Special Holiday Edition: Focus On Health

Good news from Dave! He has no recent major issues and no surgery planned.

Mark just had surgery yesterday and should be home by now. He is expected to make a complete recovery over the next few weeks and should be running again before January is over.

I had a small funny looking growth on my leg called a seborrheic keratosis (which is doctor-talk for a small funny looking non-cancerous growth) removed on Monday. It is being biopsied and the expectation is that the biopsy will be negative (which is why the doctor called it what she did). While I was at the dermatologist I had some other stuff looked at that I didn't have any real concerns about and it turns out that I should have been concerned. I have growths called actinic keratoses on my head. These things could become cancerous so the treatment is to attempt to kill them now so they fall off before they have the chance to morph into cancer. The treatment is to put a 5% solution of fluorouracil (a chemotherapy drug) on my head for the next two to three weeks.

Its a good thing that, like Coach Truce, non of us are getting old.

Coach Truce is a Hall of Famer!

Congratulations to Coach Gary Truce.

Reindeer Run 5K (literally)!

Deer joins runners in reindeer run!

As my final race of the season, I entered the 17th annual Medaille College Reindeer Run 5K.  Apparently the highlight of the race was a live deer that makes his home in the cemetery which hosted 2 miles of the 5K course.  With about 300 meters to go, my wife was yelling at me about something, and I later learned that an eight point buck had joined the race for a while, and was off to the side (see photo)!



We heard from other runners that this deer seems to like the 5K races, and also joined in on a spring 5K earlier this year, also held in the cemetery.

Raybuck gaining.......

On the more mundane side, I finished 15th overall out of a record crowd of 745 (many of whom were walkers), but here's the shocker.......only 2nd in the 50 to 54 year old age group with a brisk time of 18:28 (5:57/mile)!  The age group winner was 17:56!  And 3rd place was just behind me in 18:35 (still sub 6 pace), with 4th place in 18:56, and 5th in 19:10!  I would have actually won the 45 to 49 year age group.  These 50 year olds seem competitive!! Maybe it represents the baby boomers, or the running boom era runners?

In summary, I was pleased with the outcome, as I have had a goal this year of breaking 6 minutes per mile in the 5K (18:38), and I had a secondary goal of sub 18:30.  Splits were 5:52, 11:55, so the last 1.1 miles was run at a 5:55 pace.....fairly even splits considering the first mile was flat and straight, the 2nd mile wound through the cemetery with sharp turns, and some slight hills.  The 3rd mile was also in the cemetery with one more uphill.

OK, Mark, relax your face!

I'm done racing for the year, probably until Spring or early summer.  If the weather holds out, I could possibly try a mile time trial on the track next weekend, but the forecast is calling for colder and lake effect snow!  Full results can be found here!

Ridiculous sprint to the finish!

Why do we run?

The Runner's Version of Solitude

Although 99% of the time, I think I'm like Forrest Gump, and I just run for "no partic'lar reason," every once in a while, I get philosophical about running,  This photo of me in a recent cross country race very aptly describes one of the feelings I sometimes have about running, and perhaps is experienced occasionally by every runner.  Although surrounded by fellow runners and competitors, sometimes...just sometimes.....you are completely by yourself............what do you think???

Mark

Epilogue to GVH Championship Day



2011   and    2003





One benefit of these GVH Pete Glavin Upstate New York Cross Country (PGUNYXC) races is the numerous photos taken during each event.  I found several more of myself after they were uploaded to Kodak.  See below.

Also, my wife took a photo at this race, and had taken one of me on the same course in the same spot 8 years ago.  See photo to left.  The comparison is uncanny!!  I'm even at the exact same stride!



Powering home.



Less than a mile to go.





800 meters to go!





In woods, around 3 miles.

 













Patience Pays off for Raybuck in Harriers Last Hurrah 8K

Start line (bright blue/black stripe, center of photo)

Raybuck patiently paced himself through the 1st 1 to 2 miles while numerous competitors went out hard, but the tactic paid off in the end, garnering a 47th place overall finish out of 111 runners (all men), and 10th out of 39 in a very competitive 50 to 59 year old age group.  As evidence of the competitive nature of the 50 to 59 crowd, Raybuck would have placed 7th in the 40 to 49 year old group!  And some of the competitors in the 50 crowd placed high (as high as first) in their age groups in the recent National Masters 5K race held in October.

At 1.5 miles.

Raybuck briefly questioned his tactics as roughly 30 runners made their way by him during the initial mile, putting him in the rear part of the pack, in an estimated 80th spot by the mile mark.  However, hearing the split time of 6:20 at the mile was just what I wanted, and I felt good, so my confidence rose (to some degree).  After a long downhill during the 2nd mile (which would later of course translate to a painful uphill), Raybuck crossed the 2 mile split at 12:38, and 3 miles slightly slower at 19:10, but had begun methodically re-passing the masses who by their greed, went by him in the first mile.  The 4th largely uphill mile was slow for everyone, and was a 7:10 for me, passing the split marker at 26:20.  The final mile (or 0.97 miles if this was truly an 8K), was my best, in 6:07.  If this was an 8k, then the converted mile time would be approximately 6:16, still the fasted of the race for me. I passed another handful of runners in this final mile, including a couple fellow 50 to 59 year olds.

Uphill, 3.5 miles.

Overall, a great day!  In 2003, I ran a 4 mile race here in 25:17 (6:19 per mile), so running about 6:30/mile for 5 miles 8 years later is not at all disappointing!

Raybuck cuts loose with 500 meters to go!

Next up, a flatter, faster 5K road race on December 3, although this race can be slow if the 2 miles of roads in the cemetery are snow covered!

C'mon Harry!!  Go Striders!  By the way, I wrote my team name as Dr. K Striders on the application, but unfortunately, as the only Strider in the race, they removed the name and put UNA (unattached). Should I register a protest??

Mark

Full results here.

5K Time Trial Aborted!

I attempted a 5K time trial on the track yesterday, after months of trail running/training, and not stepping onto a track. In short, I aborted, after hitting the mile in 6:07, and decided to just do a 2-mile as a good speed workout. Finished in 12:12, rested a bit, then ran 2 quarters in 85 and 86, with 90 seconds rest.


Overall, I really feel like I’m in good shape. I ran 18:50 in a certified 5k road race (with a few small hills) last June, and I feel like I should now be able to go 18:20. Thus, I was trying for at least a 6 minute pace (18:36) yesterday. However, a couple problems: First: I ran 5.3 miles on trails with rolling hills on Saturday, because I didn’t want to give up a weekend training day. Should have rested!! Second, finishing up with a 2-week cold, still hacking just a bit, and still felt sluggish yesterday before running. Third, was watching my 4-year old grandson during the day yesterday before I ran, and had to run around the yard a lot chasing him, playing Ben Ten Ultimate Alien (unless you have youngster or grandchild, you may not know what this is).

Next up, an 8K cross country race next Sunday.  This one will be very competitive, the championship meet of a 5-meet series in upstate NY, with many good runners (unlike some of my races where I'm close to winning....where Eric aptly points out that I found a race with no competition).  If I do well, I could be in the 30 to 40 finishing range (place, not time) out of an expected 150 or men (all men, since there is a separate women's race on championship day).  It is a hilly course, and who knows about weather (we're getting snow later this week), so not sure what to expect regarding time.  Likely in the low to mid 32s.

Mark

Raybuck fails to defend title at Mendon 10K Trail Race

Yes, that is frost on the ground!

With a 2nd place finish out of 86 runners in yesterday's Mendon Ponds 10K Trail Race, I failed to defend my "title" from last year, despite better training and running almost exactly 2 minutes faster this year.  Now, granted, part of the gain in speed could have been due to dry conditions this year, compared to rain changing to snow last year.  Also, the course was run in reverse.  This poses an interesting math or geometry problem.  With about 1,100 feet of climb (counting all uphill stretches), can a course be faster in one direction than another when it is a loop, starting and finishing at the same point?

I'm on the right.

However, I have to guess that a 2-minute drop in time in this race (a bit over a 10K, per my Garmin, at 6.27 miles), and a drop of 4 minutes in my last trail race relative to the previous year, indicates an overall fitness gain this year.  I ran 42:58 for what my Garmin showed as 6.27 miles, or 6:51/mile average.  Garmin's underestimate distances on hilly courses (search this blog for previous discussions on this subject), so I am estimating about 6.4 miles.  My fastest mile was roughly 6:30, and the slowest was 7:30, during one of the stretches with the most uphill.  The last 0.25 miles was at a 5:55 pace.

Go Striders!  Up next, an 8K XC race on November 20.  We'll see what happens!

Mark


Full results can be found here.

Nothing like trail running......

Now this is cross country!

The cliff.

This past weekend, I took a quick trip to Houghton, NY, the quaint western New York town of about 1,000 residents, where I grew up.  My brother, also an infamous runner, one of the trio of Running Raybucks, still lives there, in the house in which we grew up.  While there, I ran a 5 mile trail run, including a very steep climb up "Devil's Back."  I ran Devil's back in the summer once, and barely made it up without walking. This past time, I ran up it almost without strain, and then somewhat in an impromptu manner, did a 2.5 to 2.7 mile tempo run in the woods.  No Garmin, but pace for the tempo was likely 7 minutes per mile or less.  Overall, a great workout, and refreshing change of scenery from the flat trails and residential streets in my neighborhood.

Another Raybuck?

Next race:  Mendon Ponds 10K trail race, with over 1,100 feet of climb!  I actually won this race last year (only about 61 runners), so I suppose I am the defending title holder????  We'll see what happens!

Mark

GVH Mudslog 2011 Preliminary Results!

Today I ran the approximately 8.5 mile GVH Mudslog XC race.  A trail race of sorts, with steep hills, single track trails, swamps, deep mud, various obstacles, fences, climbing wooded trails/hills, and a very cold "swim" in an 8 foot deep pond!



Early in Race





Results:  9th overall out of 223 (compared to 17th last year out of 182); 1st in age group 50 to 59 (3rd last year), and time of 1:09:50 (1:13:27 last year).  Roughly the same course, but they change up the obstacles and course a bit each year, so hard to compare times directly.



Running creek, 1.5 miles to go.

 Overall, I was pleased, and I think it was an improvement over last year. Last year I was about 12 minutes behind the same guy that won the race this year, and this year I was only about 6 minutes behind him.

"Barrel crossing" - 1 mile to go!

Go Striders!

Full results are at the link below:

Click here for complete results.

Mark

Training accelerates!

This week ended as a record for 2011:  36.5 miles in 6 runs!!  The week culminated today with a 7.6 mile run in a hilly park, mostly paved, but some offroad work as well.  I ran this with a friend, at a slower pace than typical, but still a good workout.  I also did a tempo run on Thursday, so overall a good quality week.

8 days from now is the GVH Mudslog event, the annual 8.5 miler (well, the mileage changes every year), with single track trails, steep hills, mud, mud, mud, and a pond swim.

This week may be slightly fewer miles, but if I can keep it at upper 20s, I'll be happy.

Stay tuned!

First race over, back to training!

With the first "tune-up" race of the "season" over, it's back to work on the roads and trails.  The day after the race, I ran 7.3 slow, tired miles on the roads.  Monday I took off, Tuesday was 5.5 nocturnal road miles, Wednesday was 5 miles on flat trails, averaging about 8:26/mile, with a few fartleks, especially while chasing deer (yes, we have lots of deer in our area).  Last night I did the same trail run, but included a 2.6 mile "tempo" portion in the middle, averaging 6:52/mile for the tempo run portion.

Tonight may be 5 or 6 miles on trails again.  Would like to log some good miles this weekend, in advance of the October 16 8.5 mile cross country/trail/obstacle race.  My training is not overly conducive to longer races like this, with maximum "long" runs of about 7 miles.  I'll try to get one 8 miler in this weekend if I can.

Mark

5K Trail Race: I Won! (or did I)

Somehow, I have a knack for finding races where the finish is not so definite.  Last year, I "won" a 10K trail race, but noone told me at the finish that I had won.  I had to wait an hour until the results were posted, then tell the race director "I think I won".

In that case, it was in part because there were concurrent 5K, 10K, 20K and 50K races going on using the same course.

Saturday, there was only one race, and technically, I finished second out of 80 runners.  However, I came home with the first place overall male trophy, and a free 8-hour pass to a local ski slope!

The reason for this discrepancy?  The first place guy was on a Father Son team that won first place, so he was ineligible for the overall 1st place award.  Needless to say, it was just a bit embarrassing accepting the award!  However, I took it!

Now for the facts:  I ran 20:03 for a 5K hilly, muddy trail race.  (about 6:27 per mile).  4 years ago I ran the same race in 20:33 (3rd place) on a perfect, 60-degree, sunny day.  Saturday it was 40s, windy, and raining.


One positive note was that I did not feel particularly winded at the end.  In fact, I was immediately able to jog around.  I think I may not have fully pushed myself, although I kept trying to catch the first place guy, after I moved into 2nd just before 2 miles.  I wasn't getting exhausted, but simply felt I couldn't run any faster.


A summary of the results is located at the link here.  Full results are posted here.




This was the first race of the "season."  Next up, October 16, an 8.5 mile trail/obstacle race that I try to do each year.  It includes runs through swamps, mud, various man-made fences, obstacles, creeks, hay bales, and the infamous 50-meter swim through a cold pond at the half-way point!

Mark

Getting in shape?

Finished last week with 29 miles total, plus one indoor bike workout.  Saturday's workout was a good one, consisting of 3 one-mile intervals in a park, on trails, with good rolling hills:  6:28, 6:21, and 6:22, about 4 minutes rest between intervals.  Started this week with 6 miles on trails Sunday (slow, quite fatigued from Saturday's speed workout), then a solid 2 hours of tough tennis last night.  I'm never sure how much value tennis has a workout, but the way I play singles, there is a lot of running involved, much sweating, and significant weight loss after playing.  I guess I'll count it as a workout!

Tonight I hope to be back on the roads, but it will be nocturnal and after dinner.

I am tentatively planning on a 5K trail/cross country race this coming Saturday, so we shall see what Saturday brings..................

Mark

Back on Terra Firma

I was happily back on firm ground yesterday, running 8:28/mile for 7 miles on grassy trails, with rolling hills. This was the fastest I have run this course this year, and it felt very comfortable.  I may have to run nocturnally tonight, after dinner, so will probably only target 5 to 5.5 miles on roads.

The beach is nice for vacationing, but not so great for running!!

Beach Running: not what it's cracked up to be!

Beach running conjures up images of the initial scene from Chariots of Fire, with the Olympic team briskly and beautifully running along the beach, seeminly with no effort, and theme song playing in the background.  Not so in real life. I am at the beach this weekend, and decided to go for a nice 6 or 7 mile run.  Here are the problems with beach running:
1. beaches are sloped, in some cases fairly severely, causing some discomfort on the feet and knees.
2. sand is soft! and not meant for running.  To overcome this, I ran right at the water level, avoiding the incoming surf, where the sand is somewhat firmer, though still very inconsitent.
3.  People fish at the surf line.  A few times, I had to run around them onto the soft part of the beach.  Annoying!
4.  Beach running is slow!  I averaged 9:24/mile for 6 miles.  A comparable effort on a road or even trails would have been at least 1 minute per mile faster.  Just ran 8:01 per mile for 5 miles on trails a couple days ago.

Other than that, the beach scenery and salt air are great!  And being September, with temperatures in the low 60s, it was ideal running temperature.


Mark

Training update!

Training has been going well, including a record 34 miles last week, the highest thus far in 2011.  I have also done some good speed workouts in the recent past, including two 1-mile intervals in a hilly park on grass with times of 6:32, 4 minute rest, the 6:17.  Also have done two track workouts in the last two weeks.  This past one consisted of 7 quarters in about 83 to 84 seconds, 1 800 in 2:58, and 2 200s in 37 and 38.

Racing plans for the fall are primarily cross country and trail races.  I may run a flat 5K road race on Sept. 25 to gauge my fitness.  Then I hope to do a 5K trail race on Oct 1, the annual Jensens ultimate XC challenge 8.5 mile hilly trail/obstacle race on October 16 (includes a swim in a cold pond), a 5K national XC race on October 22, a 10K trail race on November 5, and then maybe one more 8K XC race after that.  If the snow holds off long enough, I would then like to finish of 2011 with an indoor mile right at the end of December, but we'll see!

Mark

About Time for an Update!

Hi, folks!  I know the many readers of this blog have benn anxiously awaiting updates from our various authors, so I will chime in.  I ran a mile a couple weeks ago, as a last minute thought after work one night.  It was a bad idea, as I only managed 5:41, slower than my 5:30 from more than a month ago, and slower than my very first mile attempt in April, when I had done very little training!!!  Not sure what happened, but I'll chalk it up to a bad day.  I still feel like I'm in good shape, and improving. 

Cooler weather hit the northeast, and my training pace dropped suddenly by 10 to 30 seconds per mile.  The other day I did 5 miles, nearly all grass/trails, and still averaged about 8:15/mile, feeling great.

The Track and Field World Championships start this weekend, so I'm sure our authors will be posting thoughts and commentaries throughout the championships, so please tune in frequently for updates, posts, and expert commentary!

Mark

More heat training

The official heat wave is over, but it has settled into temps in the 80s and relatively high humidity.  I ran 7.3 miles Saturday under warm conditions, but actually felt pretty good, and averaged 8:26/mile, with the last 3 miles at about 8:14 pace.  That gave me 30.5 miles for the week (high for me).  Did not run Sunday (weights and abs), then ran 7 miles today under even warmer conditions, 8:43/mile average.  Too hot for speed workouts or time trials.  I'll get onto the track as soon as it cools off a bit.

World track and field championships are coming up later this month, so I'm sure there will be numerous posts about the results as they happen.

Mark

Summer Heat Wave Over? Training Resumes!

With the end of the record 1-week long summer heat wave in the northeast, that saw temperatures over 90 and high humidity on multiple days, I have resumed training, after a 6-day hiatus.  I ran 5.5 miles on Saturday, 7.2 on Sunday, then 5 miles last night.  Last night's run was surprisingly fast, 8:11/mile pace, possibly due to the "cool" conditions, with temperature around upper 70s, nice breeze, and humidity dropping during the run.

Tennis tonight, then hope to be back running tomorrow.  On the tennis side, I had my racquet re-strung and bought new tennis shoes, so we'll see if I can improve on my 0 and 9 match record for the season tonight.

8K Race Results!

Hi, everyone!  I ran in a hilly 8K road race this morning, under warm, but not unbearable conditions, with race time temperatures in the mid to upper 70s, and sunny.  This may sound laughably cool to southern readers of this blog, but it's a pretty hot race for us here in Buffalo, NY.  Regardless, this was the 3rd year I've run this particular race (ran in 2008, 2009, and again this year).  In 2009, conditions were much cooler and more comfortable, and I ran 32:43.  This year, I ran 32:26 (about 6:31/mile average), so an overall improvement, especially considering the race conditions.  I was 12th overall this year compared to 14th in 2009, and there about 10 more runners this year, totaling 153.  This race tends to be a bit more competitive than others in the area, with cash prizes of $100, $75, and $50 for 1st, 2nd, 3rd overall male and female, respectively.

I was a distant second in my age group (50 to 54) to a guy who ran 29:09!!!  That is just unbelievable, and makes him close to a national caliber age group runner.  He is certainly one of the top, if not the top in our age group in Metro Buffalo.

Next steps:  keep training hard this summer (and playing tennis), and hope this work pays off in the fall.  Typically, I really don't like to race in summer conditions.  Give me 20 degrees, snow and wind over this weather for racing!

There is a one mile road race late in August, so I'll probably get in another time trial or two on the track before then, and then give that a shot.  It's a pretty good race, certified course, and very competitive.

Mark

Click on title for link to results, or click here.

Training and Racing Update (not retired)

Training update:  last week, finished with 23.8 miles total, and two tough sessions of singles tennis.  I need to mention tennis, because I work really hard during these singles matches, which sometimes take a total elapsed time of up to 2 hours.  I suspect there is some cardio benefit, as after long rallies, I even feel the need to bend over, much as I would after a quarter-mile interval or race.  Also, I finished last week's training with a 6.8 mile hilly run in the woods of Houghton, NY, includig a run up the infamous "Devil's Back."

Training update:  ran an evening speed workout on the track Monday night to avoid the heat, but unfortunately, it was less than 2 hours after eating a full dinner.  I didn't feel sick, but times were slow.  I have been doing 8 quarters in about the 81 to 81.5 range.  My first quarter Monday night was 88.5!!!  The subsequent 7 quarters ranged from 83 to 85, with most of them in the 84 to 85 range.  I finished with 2 200s, in 36 and 37 respectively.

Training update:  tonight, I plan to drive to a park that has rolling hills, do some warmup running, then 8 repeat hills of about 250 meters each, jogging back down the hill for the rest interval, then a mile or so warmdown.  Tomorrow night I have tennis planned again (played last night also instead of runing), then maybe an easy 3 miles Friday to rest up for Saturday's race.

Racing:  8K hilly road race planned for Saturday morning.  I've done this race twice in the past, once in over 34 minutes, and then 2 years ago in 32:40.  The 32:40 was under perfect, cool conditions.  This year, it will likely be over 70 at race time (9 am), so we'll see.  I think I'm in decent shape, and I've been doing speed workouts on the track almost weekly.

As you can see, I took your comments under advisement and have not yet retired!

Mark

Should I Retire?

After a 7 miler in the heat Saturday, I did 8 quarters and 2 200s this morning.  The whole time I was thinking I should retire from competitive running....it hurt bad and I was running slower than last week.....possibly it was a combination of running 7 miles the day before, and then running this morning instead of this afternoon.  Anyway, on the way home, I decided not to quit..........yet.................

You've Got To Love Track in Europe

Right after checking in to my hotel in Tromso, Norway I turned on the TV and stumbled onto what looked to be a high-quality track meet. A few minutes later I saw a 5,000 meters being run at what looked to be a very quick pace. After watching for about 400 meters early in the race I told my daughter that I thought they had a shot at breaking 13:00. Sure enough the winning time was 12:59. The last 400 was a great battle betweeen three--I think it was a 59.

This meet was held in Lausanne, Switzerland and was part of the Samsung Diamond league. The 12:59 was a meet record and not too far off the world best time of the year of 12:54. The world record is 12:37 and it is hard to understand how anybody can run that fast. In the race I watched today seven of the top eleven were from Kenya and the other four of the top eleven were from Ethiopia.

Cowart Takes 6th in USATF Steeplechase

Don Cowart of Ragged Mountain Racing took 6th in the 3,000 meter steeplechase USATF 2011 USA championships in Eugene, Oregon this past weekend.  Eric met Cowart and his coach at the Charlottesville High School track a few weeks ago, while Don was doing 3 one-mile repeats at a 4:40/mile pace!  Although Don did not qualify for the world championships, his time of 8:39 and 6th place finish in the USA finals was very impressive.

The Sub-5 Mile Blues Video

Without further ado, here it is!!!  Please make sure to post your comments, if you aren't laughing so hard you can't get up off the floor!

Thoughts on Lukas Verzbicas

Hi Guys!

Yes, it's been a while since I've been on the blog. Just got lazy and busy.

I wanted to take a minute to raise a point about the comparison between Verzbicas' sub 4 high mile and Alan Webb. Not to take anything away from an 18 year old kid who can break 4 minutes but my son Greg pointed me to several posts on Running2win.com. I did not know that Verzbicas was home schooled and was personally coached for years. He never actually ran for a high school team and only ran in hand picked high level championship caliber events. By contrast, Webb went to a public high school, ran on a team and also ran multiple events per meet including relays. The same cannot be said for Verzbicas. So to me this raises an interesting question; who is the better runner and whose performances can best be judged against other high school runners given the schedules, team participation and events run? Again, I don't wish to demean anything Verzbicas has accomplished but given these parameters, my money is on Webb.

Training Update

It's been a mixture of tennis and running the last couple of weeks (about 4 runs each week, and 2 to 3 sessions of tennis).  Although I run slower the day after playing any tough tennis matches, I'm hoping the cross training is beneficial.  Last week I ran 22.5 miles in 4 runs, then played tennis the other 3 days.  This week I may end up with 5 or even 6 runs because of the rain (tennis courts closed), and one day of tennis.  As of Wednesday (yesterday), I had 14.5 miles running in 3 sessions, and one session of tennis.  Sunday's run was the mile time trial, and yesterday I did a tempo run on the roads (2 miles at 8:30/mile pace, 1.5 miles at 6:38 pace, and the last 1.5 miles at 8:18 pace.  I'm traveling to Houghton later today to visit one of the other famous Dr. K Strider members (Michael Raybuck), and hope to run in the hills of Houghton tomorrow.

July 4th weekend I would like to either do another mile time trial or a 5 or 10K road race.  For a mile time trial, I really need to invite someone to run with me.  These solo runs are getting very difficult mentally.

Father's Day Mile Disappointing

Fathers Day...........since it has been 2 weeks since my last race, and 3 weeks since my last mile time trial, I felt like Father's Day was the appropriate time for a fresh mile time trial.  Although I had played tennis the day before, which typically slows down the next day's run, I decided to give it a try.  The result was a disappointing 5:30.8, 3 seconds faster than my last attempt, but much slower than I had anticipated.  Based on workouts, I feel like low 5:20s should not be difficult.  In addition to the tennis, perhaps the lack of competition (ran alone) played a factor.  In fact, my best solo mile in recent years is only 5:28, whereas I ran 5:20 in 2009 with one other person, and 5:17 last December in a USATF sanctioned race (see plot below for updated trends).

Time Trends for Mile

Thoughts of retiring from competitive running swirled in my mind throughout today's time trial, but they quickly dissipated after the event.  Now, back to training!

Mark

Garmin Forerunner Problems

I will resist the urge to editorialize and just post the facts.

1) I have owned a Garmin Forerunner 205 for a few years.

2) With a year or two of purchase the device started to behave badly, randomly shutting itself off. I did everything I could think of to fix the behavior including many web searches and at lease one discussion with Garmin Support and I was never able to resolve the problem to my satisfaction. Based on the results of a Google search I just did it seems that there are now quite a few reports of this type of behavior within the Garmin Forerunner product family.

3) Last year when I was running I got caught in what I would consider a typical summer thunderstorm. It was a soaking and heavy rain, but again, nothing out of the ordinary. My Forerunner got water under the crystal. I did what I could to carefully and slowly dry the Forerunner out. In the end, even though the Forerunner didn't completely die it was damaged such that it was unable to hold any battery charge and thereby was totally useless to me.

Garmin Support offered some suggestions to try to remedy the problem but none of them worked. Garmin Support told me that the best they could do for me was to repair or replace the Forerunner (their choice) for $69. I had to pay the cost of shipping to Garmin and they would pay the shipping cost back to me.

Ragged Mountain Racing

Friday I stumbled onto a sub-four miler at Charlottesville High School. As I walked towards the track I saw Donald Cowart running very smoothly and quickly as he was running the first of three repeat miles at a sub 4:40 pace. I walked over to the person who was timing him to inquire about who the runner was since it was clear to me that this was no ordinary runner.

The track at UVa is reing rehabbed so Donnie was at CHS tuning up for the U.S. championships next week where he will compete in the steeplechase (his qualifying time is 8:31). I don't think I had ever witnessed a runner this good this close and certainly hadn't seen anybody ever do a workout like this. It was both inspirational and depressing.

Turns out that primarily through the efforts of the owners Charlottesville's well-established Ragged Mountain Running Shop there is now a program in Charlottesville for highly-talented and committed distance runners to train. Click on the title of this entry for a link to Ragged Mountain Racing.

**

Donnie did a good job warming up the track for me--I had my best workout in a long time. I ran 11:41 for 1.5 miles and went through the first mile in about 7:54. I wasn't trying to run that fast but I guess seeing Donnie run stirred some muscle memory.

Muscle Memory

I believe that muscle memory is a very flawed concept...

If I were to take all the miles I've run in my life, since so many of them were run when I was much more fit, which was when I was in my teens and 20s, my lifetime average per mile is probably somewhere quite a bit below 8 minutes/mile.

Therefore my muscle memory should mean that I'm heavily programmed to run somewhere below 8 minutes/mile. Yet these days when my natural tendency is to run much slower than 8 minutes/mile and running anywhere near an 8 minute/mile place is a lot of work.

Also, when I do run 9 minute miles, if muscle memory were a valid concept, this should have very little impact on future workouts because running a few 9-minute miles changes my lifetime average training pace by very little. However, what I find is that recent workouts are a much better indicator of my future workouts then workouts from my teens and 20s.

Now let's contrast muscle memory with mental memory. Typically, I can recall events from my teens and twenties with much greater clarity than events from much more recent times than, let's say, 3 to 5 years ago.

My belief is that a much better description for my muscular behavior today is LIFO (Last In First Out) and that the tendency towards the LIFO model is accelerating with age. I believe that when I was younger my muscular behavior was much more of FIFO (First In First Out) model than it is today.

Running Water 5K Race!

I ran 18:50 for a 5K road race (about 6:04/mile), placing 6th overall out of 175 (note correction from the original post) and 1st in the 50 to 59 age group. 

I was pretty happy with the time (certified 5K course), as it equaled my best post-50 year old 5k time from 2 years ago, and that was on the track. 

Click on title for results, or see link here. 

Now, back to working on the mile run. There is a good mile race (The Charlie McMullen Mile) this Thursday night, but it is in Rochester, about 1 1/2 hours away, so not sure I'll do that.  May just try to get another guy to run on the track with me as a time trial.

Mark

Sluggish Mile Attempt

At the end of a long week of training, I thought it was time for a mile attempt, so on Saturday, I biked to the track, warmed up, and lined up.  I felt tired and almost aborted, but figured at least it was a good mental exercise. That's about what it ended up being.  I ran a 5:33.8, when I am really thinking that I'm close to 5:20 condition.  But, I didn't feel too bad, as I ran 29 miles for the week, with 2 speed workouts, and did not rest the day before.  Feeling a bit bad, I then decided to salvage the trip to the track and ran 4 quarters, averaging about 82 to 83 seconds each.  I want home exhausted, but felt it was a good workout.  Then yesterday I ran 5.8 miles mainly on trails, including getting attacked by a goose that was protecting some goslings!  Today I ran 5.4 miles in a heat wave (for us) with temps about 85 degrees and very humid.

Next weekend I'm eyeing a 5K road race.

Stay tuned!

Back on the Trails (for a day)

We had a couple days with no rain, so I was able to get back out on the trails today.  I ran a total of 5 miles, including 1.5 miles at "tempo run" pace, about 6:56/mile.  The run was nearly all on grassy trails, and the tempo run portion was in a park, with soft grass and rolling hills, so I was ok with the pace (slower than on flat pavement).  16 miles to date for the week.  Thunderstorms and rain predicted the next several days again.  Clay court tennis club is not open yet!! But that has allowed me to focus more on running.  We'll see what happens!

Forty Years After a Dream Mile, a Harsh Reality for Track

By TOM CONNELLY

Published: May 15, 2011

The news that the Millrose Games are leaving Madison Square Garden after 97 years to relocate uptown to the 168th Street armory reminds us of how indifferent we are to track and field. And yet, in a coincidence of timing, we remember, too, that we were not always this way. Friday’s announcement came almost exactly 40 years after an event that placed the sport, however briefly, front and center in the consciousness of the American public.

New Blog Look!

Click on the video below for a brief summary of the blog's new features, look, and feel.

Training Speed Increasing

I ran a comfortable 5-mile trainng run on the roads last night, averaging 8:08 per mile.  These types of runs really provide me with an idea of my fitness level, because they are designed to be run at a comfortable pace, in which I am not really pushing.  In the winter, I was probably in the high 8s/minute for this type of workout, and even recently, around 8:20 or so.  Dropping into the low 8s for a 5-mile comfortable run is a good sign.  Tonight I plan on another 5 or 5.5, then a speed workout tomorrow on the track.

Mark

Tempo Run!

Despite the thunderstorms, I completed a successful "tempo run" last night.  It consisted of a 4.5 mile run, in which the first 1.5 miles were run at an 8:23/mile pace, the next 1.5 miles at 6:28/mile, and the final 1.5 at 7:57 pace.  Overall, felt pretty good.  This weekend I would like to do either another interval workout on the track, or a 5K road race or track time trial.  I haven't decided yet.

Mark

Training going well despite lousy weather

There has been a return to lousy, cold, incessantly rainy weather here in the northeast - so much so that I opted to ride a bike indoors on Sunday, with temperatures in the 40s, heavy rain, and wind.  I did, however, finish last week with 24 miles, including a good track workout of 8 quarters on Saturday.  This week started with indoor biking, followed by a relatively easy 5.5 miler on the roads yesterday, at 8:19/mile.  Tonight (if not rained out) will be 5 miles, with possibly a 1.5-mile "tempo" run in the middle.

On a side note, please notice that the blog has been updated, with an additional column containing useful information on the left, including a live feed of world tennis news (scroll down).  Tennis involves a lot of running, so tennis news is very appropriate for a running blog.  In fact, during the recent ATP clay court tournament in Rome, Italy, the announcer was commenting regarding Andy Murray (ranked No. 4 in the world) that he was in great condition from doing 400 meter intervals with 60 seconds rest!

Enjoy the revamped blog!  More changes yet to come!

Mark

Blog Facelift!

Heads up!  I'm thinking about another round of blog revamping, to keep our cool image fresh and updated, and keep all our visitors coming back.  I'll save the old template in case we want to go back to it, but i've located some new external templates that look pretty cool.  So in the near future, the blog may look different, hopefully better.  Here are a few new things to look for:

1.  New template.  color scheme and possibly number of columns may change.
2.  New gadgets.  planning to add new "gadgets" in the sidebars.  May try to see if I can "feed" in some RSS feed info from Runnersworld or another running site (maybe Binghamton's track web page).
3.  I updated the posting options to the newer version, so you may see more options when you are creating posts (better control over uploading and formatting photos, etc.).
4.  I already added a link to Facebook/Twitter to improve our visibility.
5.  I already added a "recent" posts gadget to the right sidebar near the top, for easy access to our most recent posts.  I can modify this to show the first sentence or so of each post, but it starts looking a little cluttered.

By the way, i know we're not the most popular site on the web, but behind the scenes, you can view some details of web traffic, and we do get routine hits of our blog from around the world.  Germany seems to be the most popular spot.  Not sure it these are from real people or just "web crawlers/robots."

Mark

A solid week!

This past week was one of my best training weeks in many months. I finished the week with 29 miles. Many of those miles were on grass/trails, and there were also two "speed" workouts included. One of the speed workouts was a 5 mile run on the roads, with a 1.5-mile tempo run included at 6:43/mile. The second was a track workout on Saturday consisting of 8 400 meter intervals, with 90-second rest intervals. I think I averaged about 82 to 82.5 seconds per quarter. I did not record them, but kept mental track during the workout. The first was 83, the second 82, then a series of about 82.5, then an 82, and finally, 81.4 for the last interval. I was encouraged, although I was hoping to run a bit faster, this workout was at the end of a fairly tough, 6-day running week.

This week will be a bit lighter, as I missed running yesterday due to family visiting/Mother's Day, and will likely not be able to run tonight (grandson babysitting duties).

However, if I can keep this type of running up, including the track workouts, I am hopeful regarding improving my mile time.

Mark

"Long Run"

Today, shortly after I wrote the post about the wind, I went running barefoot on the beach. Conditions were perfect. Just a slight wind coming out of the south and a very comfortable temperature. The tide was such that there was plenty of firm sand to run on.

According to my Garmin Forerunner 205 I ran 4 miles in 38:20. Pitifully slow, but at least it was the longest run I've done in a few years.

I'll be writing another post soon about some the problems I've had with the Garmin Forerunner 205.

The Wind

Love is the wind
The wind is my love
Who knows the wind?
Where blows my love
The wind is my love.

--from the song "Wind" (lyrics by Bob Bruno, performed by Jerry Jeff Walker)

I doubt that Bob Bruno or Jerry Jeff Walker ever trained much for running or biking on Hatteras Island. I think it might be worse in the spring than in the summer. Just about everyday there is a strong wind that is hard to escape since almost all routes are out and back.

The wind makes it difficult to know just how good or bad training is going because it has such a big impact on how fast I run or bike. Further, I don't have an understanding of what kind of training benefits there are from running and biking into a strong headwind.

A typical bike ride for me is about 20 miles. I've been running about 2 to 3.5 miles. Almost everyday I do at least a ride or a run--some days I do both.

Late this week and early next I expect to be on the track running. I'll have a better idea of my conditioning after a few days on the track. I do know that I'm still too heavy.

First track workout of "season"!

I sometimes put "season" in quotes because my wife will often comment "what season???" She doesn't seem to understand why a 53 year old talks about spring track "season" or cross country "season" when it has been more than 30 years since I finished college and actually participated in real sports "seasons."

Anyway, I hit the track Saturday, the one sunny day we have had in a couple weeks, and did 6 repeat 400s, with about 90 seconds rest between each. I averaged about 81.5 seconds, with the fastest at 79 seconds, and the slowest at about 84.

The interesting part of the workout was meeting a couple runners at the track. I saw a young high schooler doing repeat 200s, so I asked him if he was a middle distance runner. He said he was, and was actually from NYC, visiting his grandmother, and figured he was missing a workout back home, so was conscientious enough to do one. He asked if I still ran, to which I mentioned what I did in college, and that the 1500 meters was probably my best event. He then pointed down the track to his dad, and said his dad ran 3:42 for 1500 in the past, and 4:00 point something for the mile. He likes ribbing his dad for never breaking 4! He also mentioned that his goal was to beat his dad's times, but it was proving harder than he originally though. Of course, he looked like he was only 15 years old or so, so he has some time.

I didn't get a chance to talke to the dad, as I was just starting my quarters, and they were just leaving the track, but they stood and cheered me on during my first 400, which is probably why I ran 79 seconds for that one, when I was targeting 82 (then ran 84 on the next one after they were gone).

You never know what will happen when you head to the track...........you just might run into a 4-minute miler!

Mark

Off the Trails!

Unusually wet weather has forced me off the trails and onto the roads the last two runs. Tuesday I ran 5.7 miles on the roads, and averaged 8:05 per mile. Yesterday I ran 4.4 miles, including a 1.6 mile tempo run in the middle. 1st mile was 8:19, then next 1.6 miles were at "tempo" pace, 6:47/mile average, and the final 1.6 miles was 8:10/mile. Overall, not a bad workout. 16 miles for the week so far, and hoping to get into the upper 20s by week's end. I am also hoping to do a bonafide speed workout on the track this weekend, if the weather cooperates.

Mark

Trail running in full swing

This was a good weekend of running for me, although I finished the week with just 20.5 miles and one stationary bike ride.

Friday: 5 miles on trails/grass
Saturday: purchased trail running shoes (Brooks Adrenaline trail)
Saturday: 5. 5 miles on soggy trails/wet grass/rolling hills with new trail running shoes. Averaged around 8:45 per mile. The shoes helped keep my feet drier than normal under these conditions.
Sunday: 6 miles (longest run of 2011) on flat, grassy trails, a bit soggy in spots. Felt very good, especially the second half, and continued to increase the pace throughout the run, averaging 8:19/mile by the end.

Taking tonight off, heavy rain expected.

Mark

Spring is time for the Mile Run!

I couldn't resist, folks. I was planning on my first mile time trial on Friday, but I aborted after assessing the conditions....cold, in the 40s, and winds gusting over 30 miles per hour. Even Roger Bannister voted "No" for his sub-4 mile attempt due to the wind, but Brasher and Chataway voted him down, best of 3, and well, you know how that story turned out.

Anyway, the weekend forecast looked grim, but on Saturday afternoon I notices a lull in the winds, and temperature had climbed to nearly 50 degrees, so I grabbed my racing flats, and headed to the track. After a 1.5 mile warmup, I was thinking of starting, then it started raining rather hard. I hid under the bleachers for a few minutes, then thought, that's enough, I'm doing it, so I went back onto the track for a final warmup, and it stopped raining! I quickly switched into racing flats, lined up a few meters behind the mile start line, told myself (out loud) Set! then I scuttled up to the actual start line, then said "Go!" and took off. My informal target for this first mile of the year was 5:40. Since I had run 5:17 last December, I thought that was a reasonable goal.

First 1/4: 83 seconds. Half mile split: 2:50 (87 seconds). 3/4: 4:17 (another 87, so now 2 seconds behind pace). Final time: 5:40.17, just a tad over my goal, with an 83-second last lap.

As I gasped for breath at the finish line, not able to look at my watch for a while, I said out loud "I hate running!" But within a couple minutes, I was planning goals for my next time trial. So I'm not retiring yet!

Not Again!!!!! Spring Training? You've got to be kidding!

It has happened again! On April 17, 2011, I went for a 5 mile run. It was windy and a bit brisk at the start. At one mile, the skies let loose with snow, initially in the pellet form, pounding my face, then it turned to well, just good old snow.



Although I don't necessarily mind running in snow, I don't particularly like it after I've already done a few runs with shorts. Will this ever end? Should I move to Charlottesville?

Sincerely,
Mark in Buffalo

When Does This Start Feeling Good?

I'm now back on a real bike whenever possible (as compared to being on a stationary one) and did some 17 mile rides last week. While these rides are flat the fact that they are always out and back and one way almost always has a strong headwind, makes them a bit challenging.

Typically I'm running each day, around 2 or 3 miles.

The biking is pleasant, except when the wind is so strong it feels like I'm not making any forward progress. The running is mostly unpleasant. My quads are almost always sore when I'm running and most of the time even when I'm not running (except when I'm biking).

I think until I get in better overall shape the biking and the running are fighting with each other.

I hope to get be doing some 30 miles rides within the next couple of weeks. I'll be happy if I can run 3 miles and not have pain.

Maybe Spring is Here?

Today I ran without gloves and winter hat, just a long-sleeve t-shirt and light sweat pants, regular visor type hat. It was sunny and upper 40s!!

I did 5.1 miles at about 8:27/mile, mostly trails/soft grass. Felt pretty good, but only my 3rd run this week, so I'm just at 15 miles, with 2 running days left in the week.

Mark

3-Mile Time Trial/Conviction and Weather Report

The weather was much more interesting than the running. It was a true odyssey.

From mid morning to early afternoon I had been working outside, cleaning up from wood-heating season. The sun kept coming and going. When the sun was out, it was very nice. When the sun wasn't out, it was a bit cool, but not unpleasant.

Having finished with the clean-up, I came in, got dressed for running and drove to the track.

Walk from car to track: Overcast, somewhat breezy, cool.
Lap 1: Breezier and cooler.
Lap 2: Breezy, light rain.
Lap 3: Windy, heavier rain.
Lap 4: Light hail, moderate hail, heavy hail. Very windy. So much hail that the entire track was covered in it. Cold.
Lap 5: Thunder, all hail melted.
Lap 6: Overcast, breezy.
Lap 7: Less overcast, less breezy.
Lap 8: Partially cloudy, light breeze.
Lap 9: Similar to lap 8, but improving.
Lap 10: Partial sunshine, light breeze, nice temperature.
Lap 11: Conditions continued to improve.
Lap 12: Mostly sunny, very light breeze, very nice running weather.
Walk from track to car: Sunny, warm, almost no breeze--beautiful spring weather.

Time for 3 miles: 27:38. Not a memorable time, but one of my most memorable runs since I started running in 1972.

12 Laps

Weather is still nasty, but I did the full 12 laps today. Next time I do this it will be with a watch.

Getting There

My assualt on 3 miles is making good progress. I've made it as far as 11 laps once or twice. Today I ran 8 laps at what felt like a much better pace than I've been running. Next nice day I should make it to 12.

I'm thinking that 6 days/week of running and 6 days/week of riding is a nice way to have 5 days/week of double workouts and have at least one workout each day of the week. (((5 x 2) + 1 + 1) = 12 total workouts/week.)

Good Progress

I just finished my second 28-mile week of running this "Spring." This is unusually high mileage for me at this time of year, so I am quite encouraged. The weather was "nice" this weekend, with bright sunny days, although highs were only in the 20s!! The track is mostly free of snow, but too cold to consider a time trial yet. I like to see at least 45 degrees before doing my first time trial of the year. This week will be slightly less mileage, but hope to do a tempo run or something other than slogging through the cold. Mark

Slow and Steady...

With the emphasis on slow. But I've been pretty good about getting to the track almost everyday and then riding the excercise bike for 45 minutes. Today I hope to run 11 laps.

Typical spring weather. Beautiful and warm some days, cold and damp others. We might be some snow today and/or tomorrow, but it should be all melted by Monday.

I sure am glad we don't have Buffalo weather here!

Not Again!! (from Frozen Tundra, NY)

Six inches of snow yesterday, then 20 degrees this morning. Here was the scene from my front porch this am. I am, however, planning to run tonight!!

Spring Training Update..........Not Again!!!

I've had a good string of 7 days in a row of running now. The "spring" weather has improved somewhat, allowing me 28 miles last week in 6 runs. If I count just the last 7 days (Tuesday through Monday (yesterday), that would be 32.5 miles in one week.

Anyway, I feel this is a good start for me, as I usually don't get my mileage this high in the "spring." Of course, "spring" here means temperatures in the 30s and 40s.

However, Sunday was warmer than usual (mid 40s), and I played tennis with my daughter outdoors, followed by a 4 mile run.

Now the bad news............2 to 4 inches of snow expected tomorrow!! Oh well, I'm not giving up on "spring" training!

Mark

Ramping Up

Temperatures have been very nice. During Friday's workout it was almost 80. Today it was mid 60s. I'm now up to 8 laps around the track. Once I get to 12 I'll start using a watch. On the excercise bike I'm riding 45 minutes and burning about 700 calories (according to the bikes computer).

Spring Training Starts?

This week's weather has finally improved to where I can consider it "spring" training. Temps in the 40s, almost 50 one day, although yesterday was back in the 30s. Here's a summary of the week so far:

Sunday: 5 miles, about 8:35/mile pace
Monday: weights and ab lounger
Tuesday: 4.3 miles, 8:38/mile (in the dark after dinner)
Wednesday: 4.5 miles, before dinner, in the light, averaged 8:01 per mile, including 4 fartleks of about 100 to 200 meters each. What a difference running before dinner, and with the sun out. Note that this run was still with full sweats (but not hat and gloves). This was encouraging, and gives me some sense that I didn't lose too much conditioning over the winter.

Hoping to run tonight before dinner also.

Mark

Early Spring

Yesterday I went running on the track at Charlottesville High School for the first time in months. The run wasn't much--I just wanted to start working on getting the feel of the track again. The weather was fantastic. It was the first day of DST so at 5:00 there was plenty of light and it was in the 70s. I wore a brand new pair of running shorts. By the way, the price of running shorts is insane. I bought them on sale at our local running shop and they were still well over $20. That's more than I sometimes pay for a pair of real pants.

After the run I did an easy 30 minutes on the exercise bike--so I've had my first double workout of the year.

My legs are still sore. I'm looking forward to the soreness going away so I can start to run faster.

"Spring" Training????

I've sort of re-started my training, now that we're close to "Spring" in Buffalo. But it sure didn't feel like it, with either fairly cold rain or snow most every day this week.

Here's a summary of this past week’s training:

Sunday: 3.1 miles XC skiing, about 42 minutes total

Monday: 32 minutes on exercise bike indoors

Tuesday: weights indoors

Wed: 4.4 miles in pouring rain and dark, temp in 40s

Thurs: 4.4 miles in pouring rain and dark, temp in 40s

Friday: 4.3 miles in swirling snow and wind, temp in low 30s*

Saturday: 5.1 miles, drizzle changing to steady light rain, temp in the 40s.

All in all, not a bad training week. Maybe the track will be free of snow soon. I'm itching to get out there an try a mile!

I'm glad Eric's training so I don't have to feel like I'm doing this alone.

*Thought about Frank Shorter while I was running in the wind and swirling snow (although I really shouldn't compare myself to Frank). While training by running uphill in the mountains of New Mexico in the swirling, blinding snow, Frank thought to himself...."I doubt anyone in the world is doing what I'm doing." That made him feel better, and in fact, he said the runs were almost pleasant.

Mark

Less Sore

Hopefully the worst is over and I'll be ready for the track next week when I'm back in Charlottesville. The ten-day weather forecast looks like the weather should be nice for running around mid-day.