The Average Marathoner

Episode # 12 : A1A Healthy Choice 5K and More!

2012-02-23T19:14:00.000-05:00

Intro and Outro Music - MasterMind's "Sunny Day"

Sunny Day (Mastermind XS) / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Show Notes:

A1A Healthy Choice 5K Website

Rick Robert's Big Runner Training Website

Breast Cancer Marathon Website

A1A - Healthy Choice 5K

2012-02-20T12:30:00.003-05:00

What a great race! I was hoping just to finish under 30 minutes on this one but it seems like my recent speed training has yielded a nice reward. This is officially a "New Era" 5K PR for me with a finish time of 27:40. I had done a faster 5k on a treadmill back in 2009 but that really didn't count since it wasn't a race. Needless to say, I 'm satisfied with my performance and hope to build on it.

As for the race itself, thumbs up all around. The organizers (Greater Ft. Lauderdale Road Runners) did a wonderful job with on course support and the after party. All kids of food and drinks and awards for top finishers. I would definitely recommend this race.

Garmin Details: A1A 5K

Here are some photos and a brief video from the finish line:

Headed to the starting line.

What a beautiful morning in Fort Lauderdale!

Waiting to start.

Finish line celebration.

Post Marathon Training: Building speed through focused workouts

2012-02-12T15:00:00.000-05:00

After running 3 marathons at an average pace of 12+ minute miles, I've switched my focus from distance to speed. I've set out on a schedule of 4 runs a week which include:

2 speed sessions: 4 x 400's @ 7:30 per mile pace (3 mile total)
1 Long session 4+ miles @ a sub 10:00 per mile pace
1 Easy run of 3 miles with no set pace.

My plan is to run this routine for the next 8 weeks and at the conclusion, I will run a 5k at full effort to see where I am pace wise. I think I should be able to pull off a sub 27 minute 5k which would put me on track for a 2:05 half marathon which would be a new PR for me. I also plan to include some rigorous cross-training sessions to include cycling; swimming and core work. This should contribute to a high level of conditioning which should yield a better running pace.

Anyway, that's the plan for now so we'll see how it goes.

Episode # 11 : Race Report for the 2012 ING Miami Marathon

2012-02-04T18:45:00.001-05:00

Intro and Outro Music - MasterMind's "Sunny Day"

Sunny Day (Mastermind XS) / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

2012 ING Miami Marathon

2012-01-31T05:51:00.000-05:00

I am always greatful to finish a marathon... This was my 5th! My goal was to run it for a new PR of 4:45. The temperature at the start was a bit warmer than I had hoped. It was just about 70 but there was a cool breeze. I headed out trying to keep a 10:50 to 11 minute per mile pace. After a few miles of trying that, it was apparent that I should adjust my goal to an under 5 hour finish. That actually worked out ok until mile 13 when I started to loose steam and was pretty achy. It just went down hill from there. Did a great deal of walking in the last 10k but still managed to finish. It never really got too warm and it was looking like it might rain but as luck would it, it didn't get hot and it didn't rain.

Another marathon in the books!, I am officially a Marathon Maniac (Bronze), with 3 marathon in just over 60 days. Actually, 2 half and 3 full. I think my my bonk today was probably from just running too many darn races so close together. I'll take a break for now and probably stick to just a single full marathon per year.
Thanks everyone for all the well wishes and support for this race as well as the other I've getting to this one! I truely appreciate it and your inspiration means more to me that I could ever possibly express.

My Garmin data for the race:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/145761337

Crossing the starting line

Episode # 10 : Headed to the ING Miami Marathon

2012-01-23T18:19:00.002-05:00

Show notes:

The Extra Mile to Finish Breast Cancer

http://www.bigrunnertraining.com/

Mid Packer's Lament

Intro and Outro Music - MasterMind's "Sunny Day"

Sunny Day (Mastermind XS) / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Between Races - Training Update

2012-01-21T12:15:00.000-05:00

After having a great Goofy's Challenge, I knew that my runs between it and the ING Miami Marathon three weeks later would be a bit easier than earlier in my training. My main goal was to run in the same manner that I plan to use during the upcoming marathon. The plan was to run continuously and only take walk breaks at the water station. Basically, run one mile intervals with one minute walks in between. My goal time for the race is 4:45 which breaks down to a 10:53 minute per mile pace.

I think I'm on track and should be able to pull this off. My only concern at this point is that forecast is for the low to mid 60's at the start and climbing into the 70's. If it gets into the 70's earlier than later, my pace will suffer. I'm hoping it stays cool because I'd like this to be my fastest race of the season.

Here's the Garmin Data for my workouts over the last 2 weeks:

January 12th, 2012 3 Mile Recovery

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/141182941

January 13th, 2012 - 4 Mile Tempo
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/141600228

January 14th, 2012 - 9 Mile Race Pace
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/141564513

January 17th, 2012 - 3 Miles
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/143409984

Janurary 19th, 2012 - 3 Miles
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/143057951

Janurary 21st, 2012 - 4 Miles
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/143407257

Episode # 9 : Goofy's Challenge Race Report

2012-01-12T06:39:00.000-05:00

Intro and Outro Music - MasterMind's "Sunny Day"

Sunny Day (Mastermind XS) / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

2012 Goofy's Challenge Complete!

2012-01-09T14:35:00.004-05:00

It's difficult to put into words how wonderful this experience was. All types of emotions, excitement, anxiety, satisfaction and a deep sense of well being. This weekend was the culmination of six months of training and it was the perfect conclusion to this training cycle.

First and foremost, the highlight of this weekend was being able to run with my son on his first half marathon and with my wife on her second. My son and I ran the first 6 miles together and shared some pretty special moments and we wound our way through the course. At the half way point he wanted to break away and with a few words of advice and encouragement, I sent him on his way. He quickly gained gained speed and it wasn't too long before he was out of sight. He had managed to gain about 6 minutes on me but he went a bit too hard and lost some steam in the last mile. I had also managed to add some speed at the end there so we ended up meeting in the last half mile. He still managed to break away and beat me by over a minute. My wife was faster than both of us and managed a new PR! Here's a photo of us minutes after finishing.

Garmin details for the half marathon: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/140294548

I have to admit that i was a bit worried after finishing the half that I would have some trouble with the marathon the next day. I was a bit sore and it seemed like a I had to put out a good effort to finish the half. I would have thought that completing the half marathon with a finishing time of 2:42 would have been easier considering that less than two months ago, I had completed the Fort Lauderdale 13.1 with a time of 2:12. I spent some time considering my plan for Sunday and figured that I'd run on feeling instead of watching my Garmin for timing.

I awoke on Sunday at 3am refreshed. I had taken a few naps on Saturday and slept well during the night so I felt much better because at least I knew that I was well rested. So, I drank my coffee and had a peice of toast and I was off to the race. Getting to the starting area was easier than the day before because there were fewer runners for the full marathon. I was able to focus on my plan for running than having to deal with the crowds. I arrived in my coral (F) with plenty of time to spare and before I knew it, my wave start time had arrived. Here's a brief video of the start:

I knew that I had to start off easy and conserve enery for later in the race. I was using the Galloway run/walk method and started off with a 3 minute run and 1 minute walk. I did this for the first 5 miles miles. I then went to a 4:1 ratio which I kept until the half way mark. I felt strong after 13 miles so I went to a 5:1 ratio which I was able to keep up until mile 23. The last few miles I ran at a 4:1 ratio. I'm glad to say that I finsihed feeling good. I was tired but not depleted. This was my best marathon by far. I didn't PR by a long shot but I was in control the whole way and I was able to enjoy crossing the finish line knowing that I had put out a good hard effort. I was deeply satisfied with the results of my effort.

Garmin details for the full marathon: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/140294572
Disney did a wonderful job of providing great entertainment along the way. The course took me through Epcot at first and then over to the Magic Kingdom where I was able to run up Main Street amongst the cheering crowds. I was able to run through Cinderella's Castle then left the Magic Kingdom through Adventure Land as I made my way to Animal Kingdom. There were actual animals (with their handlers of course) waiting for us as we entered the park. Running past Expedition Everest was a blast. After exiting Animal Kingdom, there's a few miles of highway until you get to the next Park. There were characters and bands playing along the way so that kept your mind off the fact that you're in the "WALL" zone. Yes, the stretch is miles 20 - 23 which for me has always been troublesome. You arrive at Hollywood Studios at mile 23 and the last 5K winds through Hollywood Studio's then back over to Epcot. I arrived at Epcot with a mile to go and it's definetly a great way to finish, running through the Showcase of Nations then past the Epcot sphere that is at the park's enterance. The finishing line is lined on both sides by cheering crowds and the annoucer calling off names of finishers. There's a slew of volunteers along the way and in the finisher's area. They provide great support along the course and in the fishing area as well.

I don't think I'll ever run another Goofy's Challenge but I'm so glad that I ran this one. I will never forget the experience and would recommend it.

Episode # 8 : Goofy's Race & A Half Challenge

2012-01-09T11:08:00.003-05:00

Intro and Outro Music - MasterMind's "Sunny Day"

Sunny Day (Mastermind XS) / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Final Week Before Goofy's 39.3 Challenge!

2012-01-02T17:17:00.000-05:00

The final weeks leading into this event have been somewhat of a challenge. With the holiday's and the overeating and consumption of alcohol, it's been difficult to be consistent with running. I've missed some of my scheduled medium distance runs and a good number of my other workouts haven't been the best. With that said, I have managed to work in a bit more speed work and am encouraged that I will do alright on race weekend.

Here are my workouts since my last posting:

12/20: 3 Easy Miles
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/135607633

12/22: 2 Miles Speed Work
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/135607633

12/23: 6 Miler
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/136058344

12/25: Merry Christmas 10 Miler (Long)
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/136366565

12/24: 2 Miles (Run cut short due to rain)
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/137831785

12/28: 5 Miles with Tempo
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/138427670

12/31: Year's Final 5K
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/137831789

1/2: 4 Easy Miles
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/138433431

I'll probably get in one or two more runs this week in preparation for the race this weekend. I think I'll skip any speed work as to try an avoid any injuries.

My plan for this weekend is to run a 2:1 run:walk ratio for both races. This ratio will put me in the high 11 minute per mile range which should produce a 2:30-half and a 5:00-ish full marathon. I'll be happy to get in around those times.

Training Update: Week 24

2011-12-22T09:11:00.001-05:00

It was a pretty good week in training. It started off with a four miler after having taken the weekend off from running. It was actually four days in total... we had gone up to Disney World for our annual holiday visit and I was just a bit to relaxed to get out for some runs.

Workout details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/134419797

The next run of the week was a nice 3 mile tempo run that really boosted my confidence. After running relatively slow for the better part of a month, it was nice to be able to pump out a sub 10 minute pace for three miles.

Workout details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/134418760

I capped my mid week running with a nice easy effort 3 miler with the wife. This was in an effort to save some energy for the weekend's long run.

Workout details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/134933454

Finally, a long slow 20 mile run in the sun. Well, started off in the wee hours so it was dark at first but most of it was in the sun. The teperature at the start was 68* and slowly climed to 77* at the end. My total run time was a minute or so over four hours. The first half went pretty well. After a mile to warm up, I was able to keep an average pace of 11:30 through the first 10 miles. My wife and neice joined me for the second half so we slowed down a bit during the last half. Also, I got pretty warm there towards the end and I really struggled in the last mile and a half. My heart rate had gone up quite a bit as well for a low zone 3 to well into zone 4. Even with taking more frequent walk breaks and slowing my pace, my heart rate kept creeping up. I guess it was a combination of the heat and my hydration and caused it. I was able to finish though and my overall pace (12:05) was the best so far of all my long runs.

Workout details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/134933476

Overall, a good week's training all-in-all.

3 Mile Tempo

2011-12-13T21:01:00.000-05:00

Speed Check! I wanted to see where I was speed wise so I made today's speed session a tempo run. I'm satisfied with the results... negative splits all the way. I still have loads of work to do to get to my goal pace of 8:30.

3 Mile Tempo by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

4 Miles

2011-12-13T20:59:00.000-05:00

A nice and easy four miler to get back into the rhythm of things. It felt nice after taking a four day break. Lily joined me on this run and it made go by a lot faster than usual.

Only 26 days to Goofy's challenge.

4 Mile by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Mid-Week 5 Miler

2011-12-07T08:53:00.001-05:00

Running over the past few days has been somewhat more pleasant weather wise. While it's not cold by any stretch of the imagination, it's cool enough for running.

This session was done using a 3:1 run walk ratio. Total time was 59:30.

Long Slow Run - 10+ Miles

2011-12-05T08:35:00.000-05:00

I've been running 20+ miles a week for 11 weeks in a row so far so I've been keeping my weekend long runs long enough to push me into the twenty plus range. This week was no exception. The good news about this run is that I had 3 running partners which included my wife, son and niece. It was a standard slow run averaging 12:38 per mile pace and using a 2:1 run:walk interval. The temperature was around 75 degrees and low humidity.

Long Slow Run - 10+ Miles by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

3 Miles with Speed Work

2011-12-04T12:17:00.000-05:00

I worked in some 2 minute acceleration gliders during this run in an effort to be more consistent with my speed work. My wife joined me on this run and it was quite nice and cool all the way through.

3 Miles with Speed work by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Mid week 5 Miler

2011-12-04T12:15:00.000-05:00

I'm still in recovery from this past weekend's marathon but I felt good enough to get out for a middle effort run. Felt great!

Mid week 5 Miler by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Episode # 5 : Space Coast Marathon

2011-11-30T19:42:00.001-05:00

Intro and Outro Music - MasterMind's "Sunny Day"

Sunny Day (Mastermind XS) / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Space Coast Marathon 2011

2011-11-29T11:58:00.002-05:00

It's always good to have a plan A and plan B and sometimes even a plan c. My plan A for Space Coast was to run a 4:40 marathon which would give me a new PR and feel really good. In order for this to happen, certain things would need to be in place. The first would have to be that I had trained properly. I’m glad to say that I was properly trained. The next item would be getting properly fueled and rested leading into the event and I’m relatively sure that I accomplished these as well. Finally, the weather conditions during the race would be very important. I was counting on a temperature in the high 50’s or at the worst in the low 60’s. Unfortunately, the temperature at the start of the race was a 73°. The humidity was low but being 15° + over the ideal range was not very promising. I headed out at my goal pace regardless and looking back at that now it’s evident it was a mistake. As I headed out on the course, the first few miles were relatively easy as there was a nice cool breeze blowing in from the inter-coastal. There was a point around mile 3 where it felt pretty hot. I was sweating pretty intensely for a moderate effort and so early on in the race. I really should have reconsidered my plan at that point but I continued onward at the same pace. Luckily, it started raining lightly which help to cool me off. The cooling effect helped carry me for another 7 miles before I really knew that it just wasn’t going to be my day for a new PR. Just after mile 11, I decided to go from taking walk breaks every 5 minutes to every 3 minutes. I was able to sustain this ratio for another 4 miles before dialing it back a 2:1 run: walk. As the race progressed, I had to slow down even further and the last few miles was more walking than running. I was able to cross the finish at 5:22:00. I probably burned up a majority of my energy in the first ten miles due the warmer conditions. I should have made pace adjustments for the heat right from the start and if I had done so, I probably could have salvaged a sub 5 hour finish.

The total experience was great… From the expo at the Kennedy Space Center to the pasta dinner at the Saturn Five Rocket dining area all the way through the entire race and the after party. The volunteers were awesome at all the water and aid stations. There was plenty of Gatorade, Gels, ice cold rags to cool us off and cheering. It was a very well organized race indeed.

Space Coast Marathon by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Got to meet Katherine Switzer!

Pasta dinner under the Saturn 5 Rocket.

Waiting to start.

Praying to finish...

The reward of a hard day's run.

Last run before the marathon: 3 Miles

2011-11-24T14:35:00.000-05:00

Nice easy run with my son on Thanksgiving day in the mid-afternoon. The temp was about 77 degrees and we had a nice cool breeze. I think I'm ready for the marathon on Sunday.

Last run before the marathon: 3 Miles by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Taper 3 Miler

2011-11-24T14:30:00.000-05:00

First of my twp mid-week short runs before the marathon. Just trying to take it easy and not hurt anything.

Taper 3 Miler by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Episode # 4 : Running at Disney, Prep for Space Coast & Favorite Podcasts

2011-11-22T21:22:00.004-05:00

Intro and Outro Music - MasterMind's "Sunny Day"

Sunny Day (Mastermind XS) / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

7 Miles on Disney's Boardwalk by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-11-22T06:39:00.000-05:00

This was a nice slow run with my wife and niece around the Disney resorts and parks. The temperature was around 70 and we had a nice cool breeze. This was my last longish run before the marathon next Sunday.

7 Miles on Disney's Boardwalk by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Mid Week 4 Miler

2011-11-22T06:23:00.001-05:00

I'm in the taper period before the Space Coast Marathon so I'm trying to take it easy. Of course, after so many weeks of purposeful running, it's difficult to dial it back.

Mid Week 4 Miler by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Average Marathoner Episode # 3 : My First Marathon

2011-11-17T18:50:00.000-05:00

Intro and Outro Music - MasterMind's "Sunny Day"

Sunny Day (Mastermind XS) / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Mid Week 5 Miles

2011-11-17T18:26:00.000-05:00

My son hasn't been training as much as he should so I decided that we should go out for he would consider a long run. This 5 miler was the longest he had ever run before and he struggle to complete it but completed the run none the less. It was slow but steady the whole way. My wife came along again so it was quite a pleasant family experience.

Mid Week 5 Miles by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Recovery: 4 Miles

2011-11-17T18:22:00.000-05:00

After a pretty hard effort on Sunday, I figured I'd start the week off with a nice slow recovery run. My wife joined me for this one and we had a wonderful run. It was a bit warmer than I would have liked but not a bad run.

Recovery: 4 Miles by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Average Marathoner Episode 2: Race Report And More...

2011-11-15T18:56:00.001-05:00

Intro and Outro Music - MasterMind's "Sunny Day"

Sunny Day (Mastermind XS) / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

13.1 Fort Lauderdale Half Marathon

2011-11-14T16:07:00.003-05:00

This was the second time I have run this specific event. My first try at the 13.1 Fort Lauderdale was in November of 2008. At the time, I was considerably slower and was looking to break my PR of 2:43. I was able to crush that by finishing with a time of 2:22:23 on that day. Since then, I have gained some speed and currently have a half marathon PR of 2:08:08 which was set back in February 2010.

My goal for this race was to finish near 2:15 since that the pace I'm shooting for in my upcoming marathon. I decided early on that I was only going to take walk breaks at every mile. I figured it would save me some time and I felt pretty confident I could pull it off since I'm up to 23 miles on my long runs. Also, I wanted to see how it felt and if I should use that interval during my marathon in two weeks. The main draw to having walk breaks further apart is that it makes the running portions less intense. Well, it worked pretty well in this race. I was able to finish in 2:12:26 (official chip time). But, I was pretty spent at the end and I don't see me using the same tactics during the marathon. The running in between the mile walk breaks was relatively easy for the first 8 miles or so but then became more labored. The last 2 miles I was forced to go to walk breaks every half mile. Regardless, I'm very pleased with my time and I will chalk this one up as a win. I still need to carefully consider my run/walk ratio for the Space Coast Marathon but at least I have a pretty good notion of what to do.

See my run details:

13.1 Fort Lauderdale Half Marathon by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Starting Line

Bridge over the inter coastal leading to the beach

Running along the beach

Northbound run on A1A

Sand sculpture on the beach during the finishers after-party

BLING!

The Average Marathoner's Podcast - Episode 1

2011-11-12T12:11:00.005-05:00

Intro and Outro Music - MasterMind's "Sunny Day"

Sunny Day (Mastermind XS) / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

4 Mile w/ a Magic Mile

2011-11-12T11:57:00.000-05:00

This run was an easy run for the most part except mile 2. I wanted to get a feeling for where I am speed wise so I threw in a Magic Mile. My time for that mile was 8:27 with an effort of about 8 or 10. I'm a bit disappointed but I really have not been doing speed work with any consistency. I have been doing regular tempo runs but nothing that would cause my speed to improve past its current level. Based on this Magic Mile result, I should be able to run this Sunday's half marathon in: 2:12:50. I do think that's possible and we'll see what happens on Sunday.

Mid Week 4 Miler

2011-11-10T12:09:00.001-05:00

I had told myself that from this point going forward, I'd run all my mid-week runs at or close to my race pace target of 10:19 min. per mile. This one was close with an average pace of 10:30. Not too bad considering I had eaten a somewhat heavy dinner less than an hour before and I was a bit tired already when I headed out.

With that said, I' a little concerned that I'm not quite at the place I need to be for my goal. I'm shooting for a 4:30 at the Space Coast Marathon in less than three weeks... but I'm estimating it will be somewhere in the 4:40+ range. I guess I'll take make another assessment this Sunday after the 13.1 Fort Lauderdale half.

Mid Week 4 Miler by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Long Run: 23 Miles

2011-11-07T19:37:00.000-05:00

This run went well... finished feeling strong, tired and a little achy but strong. Nice and cool all the way through; 60 at the start and just under 64 at the end. Next up is the 13.1 Fort Lauderdale Half next Sunday then a nice 2 week taper leading into the Space Coast Marathon. Now it's time an ice bath and beer therapy!

Run Details:

Long Run: 23 Miles by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

2.5 Easy Miles

2011-11-03T20:49:00.000-04:00

Well, not so easy after all... I ran this at race pace to test out my virtual partner on my Garmin. I set the virtual partner to run at a 10:20 minute per mile pace and checked periodically as to where I was compared to my partner. I beat him of course but it appears that my heart rate was a bit elevated so I'll need to keep an eye on it. Otherwise, a great run.

2.5 Easy Miles by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Long Mid Week Run

2011-11-03T20:42:00.000-04:00

With a marathon just under four weeks away, I wanted to get in a somewhat longer than usual run during the week. My wife joined me on this one and we had set out to do six but came in just shy of that but with a pretty decent pace.

Long Mid Week Run by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

3 Miles with the Family

2011-11-03T20:40:00.000-04:00

A pleasant 3 miler with my wife and son. Ran it using a 3:1 ratio and felt great. A nice cool breeze added to the enjoyment. Hopefully it's a sign of cooler runs to come.

I was surprised to see that my son took off at the end and beat us back by at least a few minutes. Considering he's been doing very little running, it's encouraging to see him take to running with such ease.

See my run details:

3 Miles with the Family by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Training Update: Week 17

2011-11-01T07:59:00.000-04:00

This week was marked by lots of rain and warm temps ranging from the high 70's to the low 90's. I completed 3 mid week runs totaling 10 miles and capped off the week with a 14 miler as my long run. I had originally had a 23 miler schedule for this week which would have been my last long run before the Space Coast Marathon. After considering it a bit, it became clear that it needed to be rescheduled to the following week. The main reason was that it is still 4 weeks before the marathon and that's just too long of a taper. Second, it looks like it will be cooler next weekend or at least that's what's fore-casted so it just made sense to delay it. So I headed to the gym Saturday morning to try and see if I could put out a tempo run of anywhere between 7 and 10 miles. I was feeling so great at the half way point that I considered making it a half marathon at race pace. Then my wife text-ed me at mile 8 that she was ready to go for a run so I cut it short having reached my original goal. By the time I got home, it was already in the mid 80's but we headed out and ran 6 miles.

Week's total Miles: 24

Tuesday: 4 Miles
Wednesday: 3 Miles
Thursday: 3 Miles
Saturday: 8 Miles Tempo / 6 Miles Slow

3 Miles - Easy

2011-10-26T21:52:00.002-04:00

An easy run close to race pace using a 5 min./ 40 sec. run/walk interval. I've come to the point in my training when I need to run the interval ratio I plan to use in my goal marathon. I don't want to have to worry about keeping that interval after having done all my long runs using shorter intervals.

View My Workout:

3 Miles - Easy by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

4 Mile w/ a Magic Mile

2011-10-26T21:48:00.001-04:00

It was time to test my speed once again. This time, like the first was done outside on an evening after work. After a one mile warm up, I dropped the hammer and ran as fast as I could for one mile. The result was am 8:24 minute mile. The was 28 seconds slower than my last which was done inside on a treadmill so I'm not completely surprised. It it 11 seconds faster than my first so there's some improvement when you compare apples to apples. With this new Magic Mile time, I should be able to complete a marathon in 4:46. With over eights weeks left in my training, I can probably improve it a bit.

View My Workout:

4 Mile w/ a Magic Mile by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

3 Miles with Micheal

2011-10-25T11:05:00.001-04:00

It was somewhat cool this Sunday afternoon and in preparation for his first Half Marathon, I wan with my son on an easy paced 3 miler. I'm hoping that these easy runs will encourage him to want to run more.

10 Miles: Yasso 800's and more...

2011-10-23T17:09:00.003-04:00

Today's speed work was supposed to be 10 X 1 mile repeats at race pace minus 30 seconds. In this case that would have been 9:49 minutes per mile. I decided instead to run the Yasso 800's x 10 at a 9:00 minute pace which is what I would need to do to be able to finish a marathon in 4:30.

Well, I was able to do it and even though it was a bit rough going in the first few repeats, I was able to finish strong. So much so that I was able to run 2 additional miles at race pace after completing the Yasso workout.

So, I'm on track and with another long run next weekend (23 miles), I should be set for the Space Coast Marathon next month.

3 Miler - Cooler weather has arrived

2011-10-20T21:17:00.001-04:00

It's nice to get out for a run and not have to do it in a steam bath. Lower 70's when I went out today and low humidity.

3 Miler by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

4 Miler

2011-10-20T21:14:00.000-04:00

My Garmin was dead so I just took my interval timer and ran my four mile route with my wife. Nice and easy 2:1 run:walk ratio. I was quite miffed when I headed out on this run because our dog Mustang had chewed up my favorite running water bottle. I felt much better by the time we got back. I can't help but wonder what he'll chew up next...

4 Miler by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Recovery: 3 Miles

2011-10-18T21:53:00.001-04:00

This was the first time in a while that I've run 3 miles without stopping. After following the Galloway method for so long now, I never felt the need to run straight through any of my runs. I guess I just needed to see if I could still do it... I can.

Recovery: 3 Miles by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Long Run: 20 Miles

2011-10-17T14:44:00.001-04:00

I was really hoping it would have been cooler for this one but sometime you just have to make due. It's was 78 degrees when I started at 5am but the humidity was down and there was a somewhat cool breeze. I started this run with a 1 min / 40 sec. run/walk ratio and kept that for the first 5 miles. This brought my pace in at approximately 13:15 per mile. For the next five miles, I cranked up the pace a little bit by going to a 2 min. / 45 sec. run/walk ratio which brought down my pace about a minute per mile. I felt pretty good at this point considering I had 10 miles under my belt. I decided to increase my pace by changing my run/walk ratio to 3 min. /45 sec. This gave me a pace just under 12 minutes per miles for the next 7 miles. By the time I hit 17 miles, I was tired but confident that I could push through the next three miles. At that point I backed off my pace a bit for a mile. At mile 18, I decided to see if I could surge a bit and was able to cut my pace by a minute per mile. I kept the surge going for a mile and then glided in for a slow finish. 20 miles in the bank!

I was able to finish this run by just taking Accel Gels (Vanilla) at every 5 miles. I think I will do this going forward since it seemed to work. My new shoes held up fine and my Injinji toe socks help in preventing blisters and irritated toe nails. Finally, to speed recovery, I took a 15 minute ice bath which I think helped a great deal. By the evening, I could hardly feel any soreness at all.

The target pace for this run based on Jeff Galloway's Magic Mile prediction method was 12:19 pace per mile, when adjusted for the current temperature, it was 13:39. My average pace for this run was 12:39, which put me a full minute under the pace I should have been running.

Long Run: 20 Miles by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

2 Miles - Breaking in new shoes part 2

2011-10-17T14:24:00.001-04:00

Just another couple of easy miles to break in the new shoes before Saturday's 20 mile long run. My son Michael ran with me on this one. It's nice to have company.

2 Miles - Breaking in new shoes part 2 by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Mid Week 4 Miler

2011-10-13T08:16:00.000-04:00

I experimented running 30/30 in this mid-week run and at first it seems to be a little too short of an interval. As soon as I get into running, it's time to walk... and vice versa. I guess I will have to do some more experimenting.

The new shoes are feeling even better today. We'll see how they feel after 20 miles!

Mid Week 4 Miler by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Break in New Minuzo Wave Inspire 7's

2011-10-13T08:12:00.000-04:00

This was a nice and easy run to break in my new running shoes. It was raining and cool but nothing unusual other than that. The shoes felt pretty good so far. The real test will come in this weekend's long run.

Break in New Minuzo Wave Inspire 7's by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

World Wide Festival of Races Half Marathon and the 20 miler that wasn't

2011-10-10T14:36:00.002-04:00

This was a rough weekend to have any scheduled runs let alone a twenty miler. There was a tropical storm moving through South Florida which pounded the area with constant rain almost the entire weekend. To makes matters worse, I had 2 runs scheduled: both World Wide Festivals Events: 5k and Half Marathon. The Half was part of my twenty mile long run. I did have some luck though…

On Saturday afternoon, there was a break in the rain just long enough to get my 5k in. I warmed up with a half mile jog and then went to a 3 min./40 sec. run/walk interval. I was surprised at the end to see that I ran the 5k with an average pace of 9:53 per mile. This was the first time I’ve gone under 10 minute/mile pace on a 3 minute run interval. I was very pleased by this. Also, my effort throughout the run was moderate so I had some fuel in the tank when I was done. My time for the 5k was 30:55.

As luck would have it, there was a break in the weather Sunday afternoon too. So, around 2pm, I headed out on my 20 mile run. From the beginning, I could tell that my legs were tired still from the previous day’s run. Also, my feet seem to hurt right from the get go. My right foot more than the left. The pain was dull but bearable so I wasn’t overly concerned early on. The course was a 10 mile out and back that started and ended at my home. As I set out, I used a 2 min./40 Sec. interval and jog at a leisurely pace. This was producing a 11:30 pace with what seemed to be a light effort (4 of 10). There was a cool breeze and it really didn’t seem too warm out considering it was 81 degrees outside. Based on the temperature, I was running about 3 minutes per mile faster than I should have been. After three miles at this pace, I backed down to a 1 min./40 sec. pace which slowed me to a 12:40 pace. I still felt very strong but I still needed to consider the upcoming 17 miles. Things continued well for the first out and back. When I arrived home at the end of the first 10 miles to refuel and refill my water bottle, I felt tired and my feet were notably sore. More so than any other 10 mile run I had done recently. Within a few minutes I was back out the door and on my way into another 10 miles. The first 2 miles felt ok but soon there after, I started to feel depleted and my dogs were barking loudly. My main concern was my feet. I knew that coming into this my Kayano 17’s were just about done with over 300 miles on them already. I had surmised that the previous day’s moderate effort run along with failing support in my shoes contributed to the sore feet. I made the decision right around 12.5 miles to just get in another mile or so and try again next week. I didn’t want to force an injury and with some flexibility in my running scheduled, I figured it was the wise thing to do. I attribute the fatigue to 2 factors, the heat and my fast start. Not a bad day overall though… I ran my World Wide Festival of Race Half Marathon with a time of: 2:44:33. This is a long way off of my Half Marathon PR (2:08:08) but I’ll take it.

I ordered my new running shoes first thing Monday morning.. I’m trying out the Minuzo Wave Inspire 7. We’ll see how those work out.

World Wide Festival of Races 5k!

2011-10-09T09:30:00.003-04:00

It was really nice to get out there today and run this 5k. Of course, WWFOR is a virtual event so I ran it on my own but I felt the spirit of the whole RunNet Community the whole way.

I was quite surprised to find that I ran in with an average pace of less than 10 minutes per mile. My intention was to put a medium effort into running this since i would be running a 20 miler on the next day. I ran using a 3 minute run, 40 second walk ratio. I'm quite pleased with the results! My total distance for the day was 4 miles since it included a 1/2 mile warm up and a 4 tenths of a mile cool down.

I'm looking forward to WWFOR 2012!

World Wide Festival of Races 5k! by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Mid Week - 4 Miles

2011-10-09T09:25:00.000-04:00

This 4 miler started off with 2 miles with my Son and Wife running 2:1 ratio. I ran the remaining 2 continuously without any issue.

Mid Week - 4 Miles by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

3 Miler - Form Work

2011-10-05T07:58:00.003-04:00

This was an easy run to recover from this weekend's tempo work. The temperature was notably lower than it has been all summer... a welcome relief.

I've also been actively working on my form. I'm following these basic principles:

Mid-foot strike
Foot strike under my center of gravity
Back straight with slight forward lean at the ankles (no slouching)
Eyes straight ahead - not staring at the ground
Move forward as if being pulled from my core, not pushed by my legs

The ultimate purpose of this is the minimize the energy exertion and become the most efficient runner I can be.

One last note, I ran this in the evening so it was dark already when i was finishing my run... I had two unexpected visitors on my way back, two medium sized raccoons ran across my path. Quite a pleasant surprise to see wildlife in the neighborhood.

3 Miler - Form Work by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

8 Miles @ Race Pace

2011-10-02T13:12:00.002-04:00

Today's workout, the 2nd of the weekend was supposed to be an 8x1 mile repeat session. I took it to the next level by making it a 8 mile continuous race pace effort run. I started off a bit too aggressive for the first 2.5 miles. I was running about 30 seconds under pace which I quickly realized I was not going to be able to maintain. I backed off a bit for the remainder of the run and was able to bring it in at a 10:09 average which is still 10 under my target pace. A good run overall.

Easy 4 Miler

2011-10-02T13:06:00.000-04:00

This was the first run of the weekend. Four miles with my Wife and Son and an easy pace using a 2:1 run:walk ratio. This was officially my son's longest run ever and he did very well.

Easy 4 Miler by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

3 Miler

2011-09-30T08:38:00.000-04:00

When I got home from work I had decided to scrap this run since I wasn't feeling well but after having something to eat and taking a quick nap, I felt much better. As usual, it's hot and humid but the run went well. Also, the twinge in my ankle is completely gone. It had only bothered on Tuesday a bit but it's nice that it hasn't come back.

3 Miler by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Easy 2 Miler

2011-09-29T12:35:00.000-04:00

Last nights 2 mile run was alright for the most part. Ran with my wife at a pretty slow pace. I had donated blood earlier that day and was tiered from not getting much sleep the night before. Overall, It seemed like we were running faster than our pace. It's always a bit disappointing to see that your perceived effort did not match the results.

Easy 2 Miler by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

4 Miles

2011-09-27T22:22:00.000-04:00

Just a easy 4 miler to start the week. Used a 4 minute run, 40 second walk interval today. It felt good but I was expecting to be further into 10 minute per mile range. It's still over 80º outside so that may account for the pace.

On another note, my right ankle had some pain during this run and I am suspecting that it may be because I need new shoes. The Keyano 17's I'm using only have 277 miles on them but they feel really worn. I'll have to be really careful and not push too much further in them. If I feel the same pain during the next run, new shoes it is. I don't want to get hurt over something I can easily prevent.

4 Miles by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Week 13: Training Update

2011-09-27T13:14:00.000-04:00

So far so good…. I’ve gotten through a 17 miler and my 2^nd Magic Mile. The Magic Mile results were very encouraging. I was able to take 39 seconds off of my base time. That puts me on track to get a 4:30 finish as long as I am able to complete the rest of my workout as planned.

What’s on the horizon? My next long run is a 20 miler. This will be my first time running that distance in over 2 years (since my last marathon). I have no real concerns about this run. I plan to do it at the long run pace set forth my by new Magic Mile result of 7:56; this makes the pace: 12:19. Still pretty slow so should be no problem. It’s still pretty hot and humid so that should be the only dampener. I’m feeling great about everything else. My speed work and race pace short runs have been going well.

6 Miles with a Magic Mile

2011-09-25T20:57:00.001-04:00

So today's run went well. I struggled a bit on the Magic Mile but did better than expected. My time was 7:56 which puts me right at the goal I am shooting for the season (4:30). This is pretty good considering that this was only the first of 4 Magic Miles I will run during my training. At the very least, it says that that I'm on target with my training. I have to avoid the temptation to push my self harder though... I don't want to end up injuring myself and blowing any chance I have of hitting my goal this season.

Easy 4 Miler

2011-09-25T11:40:00.000-04:00

Being that this was a non long run week, I wanted to get keep my mileage in the 20+ range by throwing in some additional short runs. My next workout is a six miler which includes a Magic Mile.

I also continued using 40 second walk breaks in this run and I am finding that that it is long enough to recover. The real test will come in my next long run which is a 20 miler. If I am able to complete that run with relative ease, I think I will adopt the 40 walk break permanently.

Easy 4 Miler by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Easy 4 Miler: Testing 40 Second Walk Breaks

2011-09-22T20:52:00.000-04:00

Today's run was just to get some miles in. Ran the first mile and a half with my son to help him get ready for his race in January. The rest I ran doing a 2 minute run with a 40 second walk break and I'm liking that ratio a lot. It's knocking 30+ seconds off my overall pace and I'm feeling just great at the end. I'll be experimenting with this ratio some more.

Easy 4 Miler by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

2 Miles : Running Form

2011-09-22T18:01:00.001-04:00

I decided to get out on a short run to work on my running form. I'm following the Chi form which focus more on inertial motion. So i dedicated a run to doing this and it went pretty well. I followed a 3 minute running and 40 second walk break interval while doing this run. It's still in the mid 80's with a heat index in the low 90's. I'm definitely building up my heat tolerance.

2 Miles : Running Form by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

2009 Circle of Life 5k: Pretty Inspirational

2011-09-21T18:46:00.000-04:00

This was the first event of Disney's Marathon Weekend in 2009. My wife Lily and son Michael participated in the race and had a blast! I can't wait to go back in 2012 to run the Half Marathon with both of them.

Mid Week 4 Miler

2011-09-20T20:38:00.000-04:00

This was a nice recovery run coming off of this weekend's 17 miler. It's still way to hot out to run comfortably but I need to keep at it. It feels great to be done with it.

I have had a bit of congestion in my chest. This usually happens after long runs... I guess since my immune system is weaker after big efforts like a 17 miler, it's to be expected.

Mid Week 4 Miler by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Long Run: 17 Miles

2011-09-19T21:32:00.001-04:00

I'm pleased with how my long run turned out today. I planned to go out slow and progressively up my pace every three miles. Then cool off on the last 2. I did exactly that and feel tired but good.

Long Runs Remaining: 20 ,23 , 26(Space Coast Marathon), 29

Long Run: 17 Miles by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Easy Paced 3 Miler

2011-09-17T12:42:00.001-04:00

This is the first weekend that I am attempting to do a a short run on Saturday followed by my regularly scheduled long run on Sunday. This will simulate the running I will be doing during the Race and a Half challenge. I felt fine after this run but I didn't expect not to. It's still pretty hot (94° heat index) so that made the run slower than I'd usually run. The real indicator will be how I feel during tomorrow's 17 mile run.

Easy Paced 3 Miler by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Mid Week Training Run: 3.5 Miles (Easy) Part 2 by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-09-15T21:40:00.000-04:00

This is my second mid week run. I'm supposed to be running 40 minutes twice a week and that's what I've been doing. Since that weekend's run was a speed workout, I kept the pace in check for this week's maintenance runs. This weekend has 2 runs in store: a 4 miler on Saturday and a 17 miler on Sunday. This will simulate the back o back events I will be facing in January's Goofy's Challenge.

So far, I'm right on track with my training and am looking forward to this weekend's workouts.

Mid Week Training Run: 3.5 Miles (Easy) Part 2 by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Mid Week Training Run: 3.5 Miles (Easy) by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-09-14T18:20:00.000-04:00

This run started off with my son's first training run for his first half marathon in January. We did 1:1's for a mile and a half and he did absolutely great. He's 14 and in great shape so I'm sure he has a lot more endurance than a 1:1 ratio but I wanted to start him off slow. The rest of the run I did solo at a 4:1 ratio and very close to race pace of 10:24. I'm looking forward to my 17 miler this weekend.

Mid Week Training Run: 3.5 Miles (Easy) by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Stats from my last marathon: 34th Marine Corps Marathon 10/25/09

2011-09-14T14:47:00.003-04:00

Chip Time: 4:49:13

Overall Pace: 11:01

Pace Break Down

Distance Time Overall Pace Segment Pace

5K 30:51 (9.55)

10K 1:01:46 (9.56)

15K 1:32:57 (9.58)

20K 2:03:51 (9.57)

Half 2:11:43 (10.02)

25K 2:36:04 (10.02) (10:22) Mile 15.53

30K 3:10:30 (10:13) (11:10) Mile 18.64

35K 3:47:24 (10:37) (11:52) Mile 21.74

40K 4:31:30 (10:55) (14:11) mile 24.85

Weight: 189

Age: 40

The stats clearly show that my run went to hell around mile 20 which is where I hit the wall. My longest run during this training cycle was 20 miles so I suspect that I'll need to train past this distance in order to improve.

6x1 Mile Repeats

2011-09-11T12:14:00.001-04:00

I started this speed workout with a 5 minute walk. Next I jogged .25 miles at a 12 minute pace. My plan was to run a 4:1 ratio for the repeats which worked out to a 9:05 pace with one walk break in each mile. I was able to complete my workout as planned and felt pretty good at the end. I was sore a bit but it was not debilitating.

This was a treadmill workout since it was way to hot (93) to do outside and expect to accomplish what I had planned. My overall mileage came out to 8 miles when you include the recovery jogs.

6x1 Mile Repeats by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

3 Mile Easy Run

2011-09-09T20:41:00.000-04:00

This was just an easy run to get my milage up. It's still pretty hot outside but there was a cool breeze today. I was surpirsed to find that I was able to run a 2:1 ratio and stillkeep an 11:30 pace.

3 Mile Easy Run by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

3 Mile Tempo Run

2011-09-08T05:58:00.001-04:00

This was a nice early morning run with some acceleration gliders. I was able to keep a pretty even pace all the way through. It feels pretty good to keep a sub 10 minute per mile pace up for 3 miles.

3 Mile Tempo by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Marathon Training Update: Week 10

2011-09-07T14:08:00.001-04:00

It’s been a pretty good training cycle so far. I’ve been able to get through the first ten weeks without any notable deviations from my running schedule and have felt pretty good on all my long runs. My last long run was 15 miles. The biggest difference I can note for this cycle over the many I have done in the past is that I’m following Jeff Galloway’s plan to the tee. In the past, I’ve always improvised… or what I like to call buffet training, a little from this one and a little from that. The biggest lesson I’ve learned from that doing this is that the results are not as predictable. The last thing you want after putting in many weeks of training is a mixed result.

The Galloway plan has given me the tools to make an honest assessment of my current abilities and a pathway for improvement. This is my first time trying the Galloway Method for the full marathon so I’m a bit anxious to see how it all works out. At this point I’m very encouraged because I’ve had positive long runs and this keeps me looking forward to the next run. This is the first time I’ve actually looked forward to my long runs. It had always been a bit of a chore in the past. The main reason was because I was running them close to or at race pace. I was always exhausted at the end and a bit discouraged. Discouraged in knowing that in just a couple of weeks, I’d have another exhausting and possible disappointing long run. Now that I’m running my long runs at a slow steady pace with walk breaks, they’re quite enjoyable and I can always go on a couple of more miles at the end. I confine my speed work for my mid-week and non-long weekend runs where they belong.

I’m a data geek so I spend probably too much time checking the stats. I started this training cycle with a Magic Mile baseline ability check. Following Galloway’s recommendations, I ran the mile at was able to do so with a time of 8:35. Based on this, my expected marathon completion time would be 4:52:21 (11:02 per mile). As long as I followed the training schedule and conditions are ideal on race day, I should be able to hit that goal on race day. This Magic Mile time also tells me what my training paces should be. The long runs would be at a 13:10 per mile pace and the mile repeats would be at a 10:40 per mile pace. So far, I have been able to comfortably run at these paces for my long runs and mile repeats so I’m on target. Of course, I’d like to improve that target and the plan allows for 4 more Magic Mile tests. I’m hoping to knock off 30 seconds or so from my first test which would get me to a 4:30 finish. I’ll let you know how that goes.

4 Miler - Mid Week Run

2011-09-06T22:29:00.000-04:00

I'm really hoping that all this running in the heat and humidity will pay off in the cooler race months. I can typically do a four miler in 38 - 40 minutes with a good effort. Today's run seemed to be at equal effort to those faster runs but as you can see... I did not achieve the same results. Either way, good to be out on the road after a long day at work.

4 Miler - Mid Week Run by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Long Run: 15 Miles

2011-09-03T08:48:00.000-04:00

Long Run: 15 Miles by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Started this run just before 5am and the temp was already 78! Went out on the first five at a 1:1 ration which was about a 13:15 pace. That is still faster than the recommended pace when you factor in the heat and humidity. On the next five, I stepped up to a 2:1 ratio (approx. 12 minute pace). I finished the run back at a 1:1 and was tired but could have gone more.

40 Minute Run

2011-09-01T21:56:00.000-04:00

40 Minute Run by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Luckily, it was a bit cooler this evening and my wife joined me on this run. We ran a 3:1 ratio and felt great all the way.

My next run is the 15 miler. I'm actually looking forward to running this weekend. The heat index will probably be somewhere in the 80 degree range. I'll take the first 5 miles at a 1:1 ratio, the next 5 at a 2:1 and finish back at 1:1.

What's in a Goal?

2011-09-01T10:30:00.002-04:00

I’ve always known about the importance of setting goals, short term, intermediate and long term. You take your big lofty goals and you chunk them up into smaller, more attainable portions. The funny thing is that I never really applied this to my running goals. I always pick a race and trained for it without too much concern about what I’d do after the race or how it was relevant to my greater goals. This is probably because running is just something I do for general fitness and in and of itself, is the long term goal and the simple act of getting out on the road for a run accomplishes my main goal. Now, I’m looking at things a bit differently.

Earlier this year I signed up for next year’s Disney Marathon (2012). My main objective was to better my PR which is current 4:49:13. This would also be my third full marathon. Subsequently, I was able to convince my Wife and Son to run the Disney Half Marathon which is held the day before the full. I was quite content to start my training for this earlier this summer and am currently in my 10 week of the Galloway Time Goal Schedule. But then a couple of weeks ago while on a run with my wife, it occurred to me that it would be really cool to run the half marathon with my family. It would be my Son’s first and my Wife’s second. Luckily, Disney has an event that let’s you run both races. It’s the called the “Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge”. The only thing was that it would put into question whether I would be able to hit my original goal of a PR for the full marathon. I quickly came to the realization that running with my family added more value and decided to set a new goal of running the Goofy and setting aside the PR attempt to another time.

The whole process started me thinking about perhaps setting some short, middle and long term goals for my running. So my short term goal to is complete the Goofy’s Challenge which I’m sure that will help me build a great base. It will also allow me to share a wonderful experience with my family. My intermediate goal is to set a new marathon PR. To be specific, my goal is 4:30. My short term goal is in complete harmony with this intermediate goal. My long term goals build on this. First, to have a 3-5% yearly improvement of my marathon PR. Of course, I will suspend this goal once I’ve met my next goal which is to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I know this will take some time and adherence to successfully completing my short term and intermediate goals.

Even If I miss the mark on some goals, I still reap the benefit of running. Luckily, it gets easier to qualify for Boston as you get older so I should qualify at some point in my life… I just need a goal to run until, well, the end.

40 Minute Run

2011-08-30T22:35:00.000-04:00

by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

After a weekend speed workout, this was a nice easy paced 40 + minute run with a 3:1 ration. It's still very humid and hot out. Heat index a 9:15pm when I started my run was 83 degrees.

Need for speed: 4x1 Mile Repeats by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-08-28T15:51:00.002-04:00

4x1 Mile Repeats by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

After last week's 13 miler at a slow pace (13 minute miles), I was curious to see how today repeats would feel and how I'd do with hitting my goal pace (9:54). Well, the run went very well. I used a 4:1 ratio to run this and basically ran all the way through. I did not take the 5 minute breaks between each mile since I felt strong the whole time. Of course, there is a caveat, this was done inside on a treadmill. The temperature outside was 88 degrees with a heat index of 97 degrees so a run outdoors was just not feasible. Regardless, I felt great and energized at the end.

Nutrition on long runs.

2011-08-28T10:26:00.001-04:00

In the past, I have relied on gels to provide a puck me up during my long runs. Specifically, GU's Roctaine and Hammer Gel. I had a pretty good experience using both, especially in half marathons. They each provided enough of a kick to get me back on track whenever I felt like I was fading. Here comes the BUT... In longer distances, they tend to make me a bit nauseous. I'm not sure if its been due to consuming too much or too little. In both cases, I took the recommended amounts.

My current experiment is with Sports Beans. I'm hoping they won't upset my stomach and still provide the added lift I need from time to time.

The Long Run: 13 Miler

2011-08-26T22:16:00.003-04:00

13 Miler by marcmendoza at Garmin Connect - Details

Considering that the tempreture at 6am was a whopping 81 degrees and the humidity was close to 80%, this was not a bad run. Ran the first 5 at a 1:1 ratio, the next 5 at a 2:1 and the final 3 back at 1:1. Finished with a total time of 2:49:54.

Goofy's Race & a Half Challenge

2011-08-26T22:02:00.002-04:00

I will be running he 2012 Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge which consists of a half marathon on one day then the next day, a full marathon. The is my first attempt and I'm preparing for it following the Galloway time goal schedule. I don't plan on a PR for either race... I'll be glad just to finish!