not giving up on the comeback

4 this morning in 7:51 ave pace - my left hamstring is really tight still.  I worked on stretching last week and it got worse.  I think I'll just let it go without this week and see what happens.  

more in the PM - 6.75 with 10 or 11 one minute pickups.  My left achilles is acting up now. 

Wanted to do 4 this morning and more in the PM, but I think I better rest this achilles and try to get my miles in later today. 

I am planning my racing year this week. 

March - 5K

April - 8K/15K & 50K

May - track nights

June - 4M and 50K

July - 4M

Aug - 5K and 8 hour

Sept - 10M

Oct - 5K & Half? or Marathon?

Nov - 5M/10M/15M & Marathon?

That'll give me a nice collection of races this year.  I'm still deciding what to do for the big fall race.  Now I just need to get the niggling little pains fixed...

3.35 later - with new shoes- being really careful with the achilles and cut this one short

not sure what to do - this week is junked already but I was hoping to pick it up today

went out for 8 and the achilles tightened up at about 4 or 5 miles.  I guess I should have gone on a shorter run. 

7:52 ave pace

got in 4 - the achilles was pretty tight by the end.  I find that I'm trying to land differently so that I don't over stretch it.  

argh

4 @ 7:45 ave pace

things are feeling a little better today.  shortening the stride and trying to be careful where I step.

4.45 @ 7:15 ave pace

The achilles felt ok today - not 100% but better.  Icing it again afterwards.  upper 40's and pretty windy out there today

4 @ 7:47 ave pace

felt pretty good today - got stopped by a few stop lights

4.45 @ 6:57 ave pace

Ran two miles with Sawyer - his longest distance ever!  Then I ran two at the track while he waited.  It wasn't quite the distance I wanted but that's ok.  Didn't ice the achilles, per Paul's recommendation. Woke up this morning (Sunday) and there is still no soreness to the touch.  It's been like that for a few days now.  I take that as a good sign I suppose. 

felt good with a little spunk in my step - not sure what's going on there.  maybe it is the great weather here in GA.  Foot is pretty good.  Will try to get in another 30 min later today

4 @ 7:12 ave pace

4.4 @ 7:11 ave pace  -evening run - felt pretty good.  I've decided I love running in the evening.  I thin things are coming around.  we;'ll see.  I wanted to try a double today to see how the leg handles it.  So far things are ok.

nice run after lunchtime - rain held off for me

felt good again- fewer little pains in the left leg every day.  

6 @ 7:22 ave pace

Got out before getting my now 7 year old girl from after-school camp.  

5 @ 7:17 ave pace

Well I finally singed up for my 50K next month.  I wanted to see if this leg would start acting normal again.  I think it is going to be ok now.  Now I need to get some long runs in the next month...Either way I'll just be there for the fun. 

I guess I'll be cautious and I turned it around after three miles.  I wanted to do 8 but there was a little more tightness in my leg today.  This was the longest at one time in a week or so, so I'll be good.

this up and down weather makes it hard to get used to the "heat".  71 deg. and I was cooking.   Supposed to be 81 tomorrow. 

6 @ 7:23 ave pace

felt pretty good after 3 days off - very busy and with the tweaky achilles, I diidn't mind taking fri and sat off.  Maybe not the way to go but i got a lot of stuff done around the house and my mother in law's house.  I'll see how badly out of shape i am this saturday with the local school district's 5K. 

8.1 @ 7:06 ave pace

ok - I signed up for the Georgia half marathon next March.  It is the first day of sign-up so that have some great discounts -- $40 isn't too bad.  I still don't know what to do for the fall goal race.  There is a new marathon run by the Atlanta Track club - on Halloween weekend.  I should do that one.  But there is also the Silver Comet Half on the same weekend.  That is a great PR waiting to happen.  Or I could wait and run the Chickamauga Marathon or Half two weeks after that. 

pre lunch run 4.5 @ 6:50 ave pace -- the weather is so nice

post work run - another 4.5 @ 7:16 pace -

got out before driving into work today - felt ok - not great

4 @ 7:26 ave pace

never really felt in the groove on this one - not sure why

7.5 @ 7:10 ave pace

don't feel really great today- feel like my throat is constricted a bit - 

5.4 - @ 6:58 ave pace

This is the local race that benefits the education foundation.  It gets huge participation cause all the elementary schools have track club after school to get the kids ready and excited for it.    My whole family ran.  My wife and daughter did the mile.  That's my wife's first race ever.  My son wanted to do his first 5K, too.  Very fun. 

So we watched the milers go out and cheered our ladies as they finished.  Then it was 5K time.  The guy who's won the last two or so wasn't running this year, but when we all lined up there were some guys that looked fast and at least a few who actually are fast.  So any hopes of winner were out the window.  BUT the goal really was to do my best and not puke or quit.   :)

I somehow avoided the sprinting kids at the start andgot up to speed and tried to maintain an even pace.  There lots ups and downs on this route - defenitely not a PR route. 
first mile was 5:43
slowed down but at that point it was just hanging on
I didn't have another gear when I needed one.  That's the lack of speed training rearing it's head.  
I yo-yo'd with another guy in the last 1 mile or so which made it fun especially when I finally passed him on the last .25 (he surged a bit too early and I had a little in the tank).
This is the first time I've won the masters race - hey that's cool - I got a $50 gift certficate from two different running stores.  I don't think I've won anything like that before.  That'll help by some shoes and stuff in the future. 

After the finish I ran back and got to run the last mile or so with Sawyer.  That was really cool.  He did great in his longest run ever!

~3 @  ~7:30-8 min pace

3.1 @ 5:51 ave pace

BIG positive is that the achilles held up.  My right leg hamstring or something is still really tight but I can deal with that. 

felt good once I got my butt out the door

7.4 @ 7:10 ave pace

almost skipped the day but finally got out the doorfor some slow 5 miles - not much of a day for running

5 @ 7:41 ave pace

early pm run / felt good today / hope to get more in later

4.25 @ 7:09 pace 

Ran after feeding the family.  It was nice a drizzly and in the mid 50's.  Perfect running weather.  I ran across a guy dropping some fast miles (got passed by him when I stopped to wait for a car) and chased him the last mile and a half
i need that more often - actually I need to find out who that is and run with him.  I saw some other guys running some fast miles together too.  It must be the misty weather. 
 

4.2 @ 6:50 ave pace

Felt pretty good once I got out there.  I always seem to wait until the last minute to get out.  This is a decent pact for an easy run on this route. 

7.5 @ 7:05 ave pace

going to have a racey April. 

next Sat. I have a 15K, then the next is a 50K, and then a 5K the next.  FUN!