Welcome to Jim's running blog

Slow run under cold and windy conditions. Just undre 10 minute mile pace.

Cold day again. Ran on the belts because the track team was using the field house; then went swimming.  My shoulder seems to be improving.

Ran over to Bob Gaines' house on Poplar. Good mix of hills and country. 

3 miles on the track, 500 yards swimming

plus 500 yards swimming

Walnut Hollow loop this morning, 8:30 pace average

8:15 avg pace.

Started out at 10 minute pace worked up to 7:30 pace.  Cold cold day.

Tough getting back to running after the week of fever--flu or bad reaction to medication.

Now I've got a head cold and headaches....

Better weather and I'm out from under it.  8 minute pace...I think I'm a few pounds lighter from the illness.

slow slog at about 10 minutes per mile.

Just under 10 minute pace.  Working my way back to daily running.

8:30 pace. Nice and easy run.

Humdinger "trail" run

Walnut Hollow run again, about 8:45 pace.

Busy with work and coaching son Joey's baseball team every afternoon so I have to squeeze these longer runs in on open times during the week.

8 mile, 67 minutes.  Started at around 10 minute miles, ended around 7:30, I guess.

9:30 pace. Cloudy Sunday morning.

8:30 pace. Felt a little like 25 years ago. I'm running lighter now.

7:55 pace over all. Felt light on my feet and in the middle felt really great, like I felt back when I was unusually fit as a kid swimming competitively.  I'm not that fit now, but that feeling was there.  

Felt slow but time shows an 8:45 pace which is pretty good for my training runs.

Hash run in Danville with Bridget. Up down and around the mountain behind Geisinger

9:30  pace average

7 miles on the Santa Ana River Trail this morning beginning at 6:30. No one on the trail until near the end of the run getting close to 7:30. Nice in the cool of the morning. No cars, expansive views across the now dry riverbed/flood zone.  Mild vapors along the way--pungent bitterness that reminded me of rotting birds under the freeway, the ozone smell of the train locomotive engine transformers as I passed under a very long train.  But really a very nice run.  Usual pace, started out slow about 11 min. per mile, ended up averaging slightly under 9 minutes/ mile pace.

So busy with term end and getting ready for trip to Japan. I'll try to run tomorrow and Sunday before the drive to LAX and Tokyo. 

Nice easy 4 miles with the San Bernardino Pacers. Friendly group.

In Tokyo, in an apartment next to the Hakusan Gotenzaka. 1.25 mile loop around the park.  All asphalt and concrete, but not much traffic so ok.

Long run down to the imperial palace and around it. Was out 1 1/2 hours, so probably about 8 miles considering the stop lights along the way. 

Down to the Imperial Palace and around it and back.  Ran one circuit in 23:45.  Not sure of the exact distance, I'll check in a moment. I was told it's "about 5 k."

 They were getting ready to hold a "Challenge Marathon," which I was told was 10 circuits around the palace, which would be a little over a marathon's distance, about 50 kilometers.  I think it'd be pretty cool to run a marathon around the palace, though it's going to get hot today. It's already sunny. 

5 miles, 9 minute mile average

1hr 6 minutes, Walnut Hollow loop

7 in RB Winter logging roads, 60'31'

hot run on Nebraska county road. Near the end a local guy slowed down in his car and was incredulous I was running "just for exercise."  It was late morning and heading to above 100 degrees....but it was the only time of day I could run on our Western car vacation.  Headed for the Black Hills of Dakota.

Really nice run on a county road back of our campsite. Both the Ponca campsite in Nebraska and this Big Pine site in Custer, SD back up onto some really nice running roads.

Out Old Schoolhouse then up Pheasant Ridge to Salem Church and Rt. 45 and back. Total time 1:08.50.  9 minute average.

Evening hash in Danville

39:17 for usual 4.25 loop.

Regular 5 mile look up Old Schoolhouse and Hickory Hollow.  10 minute first mile, then gradually faster to sub 8 minute mile.  total for 5 miles, 43:52.

11 mpm easy jog.

Nice slow jog in the evening. Hills were beautiful after the thundershowers. 72 minutes for 7.5 miles.

9:30 pace average over the half-marathon training route: out Pheasant Ridge then to the Violet Run loop and back.  Total time 2 hrs 1 minute 43 secs.

out in 20 minutes, back in 16

8:35 avg. pace. Did Turtle Creek out and back.

Nice run out Salem Church Rd. and back Old Schoolhouse.  8'30" avg. pace over all.

Violet Run out and back.  A little hard on the legs on the return.  Averaged 9 min

 10 secs. 

54:42 for this 6.67 out'n'back from the gym to end of Turtle Creek.  Began raining heavily just before the turnaround, and once totally wet it felt great running in the rain.  About an 8:10 pace average.  Felt really good considering the half marathon distance training run on Sunday.

slightly over 9 minute per mile pace.  

hash run 

69:50, ended at under 8 minute pace.  avg. just under 9 minutes a mile.

 Swam 500 yds at lunchtime. 

Decided the old bones needed a rest when I started out this evening.  Best to listen to the body.

Ran out regular route but ran into Tony M. and joined him for his long run.

41:27 for 5.  under 8 per mile the second half.

54 minutes for 6.6 miles.  Stein, Pheasant Ridge, Old School House loop with the addition of Turtle Creek out and back.  8:25 average pace.

2 and 1/2 hours on the Dam Half Marathon Course at R.B. Winter State Park.  It's not fully marked for next week's event, so I took a few wrong turns...Felt great to run in the middle of the forest for so long, but the rocky terrain on most of the trails is a bit much. I'd much rather just run on the forest roads and grassy trails instead of the rocky ones that make up most of this race trail.  Ran a 2 hour and 23 or 24 minutes last year. Don't know if I'll bomb down as many of the trails this year.

Just under 42 for the usual 5 mile loop up Walnut Hollow. Sore at first because of the long Sunday trail run but now feel very good.

Halfway Dam Trail Half-Marathon, 2:16:10, avg. 10:24 per mile. Wore shoes with more solid soles this week and didn't have any trouble with the jagged rocks on the trails. Still I fell 6 times this year instead of the once last year. Over all pretty happy with the performance. I saved some energy for the "stairway to heaven" climb at 11.2 marker. Was at 1:50 at the start of that climb, reaching the top at about 2:12 or so.  Didn't feel light-headed climbing this year, though I was plenty tired. 

Follow up entry: I hurt my left knee by falling down in the last mile of the course, but it has more or less healed several months later.

Walnut Hollow Loop  total 43 minutes, average 8:36.

same five but at 47:30, slower because of fatique. Still slightly recovering from the trail half on Sunday.

Modified my regular loop to get some hill work in. Not a perfect course but at least it has a third of a mile steep up hill. Got to prepare for the first leg of Tussey in October.  Ran average of between 8 and 8:20, after I got the blood circulating.

Interesting thing is that the hill was incredibly easier the second time around, at around 24 minutes instead of 5 minutes. It pays to get that heart and blood moving. 

8:40 pace avg.

67: 52 for the full 7.2.  Same route as Sunday but slower.  I guess it was necessary to go so slow given the rain and the fact that I ran the 5 miles yesterday fast.  

The portion on the hill took 4:25 the first time, after I only ran about 4 minutes, and then after another mile or so (at 25 minutes into my run) it took only 3:55 and was much easier running.  I was warmed up and my heart rate was at about 120 by that point, compared to probably about 80 the first ascent.  So I guess for the Tussey Mountainback leg I'm running in October, which is .7 miles flat followed by pretty steep uphill for 2.5 miles, I should warm up thoroughly.  Maybe run for 20 minutes or so.

Seemed a good deal faster on the hills today, and they were easier to run.  Surprising, but then again I didn't do the planks core muscle exercises before running.

60:37 for the distance. 4:05 the first time on the hill, 3:39 the second time around.

Fruit Farm 8 Mile loop. Has good 1 mile long hill with over 200 ft. gain.  Average 8:20, though it didn't feel like I was running that fast, especially considering the hills.

Same Fruit Farm loop as yesterday, but I added a little under 2 mile off-road traipse on state hunting land and a wildlife preserve. Basically scaled the hill at the midpoint of the course, came across a trail head and went exploring. Nice views and fun terrain, all overgrown grass or woodland trail, and even though it was Sunday (supposed to be no hunting on Sundays in PA) I was just a little bit nervous. The rain stopped and it was really very very nice up there.  Hated having to go back on the asphalt to get home.

Stayed out for 1 hr. 32 minute run for the distance.  Ran about 8:50 pace on the asphalt portion, including about that speed on the mile uphill in the middle of the course.

Fruit Farm loop up to the pass over Shamokin Mt.  Felt pretty good.  1:08:15 for the full 8 mile distance.  I added the .2 mile in the middle to reach the top of the pass and return to Fruit Farm so it was a little longer than last week.  Avg. about 8:30 for this steep incline course is pretty good, I think. Avg. about 9 minute mile on the incline.

Just a short run to keep the blood flowing.

8 Mile Fruit Farm loop.  Took it slow today. 1:13 total for average just over 9 minutes per mile.

I've heard it's good to peak your training two weeks before a major race event, so maybe I'll do an extra hard workout this weekend. 

Fruit Farm 8 miler in reverse, with the steep 1.8 hill run twice.

Splits: 2.2. mile mark out 20:00, little over 9 minute/mile

1.8 mile ascent: 16:23, 9:06 pace

1.8 mile descent: 15:50, 8:45 pace

1.8 mile ascent: 15:40, 8:40 pace

1.8 mile descent: 14:30, 8 minute pace

2.2 miles home: 19:08, 8:40 pace

1:42.11 overall for the 11.6 miles, 8:50 avg. pace. 

Fruit Farm out and back, felt good. 8:30 pace avg. overall. Out at about 9 min/mile, back at about 8.

It's getting cold here in North Central PA. 

Beautiful weather today, clear skies, in the high 50s.  39:13 for the 5 miles, which is the fastest I think I've ever run in a training run since I started up jogging again in the last 3 or 4 years. Last mile in 6:45.

8:30 pace average again.

Left arm began to tingle coming down the hill at about 4.5 miles so decided to call off the extra hill work.  Might have been tight watch. Might have been the cold. Need to check with the doctor next week in case it's the heart. 

Did hash loop run.  About 7 miles total, probably.

Supplee Mill to top above Fruit Farm, then did some repeats on the steep last part of that hill, came back down Fruit Farm and took diversion on Turtle Creek back.  Total 10 mile loop plus 1.6 on hill repeats.  Avg. about 8:30 per mile.

Last hard workout before Sunday's 50 mile relay. 

Nice job, just under 9 minutes a mile avg.  Beautiful day.

About 10 miles or so in the Tussey Mountainback 50 Mile Ultra run, in a team of 6, the "Daft Old Geezers."  We used select tunes to inspire us, "Hounddog," "Who let the dogs out," etc.  Great day. We placed 5th over all and were the 4th relay. 1st among masters groups. Time: 5 hrs 40 min. 26 secs.

Ran out Supplee Mill hill, over the state game lands and down to 322. Nice run.  Was late for my 4 PM meeting but it turned out it didn't matter...

Nice morning run avg. just under 8 per mile.

Was the hare in a local hash.

Started out about 9 minute miles, ended with 7 minute miles.

8:30 pace average. Out Supplee Mill and back.

54 minutes for 7 mile loop out Salem Church and Furnace.  Last mile under 7. Good average just under 8 per mile.  It's getting a little cold out there but hat, mittens and a good running jacket took care of it today. 

7:19 avg. pace after a few days rest. Nice run out Hoffa Mill to Ards and back.

Tried out a half-marathon distance on a new route, out Hoffa Mill and back Strawbridge.  Pretty steady 8:30 pace. 1:51 total time for the job. Tried to keep good form and remain at a steady sustainable pace.  While the actual running was easy and felt like I could sustain it for hours, I did begin to feel tightness and soreness in the joints every now and then, indicating the limits perhaps of running easy.  Seem to be recovering nicely though.

Just over 8 minute/mile pace.

Supplee Mill out and back. Felt good. 1 hr 11:20, with two short stops for dogs, but they were friendly and their owners were right there.

Nice run out to Dale's Ridge and back.  4 miles out at 36:21, 2 miles or so miles on the trail at 21:50, and 4 miles back at 31:28.  Nice weather too.

Walnut Hollow loop, 38:12.  Again, nice weather, not too cold.  This is pretty fast for me on a regular training run. I wouldn't say it felt good, but it wasn't really all that strenuous either. 

42:47

1:22:45

38:40 on the Walnut Hollow loop. Avg. a little under 8 per mile, which is fast for me in a training run. Felt pretty good. Guess the day off yesterday showed.

Supplee Mill out and back. 1:07:30 at avg. 8:20. Felt ok.

1:24:44 for just over 10 miles on the Supplee Mill loop and back Turtle Creek and Old Schoolhouse.  8:20 per mile average. Felt good even on the hill, the rest days helped.

Walnut Hollow loop. 40 minutes--ran 7 minute miles the last two miles. Felt pretty good, though it's getting cold here.

5 miles at good avg 8:10 pace, 1/2 mile warm down.  Swam on Sunday. Body sure appreciated the rest and the cross training in the pool, and I could feel the easier running because of it.

38:30. Nice and flexible because of the rest.

Nice easy run, 9 minute pace average.

8:20 avg. Started slow ended fast. Heartrate up to 176.

Overcase day 36F but no wind for most of the route.

Easy 9 minute/mile jog.  Run for the aspirin tomorrow morning.