Change of Scenery is Nice... Weather is Not!

Yesterday I wrote of how I was looking forward to a change of running scenery since I have a dogsitting gig, and this morning I headed out into the great western expanse and the vast wildnerness that is the westside of Madison. Okay, so maybe that was a little too much hyperbole to describe the westside of town, especially from someone who lives on the eastside, but the scenery change was nice. It was nice to be able to run by Blackhawk C.C., down University and Old University Ave., past Camp Randall and up the shaded and wooded East/West Bikepath. It's a nice little nine mile loop that affords you a lot of different sights. What was not nice was the weather. It was miserably sweltering and sunny out... or as we from the Coulee Region like to say, "It was hot enough to knock a buzzard off a shitwagon." Okay, so maybe that isn't the most elegant of colorful metaphors that you've ever heard, but it gets the point across... it was hot! The only saving grace was that there was a nice directional breeze and the second half of the run was pretty well shaded. Those two things helped cool the body down a little. The only thing that was missing, and needed, was a water fountain. I really could have used a drink. One thing I've noticed is that there isn't an over abundance of watering holes on the westside. I'm sure I'm altogether wrong on that, but I sure as heck can't find them. I guess I'm just not running in the right places. Despite the oppressive heat and the lack of water, I muddled my way through my nine my goal. After the run, my watch said that I averaged 7:38 pace for the run, but it sure didn't feel like it... it felt much, much slower. Oh well, not all runs can be super smooth and fluid. The tough ones build character... at least that's what I tell myself. No matter, it's done and over with and one for the books.

Today's workout: 9.1 miles > 1:09:29 > 7:38 pace

Miles this week: 25.3

Dogsitting = New Running Routes

This morning marked the last run I will do in Monona for about five days. For those of you who don't know, I am what's known as a dogsitter extraordinaire. Some might even call me the Dr. Doolittle or the Ace Ventura of my generation... okay, so no one would really call me that... that would be stupid. Anyways, there are a couple of couples that I dogsit for regularly, and one of those couples just left for a five day joyride to Memphis. Dot and Mike are a retired duo that like to head south every so often to do a little gambling. They left this morning, which means I'll be bunking it with Ziggy the Wonder Dog for the next few days on the west side of Madison. Dogsitting isn't such a bad gig... it gets you out of your routine for a few days and, in the meantime, you make a few bucks on the side. Can't beat that. The other nice thing is that it's a nice change of scenery for my running routes. Don't get me wrong... I love Monona and all the nice running routes it affords me, but every once in awhile it's nice to shake things up a bit and run on some different sidewalks, paths and roads. If you don't do that, running can get really stagnant in a hurry. That's why I don't mind coming over to Dot and Mike's house to do a little sitting. It gives me the chance to run by Blackhawk Country Club, through Shorewood Hills, out to Picnic Point, along the Memorial Union, or down by Camp Randall Stadium where the Badger's play. They are all great places to venture to and they are all welcome sights to see. It's just the little "pick me up" that my training needs.

Today's workout: 5.1 miles > 37:35 > 7:22 pace

Miles this week: 16.2

A Necessary Run

Yesterday morning I did something I rarely have ever done. In fact, I can't even recall the last time I did it. I laced up my shoes, headed out for a run, and then a couple hundred yards into the run, stopped, turned around and walked home. Why you ask? A couple reasons. One was that even though is was only 8:30am, it was already starting to heat up, the sun was out in full force, and there wasn't much of a breeze. The other reason was that I was still feeling a little tired and sluggish after running at 10pm the previous night. Even though I only did four miles the night before, it was still only about eight hours in between runs and that's a pretty quick turnaround no matter how many miles you do. Tie that with the fact that my body was probaby still recovering from the hard effort I put forth from Saturday morning's race in Waunakee, and you can understand why I just up and stopped. Plain and simple... I just wasn't feeling up to snuff. So, instead of enduring the morning heat, my sluggish feeling legs, and what ultimately would have been a totally crappy run, I told myself, "Screw this, I'll run when I get home from work tonight." And that's exactly what I did. And let me tell you, it was worth the wait... sort of. Earlier in the day I had heard from our weatherman the the humidity might starting to come back in during the nighttime hours, but when I got off of work, I was pleasantly surprised with how ideal the weather actually was. There really wasn't a touch of humidity to speak of and it was great. It was actually cool and pleasant with a fairly steady wind blowing out of the north. Even though it was very ideal running conditions, it was still hard for me to get motivated to go for a run last night. I was tired from the day at work and I just wanted to relax when I got home and doze off to sleep. Despite the sheep beckoning me to count them, I for the second time that day, laced up my shoes and headed out. This time it was a necessary run to complete. The humidity was on it's way to Madison and I didn't want to run this morning with today being forecasted as the muggiest day of the week. Again it was necessary for me to get it done last night and at least assure myself of getting in one quality long run this week. If indeed last night was going to be the best time of the week to run, I had to take advantage of it. Who knew how many sultry days would lie ahead. It was a necessary run... and I took advantage of it.

Last night's workout: 11.1 miles > 1:24:23 > 7:36 pace

Miles this week: 11.1

A Quick Little Run

After spending the entire day outside on Saturday running a race, going to a 3 on 3 soccer tournament in Middleton where two of my cousins boys were playing, and then going to the Mallards game Saturday night, I wasn't in to much of a mood to get up early and go for a run, even a short one, on Sunday morning. Sunday I also spent much of the day outside going to more of the soccer tournament and then to the Vilas Zoo with my cousin and his family. After they left for home, I decided to go watch the Capitol Mile down on the square and then headed to my friend David's for a cookout and a game of CLUE with he and his wife and daughter. By the time I got home, it was pretty late, but I still wanted to get in a little run before the day ended, so I strapped on my shoes and did a quick out and back down Monona Dr. I wasn't much more excited about running than I was earlier that morning, but once I got outside into the cool night, the run was enjoyable and it went by pretty quick. It was the culmination of a good week of running... I had a great race on Saturday morning and ended up running 44 miles for the week.

Last night's workout: 4.1 miles > 32:16 > 7:50 pace

Miles last week: 44.8

Redemption at Waunafest. A New P.R... Maybe?

Today felt good. It felt good to race again... it felt good to get another P.R... it felt good to redeem myself after last years horrible outing. The 10 mile race has always been one of my favorite disciplines. It's not to short... it's not to long... it's just about right. That's why it was so disappointing to run so miserably last year. Of course, part of last years poor performance was of my own doing. Don't get me wrong... I was in shape for it. In fact, last years Waunafest Run was my last true hard workout before I ran the Paavo Nurmi Marathon in Hurley, WI two weeks later. Leading up to last year's Waunafest Run, I had gotten in two solid 20 mile training runs in the previous weeks. They weren't as fast and easy as this years training runs, but they were solid... I should have been ready. It should have been a good measuring stick to see where I was fitness wise leading up to doing the marathon in Hurley... but it wasn't... and it wasn't because I was stupid the eve before the race. The night before the race last year, I went to a going away party for one of the many people who have left this grand tv station I work at. Normally, I wouldn't have stayed out too late but for whatever reason, I decided to stay out til 1am and have a couple beers in the process. With having a race the next morning, my body didn't really appreciate and adapt well to staying out late, having a couple of drinks, and getting up early. It was as if my body was saying, "After all the hard training you put me through, this is how you treat me the night before a race?" Yeah, I grant you it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but i did it of my own volition. The thing that made it doubly worse last year was that it wasn't an ideal morning to run a race. It was very sunny and extremely warm... some added punishment for my stupidity. Needless to say, I struggled through last years race. I finished in a time of a little over an hour and twenty minutes, which averaged out to something like an 8:03 per mile pace. Pretty pathetic when you think about it. Heck, I don't even run that slow on my ten mile training runs anymore.

Today was a different story, though. Today I went into the Waunfest Run feeling confident, super fit and race tested. More importantly though, I went in rested and not a drop of beer to be found in my system, unlike last year's debacle. The weather was even nice this time around. It was still very sunny out like last year, but it was a lot cooler out and a lot more tolerable. Being that it was an important race for me this morning, I wanted to make sure my legs were sufficiently warmed up before the race, so I even ran a couple of easy miles before the start. By the time cannon sounded (and it is a cannon they use) to start the race and subsequently scare the crap out of me, I was ready to go. The race started out as good as it possibly could. For the first five miles or so, my legs felt very strong and fluid. I was averaging about 6:30 per mile and it wasn't even putting a strain on my body... it was effortless. The second half of the race was a little different story. The second half is very hilly, and today a good portion of the hills had a decent headwind that I had to deal with. Even though I laboured a bit through this part and felt like I was slowing down a touch, I still crossed the finish line in 1:04:49, a new P.R. (personal record) for the 10 mile distance. That time averaged out to 6:29 per mile. That's nothing to sneeze at. I also finished the race 37th out of 349 runners and was fourth in my age group. Also not too bad. The main thing, though, was my time. I had beaten last years pathetic effort by 16 minutes. I think I got my redemption, and got it in a big way. Although I was excited for my new P.R., I was a little bit skeptical of the time because my GPS watch had the course measured a couple tenths short of 10 miles. That dumbfounded me a bit because it was the exact same course as last year, and last year it seemed to measure out ok. After talking with my brother Pete and my good friend Dave, they both convinced me that I shouldn't worry about it. Who knows, maybe my watch was off. Plus, this race has been around 30 years... you would think they would be able to know how to measure an accurate course in that time. So you know what... I'm taking this P.R. (my fourth one of the year) and not looking back. I earned it.

Warm up before race: 2 miles > 16:40

Today's race: 10 miles > 1:04:49 > 6:29 pace

Miles this week: 40.7

Sluggish But Steady

Well, yesterday I was true to my word... I took the entire day off from running and waited until mid-morning today before I hit the road to get in my last training run before the Waunafest 10 miler on Saturday. After stepping outside though, I had kind of wished I had run last night instead and run my fifth consective day in a row. The weather wasn't horribly hot this morning, but it was a little too warm and sunny for my liking. You know me, the cloudier and cooler, the better. It was my own fault though. I was actually hoping to get up a little earlier this morning, say around 7:30am, to get in a run while the temp was in the 50's, but when the alarm went off, I just couldn't pry myself out of bed. I was still pretty tired from work and from running for four days straight. By the time I was finally able to pull the sheets off myself and lace up my running shoes, the coolness of the morning had gone by the wayside and it was starting to heat up fairly good. It also didn't help this morning that my legs were feeling a little sluggish. Again, I think they still hadn't quite recovered from the workouts I had put them through in the previous days. They did start to feel a little better once I got three or four miles into my run, and my overall pace of 7:35 was a pleasant surprise considering I felt snail-like slow today. Tomorrow I am planning to give myself another day off from running in preparation for Saturday's race. Hopefully it will do my legs some good and I can have a good result on Saturday morning.

Today's workout: 7.1 miles > 53:51 > 7:35 pace

Miles this week: 28.7

A Day Off... Sort Of

Yesterday I was planning to take a full day off from running since I had run a little over 27 miles the previous three days, and although I didn't run in the morning, I also didn't take the day off fully. After I got off of work last night, I wasn't feeling particularly tired and it was such a beautiful night out, I thought it would be a waste and a shame if I didn't take advantage of it. The running conditions were just about as ideal as it could get. It was clear and cool out with a nice northerly breeze, and with the moon out, it made it seem even more calm and peaceful and even more of a joy to run. It hardly seemed like there was a soul out either, except when I passed by the Monona Terrace where there were a few people doing enjoying some late night fishing, or passed by an occasional watering hole where people were yucking it up and having a few libations. I also can't forget the wonderful young man who passed by me on his bicycle and having the IQ of a house plant blurted out, "What the%*#@ are you doing out running at night!" Brilliant. Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it, since he is out riding his bike at night. Normally I revel in that type of commentary and like to bark something back, but tonight I was feeling so good and enjoying myself so much I just said "screw it" and continued on my way. It wasn't worth the effort. Despite the minor interruption from the Pulitzer Prize Winner on wheels, it really was a great run last night. I felt pretty strong and fluid and was happy to circle the lake at 7:28 per mile clip. Even though that made it four consecutive days of running, there won't be fifth straight day. I'll finally give my legs a break and wait til morning... at least that's the plan anyway.

A quick sidenote: Today I signed up to run the 30th Annual Waunafest 10 miler on Saturday morning. I'm hoping Saturday's race will be a bit of redemption from last years poor performance. More on that Saturday, though.

Last night's workout: 11.1 miles > 1:22:51 > 7:28 pace

Miles this week: 21.6

A Monday Morning "Guilt" Run

Yesterday I stated in my post that the family reunion and graduation party I went to this past weekend were nice rewards for the 43 miles I logged last week, and a good portion of those miles in the sweltering heat. That was true. They were nice rewards. However, after a weekend of gorging myself with brats, hamburgers, potato salad, chips, soda, beer and cake, there is nothing like guilt to help pry your butt out of bed and get you motivated to go for a morning run. It really does wonders, especially since I wasn't originally planning on running this morning after two consecutive days with 6:30am wake up calls. My body needed a break... but that all powerful "guilty" gray matter in my brain won out. It said I had to atone for defiling and debasing my body with all the wholesome goodness and nutrition that the Cheesehead State has to offer. Gee... imagine that. So with that, I headed out this morning to get in 10 mile atonement. Even though I was longing to go back to bed, once I stepped outside, I thought the run had the possibility of being a good one. The skies were nice and overcast and it was fairly mild out with a nice breeze. Despite putting in some good miles the past couple of days and getting up fairly early to do so, my legs felt surprisingly fresh and I was able to circle the lake averaging 7:33 pace. It was a great run and the guilty part of my brain was satified with my penance, but tomorrow... no matter what... I'm sleeping in.

Today's workout: 10.5 miles > 1:19:15 > 7:33 pace

Miles this week: 10.5

An "Early Bird" Weekend

This weekend, I forced myself to get up fairly early to get in my miles. On Saturday morning, I arose at 6:30am in the hopes to beat the late morning heat and get in a decent long run. I also wanted to get my run done early so I could head down to my cousin Ad's to visit with him and his family before we all headed off to an family reunion in Mukwonago, WI. I was very fortuante on Saturday that the weather wasn't the typical morning weather of the past week. It was actually fairly comfortable. The sky was completely overcast and the temp was fairly mild with a nice breeze blowing. It sure made running 12 miles a lot easier.

This morning, I again rose at 6:30am to get in a quick 5 mile run. It would have been so nice to sleep in a little extra but I had to knock off the run early because I had to usher in church for a special service this morning, followed by a high school graduation party in New Glarus for the son of one of my good friends. Despite feeling sluggish, achy and a little sleepy this morning, I did get the 5 miler in and was extremely happy once it was out of the way. I was just not in the mood for a run today. Overall though, it was a good week of running. Despite the hot temperatures, I was still able to amass a 43 mile week. That is pretty darn good considering some of the crummy weather I had to run in. The family reunion on Saturday and the graduation party on Sunday were nice rewards for my labors.

Saturday's workout: 12.1 miles > 1:33:19 > 7:43 pace

Sunday's workout: 5.1 miles > 39:49 > 7:49 pace

Miles last week: 43.5

Tolerable Temps

After getting home from work last night, I couldn't quite pull the trigger on doing a late night run. Part of me was really aching to go because it had actually cooled down quite considerably after some afternoon and evening rain storms. However, my body took a vote and decided that it really didn't feel like running twice in one day. That and the fact that I was just plain beat after work. With that, I set my alarm for 6:30am and gambled that the milder temps would linger til morning. When I pryed myself out of bed at an hour that I'm not used to, I stuck my head out my apartment complex and found that it wasn't too bad out... yet, anyway. That could change at any second. I quick had a bowl of cereal to get some running sustenance in me, took a few minutes to let it settle, and then I was off around the lake. While my body was loosening up in the first mile, I took careful notice of the sky and was encouraged by the fact that a good portion of it was clouded over. Don't get me wrong, the was sun out, but it was behind me, and I was running in the general direction of those wonderful cloudy skies. I say wonderful because those skies made things just a touch cooler and provided a little extra shade. My cousin Adrian knows what I'm talking about. He's probably one of few people I know, besides myself, who is happiest when it's cloudy and overcast out. I know what you're thinking... we really ARE related... and a little weird. I'm sure we'd fit in well with The Addams Family. Anyways, my point was again, that cloudy skies were really a blessing. It also helped that there was a fairly cool breeze blowing. I did take a quick pit stop at the 5 mile mark by the Monona Terrace to get a quick drink, down some energy gel and just take a quick breather, but I was soon back on my horse and finished up the rest of the run fine. In hindsight, it looks like I picked the best time of day to go because as soon as I finished my 10 miler, it started to heat up pretty quickly. My little gamble paid off.

Today's workout: 10.1 miles > 1:18:03 > 7:44 pace

Miles this week: 26.3

Back Amongst the Living

After enjoying a long run a couple nights ago after work, against my better judgement, I was back to running in the morning hours... in the daylight... amongst the living. And just as I expected, it was a huge mistake. Today was one of the worst mornings someone could have picked to have gone for a run. If a newbie runner marked today, July 16th, on their calendar as the day as the day they were going to start their new running initiative and program, one of two things most likely happened. 1) They stepped outside, felt the hot, muggy air and said, "The hell with this... I'll start tomorrow," or 2) They went through with their run, endured the heat and humidity, and said, "The hell with this... running sucks... I'm never running again." I couldn't blame them for making either statement... it was truly that miserable out. Stepping outside initially, it didn't seem all that bad, but like in a lot of things in life, sometimes first impressions leave a lot to be desired. The air, indeed, was very heavy and muggy, and each step seemed like a labor intensified workout. During short runs like today, I very rarely ever stop during the middle of the run, but today, about three miles in, I just had to pull over to take a drink from my water bottle, douse my head with its remnants, take off my shirt, and take a deep breath. It was that miserable out. I've had 20 mile training runs that I've enjoyed more than today's piddilly, little five mile run. Again, it was that miserable out. After my little pit stop, I continued on to do my remaining two miles, and I even finished up fairly strong by running the last mile at around 7:30 pace, although I don't know how that was possible. In any case, I did finish and actually felt just as exhausted as if I had run a marathon. It's amazing how out of shape the summer heat can make you feel.

Today's workout: 5.1 miles > 39:52 > 7:49 pace

Miles this week: 16.2

A or B

A or B. Go to yet another going away party for an employee at work OR go home and get in a late night long run. Subject myself to a crowded, noisy bar down on campus OR run around the lake in peacefulness and coolness of the night. Which nightlife option in Madison do you think won out? Yup, it wasn't even close. I'll take the run around the lake anytime... even if it means me getting done with my run at 1am like last night. Station going away parties are an all too common occurence in the tv buisness... especially at my station. They are about as common and annoying as a sneeze. They lost their luster with me a long time ago, and with the impending hot and humid weather on the horizon, my time was better spent getting in a quality long run while the summer air was still cool. Plus, you really can't beat running in Madison at night. I am still awestruck everytime I run down the Monona bike path towards the Capitol and the Monona Terrace at night. The way the lights from each of those structures bounces and gleems off of the glassy waters of Lake Monona is just incredible. You can't help but quicken your pace and feel good at the same time. The ironic thing is that this is the same part of the run that I really don't much care for during the daylight hours. When the sun is out in the morning, heading down the bike path towards the terrace can somtimes be interminably miserable, what with all the traffic, noise and congestion... not to mention the way the sun beats down on you with no shaded relief. It is physically and mentally draining to say the least. At nighttime, though, it isn't draining at all... it's the polar opposite... it's very invigorating. There is hardly any traffic, noise and congestion to deal with, and it feels like you have the whole road to yourself... like you are running in a ghost town through the stillness of the night. I tell you, nothing beats that serenity. No IPOD, MP3 player, or cell phone to speak of... just you, your thoughts, and the crickets. That's just how I like it.

Last night's workout: 11.1 miles > 1:22:22 > 7:25 pace

Miles this week: 11.1

First 40 Mile Week Since Marathon

After doing a late night run on Saturday night, I wasn't in too much of a hurry to run on Sunday. I just wanted to sleep in a bit before church and then worry about getting in my run later in the day. So after I watched the Brewers beat the Reds on tv, I decided to do something I hadn't done in awhile. Pack up a few things and head to Olbrich Park to get in my run. The four mile routes in and near my apartment didn't appeal to me today, so I thought I would mix things up and start off my run on the eastside of Madison. It did the trick. Even though it was a little warm and breezy, and my legs were a little tired and sluggish from the previous night's run, the run seemed to go a lot faster because I wasn't doing the same 'ol four miler in Monona. Sometimes you need a little break from the routine and today was one of those days. Another nice thing about yesterday's run was that even though it was my shortest run of the week, it helped me get to that 40 mile plateau for the week again. I hadn't run one of those since the marathon.

Yesterday's workout: 4.1 miles > 30:30 > 7:26 pace

Miles last week: 40.6

Runnin' and Rockin' at Dusk

Yesteday morning, I wasn't to motivated to go for a run being that I was pretty tired from a long week at work, and the fact that I had to work at Movin' Shoes this morning for a few hours. Because of that, I decided to head out to get in a 13 miler a little after 8:00pm last night, just as the sun was setting. It really was a beautiful night to go. The temp was just the way I like it... nice and cool. At about the 2 mile mark, I heard music blaring from the Dane County Coliseum, which was about a mile away. As I neared the coliseum and the music was getting louder and louder, I remembered that this was the weekend that they were having a big outdoor concert at Willow Island, headlining the 80's hairband Poison. As I ran by, I didn't get to hear Unskinny Bop or Every Rose has it's Thorn, though. Poison wasn't on stage at that time. Instead, I got to hear some song I didn't recognize from the opening band, Dokken. No matter... it was still pretty entertaining to run by rock concert and hear a throng of people rockin' out like it was the 80's. It would have been kind of cool to just stop and take it in for a bit, but I just wanted to continue on with my run. By the seven mile mark, I was down at the capitol sqaure and noticed how they had the entire square blocked off. For those of you who don't know, this is the weekend of the summer when they have Art Fair on the Square, where local artists set up tents around the capitol to show off their creations and featured works. It's a pretty neat set up. By the time I ran through, however, all the tent flaps were closed and I pretty much had the streets of the capitol to myself. Running on the streets of the capitol square with the big tents on either side of me, was pretty cool. It felt like I was kind of running through a big maze. After a couple laps around the square, I headed down Williamson St. towards home. Because Williamson was thick with people were out and about going to local establishments for drinks, I had to dart to and from the sidewalks fairly often to avoid slowing down and avoiding contact. That wasn't the tough part of the run, though. The tough part was when I hit Atwood Ave. leading to Olbrich Park. In that two to three mile, the bugs were out in full force and it almost felt like I was running through a sort of sand storm. Bugs were bouncing off of me left and right, and I noticed a few were sticking to me as well. I felt like a big piece of fly paper. It was pretty gross. All in all, though, it was nice Saturday night to go for a run. By the time I got home, I could still hear the concert going on three miles away. Poison had finally taken the stage.

Last night's workout: 13.1 miles > 1:38:01 > 7:30 pace

Miles this week: 36.4

Waiting and Wading

Last night, I was hoping to head home after work and get in a quick 5 mile run in order to beat the forecasted humidity in the morning... but I had to wait. Being a technical director in tv that I am, you sometimes have to stay late into the night during the summer months when severe weather is prone to happen. Last night was one of those nights. Severe weather was whipping through the area and I had to stay late to help put the severe weather alerts on the air. I was finally able to leave the station and head home at around midnight, but by that time, I was pretty much worn out from the days events. So I decided to wait until morning, even if that meant running in a steam bath. When I got up this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see (and to feel) that the humidity and heat that was predicted yesterday was no where to be found. It was actually overcast and cool... my favorite. With that, I strapped on my running shoes and headed outside to get in my run. But... again I had to wait. As soon as I stepped outside, the skies darkened up pretty quickly and got somewhat ominous looking. I headed back inside to wait a couple minutes to see what would transpire, and almost immediately the clouds started gushing water from the heavens... tick tock, tick tock... more waiting. Finally, at around 10am this morning, the rain let up and the thunder stopped booming to where I felt it was safe enough to try and get in my run. When I stepped outside for a second time, I was still pleasantly surprised that the humidity still was not there. It was still very cool and overcast and there was actually a light, refreshing rain falling. No more waiting... It was time to go. My opening miles were quite enjoyable. It had been so long since I had started out a run in a nice, relaxing rain and the pure enjoyment of running in the morning mist made me click off the first three miles at 7:35, 7:24 and 7:15. A little over a minute into my fourth mile, I was running on the Capitol City Bike Path when I encountered a huge section of standing water that had pooled from last nights rain storm. It was at least ankle deep if not higher. If you remember, this is the same area that I had written about in my June 9th post, where I decided to batten down the hatches and plow right through it, leaving my shoes and socks totally soaked and squishing for my remaining miles. Once again, I was waiting... this time to decide what to do. I really didn't feel like doubling back because I've always hated running the same route that I just came from. Plus the traffic was fairly busy from whence I just came. Plowing through the water wasn't much of an option either. It was fun, almost exhilirating, to do that on the June the 9th, but I still had three miles to go, and the thought of running those final miles with soaked shoes was far less appealing than it was a month ago. So... instead of wating, I waded. I just decided to stop, smell the proverbial roses, and take off my shoes and socks to wade through the waterhole of a bike path... and you know what... I really loved it. By that time the light rain had ceased and the cool rainwater that was lapping up again my feet and ankles felt equally as refreshing as the rain shower I had been running in. It was really heavenly. Once I crossed through and got to dry land, I just sat down in the middle of the bike path, put on my socks and shoes, and continued on my way. Sometimes when you stop for several minutes during a run as I did this morning, it's sometimes hard to get that pace and rhythm you were running with earlier back. That was not the case today. In fact, it had the reverse effect. I actually picked up the pace and ran faster. My last three mile splits were 7:25, 7:07 and 7:04. It's amazing what a little walk through the water can do to lift your spirits. Maybe that's something we all need to keep in mind in our every day life. I don't mean just the act of walking through a cool puddle of water. I'm talking about just taking some time to enjoy the simple things this world has to offer... life's little pleasures. I truly believe that the world as a whole forgets to do that. Everybody gets so caught up in keeping their schedules and appointments, sending text messages and making calls on their cell phones that they forget to enjoy those special little moments in life. It really can make a world of difference to just stop and smell the roses once in awhile... it did the trick for me.

Today's workout: 6.2 miles > 45:34 > 7:18 pace

Miles this week: 23.4

Cool, But Sluggish

This morning I finally got what I wished for... a nice, cool morning to go for a run around the lake. That last couple of days that I've run have been real steam baths, so today was a nice reprieve from that. The run started out pretty good. For the first six miles, I was running at or near 7:30 pace. By the the time I got to the Yahara River Parkway on Madison's eastside, I was feeling a little tired and sluggish. I stopped at the park to get a drink of water and stretch out a bit and then continued on my way. By the time I got near the eight mile mark, my left foot/ankle started to hurt a bit, almost like if I had twisted it. The pain would come and go, but it was something I was able to run through, even though it caused me to slow down just a tad at times. I did finish up with a good final mile, though, by running it at 7:30. After the run, the foot didn't seem to be bothering me all that much, but it has been a little achy since then, just walking around. The aches and pains you accrue sometimes running long distances... ah, I tell ya...

Today's workout: 11.1 miles > 1:25:38 > 7:43 pace

Miles this week: 17.2

Another Humid One

After taking a day off yesterday, I was back out on the road this morning to get in my first miles of the week. Like Sunday's run, this morning was pretty humid but that was offset a bit by the overcast skies and a nice breeze. I was originally only going to do a 5 miler but was feeling pretty good so Ithought I would throw in an extra mile and go six. I was very pleased with my pacing today considering how warm it was. For the 6 miles, I ended up averaging 7:29 per mile. Starting tomorrow, the humidity is supposed to ease up for a couple days and get a little cooler, so I am hoping to get in a good run around the lake in the morning.

Today's workout: 6.1 miles > 45:36 > 7:29 pace

Miles this week: 6.1

A Sultry Night

This afternoon, I headed back to Madison from my parents farm in Coon Valley, and since I was a little too tired to run this morning, I thought I would head out for a late night run. For nighttime, though, it wasn't the typical cool weather that I have been getting accustomed to the last few weeks. It was actually very warm and muggy out and I actually couldn't wait for the run to be over. Tonight, it was almost hard to breath because of the thickness and heaviness of the muggy nighttime air. Even though it was far from ideal running weather, it didn't deter me one iota from wanting to run at night. I know it was more of an abberation than anything else. I'm sure there will be more than enough cool nights to come in the weeks and months ahead.

Today's workout: 4.1 miles > 31:58 > 7:44 pace

Miles this week: 28.6

The Jaeger Boys Take a Couple Medals at Chileda

This morning, me and my family got up early to head to La Crosse to run in the annual La Crosse Chileda Classic. I believe this was the 28th or 29th year it has been going on. It's gotten to be a pretty big event over the years and the race is always followed up by a nice breakfast in the park along the Mississippi River. In past years, it has usually been pretty warm and humid for the race, but this morning it was pretty ideal out. It was mostly sunny and cool out and a little breezy. I was excited about running this morning because I was going to get to race with my brother Pete, which I hadn't done in awhile, and I also felt like I had a good shot at breaking the 40 minute barrier for the 10K, which I had never done before. The gun sounded at 7:30am and the lead pack went out at a typical quick pace. Pete and I settled into a nice pace fairly quickly and we hit the first mile at about 6:11. The next mile slowed a bit but it was still a solid mile at 6:20. The third mile was a little tougher because we were running into a fairly strong breeze which made the pace slow down just a tad. We still hit the 3 mile mark at 6:27, and that would end up being our slowest mile. Mile 4 was lot nicer because we were able to get out of the wind a bit, and the streets we were running on were fairly shaded. We hit the 4 mile mark with a 6:20 split. Around 4.5 miles I started to tire a bit and Pete surged ahead a tad, but not my too much. He was always within shouting distance and kept encouraging me by saying that I was right on pace to crack 40 minutes. Despite feeling a tad spent, I still hit the 5 mile mark with another 6:20 mile. The end was now in sight and all I had to do was run with a little guts and I would get my mark. The early part of the 6th mile was a little slow, but almost halfway through it, I got a little strength back and was able to pick up my pace again. I was never able close the gap with my brother, but that's ok, because when I rounded the final corner and could see the finish line, I knew I had done what I set out to do. I crossed the finish line in 39:09, averaging 6:18 pace, and was extremely proud of myself. I had run a very smart race, and having my brother there to pace me and work off of, really helped me a lot. Pete finished the race in 38:55, just 14 seconds ahead of me. That is the closest I've ever gotten to him in a race so that was a good feeling too. Granted, he isn't in his usual super fit mode, but that just shows you how talented he is to be able to average 6:16 per mile over 6 miles when he hasn't been running a ton of mileage. I think it's kind of funny to think that one of his slower times is my best. That's ok, though... I'd be happy to run that anyday. Our times were good enough to place us 23rd and 26th respectively out of 279 runners and we also were able to win 2nd and 3rd place medals in our age group. Pete's wife Dannie also ran the 10k and she placed 171st overall and 8th in her age group with a time of 53:26. Our dad did the 5k and finished 550th out off 774 with a time of 35:44. Dad just missed getting a medal in his age group by placing 4th. We all ran great races and it made the pancakes and sausage taste even better afterwards. The morning was topped by watching the kids race in which Pete and Dannie's kids to part of. I had a lot of fun watching them and cheering them on. Actually, it really was fun watching all the kids run... they really ran their hearts out and tried their best, and that is what we should all aspire to do.

Warm up before race: 1 mile > 8:11

Today's race: 10K > 39:09 > 6:18 pace

Miles this week: 24.5

Another Cool Night

Because I was heading out sometime this morning to my parents for the weekend and it was such a perfectly cool night, I decided to go for a little 3 mile run when I got home from work last night. I tell ya, I am really getting used to this nighttime running... you really can't beat it, especially when there have been some fairly warm mornings this week. There is always a small part of me that really doesn't want to run at night but that is only because I just finished work, am a little tired and drained, and just want to take it easy and go to bed. However, once I will myself to lace up my shoes and I step outside into that cool, nighttime air, all that hesitation goes away and I generally always have a great run and feel re-energized. That is the way it was last night. The nighttime air totally reinvigorated me and the 3 miles I did just seemed to fly by. My legs felt very fresh and I even did the last mile at 6:49 pace. That's always a good feeling. Hopefully that is a good sign and means I'm ready for Saturday's 10k race in La Crosse. We will see.

Last night's workout: 3.1 miles > 21:56 > 7:17 pace

Miles this week: 17.3 miles

Back to Running Around the Lake

Last night when I got home from work, it was close to 11:30pm but I was still seriously thinking about going out for another nighttime lake run. It was so peaceful and cool out and I know I would have gotten in a good quality run. I was fairly tired though and I just wanted to sit back, relax and doze off while watching tv. After getting up early this morning to get in my first long run since the marathon, I really wished I would have gone last night. It was just way too warm for my taste to run 11 miles. But... I did it anyway. The run started off pretty good, with me running some fairly consistent splits near 7:30 pace for the first 5 miles. But after stopping at the Monona Terrace to get a drink of water and to strip off my soaked running shirt, the last 6 miles seemed like it would take an eternity to finish. I was still running under 8 minute pace but I just felt so sluggish... like I was carrying a piano on my back at times. I grinded out my remaining miles and actually did the 11 at 7:44 pace, which is pretty good considering how warm it was out. At least there was a somewhat cool breeze at times to give me a little relief. I learned my lesson, though... the next time I get home from work and it's a nice night out, I just might be cruising around the lake... especially during the summer months.

Today's workout: 11.1 miles > 1:26:12 > 7:44 pace

Miles this week: 14.2