MattKeutzer

Ran a few hills today.  First miles was a warm up at 9:39 and 9:47 and then I tried to push it a bit and ran 8:08 which is good for me (still need to get down another 30 seconds... maybe 15 pounds will help).   Then I ran a cool down with a .25 mile hill, walked down the hill and ran it again at 10:36.   Ran the last .34 cool down with a 10:39 pace.

Had my 90 minute run today.  HH said to run the last 1/3 pretty hard... I decided to just run my first long run at a "semi- pretty hard level".  Time 1:29:56 and got my 9 miles in.   Splits were:

9:30 / 9:54 / 9:49 / 9:45 / 10:01 / 10:13 / 10:11 / 10:16 and 10:35.  

Got up really early.  Heal was hurting a bit but I ran thru it and it stopped about the 1/2 mile mark.  Beautiful morning to run and an even better sun-rise.  Stopped to take picture and didn't care about my time.... although it was slow.  Splits: 9:58 / 10:27 / and 10:05.

Got up early today (not a early as yesterday) to a warm 75 degree foggy morning.  Slow run.  Splits 9:36/ 8:51 and 9:33.

Speed work this morning in some wind and spitting rain.  Draft beer at ball-game was not necessarily helping.   Was supposed to run 7-400.   Decided to run 3 -400's and 2 - 800's.   Splits were: 1:41 (felt pretty good and eased up at the end), 1:44, 1:48 (this is about what I hope to run consistently for 13.1 miles).   Decided to go 1/2 mile or 800's to finish.  Splits were 4:01 and 4:10 (back to reality).   Feel pretty good now and need to find some time to stretch.   School starts next week and will have to be more efficient with my time/ schedule.   Maybe the routine will help?!

Apparently 6 to 8 beers and 5 hours of sleep allows me to run... ok.   The two quarts of water I forced myself to drink and getting my shoes, shirt, socks, watch, and shirt all piled up made it a lot easier to get out of the door.   Time 28:17 or 9:15 per mile.  Splits were: 9:10, 9:12 and 9:22. 

Another perfect morning for a run.  Cloudy and 70 degrees early when I left.  A bit warm when the sun burned thru the clouds. I didn't feel gassed and am not really sore afterwards.   My left heal continues to hurt when I get out of bed but by the time I started to run, it was fine.  My 90 minute run schedule and my goal was to cover more ground than last week (9 miles) so I feel pretty good about it.  Averaged 9:45/ mile.

Splits were:  8:59, 9:29, 9:32, 9:40, 9:48, 10:03, 10:06 (up hill), 9:43 (down hill), 10:15, and 10:29 for the last 3 minutes.   Hopefully I can continue to get further/ faster.  Goal for next week 9.75 miles.  Disappointing to think that on race day, I'm gonna need to be at about mile 12.  Gotta lot of work to do!!

 I did weigh 230 post run / breakfast. 

Early morning run after a good night of sleep.  I switched my Saturday (3 mile) and Sunday (90 minute long run) so golf was possible (although I didn't play anyway today).  27:14 time with 9:05 average.  Splits were: 9:13, 8:18 (mostly downhill to Gran't trail), and 9:34 back uphill.  The second half of the second split was flat but I felt like I just had to lean forward and gravity helped a lot.  I felt like I slowed down a lot the 3rd mile and was surprised I didn't see 10:35 on my watch.  I remember in past training when I was running sub 8's and mid 7's and when I slowed down I was was running mid 9's and thinking this isn't that hard to run at this "slower" pace.  I guess it is all relative.

After a morning workout of Insanity and a school day of meetings, I decided to run home.  The rain cooperated by stopping about 2:30 so it was just a little wet on the way home from school.  I felt pretty good but certainly did not push it.   28:31.94 with 9:31 per mile.   Splits were: 9:11, 9:28, and 9:54.  

I'm starting to feel like 3 miles is no big deal, unfortunately the time is still a little slow.  I pushed it to a degree today but my endurance isn't there yet.   I feel pretty good now.    25:46 or 8:36 / mile.  Splits were 8:25, 8:45, and 8:37.  The last mile I was really pushing it for about .10 mile and then slowed to a jog.

Had to switch thing up a bit and run today instead of yesterday.  Used the excuse of running (I didn't) to go and get flowers for the wife as our 10 year anniversary is today.  Surprised her with roses on her desk at school this morning as I got them yesterday (instead of running).  Anyway, ran home from school today and thought about all the pasta I was going to eat at Kemol's tonight for our Anniversary dinner.  Time was 27:21 with a 9:07/ mile.   Splits were 8:44, 9:09 and 9:30. It was a bit warm after school and it definitely slowed my pace.  

The plan was to go all out today for my 5K.  Decided to flip my training schedule as to allow me to play golf and enjoy a few cocktails with the family to celebrate a few sisters' birthdays and a cancer-free diagnosis for my father.  My wife and I worked out with some Insanity this morning doing 40 minutes of cardio.  We then went to the pool until about 3:00 and then I decided to go for a mid-day run.  Felt pretty good for the first mile, the second was 1/2 mile downhill jaunt then flattened out on the trail until I turned around and make the trek back uphill for the same 1/2 mile home.  Time was 24:53 with 8:02 / mile. Splits were:  7:26, 7:39, and 8:51.  I was happy with the splits but have a lot of work to do to maintain this kind of speed.  The second mile was helped out by a biker who I turned onto the trail right behind, he wasn't really pedaling hard and I ran with him for about .3 of a mile at a pretty fast clip.  

Well, it wasn't pretty but I got the miles in.  After a busy day of golf, playing with kids, putting in some ceramic tile in the bathroom, a full dinner.... I looked at my schedule this week and realized I need to run 6 of the next 7 days.   Next weekend I have a golf tournament and it is the 3 day weekend, so I figured I would get a jump on the week.  My stomach didn't feel great as I began and I was feeling the diet pepsi and the 2 Gatorades I slammed.  It was getting dark and I took the "recovery" run to a new standard.  I actually felt pretty good about the mile 2.25 mark and Mumford & Sons helped a bit.  Time was: 29:06 or 9:42 / mile.   Splits were: 9:48, 9:54, and 9:25.   I guess I'm happy I feel like I can get 3 done when I'm not feeling my best.

Ok, the 90 degree heat and humidity after school killed me.  Wow, I was feeling decent about my 5K and this certainly knocked me back to reality.  All I kept thinking was about the 100 miler Cam posted about so I kept running thinking "3 miles doesn't come close to 100, suck it up". I left my watch at home today so I will post time and splits tonight.   

Greg also pointed out that I'm a week ahead in my 12 week training routine for my half in October.  Now I'm perplexed in the thought of taking it easy for a week or just keep training as is and be have a week long taper.  I'm really supposed to do a 5K this weekend (did it last weekend) and a golf tournament looms to destroy any chance of a 90 minute run (according to my week advanced training routine).  Thoughts?    

 Also, after a morning workout of Insanity, my weight keeps increasing.   I usually drink a protein shake for breakfast, something moderately healthy for lunch (salad or grilled piece of chicken), and then dinner.  Becoming frustrated by this.

No speed work this week... excuses, excuses... I did Insanity this morning but not counting it. 

Well my 40 minute tempo run was planned to be somewhere in the distance of 5 miles.  The 95 degree heat and humidity quickly make a detour in that plan.   My left calf started tightening up about the last mile but the whole run after the first mile was pretty miserable.  Averaged 9:36 / mile and splits were 9:06, 9:16, 9:49, and 10:06.  The miserable attempt at the last .16 as 10:11 / mile.   I did kind of freely run my course as I didn't know how long I would go.  Ironically I stopped right in front of my house at 40 minutes (39:59.84).   Wonder if this had anything to do with mentally knowing I was "almost done"?  I think I'm gonna try to do my 90 minute run this weekend (3rd of 4) and then another next weekend.  Then do 2 weeks of 10K's since I'm a week ahead.

If running in 97 degree heat and humidity doesn't drop some weight, I don't know what is.   Rough training weekend.  Booze and golf really got in the way.  I guess my week advanced training put a "mental block" on me and I really slacked.  I guess I deserve the 97 degree heat.  Ran home after school today and it was slow.   29:05 or 9:42/ mile.  Splits were 9:34, 9:32, and 10:01.  Really struggled the last mile.  I also did Insanity later that night with Liz, I definitely feeling this and sleeping much better.

Another hot and sluggish day after school in the 95+ degree heat.  Thankfully it was kind of cloudy and 2 well-placed sprinklers in yards along the route which I timed perfectly to sprayed.  It was a little bit faster today.  28:51 or 9:38/ mile.   Splits were 9:32, 9:27, and 9:54 so I'm pretty happy with that.  Sweat bothered my vision and burned my eyes.  I kept thinking about running in the cold and wishing for the days of frozen eyelashes!!!

Rough day at the school, Liz didn't want me to run as the heat index was over 100.  I needed the release.  Dropped a few pounds while I slept and after the am workout.  Run was still pretty sluggish but I did get faster (perhaps the frustration of the day fueled my running!).   Anyway, 28:14 or 9:25 / mile.  Splits were 9:29, 9:11 (some downhill and flat), and 9:35.

After dinner and re-hydration, 231.

Insanity this morning and 3 miles in the 100 degree heat is starting to work on the scale.  My knee started to tweek a little about the half way mark but I took it slow and it worked itself out. Time was 30:01 or 10:01/ mile.  Splits were: 10:13, 9:26, and 10:25.  A little all over the board since my splits are usually a little more consistent. .

I met Howie early this morning on the trail and we set off about 5:15 am for our 90 minute run.   We talked pretty good and had a decent pace for the first 43 minutes (right at 5 mile mark).  My stomach was girgling this morning (3 beers and pizza probably didn't help last night) and I started getting uncomfortable about mile 6. I made a pit stop about mile 8 and he went ahead.  I said "I'll catch you" knowing I wouldn't.  About .7 of a mile left, Howie had turned around and we ran the last of it together.   I plannned and even said out loud, "let's turn around early cause I imagine the 2nd half will be slower", it turned out exactly that.  Wonder if I would have said 'Let's keep going cause the 2nd have will be way faster"? Time was 1:29: 45 or 9:04 / mile.  Splits were: 8:48, 8:45, 8:49, 8:59, 8:52, 9:06, 9:18, 9:28, 9:39, and 9:00 (thank goodness for Howie).