Sunday Long Run 2019 03

Sunday Long Run season is in full swing. It may be brutally hot but it is time to get ready for our fall marathons.

Sunday Long Run number three is in the books!

I missed Sunday Long Run two because I was away visiting relatives in Maine. I’m told that it was hot, humid and miserable last week. This week didn’t feel great either!

The Sunday Long Run

Because it has been so hot the past three weeks, a group of runners has been going out early. The club run begins at 8:00 AM, but these early birds leave sometime after 7:00 AM. That hour can make a big difference in the temperature when you finish.

When I arrived this week only a few people were going out early so I waited for the 8AM crew.

We had about 20 runners with an additional dozen or so early runners.

The course was pretty strait forward and flat. We ran from Bruegger’s on Main Street in Melrose out to Lake Quannapowitt, loop around the lake and head back. The official distance was 10.7 miles for the long run.

A lot of people ran shorter distances for various reasons including the heat.

Within the first mile I started running with Bobby Taylor. He’s fairly new to the club and is a solid runner.

Bobby made a good call early on and moved to the right side of the road to get into as much shade as possible.

The first mile clicked off in no time. I was surprised how quickly it seemed to go by. Our pace was 9:02, so no land speed records were being set!

We settled into a comfortable pace around 9 minutes and it seemed to work.

Soon enough we got to our water stop at Nick’s pizza in Wakefield. The shade was nice and so was the cold water!

Jim Carson is away so Gail Severt and Courtney Koschei managed our water stop. Angels!

It ain’t Death Valley

We were sweating pretty good by this point, which is a good thing. I took two cups of cold water and nothing else.

I’m trying to teach my body to burn fatty acids for fuel instead of carbohydrates. I’ve been doing this for a while on long runs but I’m not sure it is doing anything. I probably need to dial this in a bit more to make it work.

Running through Wakefield Center the heat seemed to build. We also had less shade. We popped across the street to be on the lake side of the road.

I had hoped for a breeze off of the lake, but it was fairly minimal. Any breeze felt good though.

As we ran around the lake we encountered a lot of people out for their Sunday morning walk. It’s great to see people being active, but it does make for a crowded side walk.

I had hoped for a water stop in the Comverse parking lot, but not this week.

Instead of looping the parking lot behind their building we stayed on the side walk. I wasn’t sure how much the loop would add but by this point neither Bobby or I felt like pushing it.

There is some shade on the North Avenue side of the lake, but not much.

The heat was beginning to take it’s toll on us. North Ave has a small hill after the hotel and I told Bobby we should slow down a bit. Our average pace was 9:01 and I hoped to drop it down to 9:05 by the time we hit the top of the hill. We hit 9:03 when the hill leveled off.

As we turned onto Church Street I mentioned to Bobby that there was a water fountain. We stopped for a rest and Bobby used the fountain. I still had plenty of water in my bottles so I just enjoyed the break.

I love it that Wakefield has a water fountain at both ends of the lake. I’ve used them several times.

As we turned onto Common Street we hit mile 7 at a 9:34 pace. It felt like we were working a lot harder than that.

At the intersection in Wakefield Center I was ready to cross the street even without a walk light. I was roasting and the sun was killing my sunburn from Saturday. But, there was a cop at the light so I pushed the walk light button which I am always loath to do.

The water stop was now only about half a mile away. I couldn’t wait to get there!

The ladies had cold water and bags of ice! Courtney filled my water bottle with ice and it was awesome.

Bobby said he was going to slow down for the last few miles. We started out together but I pulled ahead a bit.

I ended up reaching Bruegger’s shortly before he did. I ran around the building to get 10.8 miles.

Inside the gang was hanging out, enjoying the AC, cold drinks and some food. I got a large iced tea and hung out for 20 minutes or so.

I’m off to Orlando on Monday so I had to get home and pack. Nothing worse than forgetting your shoes or hot weather casual shirts.

After Kayaking for five and a half hours on Saturday and running almost eleven miles on Sunday, I’m spent.

My bags are packed and this blog post is written. It’s time to veg-out in front of the TV!

Run well my Friends!

Andy

Medford Long Run

The Melrose Running Club has a Sunday Long Run program for spring and fall marathon runners. In 2017 my marathon was in December and well after the Sunday Long Run program ended.

Without an organized program I had to come up with my own runs and one was the Medford Long Run.

Medford Long Run Destination Unknown

I’ve lived in Medford for about 15 years and know the area fairly well.

I also know most of the Melrose long run routes by heart. The challenge for me is stringing the two together. Starting from a different place and running to a familiar space can be disorienting.

I like to visualize my run before I go out. But when I change things up I can find it difficult to string things together. If I imagine one intersection incorrectly I could have an extra long run!

Where was I and how did I get there?

How many times have you been driving and suddenly realize you’ve arrived but don’t recall the journey?

While running it’s easy to focus on your shoes and not notice the surroundings. This is especially true on a long, difficult run. And just like driving, you can finish a run and not recall the turns. Some of this is from the shoe thing and some is from runner’s amnesia. Exhaustion and pain tend to make the mind focus inwardly and blur the world.

Sometimes a landmark gets torn down or painted. Its amazing how differently a street can look from the opposite direction. It’s amazing how different a street looks from your car as apposed to running.

I tend to notice these things more when I’m running, but only if I’m tuned in. It can be disorienting to suddenly realize that some building is gone but not be sure what had been there.

Starting from a different place, I felt disoriented trying to visualize the entire route. I was not entirely sure where I was going!

I was running into the unknown.

Starting the Medford Long Run

I left from my front door step, ran past the Crystal Campbell Memorial on Riverside Ave and through Medford Square.

From the Square I ran up High Street past the library and St. Joseph’s. At the rotary I stayed left and continued to West Medford down High Street.

In West Medford I crossed the Commuter Train tracks and passed St. Raphael’s.

A lot of West Medford seems out of the 1950’s. The square is full of small shops, there is a train stop and the houses are large early 1900’s style and look to be mostly single family still.

So far so good, I knew exactly where I was.

Medford Long Run Mystic Valley Parkway

At the rotary below the Lower Mystic Lake I took a right onto the Mystic Valley Parkway. As I approached the turn I saw several cyclist turn up the Parkway. This is a great road for cyclists and runners. On the lake side of the road there is a gravel path which isn’t too dangerous to run on.

Just before the turn my watch chimed 3 miles. My average pace was 8:50. I told my self that I would get in at least a 6 mile run now. It was beginning to feel like a run but my pace was still good.

As I ran up the Mystic Valley Parkway I met other runners and several walkers. It was nice to see so much activity in my home town. I even saw an un-manned water stop for The Tufts Marathon Team.

As I got to the end of the Parkway I crossed the street near the Wedgemere commuter rail station and took a right onto Bacon Street.

I was still on my mental map!

Into the Wilderness

I’ve run this area many times and knew where I was. But I was having difficulty visualizing the next turn. I knew how to get home from here, but I wanted to get in more miles before heading home.

At the next rotary I recognized Symmes Corner and knew that I wanted to turn left onto Main Street. However, I still could not visualize my next turn. I took it on faith that I would know which way to go when I got there.

When Main Street split into Main and Washington Street, I went down Washington. I saw a sign for Rt. 38 and knew that went to Medford. It felt like dead reckoning.

At mile 7 I was in the Winchester Highlands. I’ve been here many times and recalled that I never recall the street to turn right onto. Each corner looks the same to me: houses and maybe a business of some kind. As generic as a Florida intersection.

Instead of turning right onto Forrest Street I continued into the Montvale section of Woburn. This is the southern edge of Woburn but the farthest distance from my house. I did not want to get turned around here! While running down this road I saw a sign for Tyngsboro! That caught my attention. Tyngsboro is on the New Hampshire border.

Around mile 7 I took my single gel. At the corner of Washington Street and Montvale Ave I found a Wendy’s and put my empty gel packet into a trash can.

While wandering across the parking lot like a zombie I took out my phone and checked my map. I wasn’t too far off of the beaten path, but I had missed that turn onto Forrest Street. It was time to find the most direct way home. I noticed that my water was well over half gone, but it never occurred to me to go into Wendy’s and get a drink. Too focused on that map!

Medford Long Run Home

All I had to do was turn right onto Montvale Avenue and head for the Stone Zoo. Going down Montvale I had to cross the ramps for Rt. 93, both north and south bound. Fortunately traffic wasn’t too bad and I never feared for my life!

After I ran that gauntlet I decided to check my map again. I recalled seeing a street that cut off some distance, but didn’t recall the name. Fortunately I was on the right corner and turned down Maple Street.

Maple started out okay and then turned into a bitch of a hill. I went up 100 feet in less than half a mile. I wasn’t even sure where I was going and this hill was kicking my ass! What a waste if I got it wrong!

Fortunately Maple ended at Main Street in Stoneham which is also Rt. 28 which goes to Medford. I was feeling a little better.

When I got to the corner I recognized the area and knew to turn right and head south. I didn’t really recognize anything running down Main Street. Then I got to the four-way intersection of Main Street, North Border Road, South Street and Fellsway West.

I saw the Friendly’s on the corner and the Fellsway West right in front of me. I knew where to go.

The Fellsway West has several long slow hills that just burn you up. They’re not steep, they just go on for ever. I knew where I was but had to figure out how to get home.

Normally we take a left at Elm Street off of the Fellsway and hit the last water stop before heading back to Melrose.

I did not want to go to Melrose this time!

As I passed my usual turn I entered very familiar territory. I was now in the Fulton Heights section of Medford and running past St. Francis. This was our parish when my kids were in elementary school.

The Fellsway West comes around the back side of Spot Pond and passes in front of St. Francis. Shortly after passing Fulton Street, mile 13 chimed in at 9:01! Not bad for being this deep into a greater Medford long run.

I wasn’t sure how much further I had to go distance wise, but I knew exactly where I was going. As I made my way down Spring Street mile 14 approached. I was spent and decided to walk after mile 14.

I never planned to run this far in the first place! Just before the turn onto my street mile 14 chimed in at 9:12. Still very good.

I walked the last quarter mile and lengthened my stride to stretch my muscles a little bit. I felt a little funny walking past the neighbors homes in my running kit and, well walking! My shirt was so thoroughly sweat through that the entire shirt was now several shades darker. The uniformity of color probably looked like I hadn’t even broken a sweat.

This was a great run for my training for The Honolulu Marathon and my memory turned out to be much better than I thought.

Run Well my Friends!

Andy

Last Long Run at 52

This week’s run was my last long run at 52. On Monday I turn 53 and will continue to remind my self that I’m still in my early 50’s.

This week we ran the same Sunday Long Run route that we ran week six, the Winchester Highland route. Three weeks ago it was around 90°, sunny and humid. Nothing that a runner likes.

This week it was in the high 50’s, overcast with a light drizzle. Eventually it rained and everything was soaked through. Near the end I just ran through the puddles because it didn’t matter anymore.

Last Long Run

Most runners have considered their last run, long or short. Usually this thought pops into a runner’s head when they are layed up with an injury and have way too much time to think.

With a nagging, persistent injury it can feel like your running days are over. When the pain just wont go away, it’s easy to wonder if you have had your last long run.

It’s not like facing down a life threatening illness, but it can feel like your life will never be the same again. Runners have lots of running friends. While running can be a solitary sport, often a big part of a runner’s social life is built around running. The people and socializing are one of the wonderful things about running.

The thought of loosing so much of your social life can be depressing.

Then there is the fitness and health running gives to you. If you can’t run how will you maintain your weight and youthful vigor? When Boston had the record winter two years ago I was in peak condition from training for three marathons. I shoveled for the entire season and never really ran out of steam.

If I had not been a runner and spent so much time focused on being in shape, that winter would have been much more difficult.

Running and aging

Getting older is just part of life. As my Dad says, it sure beats the alternative.

In my mind, life is a series of taking fall-back positions. Your life is under a constant assault by time and eventually you have to yield your position in order to continue the fight.

This is a military concept so I may not have a full understanding of how a battle is conducted. But I hope you understand what I’m trying to say.

When you are young, your body will take a lot of abuse and bounce back quickly. When we are young we probably do a lot of damage to our bodies because it’s easy to bounce back and compensate.

I used to carry anything that my hands and arms could hold onto. I could load and carry around 50lb bags of cement. It would have been smarter to use a cart and my back wouldn’t hurt so much today.

Now I am much more careful about carrying heavy items and use back support when I do.

As a runner I have also learned a lot about preventing and managing injuries. I’ve hurt my self while running several ways, now I manage those situations and generally avoid injuries from them.

Pain is a powerful teaching tool! You can read about what to do and not to do. But often the lesson does not resonate until you go out and do something stupid.

A few years ago I dreamed of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. After trying a few times and going through various injuries I question that quest. My fall back position is to run fewer marathons and not worry about Boston.

Long distance running can be brutal on the body. I have even considered giving up the marathon and only running halfs, 10K and 5K races. I’m just not there yet but I feel that my position could be over-run at any time.

Older and Wiser?

53 isn’t really that old. My parents are 88 and 89. I should have at least another 35 years on this earth.

Many of us felt like we knew everything when we were 17 or 20 and definitely at 30. We were just fooling our selves. As I’ve gotten older I’ve come to realize there is so much to learn. What you thought at 40 is laughable at 50.

I can only imagine looking back at today when I am 63. What opportunities did I miss? Oh the mistakes I made! What can’t I do at 63 that I could do at 53? What silly ideas did I hold to be true?

I may be wiser in that I know I can hurt my self. I know injuries can take a long time to heal and some never truly go away. The same can be said about relationships.

I know some lessons are never truly learned until the bridge has been crossed. You cannot understand what it means to be a parent until you are. You cannot understand true joy until your heart is busting and your eyes are full of tears. You cannot understand loss until there is an emptiness that cannot be filled.

Life’s lessons are learned through joy and loss, pleasure and pain.

Last Long Run at 52

This week’s run was much more enjoyable. While I do not enjoy running in the rain, it is much better than running in the heat. I teamed up with Freddie Pare early in the run when we figured out we had the same goal pace: 9:30.

My running mate from last week, Stephanie was there again this week. I was glad to see her return after that 18 miler from last week. I think she ran the half distance this week as I didn’t see her after the first half mile or so.

I won’t give you turn by turn details since they are the same as week six. It was nice to run the same course in better weather. Freddie and I agreed that it was a great way to gauge your progress.

This route has the most hills of any course in our series. For week six I ran the course at a 10:46 pace. This week my pace was 9:41! A few weeks of “training” helped but I think the weather made the most difference.

I’ve never run with Freddie so we had a great conversation and pulled each other along.

I left the charging cable for my watch at work and it died Saturday night. This week I used “Run Keeper” as a replacement.

I haven’t used Run Keeper in a few years and used it to replace my watch then also. At the time Run Keeper was new and everyone around me was fascinated by the time pace and distance announcements coming from my phone.

I liked Run Keeper because it has some nice details and uses cell towers instead of satellites, so it links up faster. What I didn’t like about Run Keeper was trying to start a race, start Run Keeper and get my phone stowed away in a moving crowd of runners. And on rainy days I hated taking my phone on a run.

During our run today I stopped to use a porta-pottie at a construction site. It was very dark in there so I had to be careful not to drop anything. So I didn’t take my phone out to stop Run Keeper. As I was looking for hand sanitizer Run Keeper reverberated in the porta-pottie announcing my current distance pace etc. I could hear Freddie outside laughing.

Run well my Friends!

Andy

Sunday Long Run Marathon Training 2017 02

Sunday Long Run 2017 02 is actually run number 3. Our program is managed by an engineer, so we start with run 00.

Jim Carson has managed the Sunday Long Run program since I have been involved with it. He organizes the volunteers and makes sure we have supplies for the water stops. I don’t think we have ever cancelled a run because we didn’t have volunteers, even when Jim was away.

Sunday Long Run 2017 02

It was a brisk, sunny morning with temps in the high 20’s to low 30’s. Runners don’t mind the cold as much as they mind the rain. So a cold dry morning is fine by us!

I showed up early to Brueggers and put my money on the table. As everyone else came in they assumed I was collecting and placed their cash on top of mine. The pile was growing nicely and then Jim came in and took over the collection.

A few minutes before eight about 50 of us piled onto the sidewalk in front of Brueggers for our instructions.

I’ve run this course so many times, I could actually visualize each turn and each hill. We had a lot of Mystic Runners with us and many listened carefully to Jim’s instructions.

I was at the front of the pack and headed down Main Street to West Wyoming. I ended up running with several of the faster runners in our club and was concerned that I was going out too fast.

You can go out too fast even on a training run. You don’t get a DNR if you cut your run short due to fatigue but it does kind of suck.

As we headed up the Fellsway Hills I stayed with the faster runners. Very few people were behind us and I was really getting concerned. We ran both hills on The Fellsway and then turned right onto Highland Ave for another hill.

As we approached our first water stop I decided to hang a bit longer at the stop and let the faster people go ahead. I knew better than try to keep up with them for the full 12.5 miles.

I ended up running with a few Mystics around the back side of Spot Pond in Stoneham. We had a good chat and ran a little slower than the group I was with previously.

While I was hanging at the water stop at the turn onto South Street I saw my friend Gail Severt coming in. I decided to wait and run with her. We used to run together all the time and I knew we would have a good talk like we used to.

As we approached Flynn Rink I decided that I needed a bio break. It’s hockey season and the rink is a public facility, so I knew I was all set. Gail ran ahead and I went into the hockey arena.

By the time I got to our last water stop, Gail was gone. I was now near the end of the long run group and most of them were going a lot slower than me. A few were even walking.

I would run with them a for a bit and then push on. At this point I just wanted to get the run over! 12.5 miles is a real run, even with social water stops!

This weeks route involved running The Fellsway hills both ways. I felt pretty good and I like running hills, so I pushed hard up and down the hills.

My knee bothered me a bit from the down hill pounding, but overall, I felt pretty good.

A Sunday Long Run isn’t about speed really. It’s about getting your body used to running long distances. Gradually we build up to 20 and even a 22 mile run.

We do this over 16 weeks with step back weeks built it. If you don’t over do it the rest of the week, the program is an excellent way to prep for Boston or any other spring marathon.

The program is so good that often, half of our runners are from other clubs! You gotta be doing something right!

I ran 12.51 miles at a 9:09 pace. It looks like I spent about 23 minutes hanging out.

Tips for Sunday Long Run Runners

During a race I always double tie my laces. Most new shoes have laces that rarely come untied, but I see runners with flopping laces all the time. This week I didn’t double tie and I had to stop for each shoe.

Tip: Always double tie your laces. It’s a needless waste of time, especially during a race.

I also had to make a bio break. All runners should carry a few dollars and a few tissues with them. You never know when you may need them. It’s also a good idea to know where there is a public toilet, like an ice rink, and a place to get a drink.

There are Dunkin Donuts everywhere. With a few dollars you get get a bio break and buy a bottle of water on your way out.

Tip: Get to know where the water fountains and restrooms are that you can get into. It can make life so much easier!

Run well My Friends!

Andy

Winchester Highlands Sunday Long Run

Melrose Running Club Sunday Long Run Week 6

marathon training, running, winter — Melrose Running Club SLR Program – join us!

This past year I have been focused on 5K races. In order to get 50 races run in one year I had to stay focused and avoid injury. Sunday Long Runs, marathons and half marathons are not a great way to avoid injury.

I’m near the end of my quest and will be running the Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon in October. Since I’ve only been running short distances all summer, I’m not really in half-marathon shape. As such I decided to go out for a run with The Club on Sunday morning.

This week we ran the Winchester Highlands route which is 16.2 miles of hills. Well, not totally hills, but many many hills. We had a large group show up for the 8AM start at Bruegger’s on Main Street in Melrose. Jim Carson went over the course in detail and told us where the water stops would be.

As we stood there listening to Jim the sun beat down on us and we could feel the temperature rising. In my mind I had decided to run the long course, all 16.2 miles even though I haven’t had a long run in several months. I planned to take it easy and just go for the miles.

Water Stop One and Decisions

At our first water stop people were deciding if they would turn back and do the half distance of 8.2 miles or continue on for all 16.2 glorious miles. It was hot and the run was just getting started. Quite a few people decided to continue on for the full 16.2 mile run. I was running with Don Keren and Don is in marathon shape. We decided to run the full course.

We had a nice down hill after the water stop and then the hills began. There were a few people behind us and Don had a map and smart phone. I’m not good with directions but thought we were in pretty good shape.

I didn’t have my watch so I was never sure exactly how far along we were. Somewhere around 10 miles or so I could feel my left knee getting tight. It wasn’t too bad but I knew it would hurt when I got home and on Monday and Tuesday.

A Glorious Day for a Run

The sky was clear and temperatures were in the 80s. The humidity was up there also. Not ideal conditions for my longest run of the year, but I felt great. As we ran up hills I began to focus on my quads and could feel each impact. In my mind I imagined the chemistry going on deep in my muscles. Sugar and oxygen being turned into energy and lactic acid!

I had been telling Don earlier how running a 5K puts a lot of stress on your lungs and heart. You have to run so hard and at times the heart and lungs just can’t keep up with demand.

On a long run or marathon I rarely get out of breath. It’s my legs that feel the stress and strain of the run. Sometimes my hips will ache and all of the flexors will scream out for me to stop immediately or else. Sometimes an Achilles will act up or a knee will get a twinge. Over the years I’ve worked out a lot of these issues and can avoid or manage these flare ups.

Not being in pain or gasping for breath, I paid attention to my body. The feeling of impact and forward motion. The feeling of hot air on my skin. Even the breeze was warm. It was just awesome. I was totally enjoying this run.

I didn’t have any electronics so I couldn’t track speed, distance or heart rate. I could feel my heart beating at a comfortable rate, probably around 150 bpm on most of the run. On the hills it increased to around 175. Well within my comfort zone. I felt relaxed and comfortable.

My shirt was soaked with sweat and I could feel chafing, so I took it off. Pretty unusual for me, but I knew what would happen if I kept it on. Running without a shirt felt even better. I could really feel the heat and the sun now.

We had many interesting conversations on the run and at water stops. At one of our last water stops we had a very interesting conversation that only two women who are runners could initiate. All of the guys participated in said discussion with no apparent discomfort and we all enjoyed the discourse. I participated as well, but wisely said less than I could have.

A few bridges too far

As we headed back the running group thinned out. Many runners were way ahead of us and I don’t think many were behind us. I stayed with Don for the most part but he began to drop back. Tom Gorman was in front of us and I was trying to keep him in sight since I wasn’t sure of the route. Eventually I lost sight of both Tom and Don and had to navigate from memory.

At Flynn Ice Arena in Medford, I almost took a right instead of a left. I made this mistake last year and missed the last water stop. With this memory I went back through the rotary and headed for the water stop in the parking lot of the ice arena.

AJ brought fresh blueberries and strawberries. I had been avoiding carbs so I could burn up my reserves, but at this stop I had to have carbs. Those berries were delicious. Just awesome. The taste of summer. I had a few cups of water and headed off by my self.

I knew where I was going and if I made a wrong turn, I was almost back to the barn anyway. Each little hill was beginning to feel like a wall. After I made the turn down Pond Street in Stoneham I walked a little more. When I had been trying to let Don catch up with my earlier I did some walking also, but now I had to walk.

On the way down the trail by Pond Street I caught up with another runner. I didn’t recognize her, but I must have looked spent and harmless. At this point I was running on fumes. I alternated walking and running down West Wyoming Street and took the short cut behind Main Street. When I got back to Bruegger’s I didn’t even go inside. I had a 30oz sports drink and it was mostly gone before I left the parking lot.

It was great to go out for a long run and spend time with my friends. 16.2 miles was a little long for me but it was a glorious day for a run and I’m glad I ran a few bridges too far.

Run well my friends,

Andy

Marathon Training Sept. 14th

Marathon training continues

We started week 10 of our marathon training program on Sunday. This week we ran 16 miles in 50 something degree weather. Everyone seemed to like the break from the heat, but I hated it.

The cold made my muscles and tendons tighten. There was a 10-15mph wind for the first seven miles or so. After we warmed up the wind wasn’t so bad, and it did keep the crowds down around Lake Quannapowitt.

After getting warmed up on the first mile, my next 7 miles were under 8 minute miles. When I hit 16 miles I started walking, and walked about a quarter-mile. I just didn’t feel like running in anything more than we had planned. Not this week.

My goal was to run as close to my goal marathon pace as possible. For 16.24 miles my average pace was 8:20. My marathon goal is 8:00 miles. If everything goes my way I still feel this goal is attainable.

I know that around mile 21 the wheels will start to come off and I’ll bargain with my self just to survive. By walking early in the race and keeping up with my gym routine, I hope to be able to get past this point in the race and still have some juice to push hard for the finish.

My total miles last week were 38.08. The high point of my marathon training so far. This is a step back week and my miles should be around 32.

1,000 mile goal

As of Sunday’s Long Run, I am at 736.41 miles. With about 14 weeks to go, I only need to run about 19 miles per week to hit my goal. I have four more marathon training weeks, and of course the marathon itself will more than cover my miles for that week.

[email protected] project

I’m beginning to line up 5K races to run over the next 12 months. While Dave McGillivray runs a mile for each year of age on his birthday, my goal is to run 50 5Ks before I turn 51. Dave is Superman compared to me.

Run well my friends.

Andy