but I’ve noticed that this is no longer happening. I still need to remember to hydrate, and get some sleep before these runs, but I definitely feel a difference in my legs. Around mile 18, a random guy gave me a big high-five as he could definitely tell I was pushing myself. Got to say, sometimes small acts of kindness go a long way. Really appreciate it!

Hope you are all having a great Saturday!

Week 16 – July 6, 2019

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Distance: 7 Miles

Weather at run time: Mid-80s, Low-90s, Sunrise 5:49am

This was a bad run. I wasn’t planning to go for too long, but wanted to do around 8 to 10 miles. I woke up late, and was out of gel packets, so didn’t have any breakfast. By the time I got Simi to daycare, it was the afternoon. I took my water bottles and HR monitor. It was so hot and humid. Right from the start, I really wanted to stop. Not eating anything was a really bad idea! I think I should have had lunch, and just waited until later to attempt the run. The humidity in DC at this point in the summer is really bad. Next week, I will be doing a longer run, and I will need to wake up earlier if I want it to be successful. Also, my gel packets should come this week, so that will help. Stay cool everyone!

Week 15 – June 29, 2019

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Distance: 18 Miles

Weather at run time: Mid-80s, Low-90s, Sunrise 5:45am

I didn’t really have any food at my place, so there were no breakfast options. I wanted to get out early to try to beat the heat. I can’t say I really succeeded. I started my run at 7am, but it was already blazing. I consumed my gel packets at mile 4, 8, 12 and 16. I went through both my water bottles by around mile 14. I stopped at a water fountain by Theodore Roosevelt Island and refilled. I went through the refilled water bottles by the time I finished my run at mile 18. I felt like I had jumped into a pool it was so hot. There was a group doing yoga again by the Potomac in Georgetown. I did my normal route. I ran twice around Georgetown, and then ran up to Adams Morgan before turning back toward home. Happy Birthday to my brother, and hope you are all have a great and warm weekend!

Week 14 – June 22, 2019

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Distance: 12 Miles

Weather at run time: Low-70s, Sunrise 5:43am

This week, I planned to do the Pacer’s running store social run, but they have recently changed the time from 8am to 6:30am, and I was not really feeling it on Saturday morning. While I actually was up in time, I did not feel like getting out of bed until closer to 7am, so decided to start my run around then. I really want to get back to the social run, but will need to get used to the new start time. When I did start my run, the weather was nice in the morning — it was pretty cool, with a decent breeze. I wore my normal equipment, and took two gel packets with me that I consumed at mile 4 and 8. I did sprints on Friday followed by a leg workout, so felt very sore during this run. It was fine after a while, but a bit rough when I started out. As you can see my route was nearly exactly the same as the previous week. The only difference was, this week, I did not do an extra lap when I got to the Potomac. I just went once around and then headed for home. In Georgetown, there were a bunch of different groups doing yoga outside as I passed. Also, Friday was the International Day of Yoga, so on that note, namaste everyone! Hope you had a great weekend!

Week 13 – June 15, 2019

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Distance: 16 Miles

Weather at run time: Low-70s, Sunrise 5:52am

A few weeks ago, I sustained a minor injury. Spoke with my doctor, and they told me not to run for at least a couple of weeks. This was the first week I felt fully recovered, and able to return to running as usual. The time off made me realize how much the running effects me mentally. I felt very sluggish the last few weeks, and was really anxious to get back to it. The week that I got injured was supposed to be what I consider a social week, where my long run would have been with the Pacer’s Running store group. However, since I was forced to take some time off, I wanted to resume my personal running schedule. It probably would have been smarter to ease into it this week, but I was very excited to get back on track, so decided to do the unwise thing and just start as if I hadn’t stopped. I by no means recommend this to anyone else, but we each know our own bodies, and I felt fully recovered and good to go. The biggest difference I have noticed all week: even though I have been keeping my pace down, I’ve been reaching a higher HR. I think it is going to take my body a little bit to re-adapt, but hopefully not too long. I took all my normal running gear with me on this run. I consumed gel packets at mile 4, 8 and 12. I felt good for most of the run, but was pretty drained toward the final miles. At the top, on my route, where you see I crossed into Virginia and then back over the Georgetown bridge into DC, I actually repeated that section twice in order to get up to 16 miles. I like that little loop because it’s an easy way to tack on miles on a long run before heading back north toward home. I’m actually writing this on Sunday; I did not have time to post yesterday because I wanted to make it to the JazzFest, but I woke up and did another 10 miles today which got me to my goal of 40 miles for the week. The time off was a bit of a downer, but I’m very happy to feel healthy, recovered, and back at it again. Happy Fathers Day everyone (and to my Dad! who doesn’t read my blog.. ) and hope you all had a great weekend!

Week 12 – Injured

Week 11 – Injured

Week 10 – Injured

Week 9 – May 18, 2019

Distance: 14 Miles

Weather at run time: High-70s, Sunrise 5:53am

I had to wait to write this post. Saturday, I decided to go to a concert in New Jersey. I managed to squeeze in my run, but did not have time to update this thread. The run was good. I started around 8:30am and wore my running belt as usual. The sky was overcast, but it got very muggy as the run continued. I consumed my gels at mile 4, 8, and 12. Rock Creek was pretty much abandoned. They were taking out trees, and had closed the roads over a long stretch. When I got to the Potomac, it was packed. There was a dragon boating regatta taking place so there were a bunch of different teams and people there to watch. I crossed the bridge into Virginia. Again, it was very busy. A lot of people seemed to be preparing to go hiking. The weather was so nice this weekend; I think everyone wanted to be outdoors. I crossed the bridge into Georgetown, traveled back up Rock Creek until I reached Adams Morgan, and then headed for home. I had to travel a bit further on 16 St to make 14 miles, and finished in front of The House of the Temple (shown above). I used the RunFit app and wore my HR Monitor without any issues. It was a great run, and although tough to fit it in, I was very glad I did it. Hope you all had a great weekend and are surviving Monday!

Week 8 – May 11, 2019

Distance: 8.5 Miles

Weather at run time: Mid-60s, Sunrise 5:57am

I did the social run again this morning. For breakfast, had a hardboiled egg, and some Gatorade about an hour before the run. We took off from the running store around 815am. I wore my heart rate monitor again. I think at this point, I have the hr monitor sorted out, and will be doing a post soon that includes some lessons learned on the monitor. I actually used a different running app today than I typically do. On my usual running app, there is the ability to take a picture at the end, but on the one I used today, there wasn’t. So instead, I’m just posting the route we took from my GPS. I might continue to do this for these social runs, since we take a unique route every time. Like in previous weeks, the group today was great. I feel good that I’m getting to know some of the people. Today’s run was shorter than the last few times, but still, as always, was challenging. Some of the other runners are very fast, and it can be a great effort to keep up. I really don’t mind running by myself, but sometimes it’s good to change it up. Running with this group is fun because everyone is friendly and trying to push each other. Enjoy your Saturday!

Week 7 – May 4, 2019

Distance: 12 Miles

Weather at run time: Mid-60s, Sunrise 6:04am

Today was a solo run. I ate a Health Warrior Chia bar and had a glass of coconut milk for breakfast. I wore my heart rate monitor, belt with two water bottles, and two gels. Started around 8:30am. Really nice weather for a run. It was overcast, mid-60s and didn’t feel too humid. I consumed the gels at mile 4 and mile 8. Today was a bit tough. Wasn’t really in the mood for the run, and struggled to stay motivated around mile 6. As always, now that it’s over, I’m very glad I did it. I ran into the social running group that I’ve been participating in and waved to them. I will be doing the social run on a bi-weekly basis because, while I enjoy it, I also feel the need to stick to my running schedule. I ran my typical route today and turned around when I crossed the Arlington Memorial Bridge into Virginia. It was not too crowded, but people were out. There were a number of people playing volleyball and crew boats racing down the Potomac. I probably turned around a little too early; I had to do some laps around my apartment in order to finish the final mile. Overall, a good run, but I need to start picking up the pace. It wasn’t bad today, but I know I can go faster. As always, enjoy your Saturday and don’t forget to place your bets on the Kentucky Derby! Personally, I’m rooting for By My Standards!

Week 6 – April 27, 2019

Week 5 – April 20, 2019 was my first missed long run. I did do 4 miles on Easter but decided not to count it. With my family in town and my sister moving I could not find the time to do the planned amount of miles. I’m hoping this is the last run I miss.

Distance: 11 Miles

Weather at run time: Low 60s, Sunrise 6:13am

Today, I again participated in the Pacers Running store social run. There was a relatively low turnout due to many of the usual runners participating in tomorrow’s Parkway Classic. Had a great group though, everyone was again very nice. It was really windy outside, but it was kind of nice because it kept me cool especially later in the run. We ran down 11th St NE to the Anacostia trail, then through Navy Yard to the “Titanic” statue. When we reached 7th St NW we headed north, all the way to S St, and then west to 14th St, and then back to the store. I wore my heart rate monitor, but am still trying to figure out the best way to use it. Next time I do one of these social runs, I will most likely wear my belt too, and bring water bottles. They have water at the store, but stopped stocking cups, so it’s difficult to wait there for everyone when you’re thirsty. Really felt bad about getting off my routine last week — it is nice to get back to it. Hope you all have a great Saturday! Enjoy it!

Week 4 – April 13, 2019

Distance: 11 Miles

Weather at run time: Low 70s, Sunrise 6:32am

This morning, I participated in the Pacers Running store Saturday social run. On my current running schedule, I am doing a week of intensive running followed by a week that is more based on weight training and speed. During the weight training weeks, I would like to try more social runs. Toward the end of my training for the Washington Marathon, running began to feel more like a chore and I do not want to repeat that. I was not sure what to expect this morning and arrived about 10 minutes before 8am, when the schedule said we would begin. A few people were already there, but more continued to trickle in until we actually started around 8:15am. While the temperature this morning was in the low 70s the humidity was high. I did not bring my water bottles or gels since the distance was not posted, and thought the run would be about 8 miles. I was wrong. The full run was about 11 miles, but I still felt fine without the water and gels. They also made it clear that people could turn back at any time and there was absolutely no pressure to do the full run. I wore my heart rate monitor for the first time but will need to continue to play with it. The app did not seem to work correctly but that’s fine today was a trial run for that. The group was great, everyone was very nice. I have done one of these type of runs once before and while we started together the group quickly broke apart and I was listening to my headphones as usual by mile 2. That was not the case today; the group tried to stay together for the majority of the run, and waited at lights to allow members who had fallen behind time to catch up. We ran to the National Arboretum, which houses the columns that used to reside at the U.S. Capital until 1958. It was beautiful, and we witnessed a young couple getting married under the columns this morning. On the way back, the main group dissolved into smaller groups, but we waited at the running store for each other to finish. I am very glad I did this run, and look forward to participating in more of Pacers Running social runs in the future. Happy Saturday everyone!

And good luck Tiger! Hope you win the Masters!

Week 3 – April 6, 2019

Distance: 10 Miles

Weather at run time: Low 70s, Sunrise 6:42am

So much for getting back into my morning run routine. This was a tough one. My birthday was yesterday and the celebrating impacted this run a bit. I did not get started until around 2:30pm. I was not feeling great, and had some cramps early on. However, the sunshine and beautiful weather drove off my morning mind cloud and I felt better as the run progressed. This was also the first run of the season where I was able to run in just a T-shirt and shorts which was nice. Last week I mentioned I only ate a banana before the afternoon run and felt like that impacted me. This time, I ate a full lunch around noon and that worked out better. I consumed my gel packets at mile 4 and mile 8. The run was my normal route but farther. I did not turn back until after I had crossed the Arlington Memorial Bridge. As I got closer to the Potomac this became the dodge-the-tourist run. Kid on a bicycle wobbling from side to side – Dodge – family of six looking lost – Juke – guy walking like this might be the first time he used his feet – Spin Move. It is cherry blossom season and if I continue to miss the early morning window the crowds are going to be a common occurrence. My favorite was when I got stuck behind an older gentleman wearing large headphones and he burst into song singing “One is the loneliest number.” With his confidence and musical enthusiasm I don’t think he’ll be alone for long. Happy Saturday everyone! Hope you’re enjoying it!

Week 2 – March 31, 2019

Distance: 8 Miles

Weather at run time: Low 50s, Sunrise 6:52am

These will most likely be boring posts, because right now I’m striving for consistency, which doesn’t make for entertaining reading. I decided to run on Sunday instead of Saturday this week because the weather was expected to be nicer Saturday, and so I thought I’d get some golf in. It rained in the morning, so I delayed my run and didn’t get started until around 1:00pm. The weather wasn’t bad – the sun was out, and there was a strong breeze. It wasn’t cold and was pleasant for a run. Getting a late start had some implications for the run. I again had a banana about an hour before getting started, but that being the only thing I had eaten, I’m not sure it was enough fuel. Also, runs in the morning are a lot less crowded. Running this afternoon involved a lot a weaving between people on crowded sidewalks. At mile 4, I consumed my gel packet and drank some water. I followed the usual route and nothing differed from Week 1. As you can see, I finished in about the same spot. The run today was fine, I was feeling tired today and had to force myself to do it but I’m glad I did. Next week, hopefully I’ll get back into my typical morning routine.

Week 1 – March 23, 2019

This will be an ongoing thread. Since this is my first week training for another marathon I would like to do a series of quick posts to reflect on my long runs and anything else I’m thinking about.

Distance: 8 Miles

Weather at run time: Low 30s, Sunrise 7:07am

This is my first week of training again. Saturdays are typically my long run and I reflect about the week a lot during these runs so thought I would do a quick reflection about the run itself. As I mentioned in my Marathon Post I do not think I focused enough on nutrition in my previous training. This morning I ate a banana as soon as I woke up to try and take in some carbohydrates. The morning was much colder than I expected when I started around 7am. I was wearing pants, and an Under Armour shirt, but should have worn gloves or a hat. There was a strong breeze and windchill but I didn’t feel it after a while so it was fine. Also, I wore my running belt which contained two water bottles and a gel packet. In the past, I would only wear this on 10+ mile runs, but I’m trying to mimic the race in every run now and I will wear this in Berlin so have to get more used to it. My focus was not on speed today, I just wanted to get back into it and enjoy the morning, but because of light traffic and not having to stop at traffic lights I ended up making pretty good time. I ate my first gel packet at mile 4. I’m trying to get comfortable consuming a gel packet every 4 miles. The route today is my typical run (the distance changes but it begins the same), first north toward Columbia Heights, west until I reach Rock Creek Park and then south. Today, when I got near the Potomac I circled back and headed toward Dupont since I only had to do 8 miles. It was a quiet run, didn’t see many other people until I passed some groups of joggers when I circled back. Overall, a great way to start this Saturday!