December 24-December 30

Wow, what a busy week! I must say it was a bit disappointing only running 2 times this week. However, it was Christmas week, so I can't complain too much. Like I have always said, a little rest never hurt anyone.

Here are this week's results:

Monday: REST
Tuesday: (Christmas Day) REST
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: 5.2 mi/38:16/L1-19:53/L2-18:23
Friday: REST
Saturday: 13.4 mi/1:47:54
Sunday: REST
Mileage: 18.6

I had planned to do a 10 mile run with a friend of mine on Sunday, but due to ALL of the raining in the ATL, it did not happen. Of course, I will not complain about the rain as we have desperately needed it!

Well, as the new year is upon us on Tuesday, I would like to wish everyone a safe and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

KEEP RUNNING!
LJ

December 17-December 23

Another week in the books for ol LJ! This week was a good week of training for me. I did happen to miss two days this week, but no biggie. I guess a little rest never hurt anyone.

Here are this week's results:

Monday: REST
Tuesday: 5.2 mi/39:09/L1-19:36/L2-19:33
Wednesday: 10 mi/1:26:48/L1-40:57/L2-45:50
Thursday: REST
Friday: REST
Saturday: 14 mi/2:08:01/L1-1:03/L2-1:05
Sunday: REST
Mileage=29.2

My miles definitely decreased this week due to me missing two days. I had planned on running different mileage on each run this week. I missed the 7.1 mile run on Thursday. Oh well, this week, I am sure to get in a few more miles as I am off work for the next two weeks. I have decided that my next marathon will be the ING Georgia Marathon in March. Until then, I will probably run a few 5/10k's and if I can find one, a half-marathon.

Hope everyone is ready for Christmas and Merry Christmas to all!

KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

December 10-December 16

Well, another great week of training with more productive runs. I did not do as I had originally planned due to being tired at the end of the week. I started the week on Tuesday doing a 10 mile run and was planning to do the same on Wednesday and Thursday, but it did not happen for me on Thursday. I decided to take a break and get in some more rest.

Here are this week's results:

Monday: REST
Tuesday: 10 mi/1:24:08/L1-38:26/L2-45:42
Wednesday: 10 mi/1:26:33/L1-38:50/L2-46:42
Thursday: REST
Friday: REST
Saturday: 16 mi/2:25:11/Ran with friend
Sunday: REST
Mileage=36

As you can see I missed a couple of my runs this week. No biggie. I needed the rest and Saturday's 16 miler was an easy run with some good sprints coming in. This week, I will probably mix up my training runs with different mileage each day.

Hope everyone has had a GREAT week and whew, the lower temperatures are finally here.

KEEP RUNNING and HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!!
LJ

December 3-December 9

This week has been a rather interesting week of running. Last week I ran 5.2 miles everyday and progressively got faster and faster each run. This week I missed my usual Monday run and ran 7.1 miles the rest of the week and to my surprise, I progressively got faster throughout the week. I guess I can say, I hope the same happens this week.

Here are this week's results:

Monday: Unable to Run
Tuesday: 7.1 mi/57:59/L1-28:51/L2-29:08
Wednesday: 7.1 mi/54:52/L1-27:46/L2-27:05
Thursday: 7.1 mi/54:40/L1-27:23/L2-27:17
Friday: REST
Saturday: 13 mi/1:52:45/Ran with a friend
Sunday: 6 mi/47:35/L1-23:56/L2-23:39
Mileage=40.3

I am definitely beginning to get back to normal on my runs and that is pretty darn exciting. I am rather surprised at how good I am feeling on these runs as well as my recovery. My recovery has been incredible! The soreness and pain that I am accustomed to at times has for some reason disappeared. I would like to believe it is due to the hard training! I am still in search of a race to participate in at the beginning of the year. Hope everyone is enjoying these unseasonable-like temperatures. I can not believe it was 75 degrees today(Sunday) and it is supposed to be in the 70's all week long. UNBELIEVABLE!!

KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

November 26-December 2

This week has been a very good week and surprisingly nice running weather! Each of my runs this week were extremely comfortable and they got progressively faster throughout the week. That is a good thing as my tapering came to an end on Sunday. It is time to get back to some longer miles. I have decided not to run in the Rocket City Marathon this upcoming Saturday. I don't feel quite up to it to be honest with you. I am pondering running the Country Music Marathon with my brother in April of 2008. I would really like to run another marathon in January if I can find one.

Here are this week's results:

Monday: REST
Tuesday: 5.2 mi/43:47/L1-21:24/L2-22:23
Wednesday: 5.2 mi/42:30/L1-21:01/L2-21:28
Thursday: 5.2 mi/30:50/L1-20:13/L2-19:36
Friday: REST
Saturday: 5 mi/52:09/Ran with Allen
Sunday: REST
Mileage=20.6

As you can see I ran 5 miles Tues.-Thurs. and my time progressively got faster. On Thursday, I felt really good and wish that I would have pushed myself a bit more. This week, I will miss Monday's run, but I plan to run much further on each my runs Tues-Thurs.

Hope everyone has a GREAT week of running!
KEEP RUNNING!
LJ

November 19-November 25

Once again, another week of REST! Not quite as much rest as the previous week, but I did manage to get some rest before the Atlanta Half-Marathon. That being said, the Atlanta Half was definitely not a PR. For starters, I was a little late getting to the starting line and to make matters worse, it started pouring at the beginning of the race. It rained a good bit (as we definitely needed it), but I got pretty soaked as well as the other 5 or 6 thousand runners. I read in the paper on Friday that about a thousand runners stayed home due to the weather. Wow!

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: REST
Tuesday: 6 mi/47:27*very nice tempo run
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: Atlanta Half-Marathon/1:46:35
Friday: REST
Saturday: REST
Sunday: REST
Mileage=19.1

As I continue to taper this week, I am hoping to get a bit more mileage in. I keep telling myself to just take it easy and do just what I am supposed to be doing, recovering! I am considering running The Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville on December 8. I am not 100% sure yet, but I will decide by Friday (11/30) of this week!

Hope everyone had a nice Turkey Day!
LJ

November 12-November 18

REST, REST and REST!! That's exactly what I did this week! It felt good to be able to sleep in every morning and not have to get up at 5 a.m. for an early run. I rested the entire week. On Saturday I ran a local 5k and was happy with my time. I will be taking it easy this week as well as I get ready for the Atlanta Half-Marathon.

Here are this week's results:

Monday: REST
Tuesday: REST
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: REST
Friday: REST
Saturday: 5k Race/20:43/L1-6:44/L2-6:20/L3-7:39
Sunday: 4 mi/32:21/L1-16:26/L2-15:54
Mileage=7.1

I am happy with my training this week. This week I am planning to run once or twice before the Atlanta Half on Thursday. I am not quite sure how I will tackle the half. Seeing that I ran a pretty hard 5k, I am considering taking it easy in the half. I have been noticing some increasing pain in my calfs and I am not sure as to why. I would like to believe it is coming from the marathon. The pain is not over-bearing or anything, but it is noticeable.

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving this week!

Grateful!
LJ

Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon...PR Baby...3:37:31

November 5-November 11

Well, my week started off pretty good with tapering. However, I felt the need to just rest the rest of the week and do a little 2 miler on Friday, the day before my marathon.

I am proud to say that I had another PR on Saturday! I am so excited. What a race on Saturday. I was so excited that I probably ran the first 15 miles too fast. Actually, I know that I ran the first 15 miles too fast. As a matter of fact, I ran the first 21 miles too fast. I figured that I felt so good, why not. This is what happens when you don't stick to your game plan I believe. Around the 22 mile mark, I started getting pretty tired and after running mostly 8:00 miles with a few under 8:00, I started running 9:00 miles and therefore, it started to hurt me. That being said, I am still happy to report that I had a PR! Maybe Arthur Lydiard was right when he said that runners should peak two times in a calendar year. Well, I guess I did.

Here are this week's results:

Sunday: REST
Monday: 6.6 mi/54:07/L1-26:52/L2-27:14
Tuesday: REST
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: REST
Friday: 2 mi/16:38/L1-8:28/L2-8:10/AVG. HR.=140/MAX. HR.=160
Saturday: Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon/PR=3:37:31

I must say, I am very happy with my time. I was a bit dissappointed in myself for not pacing better, but all-in-all,
it was a GREAT run. I did not feel as though I had prepared as well as my previous marathon, but it ends up, I did!
Hindsight is always 20/20 and there are several things that I could have done differently, but I am not going to beat
myself up. I am very happy with my PR and with my time.

Not sure what marathon is next, but I will be running a half-marathon(Atlanta Half) on Turkey day!

Hope everyone has had a GREAT week of running!
LJ

October 29-November 4

Good week of training. I must say, it was much better than the previous week. That being said, I tapered all week and my runs were extremely enjoyable. It was really nice just taking it easy. I can't seem to remember the last time that I was able to go out and just run for the sake of running. Great week for running and the temperatures have just been wonderul.

Here are this week's results:

Sunday: REST
Monday: 5.9 mi/50:56/AVG. HR.=143/MAX. HR.=175 Ran with Kelly
Tuesday: REST
Wednesday: 7.6 mi/1:04:14/L1-32:12/L2-32:01/AVG. HR.=146/
MAX. HR.=169
Thursday: 4.9 mi/42:04/AVG. HR.=140/MAX. HR.=155
Friday: REST
Saturday: 10 mi/1:24:39/L1-43:01/L2-41:38/AVG. HR.=149/
MAX. HR.=160
Mileage: 28.4

All in all, I was very happy with my training this week. I am looking forward to the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon on Saturday this week. Wish me luck as I am hoping to PR or better yet, just finish. I don't really feel as though I have trained as hard as I did for my previous marathon, but I hope that I can prove myself wrong come Saturday.

Hope everyone has a GREAT week of running and as always, KEEP RUNNING!
LJ
26.2

October 22- October 28

Tough week of training. Not really a tough week seeing that I only ran once. My knee hurt really bad on Wednesday and was swollen and I made a promise to my wife that I would not run till the swelling subsided. That being said, I felt like running on Thursday, but due to our move, I was unable to run. As a matter of fact, due to the move, I took the rest of the week off and just figured the extra rest would only be good for my knee. I had planned to get up and run my good buddy Allen on Sunday and did not set my alarm correctly; therefore, missing the run. All things being considered, a little rest never hurt anyone and man, did I need some rest.

Here this week's results:

Monday: REST
Tuesday: 5.8 mi/50:12/L1-25:34/L2-24:37/AVG. HR.=144/MAX. HR.=169
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: REST
Friday: REST
Saturday: REST
Sunday: REST

Wow, I can't remember the last time I missed so many runs. I am sure next week will be a much more productive week.

Here is this week's schedule:

Monday: 6 mi
Tuesday: REST
Wednesday: 7 mi
Thursday: 5 mi
Friday: REST
Saturday: 10 mi
Sunday: 4 mi

Have a GREAT week of running!
LJ

October 15- October 21

October 15- October 21

HelloHelloHello;

Good week as I get ready for TAPER TIME BABY!! I am so excited to be tapering. It seemed like this time would never come, but nevertheless, it is here! Yes.

I had to adjust my schedule this week by doing my long run on Sunday as opposed to Saturday due to a GREAT time that I had on Friday night. I had the wonderful privilege of going to see Rascal Flatts on Friday night at Phillips arena. What a GREAT concert! It was so good to reconnect with my former roommate and ol buddy, Jay! Thanks Jay for a great evening, you guys were awesome! Due to me going to this concert, I did not make it home till around 4ish and therefore, I was too tired to run.

Here are this week's results:

Monday: 7.1 mi/1:00:56/L1-30:43/L2-30:12/AVG. HR.=142/MAX. HR.=159
Tuesday: 10.5 mi/1:29:37/L1-45:23/L2-44:13/AVG. HR.=146/MAX. HR.=168
Wednesday: Unable to Run
Thursday: 10.6 mi/1:28:53/L1-44:32/L244:21/AVG. HR.=154/MAX. HR.=166
Friday: REST
Saturday: REST
Sunday: 20.7 mi/3:01:25/AVG. HR.=146/MAX. HR.=171
Mileage=48.9

Sunday's run was a good one. It was a hilly run, but a much needed run and I was very happy with my results. I felt pretty darn good the majority of the run. It felt like I had run a few more miles, but unfortunatley, not. After Sunday's run, I do feel pretty comfortable about my training and my next marathon. Honestly, I don't feel as if I am in quite as good a shape as I was for the Gasparilla Marathon, but I could be wrong.

It is TAPER time baby and I am excited! Here is my schedule for the next week:

Monday: REST
Tuesday: 6 mi
Wednesday: 8 mi
Thursday: 6 mi
Friday: REST
Saturday: 14 mi
Sunday: 4 mi

Hope everyone has a GREAT week of running!
KEEP RUNNING!
LJ

October 8- October 14

What a GREAT week of training! I originally was a little concerned after doing a 24 miler on Saturday. Man, I was pretty impressed come Monday morning and I was able to run. Granted, I was a little tired, but nevertheless, I was able to do a run and for the most part feel pretty comfortable. I did shorten the run and do 4.4 miles as opposed to the usual 7.1 miles. Then, I took off on Tuesday, just to give myself a little more rest. I then finished the rest of the week out with my normal runs and not only that, but finished the runs fairly faster than normal!

Here are this week's results:

Monday: 4.4 mi/38:07/L1-19:43/L2-18:23/AVG. HR.=142/MAX. HR.=159
Tuesday: REST
Wednesday: 7.1 mi/58:38/L1-29:05/L2-29:33/AVG. HR.=152/MAX. HR.=171
Thursday: 10.5 mi/1:26:44/L1-44:23/L2-42:21/AVG. HR.=147/MAX. HR.=166
Friday: REST
Saturday: 20 mi/3:00:13/L1-1:34:29/L2-1:25:29/AVG. HR.=145/MAX. HR.=168
Sunday: REST
Mileage=42

Once again, I am rather happy about this week's training. As I mentioned last week the fact that I was uncertain about whether or not I was going to be ready for my upcoming marathon, I can happily say today that those fears have been put to rest. My 20 miler on Saturday was a GREAT run! I could have easily run further and coming back, I really picked up the pace several times throughout the final 10 miles. The last mile was actually under 8 minutes. The majority of the miles that I ran going out were right under 9 minutes. I did run the first 8-9 miles with two others which allowed me to take my time and slow down. When I got to the turnaround point I picked up the pace significantly. I am looking forward to this week's training and this is my last week of training and then I will go into taper mode! I am looking forward to tapering, but I am also looking forward to the marathon!!

Hope everyone has had a GREAT week of running as well! Good luck this week and as usual, KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

October 1- October 7

Wow, what an awesome week! I did miss one run this week, but it was still a GREAT week of training. Last week, I mentioned that I was beginning to become a little worried about my training and how much time I had left to train. After this week, I must say, I am totally happy with my training and looking forward to the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon in November! What makes this week so GREAT? Well, to say the least, I ran a 24 miler on Saturday.

Here are this week's results:

Monday: 7.1 mi/59:46/L1-29:33/L2-30:13/AVG. HR.=142/MAX. HR.=157
Tuesday: 10.3 mi/1:27:13/L1-43:27/L2-43:46/AVG. HR.=146/MAX. HR.-161
Wednesday: Unable to Run
Thursday: 10.2 mi/1:31:10/AVG. HR.=144/MAX. HR.=166 Ran with Stager
Friday: REST
Saturday: 24 mi/3:52:13/AVG. HR.=139/MAX. HR.=148
Sunday: REST
Mileage=51.6

It is very refreshing running a 24 miler. I am not sure if that was a good idea or not, nevertheless, I was able to do it and to do it fairly easy. I will take it easy this upcoming week and hopefully on Saturday do a 3 hour run. I think if I can get one more good 3 hour run in, I can taper and feel pretty good about my next marathon.

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their running in this cool weather. Have a GREAT week and KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

September 24-September 30

Good week of running. Sad to say, but I missed my Monday run. This week I had to run when I could as my wife went into the hospital on Thursday morning. Everything went well for her during her surgery, she is now in recovery. Thursday was a BIG day for me as I turned 39! One more year closer to the BIG "40." So much was going on on Thursday that it was rather difficult to celebrate. This is why my wife and I celebrated last weekend. It is such a blessing to say that I have been running for the past 13 years! I have learned alot about running through those years and still learning.

Here are this week's results:

Monday: Unable to Run
Tuesday : 10.1 mi/1:29:02/L1-44:29/L2-44:32/AVG. HR.=146/MAX. HR.=170
Wednesday: 7.1 mi/1:01:44/L1-30:24/L2-31:20/AVG. HR.=138/MAX. HR.=166
Thursday: 10.1 mi/1:29:25/AVG. HR.=143/MAX. HR.=168 Ran with Stager
Friday: REST
Saturday: 4 mi/33:16/L1-16:37/L2-16:39/AVG. HR.=146/MAX. HR.=158
Sunday: 16.8 mi/2:23:50/AVG. HR.=145/MAX. HR.=165
MIleage=48.1 mi



(Sunday's Run Elevation Chart)



This week was a successful week for the most part. I was a bit disappointed that I did not get a 20 miler in. I was planning to run a 20 miler on Sunday, but as I got into my run, I just did not feel up for it. I would like to believe it was due to my sickness. The past few days I have been sick and not eating much. Due to this I think my body just would not allow me to do it. That being said, I did run my furtherest this weekend by doing nearly 17 miles. Before this week, the most I had run was 16 miles. I am planning to do a 24 miler this upcoming Saturday(10/6). Of course, this is a bit freightening, seeing that my longest run is only nearly 17 miles. Oh well, we'll see! As you can see, I have Sunday's elevation chart this week!

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying this cooler weather. I think our HOT days are behind us!
KEEP RUNNING!
LJ

September 17-September 23

This week has been an interesting week for me, yet another good week! I was able to get most of my runs in, but due to a BIG surprise from my wife, I was unable to get my 2.5 hour run in on Saturday. That being said, I was able to do a 1.5 hour run on Sunday. So, the week wasn't totally a loss due to me not running the 2.5 hour run.

On Friday, my wife informed me that I was not going to be able to run on Saturday morning due to plans that she had made for me. I must say, it bothered me at first and I told her no way. She told me that I could still run, but I needed to be home by 7:30. I thought OK, thats cool, I will just get up and run at 5 a.m. Seeing that we went out on Friday night and did not get home to late, I realized there was no way that I could get up and go for a run at 5 a.m. So, what was the surprise? Well, my birthday is coming up on Thursday of this week(27th) and lo and behold, my wife had planned a surprise for me. First, we both went to breakfast and then I had to get in the car and let Sabrina blind-fold me. I stayed blind-folded for what it seems at least 3 hours. We took a trip and by the time we had arrived at our destination, I was ready to get that blind-fold off. To my surprise, Sabrina and my brother and sister-in-law had planned a night at a lake house! Wow, what a nice lake house! My brother's 5 children were there and man, we had a blast! Thanks Sweetie for a GREAT weekend!

Here are this week's results:

Monday: 7.1 mi/59:58/L1-30:05/L2-29:52
Tuesday: 10.1 mi/L1-44:04/L2-43:16/AVG. HR.=147/MAX. HR..=166
Wednesday: 7.1 mi/59:27/L1-28:25/L2-30:40/AVG. HR.=152/MAX. HR.=164
Thursday: 10.7 mi/L1-44:17/L2-43:38/AVG. HR.=148/MAX. HR.=161
Friday: REST
Saturday: REST
Sunday: 10 mi/1:24:52/L1-41:45/L2-43:06/AVG. HR.=153/MAX. HR. 167
Mileage=45 mi

I was planning to do about 16 miles on Sunday, but man, it was hotter than I thought when I started, so I settled for a 10miler. I have definitely got to catch up with my training, but I am going to take my time catching up. The last thing I need is to get injured. A good week for the most part!

KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

September 10-September 16

Another week of training in the books for my next marathon. I am pleased to say that I had another good week of running. I am happy to say that inspite of missing my Thursday run. It was real nice to be able to run in cooler temperatures. I am excited about the fall weather getting here.

Here are this week's results:

Monday: 7.1 mi/59:55/L1-29:48/L2-30:06/AVG. HR.=145/MAX. HR.=168
Tuesday: 10.1 mi/1:29:26/L1-44:59/L2-44:26/AVG. HR.=142/MAX. HR.=166
Wednesday: 7.1 mi/59:39/L1-29:35/L2-30:04/AVG. HR.=141/MAX. HR.=167
Thursday: Rain...Unable to Run
Friday: REST
Saturday: 16 mi/2:25:36/AVG. HR.=142/MAX. HR.=162
Sunday: 4 mi/31:49/L1-15:48/L2-16:00/AVG. HR.=143/MAX. HR.=159
Mileage=44.3

I had a really nice run on Saturday. I ran for about an hour and a half with my friend Allen. I ran the last hour solo and man, what a nice run. The funny thing, I could have ran another 30 minutes or so with no problem. Unfortunately, I had to be somewhere and therefore, could not run in further. As you can see from the elevation profile, that I got some pretty nice hills in on Saturday as well.

My Saturday run went so well and I felt so good, I was not even sore all day on Saturday. That being said, I could not wait to get out for a run on Sunday. I had a nice comfortable run on Sunday and it was extremely hard holding myself back from running hard.

GREAT WEEK! I hope everyone is enjoying these cooler temperatures like myself.

KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

Elevation Chart from Saturday's 16 miler:



Elevation Chart from Monday and Wednesday's 7.1 miler

September 3-September9

LJ at US10k Classic(48:05)





Lamar and Sabrina at US10k Classic







2 GREAT weeks in a row! I am so happy to be able to get another productive week in! This week has definitely been amazing. I started the week running in the mornings and finished the week off running in the evenings. I started the week running in the US 10k Classic and was able to run a PR for that particular course which is EXTREMELY hilly! As you can see from the pictures of Sabrina and myself, we both enjoyed the race and were just so blessed to able to run in the same race again. I am so proud of my wife who has chosen for two years in a row to complete this hard and hilly course. Way to go sweetie!! You make me so proud!

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: 6.2 mi/US10k Classic/48:05/L1-8:18/L2-7:37/L3-7:32/L4-7:38/L5-7:57/L6-9:01
Tuesday: 10.1/1:27:17/L1-44:34/L2-42:42/AVG. HR.=144/MAX. HR.=165
Wednesday: 7.6 mi/1:01:22/L1-30:18/L2-31:04/AVG. HR.=151/MAX. HR.=166
Thursday: 10.7 mi/1:28:27/L1-44:33/L2-43:53/AVG. HR.=149/MAX. HR.=165
Friday: REST
Saturday: 12.8 mi/1:59:34/Ran with Allen
Sunday: 4 miles/31:59/L1-16:04/L2-15:54/AVG. HR.=147/MAX. HR.=163
Mileage= 51.4

This week gave me some confidence as I started to get a little worried about being ready for my next marathon. I felt pretty comfortable with each run this week and I wasn't that tired before each run. It would have been nice to get a few more miles in on Saturday, but nevertheless, I was happy. I can definitely say that I could have run further and for longer, but since I was running with someone and I had to be somewhere, I opted to call it a day! For thei first time in awhile, I was able to run on Sunday. This is the most miles that I have gotten in in quite awhile.

KEEP RUNNING!
LJ

August 27-September2

Wow, what a week! I started out running in the mornings and ended the week running in the evening. I ran on Wednesday in the evening and got caught in a rain storm. It was miserable to say the least and it actually wore me out. I started the run around 6:15ish thinking it would probably pass and I ran for about 30 minutes and turned around to come back and the bottom fell out. That is probably an understatement. I remember at one point in my run stopping at a bus stop to take cover to get a little bit of relief. That lasted for maybe a minute and I got back out to finish up the run. The rain definitely cooled me down, but at the same time, it weighed me down; therefore, making the run a lot harder. I still had a very nice negative split and was too tired to run on Thursday. I decided to do a 10 miler on Saturday. I originally wasn't planning to run that far due to my race on Monday. I had thought about changing up my routine and running my 1.5 route on Friday, but I was too tired.

Here are this week's results:

Monday: 7.1 mi/1:00:18/L1-30:15/L2-30:03/AVG. HR.=150/MAX. HR=171
Tuessday: 10.5 mi/1:30:55/L1=44:52/L2=46:03/AVG. HR.=150/MAX. HR=??
Wednesday: 7.1 mi/59:34/L1-29:46/L2-29:48/AVG. HR.=155/MAX. HR=172
Thursday: Unable to Run
Friday: REST
Saturday: 10 mi/1:25:09/L1-42:35/L2-42:34/AVG. HR.=152/MAX. HR.=167
Sunday: REST
Mileage=34.7

I decided to skip my Sunday run, mostly because of the US10k Classice race on Monday. I figured I could use the rest seeing that I will be running a very hilly course. I am planning to take it easy on this course due to the many hills. I plan to continue my marathon training on Tuesday, therefore, I don't want to go at it too hard.

Hope everyone has a nice Labor Day and KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

August 20-August 26

Yippee, I finally got two hour and a half runs in this week. Whew! I must say, on Thursday, I struggled big time coming in, but I made it! I can not wait for this HOT weather to be over. It is definitely getting the best of me! As you can see, I missed my Wednesday run this week as well as my Saturday run. I was planning on missing my Saturday run due to volunteering for Habitat for Humanity with my wife and her company. That was definitely an experience that I hope to have again some day. After working from 8-4 building a home, I had thought that I could get up and run on Sunday. To my surprise, I was worn out; nevertheless, my Sunday run never happened.

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: 7.1 mi/59:06/L1-29:30/L2-29:35/AVG. HR=147/MAX. HR=173
Tuesday: 10.5 mi/1:30:47/L1-45:01/L2-45:45/AVG. HR=150/MAX. HR=166
Wednesday: Unable to Run
Thursday: 10.5 mi/1:31:32/L1-44:40/L2-46:51/AVG. HR=154/MAX. HR=169
Friday: REST
Saturday: Habitat for Humanity(unable to run)
Sunday: REST
Mileage=28.1

For the most part, I had a very good week of running and I was pretty happy with my results. This week I will try to get a good bit of hills in on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. My Saturday run will probably not be as long as usual due to the race that I will be running on Monday (US 10k Classic). That being said, my training for August has been way off as far as my scheduled runs. I think mostly my Saturday runs have suffered as I should have been running for 2 hours and I did not run one time for 2 hours. For September, I am scheduled to run 2.5 hour runs on Saturdays. There are 5 Saturday's in September, so I will miss this Saturday's 2.5 hour run because of the race. The next 4 Saturday runs should be close to the 2.5 hour range. Wish me luck!

Until next week, KEEP RUNNING!
LJ

August 13-August 19

"LJ at the 2007 Peachtree Road Race"
(46:12)

Well, another HOT week of running in the HOT ATL!! I must say, I am proud of my running this week. I only missed one day, Yippe! That being said, my Saturday run was not quite as long as I had hoped for, since I ran with a friend, nevertheless, it was a good run in.

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: 7.1 mi/1:01:20/L1-30:20/L2-31:00/AVG. HR=152/MAX. HR=174
Tuesday: 6.6 mi/57:31/L1-29:48/L2-27:42/AVG. HR=143/MAX. HR=159
Wednesday: Unable to Run
Thursday: 7.1 mi/1:00:21/L1-29:55/L2-30:25/AVG. HR=149/MAX. HR=173
Friday: REST
Saturday: 8.1 mi/1:19:37/AVG. HR=142/MAX. HR=163 **Ran with Allen**
Sunday: REST
Mileage=28.9

This week was one of my better weeks in a long time. The runs were pretty comfortable all week and I feel like I took my time on most of the runs. I did try to pick it up a bit as I finished up with the runs coming in. Mostly, because I have not started doing any type of speed work. Also, since I have NOT been running for an hour and a half on Tuesday and Thursday's like I normally do, I feel that I need to push myself a little bit more. Since I am planning to run the US10K Classice in a couple of weeks, I am going to be doing a lot of hill training this week(Monday and Wednesday) and part of next week. I will probably miss my run on Saturday this week due to some volunteer work that I am scheduled to do for Habitat for Humanity with my lovely wife.

I hope everyone has had a GREAT week!! Is there any cool weather in the forecast? I hope so.

KEEP RUNNING,
LJ

August 6-August 12

Well, another HOT HOT HOT week of running! Due to the extreme heat this week, I decided to run every other day. As you will see, I did not get many days of running in, but nevertheless, a good week of running. It has been great getting up early and running at the coolest part of the day. Of course, I am not sure that I would call 80 degrees with extreme humidity very cool.

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: 7.1 mi/1:01:20/L1-30:05/L2-31:15
Tuesday: REST
Wednesday: 6.7 mi/57:55/L1-29:04/L2-28:50/AVG. HR=134/MAX. HR=169
Thursday: REST
Friday: REST
Saturday: 10.1 mi/1:27:33/L1-43:42/L2-43:51/AVG. HR=155/MAX. HR=168
Sunday: REST
Mileage=23.9

Most of my runs this week have not been that fast, but I am not too worried about running fast. I am for the most part concentrating on slowing down and having comfortable runs. I have decided to do some hill training on Mondays throughout this week as well as last week. On Labor Day, my wife and I are planning to run the US 10K Classic like we did last year. A great labor day run, if you are interested in running a very hilly course. That being said, I need to run more hills between now and Labor Day.

Wish me luck as I return to school on Monday with the students.

Have a GREAT week of running and try to stay cool!
LJ

July 30-August 5

Whew!!! This heat is getting the best of me. I must say, my week started off pretty good with a 7.1 mile run on Monday. My running went completely down hill after Monday. So much that I decided to take the rest of the week off. I got started early Tuesday morning with a good 20 minute run with my wife. It was nice just to be out running with Sabrina again. It seemed like it had been a long time since running with her. Nevertheless, after running with her, I took off on my own and the first 45 minutes was not terribly bad. The only thing that I noticed was the fact that I was running pretty slow. I figured well, it must be because of the heat. Once I made it to my turn-around point and headed back, I had nothing but trouble. At one point, I felt like I was going to pass out. I walked a good bit coming back, but I still kept running after a few minutes of walking. I struggled throughout the day just to stay awake as I was totally worn out. After lunch, I came home and slept for hours and even after hours of rest, I had a very very hard time getting up. To top the evening off, I went to bed around 8:30 which is pretty early for me.

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: 7.1 mi/1:00:49/L1-30:06/L2-30:43/AVG. HR=151/MAX. HR=167
Tuesday: 9.8 mi/1:45:04/L1-44:43/L2-1:00:21/AVG. HR=139/MAX. HR=162
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: REST
Friday: REST
Saturday: 11.3 mi/1:35:57/L1-47:27/L2-48:29/AVG. HR=152/MAX. HR=167
Sunday: REST
Mileage: 28.2

As you can see I was unable to run the majority of the week. I am sure that I could have gone for a run, but I decided to go to the doctor on Thursday to get checked out before getting back into my normal running routine. Thank goodness, I was cleared by the doctor to run again on Saturday. The doctor felt like due to the high humidity and not hydrating properly led to to my downfall. Lesson learned!

It felt GREAT to be back on the road Saturday! I had a GREAT run and a comfortable run. I even ran with Powerade to make sure that I was well hydrated. My plan was to do a 2 hour run, but my wife asked me to take it easy and so I took her advice. Come to find out, it was good that I did because I was pretty tired when I finished. That being said, I pretty much ran 8-8:30 minute miles which isn't too bad for a long run.

This week, I start back to work, so I am hoping to get up around 5ish every day for my morning runs.

Have a GREAT week and HYDRATE!!
LJ

July 23- July 29

This week has been another productive week for me. For the first time in a very very long time, I missed my Saturday run. Not only did I miss my long Saturday run, but I did not make it up on Sunday. In the past, if I miss my run on Saturday, I always make it up on Sunday. That being said, I did go for a run on Sunday, just not my 2 hour run.

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: 7.1 mi/58:55/L1-29:09/L2-29:45/AVG. HR=154/MAX. HR=166
Tuesday: 10.7 mi/1:29:45/L1-45:04/L2-44:41/AVG. HR=148/MAX. HR=166
Wednesday: 7 mi/1:04:24/L1-29:22/L2-35:01/AVG. HR=145/MAX. HR=160
Thursday: Unable to Run
Friday: REST
Saturday: Unable to Run
Sunday: 7.6 mi/1:02:55/L1-31:03/L2-31:52/AVG. HR=157/MAX. HR=171
Mileage=32.4

As you can see, I did a pretty good job pacing myself this week. Most of my times out and back were about the same. On Wednesday, I made a big mistake and ran in the heat of the day and struggled to finish and therefore, my back time was horrible. I am hoping to run every day this week very very early in the morning. Maybe this week will be much better.

As always, have a GREAT week of running and KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

July 16-July 22

Well, another week in the books! A pretty good week! I only missed one run this week. I am pretty proud of myself. That being said, I actually slowed down a great bit and relaxed and enjoyed my runs as well. I did a foolish thing this week. On Wednesday, I decided to run around 2ish when the temperatures were around the mid 80's and that was a big big mistake! I suffered greatly and I feel strongly that this caused me not to be able to run on Thursday. Therefore, missing my only run of the week.

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: 7 mi/59:53/L1-29:55/L2-29:58/AVG.HR=151/MAX.HR=173
Tuesday: 10.3 mi/1:30:11/L1-45:28/L2-44:43/AVG.HR=147/MAX.HR=164
Wednesday: 7.1 mi/1:09:53/L1-29:29/L2-40:23/AVG.HR=145/MAX.HR=171
Thursday: Unable to Run
Friday: REST
Saturday: 12.4 mi/2:00:47/AVG. HR=145/MAX.HR=169* *Ran with Allen*
Sunday: Unable to Run
MIleage=36.8

Well, as you can see, I had a much better week of running than last week. I only missed one day of running, really two. I normally leave Sunday's open as to how I feel. I hate that I missed my 1 hour 30 minute run on Thursday. Oh well, that's the way it goes sometimes. I definitely slowed down this week and I am so proud of that fact. This weeks' runs were much more comfortable and my heart rate deccreased signficantly. As you can see, most of my splits were good this week with the exception of Wednesday and that was mostly due to running in the heat of the day(that will not happen again). As you can see from my run on Saturday, I ran 12.4 miles in 2 hours whereas last week I ran for 2 hours and 7 minutes and ran 14.1 miles, nearly a 2 mile difference. Allen and I ran probably 11 miles together and I ran the last few miles solo.

This week will be a week of running bright and early(5:30 a.m.). It will be interesting to see how different my times and mileage will be due to the cool temperatures that come with running early.

Hope everyone has had a GREAT week of running!

KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

July 9-July 15

Wow, what a week! I never realized that I had gotten out of shape. Man, I am a little disappointed, but nevertheless, it is what it is! I guess me being out of shape is a bit of an exaggeration, but I do know this: I am not in as good a shape as I thought I was. As I said last week, I started my training for my next marathon this week. Sadly, I missed 3 days of training this week.

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: Unable to Run
Tuesday: 10.6 mi/1:29:37/out-44:58/back-44:39/AVG.HR=155/MAX.HR=171
Wednesday: 7.5 mi/1:04:03/out-30:02/back-34:11/AVG.HR=156/MAX.HR=177
Thursday: Unable to Run
Friday: REST
Saturday: 14.1 mi/2:07:41/out-59:53/back-1:07:48/AVG.HR=152/MAX.HR=167
Sunday: Unable to Run
Mileage: 32.2

One thing I noticed this week is that I am starting to get into some of my old habits. I noticed that I am running way too fast and my runs have not been very comfortable. Because of this, you can see a noticeable difference in my out and in times on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. I am definitely running much farther in the time period of running compared to my previous marathon training. This is mostly because I am running too fast. I will definitely work on that this weekl Also, I am planning to start some type of speed training once, maybe twice a week.

KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

July 2-July 8

I hope everyone had a HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!! I really enjoyed my 4th. Of course, I ran the Peachtree Road Race and had a fairly good race. My time was 46:12, which was about a minute faster than last year. I was hoping for a 45 minute race, but nevertheless, I am happy. I only ran once before the Peachtree race and then I ran Saturday. Thats all the running that I did this week.

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: 6.7 mi/52:22/L1-26:57/L2-25:25/AVG.HR=159/MAX.HR=178
Tuesday: REST
Wednesday: Peachtree Road Race/46:12/L1-7:33/L2-7:11/L3-7:17/L4-7:23/L5-7:40/L6-9:09
Thursday: REST
Friday: REST
Saturday: 11 mi/1:45:41/AVG.HR=144/MAX.HR=161**Ran with Allen
Sunday: REST

My wife and I will be celebrating our 2-year wedding anniversary this weekend, so I will be leaving town on Saturday evening and returning on Monday. That being said, I will NOT be running on Sunday and probably not Monday. Also, I am happy to start my training for my next marathon on Tuesday. I will post my new training schedule later. Because of my PR at my last marathon, I will be using the Arthur Lydiard program again.

That's all for this week, KEEP RUNNING!
LJ

2007 Bosnia Mission Trip

On June 2, I went on a short-term mission trip with North Point Community Church to Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was definitely an eye-opening experience and a blessing to be able to make a difference. The trip was from June 2-June 11. While we did not have as many English classes as we had hoped for, we still were able to do a whole lot around the church to help them in many other ways. I hope you enjoy the photos and thanks again for all of your prayers and financial support!
Lamar

To view photos, just click on the hyperlinks:

MoStarVisit/WaterFall/Capljina

HelpingOut/EnglishClass/15thCenturyTurkishSettlement

London-Croatia-DubrovnikLayover/SundayService

June 25-July 1

This week has been a very good week of training. I was able to get 4 good runs in out of my usual 5 days of running. As I mentioned earlier that I had gotten into the NYC Marathon, I have decided to defer till 2008. That being said, I am going to run in the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon in November instead. I am getting ready to ramp up my training, so look for my new schedule in the next couple of weeks.

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: Unable to Run
Tuesday: 7.6 mi/1:01:24/L1-30:08/L2-31:16/AVG.HR=155/MAX.HR=177
Wednesday: 5.3 mi/43:02/L1-26:11/L2-16:51/AVG.HR=151/MAX.HR=173
Thursday: 7.5 mi/1:02:45/L1-29:59/L2-32:46/AVG.HR=155/MAX.HR=174
Friday: REST
Saturday: 7.5 mi/1:13:10/AVG.HR=140/MAX.HR=165 **Ran with Allen**
Sunday: REST
Mileage: 27.9

As I prepare to run the Peachtree Road Race this week, I will probably only run on Monday and REST on Tuesday and try to enjoy my 10k run. It is fairly difficult to PR at this race as 55,000 people try to all get together and run the 6.2 mile course. That being said, my goal will be to take it easy the first two miles and hopefully, kick it the last 4 miles as hopefully the congestion thins out. Hope everyone is enjoying the summer and getting acclimated to running in the HEAT, ugh!

KEEP RUNNING and have a GREAT week!
LJ

June 18- June 24

It has felt GREAT to be running again. This week was my first week back to normal running. I decided after Monday's run to pretty much run every other day as I acclimated myself back into a normal running routine. I have been extremely busy this week between running every other day and playing golf the first 3 days of the week. I never realized how 18 holes of golf was so draining. On Monday and Wednesday I played golf and ran 8 miles the in the morning before playing golf. Both times, I came home and was in bed by 9 pm. That being said, my Wednesday run was a bit tiring and I felt extremely fatigued on the second half of the 8 mile run. Whew!!

This week I got a new Polar Heart Rate watch so I started keeping my pulse as I run to see if I am working hard enough. As you can see in the results section that I now have the Average Heart Rate (AVG HR) and the Maximum Heart Rate (MAX HR) listed.

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: 7.8 mi/1:00:31/L1-30:02/L2-30:29/AVG. HR=161/MAX. HR=173
Tuesday: REST
Wednesday: 8 mi/1:03:40/L1-30:57/L2-32:42/AVG. HR=156/MAX. HR=174
Thursday: REST
Friday: REST
Saturday: 11 mi/1:40:42/L1-47:36/L2-53:06/AVG. HR=141/MAX. HR=163
Sunday: REST
Mileage=26.8

Saturday's run went really well for the most part. I ran with my friend Allen again, so it was a very comfortable run. We ran the Peachree route again to continue to get ready for the Peachtree Road Race. Something very interesting happened on the way back. Every once in a GREAT while, I have this feeling come over me and it is for the most part an onset of a migraine. My eyes get fairly blurry and I start seeing patches. This happened for the last 2 miles probably and I kept thinking that maybe it was sweat in my eyes, but it was not. I continued my run and actually finished ok. Afterwards, of course, I had a major headache. I took a couple of advil after the run and here it is some 7 hours later, and my head is still throbbing. Oh well, I guess things happen, I am just glad that it doesn't happen more frequently.

Due to the migraine that occurred on Saturday, I decided not to run on Sunday because I was still feeling some effects of the migraine. Whew! As I update my blog, I can finally say that I feel 10 times better now. This week, I will continue to probably run every other day. There is a slight chance that that may change.

Until next week, KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

June 11-June 17

This week has been a week of adjustment(s). Since coming back to America, I have struggled to get back to the Eastern Time Zone. Whew! I am very sleepy around 8ish and I am ready to get up around 3 am. That being said, I just stay in bed and toss and turn for the next few hours and finally get up around 8ish in the morning.

I have gotten two runs in this week since being back from Bosnia.

Here are the results from this week:

Monday: Returned from Bosnia
Tuesday: REST
Wednesday: 7.2 mi/59:45/L1-30:00/L2-29:45
Thursday: REST
Friday: REST
Saturday: 11 mi/1:41:52 w/Allen
Sunday: Unable to Run

Well, I did get some good news this week! I got accepted into the New York City Marathon! I am pretty excited about the opportunity. That being said, it looks like I may defer till 2008. My brother and I(BJ) had applied for the marathon, unfortunately, he did not get in and I did. So, I am seriously considering waiting till next year to run it in hopes that my brother will get in next year.

KEEP RUNNING!
LJ

June 2-June 11

I took a trip to Bosnia during this time and I was unable to run for this period of time. I wish that I could have gone for a run, but it was just not a smart thing for me to do while in Bosnia. That being said, I have tons of photos that I plan to post on the blog in the next few days. Look for photos from the "2007 Bosnia Mission Trip." Of course a little rest never hurt anyone. I plan to start back up on Wednesday with my running.

Chow for now!
LJ

May 28- June 1

Well, as you can see I missed posting to by blog one week. Things were so hectic as I was getting ready for my trip to Bosnia that I just did not get the time to post. Sorry about that.

That being said, here are the results for that particular week:

Monday: 8 mi/1:02:31/L1-30:27/L2-32:03
Tuesday: 7.3 mi/57:15/L1-29:35/L2-27:40
Wednesday: Unable to Run
Thursday: Unable to Run
Friday: REST
Saturday: Unable to Run
Mileage: 15.3

As you can see, I did not get many miles in at all. I think that I had mentioned earlier that I may run 100 miles. Of course, that was a joke and I did not get anywhere near 100 miles. The whole week was pretty chaotic and it was a lot of work getting ready for my first trip out of the country.

KEEP RUNNING!
LJ

May 21-May 27

A very good restful week! This week has been just that. I have totally decided to just run when I can and run as long as I feel the need to run. That being said, I have had a good week of running and doing other athletic things to give my body a well-deserved rest.

This will be my last week of running till June 11th or so. I am headed to Bosnia on Saturday, June 2 till around the 11th of June. I will be going with 6 other people from my church to teach conversational English. I am so looking forward to it. This will be my first trip out of the United States. Not really, I went to Jamaica for my honeymoon and that was about it.

Seeing that I will not be able to run while in Bosnia, I am probably going to run as much as possible this week! Don't be surprised if I get in 100 miles! Not really!

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: 5.7 mi/45:29/L1-23:09/L2-22:20
Tuesday: TENNIS
Wednesday: 8 mi/1:02:37/L1-30:41/L2-31:56
Thursday: Unable to Run
Friday: SPIN
Saturday: 11 mi/1:44:29 w/Allen
Sunday: Unable to Run
Mileage: 24.7

As you can see, I missed several days of running. However, I did get to do other things (i.e. SPIN/Tennis) which was totally fine. In the past, when something like this happens, I allow it to bother me, but not anymore. I am running when I can and if I can't then, so be it!

Hopefully, this week, I will find out if I am going to get into the New York Marathon. Once I find out, you can expect me to become very serious about my training.

I hope everyone is enjoying Memorial Day and having a good time!

Have a GREAT week and as always,
KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

May 14-May 20

This has been a much better week for me compared to last week. I am finally in a bit of a routine for the most part. I have been taking a SPIN class every Friday for the past 3 weeks, so that has been a GREAT change for me. Not to mention, that the SPIN class gives me a well needed break on the pounding of my body.

I miissed a couple of runs this week and got out of sorts on a couple of days, but nevertheless, a very good week!

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: Unable to Run
Tuesday: 4.8 mi/38:10/L1-20:08/L2-18:01
Wednesday: 10.8 mi/1:26:55/L1-44:29/L2-41:55
Thursday: 6.1 mi/47:42
Friday: SPIN
Saturday: 9 mi/1:27:36/with Allen
Sunday: Unable to Run
Mileage: 30.7

Saturday was a good restful run with my friend Allen. It was nice just catching up with him seeing that we haven't run together in about 2 weeks. When we run together, the time just seems to fly by and we really just do a lot of catching up! Allen and I were just discussing on our run, how long we have been knowing one another. The cool thing is, we met through TEAM in TRAINING! I was actually his mentor and helped him complete his very first marathon (Big Sur). We did just about ALL of our training runs together and once the race was over, we decided to continue running with one another. And as you know how they say it, the rest is history. We have been running together ever since. It is just nice to have someone to talk with while running, especially for long periods of time as we do. Thanks Allen for being a good friend!

Well, as you can see, I have not been sticking exactly to my originally planned schedule. I got to thinking, why am I doing all of this running? I am not even training for anything. I guess, I just wanted to stay in tip-top shape and not lose the speed that I had gained. Well, I have now decided to run the original schedule when I can and if I am unable to, no biggie. I will just continue to run it as much as I can and this way in the fall when I start training for the New York Marathon (if I get in that is), I can pick up with my normal routine and it not be so hard to get into.

Oh well, until next week, I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL week of running and try to do something different this week with your running. Don't run the same ol route that you normally run or the same ol allotted time that you normally run, go out and take a SPIN class or just plain go for a run and not even time it or use your running watch. Just do it to enjoy it!

I am preaching to the choir, if you know what I mean!

KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

May 7-May 13

Another week of good running! Of course, I missed a couple of runs again. That being said, it was not too bad!

Here are the results for this week:

Monday: Unable to Run
Tuesday: 11.3 mi/L1-44:53/L2-43:47
Wednesday: Unable to Run
Thursday: 11 mi/L1-45:22/L2-47:50
Friday: SPIN
Saturday: 7 mi/1:02:45
Sunday: Unable to Run
Mileage: 29.3

I really had a good week of running! To top it off, I was able to run with my brother(BJ) on Saturday for a good hour. It was so awesome to be able to run with him. My wife and I went to Alabama for Friday and Saturday. Normally, BJ and I always go and play some golf, but this weekend we decided to go for a run instead. It was so awesome. Although, we did not say much while running, seeing that we both had our iPods on, it was still a GREAT run! It was good just to be able to run with him. I must say, I was very impressed with the shape that he is in. I, for the most part, ran behind him and not ahead of him(way to go BJ). It was truly a TREAT for me.

All in all it was not a bad week, inspite of me missing my usual Monday and Wednesday run. As I get closer to the end of May, I am hoping to run a good bit more as I will not be able to run much the first 10 days or so of June. I am headed to Bosnia in June to teach conversational English with 7 other people. I am pretty excited and nervous at the same time, as this willl be my first trip out of the country. Wish me luck!

Till next week, KEEP RUNNING!
LJ

April 30-May 6

Well, this week has been a fair week for me as far as my running goes. I did not get in nearly as much running as I had hoped to get in. I guess it has been a rather busy week. My wife and I celebrated her birthday on Wednesday and I was unable to get a run in that day. I guess I could have, but I opted to play golf instead. Normally, I can do both, but time just did not allow it this time. That being said, I was unable to get a 1.5 hour run in at all this week, mostly because of laziness. Of course, on Tuesday, I was on my way, but I felt that it was a little too hot to risk it. The temperatures have definitely warmed up in the ATL this week.

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: Unable to Run
Tuesday: 7.8 mi/1:00:59/out-30:43/in-30:16
Wednesday: Unable to Run
Thursday: Unable to Run
Friday: SPIN
Saturday: 13.2 mi/1:47:49
Sunday: Unable to Run
Mileage= 21 mi

My Saturday was a really nice run. It was my first long run by myself in sometime. The weather was over cast and it was very cool. Nice running weather. I felt like I should have run longer, but I opted not to seeing that that is not the schedule.
I have started something new for Friday's. I took a SPIN class this past Friday and enjoyed it so much, I am going to make it a weekly thing.

On Sunday, I opted to play some golf instead of going for a run. As you can see, I did not get many miles in this week. I am hoping for a much better upcoming week! Hopefully, everyone has had a more productive running week. If not, be like me and make up for it this week!

KEEP RUNNING!
LJ

April 23-April 29

Once again, another GREAT week of running! I continue to be amazed with the shape that I am in after over 2 months since my last marathon(Gasparilla). This has been a good week being back on the road. The coolest thing was that I only missed one of my regular scheduled runs. My Tuesday run was cut a little short due to a surprise visit by my brother from Alabama. Great reason to cut back. I never miss an opportunity to see family!

Here are this week's results:

Monday: 8 mi/1:02:46/out-31:06/in-31:39
Tuesday: 6.4 mi/50:57/out-25:56/in-25:01
Wednesday: 8 mi/1:00:53/out-30:03/in-30:50
Thursday: Unable to Run
Friday: REST
Saturday: 11 mi/1:44:30 w/Allen
Sunday: 4.5 mi/35:30
Mileage=37.9 m

Yep, a GREAT week of running! I am a bit disappointed in the miles that I ran on Saturday seeing that I ran nearly the same time as I did last week. Most of that is due to my running with someone and running at their pace. For the next two weeks I will be running solo on the weekend, so I am sure that I will get more miles in for the amount of time I will be running. Running with someone has been very helpful for me, as it seems to slow me down so that I will not go out too fast. That being said, it also slows me down a little too much at times.

I will be using the same schedule as last week this week!

KEEP RUNNING!
LJ

April 16-April 22

Well, here we go, back to running by time. My first run of the week was the same route that I ran when I started the Arthur Lydiard Training program. Guess what? I ran a whole mile longer in the same 1 hour period. AWESOME! By the time I got to my usual turn-around-point, my watch said only 27:20, which meant that I needed to run another 2 minutes and 40 seconds.
The last time I ran this route, when I got to the turn-around-point, it was 3.5 miles, this time it was 4 miles. I guess I am not that surprised, especially after running a PR in Tampa and seeing how well I have been doing in ALL of my last 4 or 5 runs.

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: 8 mi/1:01:42/out-30:40/in-31:02
Tuesday: 10.5 mi/1:28:27/out-44:10/in-44:17
Wednesday: Unable to Run
Thursday: 10.5 mi/1:32:36/out-45:22/in-47:13-in
Friday: REST
Saturday: 12 mi/1:51:34 w/Allen
Sunday: Unable to Run
Mileage=41 mi

I must say, it felt pretty darn good to be running long miles again. I enjoyed each of my runs this week. That being said, I did feel some soreness this week before each of my runs and I also felt a little tired. Once I started running though, I was good to go!

As you can see, I missed my Wednesday run and also my 30 minute Sunday run due to conflicts, but hopefully next week, I can get all of my runs in. On Sunday I skipped my run to go play a little golf, so I still got some good exercise in and I gave my legs a little rest. Saturday's run was with my friend Allen, so I am not real sure how far we ran because we just went out and ran. I am basing the time on previous runs with Allen. All in all, not a bad week at all. I will use the same schedule this week, hope everyone has had a WONDERFUL week and enjoying this BEAUTIFUL weather! Have a GREAT week!

Keep Running,
LJ

April 9-April 15

Finally, I am back into my normal running routine. I would not say that it is actually the usual, but I am getting close. I was able to run 4 times this week which is GREAT compared to my last 2 weeks. It is a bit frustrating for me as the weather continues to change for the better (warm temp.), then out of nowhere COLD again. That is a bit unnerving to me because I am ready for the warm weather. That being said, I know that it is much easier for me to go out and run in the warmer temperatures than the colder ones. All in all it has been a great week of running. One thing I definitely noticed this week is that I have developed some pretty good speed. As you will see from my posted times, the 4.5 milers that I ran got faster and faster through out the week and my 10 miler wasn't bad either.

Here are the results from this week:

Monday: 4.5 mi/35:04
Tuesday: 4.5 mi/34:16
Wednesday: Unable to Run
Thursday: 4.5 mi/33:18
Friday: REST
Saturday: 10 mi/1:18:24/out-39:21/back-39:03
Sunday: Unable to Run
Mileage: 23.5

Sunday, the weather was horrible in the ATL, very windy, COLD, rainy! No running for me, otherwise I would have been able to get in nearly 30 miles. Definitely, a much better week!

This week, I am planning to get back to the Arthur Lydiard way of training. I will be running by time again.

Here is the schedule for this week:
Monday: 1 hour run
Tuesday: 1.5 hour run
Wednesday: 1 hour run
Thursday: 1.5 hour run
Friday: REST
Saturday: 2 hour run
Sunday: 30 minute run


KEEP RUNNING!
LJ

April 2-April 8

Whew! What a Spring Break! It seems like I just went on Spring break yesterday. I can not believe that it is already over.

I have absolutely nothing to report this week as far as my running goes. Why? Because I did absolutely 0 running this week.

Honestly, I spent this week installing a new Pergo laminate floor in the living room of our home. This is part of the reason my spring break has flown by. I was so busy that I really just did not have the time to run. One day, Wednesday, I actually had planned to run, but I just could not muster the strength to do it.

On Friday evening, my wife and I took a road trip to Montgomery, AL. We spent the weekend with my brother and his wife and 5 lovely children. What a GREAT time!

Once again, I had the opportunity to actually get up and run with my brother(BJ), but I just could not muster up the strength to do it(part of that was because I played golf the previous day and I was playing again that same day).

Oh well, hopefully, no, not hopefully, I will definitely return to the gym as well as the pavement on Monday! Look for more next week.

KEEP RUNNING, unlike me this week!
LJ

March 26-April 1

Well, here I am again, yet another week. I am so excited and looking forward to getting some REST this week. As far as work, I am on SPRING BREAK!! Yippee.

I have not done much running since running a PR last Sunday at the Inaugural Georigia Half-Marathon. I got one run in all week. I must say, I felt worse after the half-marathon than I did after the Tampa Marathon a few weeks back. I assume I must have run much harder last week where as the Tampa Marathon, I may have not run hard enough.

Anyway, here are the results from this past week:

Monday: Did not Run
Tuesday: Did not Run
Wednesday: Did not Run
Thursday: 7.7 mi/1:03:01/L1-31:22/L2-31:39
Friday: REST
Saturday: REST
Sunday: REST
Mileage=7.7 mi

Hopefully, this week I will get the opportunity to hit the road and get back to my usual running schedule. Of course, the warm weather is upon us, so it looks like I am going to go back to running in the a.m. early.

KEEP RUNNING!
LJ

Inaugural Georgia Half-Marathon

Here I am at the Georgia Half-Marathon running yet another PR for 2007...1:39:34

March 19-March 25

Wow, what a busy week. Unfortunately, I did not get to run a whole lot this week due to my extremely busy schedule. That being said, I enjoyed the REST! I think a little rest never hurt anyone!

I think the REST helped me as I was able to PR once again on Sunday in the Inaugural Georgia Half Marathon. Please look for photos later in the week.

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: Did not SPIN
Tuesday: 5 mi/ DNR
Wednesday: 4 mi/27:27/out-14:26/in-13:00
Thursday: 3 mi/25:24/out-13:09/in-12:15
Friday: REST
Saturday: 2 mi/DNR
Sunday: Inaugural Georgia Half Marathon/13.1 mi/1:39:34/**Personal Record**
Mileage: 20 mi

Whew! Well, inspite of me skipping my SPIN class and skipping a couple of runs throughout the week, I still managed to PR. I really do think the REST made a big difference, especially since I just ran a marathon a little over a month ago. I must say, I did not do a good job the night before the half-marathon. I had a pre-planned dinner engagement that I could not get out of. Not that I could not get out of it, I really did not want to get out of it. That being said, I had a couple glasses of wine and stayed out a little longer than I had planned. My whole plan for the half-marathon was to run 7:30 miles. Well, I must say, I did it for the most part. I think the last mile was a little over that, but not by much. Nevertheless, I did PR and that is enough for me. I think I am going to take another break for a few days and figure out what is next for me.

I hope everyone has had a GREAT weekend and the POLLEN is not to much of a hassle. I must say, for me and my allergies, the POLLEN is definitely not my friend. Come RAIN, Come RAIN!!!!

KEEP RUNNING!!!!,
LJ

March 19-March 25

Wow, what a busy week. Unfortunately, I did not get to run a whole lot this week due to by extremely busy schedule. That being said, I enjoyed the REST! I think a little rest never hurt anyone!

I think the REST helped me as I was able to PR once again on Sunday in the Inaugural Georgia Half Marathon. Please look for photos later in the week.

Here are this weeks results:

Monday: Did not SPIN
Tuesday: 5 mi/ DNR
Wednesday: 4 mi/27:27/out-14:26/in-13:00
Thursday: 3 mi/25:24/out-13:09/in-12:15
Friday: REST
Saturday: 2 mi/DNR
Sunday: Inaugural Georgia Half Marathon/1:39:34/**Personal Record**

Whew! Well, inspite of me skipping my SPIN class and skiping a couple of runs throughout the week, I still managed to PR. I really do think the REST made a big difference, especially since I just ran a marathon a little over a month ago. I must say, I did not do a good job the night before the half-marathon. I had a pre-planned dinner engagement that I could not get out of. Not that I could not get out of it, I really did not want to get out of it. That being said, I had a couple glasses of wine and stayed out a little longer than I had planned. My whole plan for the half-marathon was to run 7:30 miles. Well, I must say, I did it for the most part. I think the last mile was a little over that, but not by much. Nevertheless, I did PR and that is enough for me. I think I am going to take another break for a few days and figure out what is next for me.

I hope everyone has had a GREAT weekend and the POLLEN is not to much of a hassle. I must say, for me and my allergies, the POLLEN is definitely not my friend. Come RAIN, Come RAIN!!!!

KEEP RUNNING!!!!,
LJ

March 11-March 17

Well, once again, another week in the books. I am so blessed to be able to run the way that I do. I count it a blessing every single time that I am able to lace up my shoes and take a run. Whether it is 2 miles or 20 miles, it is a blessing to have the strength to do it!

This has been another week in recovery as I have one more after this one. I am not sure what I will be doing after recovery week. I know one thing is for sure. I will be running the inaugural ING Georgia Half-Marathon on March 25.

Here are the results from this week:

Sunday: 10 mi/1:18:44
Monday: Unable to SPIN
Tuesday: 5.2 mi/42:48/L1-21:25/L2-21:23
Wednesday: Unable to Run
Thursday: 5 mi/37:17/L1-19:39/L2-17:38
Friday: REST
Saturday: Unable to Run
Mileage=20.2

As you can see, I did not get a whole lot of running in this week. It was a very very busy week for me. Friday I left for a retreat and did not get home till Saturday afternoon. However, I was able to go for a good run on Sunday with my friend, Allen. We probably ran about 8 miles at a very comfortable pace.

Here is my schedule for this week:

Monday: SPIN
Tuesday: 5 mi/EASY
Wednesday: 4 mi/TEMPO RUN
Thursday: 3 mi/EASY
Friday: 2 mi/EASY
Saturday: REST
Sunday: ING Georgia Half-Marathon

This time next week, I will be running the ING Georgia Half marathon. I will post the results as soon as I am done. Have a SUPER week and as always, KEEP RUNNING!

LJ

Jog for a Cause 3/10/2007

Here I am at the Jog for a Cause 10k.







Whew!!! I started out way to FAST....oh well!

Photo's from The Gasparilla Tampa Marathon...February 18, 2007

Here I am at my fastest marathon to this date:
















I am about to PR, SWEET!!

March 4-March 10

As I continue my recovery from my best marathon yet, I continue to be amazed at the way I have been feeling. Each run has been a good run. I still continue to struggle with slowing down on the EASY runs, but at least I am slowing down on the longer runs (could it be because I am running with someone?)

Two more weeks of recovery. I feel as though I have recovered already, but I will continue on in RECOVERY MODE!

Here are this weeks results:

Sunday: Unable to run
Monday: Spin
Tuesday: 4 mi/35:36/out-17:47/in-17:48/
Wednesday: 3.3 mi/24:37/8 min w/u/8 min MP/8 min 5K-pace
Thursday: 4.5 mi/36:48
Friday: REST
Saturday: 10K Race/6.2 mi/44:07/L1-6:43/L2-6:53/L3-7:08/L4-7:32/L5-7:50/L6-7:48
Mileage=18 mi

I really enjoyed running the 10K on Saturday. I can't remember the last time that I actually ran in a 10k. The race started in a heavy downpour and by the end of the race, the rain had let up some. I kinda went back to my old ways by starting out way too fast. As you can see my first mile was rather fast as well as the 2nd mile. Hindsight, I should have run 7:10 or 7:15 minute miles and the results could have been a bit more favorable. That being said, I was pretty pooped the last two miles. The last mile should have been a good bit faster, I guess I just got lazy. Of course, I couldn't have been too tired. I went out shortly after the race and took tennis drills for nearly 2 hours.

Oh well, another good week in the books. This week I will still be in recovery mode and here is the schedule:

Sunday: 10 mi/
Monday: SPIN
Tuesday: 5 mi/EASY
Wednesday: 3 x mile@5K pace(REST 3-5 minutes in between)
Thursday: 5 mi/EASY
Friday: REST
Saturday: 10 mi/
.
Hope everyone has a GREAT week and KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

February 25-March 3

Recovery is sooo sweet! I have enjoyed this recovery training. It has been a GREAT week of recovery. I was unable to run one day this week due to rain and tornados in the area, but I have learned, a little REST never hurt anyone. I also decided NOT to run that 10k that I had planned to run on Saturday. Instead of doing the 10K, I just ran my 13 miler on Saturday instead of the planned Sunday 13 miler.

Here are this weeks results:

Sunday: 4 mi/30:21/out-15:51/in-14:30
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 4 miles/33:57/out-17:10(5-repeats)/in-16:47(5-repeats)
Wednesday: 3.3 miles/26:30
Thursday: REST
Friday: REST
Saturday: 13 mi/1:54:22 w/Allen
Mileage=24.3

Here is the schedule for this week:

Sunday: 4 mi/tempo run
Monday: SPIN
Tuesday: 4 mi/EASY
Wednesday: 3.3 mi/10 min.EASY/10 min.MARATHONPACE/10 min.COOLDOWN
Thursday: 4 mi/EASY
Friday: REST
Saturday: 10 mi

Well, as I continue to recover from my BEST marathon, I am contemplating what is next for me? First, I am running the Inaugral ING Georgia Half-Marathon and then hopefully, The New York Marathon in November. I would really like to
run a 10k to see how fast I can actually do a 6.2 miler seeing that I am in such GREAT shape at this time. Oh well, I will continue to ponder for now. My wife has a co-worker whose son's school gets money for a 5K race this upcoming weekend, so I have promised her that I would participate. That being said, maybe I can PR in a 5K. I can't remember the last time I ran a 3.1 miler race.

At any rate, RECOVERY is going really well and my 13 miler was GREAT on Saturday. It felt really good to be out on the road for awhile. My friend, Allen and I ran many many hills as we did the 13 miler. Of course, it's pretty hard to run anywhere in the ATL without hitting any hills. (Hills are good, right?) I guess that is why the Gasparilla felt so good because I can't remember a single hill!

Keep Running and PR!
LJ

Recovery Mode...February 18-24

Well, I am beginning to come down off my PR high that I had this time last week. That being said, I am so excited about my PR that I can't wait till my next race to see if I can better that 3:37:59 time!

I am now in recovery mode and I must say, I could not wait to go for a run on Saturday. I ran with my friend Allen and we talked about the race it seems, the entire 1 hour and 20 minute run. He is probably so glad that run is over. Of course, Sabrina and I went to dinner Saturday evening with Allen and his wife, Vickie, and once again, we talked about the race and my awesome PR.

Allen and I ran a good 8 mile run and of course it was a good slow 8 mile run with several hills. I felt as if I could have easily gone further, but I did not push the issue. I will be in recovery mode for the next 3 weeks. In March, I will be running the Inaugural ING Georgia Half Marathon. Hopefully, I can PR again!

Here is the schedule for this week:

Sunday: 4 miles
Monday: 4 miles
Tuesday: 4 miles/speedwork(repeats)
Wednesday: 3 miles/
Thursday: 4 miles/speedwork(repeats)
Friday: REST
Saturday: Chattahoochee Road Runners 10K

I plan to run a 10K on Saturday to get me a good spot in the Peachtree Road Race. Hopefully, I can once again PR in a 10K. I can't remember the last time I ran a 10K. I am looking forward to it.

KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

I DID IT....PR BABY!

Wow,

What a GREAT run! I had such a GREAT run, I can not begin to tell you
how good it was. Let's just start by saying, I had a PR, personal record.
I finished in 3:37:59. In case you haven't noticed, that is what, 15 minutes
faster than what I ran at the Marine Corps Marathon in October, AWESOME!!

Of course, when you really think about it, my fastest marathon was 3:44. So,
I beat that by 6 minutes. The cool thing was that I started out with the 3:40 pace
group. I kept those guys in my sight the entire race and what a help it was to have
a pace group. I actually thought the pace group was going a little too fast, so I backed
off. To my surprise I caught up with them around the 17 or 18 mile mark and stayed
with them for awhile. After the 22 mile mark, I told the leader that I was feeling pretty
good and that I felt like I should take off. However, I chose not to do so and the leader
told me that he felt like I would finish around 3:38 and that we were ahead of the 3:40
mark. That made me feel really good, so I just stayed with the group. To my surprise,
at the 24 mile marker me and the pace group leader were the only two in our group left,
the other runners had fallen back. He actually told me to go ahead and that he would
see me at the finish line. So, guess what? I took off. Lo and behold, I was able
to sprint probably the last mile and to my surprise: 3:37:59!!

Also, I would like to note that I felt so good after the marathon that I considered going
for a run on Monday. I did not, but I could have.

I am so excited about my outcome that I would like to change my mind and run the
ING Georgia Marathon as opposed to the Half. Of course, I think I will keep it the way it
is and try to PR in the Half.

I would like to send out a CONGRATULATIONS to my buddy Eric who completed his
very first half-marathon. GREAT job Eric and thanks for a WONDERFUL weekend. I
look forward to you completing another half.

KEEP RUNNING!!!
LJ

Tampa Bound...

Well, off to Tampa we go. My wife and I are leaving this evening for a 6 hour drive to Tampa. I plan to play a little
golf on Friday and REST up all day on Saturday and hangout at the beach with Sabrina. The marathon is on Sunday
and I will return on Monday! Have a GREAT weekend and KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

February 4-February 10

Wow...it feels so good to be back on the road again. After last week, I didn't think I would ever get back out to run. With all the cold weather and rain here in Atlanta, we finally got some good weather this week. It was still a bit cool, but nothing unusual. It also feels so good to be tapering! One thing that I am noticing is that it is sooo hard for me to slow down on these runs. I feel so GREAT that I just want to see how fast I can really run after all of this GREAT training. Of course, I know that if I continue to run too hard, I am not going to feel recovered come next weekend. So, I have made it a point to just run 8:30 minute miles on all my runs. That being said, it is harder than it sounds.

Here are this weeks results:

Sunday: 4mi/36:04/17:32-out/18:32-back
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 7 mi/52:26/26:55-out/25:30-back
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: 5 mi/38:23/19:40-out/18:42-back
Friday: REST
Saturday: 10 mi/1:21:58/41:26-out/40:31-back
Mileage=26

As you can see, I had a bit of a struggle trying to slow down and run 8:30 minute miles this week. I came fairly close a few times, but not as close as I should have. I had a really good 10 mile run today(Saturday)inspite of the 27 degree weather with a 17 degree wind chill. I paced myself fairly well, but not slow enough. Hopefully, this week, I can do a better job. All in all, still a good week of training. I am pretty excited about the race coming up and looking forward to a GREAT race in Tampa. Next time I post to my blog it will be the results of the Gasparilla Marathon! Wish me luck!!

KEEP RUNNING!!
LJ

January 28-February 3

Whew...what a week! I have done absolutely nothing this week! I guess on a good note, I have gotten plenty of rest. I did not run most of this week. I was a bit disappointed in myself, but more than anything, the weather was at it's worst this week in the ATL.

Here are this weeks results:

Sunday: 4 mi/32:14/16:50-out/15:24-in
Monday: REST
Tuesday: Unable to Run
Wednesday: 8 mi/1:05:37/32:55-out/32:42-in
Thursday: Unable to Run
Friday: REST
Saturday: 12.5 mi/2:01:01/Ran with Allen**(to view the course, just copy and paste this link:
http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=104171
Mileage=24.5

This by far was not my best week. I must say, the few runs that I got in were pretty good runs. I took my time and tried to remember that I was tapering and tried not to go out too fast and tried to return in about the same time. That being said, as you can see, I only ran 2 times during the week and Saturday's run was GREAT. I ran with my friend Allen and it was a fairly hilly course(You can view the course). I finished very strong and could have easily ran another 4 or 5 miles.

This week should be a much better week for me as I am now only 2 weeks away from the marathon. Hopefully, the weather will be cooperative and it will not be too cold here in the ATL and I hope to not miss a run.
Keep Running!
LJ

Taper Time

Well, taper time is here! Starting tomorrow(Monday), here is the next 3 weeks schedule:

Week 3
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 6 mi
Wednesday: 8 mi
Thursday: 6 mi
Friday: REST
Saturday: 14 mi
Sunday: 4 mi

Week 2
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 7 mi
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: 5 mi
Friday: REST
Saturday: 10 mi
Sunday: 4 mi

Week 3
Monday: REST
Tuesday: 6 mi
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: 4 mi
Friday: REST
Saturday: 2 mi
Sunday: Gasparilla Marathon (Tampa, FL)

LJ

January 21-January 27

Whew!!! What a week? Man, we have had a whole lot of rain here in the ATL. Other than that and the COLD weather, it has been a pretty good week! My hilly run on Tuesday was really a good run. I have realized that the hills are not that bad anymore. I remember running my usual Tuesday hilly route the first time and thinking what the heck have I done. Now, weeks later, it does not seem like a bad run at all. I usually sprint the last 1-1.5 miles back. It is amazing how fresh I feel when I am finished with the hills.
Saturday's 22 miler was pretty good. I think I felt a lot better than the previous 22 miler. I actually ran an out and back course and came back faster than I went out to my surprise. All in all, a good run. I feel as though I am ready for Gasparilla! I think the REST over the next few weeks will really make a difference come February 18 and hopefully, I will feel REFRESHED!!

Here are this weeks results:

Sunday: Unable to run(RAIN)
Monday: Unable to run(RAIN)
Tuesday: 15 mi/2:07:35**Hey, I did not forget my route this week** If you would like to view this route, copy and paste this
link: http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=96561
Wednesday: 12 mi/1:40:44/out-50:06/in-50:38**If you would like to view this route, copy and paste this link:
http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=96795
Thursday: REST
Friday: REST
Saturday: 22 mi/1:32:04-out/1:31:00-in/**If you would like to view this route, copy and paste this link:
http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=102609
Mileage= 49

This is my last week of hard training. Starting on Monday, I will be in TAPER mode seeing that my marathon(Gasparilla Marathon/Tampa Marathon) is coming up in 3 weeks. I have actually enjoyed the Arthur Lydiard training. That being said, it has taken up a serious amount of my time. I would like to continue the Arthur Lydiard plan even after the marathon. According to Arthur, one should peak at least 2 times a year. Hopefully, my first time will be on February 18 and hopefully again later in the year!
Keep Running and think POSITIVELY!!
LJ

January 14-January 20

This week has been a bit of a struggle. That being said, it could have been a lot worse. I started the week running in the a.m. and then the weather turned cold and rainy and I missed Tuesday morning's run and had to run in the evening. Once I started running in the evenings, I had to finish the week running in the evenings. As you can see, my usual Tuesday 15 miler was a 5.8 miler and the Wednesday usual 12 miler was a 11.7 miler and it probably was not nearly as hilly as the usual Wednesday course, but yet hilly.

Here are the results for this week:

Sunday: Unable to run
Monday: 10mi/1:21:07/41:23-out/39:43-in
Tuesday: 5.8 mi/48:21
Wednesday: 11.7 mi/1:34:35
Thursday: Unable to run
Friday: REST
Saturday: 22 mi/3:07:59/I ran solo. Here is my 22 mile route, just copy and paste address:
http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=101203
Mileage: 49.3

This was definitely my worst week yet. I had a really good run on Wednesday, but the rest of the week was not that GREAT. I guess looking back, I blame it on the weather. The weather in the ATL has not been that great this week. On Monday, I was able to get up at 4:30 am and able to do my run. Then, the bad weather came in. On Tuesday, it got really cold and rainy in the ATL and I had to run in the evening. Seeing that I am a married man these days, I was able to only get a 5.8 miler in. On Wednesday, I was able to get in some good hills and although I normally run from the gym, I forgot my shoes and had to run from home. That being said, it was a really good run. It was not the usual 12 mile hilly route, but still a hilly route, just not quite 12 miles. On Thursday, I woke up thinking that I would not have to work, but to my surprise, I had to go in. That being said, I was NOT able to muster up the strength to run due to the COLD, frigid temperatures. Nevertheless, I think REST is never a bad idea.

Saturday's 22 miler was actually a very good run. I was rather impressed with the run. I ran a lot more hills than I needed to or wanted to. I was rather surprised at how good I felt. The last mile or so was pretty tough, but I was happy with my time, especially seeing that I ran solo and that I finished in the same amount of time that I finished in the previous week. The sad thing is that last week I ran pretty much the same time, but I only ran 20 miles. I must say that the first 1.5 hours of last weeks run was with a friend. I am very happy with my time, seeing that the course that I ran was EXTREMELY hilly! Next week I plan to run another 22 miler and I plan for it to be much flatter.

Good week, even though the weather was crappy and I did not run nearly as good as previous weeks. Hopefully, this upcoming week will be much better. After this week, I will start tapering.

Keep Running!!
LJ