AM: 12 miles easy
I looped Cross Creek before heading around Memorial Park, past Bobby Jones, and up Peacthree Battle. Shortly thereafter, I came across Sarah Brown and Coach Tribble. We dropped Sarah off at the Peachtree Battle shopping center and used the rest of the run to catch up on running and life. The man is an unbelievable motivator and the original spark that pushed me to find who I was capable of becoming as a runner. To this day, Tribble remains a supportive friend and running mentor who is always pushing me toward higher goals in running: "2:19 is right around the corner!" Because he and my mom live in the same neighborhood, we usually cross paths during runs if I'm home for long enough, and the conversations that we have during our chance encounters always leave me psyched up.
Tribble was my high school coach at Westminster and has redefined consistency as a high school coach. He lives to win cross country state championships. Coach Tribble does so every year by getting an army of guys out for the team (40-60 boys every year for a school of ~750), and then having 5-7 runners between 16:00 and 17:30 for the 5k every fall. This formula has led to 15 out of the last 16 state championships, and 20 total since he became head coach in 1988. Unreal.
After chatting about the next few months expected highs (my Boston Marathon prep, how his guys can parlay another state XC championship into fast times on the track) and lows (just about everything involving the University of Maryland these days), we bid farewell. I then ran up Howell Mill Road back home with a renewed spring in my step and excited about 2012.
12.28.2011
December 27
AM: 9k tempo @ goal half marathon pace - 11 miles
I wanted to run an uptempo effort this morning and settled on a three-lap tempo around Memorial Park, which is about a mile from my mom's house in Atlanta. The full loop is just a shade under 3k (2.96 k), so I targeted 10:00 for the laps. I ended up running comfortably under that, so I walked away more than happy with the effort, which was 1:09:40 half-marathon pace: a time I'd be thrilled to run in March at the Shamrock Half Marathon.
I went back and looked at an old workout and saw that today's effort was as good or better than an effort I ran during my City of Oaks Marathon prep in 2009, which was one of my strongest races ever. Granted, I ran that workout as a part of a long, but with a full mile recovery between 3ks, I was better today. It's nothing to go crazy over given other variables (mileage, weather, etc.), but I'm happy that I have that a a measuring stick.
Splits: 9:40, 9:50, 9:46
I wanted to run an uptempo effort this morning and settled on a three-lap tempo around Memorial Park, which is about a mile from my mom's house in Atlanta. The full loop is just a shade under 3k (2.96 k), so I targeted 10:00 for the laps. I ended up running comfortably under that, so I walked away more than happy with the effort, which was 1:09:40 half-marathon pace: a time I'd be thrilled to run in March at the Shamrock Half Marathon.
I went back and looked at an old workout and saw that today's effort was as good or better than an effort I ran during my City of Oaks Marathon prep in 2009, which was one of my strongest races ever. Granted, I ran that workout as a part of a long, but with a full mile recovery between 3ks, I was better today. It's nothing to go crazy over given other variables (mileage, weather, etc.), but I'm happy that I have that a a measuring stick.
Splits: 9:40, 9:50, 9:46
December 26
PM: 13 miles easy
I did some weights and core in the morning, ate a Boxing Day brunch with my neighbors, and set out in the late afternoon to Fellows' new house. We meandered through Buckhead neighborhoods and around Memorial Park for an hour before I bid farewell, finishing with just over 90 minutes.
I did some weights and core in the morning, ate a Boxing Day brunch with my neighbors, and set out in the late afternoon to Fellows' new house. We meandered through Buckhead neighborhoods and around Memorial Park for an hour before I bid farewell, finishing with just over 90 minutes.
December 25 (84 miles/week)
AM: 12 miles easy
I got in an a Christmas morning run before heading to brunch around noon with Valerie and my family in Atlanta. At 44 degrees and raining, the streets were eerily quiet. I ran down Peachtree Battle, looped Margaret Mitchell, and came back for a loop through Bobby Jones GC, which has become a Christmas tradition for me given that it's one of the only days of the year where the course is officially closed. Once there, my stomach got the best of me, so I cut across the empty golf course and went straight home, tired and cold.
To the handful of people that read my running log, I wish you a very Merry Christmas!
I got in an a Christmas morning run before heading to brunch around noon with Valerie and my family in Atlanta. At 44 degrees and raining, the streets were eerily quiet. I ran down Peachtree Battle, looped Margaret Mitchell, and came back for a loop through Bobby Jones GC, which has become a Christmas tradition for me given that it's one of the only days of the year where the course is officially closed. Once there, my stomach got the best of me, so I cut across the empty golf course and went straight home, tired and cold.
To the handful of people that read my running log, I wish you a very Merry Christmas!
December 24
AM: 5 miles easy
I was a little rushed this morning with holiday family stuff, but I still squeezed in a quick 5+ miles.
I was a little rushed this morning with holiday family stuff, but I still squeezed in a quick 5+ miles.
12.24.2011
December 23
PM: 3 x mile with 3:00 jog recovery over 400m - 14 miles
I'd planned to meet Fellows and one of his training buddies in the afternoon for a run at Westminster, so I figured I'd go early, get in a short track workout and then a long cool down. While I felt a little sluggish on the first rep, the second and third felt progressively better so much that I surprised myself on the last one, making for a respectable effort on my own. I also happened to run into Tucker Hartley during my warmup, who's fresh off of becoming a D-III All-American for Wash U this fall and carrying the Westminster XC banner.
Splits: 4:59, 4:57, 4:50
I'd planned to meet Fellows and one of his training buddies in the afternoon for a run at Westminster, so I figured I'd go early, get in a short track workout and then a long cool down. While I felt a little sluggish on the first rep, the second and third felt progressively better so much that I surprised myself on the last one, making for a respectable effort on my own. I also happened to run into Tucker Hartley during my warmup, who's fresh off of becoming a D-III All-American for Wash U this fall and carrying the Westminster XC banner.
Splits: 4:59, 4:57, 4:50
December 22
AM: 11 miles easy
I ran the Cross Creek and Bobby Jones loop from my mom's house in the late morning. Following a few days that included a hard mile, a solid long run, and the reintroduction of doubles to my running diet, I consciously took today really easy.
I ran the Cross Creek and Bobby Jones loop from my mom's house in the late morning. Following a few days that included a hard mile, a solid long run, and the reintroduction of doubles to my running diet, I consciously took today really easy.
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