March 1, 2010 - Ryan

I'm in serious recovery mode after the Rock n' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon this weekend. Leanna, Scott and I made the trip down on Saturday morning, got in some carb-loading and MSU basketball at French Quarter Pizzeria, and then called it a night in order to get some sleep for the race (I'm sure Leanna would dispute the "sleep" part seeing as she slept on the couch because she gave the 2 beds to the marathoners).

Race recap:

Weather: Absolutely perfect. The start was in the 40's and the finish was probably in the mid-high 50's. Sunny throughout

Course: Flat as a pancake, but the roads weren't the best. The only "hill" (and I use the word lightly because it was more of a short incline) was around mile 21.

My race: Well, we decided to walk to the start line, which took a little longer than expected; so long in fact that we missed the start of the race. I had to run to the first corral and ended up starting the race about 6-7 minutes after the gun went off. This forced me to dodge my way through people for the first few miles in order to find a decent spot to settle into a steady pace. I really think this hurt me as I had to spend extra energy running across the street to find open spaces in order to get decent mile splits.

Much like the Blues Marathon, I ran hard until around mile 22 when I started to fall off. Again, not sure how to fix this issue, but I'm going to start with lots of rest. I'm really looking forward to not training for a marathon for a few months and then after Chicago, I might take some time off from marathons and focus on half-marathons. To me, there's not much enjoyable about running a fast first half and knowing that you've got to do it all over again, and its going to take longer. I really can't describe the pain in my legs starting around mile 22. My mind tells my legs to move faster, but they physically can't. I think its part genetic in that the human body can only store enough glycogen to last about 2 hours of strenuous exercise, then the body starts burning fat, muscle, or any other source of energy. It makes sense that this would happen around mile 22 for me.

Also, I need to find a better shoe to race marathons in. The Lunaracer works for me in races that max out at half-marathon distance, but after that, the bottom of my feet start to really hurt.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR Mardi Gras Marathon

I was very proud of Leanna for decided to do the half marathon. She had signed up for the full, but had a stress fracture in her shin that put training on hold. However, she's been running a little she thought she'd try the half. She hand't run longer than 14 miles since Thanksgiving, so needless to say, running a half without training would be challenging for anyone.

Scott ran a great race as well. He cut 23 minutes off his PR, which is very impressive.

Daily mileage: NA
Weekly mileage: 41.2
Miles on Lunartrainers: 59.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 125.0

Friday, February 26, 2010 - Ryan

Well, the taper is almost over and race day is Sunday. I dont feel as prepared for Mardi Gras as I did Chicago, so I'm not expecting a new PR. Maybe this approach will help since I'm not nervous about the race at all. I'd just like to run this one under 2:55.

I did an easy 4 miles with Leanna Wednesday and have been resting since then. I might do an easy 2-3 miles on Saturday morning and then it's race day.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 57

Daily mileage: NA
Weekly mileage: 15.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 59.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

Monday, February 22, 2010 - Ryan

The taper continues...

I ran 4 miles @ 8:27/mile with Leanna yesterday through Reunion. I ran in my Nike Free just to see how they felt on an actual run. They felt good, but I could tell they weren't as cushioned as my Lunartrainers. Needless to say, I won't be running Mardi Gras in them.

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Today, I ran an easy 6 miles @ 7:25/mile from work today. I'll probably do 5 miles tomorrow and maybe 3-4 on Wednesday before shutting it down until Sunday.

Daily mileage: 6.0
Weekly mileage: 6.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 59.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

Sunday, February 21, 2010 - Ryan

Well, I've been enjoying the taper this past week. I did 5 miles @ 6:36/mile on Tuesday through Reunion. I really like running there because it's easy to get 5-10 miles in and there is no traffic at all, plus the terrain changes from flat to rolling hills, to steep, long hills.

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I did a short tempo workout on Thursday (4 miles @ 5:49/mile) and a cool down mile. I felt like I needed a good speed workout to give me a little more confidence for Mardi Gras next weekend.

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I've got an easy 7 miles today, and then another easy week next week before the race on Sunday.

Daily mileage: NA
Weekly mileage: 16.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 53.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 - Ryan

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. A lot has been going on. First and foremost, I got engaged to my wonderful girlfriend, so that was very exciting. Secondly, work has picked up a little, but not too much.

I got in my last long run before Mardi Gras on Saturday. I did a 15 mile @ 6:43/mile out and back from my house. I wanted to start off a little slower and then run hard the last 3 miles. All in all, a good last long run before the marathon. That gave me 46 miles for the week. Hopefully my speed will be there to break 2:48.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 50

I rested Sunday and then did 6 miles @ 6:31/mile yesterday in Reunion. This week will be full of 5-milers and an 8-miler this weekend.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 51

Daily mileage: 6.0
Weekly mileage: 6.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 43.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

Friday, February 12, 2010 - Ryan

First of all, I want to wish my wonderful girlfriend Leanna a very happy birthday! She's such a blessing to me and I'm so thankful I get to spend another birthday with her. Hopefully the "white death" will subside so we can go eat tonight.

I was about to get in 8 miles @ 6:33/mile. It felt like a really good run for me. Not tempo fast, but faster than I do most of my 8-10 mile runs. I'm off today and then probably going to run 15ish tomorrow.

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I'm looking forward to starting my taper next week in order to have fresh legs for the Mardi Gras Marathon.

Daily mileage: 8.0
Weekly mileage: 31.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 22.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 - Ryan

I tried to do some speedwork last night on the treadmill, but, due to my hatred of the treadmill, I failed miserably. I did 3 1-mile repeats and then called it a night. I just can't make myself stay on that thing. It doesn't matter what TV show I'm watching, I can't stop looking at the distance / time.

I had a great workout today. 9 miles total, broken down:

• 4 miles @ 6:44
• 4 x 800m repeats (400m jog between each)
• 2 miles of 1 minute sprint, 2 minute jog
• Cool down

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So far so good for the new Lunartrainers.

Daily mileage: 9.0
Weekly mileage: 23
Miles on Lunartrainers: 14
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

Monday, February 8, 2010 - Ryan

Today's schedule called for another 9 miles @ 6:45/mile. I did an out and back from the house at lunch time. My legs didn't feel too tired, which is a plus give my 22-miler on Saturday. I really tried to push myself on the hills today as well. I know Mardi Gras won't have any of those, but it still can't hurt to train hard on them.

I'm really going to buckle down this week with my training so I can be in top shape for the Mardi Gras Marathon in 3 weeks. I started taking my Race Caps Supreme today. I'm just not sure if my speed is there to run a PR in NOLA, but I'm hoping I can find it before 2/28.

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Hopefully my new Lunartrainers will come in today or tomorrow. Mine have about had it.

Congrats to the Saints on winning the Super Bowl, and if you didn't see Jay-Z at the beginning singing an opera-style remix of "Run This Town", look it up.

Daily mileage: 9.0
Weekly mileage: 9.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 379.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

Sunday, February 7, 2010 - Ryan

I had a great 22 miles @ 7:23/mile long run yesterday with Jerry. We ran the first 15 miles at a steady pace (~7:30/mile) and then we did 10 1 minute intervals (2 minutes rest after each) and then a ~2 mile cool down. I saw that workout on Josh Cox' Twitter, so I thought I'd try it out. It really helps make the second half of a 22 miler much more manageable. Today is a recovery day and then back at it on Monday.

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I did some tempo on Thursday, but it was too short to even comment. 4 miles total including warm-up and cool down.

Also, my Hammer Nutrition Race Caps Supreme came in today, so I'm excited to see if those work. I'll let y'all know.

Daily mileage: 0
Weekly mileage: 46.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 370.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

Thursday, February 4, 2010 - Ryan

It's good to have Garett back in action. Taxi is supposedly having a treadmill delivered this weekend, so that should get things going with him. Nathan has proclaimed that he's been running / cross-training, so we shall see.

I had a great 10m @ 6:58/mile last night through Reunion. I really enjoy running at night due to the lack of traffic in Reunion and the temperature last night was perfect. However, the night can't hide the hills. Overall though, my legs felt really good.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 45

I've got to do a tempo run today and since it's raining, I'll probably be doing that at the gym.

Also, I picked these up yesterday on eBay for $76.50 with free shipping. This is my 3rd pair of Lunartrainers, so I must say I'm quite a fan.



I found this article on the ideal racing weight. Very interesting read.

Daily mileage: 10.0
Weekly mileage: 20.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 346.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

I'm Back!!!

And much like MJ's return to hoops my return to the road was disappointing at best. My new 12 week program (http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/inter.htm ) called for a short 3 mile jaunt today. Let's first mention it's been about 12 days since I ran, and even longer than that since I've done anything outside. I knew it was a bad run, just not sure how bad until I checked my garmin http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23886577.

I am beginning to think I might have bit off more than I can chew with this training program. No worries, we're just going to push on through. It should be interesting from here on out.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 - Ryan

The road to the 2010 Chicago Marathon has begun. So far, Taxi, Garett, Leanna, and I have signed up to run (still waiting on Nathan). I'm really looking forward to this for several reasons:

1. Leanna hopefully can qualify for Boston so we can run it together next year
2. It's Taxi, Garett, and Nathan's first marathon
3. If training goes well and the conditions are right, I'd like to run in the low-2:40s

In terms of training, my schedule called for 10 miles @ 6:52. I decided to run from the house, down the trail, down Pear Orchard, and back. My legs felt a little tired, but nothing too bad. I'm thinking another run similar to this tomorrow, then maybe a tempo run on Thursday.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 44

Also, Sammy Wanjiru is running the RNR Mardi Gras Half Marathon. He is the current world record holder in the half marathon (58:33, or sub 4:50 / mile pace). Ryan Hall (the current American half marathon record holder) was supposed to run as well, but he backed out after a "lackluster" 1:04 half marathon a few weeks ago. That would've been a great race. If the conditions are right, Wanjiru has a shot a lowering his world record again.

Daily mileage: 10.0
Weekly mileage: 10.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 336.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

Monday, February 1, 2010 - Ryan

I can't believe it's already February 1. You know what that means, registration for the Chicago Marathon officially opens today. It should be open for a few weeks so I think we'll be ok if we don't sign up today, but Leanna and I are going to sign up tonight.

In terms of training, last week was one the best I've had in a while. 61 total miles with a good mix of speed work, mid week distance, long runs, and easy runs. I'm taking today off and then doing an easy 10 miles tomorrow. I'll probably mix in a tempo run as well sometime this week.

Also, it's probably time to start looking for a new pair of Lunartrainers considering I've crossed the 300 mile mark on these.

Daily mileage: 11.0
Weekly mileage: 61.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 326.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

Saturday, January 30, 2010 - Ryan

It turned out to be a windy, hilly 17 miles today for me. I jogged over to Reservoir Point to meet Dale and Jim this morning for 15 miles around Ridgeland. Run conditions were quite cold, although not as cold as the Blues Marathon. We headed out from Reservoir Point, jumped on the Ridgeland Running Trail and then did an out and back on Highland Colony before getting back on the trail and heading in. The "out" part of the run was quite windy, especially when we hit Highland Colony. My legs felt good (i.e. no noticeable injury), but they're sore as I type this.

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In terms of post-run meal, I had a PowerBar Recovery bar and a protein shake because I was out of chocolate milk. Getting the right food into your body as quick as possible is necessary for strong recovery. Experts say the proper carbohydrate / protein ration is ~4:1.

Tomorrow I've got an easy recovery run w/ Dale.

Daily mileage: 17.0
Weekly mileage: 50.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 315.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

Thursday, January 28, 2010 - Ryan

I did an easy 9m @ 7:27/mile pace today. I listened to my sore legs and they told me to slow down today, so I definitely did. I did an easy out and back from work on the trail. I'm really looking forward to the new section of the trail once its paved.

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I'm supposed to run w/ Dale tomorrow. Probably 10-15 miles @ 7:15/mile pace. He's training for Boston, so I'll do what his schedule calls for. I really want to get my mileage up, so that will involve longer, slower runs in the future. The problem with that is that I have a job that takes up most of the day. I'm not sure if that means waking up before work to get in a few extra miles or what.

Daily mileage: 9.0W
eekly mileage: 33.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 298.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - Ryan

Today was my first day of speedwork since the Blues Marathon. I went to the Ridgeland High School track and did mile repeats. It was a little windy, but I was happy with my workout. For me, the best philosophy when running mile repeats is to run the lap you're in. Don't think about having to run that fast for however many more laps. Try to find a lap split that you're happy with and try to nail it each lap.

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Warm-up mile
Mile 1: 5:30
Mile 2: 5:32
Mile 3: 5:36
Cool down jog

I did an 800m jog between each repeat. A helpful hint on mile repeats if you have a Garmin; turn off the Auto Lap feature and set your laps manually.

Also, I ran in my Nike Free 3.0v2 for the first time. These aren't designed to be distance shoes, but I figured I'd try them on a soft track surface. They felt good; very lightweight.

Daily mileage: 6.0
Weekly mileage: 24.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 289.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 - Ryan

Another 9 miles today. I decided to run in Reunion today while I was home letting JV out during lunch. To say it was windy is an understatement. Weather.com said there were 10+ mph winds today, and I'd like to confirm that. Also, Reunion is quite hilly, especially towards the first entrance. Todays run felt good though. I might do a few mile repeats tomorrow at the track.

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Daily mileage: 9.0
Weekly mileage: 18.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 289.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

Monday, January 25, 2010 - Ryan

I picked up my training for RNR NOLA today. After 2 easy recovery weeks, I'm looking to get some speed back before the race on February 28th.

Today my schedule called for 9 miles @ 6:58. I decided to alter this a little due to the fact that my legs keep giving out on me with 4-5 miles to go in a marathon. Here's what I did:

• 5 miles at a little faster than race pace (~6:17/mile)
• 3 miles easy (7:15/mile)
• 1 mile hard (6:30/mile)

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That last mile was slower due to the wind. It was brutal today. I'm going to start doing more workouts where I mix in speed miles and easy miles. Hopefully it will train my legs to have something left for the end of the marathon.

Daily mileage: 9.0
Weekly mileage: 9.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 278.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

Saturday, January 23, 2010 - Ryan

I had another good recovery run today. 20 total miles this week. I'm going to start training for RNR NOLA again next week for 2 weeks, then another 2 week taper.

Recovery Run #1: I ran an easy 6 miles Thursday night in Reunion. It was a great night for a run, nice and cool with no humidity. The legs felt fine too, which was a plus.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 36

Recovery Run #2: I met Dale and Caleb today for a hilly 8 miles through Belhaven @ 7:50 pace. Yes, the same Belhaven hills that rocked my world in the Blues Marathon. This was a great day for a run, no clouds and high 50s temp.

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I'm really looking forward to training this week. Hopefully I can get some quality tempo and long runs in before RNR NOLA.

Daily mileage:8.0
Weekly mileage: 20.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 269.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - Ryan

Sorry for my lack of posting lately, but I'm still in recovery mode from the MS Blues Marathon. I tried to run 3-4 miles on Friday after the marathon, but I quickly came to find that to be a huge mistake. My legs started hurting after about 100 yards. I struggled to make it a mile before shutting it down.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Recovery Run #1

I did 45 minutes on the treadmill on Sunday, and I did 6 miles outside yesterday. Again, my legs didn't feel 100%, but they felt better.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for RNR NOLA 35 (Recovery Run #2)

I'm going to continue taking it easy this week before hopefully resuming training for RNR NOLA next week. It's tough to describe the stress that a marathon puts on your body. This one was especially difficult due to the hills.

Here is a picture of at the finish line of the MS Blues Marathon. Luckily, the clock isn't in the photo.



On a separate note, sign-up for the 2010 Chicago Marathon is February 1. I'm expecting all posters on this blog to sign-up.

Daily mileage:6.0
Weekly mileage: 6.0
Miles on Lunartrainers: 255.0
Miles on Lunaracers: 98.8