No, Nay, Never…
no nay never no more will I run on a treadmill…did it today because I wanted to get a strength training day in and still run at least 3 miles (my new goal is to run every day for as long as I can- 3 miles minimum). so, after doing my standard circuit of lifting and ab work, I debated running outside in the dark or stepping onto the treadmill. honestly, I have no fucking clue how people run on those things every day or ever for that matter. it is boring beyond belief (and, yes I wore an ipod as most people do, so dont tell me how much better it is with an ipod). here’s the thing, you are running in place and you can’t look around and see things going on around you. I did a mile or warm up- it was not intended as such, but my ipod came loose and I had to pause the machine. then I programmed in a 5k loop and ran the distance in just over 23 minutes. I did the required 2 minutes of warm down jogging that the machine is pre-programmed to do and was on my way. at least, I can say got in some running today.
after two days in a row on the trails, the treadmill was quite a contrast to the euphoria I feel trail-running. yesterday, I did six hill repeats at the Swarthmore College Arboretum on a nice incline that is mostly gravel trail. the beginning portion (100-125m) is grass and steep. it is a start that whoops your ass if you try to bust it out too soon. the workout lasted an hour with warm up, hills, and striders. it felt good to do a workout on the trails. the day before, I did an fairly tough 40+ minutes on similar trails with several hilly section to tax the lungs and the legs.
the past two days running has definitely been my saving grace. it was a year ago yesterday that my mom took the fall that lead to her eventual passing on Thanksgiving Day 2008. the year anniversary of the day did not sneak up on me. I knew it was coming. I thought a lot about it Saturday during my 4+ hours driving to and from the state XC meet in Hershey. that day marked the anniversary of the last day I ate lunch with my mom. it was a Saturday, she was having as good a day as she had in the later stages of Alzheimer’s. I asked if she wanted to get lunch and she surprisingly said yes. I went to Chik-fil-A and got her a sandwich and desert. she loved desert more than anything else- that never changed, even the disease could not change that. she ate her sandwich and grabbed her fork and pulled the lemon pie across her small table and tried to sneak it before I could see. the smile on her face that day was priceless. I will never forget that day. she laughed and for an instant, I thought the Alzheimer’s had receded, gone into hiding or slipped away. it was not to be. but that day was amazing. the next day, I went to meet a girl for a date in Maryland. I called home on the drive back and my dad said the previous day was a mirage- she had an awful day on Sunday. Monday morning, in the midst of my class, one of the aides from the office knocked on my door and handed me the note- call my sister immediately, I had to get home asap. mom had fallen and hit her head. we got to the hospital and Dr. King _ a young female doctor with a pleasant smile and what seemed to be the perfect bedside manner _ gave us the news. mom had suffered a severe head injury and at her age and condition, there was not much that could be done. brain surgery would be risky at best, and more than likely fatal. Hospice care would be arranged and she would be kept comfortable and free from pain…it was two weeks later on Thanksgiving morning that I received the call from my brother that she had passed. I spent a full night with her during the process as she did with me when I was hospitalized as an infant. it was my payback for a lifetime dedicated to our family. this year has been difficult with all the firsts after the passing of someone so central to every aspect of my life.
having that anniversary so close to what would have been Lance’s 6th birthday has profoundly affected my mood over the last two weeks. I don’t like to dwell on the loss of my son when I am around those who do not know about it. I try like hell to act normal. but, this year would have been the start of school for him and tee ball and all the little things…at 42, time is beginning to run out on my dream of fatherhood. at this point, if I had a child this year, I would be 60 when he turned 18. not sure that would be fair to a kid- to have an old man for a dad. I am definitely not ruling it out, but it is a long shot. my decision to help out my dad at the moment and for the near future certainly has changed those plans…
but, whatever happens, I will still have my running…back to the trails tomorrow
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Upon Reflection…
Having to lay around for three days leaves one time for reflection. So, upon reflection, I sit to write about the first 10 months of 2009. There is the running part of the year, the social part of the year, the family part of the year, the coaching part of the year. It has been quite a significant 10 month period of my life and I finally had a few days to take it all in. I have made decisions that will change the course of my life.
Training has been going very well in 2009. My mileage is up, my race times are coming back down to where I would like them to be, and I am enjoying running/strength training more than ever. I am over 1200 miles for the year with two months remaining and may get to 1500 for the year with XC season over and more time to train on my own time. That will allow me the opportunity to run longer on a daily basis. I can run from school or head right to the trails at 3:30 everyday. after running, I can head to the gym for a workout before heading home for the night. I have a plan to get to 1500 for the year and run a couple of great races before we head to 2010. One of the great additions to my training in 09 has been adding runs with Sara to my regular routine. She is a legitimate runner, not someone who runs to say she does it or to be part of a group. She ran everyday she was sick last week on a treadmill. She races during races and does not run to talk to people or make a social event out of the day. She wants to hit the track, XC course or trails for a real workout with repeats and recoveries. We tend to run at a pace that is a little faster than what she does when alone and a little slower for me- it is a happy medium. On days when I race and she does not, she is there to support me and I would do the same for her. I would do the same for her. When we race together, we warm up and cool down together and support each other until the race starts. It is really cool. Sara filled in as the female team member on a team I’ve run with for the last three years in a local road 5k. She won the womens’ race easily. From this point on, my goals are to set new age pr’s as often I can. I would realistically like to run sub19 for 5k again, run the half in sub1:30, and qualify for Boston in the marathon. the half and the marathon are longer range goals. I have to find the motivation to train for those events. I will. I think.
Running and social activities have gone hand in hand for me over the last 10-15 years. every significant relationship I have made over the last 10 or so years has come from running or coaching runners. Baseball and coaching baseball is a close second, but not that close. so, this year it is no exception that running brought Sara and me together. It also allowed me to meet and get to know some great kids and their families. the distance group of guys (and girls) in the Spring of 2009 were a special group. I was fortunate enough to get to spend time with them at practice and meets. we did some Sunday runs together on the trails. and, I was able to get to know many of their parents over the course of the season as well. some of that was a carry over from Cross Country the past few years and that base that we built created a bond and trust that is hard to replace. I still keep in touch with most of the guys, some of the girls and quite a few of the parents. distance running is a fraternity, a brotherhood. we had that in 2009, I hope I can find it again someday.
My official resignation as XC coach was signed and delivered on October 2nd. it was a difficult decision and one that I am not totally convinced was correct. but, unfortunately, it seems to be necessary. my dad and saving his house is priority number 1 at the moment. getting my Master’s (finally) has to be priority number 2 and goes hand in hand with the previous statement. the increase in salary that comes with an advanced degree is an important step I need to take. that said, coaching cross is the best thing I have ever done, I love the sport. I enjoy the people in the sport for the most part. I am fascinated by the growth of kids in the sport. I am intrigued by the many reasons kids choose to run, the change that occurs when the thing clicks in a young person that turns them into a runner and not someone who runs. when I announced that I would be resigning to my kids, there was some shock and much understanding. there was, however, a little disbelief and hurt in a few of them. it is the most difficult part of the decision. I do not like the idea of walking away from the kids. my decision to walk away from my step son when I got divorced haunts me to this day, and always will. some of the guys have even said they would not run for another coach. I hope that is not the case. I wish there was an easy solution that could keep me coaching and also allow me to do the other things I need to do at the present time. the coming weeks may allow for that, it is something I have to figure out and get straight. my time at Springfield has been interesting. it started with me not knowing what to expect and being pleasantly surprised. the middle two years showed some progress and got us to a point where our boys team got to the precipice of the elite teams in our area. the final season showed that our girls team is not far from being very good, and that our boys team can stay competitive even in a down season. we have established some traditions (FTS) and a plan to follow for success. we have created a feeling that the Cougar XC and distance programs can be competitive and successful in local, regional and state competitions. that is a pretty good thing to hang our hats on…
moving back to my dad’s in March was a huge life-changing decision. giving up my privacy, independence and life in a great community to return to my childhood home has had its ups and downs. the house is much worse shape than I ever imagined. the outside, the inside, all of it. it needs a complete overhaul and it all falls on me. it is a daunting task. I have to take it step by step, create a long term plan, and get it done. unfortunately, my brother (who is a year older) does nothing to create a long term solution to the house issues. in fact, he fails to acknowledge there are any issues. he is delusional and difficult to deal with. my task now is decide whether to work from the inside-out, outside-in, top to bottom or bottom up. I may have to do a little here and a little there until it is all done. any way I do it, it is monumental in scope. I hope to get it done in time for my dad to appreciate. that is my ultimate goal.
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New Post 10/13/2009 (06:57:59)
this morning I find myself in an unusual place for a Tuesday morning in October, at home rather than at work. we had the Columbus Day holiday off yesterday, but I called out today for a few reasons. so, I find myself at home reflecting on my training and catching up on some things.
my training mileage is substantially better than last year at this point. this year has been a more healthy one with only a few slight setbacks to training and I should reach 1200 miles by the end of October with a yearly total of 1500 miles not out of the question. once the season ends, longer daily runs will be possible with 50-60 miles a week a distinct possibility. that would require 7-8 miles (about 1 hr runs) 5 days a week with a longer run on Sunday and a REST DAY included. of course, plans are fluid and changing all the time, but a good training schedule could give me a shot at a Spring Marathon or half-marathon as a race. in the least, the volume would get me back to 5k pr status, and that would be cool.
yesterday, with the day off from work, I got to play my first round of golf since June. my brother asked me to play with some guys from work. it was a good time, but I really suck at golf. and, on top of my lack of ability, I spend most of the time on the course thinking about what kind of XC workout could be done or race course mapped out around the course. after the round, I headed to practice and ran a 4 x 5:00 Cruise Interval workout with the kids. I ran the first three with the girls (22:00 5k group) and slower guys, and then, for the last one, I jumped into the faster group and hung for dear life. the rest between CIs was 3 minutes. on the last one, my rest was more like a minute and a half. I paid for it in the final minute of the interval. the loop we use has a slight hill in it that plateaus on a 150 m field. I was hurting at the finish and fell off the back of the group. we were without our three top guys yesterday through a combination of sickness(Robbie), soccer conflict(Nick), and college visit (Steve). our top girl, Francie (Sara’s sister), ran well with the top group. if she is to qualify for the State meet, she needs to use the next two weeks to fine tune her fitness. I may include Christina (our #2 girl) with the faster group of boys for the remaining workouts too.
I have a created a tentative race schedule for the remainder of 2009 - with a combination of Cross Country, Road and Trail races. ran the Steeple on Sunday and that was fun. the jumps add to the time, but they also create an amazing running experience. next up is the NP First Responders 5k. my third time running the race as part of the Optimum Phys Therapy team, we’ve won it two years running. I’ve run the race fairly fast the first two years and hope to run a quality race this week. Sara is filling in our female runner this year, so that will be very cool. I think she can go sub 20:30 on the course with its flat start, downhill first mile and pancake flat finishing straight. there is nary a hill on the course. she should kick some major ass and possibly win the women’s overall.
the wrench in the operation will be if BMRC sends a team to the race now that they are based in Media. that would kill us. post-collegiate sub-elites have a huge advantage over us older guys. it will be cool to have the Bryn Mawr runners there, but I would like to win again…
today’s day off from work allows me to get out on the trails and run mid-morning. that is always good for the mental (and physical) well-being.
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42 and counting…
it is two past my 42nd birthday as I write this post. it has been quite a couple of days. the XC season is transitioning now into the big end of season meets with Delco Champs starting a month-long trek through the most important meets of the year. I love this part of the season. the kids are ready to race and I hope our results follow the pattern we’ve established of running our best it counts the most.
turning 42 was a bit of a bittersweet and melancholic moment for me. it marked the first birthday celebrated since Mom passed away last Thanksgiving. that made the days and weeks preceding it tough to take. the anticipation of a birthday has always meant the morning phone call from Mom, ever since college. it has always been a corny highlight to an otherwise ordinary change of age. I spent a lot of time thinking about Mom the past few weeks and her shining down on me gets me through many days.
the running this week has been ok, but not great. the grind of work and coaching and missing Mom has effected that too. I hope to get back to normal in the coming days. compounding that has been the battle with flu/cold/allergy symptoms over the past few weeks. headache, body aches, periodic fever, tiredness, coughing, all of it. that too shall pass. good rest and some dietary changes might help…
I am taking a rest day today after straining a groin or adductor last week. People often reccommend more rest days when over 40, but I hate rest days. I am hoping to race on Sunday in a really cool XC Steeplechase on horse course. it is the most fun race I’ve ever run…
only 20 miles this week, but over 1130 for the year…one day of rest won’t hurt…
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over 1k and cruise intervals
finally over 1000 miles for the year. mile 1000 came in Ann Arbor, Michigan with the sun rising over the tranquil midwestern college town. that tranquility was short-lived as the town came alive just hours later for the showdown in the Big House between Notre Dame and the Wolverines. in town for the game, I decided to get my run around town- the best way to see a place for is a distance run. began by running by Michigan Stadium, the behometh structure that rises into the dark blueish violet sky at dawn. it was chilly, but perfect for running. I ran past the basketball and hockey arenas, through downtown business district and then finally, the campus was before me. it is a classic college campus with a mix of old and new architecture, ivy covered law buildings and an impressive museum and galleries. it was a great way to start the day. my pace was a bit harder than usual with a bit adrenaline from running in such a cool place. mile 1000 for 09 came at the end of the run with a final lap around the Big House. simply awesome. the game was great, if only a little disappointing.
no running yesterday. most of the day was spent on the road home from Michigan. when I arrived home, I had to spend some quality time with Sara. that was worth every minute.
today was a workout day for the XC team. I decided to run it with them. the schedule called for milers on the loop at school, but a field hockey game & two football practices caused us to change plans. we switched to some cruise intervals of 5 minute segments on a local field. I ran the first one attempting to stay with our top guy. our number two man was having some allergy issues, something I can identify with. so, Steve went charging out and there I went with him. I was hurting _ big time. the second interval saw me get dropped by the top group. I recovered on the third one to hang in with the back of the first pack. the loop was grass and had a slight downhill in the first 125 meters, a slight uphill at about 300 meters; but was mostly flat. we did the same loop twice on the second two intervals after I screwed up the course on the first one.
one casualty of the day is that we lost a runner today. not to injury or illness, but to the rigors of academic work and dislike for the coach. Gil is a good kid, but he missed a practice _ a key workout _ to do homework. we’ve had talented academic student/athletes every year I have ever coached XC and this was the first time a kid missed to do homework. I made a point to let him know that the schedule allowed for a lot of time for homework and that many of our kids have lots of homework. it is a shame because Gil is a likeable kid with an intellectual curiosity that I always appreciate. he came to one practice last year and never made the commitment, this year he hung a little longer, showed a lot of promise, but will not make it through another season. his presence will be missed, but we will move on with those who remain. we have a good season on the horizon.
988 miles to 2000…
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Summer is Unofficially over…
Labor Day is the traditional end of Summer for kids going back to school and the teachers who teach. as a member of the latter group, so it is for me. Summer 2009 has been a good one for the most part. the true end of Summer comes later in the month, but tomorrow school begins with the first full days of the year. the kids will there all day and I will teach 7 or 8 classes a day every day from now until our next break (except for a few sick days that pop up due to allergies etc) . XC season is here and our first meet went very well. our place goals from the last two years were not reached, but our goal this year is down the road. trophies and plaques are nice, but I hope we run two perfect races this year and they are both in October.
this Summer, my mileage was up (not as much as hoped) and I hope to sustain that for the remainder of the year. I will be over 1000 miles by the end of the week for sure, but more likely to reach that plateau by Wednesday or Thursday with 4-5 miles tomorrow and 7-10 on Wednesday, followed by an easy 3-4 on Thursday. I will exceed last year’s total mileage by the end of next month if my training is uninterrupted by injuries or illness.
I will have to get my miles in this week by Friday as I will be travelling on the weekend _ Ann Arbor Michigan for the Notre Dame/Michigan football game (Go Irish!). the BIG HOUSE is one of the coolest places I have ever been for a sporting event, so this weekend should be cool. we are leaving late-late Friday to get to the parking lot early Saturday morning. I’ll pack some food and drinks with snacks before we head out and then we’ll stay at a hotel Saturday before heading home Sunday morning (early). the hotel is located on a highway access road, so running may be tough. I will pack for a Sunday morning run, but it is unlikely I will get it in.
today, I ran a little over an hour at a faster than usual pace- 7:45/mile. after running 56 minutes yesterday, 39 on Saturday, and 65 minutes Friday, it was a good day. napping for 4 hrs and going to bed at 8:30 last night helped refresh my legs and body for an extra spring in my step today. ran the local roads again today with a slightly different route than usual. it is impossible to run a flat course around here, so there was a lot undulation in the loop I ran today. it didn’t really matter as I felt great on the hills and the flats today. the climbs never really forced me into any difficulty. I even was able to push some parts of the run and hit a faster pace. the weather cooperated more today than it has lately. the temps were cooler and the pollen count lower. allergies have been brutal over the past week and a half or so. stuffy head, aches, clogged ears, mucus build up, all of it in the first week of September. maybe an early allergy season will make it a short allergy season. let’s hope so…
the week ahead should be fun. school starting with all of my students, intense training week for the XC kids (mini-blaster, hill work, Killer w/o, course workout) and going to see the Irish on a big road trip on the weekend. can’t wait to see the kids this week. after five years at the elementary level, I have gained an appreciation for the enthusiasm of the students and the cooperative nature of many of the faculty. XC practice this week will be fun and intense. it all starts with 12-15 x 200 m with short recoveries tomorrow, followed by hill work at RTP on Wednesday night, and then OJs (aka Killers) on Thursday. they get a scheduled Rest Day (the first, and last, for a while) on Friday and then Sara takes them for the workout on Saturday at the course. the Saturday workout is THE key workout of the season because the kids decide what is important and address their perceived weaknesses on our championship course. I wish I could be there, but in some ways, it might be best that I am not. it gives the kids some autonomy and relieves any pressure I may put on them. I will know who does the work and who does not, the results in the coming weeks will show me a lot. I am confident they will get in the necessary work, make good judgments and improve times heading into next week.
this week is big, the real fun begins next week. more on that later…
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morning recovery…
the day after the kids ran a tough double, including 5 x 1k on the course at RTP, we had an easy morning recovery run scheduled. the kids seemed to be good with that as the soreness of the first full week of real training was beginning to take its toll. that is a good thing as they are becoming calloused and ready to withstand the punishment of the 10 meets we will run this year. the workout last night went very well, despite not having our #2 guy there to his work commitment. that’s ok, he is dedicated and was to do a similar workout on his own yesterday afternoon. I am expecting big things from him this year.
the best part about today’s run was that Sara and I got to run together again. with my half-marathon training and her running with the girls most days, our running time has been minimal lately. we chatted about the team, the workout last night, and life in general over a 32 + min run through some streets and to a park where the team works out once in a while. the park gets us off the streets and onto a grass loop for some easier on the legs running. as much as I consider myself a soloist as a runner and in general, the time spent running with Sara skews my perspective in a different, and mostly better, direction. we made plans to run the Art Museum loop on Saturday morning- the 8.4 mile loop is as flat as you can get locally. I am looking forward to the non-challenging run, but moreso anticipating a nice long morning run with Sara. we will follow that up with some time spent together and that is always a good thing.
I am heading to the gym to do some weight-training despite a severe case of carpal tunnel or tendinitis in my left elbow and wrist. it doesn’t seem to want to go away with rest, so I am dealing with it.
you gotta suffer a little everyday…
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900 around the corner, running solo once again…
sometime tomorrow, or maybe Saturday, I will go over 900 miles for the year. it is a nice milestone for the eighth month of the year (with two weeks remaining), but it is not the goal I have set for myself. after running Sea Isle in a rather easy 1 hr 12 minutes and change, I have set my sights on the half-marathon in September. a sub 1:30 goal is a doable one. as a by-product of that goal and other circumstances, I am back to logging most of my miles as a solo runner. having a training partner for a few months was a welcomed change to my routine. but, I have been a soloist for years now and I think I work best that way. I have upped my mileage over the past couple of weeks and am feeling pretty good about it.
would like to have the next few weeks go 45, 50, 50, 45, 40 to be ready for the half. need to get in a couple 90 minute - 2 hr runs in the next few weeks after getting in 1:23 and 1:13 this week. working on a little faster turnover as well and will throw in some pace work too. I think I have a good plan in place to get to my goal. who knows after that? a run Master’s XC in the winter?
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two years later and a world of difference…
two years after running the worst 10 miles of my life on a furnace-like evening in Sea Isle City, I returned to the scene to give it another shot. this time the weather was perfect for running- 76 degrees and a slight breeze. additionally, I was better prepared to run both physically and mentally. physically, my training has been more consistent and of higher quality than in 07 with 40 miles a week as an average for the last month or so. I’ve also been more consistent in my weight training this year, even though I did take the week preceeding the race off from lifting. mentally, the concern over my mom’s health is gone and my relationship with Sara is much more stable than the situation I was in two years ago. and, this time around, I had made plans ahead to hang out with cousin Dave and some of his friends and then stay at his place Saturday night. so, things were set up nicely for a decent run.
I arrived in SIC mid-afternoon thanks to the weekend shore traffic on the way into town. Dave and I met at the registration building and then headed to his house to hang out before heading to the start line. it was cool to hang out and head to the race with a other guys who were into the event. usually, I am alone in my thoughts pre-race and not with a group of people. we talked about running, life and guys stuff. we headed over to the race about 1/2 hr before the start and I got to see quite few friends, former students/athletes, and parents of kids I’ve coached as well. it is always nice to see some friendly faces at a race, hearing your name in the middle of race can be inspirational.
Dave, Frank, and Dale all planned to run in the 8-9 min/mile pace for the 10 miler. I was planning on heading out casually in 7:30-8 min pace and then trying do 7s for the remainder of the race. the crowded conditions in the first mile on the promenade made for slow going until I got to the sand. luckily, I was able to tuck in and run with the father of a former runner I coached my first year at Springfield. once we got to the beach, I opened up a little and got into open space. checked through mile 1 in 8:14 or so and felt pretty comfortable. picked it up a bit for the next few miles and settled into the 7ish pace I was aiming to do. probably ran a mile or two under 7 minute pace mid-race as the crowd and inner competitor fueled the fire. felt great until the last half mile or so and finished in a respectable 1 hr, 12 minutes and change.
this might become a little guys weekend tradition and we talked about doing weekend races in other locations as guys weekend type thing. should be a good plan.
post race, we hung out, drank some Coronas (not my favorite beer, but easy to drink) and went to Mike’s for seafood. had a nice blackened mahi and rice with a few more cervasas. we hit the OD, Shenanigans and Kix before calling it a night. all in all, good 18hrs or so away from home.
today, maybe a shake out 20-30 and some weights at the Y.
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the morning after…
last night was the weekly XC team workout on the course at Rose Tree Park, the main course Delaware County runners race on in the fall. at least half of the county schools use the park as a home course, the three main championship races (Bulldog, DelcoRRC, and Central League) are contested in the park, and nearly every school (and the local colleges too) spend valuable hours there training on the grass, hilly course. there are good and not-so-good aspects to that reality. the course gets runners off the streets that beat up the legs and can be dangerous with traffic, but the course never allows for any flow with its sidehills, downhills and undulations in terrain. so, we all take the good with the bad and run there fairly regularly. last night, the ND girls were there as usual with their coach, and good friend of mine - Mike MacMillan. Mike is an old school guy (to use a common phrase) who has coached at several local schools over the years, and success has followed him everywhere he goes. he understands training high school runners and he is great with kids. his girls will be a top team in the county this year with depth and quality runners. also on the course last night was the boys team from Cardinal O’Hara. the Lions have been one of the top teams in the county for years and this year should be no different. for us, they are a rival on the course and by virtue of the fact that their school is located in our district. this causes many of the 8th graders from our district to decide between our school and attending O’Hara. it is a friendly rivalry for the most part. however, over the past two seasons, we have lost our top prospect to them on the boys side. this season it is particularly tough because the kid trained with us all of last Summer. he will do well running at O’Hara, he would have been better as a Cougar. O’Hara is coached by another good friend, Tom Kennedy. Tom has built an amazing resume at COH with a stable of athletes in all areas. we had a great conversation last night and I look forward to seeing the red and blue at the Delco champs in October.
for us, last night was a night to switch it up a little. the kids warmed up, ran a hard first mile of the course (to see where our fitness is), and then hit up the hills for a little quad workout. the kids did a great job with the hills, it is nice to be able to trust them doing the work OYO and not watch over them like a hawk. that allowed me to do some hills on my own and let Sara run the course on her own as well.
our top two guys rolled through the first mile in 5:22 after busting out a 2:22 first 800. their first comment after the mile was, “we went out a little fast“. they knew it. but, what they probably did not realize is that come October, that 5:22 will be a 4:46 or faster and they will kicking some ASS in the big races. our top girl continued to look focused and ready for a big season. 2009 is looking better and better.
my workout consisted of getting to the park early, running the course and getting the kids started. did some hills after that and then some strides. 5 miles total, the first three easy. two miles of hills.
today, I am sore and sluggish and it is raining. could be a day off for rest and recovery.
but, it could also be a mid day run.
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