A good long-run

I ran for 2 1/2 hours on the Jordan River Parkway. My first mile was about 11:30, a pace close to my normal pace when I have a high energy level. I didn't know if I would be able to keep that pace for the rest of the run, so I slowed down and maintained a pace of about 12 minutes for the remainder the run. I did, though, speed up during the last half-mile when I realized I might set a new PB for the 13-mile training run. With about a quarter mile left, I realized I would come in at 2:35 not the 2:33 I needed for a new PB, and since I was past my 2 1/2 hour time, I stopped and walked to my car. There was a 5-10 mph headwind going out and a corresponding tail wind coming back.

A 2:35 is a good time, considering that I took 12 walking breaks of 30-60 seconds each and walked both ends of the big hill that contains the detour into the residential section; I also walked up the big hill that contains my turn-around point. I like the Jordan River Parkway, because it contains the two big hills and several small hills. When I ran in Massachusetts, I got so used to hills that I didn't even think about them being hills; they were just my normal routes.

It was a beautiful fall day. My wakeup HR was 51, and I felt fine -- not energetic but still fine. I was on the trail before sunrise and felt slightly cold. Once the sun came up, I felt fine and did my normal sweating. I drank 20 oz of Gatorade and 12 oz of water. The shade temperature was in the 50s (F) when I returned.

I've been sleeping well the past few days, and if I sleep well over the weekend, my wakeup HR should begin dropping on Monday or Tuesday.

1 = 2, right?

My wakeup HR was 48, and I felt pretty good. I left for my two-hour run, but after a mile I could tell I was tired and I slowed down. That didn't help, and after 2 miles I was still tired. I turned around after half an hour and aborted the run, giving me an hour run instead of the two hours I had planned. I could have forced myself to finish the two-hours, but that would have made me tired for my long run on Saturday. I think I was tired this morning because of not sleeping well Monday and Tuesday nights. I did sleep well last night.

When your body needs a rest, give it one

I ran my scheduled half an hour this morning. I took it easy because my body was tired. Just poked along about a minute a mile slower than my long run on Saturday. Starting with next week, I hope to extend this half an hour run to an hour run, adding about 10 minutes each week.

My wakeup HR was 49 this morning due to getting good sleep the past week. I didn't sleep as well last night, woke up thinking about things to do, and it took me an hour+ to get back to sleep. Because of this, my HR should go up a bit in the next couple of days.

Rest runs are great!

My wakeup HR was 49, and I felt pretty good. I ran for an hour and enjoyed the run. Since it was a rest run, I was in no hurry to finish, and I just enjoyed myself, the beautiful 50s (F) day, and a few ducks in the river. I picked up trash along the parkway and just enjoyed myself.

A great 2 1/2 hour long run

I ran my 13-mile route on the Jordan River Parkway this morning, and I finished in 2 hours 34 minutes, a new PB for a 13-mile training run. When I crossed the 12-mile mark, I was at the exact time (2:21) that I finished the GSL Half Marathon. I kept a pretty constant and relatively fast pace for 11 miles, and then I slowed down a bit for the last 2 miles. I didn't force that fast pace; I just let my body dictate how fast it wanted to go, and I focused on keeping a constant pace. I slowed down during the last 2 miles, because my left ankle started feeling a bit weak; no pain or soreness, just weak as if it couldn't support my body weight. I didn't want to risk an injury and slowed down by 1-2 minutes/mile. I've had that feeling before in my ankles. It doesn't seem to be a serious problem; just a sign from my body that my ankle has reached its limit.

My wakeup HR was 51, and the temperature was 44 (F) when I left home. A sunny, bright, cheerful day, a great day for running and for being outdoors. Except for missing my half hour Tuesday run, I'm back to my pre-GSL mileage.

The end of an Era -- No more Etonic shoes

Today was the end of an era for me. I've used Etonic running shoes for almost all of my running career, beginning in 1976 when I moved from Phoenix to Massachusetts. Back then Etonic was a strong name in running shoes. About 8 or 9 months ago I decided to try new shoes to take advantage of advancements in shoe design and newer materials. The Stabilizer Pro shoes I was using are an old design, at least 15-years old.

I tried LOCO shoes (http://www.locorunning.com/) and liked them and have been using them for the past few months. However, I did have one pair of Etonic Stabilizer Pro shoes left, and I wore them during the late spring and early summer.

About 100 miles before the GSL, I switched to a new pair of LOCO Perfecto shoes and wore them in the GSL. I used my old Etonic shoes as my everyday shoes. After the GSL, I went back to my old Perfecto shoes. I decided this morning that it was time to switch back to the new Perfecto shoes and to use the old ones for my everyday shoes. So, I took my old Etonic shoes to the trash bin with gratitude in my heart for about 30 years of good service by the Etonic company.

I read recently that Etonic is coming back into the running-shoe business, and I hope they do well. I like my LOCO shoes and will stick with them.