June 23-29

I fell short on mileage this week, but I got in the essentials -- track work, tempo, long run -- between Thursday and Saturday.

I was in New Jersey this weekend for my mother's birthday. We had family visiting from North Carolina and Texas.

Dad likes to do his long runs on Saturday. I decided to join him for solidarity and thus moved my tempo from Friday to Saturday. Dad is training for the Chicago Marathon, and I will be his coach until then, the first coach he has ever had in his life. Dad, when it comes to his training, has always been a bit of a lone wolf. But I think I know this wolf pretty well.

I was out for two hours on Saturday morning. Dad was out for 1:40, his longest run in a while, and I was with him for his last 45 minutes. We did loop after loop at Meadow Ridge Park, dodging packs of Little Leaguers walking to the baseball fields, talking about various things. There is an urge inside me to write something literary right now, something a bit more profound; I find myself staring at the screen, unable to do so. All I can say is that these rare runs with my Dad are extremely special. It's a very rare thing.

Monday - 8

Tuesday AM 6 PM 6

Wednesday - 12

Thursday - 9 - UMD track. 2 WU, stretch, 4 by 100, 3 sets of 800,600, 400 with a 400 jog between everything. Times: 2:29, 1:49, 70; 2:23, 1:48, 71; 2:27, 1:49, 70. 1.5 CD

Friday - 9 - 2 WU, 5-mile tempo on asphalt track: 6:01, 5:56, 5:52, 5:55 and 5:49 for 29:35. A minute slower than last week, but it was hot and I was sore. 2 CD

Saturday - 18

Sunday - 8

Total - 76