Goal: Boston

Tempo run: felt good despite heat

Total time: 34:35.60- Average pace 7:12.29

On call so unfortunately interrupted in the middle for 6 min to return a call.

Focusing more on stretching as well.  Targeting daily stretching at this point to try to stay injury free.

Total time: 47:16.54- average pace 7:56

First mile: 8:36- Recovery

Second mile: 8:27.5- recovery

Third mile: 7:32.63- MP

Next 1.6 miles- 11:35.5- average pace 7:14.4- MP

Next mile: 7:48.73

Shin splints were really bothering me today.  Forgot to wear the compression socks again.  I seem to have a lot more pain when I forget them.  Need to make a point of wearing them.

Kept up with stretching today.

Total time: 47:36.08- average time 8:49

Shin splints still a problem but felt a little better today with the compression socks on.  Need to make sure that I wear them with each run.

Total time: 1:12:56- average pace 8:11

Felt good today after the first several warm up miles.  Shin splints a lot better with the compression socks.  Really enjoyed the run despite the heat.

Total time: 48:31

Felt really tired on second half of run and shins and legs started to hurt like crazy.  I think that I may have ramped up the mileage a little too fast over the last six days.  May need to get new shoes as well.  Now for two days off in a row as we leave for the Smokey Mountains.

Meant to run today but ran out of time on vacation.   Counted the two miles of the hike with Charlie on my back and running the hill at our place x2.

Shins still bothering me. 

Total time 48:24- average time 8:29 down the main strip in Pigeon Forge.  No natural beauty but tons of stuff to see.

Shins felt a little better today. 

Total time: 37:37

Shins feel terrible today.  I am not sure what to do at this point.  I was hoping to be up to 30 miles a week by this point.  May need to hold steady at 25 miles a week for awhile and let my body catch up.  Started doing some strengthening exercises today for the shins which I am hoping will make a difference soon.

Felt good today-shin splint pain was less today after icing like crazy yesterday.  Goal was to break my previous 5.4 mile record- missed it by 24 seconds.  Will probably try again in a couple of weeks.

Warm up: 0.35 miles

Run 5.4 miles- average pace 7:05.6

Warm down: 0.35 miles

Shin splints bothering me again but seemed to be improving somewhat as the run progressed.  Easy recovery run today after the tempo run yesterday.  Legs were pretty tired today

0.35 mile warmup

5.95 mile recovery run- 53:28

Running in Cincinnati and found a nice course that can be extended with some trail runs.  Shins are feeling slowly better but I still need to ice like crazy all day.

Total time: 55:14- average pace 8:22

Total time: 1:07:06- average time 8:35

Shins felt surprisingly good today.  Tried to run on as much grass as possible and ran 1.2 on a trail.  Very nice run to start the week in Cincinnati.

Tired after yesterdays run and babysitting the kids most of the AM.  Still felt good to be out there.  Shins always seem to bother me the day after a long run and today was no exception.

Warm up: 0.35 miles

Marathon pace 5.4 miles- total 42:16- 7:49 pace- legs tired after traveling all day but felt better and better as the run progressed.  Shins hurts all day today but felt better on the run.  Now after the run, there is no pain.

Warm down: 0.35

Had wanted to do a tempo run but legs didn't have it in them today.  Tempo run likely will be on Friday.

0.35 mile warm up

6.3 mile run- easy recovery run.  57:13

0.35 mile warm down

New record run on treadmill:

0.5 mile warm up

5 mile- 33:42- 6:44.4 pace

0.5 mile warm down

I know that I need to work on upping the miles more than the speed but I needed a nice workout like this that felt like I was really moving.  Felt great through the first three miles.  Last two were a bit more painful but kept upping the pace through it.  Really enjoyed this run although I probably will not be doing many like it as I up my miles.

Really starting to feel like I am improving.  Today was a very good day.  I thought that I would be tired from the run yesterday and at the start, my muscles felt a little fatigued but not bad.  Each mile, though, I felt stronger and stronger and really enjoyed this early AM run.  Temp was great, morning sunshine.  Altogether, a really nice enjoyable run. 

Warm up: 0.35 miles

6.3 mile run- easy pace at 8:44

Cool down: 0.35 miles

Also, I went to the festival of miles yesterday and saw some great runners run the mile.  Two guys broke 4 min/mile and I saw Emily Sisson (high schooler) run a 4:48.  Probably the most amazing was a 7th grade girl run a 5:07.  She is going to be something special someday.  Very inspiring.

Finally, I almost feel scared to say this but the shins have been feeling much better.  I have been running more on grass, icing like crazy, doing my strengthening exercises and slowly building up my miles.  I think my body is starting to get more used to the pounding. 

Another early AM run- I am really starting to enjoy the early morning running experience.  I actually had a little trouble falling asleep last night because I was looking forward to the run.  Nice to get it in before most people are even getting up.

Felt really good and smooth during this run.  Shins only felt a little sore but definitely moving in the right direction.  I am feeling like I have started to turn a corner on my workouts and am now starting to get the benefits of the increased mileage.  I am really looking forward to the next several months and increasing my fitness.

Started today's run at the car dealership where I dropped off the car.  Running course was different than my typical runs but still very nice.

Total running time- 1:37:31 for 12 miles.  Just over 8 min/mile pace.  Picked it up nicely at the end.

Recovery run from the long run yesterday.  Ran in early AM again and felt very good.  Shins are feeling better than they ever have after a long run.

Warm up: 0.35 miles

5.4 miles in 46:51- 8:48 pace

Warm down: 0.35 miles

Another nice AM run with shins feeling good.   Exercises, compression socks, icing like crazy and running on grass as much as possible is making a difference.

Warm up: 0.35 miles

Run: 5.4 miles- 8:31 min/mile

Warm down: 0.35 miles

New record today on the 5.4 mile course and finally broke 7 min/mile average for the course!

Ran after work today in the heat (about 85 at the start of the run).  Also ran at the end of my biggest mileage week ever (at least since high school) and after a tempo run less than a week ago.  Despite all that, I felt great and broke 7 min/mile.  Couldn't be happier with the end of this running week.  Now to ice like crazy.

Warm up: 0.35 miles

Run 5.4 miles: total 37:47.25- average pace 6:59.8 (just barely)

Warm down: 0.35 miles

Easy pace at the lake.  As expected, legs were tired, especially on all the hills.  Still, nice to get out early in the mist and fog.   Shins were moderately sore but not surprising after the fast run on Friday.

Then spent a couple hours water skiing- so far a great day.

Felt very tired today and shins were definitely hurting throughout the run.  Probably an effect of decreased icing recently as well as all the recent Memorial weekend activities including a bunch of water skiing.  I am hoping I am ready for my long run tomorrow.