Winter continues

Tonight was a very good run. I broke it in two segments, planning to just spend some time running aerobic pace. Just staying at that pace. But I want to push the pace if my body allows -- I am just getting back those competitive juices, and they are pushing me.

It was 21 degrees outside with a W-NW wind of 20 mph. So I didn't spend too much time outside. I ran four blocks around Wesleyan -- 5:30-5:18-5:00-4:57. It felt a little better all the time. So about 20:30 outside, then I went inside.

I met up with John, who was running 3 x 2 miles with 5ish minutes rest. I ran with him, laps ranging from 43-46 -- in other words, 8:36-9:12 pace. I ran 2.5 miles inside and probably 2.3 outside, for 4.8 miles in 42:50 -- about 8:50 pace. If I'm even able to run a minute faster per mile faster than that at Drake, I'll be at 38:55. I want to be at 37 minutes or below. Actually, I love the idea of 36 minutes. That would put me in the top 10.

I'm having no issues, except my blister is just a little tender -- not broken open, but tender.

Sunday, I ran 30 minutes on the treadmill -- really picking up the pace for a long spell. It felt pretty good.

Miles on shoes -- 173

Nice but painful run

Tonight I ran the 2.5-mile bike trail twice as the sleet started to fall on me. The first lap was in 22:35, and the second in 22:05 for 44:40 total. 8:56 a mile, but I think it was probably faster than that at times. Especially on the way back -- I felt so free and easy. Until about a half-mile remained, on Linden Drive, and the blister started hurting. It is still healing, but the pounding on it caused it to bleed a bit. It's sore tonight. I probably should stay off it running until it feels like it's growing some more skin.

Total miles on shoes -- 165

Good tempo run at Wesleyan

Monday, I ran on the treadmill -- 30 minutes, pretty steady. What is better is that it was the day after my long run and I felt pretty good. Tired, but good.

Tonight, I ran a tempo run at Wesleyan. I warmed up with a 10-minute run (45 seconds a lap, or about 9:00 pace). Then I came back and ran about a mile and a half (about 11 minutes) in tempo pace. That was about 38 or 39 seconds a lap, or about 7:35 to 7:50 pace per mile. I felt really good, in control. I got tired toward the end and I eased up.

Then I cooled down about 5 minutes, talked to John and Mike, who were also running at the track. So I didn't quite get enough of a cooldown, and I got home and ran about 7 minutes up and down Linden Drive.

About 35 minutes, 3.8 miles.


Miles on shoes -- 160

1-hour run

1:00:45 run -- 6.5 miles -- in snowy and 28-degree weather. This is my longest run yet and one I needed to build up to running a 5-mile race in 10 weeks. I just need to continue to build on this. I got a slight blister from my socks being wet from sweat and snow. But I'll keep it clean and run easily tomorrow. Then Tuesday a day off, then Thursday, 4 miles with a little tempo built in there, Friday 3 miles or so, Sunday, 5 miles.

153.5 miles on shoes.

Outside-inside run

Today, after only running once in the last five days because of a cold and heavy days at work, I was itching to get out. It is still cold and slushy-snowy outside, hard to find places to run, but I also hate running more than a half-hour on the Wesleyan track. So I went outside, running some loops at an up-tempo pace around Wesleyan, for 24 minutes, then running 22 minutes on the track. It was definitely more than 5 miles, and my pace on the Wesleyan track, at times, was better than 8 minutes a mile. I think I was doing 7:40-7:45 pace at times.

5.2 miles --147 miles on shoes.

3.5 steady miles at IWC

Yesterday, on our 7th snow day from school, I went over to Iowa Wesleyan to run on the 12-laps-to-a-mile track. I did a steady 9-minute a mile pace (about 45 second laps). I did 32 minutes. I have a cold, so I didn't feel like going any faster. It was a good midweek run when you have few other options. I took an extra rest day with the cold and a long night Monday.

Miles on shoes -- 142

My tentative schedule

I am putting in the miles now so I can run the Drake Relays on the Road 8K at the end of April. For a tuneup, I want to do the Mount Pleasant prediction run out at Eastlake Park. Goal in Des Moines: 36 minutes. Follow the 8K training schedule.

Then I would like to taper and get faster, shooting for the master's mile on the Augustana track in Rock Island at the end of June. Goal -- break 6:00.

Then I'll start doing some good summer training, running maybe once a week up at Columbus, and getting in great shape.

From there, I want to run a fast 5K at the Watermelon Stampede in Muscatine in August. Sub-22 minutes.

Then I run the Iowa City Road Races Run for the Schools in 21 minutes in October.

Longest run

Today I did a steady 55 minutes -- about 6 miles -- on the trail. It was a pretty easy pace, but it was just a matter of continuing to run for 55 minutes. The first lap was 23:06, the second lap about 22:40, then the half-mile up the trail to the high school and back. My hip hurts a little now, and so does my knee. I'm 50 years old and have an imperfect body, what can I say?

miles on shoes -- 138.5

Hard run through CJ

Tonight Seth, Logan and I ran 3.1 miles downtown CJ and back -- 26:47. It was a pretty tough pace, especially on those hills, for me. But it was good -- kind of a steady state run. I need that.

Then on the way home, so I could get to 30 minutes, I got out of the car and ran another 4 minutes on the county road for 30:28 total. 3.5 miles -- 8:42 pace. It feels good.

132.5 miles on shoes

Raw February run

I ran after school -- Columbus City loop -- (2.85 miles plus .2 up and down block for 3.05) plus downtown and back (add 1.7) for 4.75 miles. Hilly, raw, cold run.

9-minute pace. I felt this was pretty good for these conditions.

129 miles on shoes.