A Marathon Training Odyssey

One Step and One Day at a Time. Part 2 of 3.

Editor’s note: In the last issue, we were introduced to that eclectic training group from New York State, the Shawangunk Runners, aka the Gunks. They are preparing for their annual expedition to a fall marathon, in this case the SunTrust Richmond (Virginia) Marathon in November. In part 1, we were introduced to the group, with special attention paid to the members’ racing prowess and their lifestyle eccentricities, as well as some of their marathon training precepts. In part 2, we will jump right into their day-by-day preparations for the fall marathon, starting 22 weeks out from the race date. Part 3 will detail the final months of training and the eventual outcome. Who will come out victorious? The Gunks? Or the Richmond Marathon course? Stay tuned.

HE CALENDAR

I have arbitrarily begun each week on Monday. Seemed normal enough to me; I mean, doesn’t everyone begin their running calendar on Monday? The answer is no. It took me years to learn that Lou starts his on Sunday. I run with Lou an average of four times per week. Although he loves running, he never seems to log in enough miles. I use the term “log” loosely. Needless to say, Lou does not keep a log. Nor does he wear a watch for that matter. Yet despite this, whenever I would ask Lou about his mileage, he always seemed to have more miles than I did. One evening, after a Friday run during a week in which I was going to peak at 72, I asked Lou how his mileage was coming. “Oh, with today, I’ve got a good 50 in,” Lou responded. “That’s it!” I screamed in exasperation. “I want a complete review of each day this week!” “Sure,” said Lou. “Well, I started with 22 on Sunday, then on . . .” “Woo, woo, woo, woo. What’s this ‘I started with 22’ crock?” “Oh, I’ve always started my weeks on Sunday.” The son of… No wonder he always had more miles. Anyway, for simplicity and in the interest of honesty, we will begin our weeks on Monday.

ACTUAL SCHEDULE

Week of June 14 (22 weeks to the marathon)

Monday—Ran the Monday night loop with Chrissy and Rich, whom you know. I won’t go over the entire crew, but most of the regulars were there. Joe and Robert (they are running Mount Washington this weekend), Jim, Dan, Mike and Rachel, Phil, Karen, and a few others. My point is, finding a group to run with can certainly make your training much more fun. We ran at a very easy pace, 8:40s, but true to form, Chrissy and Jim ended up kicking it in the last few miles.

Daily mileage 8

Tuesday—Eight miles on the rail trail with Lou. Real easy pace. 9:10s? In a rare moment of introspection, Lou notes that he is excited about beginning the speed workouts tomorrow.

Daily mileage 8

Wednesday—As I noted earlier, I will do whatever Beth has designed unless it is really far removed from what I had been planning. It rarely is. Whether it’s 5 x 1,000, 4 x 1,200, or 6 x 800, they all serve a purpose. Usually we run a little over three miles of speed. Tonight’s workout was a two-mile warm-up, then one mile at 10K race pace with 400 meters recovery, 2 x 1K at 5K pace with a 600 recovery, and finally 2 x 400 at 3K pace with a 400 recovery. My mile was right on at 6:17; however, Saturday will be the true test of what my 10K pace should be.

That’s the reason why I like an early race. It gives you a guide to your pacing for the season until you run another race. My 2 x 1K at 5K race pace also felt about right, averaging 92s, a 6:08 pace. The 400s were too fast, a common mistake.

Chrissy, who will be racing the Tivoli 10K with me this weekend, purred along without breaking a sweat.

Lou ran most of the workout with Norm, while Rich simply jogged, saying he wanted another week off. He’s right, I’m sure. A three-week layoff after a major marathon is probably about the minimum before you get back to speed work. Kevin is taking another week off, and Anne is still on the mend.

Daily mileage 6

Thursday—A much-needed day off, particularly with a race coming up Saturday.

Friday—Easy six from Spring Farm. Lou and Norm ran 3 x 5 minutes T (tempo). Lou appears to be getting serious. Daily mileage 6

Saturday—Tivoli 10K race. Chrissy ran well (38:15), finishing second overall (one minute off the pace). Iran a very disappointing 42:28! That is 6:50s and closer to my goal marathon pace. The course is not friendly. Hills and hot, but still not a good run, although I thought I gave it a good effort. There is work to do.

Also, I lost to a thug. What’s a thug? Several years ago, I came up with the idea of the “band of eight thugs.” These were local runners, regardless of age, who were clearly faster than I was but not so much so that they were out of my league. I wrote their names on the bottom of chess pieces and set them on my living room windowsill. The idea was that when I beat them in a major race, they would be removed from the sill and by extension removed from the thug list. The idea seemed to catch on, and some people were actually disappointed that they were not on the thug list. I had to explain to Chrissy on several occasions that I am simply not in his league, but he still was disappointed he wasn’t a thug.

Well, Steve H. was a thug at one time. I had beaten him in several races over the last few years, and I never perceived that he still offered competition. Without attempting to take you each step through the race, a luxury not afforded my longrun companions: I trailed him the entire way by a significant margin and finally came up behind him at the six-mile mark. I simply didn’t have enough left to make the move. I received little solace from the fact that he had been worried, turning around several times over the last several miles and finally collapsing at the finish. His chess piece must nonetheless be returned to the sill. Damn three seconds!

Daily mileage 9

Sunday—Chrissy, Lou, and Iran an easy 13, while Anne ran for about 40 minutes. I was a bit surprised that Anne, just coming off her injury, is already talking trash. And we’re still 21 weeks away.

Daily mileage 13

Total mileage 50

Week of June 21 (21 weeks to the marathon)

Monday—Six easy with Chrissy and Lou on the rail trail. Daily mileage 6

Tuesday—Off. With the summer solstice tomorrow, I decided to swap my day off this week.

The Shawangunk Runners sponsor several races during the year. The major ones are the Solstice Run, the summer series (five consecutive Mondays on the trails during July), and After the Leaves in the fall. Tomorrow’s Solstice Run is

a 15K bear of a run with a grueling three-mile stretch curling up the mountain. You keep waiting for the next turn to be the top. I pity those who don’t know the course.

Wednesday—Summer Solstice 15K (actually it has been measured at 8.78 miles). Lou and Anne worked the first water stop (a bit over three miles into the race at the top of Castle Rock). Despite the long climb, I felt as though I had a fair run. Knowing how much the early miles can take out of you, I set a fair pace and had enough left to challenge one of the college kids on the final fast, slightly downhill 5K. I was temporarily happy with my 1:01:30 despite Myron beating me by a minute and a half—I lost most of that in the climb—and I thought I had run a PR until I checked my log only to find that in 2002 I had run 58:36! Wow. Still, my effort was there, so I hope my time was slower because of tired legs from Saturday’s Tivoli race.

I did finish ahead of Rich, but I must leave his chess piece on the sill. Not only had he given blood the day before, against Beth’s advice, but that very day he had been outsourced. Quite frankly, outsourcing sounds to me like you’ve been fired. “The good news,” I joked with Rich, “you may now devote all your time to training and your running career.” Bill Rodgers would be proud.

Some time ago I had made a comment to Kevin, something about my own running career. Kevin seemed puzzled, and though smiling he asked, “And exactly when did this become a career?”

Daily mileage 11

Thursday—Lou and I ran easily on the rail trail. My legs are sore. Daily mileage 6

Friday—I prudently decided to scrap my scheduled workout and instead ran easily with Laurel. Beth showed up and ran the first two miles with us while Chrissy, Norm, and Lou ran a steady 20-minute tempo run—at Lou’s urging! That is a shocker, as Lou is more prone to think of any reason not to get in a good workout. My left hamstring is quite sore.

Daily mileage 11

Saturday—Firecracker 4K (2.48 miles). Kevin is the race director, and Kathee wanted to see the Onteora gang. As always, they had great food and a live rockand-roll band. It was a terrific event. My hamstring was a bit sore, so I jogged an easy five and felt quite good.

Using a race for your speed workout, a tempo run, or even an easy run is quite acceptable. While many areas have only a few races, others might have more than one on any given weekend. Simply being surrounded by so many other runners

makes the workout that much more fun, so don’t hesitate to use the local races as workouts. It is not a good idea, however, to grab a bullhorn to announce to the crowd that today will serve as a tempo run and you will not be racing. This will only belittle the efforts of those who normally wouldn’t finish ahead of you. Give them their day.

Daily mileage 5

Sunday—Chrissy, Lou, Norm, and I ran for 2 hours and 15 minutes. It was a spectacular day on the carriage trails of the Shawangunk Mountains. Along the way, we were passed by two excellent local runners. Every time I see them on the trails Ican’t help but comment on their training. They know only one pace—quick. Every run is like a minirace. Kevin used to occasionally run with them, but even though he is faster, he decided to change his routine. Racing every run will not make you faster.

I’m reminded of the old days when every day I would run a certain loop, and if my time wasn’t better than the day before, I was disappointed. That’s how I used to run the Monday night runs for years. Every Monday I would measure my success based on the improvement from the prior week’s time. I think many runners are guilty of this. Remember, running fast on a daily basis will not make you faster. You need one day of fast running. This will develop your speed. To tun faster longer, well, that’s what tempo is for.

Daily mileage 15

Total mileage 54

Week of June 28 (20 weeks to the marathon)

Monday—Eight easily with Lou and Chrissy on the rail trail. Daily mileage 8

Tuesday—AM: Kevin’s first run since his surgery. We ran at the unheard-of hour of 8:00 A.M. This is extremely difficult for me, as I tend to wake up around this time and sip several mugs of espresso before I finally shower for work. It was a glorious day, however, and we ran a very comfortable three miles at about 9:10s. PM: Lou and I ran an easy six miles.

Daily mileage 9

Wednesday—I was pleased when Beth said 5 x 1,000 at 5K pace. Kevin, now back to running, simply jogged, while Rich, Lou, Chrissy, and I had a taxing yet extremely rewarding workout.

Daily mileage 8

Thursday—Off

Friday—Chrissy, Kev, Lou, and I ran from the Spring Farm trailhead. 3 x7 minutes at T pace with two-minute recoveries. Chrissy, as usual, was probably running in the low sixes, while Kevin, followed by me, then Lou, were each separated by perhaps 20 seconds per mile. As always, we would regroup after each segment. That is one of the beauties of cruise intervals. Within this small group of four people, our tempo pace differed by well over a minute, yet we were actually still running together. Regrouping after each segment is the key. Daily mileage 7

Saturday—Kathee and I went to the Route 209 rail trail where I ran an easy eight (probably 8:00s) as Kathee power walked four miles. Daily mileage 8

Sunday—The scheduled 18-miler got a bit more complex because of a local Fourth of July 2.3-mile race that happens to be quite popular and is the oldest race in the area. Chrissy and Lou weren’t around this weekend, and Kevin usually runs the race, so we decided to give it a whirl. Anne in fact jogged with Gavin, her son, and even Beth ran while Kathee power walked with Matt (age 2 months) in the baby stroller.

Our plan was to warm up and then tempo the race. At the finish line, we would grab our water bottles and continue on our way. We would run to my house, which is 10 miles away, and then tack on the additional mileage to get to 18. Kathee would leave after the awards ceremony and pick up Kevin if he felt the distance too much for his first long run. This was good planning, as Kev had just started grousing when we heard Kathee tooting the horn behind us. I ended up averaging just over 8:00s for the entire run. In case you’re wondering, we frequently use a GPS. I purchased one last year, but Kevin is the keeper of the GPS because of my high level of frustration with the device.

Daily mileage 18 Total mileage 58

Week of July 5 (19 weeks to the marathon)

Monday—Undercliff/Overcliff is the first of five Monday runs in the Shawangunk Summer Series. It begins in the Shawangunk Mountains, midway (by trail) between lakes Mohonk and Minnewaska. The course, approximately 4.75 miles long, is unlike most others. You begin with a slight downgrade for 2.3 miles, running under the cliffs, and then you curl around and run the upgrade over the cliffs to the original starting point. The uniqueness of the race is that you have the option of running the race in the opposite direction, beginning with Overcliff.

The decision is made within 20 meters from the start, and it is always interesting to see who goes in which direction.

This is the first race of the Shawangunk Summer Series, and this year was unusually large. I noted a few speedsters from the local colleges and high schools and even spied a few singlets from the Central Park Track Club. This was a long way from home, and they were probably in the mountains for the holiday weekend. Even Mike Slinsky, a 2:20 marathoner from across the river, made an appearance. We totaled 146 runners, and it appeared to be the start of a very successful summer series. As a note, this is a nonprofit venture, and the Gunks donate much of the proceeds from the runs to various local endowments.

“Wow!” I said to Chrissy. “Look at all the speed. I think your goal should be top 20!” Of course, I was kidding, but in all honesty, a race in which Chrissy would normally be thinking of potentially winning had now taken on a different tone.

Slinsky won easily, with the kid from Marist College second. Chrissy finished a disappointing 19th, and in fact, he was only 90 seconds ahead of me.

Lou ran easily with Laurel while Kathee worked the water stop.

My intention had been to run this with Kevin at tempo pace. Unfortunately, we started a bit quicker than I had intended, and I paid heavily over the last mile.

Daily mileage 7

Tuesday—Lou, Laurel, and I ran a very easy six (probably 9:30s). I was shot, and Lou never needs much of a reason to run easily. Daily mileage 6

Wednesday—My legs are sore. No, it’s not an injury; I’m just shot. Beth’s workout was up and down a ladder: 600; 800; 1,000; 1,000; 800; 600, all at 5K pace. Coming down the ladder, we were supposed to surge the final 100 meters, simulating that final thrust as you blow by your competitor. Right! My legs were screaming, and I could not have blown by anyone.

Chrissy just purred along while I struggled. My 5K pace is optimistically somewhere around 6:05 to 6:10, but tonight I was really dragging. Rich and I ran together, but Norm and Lou, who were running under 100s (6:40 pace), were crawling up our shorts for much of the workout. I was grateful when it was finally over.

The next 10 days, it will be difficult to get my runs in, as Kathee and I must travel to New York City for a national bridge tournament. I usually run sparingly during these competitions, but I think it’s just as well. I had had several stressful runs over the last couple of weeks, and backing off to avoid injury seems prudent.

Daily mileage 5

Thursday—I ran an easy three miles before leaving for the city. Daily mileage 3

Friday—Off

Saturday—Off

Sunday—The major team competition begins tomorrow, but today I have off, and I decided on a run in Central Park. It was a magnificent day. The park was littered with bikini-clad sunbathers, and I don’t think it would be an exaggeration if I said that I saw at least a thousand joggers, skateboarders, and bikers during my run. I hooked up with one couple, and upon inquiry they pointed me to a loop around one section that was purported to be six miles. Perfect.

Just as I finished my first loop, I came upon a runner who seemed to be running my pace. He was quite cordial, introduced himself, and proceeded to note various points of interest along the route. We ran another loop, and then Ben pointed the way back to my hotel. All in all, a very enjoyable run.

Daily mileage 13

Total mileage 34

My weekly mileage was way down, but it’s not the end of the world, as I felt as though I could use a break. Far too often, runners continue to press when they would be better served if they would ease up for a few days.

Week of July 12 (18 weeks to the marathon)

Monday—tThe format of the bridge tournament gave our team the afternoon off, and I was pleased to have yet another opportunity to venture to Central Park while Kathee opted for the Hilton treadmills. It was overcast and rainy and there were only a few joggers, but just as I was finishing my run, and somewhat lost, coming toward me in the opposite direction was one of the Central Park Track Club runners who had been present at Undercliff/Overcliff. What a coincidence. Thad been introduced to Alan last year by Norm. He is 47 years old and ran Paris a few months ago in 2:34. Yikes! Daily mileage 6

Tuesday—Off

Wednesday—Off

Thursday—Four easy miles, again in Central Park. Daily mileage 4

Friday—Off

Saturday—Eight easy miles in Central Park. Daily mileage 8

Sunday—I was knocked out of the major bridge competition on Wednesday but played in a secondary event Thursday and Friday. We were going to return home on Saturday so I could get my long run in on Sunday, but Kathee, who as you should know by now is a sweetheart, really wanted to see the Broadway hit Moving Out. We stayed over another day, and I once again ran easily in Central Park.

Meanwhile, Kevin, Lou, and Anne had a great run in the mountains. Kevin and Lou ran a brisk 15 at about 8:00s while Anne ran easily. Evidently Anne had conducted a search on the Internet using key words such as “tibia,” “stress fracture,” and “recovery.” She actually came up with a recovery program espoused by Pete Pfitzinger and vowed to stick to it. She has been gradually increasing her mileage and is now up to 50 minutes. It’s good to have her back.

Daily mileage 8

Total mileage 26

This was a bad week. Not only was the mileage absurdly low, but I really had no high-quality workouts. No speed, no tempo, and no long. Now that’s a recipe for failure. Some people enjoy running alone, but I find it difficult. I certainly could and should have done some form of fartlek or tempo in the park, but I simply didn’t. No excuses.

Week of July 19 (17 weeks to the marathon)

Monday—Today was the third in the Shawangunk series, and although the course is the shortest at three miles, it is extremely challenging, beginning with a onemile climb. All the Gunks either race or volunteer. I ran a six-mile out-and-back with Kevin before the race and repeated this by myself afterward.

Daily mileage 12

‘Tuesday—Kevin, Lou, Laurel, Anne, and I ran an out-and-back on the rail trail, comfortably averaging 8:20s. Anne was breathing harder than normal during the last mile, but I’m certain she will be back in form soon.

Daily mileage 6

Wednesday—Tonight’s workout was 4 x 1,000 at 5K race pace with 600 recoveries, followed by 2 x 400 at a slightly faster pace. Everyone seemed to be running well.

Daily mileage 7

Thursday—Normally my day off, but I was feeling great, so after work I jogged three miles. Daily mileage 3

Friday—Chrissy, Kev, Lou, and I ran 4 x 5-minutes tempo from Spring Farm. The trailhead begins with a 1 1/2-mile climb, which we use as a warm-up. The trail then levels out for two miles before heading up again. We use this relatively flat out-and-back four miles for our tempos. Anne showed up late but jogged with us.

Daily mileage 7

Saturday—Anne and I ran easily (8:30s) on the rail trail. Daily mileage 5

Sunday—We had planned on running 5 x 5-minutes tempo, but a few runners from the Central Park Track Club showed up, so we decided to bag the last two tempos in order to continue running with the group. We ran around Eagle Cliff and then up to the tower, but after that we were on our own. The last few miles, my legs felt like rubber, but that’s what tempo early in a long run will do to you. Overall we averaged 8:05s for the entire run. Great workout.

Anne stuck to her plan and ran 60 minutes easily.

Daily mileage 17

Total mileage 57

Week of July 26 (16 weeks to the marathon)

Monday—The Blueberry Run is the penultimate run in the Shawangunk Summer Series. It is once again in the mountains, but this week—rather than run the carriage trails—we ran a three-mile course through the numerous blueberry fields along the ridge.

We all ran quite easily, but Kathee’s time of 46 minutes seemed unusually slow until I noticed the basket of blueberries she was carrying.

Daily mileage 8

Tuesday—I had planned on a double, an easy morning run with another run later in the day. But as usual, my morning coffee won out. Despite the torrential downpour, I called Lou in the evening and we went out for six easy miles on the rail trail.

Daily mileage 6

Wednesday—lI am a slug. Beth announced the workout was to be 3 x 800 with a 400 recovery followed by 2 x 1,000 with a 600 recovery. I thought it was a bit

shy of what I had intended, so I vowed to add on an additional 1,000. No chance. Both Rich and I struggled and were thankful when the workout was finally over. I’ll chalk it up to a bad day. I hope it was the humidity. (Haven’t I used that excuse already?)

Norm, who has decided to run the Fifth Avenue Mile in two weeks, ran shorter distances, 200s, then 600s, and was quite impressive. He was consistently running in the mid-80s. Next Wednesday, Beth has scheduled a 1,200 time trial for Norm, and I’m sure Rich and I will be expected to do the pacing. I hope we’ll be able to keep up.

Anne jogged with Kevin, who is nursing an adductor injury. Actually, they were running close to Anne’s current tempo, as they completed 2 x 1 mile at around 6:45 pace.

Daily mileage 6

Thursday—As I’ve said in the past, a day off allows your body to adapt to the stresses of your weekly training. Depending on the individual, two days off could offer even more reward. In any case, Thursday, snuggled between my usual speed and tempo runs, works best for me, while Kevin and Anne usually are off on Tuesdays. Today they met with Lou and ran an easy seven on the rail trail.

Friday—Chrissy, Kevin, Lou, Norm, and I ran from Spring Farm. 3 x 7 minutes of tempo with 90 seconds recovery. Daily mileage 9

Saturday—I struck out. Chrissy is away on vacation, and Lou works on Saturday (his day off from running). I called both Kevin and Anne, but neither was available for a run. Darn. I found my way out the door and ran 10 easy miles alone on the rail trail. A rare event.

Daily mileage 10

Sunday—wWe logged in an easy 20 at about an 8:25 pace, with Anne joining us for the first 10. Daily mileage 20

Total mileage 59

The week’s total mileage was shy of my goal, but I feel the training is coming along fine. I’m probably running the Wednesday speed workouts too fast, for I’m struggling of late, gasping for air as though I’m suffocating. VO,max does decline more rapidly after the age of 50, but it doesn’t happen overnight. I’ll stay the course, continue the quality long runs and tempo, and I’m certain everything will fall into place.

Week of August 2 (15 weeks to the marathon)

Monday—The final run of the Shawangunk Summer Series is a fun run on the rail trail. It consists of an out-and-back totaling anywhere from one mile to six miles, whatever distance you want to run. We marked the course with chalk and cones and ended up jogging it twice.

Daily mileage 12

Tuesday—I decided to take today off. We will be doing 1,200s tomorrow, and it seems to me that I have been going into the Wednesday speed workouts tired. Also, Norm is counting on us to pace him through his time trial, and it would be embarrassing to crash and burn while doing so.

Wednesday—Norm’s time trial. Beth has scheduled us to run 3 x 1,200 at 5K race pace followed by an 800 and one 400. Rich and I were going to run the first 1,200 pacing Norm. The goal pace was to be 88- to 89-second laps for the first two laps with the third being a few seconds faster. The idea was that if Norm could average 88s, a 5:52-mile pace, he could certainly achieve that on race day. Rich was struggling, but Norm and I managed the first two laps right on the mark. Suddenly, Norm pulled out saying he was just done. Perhaps he had run too hard on Monday, but whatever the reason, Norm said he just didn’t have it today.

I was actually quite pleased with my workout, as I averaged 89s for all my 1,200s, although I was really struggling on the last one. I’m sure it was my gasping for air that prompted Beth to challenge me to race a 5K.

You see, I usually run my 5K-pace workouts at around 92 seconds per quarter. That’s a 6:08-mile pace. Beth’s bone of contention is that she doesn’t think I can run anywhere near that pace. “OK, prove it. Find a 5K and race it!” she exclaimed.

Ihate short races, and as I check my log, I see that I haven’t run a 5K in two years. Maybe I should just to satisfy her, and myself, as to my true pace. I think a part of me is afraid that I will let myself down and run 6:20s to 6:25s, a pace that I perceive to be my 10K pace. But I can’t hide from myself. The Coxsackie 5K is this Saturday.

Daily mileage 7

Thursday—Kevin, Anne, Lou, and I ran an easy six on the rail trail. They were all very supportive of my proposed race, although no one offered to join me. Daily mileage 6

Friday—Kevin is out of town for the weekend, but Chrissy, Anne, Lou, and Norm ran 3 x 7-minutes tempo. I, on the other hand, took another day off. Tomorrow’s race is important, and I don’t want to go into it on tired legs.

Far too often, runners go through their workouts running either too slowly or too fast. Whether the workout calls for 5K, 10K, or even tempo pace, if you haven’t done any racing, you’re simply guessing at the proper pace. Last spring, for example, before her injury, Anne was running her tempo workouts at a 6:20 pace, which I insisted was her race pace. A high-quality race effort will give you a good gauge of your proper pacing for a variety of distances. It will also provide a sense of where you are in your training.

Saturday—tThe Coxsackie 5K is a very fast course. The early miles are as flat as can be, while the final mile is a serious downgrade. It is clearly a PR course.

Ugh. I was out of sorts and wanted to drop out after the first 400 meters. I battled thug Steve H. again for the first mile (5:57) and never felt as though I was in my comfort zone. I eased up mile two (6:12), and just as I began the final mile, the group that had been on my heels from the start blew by me, and I could not offer a challenge. Despite the fact that I was fried, the downhill provided enough momentum for a 6:06 third mile and an 18:58 overall. I’m pleased with the overall time, although in retrospect I would have liked to test the group of four that swooped by me two-thirds of the way through the race. The good news, if you can call it that, is that they will all be present at the Mad Dash in four weeks.

At Beth’s request, Kathee left her a message reporting my time. Later in the day, when Kathee suggested I call Beth and give her the details, I said, “No, she knows the details. She understands racing and knows how I suffered.” In fact, I did run into her later in the day, and she said, “Fred, when you race a 5K, you shouldn’t be in your comfort zone. Now we just have to convince Chrissy of that.” She also noted that if I ran it again next week, I would probably improve on my time simply by being race sharp. She’s right. Our marathon group simply doesn’t race enough. Today reminded me why.

Daily mileage 5

Sunday—Lake Awosting is a beautiful glacial lake nestled in the Shawangunk Mountains. On occasion, we will run this loop as a change of pace. It is a gradual four-mile climb before the trail wraps around the lake for an additional four miles. Frequently, though not today, we will take a break for a swim at the halfway point.

It was a good run, and overall we averaged 8:00s.

Daily mileage 18

Total mileage 48

Although the mileage was down once again, I’m not concerned at this point in my training. The additional day off, coupled with the five on race day, was the difference. The next three weeks will see an increase in mileage before we taper for the Mad Dash, our focus 10K.

Week of August 9 (14 weeks to the marathon, four weeks to 10K)

Monday—Rich runs the Monday night run with the Onteora crowd. Everyone else racing Richmond gathered for an easy run on the rail trail. Along the way, Kevin detailed the arrangements he has made. We have a total of four rooms at a hotel five blocks from the start. He also has rented a 15-person van, which we will use to make the seven-hour road trip.

Daily mileage 8

Tuesday—I’m having difficulty with the early-morning run on the day of my doubles. I know it’s a habit. I think the key is to get out the door before I smell the coffee. Ill try that next week. Lou and I met in the evening for seven easy miles on the rail trail.

Daily mileage 7

Wednesday—We’ re now beginning to run slightly longer distances at 10K pace rather than 5K pace. Beth’s workout was one mile with 800 recovery, followed by 2 x 1,200 with 600 recovery, all done at 10K pace. We were then to run 2 x 600 at SK pace. I approached tonight’s workout somewhat tentatively, hoping that the slightly easier pace would provide some relief from the killer SK workouts we had been doing. I’m presuming my 10K pace to be 6:20 to 6:24, which is 95s to 96s on the track. What a delight. I averaged 95s for the entire 10K paces and 92s for the 600s and felt that I had just warmed up. In all honesty, I believe I could have tun the entire workout again. What a difference those few seconds meant.

Everyone was present. Chrissy, as always, simply purred. But I was surprised that Kevin, who is much faster than I, seemed to be breathing hard. Both he and Anne have done little speed work, and although I’m confident they will be ready, they have work to do.

Norm meanwhile ran 3 x 400 at mile race pace (6:52) in preparation for this weekend’s Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City.

Great workout!

Daily mileage 6

Thursday—Off

Friday—I skipped the usual tempo in the mountains Friday evening and instead ran the Hurley Flats in the morning with Anne. It was extremely humid, and I was ready to bag the scheduled four-mile tempo at the turnaround. Anne kept plugging away, however, so I continued for another mile. We ended up running a steady three miles at tempo pace.

Daily mileage 10

Saturday—For the last two years, Anne has won the Saugerties Half-Marathon held every October. The prize is an overnight stay in the Saugerties Lighthouse, something that Kathee has been dying to do for years. The two couples, along with Anne’s kids, ventured up Friday afternoon. On Saturday morning before breakfast, Anne and I went out for an easy five miles.

Daily mileage 5

Sunday—Norm, Kev, Anne, Chrissy, Lou, and I ran an easy 16 from the Spring Farm trailhead. It was a splendid day, and we had a very comfortable run. As always, we chatted along the way and got to hear all the details of Norm’s 6:01 in the Fifth Avenue Mile yesterday. We all ran well, and Kevin and Anne appear to be getting there. Anne is complaining, however, of her additional 10 pounds that she can’t seem to shed. Daily mileage 16

Total mileage 52

Week of August 16 (13 weeks to the marathon, three weeks to 10K)

Monday—Anne has taken the kids to the shore before school starts, but the rest of us gathered for an easy eight on the rail trail. Daily mileage 8

Tuesday—I usually take Thursday off, but it seems that I’ve been running the Wednesday speed workouts on tired legs, so I thought I might switch the days.

Wednesday—The workout was 5 x 1,200 at 10K pace with 600 recoveries. Chrissy cruised along easily at 87s (5:48-mile pace) while Kevin ran 5:56 pace, Rich 6:20 pace, and Lou 6:45 pace. I felt great running a 6:20 pace. In theory, these should be our paces for the Mad Dash 10K coming up in 12 days.

I had asked Kathee to bring a video camera to the track. You must try this sometime. At the very least, it will give you some ideas as to how to improve your form. I reviewed the tape later that evening. Chrissy, as always, looked great. Kevin was far too erect, almost leaning backward. Rich and particularly Lou tend to run with their arms far too low, and in fact Lou’s are almost straight down! Remember, no matter how contorted you run, your legs move in synch with your arms. As for me, I allow my arms to flail when I lose concentration.

Daily mileage 9

Thursday—Lou and I met for six easy miles on the rail trail. Daily mileage 6

Friday—Kevin and I arrived early to get in extra miles and met Chrissy and Lou on the trail. They ran 2 x 10-minutes tempo while we continued our jog, regrouping after each of their segments. I’ve scheduled tempo in the long run Sunday, and I avoid three speed/tempo workouts in one week, particularly in a high-mileage week.

Daily mileage 12

Saturday—Chrissy and I took the GPS to measure the upcoming 10K course. The problem isn’t with the course itself, but some of the mile markers were way off. Daily mileage 7

Sunday—TLT. Tempo-Long-Tempo. We met on the measured rail trail. After our warm-up, we ran 5 xX 5 T (one-minute breaks), eight miles easily, then 20 minutes T. Great workout.

Daily mileage 17

Total mileage 59

Week of August 23 (12 weeks to the marathon, two weeks to 10K)

Monday—Lou is away, but Kevin, Chrissy, Anne, and I decided to run the Monday night run in Kingston with Rich and the Onteora crowd. They had a good group, and it was fun catching up with the local runners.

Daily mileage 8

Tuesday—Off. I’ve decided that my speed work on Wednesday suffers when I go in on tired legs, so I’ll once again switch my days off.

Wednesday—What a great workout. We ran 4 x 1 mile at 10K pace, and it felt like a stroll in the park. I was running 95s (6:20 pace). Kevin ran three seconds a lap ahead of me while Anne ran three seconds behind. Both, however, packed

it in after the second mile. Anne was just shot—too fast, too soon—while Kevin was feeling a twinge in his knee. Chrissy didn’t break a sweat, running 90s. Daily mileage 9

Thursday—Anne, Lou, Kevin, and I ran eight easily on the rail trail. Daily mileage 8

Friday—We met as usual at the Spring Farm trailhead and ran 3 x 10-minutes tempo. On unmeasured courses, I think we tend to run our tempos too fast, so both Kevin and I wore our heart rate monitors and set them to beep if we got overboard. We stayed in check.

Daily mileage 8

Saturday—Anne and I averaged 8:30s on the rail trail. Daily mileage 10

Sunday—Twenty hot, humid miles at 8:30s. We were surprised when Kevin bagged it at 16. Lou, Anne, and I stuck it out. Daily mileage 20

Total mileage 63

Week of August 30 (11 weeks to the marathon, one week to 10K)

Monday—Kev, Chrissy, Lou, and I met for an out-and-back on the rail trail. This will be an easy week as the focus 10K is now only a week away. Chrissy and I are both looking for PRs.

Daily mileage 6

‘Tuesday—Morning: three easy. Afternoon: six miles with Lou and Laurel. Didn’t wear a watch, but possibly the slowest run of the year. 10:00s? Daily mileage 9