Finished State Farm 10 Mile in under 2 hours!

1:58:54! David ran the kids 1 mile race in 9:17. Woo Hoo! David ran a good race (120 out of 291 overall, and 75 of 145 in his division), and I confirmed that I am one of the slowest people alive! But, I finished.

Before the nitty gritty, let's talk about the quirky. My race number, which was emblazoned on the tag thingy that was pinned to my chest, was "666." Yup, that's right. I was "666." (David was 665). I can't tell you how many comments I received from the other runners. To compound the number, I have taught Sunday School for many years, and currently the High Priests Group Instructor! So, when someone made a comment, I told them I was a Sunday School teacher for years, and we all got a good laugh. More number stuff for the overly superstitious is listed in the "UGLY" section below.

I wanted to finish in under 2:00:00, but when I mathed out my strategy I figured I could realistically expect to finish between 2:05 and 2:10. I extrapolated my last 8.5 mi run time to a 10 mi course (2:03: and change), plus added a few minutes as adjustments because that time was a personal best, this race was on a slow surface, rain was a possibility, and other factors. I was a bit nervous because race organizers ask that if a runner cannot complete the 10 mi course in 2 hrs or less, then they run the 5K. My heart wanted me to finish in under 2 hrs, but my head (and calculator) thought it would take longer. Fortunately, my heart won this time (not usually the case).

Friday was beautiful, so I was hoping for a gorgeous Saturday morning. No such luck. The rain started falling around midnight, and the weather at race time was raining and cold. The trail was very wet, and with so many runners quickly became a mess (muddy, lots of puddles). The fast, trained runners who knew how to lift their heels had mud up their legs and onto their shorts and backs. I was a slow runner, so I had mud only up to the backs of my legs to my knees.

Despite the conditions, the competition got me a little psyched!

I finished the first mile in 10:15, and reached the 5 mile point at 55:22. My back started hurting around the 6 mile mark and became quite sore around the 8 mile mark, but I was able to keep up a good pace. When I realized that I could finish in under two hours, I started doing sprint splits (I was worried about sprinting because the trail surface was in poor condition), so I only did 4, not including my kick at the end. I did a sprint split with about 1/2 mile left and, as I rounded the last turn, I could see the clock and knew I could finish in under two hours, so I went into a dead sprint to the finish line. I crossed under the big clock at 1:59:58.

This was a "chip timed" event, which means that each runner is given a timing chip to tie into their shoe laces. While the official clock starts when the gun sounds, our individual times don't start and stop until we cross a special mat at the start/finish line. I started at the very end of the pack, so my time started when the official clock has already ticked off a minute. So, I crossed at 1:59:59, but my official time was 1:58:54.

The Good, the Bad, and the UGLY.

The Good

1. Reached the 5 mile mark in 55:22. I was very happy!
2. I actually passed, and stayed passed, approximately 17 people! This hardly ever happens!!
3. I had an excellent kick to the finish.
4. I walked only for a total of 5 minutes the entire race.

The Bad

1. I don't know how to drink water while running. At the first water station, the water went up my nose, and at the next station I drank the water in such an akward fasion that I felt like I was going to throw it back up. I wear a Camelback when I a 10+ miles distance, so I am drinking from a drinking tube with a bite valve. I have to learn to drink from a cup while running, because I'm not planning to wear my Camelback in the Marathon.
2. My back became sore just after the 6 mile mark, and got worse the rest of the race. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do, but I need to do something.

The UGLY.

1. 291 men finished the race, and in my manly gender I finished in ........... 291st place! There were two guys behind me, but they didn't finish in time to get an official time.
2. 299 women finished the race, and I beat .................. a whopping 17 of those women! And at some point I passed all 17 along the way. Who is da man! Woof, woof, woof.
3. I finished in 573rd place. (573 out of 590).
4. My race number was "666." Fortunately, the initial results were modified a bit, because not only was I "666," but for awhile I was finisher "569" and finished "13" from the last.

Conclusion

I have a lot of corrections to make before the Marathon (now only 36 days away). My goal is still 6 hours, and I think I can make it. We shall see.

Wed, 28 Mar: last big run before Saturday's race

Great run tonight! Ran 8.5 mi on the standard route in preparation for Saturday's race. Took the hill last for training purposes. Completed the run in 1:43:49, which beat my previous best time by 2:19. Woo Hoo! Reached the first split at 28:51, the 5 mile mark at 58:22, and the third split at 1:24:xx (forgot the seconds). Completed the uphill stretch (1.5 miles) in 19 minutes and change, which for me is excellent.

I think several things contributed my improved time. The biggest factor, I think, is that I wore my new contact lenses for the first time ever on a run. Generally, my glasses fog up around the 1.5 - 2 mile mark so I have to take them off, but my vision is so poor that I have to stare at the ground in front of my feet so I don't trip and fall. My inability to see causes me (subconsciously, I think) to slow down, and staring at the ground with my head down causes poor running posture and form, which also impacts my time. I also think that running with my head down puts extra pressure on my back. My back is only marginally sore after this run, compared to being very sore every time I run over 3 miles. Keeping my head up also helps my breathing, and helps me get a better sense of how fast I am running. Also, since I could see, I was able to jog most of the path by the zoo, even though it was a moonless night. As I recorded earlier, I normally have to walk this entire segment when running at night because the asphalt is very uneven, and I can't see well enough to run it. I still walked 2 minutes (I hit the path when it was time for a 2 minute walking cycle), but was able to run the rest.

Next, I learned an important lesson on my 24.5 miler last Saturday. As I noted in my blog, I sprinted the last 1/3 mile or so, and it was the fastest I had run all day. To know that I could sprint after going over 24 miles is quite emboldening.

Finally, I incorporated 8 or 9 "30 second sprints." I haven't sprinted much (except at the end), but whenever I did sprint I would follow the sprint with a walking phase. This time I followed my usual pattern (jogged the first leg - 2.6 mi - then went into my standard 8/2 walking cycle). But, I mingled the sprints within the 8 min jogging phase, and completed a sprint no sooner than 1 minute before a walking phase. Going from a sprint to a walk slows my walk, while going from sprint to jog, then walking after the jog, helps me keep my walking pace faster.

The bottom line is that I was so far ahead of schedule from the vision improvements and sprints that I was afraid of burning out, so I added 1 minute of walking on 3 of my cycles, and threw in 1 minute of walking at 2 various points on the last uphill, yet still run a personal best time. (In all fairness, the fact that I didn't have to walk the entire segment in front of the zoo helped as well).
This was my last "long" run before the State Farm 10 miler on Saturday. I am off Thursday (weights only), and will run a light but timed 3.3 on Friday morning.

Schedule for 10, rained out after 4.

Started a 10 miler on the MOPAC trail, but the weather did not cooperate. Dark clouds billowed in, followed by a very heavy rainfall and lightning. The rainfall was much heavier than it was on Saturday, and I was quickly soaked to the skin. Further, the rain fell so hard that the trail quickly became a mess, so I turned around and headed back.

I wanted to average a 12 minute mile. Completed the first mile in 10:30, which was good. Started raining in the middle of mile 2, so I completed it in just under 13 minutes. I decided to turn around at about 100 yds after the 2 mile point, so I went a total of just over 4 miles. I had to walk the last 1+miles for safety, as I could not wear my glasses and visibility was already poor. We'll try it again tomorrow. The temp was very warm (well over 60) but the rain was very, very cold. Came home to a nice hot shower.

One 5 miler today

I was scheduled to run two five milers today (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) but I was still too sore from Saturday's run. So, I ran late (started at about 2310 hrs) but picked a more difficult route. This 5 mi route used the last 2.4 miles of my standard 3.3 mi route, but initially heads north so that, at around the 1.7 mile point, I have one mile of medium grade uphill (by Nebraska standards, but by Utah or Colorado standards it's relatively flat). It ends with another uphill grade, this one around .75 mi.

Finished in 59:17, which for me is an excellent time.

Jennifer bans all sodas, Kurt in despair.

Yup, that's right. Jennifer has determined that soda and fruit juices are my "mortal enemies," and has banned them from my diet until after the race on May 6.

My biggest vices are chocolate milk (not banned yet) and root beer (now on the banned substances list). I usually drink a root beer while I teach my criminal law and criminal procedure classes. But, no more! Needless to say, I am devastated by the loss, and will binge eat celery (plain, without peanut butter or any dipping sauce of any kind) to make myself feel better.

Still sore from yesterday, 48.3 mi for the week!

Well, I'm still aching from yesterday. When I get up and start moving around I loosen up a bit, but when I sit more than a few minutes my body tightens up. When I get up again, I move like a 90 year old for several minutes. Slept over 13 hours last night, which is extraordinarily unusual for me, and I feel like I need another nap. Anyway, I think I'll take a lovely Sunday stroll and hopefully get my muscles to start pumping out the lactic acid that built up yesterday.

I went 48.3 miles last week! I'll be averaging 45 miles per week for the next five weeks, and the following week will throttle back considerably (20 mi or even less) to let my body heal for the marathon.

I can go the distance. Still slow, though...

I ran a long one today - 24.5 miles on the MOPAC trail. (and right now I am one hurt'n puppy!)

I started at the trail head on 84th Street just south of 'O' Street at around 7:00 am, and ran east to the 12 mile marker and back (with a 1/2 mile detour in Eagle, Nebraska). Total time was 6:42:53.

I averaged a 12:10 pace for the first 3 miles, but then a thunderstorm hit. It was wonderful! Lightning filled the sky in every direction (including a couple of overhead boomers), and rain fell for at least an hour. I was soaked to the skin, and looked like a drown wharf rat. The trail quickly became mushy, which slowed me considerably. My 5 mile time was 1:05:32, and my 10 mile time was 2:18:29. This was three and a half minutes faster than my experimental run of a few days ago, but still 18:29 to slow. I want to run next Saturday's 10 miler in under 2 hours.

Running wet does cause a few problems (wrinkled hand and toes, chafing in places we don't discuss in polite society or on polite blogs, a lot of extra weight to carry, etc). Fortunately, the weather warmed up considerably around 11:00, and I was completely dry by the time I finished.

I left the trail in Eagle to go down to the gas station/general store for a pit stop and to buy a hot chocolate. I was quite chilled, and all the liquid I had on me was cold. As I made my way to the "Casey's General Store," I passed by a lovely little market that had all kinds of good things inside. I went in to buy the chocolate and use the restroom, but the people there refused to let me use their restroom! Needless to say, I will be sending them a lovely thank you note on my business letterhead. Anyway, instead of a short detour, I went at least a half mile (or more) out of my way. I don't shut off my stopwatch for stops, so my official time included bathroom stops, etc, and this detour.

Now I'm back to the same old problem: time. I ran a very disciplined pace, running a 7/3 split from mile 5 to mile 22 (7 minutes jogging, 3 minutes walking). The good news is that I beat last year's 21.5 mile time on this same trail by a whopping 48+ minutes, and this year ran an additional 3 miles in only an additional 4:45. But, I have to complete the marathon in 6 hours. I was almost 43 minutes over that time and still had 1.7 miles to go!

Ok, therapist types, this one is for you. There is no question that I have stubby little legs and I run like a donkey or billy goat. But I wonder if part of my slowness isn't in my head? My back started getting sore at around the 8 mile point, and I had to stretch it out several times the rest of the way. It became quite sore around the 22 mile mark, and I walked most of the next two miles. BUT, when I rounded the last bend in the trail which gave me a straight shot of around .3 miles to the trail head, I knew Jen would be there taking pictures so I broke into a dead run and sprinted the entire distance. It was the fastest I ran the entire day! And, when I finished, I had plenty of energy "left in the tank." Of course, when I got out of the car when we arrived at the house I felt like I was dead, and my back is killing me now. Regardless, I wonder if I have trained myself mentally to be slow? Anyway, please think about it and get back to me.

I love my Camelback. It has a 110 oz water bladder and plenty of room for more stuff. After using it many times now, I cannot imagine how I functioned previously. While I am running I just bite on the valve and drink! I don't have to slow down and get out a bottle, I just keep on going. I did carry addition liquid with me (a couple of sports drinks and a chocolate milk) and I stopped to get those out and drink them, but the Camelback saves numerous stops. It's the best!

Thursday, March 22

Entries for a couple of days.

Yesterday's plan was to run two 3.3 milers, one in the morning and one in the evening. I did a light 3.3 in the morning, but when I went out to do a timed 3.3 in the evening there was a thunderstorm warning and a fair amount of lightening. So, no late run.

Today was one of my two "off days" for running. Hit the gym. I have definitely not regained my strength from the flu, as my bench was an abomination. However, worked my arms and shoulders very heavily, and Jen took some pictures (most of which are located at the bottom of the blog). Notice on my pec deck picture that I am lifting the entire stack at 312 lbs. The picture was a pain, as she was using the camera on her Palm Pilot. The shutter speed is very slow, so I had to do numerous reps at that weight to get a decent picture, and to get that photo I had to hold the weights up for several seconds. I was beat! I was lifting 154 lbs for the lat press down and curl pictures. Again, I had to hold the weights for several seconds so Jen could take the picture. After work, I went home and took a nap!

Sleep log

Kurt, what happened to your sleep log. It only lasted 4 days and then was suspended due to technical difficulty. Hmmm.

Tuesday, Mar 20

An experimental running day, with mixed results. I went 12 miles on the MOPAC trail, but experimented with splits being distance instead of time. I ran the first 5 mi (had to walk for several minutes because I received two phone calls that were important to my hearing tomorrow, but I couldn't run and talk at the same time) then changed my jog-walk split so that I walked and jogged alternating miles. I walked from the 5 mile marker to the 6 mile marker in just over 16 minutes (a 3.75 mph pace). I then ran to the 7 mile marker, completing it in 12 min and a few seconds (just under a 5 mph pace). I walked mile 8 in around 16 minutes (still good), but had difficulty running mile 9. I felt as though my body had adjusted to walking and didn't want to run. I walked to the 10 mile marker, and my walk time now slowed considerably. The last two miles were painful and slow going. Again, I felt like my body had adjusted to a walking pace, and it had no interest in running. I did sprint the last 10o yards or so to the finish (big deal), so I still felt manly after the run.

I had planned to go 15 miles, but the weather did not cooperate. I faced a stiff head wind the entire first 6 miles, and black storm clouds were gathering quickly. So, I turned around at the six mile marker. I literally had just closed my car door when the rain started. I don't know how long it rained because there was no rain at my house (about 6 miles south). Regardless, I ran the last three miles after sunset, and running in the dark, in the rain, and an unlit trail would have been a challenge.

I wasn't running this for an overall time, but rather to test a different theory on splits. It didn't work out so good this time, but I'll give it one more try (in the morning this time) before making a final judgment. In all fairness, I missed 7 runs from illness and I was very sore from my 8.5 last night, so this may not have been the best night to give this method a try.

I ran 10 miles in 2:22:00, which is not good, so I'll try it after my 10 miler on the 31st.

I'm starting to see real value in Becca's suggestion of running twice daily. I spoke with her about it, and think that it might help me with my stamina. I won't be able to run long distances, 3.3 - 5 mi, but no more, because at my age (45 next month) my body may not be able to recover quickly enough. I also run the risk of shin splints. On the other had, I need to average 45 miles per week for 4 consecutive weeks, starting on April 2, and this may be a great way to do it. I'll do two runs tomorrow and rest Thursday, then may run twice Friday and do another long one on Saturday.

Monday, Mar 19

Well, it may have felt good on Mar 14 to be back on the paths, but from the 15th - 17th I was miserable. Residuals of my flu, and I guess my body took quite a beating.

Ran 8.5 tonight. Started great, ended poorly. For the first time, I reached the 5.1 mile mark in under an hour (59:33). It took almost 51 minutes, however, to finish the last 3.4 mi. The sun had gone down so I had to walk the stretch along the north side of the zoo because of the uneven asphalt. It took over 6 minutes to walk that stretch, and during the walk my back tightened up. Further, I found it very difficult to start running again, and the running was very hard the rest of the way (I finished over an hour and a half ago and I still have not recovered). I had some papers and tests to finish grading, so I went back to the office so I could sit in my chair and turn on my back massager (it's beating my lower back as I type this). I'm hoping to get out the door around sunrise, but we'll see how it goes.

Wednesday, Mar 14

Finally got back on the path today. A bit windy, but otherwise a warm and gorgeous day. I decided to keep it light, so I ran a 4.6 mi. This route followed the first 2.6 miles of my 8.5 mile circuit, but when I reach the Rock Island Trail (the 2.6 mi point) I turned south instead of north and ran 2 mi to a park complex which includes a local YMCA.

The run was bi-polar (of the rapid cycling variety!), but it felt great to be back on the paths. I ran the first mile in 8:51, which is 23 seconds faster than when I last timed that portion of the run. I went into an ugly coughing spree around the 2 mi point that was so bad that I hacked up 3 lungs. Messy business. I didn't stop, but had to walk just over 2 full minutes, and for a few seconds of that time was moving an crawl. Despite losing time, I still reached the trail merge in 28:54, which is 46 seconds faster than my previous personal best on that split (29:40). All I can figure is that the weather was great (over 50 degrees) so my body was moving faster. I started feeling very weak about a quarter mile later, and walked most of the remaining 1.75 ish.

Unfortunately, I do not know my overall time. The City Parks and Recreation mileage chart shows that the trail ends at the park, but there is no marker or any obvious place where the park begins or the trail ends, so I had no idea where to stop my time. My best guess is around 60 min.

Lifted, 520 ab crunches.

Monday, Mar 12

Tough seven days due to illness. Have not run or worked out since last Tuesday's 3.3. I was going to run today but practically passed out in Judge Porter's courtroom during a three hour hearing. It was bad. So after the hearing I went home and went back to bed.

I'm scheduled to do a light run tomorrow morning to get back into the swing of things. It will be more walk than run. If all goes well, I'll resume lifting on Wednesday.

Thank you everyone for your kind words of encouragement!

Thursday, Mar 8

Sick yesterday and today (stomach bug), stayed in bed both days.

Becca suggested on Mar 6 that I run twice a day. I put that suggestion out to the rest of the brain trust.

How would that work? I'm trying to run 5 days per week, but I don't think I could run twice a day on all five days (I'm too old, too heavy, etc). Would I run twice on my short run day - a 3.3 in the morning and in the evening. Would I break up one of the longer runs (instead of running an 8.5, I would run two 4.5's or 5's). Or, would I run an 8.5 or so in the morning, one in the evening, and then take the next day off?

Tuesday, Mar 6

Ran 3.3 at lunch, 36:59.

Welcome Friends and Family!

Welcome to my Marathon Blog!

This Blog details my efforts to run my first marathon. For some, running a marathon is a fun past time or the application of their natural running talent. For me, an experiential learner, it is an adventure, and will be the accomplishment of one of my many life ambitions. This "adventure" is a bit tougher for me than others I have enjoyed (slow, no natural running talent, etc), so I will greatly appreciate any help, advice, or support you can give.

This is a "private blog." I didn't want to advertise to the world that I am slow, pudgy, and lack good judgment. Fortunately for me, each of you already knows that I am slow, pudgy, and lack good judgment, and for whatever reason you have either chosen to remain my friend or at least have condescended to not kick me out of the family. So, whether you join this Blog with a cheer, a groan, or you feel obligated to assist through pity, you are officially part of my marathon brain trust and support group, and I greatly appreciate your friendship, familyship (a new word), and support.

This blog has only 21 members (most husband and wife entrants count as one member - "the twain shall be one flesh" - sorry husbands, but you should have read your scriptures before you were married). The list includes three runners which have over 20 marathons to their collective credit, one experienced runner/bicyclist, one high school long distance runner, two general purpose manly men stud types, four couples who have been my close friends for many years, two attorneys (just in case), several close family members, two social services workers (just in case), and a child therapist (with my mentality, personality, and maturity, an adult therapist would be a waste of time).

I'm new to blogging (this is my first), so if you have any hints on how to make a blog nice, please let me know.

Again, welcome to my marathon brain trust and support group! Please visit and comment as often as you like.

Monday, Mar 5

Great weather, so I played hooky after my 2:00 court hearing and ran my 8.5 circuit instead of going back to the office. I have a brief due so I'll have to go back later tonite, but I enjoyed a beautiful run - the temp was up to 42F when I started!

Reversed the course so I didn't have the big uphill at the end. I set a very fast pace (fast for me, anyway) and finished the first 5 miles in just under an hour (58 minutes and change). I was especially pleased by my time because I had been slowed considerably at the Zoo; the entire .42 miles of trail past the Zoo was packed with wet, sloshy snow, which made running very difficult. There was no way around the snow so I had to slug through it, and I lost at least 3-4 minutes and almost fell a couple of times. I completed the last 3.5 miles in 46:08, which is still just over a 4.5 mph pace. Overall time was 1:46:08. I want to get that time under 1:35 before my 10 mile race at the end of the month.

Good weight lifting session (got 235 lbs on the bench but couldn't get 245 lbs up yet. Maybe in 2-3 weeks). Also 520 ab crunches.

Saturday, Mar 3

Still too many icy patches to run outside, so back to the treadmill again. Ugh! Went 7.14 mi.

I often use a 6 mph interval of 2 min duration, but this time experimented with several longer 6 mph intervals, including a 10 min. It went well. Did a few bench presses and curls at maintenance weights only.

Weather reports warmer temps this week and no reports of snow. If I can get 5 real runs this week, I'll be a happy man!

Friday, Mar 2

Another storm was raging outside, so I had to use the treadmill. Went a little over 6 miles. Completed 5.02 miles in an hour, and then the treadmill turned off because the gym programs the machines to shut off after 60 minutes. Reset the machine and did a "pacing" walk for a mile. I have difficulty keeping a steady, consistent pace, as I seem to be constantly speeding up and slowing down. So, I set the treadmill at one speed and focused on mechanics like stride, breathing, arms, etc for one mile.

After the treadmill, did 440 reps on my abs, then worked on my lower back. I intentionaly have not done any leg pressing in quite awhile, so I jumped on the machine to satisfy my curiosity. Easily lifted the entire stack (490 lbs) like it was butter, even after my legs were shot from the run. If I was working on my legs, I would need more weight than that just to do my warm ups. Arrived at the gym around 1230, left around 0300.

February Review

Now that February is over, its time to evaluate our progress for the month.

Running: My goal was 18 running days and 110 miles for the month. I had 12 running days and ran just under 88, so I was 6 runs and about 22 miles short. The biggest single factor was the weather, and 5 of the 6 missed are attributed to snow, extreme cold (under 20 degrees), or both. I ran only 3 times in the first 10 days of the month because of snow and very low temperatures. I don't normally run when the temp is less than 20, but became so desperate because of the weather and I violated that rule a couple of times.

Despite missing some runs, I made good progress. I substantially reduced my 3.3 mile, 5 mile, and 8.5 mile run times. Further, I had 8 runs over 5 miles and 3 runs over 10 miles. My previous monthly best was 4 runs over 5 miles and 1 run over 10 miles. I didn't beat my previous best mont's total mileage (123.2 mi), but I am scheduled to pass that mark this month.

Weight Lifting: Right on schedule. I'm doing "maintenance" lifting so I don't experience a sharp reduction in muscle mass because of the running (muscle is easier to burn than fat, and studies show that high stress levels, like those I experience daily in my job, cause bodies retain fat. So, I lift to convince my body that I need the muscle). I lifted 8 times, which was sufficient for this purpose. And, I'm making decent progress in regaining some of the strength I've lost.

Nutrition: An abomination! Today is the first day of the new nutrition schedule. We'll see if that improves this area.

Sleep. Jennifer has pointedly informed me that I am not sleeping enough (what's new?) for my body to recover from the long runs. At her insistance, I now have to keep a sleep log until race day. Oh well.

Health: Excellent, and no real injuries in February, which is a blessing. Left knee is a bit sore, I had only one blister, and I tweaked my back on the 14.5 miler when I tripped over uneven cement (I had to remove my glasses again because they fogged up, but I tripped on a stretch of sidewalk that I've run on at least 50 times or more). But, no muscle pulls and no shin splints so far! woo hoo!

Overall, I think we made solid progress in spite of the weather, and I look forward to an even more productive March. I have a 10 miler at the end of the month, and this will be a good benchmark of how well I'm doing.

Thursday, Mar 1

Another big winter storm hit, so run and weights canceled. Schools are closed (even Nebraska and SCC), and the police are requesting that everyone stay off the roads. No one at the office, either. So, I'm staying home and shoveling snow (which is a great workout because of the large areas I have to shovel!)

Wednesday, Feb 28

Ended the month with a bang - ran a 14.63 miler. The time was not great, 3:39:05, as I had hoped to finish in 3:15:00 or better. However, I ran almost this same route last year (.7 miles shorter this time around due to a minor tweak) and completed it in 5:18:08. So, this time around was .7 miles shorter, but I cut 99 minutes and change off the previous time.

I wanted to run a longer mileage today because yet another storm front is moving in, which will relegate me to the treadmill for a few more days (started snowing about 30 minutes ago, and its coming down fairly hard).

The base temp during the run was fairly warm (in the 30's), but the aforementioned storm was moving in and I spent considerable time running into an ugly, cold, and humid head wind.

I started off good and ran the first 5 miles in just over an hour. I then slowed a bit and ran the next four in just under an hour, and had completed a bit over 9 miles when I hit the two hour mark. I then crashed and burned, completing the final approx 5.6 in 1:39, which is slow. I have a 10 miler coming up in the end of March and need to complete it in 2 hrs. So, I still have a bit of work to do. Part of my slowness this time was attributable to me pacing myself for the longer run. Also, at about the six mile mark I realized that I had not eaten any breakfast or lunch, and had only 4 individual ravioli's as a snack about an hour or so before I ran. DUNCE!!! Poor nutrition strikes again!