Eskimo Joe's Juke Joint Jog 5K is this Saturday afternoon. I wasn't sure if I was going to run it because I'm really trying to concentrate on longer runs and the weekend is the only time I can run for a couple of hours. But I found out this race has clydesdale classes, so now it's no question. I just stepped on the scales (full disclosure: it's night and a few pounds heavier than in the morning) and I'm at 217.8 pounds and 19% body fat. That puts me on the line between the 200-214 and 215-230 weight classes. I would have placed higher in the lighter class last year, so I don't know which way to go. Either way I could get some hardware depending on who shows up. I'm still undecided on the Tulsa Run 15K but I'm pretty sure I want to do the Route 66 Half Marathon. It will be my 7th race of the year, and I'm just getting tired of all the $25 tee shirts.

I had a big fall schedule planned but it's starting to slip. I found lots of interesting races, about one per week, and cut that down to one per month. I skipped both the 10K races in September that I was watching, because of plantar fasciitis followed by shin splints. Both those issues are okay now, but my ankle has started hurting right in the middle of my Tulsa Run 15K training. I have two weeks to get my distance up, if I can do a six or seven mile run this week and an eight mile run next week I can still enter the race. But if I don't do the Tulsa Run I'm not going to be ready for the Route 66 Half Marathon in November. The good news is that I'm on a new training plan based on Greg McMillan's running calculator and training info. I keep getting injured because I'm trying to speed up too fast. My heart & lungs are in better shape than my joints and I'm really tired of being slow. So the McMillan Running Calculator tells me my target pace for all my runs, which is slower than what I've been running. Now I'm going to take the rest of the year and just work on long slow miles and build strength in my tendons and ligaments. I'll still be on track for a spring marathon, hopefully with fewer injuries. Links: http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/training1.htm http://www.tulsarun.com/ October 31, 2009 http://www.route66marathon.com/ November 22, 2009

I ran the Land Run 5K in Perry OK a few weeks ago. The weather was cool with heavy rain on the way to the race, but no rain or just light mist during the race. I got there pretty close to the official opening time and registration was open and running while they were setting up the timing mats. I registered and got my cotton shirt, and let them keep the bag. The course started downtown in the town square and generally went in a north-west-south-east box. The first half was uphill so the second half was downhill. I started slow, around a 12-min mile pace, and slowly sped up. I ran the last kilometer or so very fast, around 8-min per mile, and averaged 10-min, finished in 31 minutes. That's a PR for me by two minutes. I was getting over a shin splint issue in my left leg. I had been wrapping it for several runs before that one, and it sorted itself out. I would have liked to run a more consistent pace for the entire race but I wasn't sure how the leg would do. Once I hit the long downhill it felt good so I opened up. After that long fast downhill my quads were sore for a good three days. They had plenty of water, gatorade, and bananas after the race. I wanted to get home so I bailed right after I caught my breath. The race was part of a town festival and the town square was full of vendor tables for an arts & crafts fair or something similar. Overall it was a good race, no complaints.