Longest run ... then a little scare

Yesterday, I went 37 minutes all on the track -- my longest run yet. It was probably 4 miles. Toward the end, I felt some soreness in the left achilles area. I did my best to stretch it out and added icy hot later and kept stretching it. It was sore this morning, then felt better as the day went on. I think it's OK.

Today, I ran for a second consecutive day, just made it 20 minutes. The girls went 25.

72.5 miles

Very good stretch

We went out to Syracuse last week. Out there:

Saturday, 35 minutes total. Some on the neighborhood roads, some on the golf course.

Sunday, 20 minutes running in 40 total of run-walk.

Monday, 31:30. It was about 3.4 miles out and back on streets. 9:15 pace.

Wednesday, when we got back, I did 4 laps of the Eastlake soccer fields driving range, 7:21, 7:06, 6:58, 7:02. Very smooth, felt strong. It was about 50 degrees and I was in shorts, and it was great. Then, I ran down to the driving range ridge and ran a couple of controlled strides up, and jogged back. 35 minutes total.

Today, Friday, I got out of the cold wind and ran on the Wesleyan track for 30 minutes, 9-minute pace for a good part of it. 3.3 miles.

66.3 miles

2 days in a row

Tonight was relaxed, out and back, 15:58 and 15:28 (31:26). Nice and relaxed, smooth. Just logg ing the miles for my base. Feeling like I have some endurance, especially coming back. I'm limiting what I eat, watching what I eat. The best part is this is a back-to-back run. To

Tonight makes it exactly a month, 17 runs.

50.3 miles.

Staying steady

I'm doing the work. Tonight I ran 30 minutes with Claire, downtown, up past the post office, up and Street, left to the park, big loop, then back to the school. 27 minutes, then I cooled down 3 minutes.

I was working real hard, compared with Claire, but I am putting in the work.

Next week, I need to do a 35-minute run.

47 miles

3 trips around cemetery

Very steady, but hard run. I ran to the cemetery, did three loops, and back in 32:30. It seems very hard because, 1. I'm not in the best possible shape. 2. It's after school, and I got up at 5:30 a.m. 3. It was snowing and coldish.

But this is the benefit of this run I need to impart to kids: Be consistent. Be steady. When these runs seem hard and going nowhere, keep your eyes ahead and just plug away. There will be 70 days this summer. Run consistently for 55 or 60 days, and you will be ready. There will be 77 days of the season. Run consistently for 66 days, and you will get somewhere.

By the way, cemetery is .55ish.

Yesterday, I felt so loose and strong. I ran with Luke for 11 minutes out at the park.

44 miles.

Hard, cold week

Had three runs this week. This morning, 4 laps of Eastlake soccer fields/driving range in 27:55, actually a total of 32 minutes with Luke run a little later. 18 degrees with w-nw wind of 15-25 mph.

Thursday, before conferences, 26-minute run. I went to the park in C.J. and ran three big loops and back.

Last Tuesday, Columbus City loop in 26-something and that was hard. It was a day after I gave blood, so I think that affected me.

40 miles.

32 minutes on track and fields

32 minutes on the track and the fields around the track. At the end, I did a lap in 2:16 on the track (9:04 pace). Pace doesn't matter. Running matters. Then did some jogging at eastlake with Luke. And I ate reasonably today. I felt a good rhythm, and that's what I am going for.

31 miles.

Another bike loop, then dog run

Last night, I did the same route -- on the bike path around the school -- 24:35. Then I took the dog up the hill to the shelter and back, 35 minutes. It was very blustery and with the hills it is hard to get into a good rhythm.

Probably 3.5 miles. The focus is not on speed, it's on consistency, and logging time running. STeady pace.

Total miles -- 27.5