Oct. 5 - 18

Monday - AM 10 PM 5
Tuesday - AM 12
Wednesday AM 12 with 8 times 2 minutes at 5k effort, 2 minutes rest Later AM Got a tooth pulled
Thursday AM 12 PM 6
Friday AM 12 PM 5
Saturday AM 12, strides
Sunday AM 4 WU, Lower Potomac River 10-Miler (53:51, 2nd), 4 CD - 18
Total - 104

LPR 10-Miler:
I found out about this race in Piney Point, Md. while writing an article about the Southern Maryland running scene. Two things were of interest: Flat course, cash for top three. Also, the race worked into my training schedule, and I was interested in traveling to Piney Point, the southernmost point of Southern Maryland. The race was at 7:45 a.m., and I left D.C. at 5, although it only took me only 70 minutes to get there. (Here's the deal: When Google mapping something in D.C., take the estimated time and round it up to an hour. When traveling south out of the district, take the time and chop off 30-45 minutes.)

In its first year, 19-year-old Ethiopian Ezkyas Sisay had won this race (sponsored by Chesapeake Bay Running Club) in 54:27. The day before, Sisay had raced the Baltimore Half Marathon. Perhaps, then, he only ran fast enough to get the money, as second place was about 2 minutes back.

The race director had told me Sisay was returning, but I did not see him. I did see Steven Crane, one of the best runners in D.C., who I have run with in the past. Before the start, we talked a bit about pacing and Steve said he wanted to run 5:15-20 pace. I had run that pace at the Philadelphia Distance Run; that pace could work, I said, if my body was not too tired from a week of regular mileage.

Quickly, we were alone, stride for stride, with a cyclist leading the way. I felt smooth, controlled, like we were right on pace. At the mile, though, I saw we were just over 5 minutes -- and I seemed to have two options: Slow down. Race.

I chose to race. Heck, I was already there. I did not look at my watch until mile 5, passed in 26:05, and I was with Crane (who has run sub 50 and 1:05.02 in the half marathon) until 6, when he started to pull away and I started to labor. There was a magnificent view of the bay, except I did not seem to be taking much notice. Miles six to 8, in fact, were pretty bad; I was in over my head. But I gathered myself at 8, as we turned back onto Lighthouse Road, out of the wind, and headed back to the finish, near Piney Point Lighthouse. (It really was a beautiful setting for a race; it would nice to get a good field for this some year.) I atleast ran under 11 minutes for my last two miles, and thus under 54 minutes.

In one sense, it's not the way you want to race. In another, I ran low 32s for 10K, a PR, and stuff like this, mixed with decent volume, bodes well for Nov. 22. I am absorbing 100-plus mileage very well right now.

Monday AM 10 PM 5
Tuesday AM 12

Wednesday AM 5 PM 11 - For the afternoon workout, Jake, Jake, Karl and I met at BCC for Yasso 800s, a marathon workout which they were nice enough to go along with. This workout was developed by Bart Yasso of Runnersworld Magazine. I remember him quite fondly from my days as an editorial intern there; we did some lunchtime runs together, in fact. The weather was pretty crappy: cold, rainy and cold. We started minutes after the end of a soccer game, so we at least had lights for our first two of 8 reps. The idea here is quite simple: 8-10 800s with a 400 jog for rest. Your average time, then, is supposed to be what you can run in the marathon. I was looking to hit 2:25-2:28 and, with the help of my teammates, I was able to average 2:25. It was a true team effort, as it can be quite hard to guage pace in the dark, but we really worked together.

Thursday AM 7 PM 10
Friday AM 13

Saturday AM 14
It was my five-year reunion at Gettysburg College. Rather than spend a weekend there and drink too much and sleep on a floor at at time when I might be in the best shape of my life, I drove up Saturday morning to compete in the Gettysburg Invitational and then had a great time catching up with people the rest of the day.

Saturday, as it happens, was the peak of a streak of terrible weather that lasted from Wednesday until today. The race was at 11, and I left D.C. at 8, knowing it never took me more than 90 minutes to get there.

I should have alloted more time. For one, the WTOP traffic reporter was pretty busy. And, and, as I crossed the 14th Street Bridge and hooked onto the GW Parkway, I found out that it was blocked off where the road splits, so I had to turn around in Rosslyn. The rain was coming down hard. It was difficult to see. Traffic was moving slow. I knew it was not looking good. I was running late. And for what? To race in a cold mudbath! WTOP reporters, generally, encouraged doing everything except leave your house.

I did not park until 10:30, rushed to the locker room to change and hurried to the starting area. I got in but a mile's worth of warmup, changed into my XC spikes, kept on a long sleeve shirt beneath my singlet, did a couple strides (after which my spikes were completely full of cold water) and tucked in at the back of Gettysburg's starting box.

Assistant Coach Aubrey Shenk, the starter, traditionally says something I love before firing off the gun. Gentlemen, it's a beautiful day to enjoy your sport. A lot of times, when he would say this, it was not always a beautiful day to enjoy the sport. Still, it was a beautiful sentence.

Coach Shenk did not utter it this year.

The gun went off and 300-plus runners charged out across a field with about two inches of standing, cold water. I was never very good at XC (too much of a rhythm runner) and now I was rusty -- stuck behind a clump of guys I could not exactly forcefully move. Around 2K, it started to clear up, and I started to move though the pack. I must have moved up 50 spots in the next 4K -- and I was not paying any attention to splits, as times were meaningless. By 6K, though, I was no longer passing -- only maintaining -- as we trudged on through water and mud and water and mud. Man, it was cold. True XC.

Honestly, I kind of liked it. I had fun. I got a great workout. There was no pressure: I know I am in shape. I know 8K XC is not my scene right now. I finished 55th in 28:05. That's marathon pace.

Gettysburg Men finished 3rd out of 25 teams, and the women were 4th. I would have been 8th man on the team on Saturday -- and thus not top 7 -- and that makes me feel good. The team is one of the best we have had in a long time. These guys work really hard -- but more on that some other time.

Sunday - 18
Total 103

Training Post-PRD

September 21-27
M - AM 10 PM 4
T - 12
W - 13, strides
Th - AM 12
F - 12, strides
S - 18
S - 9
Total - 90

Sept. 28-Oct. 4
M AM 10 PM 6
T - 12
W 10 - 10,8,6,4,2, with half the rest around the Mall
Th - 12 PM 4
F AM 10 PM 6
S - 10
S - 20
Total - 100

PR at PDR

After a month of 100-plus-mile weeks, I cut back for two weeks (90; race week was 70) so I could take a real charge at the Philadelphia Distance Run on Sept. 20. This was the first half marathon I have run fresh. Others have come in the thick of a marathon buildup.

The goal was to crack 1:10 and I came very close, clocking 1:10.11 for 36th place. This amounts to a PR of 1:38.

Ryan Hall is wise enough to know that the training which produces a sub-60 half marathon is not necessarily the same training that will lead him to his first victory at a major marathon. For one, sub-60 requires fresh legs, and about six weeks away from a marathon, Hall’s legs, frankly, are better off dead.

Shortly after Ryan Hall announced he would appear at the Philadelphia Distance Run I received an email from a training buddy who joked that he fully expected I would finish ahead of the Olympian and, as it turns out, the only American to ever crack one hour in the half marathon.

In my response, I noted that while Hall might be attempting to go sub-60 for a new PR and American record, I would hopefully be going for sub-70 for a PR of my own.

Hall ran pretty darn well at PDR -- well enough, at least, to remain undefeated in the half marathon. Running comfortably with Samuel Ndereba and Felix Limo, Hall bolted at 12 miles, closing with a final mile of 4:27. His time was 1:01.51, and he appears to be in fine shape for New York.

My goal race for the fall, the Philadelphia Marathon, is Nov. 22. Because of that, my training plan for the fall has called for two buildups -- one for PDR, another for the marathon. For the first time, then, I was reasonably tapered for a half marathon. As well, I had more quality speed sessions under my belt from the last few months than at any other time since college. That said, I was reasonably sure I would demolish my previous PR of 1:11.52 from last March's National Half Marathon.

I stayed with my sister and her boyfriend, Greg Bowyer, in Manayunk. We left their apartment around six and quickly got to a parking garage close to the start, in front of the art museum. We met up with my mom and my father, who of course was full of race day nerves. I also met up with my GRC teammates, Jake Klim and Dylan Keith. About 50 minutes before the race, Jake, Dylan, Greg and I set out for our warmup – out and back along the last couple miles of the race.

It was pretty cool. We saw Hall and his crew. We saw Constantina Dita, who only won the gold medal in the marathon in Beijing …

I warmed up in a jacket, glove, hat and pants, but toward the end of the 20 minutes I could feel myself heating up. The weather was placid, close to ideal, and it was clear there would be no need for gloves or a hat.

About 10 minutes before the gun, I parted with my family and jogged to the start with my teammates. When we got to the first corral, though, we were surprised to see that it was more packed than a corporate cattle operation. We really had to be aggressive just to get through the gate. We wound up about three seconds off the line; thus, the first mile had lots of unnecessary weaving.

I felt good, though. After (three?) miles, I caught up with Jake and we started to work together. We unfortunately seemed to be stranded between packs; a sizeable group was ahead and we tried to make a slight push in order to catch them. Curving out to Kelly Drive, I saw my mom and sister, which gave me lift, and I told Jake that we should try to catch the group, tuck in until the bridge at 8 and then really try to roll on the other side of the river.

We were running 5:17s and it was hard to tell if we were really pulling in the pack. By the time we really were pulling them in, around mile 7, the pack was splintering, with two guys falling off and the rest surging ahead. At 8 miles I was still feeling pretty good, but it was clear Jake was a bit stronger. After a 5:20 he surged ahead, as we hit the bridge, and I more or less held pace, or very close to it.

I passed 10 miles in 53:11, still sub-5:20 pace, and tried to keep my eyes ahead. Suddenly, though, I heard a van honking its horn behind me. Repeatedly. Why? There was no one around me, and there seemed to be plenty of space to get by. It was the truck for the two lead women, including the great Catherine Ndereba. I paced off them for perhaps a half mile. Still, they surged ahead. (Interestingly, a guy on the truck told me, as the women were catching me, that I was on pace for 1:09.40, which turned out to be Ndereba’s winning time.)

Honestly, I ran out of gas in the last 1.5 miles. I had run road PRs for 10K and 10 miles and so perhaps I was asking for a bit too much. It’s a tough part of the course, anyway. The sun really hits the pavement, and it’s slightly uphill. I can’t recall my exact 20K time, but I knew I was very close to dipping under 1:10. Though I gave it everything I had, I fell a bit short.

All in all, I was very pleased with the PR of 1:10.11, as I think it sets me up very well for the November marathon, and my place of 36th.

Jake finished 26th in 1:09.27. He’s had a great year. Check out his blog (listed on the right) to see some of his results from the spring.

Greg also PRed at 1:16.46, and after hearing about the hours he has been putting in for his job, the journalism biz suddenly seemed remarkably 8 to 5.

Dad, 53 and bearer of the torch, only continues to impress: 1:26.58.

Here are some of my splits:

1. 5:20 - 5:20
2. 10:38 - 5:18
3. 15:52 - 5:14
(16:23 – 5k)
4. 21:09 - 5:16
5. 26:24 - 5:15
6. 31:40 - 5:15
(32:43 – 10k)
7. 36:56 – 5:16
8. 42:17 – 5:20
9. – 10 53:11 – 10:54 – 5:26
10-13.1 – 17:00 – 5:28

http://running.competitor.com/live/philadelphia/liveblog

Another Under 13

Matt Tegenkamp ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bnuNmUxA9c&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eletsrun%2Ecom%2F2009%2Flrcteg0904%2Ephp&feature=player_embedded

Training Aug. 31 - Sept. 6

Monday - AM 10 PM 6
Tuesday - AM 12 PM 4

Wednesday - 15 minutes easy, 20 minutes at marathon effort, 2 minutes easy, 15 minutes at a faster effort, 2 minutes easy, 10 minutes at a faster effort, 2 minutes easy, 5 minutes hard, 35 minutes easy - 16 ... This was an out-and-back effort from SW to the Capital Crescent to the C&O Canal. Though I have listed the intended efforts, this was definitely a feel thing, meaning my legs were fairly dead and I worked through it. I only took a couple splits on the C&O and both were sub 6, which isn't bad for this kind of continuous, solo, morning effort.

Thursday - AM 11 PM 5
Friday - AM 13
Saturday - AM 11
Sunday - AM 22 ... Emily joined me on a bike. I tend to have really solid workouts when she does this, as I can drink water every 20 minutes or so. I wanted a flat, stop light-free route that would allow me to run at a good rhythm and do some near-pace work. By the time we hit the Capital Crescent Trail I was running sub-6 pace at a smooth, fairly conversational effort. We made it all the way to where the trail hits downtown Bethesda (the end?) and turned back. Interestingly, at about 2 hours, as we were emerging from the trail into Georgetown, I sort of bonked and more or less shuffled the last half hour to the apartment. I think it was a simple case of running out of fuel, having not eaten any breakfast (bad mistake, never again) or any gels. Lesson learned.

Total -110

That caps a month of 96, 103, 106, 110. I am going to come down for two weeks before the Philadelphia Distance Run and then start a new cycle for the Philadelphia Marathon on Nov. 22. Ahead are two flat, fast courses -- and hopefully two PRs.

Training Aug. 24-30

M - AM 10 PM 6
T - AM 12

W - AM 5 PM Met Patrick, Karl, Bain and Jim at The Line in Rock Creek Park. We did our 3 minutes on, 1 minute off workout that winds through roads and trails. One thing about me is that I stink at running trails. Even on easy runs, I find myself falling behind. It actually went pretty well, though, for the first six reps -- proof that I am much more fit than when we did this months ago -- and I took my turn leading a tough one up a big hill on Ross Drive (I think). On the seventh we veered off the road toward an uphill trail, and the workout really started to choke me. Mission accomplished.

Th - AM 12 PM 4
F - AM 12

S - AM Gettysburg Alumni Race 5k XC - The Gettysburg College XC training camp lasts a week, and the last workout is always a 5k time trial. Beginning around 2005, the time trial was deemed the alumni race, and alums were invited to toe the line against the undergrads. I won this race as a senior in 2004, virtually tied with Andy Carmer in 2005, won in 2006, went to Africa in 2007, finished right behind winner Jeff Buttersworth in 2008 and in 2009 ... finished fourth in 17:05 for 5030 meters, my slowest time yet. Odd, too, because I am way more fit than I was last year, when I believe my time was 16:27. It was hot, very muddy and, honestly, the whole thing is pretty low key, as it serves no one well to go all out in late August with the big races in the middle of November. I really just ran in the pack most of the way; and suddenly there was less than 800 meters to go and I was running against a 1:53 half miler ... Gettysburg finished 6th in region last year, and it looks like they have an outside shot at making nationals in 2009. It is awesome to go back and see how hard they are working. Around 2000, the Centennial Conference and Mideast Region made a competive leap; Gettysburg was slow to adjust, but now we are really catching up. -- 10

S - 24 -- I was without a watch because Ironmans are designed to self destruct every six months. And so I set out from my apartment in SW with the penciled-in goal of 24 and made my way to the Capital Crescent Trail. Then I was in Bethesda, where we started last Sunday's run, and I hooked onto Georgetown Branch Trail and kept going for some reason -- knowing there was no way this loop was going to work (too long). I had started at 9:15. In Rock Creek Park, I stopped for water along Beach Drive and asked someone for the time. 11:30. Oh. Kept going and actually felt pretty good; looped past the zoo, past that area where we always stop for water (I really should know this all better by now) and then I got to the bottom of 24th Street and crossed the road -- I was thinking I could make it back to the Running Company at least and call Emily from there. But my body simply stopped, like a car out of gas. And so I walked up the hill, saw someone who looked reasonably nice, borrowed a cell phone and sweet Emily picked me up at the corner of Calvert and 24th. 24 is sort of a guess. It might have been longer; it might have been shorter, too.

Total 106

More later ...

RITZ! AMERICAN RECORD!

Golden League meet in Zurich. Bekele keeps his winning streak. Unreal. Only very recently, Ritz split with Brad Hudson and joined the Alberto Salazar group. Now he breaks Bob Kennedy's record, which goes back to the mid '90s. Kennedy was the top runner in the U.S. at a time when the world running scene simply exploded; what once seemed unthinkable performances suddenly became commonplace, and Kennedy talks about that in this interview -- http://www.mensracing.com/athletes/interviews/2006/bobkennedy030706 -- which I recall reading some time ago.

Anyway, got a little distracted there. The results are below, and here is a link to the video: http://www.flotrack.org/videos/coverage/view_video/235529-2009-weltklasse-zurich/199912-kenenisa-wins-ritz-sets-ar-at-zurich

1.BEKELE, Kenenisa, ETH, WL, 12:52.32
2. SOI, Edwin, KEN, SB, 12:55.03
3. RITZENHEIN, Dathan USA, AR 12:56.27
4. CHEPKOK, Vincent, KEN, PB, 12:58.17
5. KIPSIRO, Moses, UGA, SB, 12:59.27
6. EBUYA, Joseph, KEN, SB, 13:00.22
7. MASAI, Moses Ndiema, KEN, 13:06.16
8. KIPRUTO, Silas KEN 13:09.08
9. KOMON, Leonard Patrick, KEN, 13:17.43
10. KOGO, Micah, KEN, 13:18.57
....