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, one of the most southernmost points 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