Running With Jack

Yesterday it was cold (6°C/43°F) as I walked to the train station at 6:00 a.m. When I arrived at work it was 15C/59F in my office and the central heating remained off the entire day. By the time I got home my office had at least warmed up to 20C/68F and outside was 14C/57F.

I had a 9 km/5.5 mi. run on the schedule, so changed quick and headed out the door. I ran in shorts, but wore a light jacket against the cool wind that traced across the open fields. My legs felt pretty good, despite the fast 10K race the day before, do I maintained a good pace as I ran my loop. After being uncomfortably cold most of the day the run warmed me up and I was in good spirits as I returned to the house. I averaged around 8:30/mi. (5:18/km) for the loop, which is pretty good for me right after a faster race.

This week I am continuing my taper for the Baden Marathon on the 21st (Sunday). I plan on running the 11 km (6.8 mi) loop with my running club on Wednesday, then probably go for a half hour run on Friday after work.

Saturday will be a bit busy as I want to pick up my race packet in Karlsruhe, plus it is my wife's birthday so we are celebrating with friends that night at our local Greek-Italian restaurant. Luckily we are meeting at 6:00 p.m. for dinner, so it shouldn't be too late of a night.

Posted by Jack at 8:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So today I stayed home from work and, well, worked! Officially I had to take a day of vacation, but since I worked the majority of the day (plus some) on a presentation for work my boss and I need to talk.

I worked several hours and was just about to take a break and run a round when one of my friends from the running club called and asked for a ride to the trailhead on Saturday night. Apparently she reads my blog and noticed from my earlier post today that I was home, cool!

Anyway, after a nice talk with her I was motivated to work a couple more hours. I finally I headed out for a run around 1:45 p.m. It was cloudy, cool, and had rained earlier - I really wasn't sure how far I wanted to run. For the first time in a long time I wore my MP3 player and after the first kilometer was immersed in music and picked up the pace.

I ended up running the 4 km (2.5 mi.) to my running club trailhead and began running the 11 km (6.8 mi.) loop in reverse. According to my Garmin I finished the first 10K in 56:04, not too bad, about a 9:00/mi. (5:36/km) pace. The music was good, it was cool outside and I kept pushing the pace. I finished the second 10K in 54:04, about an 8:40/mi. (5:24/km) pace.

Finally I headed back towards the house, but decided to take an extra round town to give me 21.1 km (a half-marathon). I finished almost in front of the house in 1:55:18, not bad for a training run. My legs feel good, I think they will be in good shape for the marathon on the 21st. If not, then I'll just take my time and enjoy the run.

Posted by Jack at 7:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I've been really busy this week so am a bit behind on my blogging. Here's a quick brief to catch up.

I went for an 11 km recovery run on Tuesday night after work. My legs were incredibly sore still from my fall and race on the weekend. I took it slow and made it through it. On Wednesday I met my running club for a run at our trailhead. My legs were feeling better and I had no problem keeping up with the mid-pack group.

On Thursday I took a training day off and this morning (Friday) my legs feel fine. The only memory of my fall on Saturday is an itchy knee where the wound scabbed up. Today I took a day off from "normal work" to prepare a presentation for a meeting next week. In other words I am working from home, which has the added advantage that I can head out for a run at lunch time.

On Saturday night I want to run with my running club in Graben again. On Sunday is another 10K race in Saint Leon Rot, near Heidelberg. A couple ladies from my running club are riding with me to the race, it should be a fun day!

Posted by Jack at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Saturday I had the pleasure of running with members of the Heidelberg International Marathon Club. The plan was to meet around 8:00 a.m. at a wandering event in Heidelberg and run the 20K wander course, which would take us up and over the famous castle.

I had a 20-mile run on the schedule, so showed up early so I could run 5K before meeting the group. About 10 minutes before eight I stood in front of the school where we were to meet and started looking for "crazy runner types". I found a likely candidate without too much trouble and sure enough it was a member of the marathon club. We waited a bit and eventually had 15-20 people gathered. We split into small groups based on running pace and we were off.

I ended up running with a younger man, Kevin, who said he was going to take it easy, maybe around a 10:00/mile. As we started up the first hill my roughly 15 years younger running companion didn't slow much as we cruised up the challenging slope. My breathing increased, but I hung with him as we muscled our way up a winding road towards the top. I was relieved when we reached the top and Kevin, who seemly was barely winded, started flying down the other side of the hill on a stony trail at a pace that was downright scary.

It wasn't long until we were climbing the next hill and about halfway up I finally said I had to slow down, so we did, but as soon as we reached the top off we went again. This continued for the first 10K or so, but as we started climbing a long steep hill I told Kevin that he would probably lose me on this one and he should go on ahead. He kept churning up the hill and I shuffled. Another runner (not with the club) passed me and soon was on Kevin's heels.

As I reached the crown of the hill, they were already out of sight! I started hurling down the hill thinking that maybe I could catch them and next thing I knew I caught my left toe on a rock and down I went hitting the fine gravel path hard and fast. I tried to roll to lessen the impact, but too little too late. I stood up and rinsed off my hands and knees with water from my CamelBak and did a damage assessment. My left knee was bleeding quite a bit from a couple cuts, and the other injuries were just scrapes, so started running again.

After 10-12 minutes I arrived at the next aid station. My lower left leg was covered with blood and I was getting some really strange looks from the walkers who were gathered there. I decided to have the Red Cross medic take a look at my knee. He cleaned it up and wrapped a bandage around it and soon I was on my way.

I finished the last hour of the run at a moderate pace without any further mishaps. As I arrived back at the starting point Kevin was out front waiting for me, wondering what had happened to me. We talked about my fall and the run as we waited for the others to show up. I stayed around and chatted for awhile until group started disbanding, then thanked everyone for a great morning. I inquired about their normal running days and hope I can run with them on occasion in the future.

I headed home for a shower and some hot food, and the scolding that I knew I would receive from my wife for coming home "bloody" again.

Posted by Jack at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

My wife said she would be late coming home from work yesterday, so I took advantage of the situation and headed out for a run. My legs were a bit tired from my medium long runs from Monday and Wednesday, so I kept the pace down. It was fairly cool outside (17°C/63°F) and on the verge of raining, so I wore my running jacket again the cool dampness.

I headed out on my normal 14K (8.7 mi.) loop in the reverse direction, but deviated on some side trails to add diversity. I whizzed by a young jogger, scaring the daylights out of him, I guess he was lost in his MP3 world. He really was going slow, because I sure was not pushing the pace. I continued to weave my way around the woods for a bit, eventually heading back over the fields on a tractor trail. I ended up running 11K (6.8 mi.) in around 65 minutes, a bit fast for a recovery run.

After showering I rustled up a hot meal just as my wife came home, she just loves when I cook! Hey I even did the dishes...

Tomorrow morning at 8:00 I am meeting some members of the Heidelberg International Marathon Club for a 22 km (14 mi.) run. On Sunday is a 10K race in nearby Karlsdorf, I'll let you know how the weekend goes.

Posted by Jack at 7:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was pouring down rain as I stepped outside and began my run to the trailhead to run with my running club. Fortunately it was still reasonably warm (18°C/65°F), and I had my rain jacket, so I was good to go. I took a slightly longer route to the trailhead which gave me 5K by the time I got there, my goal for the evening being 21.1K (a half').

I chatted with a couple club members as we waited for the rest of the group to show. The rain, which had let up on my way to the trailhead, started pouring again, so we decided not to wait any more and took off early on our run.

There were lots of mud puddles on our forest route and the frontrunners were gingerly running around them. After a few minutes I figured out they weren't going to run any faster, so plowed my way through the next big puddle and took the lead. A couple other runners followed and we moved on ahead at roughly a 5:30/km (9:00/mi.) pace. We cruised around the 11 km (7 mi.) loop, actually picking up speed the last few kilometers.

When we got back we learned that most of the runners behind us had taken the shorter 8K loop and were already gone - what's up with that, it's only rain people?

I chatted a couple minutes with the remaining runners until I started feeling a chill, then headed home, running the last 5K+ at a slightly slower speed. I ended up with 21.2 km (13.2 mi.), my second "half" for the week.

This weekend is my last long run before the Baden Marathon in Karlsruhe. I e-mailed the Heidelberg International Marathon Club a day or two ago about joining their club, they ended up inviting me for a run on Saturday. They are only running 22 km (~13 mi.), so I will need to add an hour on somewhere, but it should be fun running with some new friends.

Last but not least is the local 10K race on Sunday that I will be running with my running club. I suppose after running the 20 miles on Saturday, especially in hilly Heidelberg (yes, up to the castle), I won't be seeing any new speed record.

Posted by Jack at 7:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Last night I got home a little early from work, so decided to go for a longer run. It was pouring rain when I arrived at the house, but the sun was shining brightly by the time I suited up and headed out. The first 20 minutes it was like running in a sauna, you could see the moisture raising from the roads as the sun heated up the pavement. Luckily the forest was still cool and damp as I reached the woodline.

My legs felt good, so I was able to maintain a fairly good pace the first hour. I ran part of my normal 14 km (8.7 mi.) loop, then headed out on a longer loop that brought me to the outskirts of Graben, then back along the trail that my running club uses. As I passed by the trailhead there were several club members getting ready to do a 10 mile run. They invited me to join them, but I already had ten miles behind me, so declined and headed back to the house. I ended up with exactly 21.1 km (13.1 mi.) in 1:53:47, not bad for a "training half"!

Well, it's about two and a half weeks until what will probably be my last marathon this year. It's kind of sad really, I've been having such a good time. In October we will be vacationing in the USA and our visit doesn't correspond to any races in the areas where we will be travelling. Of course with my wife along I didn't look too hard.

After vacation the only marathons in Germany (and the surrounding countries) would require an overnight stay, so probably will not be budgeted in. If I get the urge I can always run one of the many 10K races in the area in November/December.

Although it is a bit early to talk about plans for next year, I do have a 50K race on the calendar for the end of January. If I decide to run this race I will need to start training this year. The race is in the middle of the winter, and since I'm not a cold weather runner, it will be a tough one. The race will remain tentative, probably up until the last minute until I see what the weather brings - but at least it's a worthy goal to carry me into the new year.

Posted by Jack at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Saturday I decided to run the 4.5 km to my running club trailhead and run the 11 km loop with the group. My legs were a bit stiff from my hilly run the night before, but once I warmed up it was fine. I chatted with some of the group as we waited for the rest to show up and around 5 p.m. we took off. I decided to keep the pace down, so ran with some of the mid-packers who were running around 6:00-6:15/km pace (~10:00/mile). It was sunny and quite warm, but not extreme, just right for me.

After the run I chatted with friends for a bit, then ran back to the house. I ended up with a total of 20 km (12.4 mi.) which was my plan.

Our club leader was recruiting runners for a 10K race next Sunday, so I decided to run that instead of the half-marathon Teufelslauf that I talked about a couple days ago. Our leader is hoping we will get the prize for the largest group, so I decided it's more important to support the club rather then meet my own ambitions.

Did you hear about the hurricane heading towards New Orleans and the area? Be sure to pray for the folks there, I know I will, I have family there!

So, ich versuche mein Deutsche zu Übung:

Am Samstag habe ich entscheidet die 4,5 km zu meinem Lauftreff zu laufen. Meine Beine waren etwas müde von dem hügelige Lauf am Freitagabend, so ich habe mit die mitte-schnell Gruppe angefangen. Wir haben eine ruhiger 6:00/6:15 km durchschnitte Tempo durchgehalten, genau richtig für die etwas warme Nacht.

Nachher habe ich ein bisschen geblieben und geplaudert, dann zurück nach Hause gelaufen. Unsere Lauftreff Chefin hat versucht Läufer für die 10K lauf in Karlsdorf zu organisieren, so ich habe entscheidet mit zulaufen, d. H. ich wurde die Teufelslauf nicht machen.

Ein neue Hurrikan sollte die New Orleans und die Umgebung Heute Abend erreichen. Sag bitte eine bete für alle die Leute dar, besonderes für meine Familie dort!

Posted by Jack at 6:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I find myself thinking that I am addicted to running marathons, I mean five days after running the Koberstadaedt Marathon I find myself going through withdraw, scouring the race calendars looking for my next fix. Forget post-marathon depression, I'm on a post-marathon adrenaline kick! Actually that is depressing because my wife is pulling back hard on the reins, i.e. "Don't you think you've run enough this year?"...silly question really...sigh :-(

On Wednesday night I showed up early at my running club trailhead so I could run 5K before the group run. One of my group showed up at the same time so we ran the 5K out and back together. Afterward I ran a 9K loop, the first 5K with the mid-pack group and the last part a bit slower with one of the ladies who was not having a good day.

Last night I went for a swim on the way home from work, the first time since the winter. I struggled through 700 meters and decided that was enough. I did finally start to get my form back on the last few laps, but felt very much out of my element.

Tonight I am running with my running companion from a couple Sunday's ago. I'm going to introduce her to my hilly route in Weingarten, I hope she likes hills, I did warn her and she didn't seem to be concerned. Maybe she will end up running me ragged, stay-tuned :-)

Posted by Jack at 7:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

...maybe I ran too slow? Really, I have never felt so good for having run a marathon on Sunday. And the marathon was only about 1-1/2 minutes slower than my personal record!

Last night (Monday) I went for a recovery run, just over 5 miles, and felt good enough to walk around the local Home Depot equivalent for an hour afterward.

I am still going to do my legs a favor and relax a little this week, my next marathon is only 3-1/2 weeks away. My next run will be an easy run on Wednesday night with my running club, then probably a two hour run on the weekend.

Have a great week!

Posted by Jack at 6:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It was a beautiful 23C/74F when I got home from work last night. I relaxed a bit then got ready to run with my running club. I arrived at the trailhead about 20 minutes ahead of time, so warmed up with a couple kilometers. As I speeded up on the second kilometer I noticed a bit of discomfort in my left thigh, like an over streched or over worked muscle - not good.

I set off with the mid-pack group, but they were a bit slow, so after the first 6-7 minutes I took off with a couple faster runners. After about 10 minutes I started feeling the dull ache in my leg so let the other two run ahead and I trotted back and rejoined the mid-pack group. After a couple minutes this group started their interval training, i.e. took off and left me behind with a couple ladies who didn't want to speed up quite so fast.

Eventually we caught the group again after they finished their 800 meter sprint. We ran around 800-1000 meters, then the group took off again, my leg was feeling better so I hung with them, albeit barely. We continued this for another cycle or two, then jogged in the last couple kilometers.

I ended up with 14 km (8.7 mi.) for the night, at an average pace of about 5:30/km (8:51/mi.). After the run I enjoyed catching up on the news with the group, stretched, then headed home for some food. Later the muscle in my left thigh started tightening up and became quite sore, but I messaged it the best I could and it gradually felt better. This morning it feels almost back to normal. Tonight I want to take a rest night to get the body in shape for a race on Sunday.

On Sunday I am running my seventh marathon/ultra for the year, the Koberstaedt Forest Marathon in Egelsbach, between Frankfurt and Darmstadt, Germany. The marathon route consists of two loops around a mostly dirt/gravel forest trail with approx. 150 meter (500 feet) elevation gain/loss with each loop.

This is generally the kind of race that I excel at, but I haven't trained for a fast race so will wait and see how I feel on race day. The weather is looking very favourable with sunshine and temperatures in the low 70's (°F) expected. I'll let you know how it goes!

Posted by Jack at 7:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Life has been quite busy this summer, I've reached a point where an hour after getting up in the morning I feel like laying down for a nap - not good! My job is taking a large chunk of my time. I work as a Technical Writer/Web Developer/Translator/Jack-of-all-Trades and in the moment am getting hit hard from all sides. To top it off we are evaluating Content Management Systems which requires an insane amount of time - which I don't get paid for .

I ran my 14km (8.7 mi) loop last night at a moderate pace, around 5:40/km (9:08/mi). My legs were heavy, but I managed to keep the pace going. My running is holding up well, I have cut the mileage back and so far have managed to maintain my speed. I am enjoying running with my running club and look forward to running with Iris again soon. In the moment my running is my therapy, offsetting the stress from work - I thank God for this outlet.

Posted by Jack at 6:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The weekend flew by it seems. On Friday I hurried home after work, changed, and drove to the neighboring town of Weingarten to run on my hilly route. It was a mild 20°C/68°F and I had a three hour plus run on my schedule.

I headed out over my normal route, warming up on a relatively flat stretch, then heading up the first major hill climb. When I reached the plateau on top I ran over the rolling hills and down the other side of the mountain. I then wound my way over an entirely new route which brought me over several steep hill climbs, pounding downhill's, very scenic vineyards, fields, woods, and finally back to my normal trail and my car.

I rolled in after around three hours and 20 minutes, covering 20 miles, with a total of about 1350 meters (4000 feet) of elevation gain. My legs were tired and sore, but in a good way.

On Saturday my legs were a bit stiff, but by the afternoon back to normal. I completed a long list of to-dos around the house, including varnishing the last flower boxes for our yard. Tonight I have to pick up some potting soil so we can plant the boxes - we decided to plant spinach instead of flowers, nothing like harvesting fresh spinach when the cold weather comes around.

On Sunday I met a member of my running club, Iris, for a run. She is training for a half-marathon in September and doesn't like to run alone. It was sunny, but cool (low 70's °F) as I ran by her house at 9:45 a.m. and we headed out over a bike path towards the next town, Blankenloch. Iris wanted to run about two hours at about a 6:00/km (9:40/mi) pace. We settled into roughly this pace and cruised over some beautiful field paths, forest ways, finally looping back to her house after two hours and several minutes.

Due to our chatter we actually were running faster than Iris wanted to, around 5:50/km (9:25/mi), and covered over 21.5 km. Iris looked totally fit after the run, she is totally ready to blow the half-marathon away in September - and she still has five weeks to train! We plan on running again at least once or twice before the race - if she keeps it up she will running a PR race for sure!

I spent the rest of the day trying to catch up on a project for work. I did manage to get in a nap in the afternoon, that felt great. I wish everyone a great week!

Posted by Jack at 6:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

By the time I finished work yesterday I was so tired that I dozed off on the streetcar on the way home. Luckily I woke up in time to get off at the right stop and didn't take another loop around the city ;-)

The short nap did wonders, I was totally motivated as I left the house and made my way to the trailhead to run with my running club. I was a bit early, so warmed up with a 3 km (2 mile) run. It was a pleasant 26°C/79°F, the sun was shining, the birds were singing...perfect running weather.

When I got back to the trailhead I chatted with some friends for a few minutes as we waited for the rest to arrive. I took off with the mid-pack group and heard Lena, who was running behind me, ask if anyone wanted to run a faster pace. When no one responded positively I said "Lets go" and bolted ahead of the group before she had a chance to think about it.

As we pulled away from the group, Lena, who is training for the Dresden Marathon in October, said she wanted to try to run 10K at around a 5:25/km (8:45/mi) pace. So we cruised around the 11K loop and I kept track of our pace with my Forerunner. By kilometer seven a couple other runners had caught up to us and through their chatter Lena started slacking off with the pace. In an effort to help Lena meet her goal I said to new members of our little group that she wanted to maintain a steady pace and we were slacking off. This had the effect that I knew it would, the three of us pulled ahead and left Lena with the choice of catching up or running behind. Wisely she caught up to us and we were able to keep up the pace she had desired...well actually we speeded up to an 8:30/mi pace, but don't tell Lena ;-)

After the run I hurried home to shower and met the group at a local Greek restaurant for our monthly meeting (Stammtisch). It was a good time as always, but after 11 p.m. before I made it home - so much for catching up with my sleep.

Tonight is a rest night and Friday after work I want to run at least three hours on my hilly route. Running my long run on Friday night will allow me to sleep in on Saturday :-) On Sunday I am meeting a running club member, Iris, for a two hour run - should be fun!

Posted by Jack at 6:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It was raining when I got home last night and I was anxious to get my run in. Unfortunately we have been having problems with our DSL so I had promised my wife that I wait long enough for her to call the German Telekom when she got home. I have no patience for such things, and even less in the German language, but my wife knows nothing about the DSL settings so I stuck.

I suited up for my run as my wife went through the array of recorded messages before she finally reached a real human on the phone. Luckily it was the same one she talked to in December when our DSL router failed, so she was able to avoid the 101 questions that they insist on putting you though before you talk about the real problem. To make a long story short the technician said our telephone line was fine, it was probably the router again - they'll send us a new one. This was the answer that I expected, so after complaining and being chastised by my wife for my impatience, I tied my running shoes and headed out into the rain.

I had planned on running about two hours, but I was already about 40 minutes late and needed to read some material for work later on, so headed out on my 14 km (8.7 mi) loop. There was a steady drizzling rain that soon had me soaked, but it was a warm 28°C (83°F) so I was comfortable in shorts and running shirt.

My run began rather sluggish, around 6:00/km (9:39/mi) but I gradually increased this, in steps, to around a 5:15/km (8:30/mi). I finally returned to the house looking like a wet cat and took a hot shower. After some hot food and conversation with my wife I went upstairs to get my reading out of the way.

If you notice my sidebar you will see that I have a marathon on the schedule for August 24th. As I have been really busy at work lately I have been seriously considering skipping the race, but my wife has a school friend that lives close by the race, so said I should run the race so she can visit her friend. So after letting her twist my arm, I broke down and signed up for my 7th marathon this year ;-)

Posted by Jack at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

...something has to give, and in my case I have had no time for blogging among other things. I did get my long run in on Saturday, actually going 30km (18.5 miles) instead of my scheduled 26km (16 miles). Today I spent the better part of the day working on a project for work, so reduced my scheduled 14km (8.6 miles) to 10K. This turned out to be beneficial as I turned it into a speed workout finishing the run in 51:32.

So I have to read another hour of reading then I can chill out an hour before calling it a night. I hope everyone had a nice weekend, I'll try to catch up reading your blogs soon.

Posted by Jack at 6:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

When I got home from work yesterday I was totally exhausted, a result of many nights of restless sleep due to the heat and too much on my mind. I woke up at 4:00 a.m. yesterday morning and couldn't sleep anymore, so finally gave up and got ready for work - I was sitting at my desk at 5:30 a.m. trying to peck away at my pile of work.

Anyway I hit the couch for a quick nap when I got home, which revived me somewhat before I joined the ranks at my running club trailhead. It was a balmy 33°C/92°F, so I figured an easy run would be in order. Apparently I was not the only one with this thought, the mid-pack group was dragging their heels. I was in the front with Brigette trying to maintain an easy 6:00/km (9:39/mile) pace, but we kept losing the group. Finally out of shear frustation we trotted on ahead and left the them behind.

Tonight I have cross-training on the schedule, namely helping a friend clean out his cellar - lots of lifting, carrying and stair-climbing - and that at 90+ °F!

Posted by Jack at 7:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I used this title before, but it just so fits to yesterday's weather. When I got on the train heading home from work it was raining and quite cool for August. But by the time I got home and suited up to run the sun was out and shining brightly. My plan was to run 1-1/2 to 2 hours on the asphalt bike path to Karlsruhe, race specific training for the Karlsruhe (Baden) marathon in September, which is a city marathon.

As I started out I felt the humidity right away, the combination of rain and now blinding sunshine made it feel like I was running through a swamp, you could see the moisure steaming up as I ran. It was only 23°C/74°F, but felt more like 90°F!

I kept up about a 9:00/mile pace, but bailed out early and returned home for a total of 15 km. I was totally drenched sweat as I walked in the door, I'm sure my wife was wondering if I got caught in a rain storm :-)

I have a workshop all day at work today, I am glad I quit early last night - maybe I can stay awake through the session.

Posted by Jack at 7:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The weekend seems to fly by, I seem to find less and less time to write my blog. On Saturday morning I was up bright and early...well at least early...for my long run. I drove the 12 kilometers to Weingarten to run my hilly route. After a short warmup on a relatively flat stretch I headed up the first hill. Right away I noticed that I haven't run any hills for over a month, but I sucked it up and made my way up and over the rolling hills on top of the plateau.

I cruised around for about three hours, looping my way up and down the "mountain" on several occasions. My legs seemed to remember how to run hills and I had a good run. As I finished my legs were tired, but in a good way, i.e. feeling like they had a good workout but without being devastated.

On Saturday evening we met several friends at our local Greek restaurant and celebrated my birthday. My birthday was last Wednesday, but its easier for all of us to meet on the weekend. It was a good time with good food and good friends!

On Sunday afternoon I went for an unscheduled run to burn up some of the calories from the night before. It was a warm 32C/90F, but with a cooling breeze and almost no humidity. The trails were quiet and I thoroughly enjoyed my roughly 10K run.

This week is supposed to be a bit rainy and cooler, not a bad thing as I start to build up my mileage again to prepare for the Baden Marathon on September 21. I wish everyone a happy Monday!

Posted by Jack at 6:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far, 36°C/97°F and much to my wife’s dismay I was out in the midst of it. Actually I didn’t think it was so bad, the humidity that we have been having all week dissipated through the day so when I got home from work it was hot, but dry.

I was well hydrated as I set out around 4:30 p.m., the hottest time of the day by us. I kept the pace down for the first half of the run, around 9:45/mile, and tried to stay in the shady woods as much as possible. After about 5 miles I picked up the pace and held it until the last mile where I had to run over an unshaded asphalt bike path back to the house. I ended up with 15K and felt no discomfort from the heat.

On Saturday morning I have a hilly 2 ½ hour run on my training plan, but I plan on heading out at the break of dawn. This is not so much to beat the heat as it is to have time for all the other things I have to accomplish during the day. Have a great weekend!

Posted by Jack at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We have been having fairly hot and definitely humid days for the past week or so. Last night was 30C/86F, but the air thick and uncomfortable. I saddled up and went for a run anyway, the next day might be worse…

I set out at a fair trot, around 5:30/km (8:50/mi), but after about 30 minutes the humidity started zapping my energy and I started braking. After a bit I forced myself to speed up again and gradually got back up to speed again and held this for another 20-25 minutes. By this time I was about 8-10 minutes from the house so let my pace decrease again. I returned to the house looking like I had just dived into the pool, I was literally soaked with sweat.

The forecast for today is thundershowers, with a gradual increase in temperatures the rest of the week. I think I will have to get up early on Saturday and do my long run, I can’t imagine doing it in the heat of the day.

On a side note, I have been doing really well on my non-diet this year. This morning I reached an all-time low of 70 kg (155 lbs), I believe the first time that I have weighed that less since I was about 12. I attribute my success to careful eating, including eating lots of raw fruits and veggies, and staying active. I am really close to my goal now, then it is only a matter of holding it the rest of my life…

Posted by Jack at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have been taking advantage of a post-marathon week by catching up on my list of “honey-do” around the house. My wife has been asking for some larger flower boxes to hold some hedge plants that have out grown the old boxes. So for several nights and on Saturday I have been sawing, pounding and varnishing and my wife has three new rustic flower boxes. I’ll try to get a picture up this week for the curious.

I went for an 11K/6.8K run on Saturday evening. My legs were sore from standing and working on a concrete floor the whole day in my workshop, so my pace was poor to say the least.

After church on Sunday my wife didn’t have any plans, so I headed out into the midday heat (30C/86F and humid) for a medium long run. My legs were again tight from the unaccustomed work from the day before, but I managed a half-marathon distance run in around 2:07 – okay considering the heat.

This week the temperatures are going to be rising steadily, probably hitting the mid-90’s (F) by the end of the week. I look forward to some good heat training! Enjoy your week.

Posted by Jack at 6:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I joined members of my running club for an 11km/6.8mi run last night. My legs felt pretty good considering I ran a marathon on Sunday, but I kept the pace down for the first several kilometers. The group I was running with was doing some speed training, so sprinted on ahead a few times. Another runner and I hung back during these sprints but caught up the group again each time. This made the time fly and broke up the routine. My legs loosened up nicely and I felt like I could have easily done another round – a sign that my recovery is going well. So now I’ll rest up until Saturday morning, then do a 2 hour run. Happy running!

Posted by Jack at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My legs were starting to tighten up a bit yesterday, so I decided I needed to go for a short run to loosen them up. It was a brisk 20°C (68°F) and windy as I set out on my normal loop around the fields and forest surrounding my town. My plan was to jog about 30 minutes at an easy recovery pace – around 6:30/km (10:30/mi).

The first few kilometers went well, my legs loosened up nicely and I enjoyed the relaxed pace. I decided to run a bit further than planned and ended up returning to the house after about 8 km (5 mi). My knees were a bit sore the last couple kilometers, I guess this was from all the downhill’s from Sunday’s marathon.

This morning my legs feel much better, a bit tired, but I know in a couple more days they will be fine. I will probably run a slow round with my running club on Wednesday night, then take it easy until Saturday morning when I try a two hour run.

My next big race is the Baden Marathon on Sept. 21 in Karlsruhe. I plan on running this “just for fun”, as I probably will not have as much time to train for it as I usually do for a marathon. If I get ambitious in between time there is always the Koberstadt Marathon on August 24, near Darmstadt – but that is definitely a wait and see race.

Posted by Jack at 6:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night when I got home from work it was a mild 28C/82F with clear blue skies and a gentle breeze. I couldn’t wait to meet my running club at the trailhead and head out for a run! We had a fairly large group, the beautiful weather is motivating. I settled in with my normal group and we cruised around the 11 km/6.8 mi. loop at roughly a 5:45/km (9:15/mi) pace. My legs were a bit stiff from my speed work on Monday, but nothing out of the ordinary.

After the run we hung around and devoured large quantities of cake and other refreshments that members brought to share – not exactly carbo-loading but you didn’t hear anyone complaining :-)

On Sunday is my next marathon, the Hornisgrinde Marathon in Hundseck in the Black Forest. I am planning on running this just for fun, i.e. without any particular goal in mind, I’ll see how I feel when I get out there.

Posted by Jack at 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I want to try to run a fast 10K this year still, so I thought I should start doing a little speed training. On Monday night it was cooler outside, in the high 70's (F), so I went at it:

km 1 = 5:14/km (8:26/mi)
km 2 = 4:48/km (7:43/mi)
km 3 = 4:38/km (7:28/mi)
km 4 = 5:09/km (8:18/mi)
km 5 = 4:37/km (7:26/mi)
km 6 = 5:09/km (8:17/mi)
km 7 = 4:31/km (7:16/mi)
km 8 = 4:50/km (7:46/mi)
km 9 = 5:10/km (8:19/mi)

Total: 44:10
Average pace: 4:54/km (7:53/mi)

Off to a good start anyway.

Tonight I did some upper body training, mostly crossfit stuff and some rowing.

Posted by Jack at 7:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Last night I ran to the trailhead and ran a loop with my running club. I didn’t eat enough during the day and had to slow the pace down about halfway around. The group I was running with was also running faster than normal – this didn’t help.

Pace:

4.5 km to trailhead: abt. 5:45/km (9:15/mi.)
11 km loop with club: 5:32/km (8:55/mi)
4.5 km to house: 6:30/km (10:28/mi)

Posted by Jack at 8:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On this coming Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. I am running a half-marathon in the Buchig, which is one of the five villages that make up the Township of Stutensee (I live in Friedrichstal, another village). I have been training for long distance races for the last several months, so thought I should speed things up a bit during my training run last night.

Normally on Monday nights 5-6 of my running club meet and run together, I accompanied them quite often in the winter months. I decided to run over to the trailhead and see if I could find a couple who wanted to run the 11 km loop at a faster pace.

The weather was cooler (75°F) so a few more people showed up as normal, I believe we were 10 altogether. As we started out one flew out in front at a pace I knew I couldn’t keep up with for long, so I hung with the pack. After the first kilometer two other sped ahead and debated whether to join them. Normally they run right around my 10K race pace, which was a bit too fast for my taste. I hung back again, but after a few minutes I noticed the two in front were running slower than normal so I trotted on ahead of the pack and joined them.

The rest of the pack had been running around a 6:00/km (9:40/mi) pace, the three of us ran a couple kilometers at around 5:30/km (8:51/mi). Around the 5K point one runner turned and took the short trail back to the trailhead, which left Walter and I running on ahead. Walter said he wanted to gradually pick up the pace over the next 5K, so I told him I would try to stay with him as long as I could.

We ended up gradually increasing the pace, around 10-15 seconds per kilometer, running the last one in 4:45/km (7:40/mi). This last one was right around my 10K race pace and basically kicked my butt, but that’s the point, right. We ran the last kilometer back to the trailhead at a relaxed pace where I bid farewell and ran the 5K back to the house. I ended up with a half-marathon for the night, in 1:55:45.

This morning my legs are a bit sore, a sign of a good workout and a reminder that I haven’t done any speed training in the last few months. Tonight I want to do a Crossfit workout, also the first since the winter months – I guess tomorrow my muscles will hate me :-)

Posted by Jack at 7:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I decided to take Friday off from work and celebrate the 4th of July by indulging in one of my other hobbies, namely doing a woodworking project. So as my German neighbors were bustling off to work, I headed to the local Home Depot equalivalent and picked up building materials. We have a couple nice office tables in our home office but were in dire need of storage – not any longer! On Friday I build some modular shelving units that now house our computer monitors, printers and office stuff. While I was at it I also built a small stand for my wife’s PC. The three units and stand turned out pretty good, my wife is pleased and we have a bit of order in at least one room…I’ll post a picture tonight for the curious.

I spent the better part of Saturday going through everything in the office and filing or throwing out the piles that seemed to have accumulated from our busy lives. After lunch my wife worked a bit on her pile and I went for a 20K run.

The temperature was climbing to the mid-eighties (°F) and the sun was blazing as I slipped out and started my loop. My next couple races this month could very likely be hot ones, so I decided to do some heat training, i.e. I ran on unshaded, asphalt bike paths in the middle of the mid-day heat. I maintained an average 5:45/km (9:15/mi.) pace for the 20 kilometers, which was a bit slower than I wanted, but to be expected with the 50-mile race only a week ago. Actually it took me 10-15 minutes to get the soreness worked out of my muscles, that a result of the unfamiliar movements from the work the day before.

On Sunday was the annual 5/10K Asparagus Run and street fest put on by my running club and our mother sports club the TSV Graben. I worked at one of the water points and later helped clean up after the race. Turnout was rather poor this year, probably due to a large number of festivals on the same weekend, plus the warm and humid weather. In any case it was a lot of fun, I really enjoyed doing something with my club other than running. It’s also very rewarding to work a race and give a little encouragement back rather than receive it.

This week I am starting a new training cycle for the Karlsruhe (Baden) marathon in September. This cycle will be a little different as I am going to try to run only 3-4 days per week as compared to the 4-5 that I have been during. The reason I am doing this is my wife and I both are expecting a couple busy months at work, so I have to make some more time available for domestic chores at home.

Posted by Jack at 6:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

After a strong start, and some severe stomach issues after 50K, I still managed to creep over the finish line of the 50 Mile race in 9:31:41. I'll try to post the rest of the story tomorrow!

Posted by Jack at 3:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Where did the weekend go, I thought we were supposed to have more time during tapering? Let me try to catch up…

On Friday night my wife had a company dinner, so I went for a two hour run on my hilly course in Weingarten. It was a humid 26C/79F and sunny as I set out. I warmed up with a relatively flat kilometer, than started up the first hill. I hadn’t run any real hills for a couple week and felt this as I rounded the top and started down again. I ran halfway down than started up again on a portion of the 50-mile race course – the steepest portion! With the high humidity I was drenched by the time I got to the top – I hope it’s cooler during the race.

I continued over the race route for about 30 minutes, eventually running down a long steep hill in the full sun into the town of Johlingen. To the amazement of a couple dog walkers I then turned around and ran back up again. I heard a remark from one of them about being crazy to run in this heat…

I paused at the top of the hill long enough to drink some water, then headed back towards the cooler woods. I ran another half hour or so over the rolling hills, then headed back to the car, finishing in just over two hours. I ran at a slightly faster pace then most of my hilly long runs, that with the high humidity left me comfortably tired by the end of the run.

On Saturday it was again warm, sunny and humid, around 31C/88F. My wife got home late from her company dinner, so I tried to be quiet to let her sleep in. I picked up around the house and did the dishes. It was a nice day so I decided to grill lunch, steak, bratwurst, peppers and potatoes. Later in the afternoon I decided I needed to work off some calories, so went for a bike ride, around 28K/17.5 miles.

When I got home my wife wanted to look at camcorders, so off we went to the electronics store. We ended up buying a Sony DCR-SR 35E, which had good reviews and seems like a decent mid-price camcorder with a harddrive.

On Sunday the temperatures again shot through the ceiling (33C/92F), and the humidity was worse than Friday. With it becoming even more likely that race day will be more of the same, I decided some heat training should be on the agenda, so I implemented my patented (not really) technique:

1. Sit for 3 hours in the sun and bake.
2. When the humidity is at its worse, e.g. when the thunderstorm clouds start gathering in the distance, go for at least an hour run on a sunny asphalt bike path.

I made it back just as the first raindrops began to fall…and I was pooped…it was hot! A couple of neighbors were eyeing me strangely from their shady lawn chairs as I ran up to the house – my clothes were soaked and I was dripping streams of sweat…anybody want a hug ;-)

This morning is again super humid and the storm clouds are moving in. The initial weather report for this coming Saturday’s 50-mile race is 24C/75F and cloudy, I can only hope. If not then I know that I can handle the heat, I only need to keep the pace down and drink like a fish.

Have a great week!

Posted by Jack at 7:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I had an enjoyable run with my running club last night. I wanted to take it easy as I am still recovering from my marathon last Sunday, so I found several like minded runners and we set out on the 11 km loop, average around 6:00/km (9:39/mile) for the entire round.

Afterward I stuck around and chatted with Brigit and Walter who are also running the 50-mile race on the 28th. Walter had knee problems last year and had to bail out around he halfway point, this year he is hoping to finish in around 10 hours. Birgit has run the race 3-4 times, but not since 2004 – she is hoping to finish in under 10 hours. We did not commit to run together, but did not rule it out either, we’ll wait and see.

Posted by Jack at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wow, talk about a runner’s high, I’m still riding the sub-4 marathon wave, what a feeling of accomplishment! My legs are doing pretty good, a bit tired but no unwarranted aches or pain. Last night I went for a 9K/5.5M recovery run to try to keep the legs loose. Tonight is a rest night, then hopefully tomorrow night I can start easing back into some normal running. I am officially tapering now for the 50-mile race, which is just 11 days away. I need to be really careful with my training until then.

So what happened on Sunday? When I lined up for the race I was still planning on a slow training run of around 5 hours. But as I think back over the week or so before the race there were signs that I was lined up for a good race. The first was the training marathon the weekend before, which I finished in around 4:25, with lots of energy to spare. I wrote it off as a mistake in the distance, that it was not the full marathon distance (it was a Volksmarch marathon). Next was the 11K run with the running club on Wednesday night, it felt so effortless, and that following 20K runs on Monday and Tuesday nights.

I had a very relaxing day in Fuerth on Saturday, my wife was doing her aunts taxes, and I spent time napping on the balcony :-) By Sunday morning I was well rested, well fed, and ready to roll - the only thing missing was a spark.

The spark came in the form of a distraction from my normal concentrated running, i.e. fighting with my new Garmin. Normally I don’t try new things for a race, but since I was going to run the marathon as a slow training race I decided it was as good of a time as any to test my new Forerunner.

Luckily for my race I didn’t bother to read the handbook, so was fiddling with the cursed device for the first couple kilometers which totally got me off pace. Also luckily my pace went in the right direction, namely faster, and I cruised the first 10K away without so much as thinking twice about it. By that time I was feeling so comfortable with the pace I decided to keep going with it for awhile, the rest is history.

I did have to make a conscious decision at some point in the race to sacrifice my upcoming 50-mile race performance in favor of a new marathon best time. It took a while to decide this, but in the end I feel I made the right decision. If my recovery goes as well as it has for other races this year I may still run an acceptable race on June 28th! I see no reason to change my race strategy or pace, if the mind is willing I think the body will follow.

Posted by Jack at 8:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

After work yesterday I went for a quick 5 mile run to loosen up my tired legs. It was a cool 24C/75F and looking like rain as I cruised out over the bike paths surrounding our town. I made it back to the house just as the first rain drops began to splatter my forehead, good timing :-)

After work tonight we making the 3-4 hour trip to Fuerth, near Nuremberg to visit my wife’s Aunt Siggy. Tomorrow while the ladies are catching up I want to pick up my race number and check out the runner’s market.

Aunt Siggy always says her apartment is too small for us to stay, so puts us up in a local hotel on the market square. It turns out this is very advantageous for the marathon on Sunday, the hotel is a mere 100 meters from the Start, how cool is that!

It is supposed to be quite cool (60’s F) and maybe rainy on Sunday, should be a good day for a run. I’ll try to take some pictures, have a nice weekend!

Posted by Jack at 7:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I went for a nice easy run with my running club last night. I have been putting on the mileage lately and didn’t particularly feel inspired to push last night, so found a few like minded souls to share my time with. We had a good time jabbing and running as we ran the 11K loop in around 67 minutes.

Afterward I compared 50-mile race plans with Birgit and Walter who are running also running the race. Birgit wants to try to break 10 hours we may end up running together for part or most of the way. I’ve never ran a long race with anyone before.

Tonight I want to run a shorter loop to loosen up the legs, then rest until the marathon on Sunday. Hopefully I won’t get carried away and blow my quads two weeks before the 50-miler…

Posted by Jack at 9:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night I took advantage of the warm (31C/88F), sunny, humid weather to get in some heat training in preparation for my 50-mile race in 2-1/2 weeks. While most non-runners hid in their offices, homes, or favourite biergarten, I took to the streets and knocked out a two-hour run on the asphalt bike trails in my area.

I can only hope that the 50-mile race is a cool 20C/68F like last year, and not 37C/99F like it was several years ago – because last night I was sweating buckets and could feel the energy being sucked from my body, whew! It took me about five minutes longer to complete the roughly 20K run than the night before when I ran mostly in the cooler woods.

The training run had to be, he who does not train in the heat will get beaten by the heat on race day! I hope there are several more hot days before the race!

Posted by Jack at 7:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I wasn’t quite sure how my legs were going to hold up as I headed out for a run last night. My legs were a bit tired from the long run on Saturday, but no aches or pain. As I headed out over the fields towards the woods on my 14 km loop, the sky quickly started turning gray. It was fairly warm (30C/86F) and quite humid, so I knew we were in for a thunderstorm. I just hoped I would be done running before it hit.

I cruised around my loop at an easy pace, around 6:00/km (9:39/mile). My legs were stiff the first few kilometers, but quickly loosened up as they warmed. After about 45 minutes I could hear thunder in the distance, but I was already on my way back to the house. A few minutes later it rained lightly, but soon let up and the sun came back out – what’s up with that?

By this time I was about 4-5 km from the house, but still felt good so decided to loop around again. I eventually made it back to the house a minute or two shy of the two hour mark, completing probably around 20 km – not bad for a “recovery” run.

I am feeling in good shape for the 50-mile race on the 28th. This is my last high mileage week for the event, highlighted by another 42 km long run this coming Sunday, namely the Fueth Marathon. I would like to complete the marathon in 4:45 to 5:00 hours, which should leave me fit enough to run a good 50 mile race two weeks later. That’s the plan anyway.

Posted by Jack at 6:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday I was up at 4:30 a.m. and, after a small breakfast, on my way to the beautiful resort town of Schoemberg. Schoemberg is located about 20 minutes south of Pforzheim in the foothills of the Black Forest and is a very popular hiking region. Each year Schoemberg sponsors a Wandertag, or hiking day, where hiking fans can walk the IVV 10K, 20K, Marathon or 50K trails.

My plan was to run at least the first 3-1/2 hours of the marathon trail, as preparation for my upcoming 50-mile race in three weeks. As I arrived at the sports hall around 6:15, there were already dozens of people on the way. I picked up my start card, threw on my CamelBak and started out. The marathon and 50K trail followed the road I had just driven for about a kilometer before ducking off into the woods. The 10K and 20K trail headed off in the other direction.

It was a bit cool outside (around 55F) for a short sleeve running shirt and shorts, but I warmed up quickly. The trail was more or less flat for the first 10 minutes, but then started heading downhill on a winding logging trail. I settled into an easy pace and concentrated on enjoying the very scenic forest trails.

Every 4-5 kilometers (estimated – the trail was not marked) was a “control station”, where I received a stamp on my start card (proving I passed this point) and water or tea. It was also possible to buy something to eat, but I had everything I needed with me.

I passed dozens of hikers as the kilometers clicked away. I also played cat and mouse with another runner who said he was running the 50K trail. I finally lost the runner when he stopped to eat something at a control station. The trail up to this point had been a nice mix of gravel and dirt logging trails, single track trails, and sidewalks, the latter as we passed through some small towns. After an initial long downhill, the trail seem to weave it self over several small valleys. There were lots of hills, but none steep enough to warrant walking.

After around 2 hours, the marathon and 50K trails split and I turned onto the marathon trail. I had been running everything up to this point, stopping only to get my stamp at each control station. As I continued on the trail switched to single track and climbed up one of the larger hills of the day. As I ran along a ridge the view of the wooded valley below was breathtaking. However as the way grew rougher I didn’t dare take my eyes of the trail, as I had to traverse roots, rocks and trees – real trail running!

After three hours or so the trail headed over several grassy fields and eventually back onto some logging trails. I stopped at a control station and ate a PB & Honey sandwich that I had with me. The folks at the station said I was the second one so far for the marathon, another had been through about a half hour before. I took a salt tablet and aspirin to combat growing fatigue in my legs, then headed out again.

The trail mileage was not marked, so I really was not so sure how far I had to go still. Eventually the marathon and 50K trail merged together again, it had been almost 1-1/2 hours since I had seen anyone on the trails, so it was motivating when I finally saw a few people as the trail merged with the 20K trail. By this time I had been running for around 3-1/2 hours, and guessed I must have between 10-12 kilometers to go. I had planned on taking walking breaks every 25 minutes, but I had only taken one so far, on the steepest hill. My legs felt good, so I decided to keep running.

I passed dozens of walkers on the 20K trail, including a couple Americans, but I knew if I stopped to visit I would stiffen up, so kept going. The trail merged with the 10K trail at around 4 hours. I guessed there must be 7-8 kilometers to go, which put me much farther ahead as I thought. Shortly after this I passed a sign that said “Schoemberg 5 kilometers”, but figured the trail would wind around and it would be much longer than that.

My legs began to tire and I started thinking about taking a walk break. I had been running through a thick forest for about a half hour and saw daylight ahead, thinking there must be a field coming up. I decided to run to the field, then take a break. As I emerged from the woods I was very surprised to see a town a few hundred meters ahead, and the parking lot of the sports center!

I jogged in the last half kilometer reaching the sport hall in 4 hours 25 minutes, 12 minutes faster than my finishing time for the Mannheim Marathon a few weeks before! What's up with that?

I picked up my certificate for completing the event, then took a shower. I chatted with a few of the wanderers while eating some lunch of braten and spatzele, then headed home. My legs were a bit tired when I got home, but felt better than after some long runs. After resting for an hour I felt good enough to go shopping with my wife, imagine that.

Schoemberg, in the northern Black Forest, is an incredibly beautiful area. I completed several hikes here in the 1990’s, including the marathon, and am still enchanted with the dark forest paths and rolling fields. This year it served as a wonderful training opportunity for my 50-mile race. If I feel half as good during this race as I did in Schoemberg it will be a good year.

Posted by Jack at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Last night I met my running club at our trailhead for a run. I was a bit early so warmed up with a quick 7-8 minute jog before the people started showing up. It was still quite humid outside, but at least the temperature went down a bit compared to the last few days.

Thick, dark rain clouds were moving in as I set out with the mid-pack group. I stuck towards the back of the little group of 10 runners, I was in no hurry, this week is my highest mileage week in my 50-mile training cycle. I chatted with Birgit, who is also running the 50-miler on June 28th, our goals are similar so I was wondering about running the race together. About the time our conversation got around to this the group leaders suddenly picked up the pace considerably. Next thing I knew I was running near 10K pace and Birgit had disappeared behind us, apparently she is much smarter than me and didn’t follow the group.

I was feeling good so hung with the group for about a kilometer, until they again took off at an even faster pace – turns out they are training for a fast 10K race taking place in the next couple weeks. I bailed out and jogged back to Birgit and the other two runners that had stayed with her. We finished the last 5K at a nice relaxed pace that left me feeling like I could do another loop, which is good because on Friday night or Saturday morning I have a 4-hour long run planned.

There are now five from my running club that are going to be running the 50-mile race, plus 4 more that are running it as a relay team. I guess I’ll have some company this time if they don’t run too fast.

Posted by Jack at 7:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The heat and humidity that we have been having is still lingering. It was nearly 29C/84F as I made my way out the door, but with a little wind for a change. For the second day in a row I had 20km/12.5mi. on my schedule, but this time I wanted to run at least part of it at a faster pace.

I ran to the trailhead from my running club and set out over the 11K route that I usually run there. This route is advantageous for a faster paced run as it is flat and consists of well maintained dirt-gravel logging trails without any roots to trip over. I gradually increased my pace until I was running around 5:30/km (8:50/mile). This was roughly the point where my legs warned me that if I kept increasing the pace they would be dead in the morning. So I ran about 4-5 km at this pace, then slowed down again for the rest of the run.

So what’s up with the title? If you have been reading my log for awhile you might have read that I started running about 4-1/2 years ago to lose weight. After many years of too much food and too little activity my weight was surpassing the 240 lbs. mark, which was enormous for my 67 inch height. Through walking, then running I got my weight down to around 170 lbs. and have held it for over three years now. Generally during race season my weight drops to around 165, but I was never able to get under this for more than a day or two at a time.

This race season I also dropped my weight to 165 lbs., but in the last few weeks I have managed to drop below that. This week I am down to 161 lbs. and so far have been able to hold it, even while fuelling some longer runs. I am hoping that I can continue and bring my weight down to a lean (for me) 155 lbs. by July 30th (my birthday). If that doesn’t work, than I hope I can maintain the 161 lbs. Worst case I hope I can stay under 165 lbs. over the winter. Nothing like a race-of-my-life, good day, and bad day goals for my diet too, huh!

Oh, and for any of you searching for a diet plan, mine is simple:
1. Eat healthy, but in controlled quantities.
2. Cut out as much fat and sweets as possible.
3. Drink lots of water.
4. Run at least 50 miles a week, preferably on hot, humid days.

Posted by Jack at 8:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

When I got home from work last night the sunny skies were quickly being covered by an angry looking mass of gray-black clouds. It was quite warm (29C/84F) and very humid, so I knew we were in for a storm. I suited up and hurried out the door hoping that I would get my planned two hour run over before the storm hit.

One of my objectives was to get some training in on pavement, so I headed out over the many asphalted bike paths in our area. Due to the high humidity if felt much warmer outside for the first hour. I quickly fell into my groove, roughly a 9:30/mile pace. The first 10K went uneventful, then the wind started picking up. At first this helped cool things down, but soon I was running against the wind over open fields –and I started hearing thunder in the distance. Luckily the storm moved in slowly and I made it back to the house before the thunder and lightening were near enough to worry.

I ended up running for 1:58:04, which, according to Google Earth, was right around 20K. My legs were a bit tired towards the end, but feel fine this morning. I hope they hold up for the 55-60 miles (90-98 km) that I have planned this week…

Posted by Jack at 8:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Saturday at 5:00 p.m. I met members of my running club at our trailhead for a run. Normally I don’t run on Saturday’s with the club as I do my long run on Saturday morning, but I did my long run on Friday night in preparation for the upcoming 50-mile race. My legs were a bit tired, so I showed up early and warmed up with a 7-8 minute run before heading out with the group over the 11K loop.

I fell in with the mid-pack group, several who were recovering from races, including the Mannheim marathon that I also ran. We started out at an easy pace, around 6:12/K (10:00/mile). I was in no hurry, my legs were still recovering from the almost 3-hour hilly run the night before (and the marathon the week before). After about 5K those recovering took the shorter route back to the trailhead and I continued on with a couple of the guys who wanted to run the entire loop.

We seemed to immediately pick up the pace, which kind of worried me, but my legs held up as we cruised around. We did a faster 2-3 kilometers, whereas I fell several paces behind, than backed off again, whereas I caught them again. I didn’t watch the time for each individual kilometer, but we ended up averaging about 5:25/K (9:00/mile) for the last 6K.

I ended up with 80K (almost 50 miles) for the week, not bad for a “recovery week” after a marathon. I attribute this to running the marathon at about 45 seconds/mile under my normal marathon pace, which allowed me to recover much faster. I should mention that my legs are not fully recovered, but enough to continue my training anyway.

On Sunday my legs felt good enough to do some cross-training. I decided to do some cycling, whereas I cycled around 40K (25 miles). This gave my leg muscles a good workout, but without stressing my running muscles. When I got back I also did about 10 minutes of rowing, whereas I used the upper body as much as possible.

This evening (Monday) I want to run around 20K at marathon pace, we’ll see how the legs hold up. Have a great Monday!

Posted by Jack at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I took Wednesday night off from training in order to attend a seminar (XML and InDesign). Thursday night was another super humid day, with around 89-90°F and no wind. I completed a 16K/10M run and felt like I’d run twice that.

On Friday night when I got home from work I changed and drove to Weingarten, 11K away, to run my hilly route. It was dark and stormy looking as I ran up the first hill. As I reached the top my wife called and said there was a storm warning for our entire area and wondered when I was coming home. I told her I would run shorter loops and try to stay in the general vicinity of the car in case the oncoming storm proved to be fierce.

I continued on and it was not long until the sky turned even darker and I heard thunder in the distance. I tried not to let this distract me as I continued around my normal loop. As the thunder and lightning got closer I started running a loop that passed a wandering hut every 14-15 minutes. This sat on a plateau on top of the hill that I had climbed among the rolling hills. Every loop gave me a pretty good mix of short hills and faster sections. After about an hour the storm was upon me with pouring rain, thunder and lightning. The wind however remained relatively calm, so I continued running knowing that it really wasn’t dangerous unless the wind picked up and started knocking down branches and trees.

The rain continued at a good rate for about 45 minutes to an hour, but we never got any hail that often accompanies such a storm. Sometime after two hours the rain stopped and the sky cleared somewhat and I expanded my loop to include a longer hill climb. It turned into one of those beautiful moments in the woods, right after a rain when the air is clean and fresh, its quiet and a mist starts rising from the trees. I startled a couple dear as I turned onto one trail, this is why I run!

After about 2-1/2 hours I started to feel the effects of last weekend’s marathon, so decided to head back towards the car. About this time my wife called again to see if I was still alive, she is always afraid a tree is going to fall on me or something (I love you too).

I made it back to the car about 10 minutes shy of a 3-hour run and decided it wasn’t worth doing an extra loop for the 10 minutes, I was pretty hammered and soaking wet from the rain. I stretched quick and headed home for a shower and some food, mission accomplished. I estimate I ran around 26K (16 miles) and at a slightly faster pace than I normally run my long run.

This evening I want to run an hour or so at an easy pace to loosen up and Sunday will be another rest day. Next week is a high mileage week, I hope the body is ready…

Posted by Jack at 7:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

When I finished my 15K/9M run last night I looked more like I had gone swimming then running. It was 31C/88F outside and so humid it felt like you could slice the air with a knife. I kept my pace down, partly as I am still recovering, and partly due to the humidity, and had a good run. My legs have loosened up nicely and the soreness in the right ITB area has disappeared, I would say my recovery is going well.

Today is a rest day from training and over the next couple days I am going to slowly up my mileage and see how I feel. On Thursday night I plan on running about 10 miles at around marathon pace. If that goes well I want to run for 2-1/2 to 3 hours on Friday after work. The 50-mile race that I am running at the end of June begins at 5 p.m. at night, so I want to get used to running longer at this time of the day. In this part of Germany this is also the hottest time of the day, so this will help me get used to the heat.

Training for the rest of the weekend will depend on how the next couple of runs go, but I will probably stick with one more 10-12K run on Saturday or Sunday, taking a rest day on the day that I don’t run.

If my legs are feeling up to it then I will try to get up to 50-55 miles next week, including a 3-4 hour long run. The week after will be similar with my long run being the Furth marathon on Sunday, June 15th. This will be followed by almost two weeks of tapering until the big event on June 28, the 80K Fidelitas Night Run. Should be fun :-)

Posted by Jack at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Last night I intended to go for a 5-mile recovery run. When I got home from work it was a balmy, humid, 32C/90F and I was running late, so I was curious how this was going to go. As I started out I was kind of stiff the first 5-10 minutes, but as my legs warmed I fell into an easy pace and made my way around my 8K/5M loop. By the time I reached the halfway point I felt so good that I decided to keep going a bit, I ended up with almost 7 miles by the time I reached home.

Later on I did a damage assessment and tweaked my training plan for the 80K Fidelitas Night Run coming up in just over 4-1/2 weeks. I really don’t have too much to complain about in way of recovery. I took Sunday off and only did some leisurely walking. I have a bit of tenderness in the right ITB area, especially when I sit too long without walking around, but this is not out of the ordinary. My run last night went better than I expected, so I think I will be able to meet my training objectives for the 50-mile run on June 28th.

When I think about it, there really is not a whole of time left to train. The majority of training time will be used for race specific training, a couple real long hilly runs. If my body cooperates, this will mean probably one more medium long run of 2-1/2 hours this coming weekend, and two more long runs in the 4-5 hour range on the weekends following that.

On Sunday we received a call from my wife’s aunt in Furth, near Nuremberg. She was wondering when we were going to come and visit so my wife can finish doing her taxes. She also mentioned that the Furth marathon is coming up on June 15th. Afterward my wife mentioned that it would be good to get her aunt’s taxes out of the way…so guess where I will be doing my last long run before the 50-miler…

Posted by Jack at 8:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The short story: I lined up at the Mannheim Marathon with two from my running club who were trying to break 4 hours. I ran the first 9K with them at a faster pace than planned, said my fairwell's, crossed the 1/2 marathon point in 2:02:01, had a real low around the 14-15 mile point, but applied my ultra-run/walk strategy and rallied with a finish time of 4:37:15. I'll try to get the full report up by tomorrow night.

Posted by Jack at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

On Saturday is my next marathon, in Mannheim, and I’m a bit nervous about it. Really, I should not be the least bit nervous as I have it scheduled as a training run and this will be my 15th marathon (or greater) race. However, memories of my first marathon, 3 years ago on this very same course, haunt me as the days count down. That first marathon turned into a humbling experience after I locked up with severe cramps around the 15 mile point and more or less crawled over the finish line after almost 5 hours and 11 minutes.

I have promised myself that I will be diligent about keeping the pace down and really use it as a training run, but I know how that goes – calm for the first couple miles till I fall into a groove, then next thing I know I’m running a PR pace until I blow my quads. I should know better by now…

Actually I really do need to keep the pace down, five weeks after the marathon is my 50-mile race in Karlsruhe-Ruppur, the Fidelitas Night Run. If I want to do well with that race I need 3-4 more weeks of hard training (50-60 miles/week). I am also trying to talk my wife into letting me run a tough 63 km (39 mile) trail run three weeks after that. In other words, I don’t have time for a long recovery after the marathon.

Last night I went for an easy 9 km (5.5 mile) run and will repeat this again on Thursday. I may also run the 11 km loop on Wednesday with my running club if my legs feel fresh. Otherwise I plan on chilling out until Saturday night, 6:15 pm when the marathon begins.

Posted by Jack at 7:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My marathon next Saturday in Mannheim is scheduled as a training run, so I really haven’t reduced my mileage by much this week. However, I did cut my long run down to just over 2-1/2 hours. Although I run ultra distances, I still have respect for the marathon distance, especially for a city marathon like Mannheim – my legs simply do not hold up as long when I am pounding pavement.

In any case I did my long run on Friday night after work. It was a rather humid 25C/77F as I made my way to Weingarten to run my hilly route. I work my Camelbak and was ready to go. I climbed the first hill, then immediately went down again and climbed it again on a different trail. I did this a couple times, gradually working my way around the “mountain”, hammering up the hills at a slightly faster tempo then normal. After about an hour and a half I switched to the rolling hills on the plateau on top and cruised around for about 70 minutes longer before calling it a night.

At the end of my run I still felt good enough for another loop or two, for me a sign that my training is effective. Of course the real test will be at the marathon…we’ll see what happens.

Posted by Jack at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Wednesday the sun was again shining brightly when I got home from work, so I headed out the door for a 10-mile run at slightly faster than marathon pace. At 29C/84F, I believe it was the warmest day of the year so far, in any case it felt wonderful – the miles ticked away in no time – it was one of those runs that you wish you would have every time!

Over the last year or so, I have been thinking a lot about running and life in general. People ask me sometimes why I run so much and so far. I ask myself sometimes what I am trying to achieve and why. Most runners are spurred on by the hope of a new best ti