August 28

AM: 10+ miles easy

I met Liam in Old West Durham. We ran down Ninth Street, across Central and West Campus, and then hit a loop on the golf course with the side trail extension. Today will be just one run for me on account of driving to Maryland this afternoon, and because I'm pretty set on hitting my goal mileage this week.

August 27

AM: 14+ miles with 6 miles progression

PM: 4 miles easy

I met Liam at his place in Old West Durham in the morning, and from there we ran the 2.5 miles or so to the American Tobacco Trail. Every morning we've been out there, these same 2 or 3 old townies, who are possibly homeless or just don't have much else going on at 7:00 in the morning, hang out sitting in lawn chairs in exactly the same place cheering on runners. It's become a real morale boost for us. One guy always asks how far we've run, and another tells us to "pick it up," basically every morning we're there. They've definitely become one of the signature pieces of running life in Durham.

Once we got there this morning, we put in a small out-and-back progression run, hitting 6:12, 6:01, 5:52, 5:39, 5:42 (stopped briefly at an intersection for a car), and 5:26. Like I've mentioned before, the trail has one false flat after another, and running on it you can really start to feel them. I managed to stay fairly relaxed. We ran back to Liam's place through downtown, where I reversed course and added another loop to give myself 1:37 total for the run.

After classes, I went back to Durham Academy for a short shake-out run. I've been tired lately. I fortunately also feel like I've gained a lot of ground on my fitness in the last few weeks. While I'm not sure I'd be ready to bust out a fast mile at the moment, I do feel like I've gotten stronger. That's a good thing with Annapolis coming this weekend, which has a course that epitomizes a need for strength.

August 26

AM: 10 miles easy

PM: 1500m swim

The morning run was easy through East Campus and on the ATT from Liam's place.

After classes, I hit the pool because I have, maybe foolishly, signed up for a short triathlon in less than two weeks. I'm slow, but capable. Rumor has it we swim with the current. That would be amazing.

August 25

AM: 6 x mile with 200 jog recovery, 4 x 200 strides, 12 miles

PM: 6 miles easy

I met up with Liam at the Golf Course, and we jogged to the Duke Football Stadium. I'm 99% sure this is the only football team in the ACC that still has a track around it, just like in high school. It still felt cool working out in a big stadium. We had cooler weather this morning, though it was still stupidly humid.

The short rest (1:20-1:25) for this workout made it tough. It wasn't aerobically that taxing, but the legs felt downright heavy in the last two reps. The plan was to start at date 10-mile race pace and work down to goal 10-mile pace. I accomplished that much, though Liam totally blew my doors off on the last one, taking us out in :73. He pretty much kept that pace. I did not.

Splits: 5:18, 5:17, 5:15, 5:12, 5:10, 5:10

After my first day of classes at Duke, I went for a shake-out near me to a local high school (Durham Academy). I discovered that they have their own XC course, and since it's about a mile from my apartment, it will be a perfect place for shakeout runs.

August 24

AM: 8+ miles easy

PM: 5 miles easy

Met Liam in the morning for a run around Duke Gardens. Felt OK.

After spending all day in front of the computer working, I felt like hell on my second shake-out.

August 23 (108 miles/week)

AM: 12 miles easy/moderate

PM: 4 miles easy

Valerie drove to Umstead State Park where I got in a solid 12 with Liam. I'd never been there, but this is easily the best place I've run in NC so far. We stayed on the main dirt road with long, rolling hills, but the park had countless side trails just waiting to be explored. I'll be back. At the final climb of the day, I started feeling fatigue in my quads but held together just fine.

In the late afternoon, I went for a short 30-minute shake-out to explore a small trail near my apartment

Strong week this week and my highest mileage so far of 2009. Given that I was considerably busier than I thought with orientation, I'm pleased. There was a fair amount of easy/moderate running on account of the heat, but I'm feeling good and think I'm ready to run well at Annapolis next week. I'm going to stick with the 2 up, 1 down mileage cycle, which seems to keep me from getting too flat during higher mileage periods, so next week will be a recovery week of 90-ish miles.

August 22

AM: 21+ miles easy

I slept in a little bit this morning and set out just after 10:30. I ran to the Al Buehler trail and looped around West Campus before heading north on Campus Drive for a loop on East Campus with a detour through the Duke Gardens. About 10 miles in, the sky opened up and dumped rain for the next 45 minutes. This actually felt amazing as it's probably the coolest weather we've had since I've been in North Carolina.

At about 1:15 in, I tried to stop for water at the West Campus athletic fields, only to see chalky liquid pour from the fountain: despite the fact that my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth at this point, I passed. I finished up with a few more loops on the golf course trail (aka the Al Buehler Trail, where I finally got water) for 2:28 total. Given that I only took water during the run, I felt pretty strong today during my longest run in quite some time.

August 21

AM: 14 x 400m hill circuit, 8 miles

PM: 6 miles easy, treadmill

In the morning, I warmed up to the golf course loop and headed to the steepest hill on the trail. Over one quarter-mile stretch, there is one hill that is ~250m on one side and ~150m on the other side. I went back and fourth seven times, sprinting the hills and using the downhill as the recovery: a little speed workout since it's been a little while.

After my last day of orientation at Duke, I jogged easy on the treadmill while my laundry was in the washing machine. I planned eight, but like an idiot I slipped off the treadmill while trying to change the channel on the TV and came damn close to killing myself in the process. Somewhat humiliated, I decided that was enough for today and did some core work. Valerie came to town right after that, which was definitely welcome after this week that seemed to go on forever.

August 20

AM: 10 miles easy

PM: 7 miles easy, ~15 miles easy bike

Another humid-as-hell day. I keep reminding myself that fall and winter down here will bring awesome weather. I ran the East Campus-to-ATT loop with Liam in the morning. After knocking out some work all day, I ran from my place to an easy loop on the Al Buehler trail, when the air was exceptionally thick after a thunderstorm. After that, I jumped on the bike for an easy tour of Durham with some folks from my program at Duke.

The plans for the rest of the week are a light speed workout tomorrow, since it's been a few weeks since I've done any speed, and a 21-22 mile tour of Durham on foot on Saturday or Sunday, plus perhaps a trip down to Umstead Park with Valerie when she rolls into town for a visit.

August 19

AM: 8+ miles easy/moderate

Ran to the golf course trail through the neighborhoods and put in two loops. I didn't have time for much else today because of class registration, orientation, and a nagging project that I need to finish before classes start next week.

August 18

AM: 7 miles easy

PM: 7 miles easy

Ran in Duke Forest with Liam in the morning, and then hit the Al Buelher trail in the evening.

August 17

AM: 7-mile progression run, 11 miles total

PM: 7 miles easy/slow

I met Liam at mile zero of the American Tobacco Trail. After a short mile-plus warmup, we jumped on the trail and headed out to the 5-mile mark. Aside from navigating a few light street crossings, the run actually went rather smoothly. Even though it's a rail-trail, the ATT is deceptively rolling with some long uphill stretches on the way out. Despite this, we cut the pace down pretty evenly, pulling the plug with 3 miles left for a cooldown to keep the effort "comfortably hard": 6:15, 6:00, 5:52, 5:42, 5:34, 5:32, 5:26.

Today was also obscenely humid. I biked 3.5 miles to orientation, and was absolutely drenched with sweat by the time I got there. I fortunately had the foresight to bring an extra shirt; I would have had to buy a shirt at the bookstore otherwise.

After a long day of testing, getting to know some of my classmates, and meetings, I went for a shorter run through the neighborhoods with a loop around Al Buehler. About a mile from home, I noticed a squishing in my shoes, as a summer thunderstorm had just passed over the area. Except that there was no storm: I was just sweating profusely, again, which had now soaked through my socks and into my shoes to the point where I swear I was leaving wet footprints on the asphalt.

It's sort of fitting that I've come to North Carolina to experience new levels of heat and humidity at this point in my life. As some of you know, I'm something of an "expert" on humidity, and it sort of coincides with my levels of education (a little ridiculous...but follow me on this...the last week or so has proven too much time for me to think during runs and otherwise).

Westminster in Atlanta was my secondary education in humidity, really just an introduction. Maryland was my college education, but both the work and humidity were really no tougher than Atlanta or Westminster, with a few exceptions. Now, I'm in North Carolina: the "grad school" of humidity. It's humidity more advanced and complex than any humidity I've experienced before, but in the long run I feel it's will be good experience to get through it.

In other news, I need to get out more.

August 16 (101 miles/week)

AM: 12 miles easy/moderate

Ran around Memorial Park and Westminster before stuffing my car with furniture and driving back to Durham. Despite my new surroundings and a trip to and from Atlanta, this was probably one of my better running weeks in a while and my highest week of mileage since March.

I wanted to double today but ended up getting back too late. I have my program orientation next week, so while my schedule may be a little hectic, I should have the stability for another crack at a higher week of volume.

August 15

AM: 8 miles easy

I met Fellows at his place in Ansley Park for a loop around midtown, Georgia Tech, and Piedmont Park, where crews were setting up for a Paul McCartney concert tonight. Good to catch up with him for a little bit since we really only run these days when I'm in Atlanta.

In the afternoon, my "little" brother, Josh, beat me in golf for the first time ever. It wasn't close: he had an 84 to my 95. Not only is he now taller than me at the age of 14, but now he's definitely a better golfer. I went home to look for grey hairs to pluck.

August 14

AM: 30+ minute warmup, 4 x 3k @ 10-mile pace with 1-mile jog recovery, 40+ minute cooldown, 20 miles

I drove from Durham to Atlanta last night for the weekend to pick up some furniture for the apartment from my mom's place.

I set out this morning to run a workout similar to one the GRC has planned for this weekend ("stolen!"). Memorial Park is exactly 3k around, so I figured that would be as good of a place as any to hit the workout. I went out around 9:30, but the heat wasn't too bad at only 80-ish degrees and 70% humidity: not great, but given that it's Atlanta in August, it could have been worse, and the loop is mostly shaded. I ran the workout in trainers, but they became squishy with sweat halfway through the workout.

The loop has a gradual climb in the last 600m, making the last part of the loop deceptively tough. I took water on the recoveries and a gel between the second and third reps. I think that was a big help today with what seemed like a daunting workout to run solo.

The goal was to hit the loops at or under 10:00, and I managed that and wasn't reduced to a death-shuffle on longer cooldown. Good day today. If I can run the pace of today's reps at the Army 10-mile, I'll take it. That would let me dip under 53 minutes.

Splits: 9:49, 9:54, 9:53, 10:00.

August 13

AM: 10 miles moderate

Met up with Liam for a run through East Campus and Downtown Durham, plus an out-and-back on the American Tobacco Trail. We cruised along pretty well, dipping under 6:20 pace at the end of the trail. I felt 100% better than yesterday.

August 12

PM: 15 miles easy

I ran through the neighborhoods, on the Al Buehler trail, and then explored Duke Forest a little bit. There are some great trails and fire roads very close to campus, which will come in handy.

On the other hand, while the weather was a bit cooler today, I didn't feel peachy. My legs felt slow and heavy until the final 10 minutes of the run. I had to do a fair amount of stopping and starting to make sure I didn't get lost.

These mid-week long runs are going to be big for building marathon strength looking toward November.

August 11

AM: 10 miles easy

PM: 8 miles easy

I ran Liam, who I met via Scott Munro, in the morning at his place in Old West Durham. We headed through downtown Durham and Duke's East Campus before hitting the American Tobacco Trail, which is an paved-over old railroad track like the Capital Crescent or Silver Comet. We met early to run, yet it was still 86 degrees on my way home at 8:30.

In the evening after an evening thunderstorm pushed some "cooler" air through the area (i.e. not 100 degrees), I ran to the golf course and ran a couple of laps on the Al Buehler trail. I still managed to come back totally saturated with sweat.

August 10

AM: 10 x 3:00 on/1:00 off, 12+ miles

PM: 6 miles easy, treadmill

Hotter than hell today. I got in a decent workout in the morning on the Al Buehler trail, which fortunately is mostly shaded.

At 7:00 this evening, the heat index was still at 100, so I compromised and ran on the treadmill.

Bonus: I ran past a frisbee golf course this morning. It's only a half-mile from the new apartment. Score!

Other than that, things are going to be pretty quiet this week because my grad school orientation doesn't start until next week. I may head to Atlanta this weekend to pick up some furniture, but that's still sort of in the air right now.

August 9 (86 miles/week)

AM: 5 miles easy

Another day of moving...another squeezed-in maintenance run. I ran first thing in the morning with Samy and Pat, who came down with Valerie and me this weekend to help us move. This was my first run in North Carolina, doing a loop-plus on the Al Buehler trails at the golf course. It was already brutally warm out in what would be the hottest day of the year so far.

I'll have some free time next week, which I hope to use to hit the miles pretty hard.

August 8

AM: 5 miles easy

Easy run in Rock Creek Park before a long day of packing and moving, including witnessing two pretty horrible car accidents right in front of us. In total, what is normally a 4.5-hour trip took us more than 8 hours today.

August 7

AM: 20 miles w/ 5+ miles @ MP

Tommy Boy - The best home videos are here

I met Dirk in the morning for a long run. We headed south on the Rock Creek Park trails before heading up Tilden and coming back down the trails before the zoo. Halfway down the trail about 45 minutes into the run, I cried out in pain: a yellow jacket flew into the back of my head and started stinging me. I'm in desperate need of a haircut right now, so the little hell demon wouldn't budge when I tried to dig him out of my thick blonde mop of hair. Fortunately, Dirk saved the day and picked him out while I whimpered.

I shook it off and tried to ignore the irritating swelling as we continued. We made out way up Ross Drive and down to the bathroom on Beach Drive near the police station where I took a mandatory pit stop. My plan today was to run 13 miles with Dirk, and then jump into two Meadowbrook loops at marathon pace (~5:45). After I got out of the bathroom, though, Dirk jumped ahead. My mid-run tempo was starting early. We cruised down the trails at about marathon pace through the line where we ran one Meadowbrook loop hitting 5:41 and 5:38 pretty comfortably. After the loop, we wished each other well and parted ways before I set into a cooldown, where I started a hardcore bonk that came with another pit stop. My "bonk" turned out to be dehydration, because when I finally came to a water fountain at Candy Cane City, I felt like Ponce de Leon. I was able to rebound a little and had a solid run the rest of the way home.

Weird run today but with some solid work thrown in there. This has been and continues to be a hectic week, so I'll take it.

August 6

AM: 10 miles easy

PM: 7 miles easy

P. Murphy and Jarrin (!) met me at my place this morning for a run through Rock Creek Park: a little rainy, but pleasantly cooler than it has been.

After work, I went for a shake-out on the Capital Crescent and ran into Jake and Melissa. After a few miles with them, I turned back home, only to be struck with a devastatingly painful RIC that forced me to walk/jog the last mile. Bummer.

August 5

PM: 1600, 1200, 800, 400 with 400 jog recovery and 200 jog between the 800/400, 7 miles

Considering that VH and I left Silver Spring at 5:30 this morning, drove the 4.5 hours to Durham and back to get a last-minute apartment, I was just glad to get in what I could today. I showed up at B-CC right as everyone was getting started, jumped out of the car, jogged a 5-lap warmup, and then went right into it. This is going to be my last Wednesday night B-CC workout for a while. Feeling a little sentimental about all of the good work that's been done here over the last two years, I didn't want to miss the chance tonight and had to settle for a short and sweet effort given the circumstances.

Splits: 4:57, 3:39, 2:21, :65

August 4

AM: 11 miles moderate

PM: 4 miles easy

I ran with Dirk in the morning before he jumped into a tempo run. While he ran his first loop around Meadowbrook, I looped around the trails in Rock Creek Park for another 20+ minutes before jumping into a relaxed loop of my own at marathon pace (13:25 for the loop, or a hair under 5:45 pace) while Dirk ran his last lap. To put my friend's fitness level in perspective, he was a spec on the horizon just a mile into the lap, and I wasn't exactly jogging it, either.

In the evening, I went for an easy shake-out run with Valerie on the Capital Crescent past the produce stand.

August 3

AM: 10 miles easy

PM: 7 miles easy/moderate

Ran a super relaxed run through Rock Creek Park in the morning, over some hills on the trails. After work, I met Dirk for an out-and-back on the Capital Crescent, where we had a brief "Fox" encounter, as well as a classic Capital Crescent pissing match.

Let me elaborate. For whatever reason, random guys are fond of challenging me on the Capital Crescent, and this only really happens to me on this trail. Occasionally I'll pass some bozo wearing Nike Shox and baggy shorts who will suddenly start hammering to 1.) keep up with me or 2.) surge ahead when I run up on them before falling off. I need a name for these guys, this phenomenon...Capital Crescent Cockfighters, maybe?

August 2 (85 miles/week)

AM: 19 miles easy/moderate

The heavens opened up on us about in the mile into the run, pouring rain for the next 45 minutes. It kept spitting on and off thereafter.

I met a group of 10 GRC'ers at the Line this morning, sticking to Beach Drive for the first 10. The pace quickened in the second half, and I joined a smaller group through the Chevy Chase neighborhoods and Western Ave. hills. Afterward, I added two loops at Meadowbrook with Dylan and Dickson to make it 2:10 for the day. The cooler weather was amazing, and my legs and body felt much better than they have in weeks. I seemed to only feel stronger as the run went on, even on the hills, which is an encouraging sign heading into a cycle of marathon training.

This is the end of a recovery week for me. This Wednesday will be the last group run/workout for me for a while, and I'm planning a big 21-22 "farewell tour" long run through DC and Maryland on Friday to knock out my long run before the weekend's move to North Carolina.

August 1

AM: 10 miles easy

I ran with the GRC run up the Glover Archibald trails, through the zoo, and then back through Rock Creek Park. It may have been a shade under 10. Given that a lot of us were out last night at the GRC party in Georgetown, most of us felt surprisingly good. I probably felt the best I have in weeks today, which is good because I'll probably need that for my run tomorrow, where I'm planning a foray into marathon-pace work at the end of a 20-miler.

Officially one week now until moving to Durham. That's still a weird feeling. I'm going to miss the people I've met in DC and Maryland.

July 31

AM: 25 miles cycling

PM: 7 miles easy, strides

I met Dirk for both the bike and the run today. I hadn't been on the bike in at least 18 months, and it felt surprisingly excellent. However, we only went 25 miles and, provided with a day of working from home, I took a huge nap afterward. We went north on Beach Drive through Rockville and then came down through RCP, circling back up Ross Drive.

In the evening, I fought off early cycling-induced wooden legs and ran an easy recovery run, also with Dirk, with strides afterward.

July 30

AM: 11 miles hard, hill run

I ran a solo morning workout in the park, trying to keep the pace steady on the flats and hammering the uphills. I hit some on my usual route, also adding a monster that goes from Rock Creek, under Ross Drive, and up to the back stables. This has got to be the longest climb in RCP. I added core work when I got home.