12/25/10 - PM Easy Run

6.4 Miles
45:00 Minutes

Great Christmas Day run. Took it easy in some cold, cold weather. I waited till later in the day to get it done, going at about noon, but it was still cold. Just like the day before, the wind was easier once I got the final stretch of the run. I ran with it at my back and finished feeling good.

12/24/10 - Easy AM Run - 10.1 Miles

10.1 Miles
1:09:10
37:00 (5.6 miles) out
32:10 (5.5 miles) back

Just a great feeling run. Awesome.

12/12/10 AM Easy Run - 7.25 Miles

7.25 Miles
51:53

I started out completely unsure about how I'd feel for this run. I started out and was not feeling great for the first mile or so, but by the time I hit the park, I was moving well and felt pretty darn good.

Minor feeling of small twinges in my hamstrings on both sides, but I feel like that might be the product of about 30 miles in 3 days...a 10-mile average that I haven't been anywhere near in a long time.

Ready for a big week of running.

12/11/10 - Kenyan Way Long Run - 16 Miles

16.1 Miles
1:50:12

I woke up 6-minutes after the start of the run, so I scurried out, got my daily band and hit the route, with the full intention of chasing down the 3-hour group. I skipped two water stops, while stopping at two others, and achieved said goal 9.5 miles into the run. But, I definitely paid the price in the last couple of miles of the run. Nonetheless, a successful run on multiple fronts. Most importantly, just being able to get out there and run pain-free for nearly 2 hours. The best part was not having any major after-effects to the run.

Big-time confidence booster.

12/10/10 - PM Easy Run - 7.35

7.35 Miles
52:10

Awesome run for one reason alone...this was my route. My route that I ran time after time during my 100 mile weeks. I stayed away from it until I felt like I could make the whole route. Good to run it, feel good and complete the route.

I won't say I'm discomfort free, but definitely pain-free. Looking forward to a good long run tomorrow. Still unsure of the mileage. I may just go with 12-13, but may stretch it to 16. We'll see.

12/9/10 - No Run

Just didn't happen.

12/8/10 Lunch time Easy Run - 5.7 Miles

5.7 Miles
40:14

I had gotten out to meet a few folks for a run around the bayou, but they ended up not showing, so I just cruised it on it and had a pretty good run from it all. All systems functioned well, and so far all systems a-go.

12/7/10 - PM Easy Run - 5 Miles

5 Miles
34:35

Easy loop of the bayou. Nothing too special, except that I enjoyed running a loop of the bayou again. It's where I did a lot of my early running when I first began to get semi-serious about running, and it's where I will always feel at-home running. Felt good, and no Achilles issues during or after. Progress is good to this point.

Tomorrow, lunch time run and appointment to see how all is looking. Looking forward to both.

12/6/10 - No Run

Wasn't planned that way, but I'm not quite ready for 7-days of running, so I was okay with not running today.

12/5/10 Easy Run - 6.2 Miles

6.2 Miles
46:08
23:33 out
22:35 back

At the end of a long, tiring weekend, I really didn't feel like running when I got home from dropping off my daughter at her mom's. It was close to 7, and I was just tired, but I got myself out the door for what initially was just going to be 30 slow minutes. But, as the run progressed, things felt better and smoother. I can tell I'm heavy, just by the sound of my feet hitting the ground, but I moved well and felt good. So, I took it all the way to the Tennis Center and back. Happy to negative split the run. Things are feeling better with each passing week.

12/4/10 Kenyan Way Long Run - 13.8 Miles

13.8 Miles
1:36

Awesome run, although I was reminded repeatedly of just how much fitness has been lost. I'm still out of shape and not able to run like I did before, and every time I forgot that and picked up the pace, my body reminded me shortly after that I could not maintain it. I did it the first time about 3 miles into the run and thought about turning back where the run would have been around 10-miles. At the point I could have turned back, I noticed that EVERYONE took off and went for the extra 4-miles, so doggoneit, I went with them. Actually, I started behind everyone as I was ready to run the other way, but decided last minute to head the same way they were. I fully expected to catch up to them before we made it all the way around Rice U, but boy was I wrong. As a matter of fact, I lost ground to them, only catching up at the water stop. Quite humbling.

I ran back with a new girl who is relatively new to Houston, and she helped push me through the final miles.

Overall, a great run that I feel really happy for having completed. Additionally, no lingering negative effects on the Achilles...I guess we'll know that for sure after my Monday appointment. But it was a good sign when I reffed and coached my daughters soccer game just a couple of hours later that I was able to run up and down the field without giving the Achilles a 2nd thought. Things are definitely looking up.

12/3/10 Easy Run - 6.2 Miles

6.2 Miles
45:05
23:01 out
22:04 back

I knew I needed to get a run in this afternoon, even though it was a day I get my daughter. I had my parents pick her up and got a few miles in, knowing I'll be running long again on Saturday.

Good run to the Tennis Center and back. After a few days of not running, I think I expected the Achilles to feel worse than it did...didn't feel great, but didn't feel bad. Happy with the run and how all felt and functioned.

12/2/10 - No Run

After not running the last two days, and not getting up this morning to run, I hoped to get home after spending the evening w/my daughter with some steam left in th engine to run, and it just didn't happen.

Looks like a 4-day running week this week. Still I will look to match last Saturday's mileage this Saturday.

12/1/10 - No Run

This was NOT planned...ARGH!!!