Shamrock Race Report: Part II - Getting to the Finish Line

Pre Race
Everything leading up to the race went according to plan. The three hour drive to VA Beach was uneventful, packet pickup was smooth, and the pre-race weather forecast had low 40s and little wind. We stayed at the Hampton Inn which was within walking distance of the start and finish line. This allowed Karolina and me to stay in the warm room (with my own bathroom!) until 15 minutes before our respective races. Karolina was running the half marathon which started one hour before the full marathon at 7:00 AM while the full marathon started at 8:00 AM. Our alarm went off at 4:45 and we started our regular pre-race routines.

Breakfast was my usual balance bar with a cup of coffee, followed by a banana, and then bottle of Perpetuam. With breakfast out of the way, I suited up and go back in bed and just relaxed. The horizon was just starting to show light when Karolina left for her race start. I wished her well and told her to hammer the last three miles of the run. We'd both completed a perfect taper and she was ready for a big PR. I now anxiously waited alone in my room, taking four or five trips to the bathroom. It was so nice having my own bathroom and not waiting in the porto lines. I watched the sun rise over the Atlantic and then went downstairs to meet Craig and Scott 15 minutes before the start.

We moved near the front of the start line, just ahead of the 3:10 pace group. I asked the lead pacer how he planned on running the race. He said it would be mostly even, with maybe a 1 minute positive split from the half way mark. I planned on running my race but I also wanted to have an idea of what the pace group had planned. I 'checked myself' a few times, making sure everything was set. I tied a double knot on my Nike Lunar Racers and made sure my Fuel Belt was tight and in the right position. As we waited, I killed the final moments trying to relax and get my HR down. Scott, Craig, and I gave each other one last handshake and we were off.

Start - Miles 1-3
The start was surprisingly smooth. There was no bumping, dodging or mass passing of people. At one point, Scott joked that we were "holding everyone up" because it seemed like no one was passing us. Nearing the first mile, the 3:10 group went by on the far side of the road. I was very surprised since my Garmin showed us at low 7 min mile pace. We passed through mile 1 at 7:07 and motioned to Scott and Craig that we should slow up a bit. The pace group did the same and we hit the next mile at 7:21 which evened things out. Around that point we passed our cheering section which was a great boost and we gave them a wave.

Rudee Bridge - Miles 3-7
Around mile 3 we made our first pass over Rudee Bridge. I hadn't seen it before, but I knew it was the main climb on the course. It wasn't as bad as I'd feared, a 200 meter steady rise and drop. My focus going over the bridge was to keep my HR down and not lose a Fuel Belt bottle. When running uphill, I tend to bump the bottles which can cause them to eject. I shorten my stride, focusing on fast feet and kept one hand near my fuel belt. The three of us went over easily and gently cruised down the backside of the bridge. This led to a long flat stretch of road going out to the first turn around. Up to this point, the three of us stayed together and didn't say much. Craig thought this is was a good time to crack a few jokes. It helped keep the mood light and relaxed and we cruised along holding 7:14 pace. At the turnaround near 5.5 miles I started drinking from my fuel belt and took my first swig of Hammer Gel. I wanted to move through my Fuel Belt and give it to Karolina at the half way point. I wasn't thirsty yet, but I'd trained to drink at miles 5, 10, and 14 and I wanted to stick with my plan.

Camp Pendleton - Miles 7-10
By the time we entered the army base, the race had really thinned out. We passed a few people, and a few people passed us, but for the most part if was very spread out. The base had a number of 90 degree turns which caused our pace to fluctuate a bit. I think this also contributed to our pace dropping a bit. By the time we left the base we were running sub 7:10 pace. Things felt great and I did a few self checks to make sure my HR was down and I stayed relaxed. As we left the base I took down some Endurolytes. Scott and Craig were letting me dictate the pace and Scott mentioned that I was "sweating a lot" so I wanted to keep enough salt in my system. I've always been a big sweater and knew the Endurolytes would be critical to keeping the cramps away later in the race. We crossed back over the Rudee Bridge and hit the 10 mile mark in 1:12:06 - 24 seconds ahead of pace. This was my first real check of our overall pace and it showed that we were right on track. I grabbed water at the next aid station and threw it on my face - only to discover it was Gatorade. I'd keep the sticky face until the next aide station.

Boardwalk - Miles 10-13
We then made our way to sea and turned left on the boardwalk. As we approached, Scott remarked that this was the point when we'd "feel the wind". At the start, there was no wind but it was scheduled to pick up during the day. If it was bad, this would be the worst section of the race. We made the turn, and thankfully, there was no wind. We spread out across the boardwalk and enjoyed the awesome view of the sea and Virginia Beach skyline. Our pace was still in the 7:08-7:10 range and everything felt good. Scott and Craig both said they felt good and we maintain our steady pace. Shortly before turning off the boardwalk, Scott came up next to me and reminded me to hold back and relax. We were about to pass back through the start/finish area and the crowds would be big. Scott reminded me to hold steady and not get excited with all the cheering. It was at mile 12 when we saw the Team FeXY section. Shawn Clark ran out of the crowd and kept us company for 400 meters while Sam and Karen shouted us on. Shawn gave us some inspiring words before pulling up. About 400 meters later, I saw Karolina. The plan was to drop off my empty fuel belt and gloves while grabbing a new bottle of HEED and Hammer Gel flask. The complicated handoff went surprisingly well while Karolina ran along with me for a few seconds. She told me she had a great half marathon race and PRed. It was just the motivation I needed. After a few seconds I told Karolina I had to go and she pulled off.

Atlantic Ave. & Shore Drive - Miles 13-19
Scott, Craig and I regrouped and hit the half marathon mark at 1:34:13 - 47 seconds ahead of pace. Up to this point, the race had gone exactly to plan. No surprises, no issues, no bathroom stops, no tripping, no cramps, nothing! We made the turn onto Atlantic Ave. which was a long straight three mile stretch that seemed to go on forever. I felt really good and tried to lock into a relaxed but strong pace. Scott and Craig lined up behind me and we started a paceline down the road. At mile 14, I we had about 8 guys following behind us in a straight line. I felt great and ticked off 7:05 mile pace. We then turned left into a wooded section along Shore Drive at mile 16. For some reason, my Garmin started showing weird data and said we were running 7:25 pace. At first I thought I had slowed down and quickly picked up the pace. After a few seconds Craig asked me what the hell I was doing? I'd completely blown up the paceline and Scott quickly came to the front and told me to back off a bit. I settled back down, but was still concerned about the numbers I saw on the Garmin. At that point, I stopped looking at my watch and got split data from Scott at each mile marker. We continued running along shore drive, reading the interesting motivational signs posted by the race organizers. At this point I noticed that we were passing people at a steady rate. We ticked off 7:10 and 7:07 splits and then Scott gave me the news that Craig had fallen back. We both talked about whether we should hold up and I was conflicted with what I should do. Craig was shooting to go sub 3:15 and we were well under the pace to hit that time. I ultimately told Scott that we should keep going. I felt bad but I also didn’t know what lay ahead for me in the race.

Fort Story - Miles 19-23
We finally made the right turn into Fort Story which marked the 19 mile point in the race. This was a mini milestone in the race and point to check my pace and nutrition. Everything felt good as I took down more gel and Endurolytes. My feet hurt a little but calves felt great with my 2XU compression race socks. I started to pick things up and bit and got down to near sub 7:00 pace. At this point Scott came up to me and said I should hold back a little. There was still 7 miles to go and I should control my effort with a gradual build. I agreed and slowed our pace through mile 21. At mile 22 I finished my bottle and gel and ditched them at the aide station. Suddenly, at this point I started to feel the effects of my efforts. I was hurting and slowed down to 7:14 pace. Scott could see I was slowing down and provided some motivational words as I bared down on what lay ahead. This was where the mental toughness would come into play. I thought back to all the hard workouts and the moments when I pushed through the pain. The pain and discomfort was spreading from my feet to my quads and I tried to focus on the straight line ahead of me. Five more miles….four more miles…hang on…bend, don't break.

Atlantic Ave. Part II - Miles 23-26
We left the army base and got back out on Atlantic Ave. at mile 23. I told myself I had 5k to go. Come on, 5k is so short…I can run 5k with one leg. I tried every mental trick in the book. At mile 24 I started to feel a bit better and put myself in a running trance. My stride was locked in, I just continued the exact same motion over and over, trying to hang on and not blow up. Amazingly, we were still passing people. I was watching people blow up all around me, stopping to walk, stretching calves, sitting on the curb. Scott kept me focused, saying motivational phrases and counting down the miles. I continued my trance like run until suddenly, out of nowhere, I felt something kick my left foot. Scott was following right behind me and he accidentally got too close and kicked my foot forward. I felt my hamstring tighten up and begin to cramp. No! I yelled and tripped forward catching myself before locking up my hamstring and falling down. I was wide awake now from my trance. Scott was apologizing next to me but I heard nothing, all I could hear was brain screaming for me to stop. We hit mile 25 - one mile to go. The course snaked left and right and the sudden change in stride caused my right calve to twitch dangerously. I was moments away from my calve locking up and I needed to hang on for another 8 minutes. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, a cyclist pulled out in front of us, nearly hitting Scott. Scott provided some colorful commentary as we put our heads down for the final turn onto the home stretch.

Boardwalk - Mile 26
The final stretch was a .3 mile straight shot down the boardwalk. We made the final turn and could see the finish banner in the distance. I asked Scott if I was close to hitting 3:10. "We got it" was his reply. All I remember thinking was OK - don't cramp now. Just hang on for another quarter mile. The crowds grew as we approached the line. I could hear the sound of the announcer but it slowly became drowned out in the screams from the crowd. I looked over and saw Scott next to me. I could see he wanted to drop the hammer but I couldn't go. Part of me was scared of cramping up, but deep down I really just wanted to enjoy the final moments of the journey. It was running down the final stretch smiling from ear to ear. I couldn't stop smiling, I was so happy. It was going to happen. I was going to qualify for Boston. In the final steps I extended my hand to Scott. A final handshake to the guy who helped shepherd me home to the finish. We did it.




Finish
A few moments after crossing the line, I stopped my watch and hunched over. After a quick self examination, I confirmed I was OK and started my slow hobble down the finish shoot. I walked a few steps and then stopped to look at my watch. I still wasn't 100% convinced I'd done it. I saw 3:08:something. OK - confirmed. We received our finishers gear (a nice hat, medal, and beer cup) and made our way to the exit. Reid was the first to find us followed by Karolina, Dan and Shawn. About five minutes later we heard that Craig was finishing. He hung tough after mile 18 and also qualified for Boston with a 3:13. The three of us all hit our goals. It was an awesome conclusion and all the more special being surrounded by my friends and lovely wife.

Looking back on the day, the one thing I can say is "everything clicked". From pre-race, to race, to post-race, there was nothing that could have gone better. Everyone who ran on Sunday had a great race. Dan, Reid, Shawn, Ally, and Karolina all had PR races. The three marathoners all hit BQs and had amazing races. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.

Miles	Split	Total	HR
1.00	0:07:07	0:07:07	139
2.00	0:07:21	0:14:28	146
3.00	0:07:07	0:21:35	154
4.00	0:07:16	0:28:51	150
5.00	0:07:14	0:36:05	152
6.00	0:07:28	0:43:33	155
7.00	0:07:10	0:50:43	156
8.00	0:07:09	0:57:52	154
9.00	0:07:06	1:04:58	156
10.00	0:07:08	1:12:06	157
11.00	0:07:09	1:19:15	157
12.00	0:07:10	1:26:25	158
13.00	0:07:08	1:33:33	161
14.00	0:07:03	1:40:36	161
15.00	0:07:05	1:47:41	162
16.00	0:07:07	1:54:48	162
17.00	0:07:10	2:01:58	163
18.00	0:07:07	2:09:05	164
19.00	0:07:03	2:16:08	166
20.00	0:07:01	2:23:09	167
21.00	0:07:09	2:30:18	168
22.00	0:07:14	2:37:32	167
23.00	0:07:12	2:44:44	166
24.00	0:07:14	2:51:58	167
25.00	0:07:14	2:59:12	168
26.00	0:07:14	3:06:26	170
26.22	0:01:34	3:08:00	171

Shamrock Race Report: Part I - Getting to the Start Line

This is part 1 of my race report for the Shamrock Marathon

Making the decision to go for BQ
The idea of qualifying for the Boston Marathon first came up in 2004 when I began running again. My supervisor was a serious runner and he talked about the Boston Marathon and the qualification process. I remember going to the BAA website and looking up the times. My first thought was wow, that's fast. Then I figured out the pace, 7:15, and realized it was way beyond my capabilities. The idea of qualifying for the Boston Marathon quickly faded away.
Two years later I attempted my first marathon. I signed up for the Marine Corp Marathon and started training. 2006 was a tough year both personally and professionally. I didn't train well, put on weight, and tried to make up the missing mileage a month before the race. Long story short - I got injured and didn't race. My lasting memory of this incident was going to packet pickup, telling them I wouldn’t race, and refusing to take the race t-shirt. I didn't want the shirt for a race I didn't complete - especially a marathon.

2006 - DNS

One year later I reentered the Marine Corp Marathon and followed a solid (but abridged) marathon training plan. I felt confident that I could run a solid race given my training and went in with the goal of finishing. I finished the race but suffered through one of the hardest and most painful moments of my life. I went out too fast, hit the wall at mile 18, and hobbled home with seizing cramps.

2007 - 4:05

I didn't want to run another marathon ever again. But, I made a last minute decision to enter the Baltimore Marathon in 2008 with the idea of supporting Karolina. I was going to start with her and see what happens. I was better trained overall in 2008, but I hadn't focused on the marathon. I started the race with Karolina and slowly ran my own race after a few miles. I used my experiences from 2007 to temper my efforts, focus on nutrition and hydration, and run a steady and relaxed race. I made it to the line without bonking in complete shock of my time.

2008 - 3:33

After Baltimore I realized that I could actually run 26.2 miles without killing myself. I also started dreaming about what I could do if I focused on the marathon. How fast could I go? Could I qualify? By the time we got home from Baltimore, I'd made the decision to go for a BQ.

Picking the Plan
I consulted with my coach, Eric Sorensen, and my cadre of running friends about marathon-specific training. I grew up a swimmer and all I knew about running came from triathlon training. I needed to build a marathon training plan that would take me from my current form to BQ. I'd need to run more miles per week then ever before and run consistently for at least 18 weeks over the winter months. I consulted with friends, family, and researched the internet across running forums and websites.

I eventually decided on a plan developed by Pete Pfitzinger known as the Pfitz 55/18. The plan goes 18 weeks with a max mileage of 55 miles a week. I started my marathon training three weeks prior to the formal plan to get some base miles down and not jump to quickly into high mileage running. The Pfitz 55/18 plan comes from the book Advance Marathoning. It's an excellent guide to 'racing' marathons. This was one of the big differences in my training - going from training to finish a marathon to training to race a marathon. I liked the simplicity of Pfitzinger's training, the focus on one key workout a week and simple pacing guidance during longer runs. The main difference from my past training was this plan included 10-14 mile runs during the middle of the week. These 'medium distance' runs kept the weekly mileage up while allowing two days off from running a week. Once I decided on the plan - I completely committed to the schedule.

Dark Cold Winter
The only drawback to spring marathon is that training goes on during the winter. I initially dodged the outdoors when I started training and hit the treadmill whenever possible. Once the individual workouts exceeded 8 miles - I found myself resorting to run outdoors. Although I initially fought it, I eventually embraced the dark cold evening run workouts. I convinced myself that they made me tougher and that the harsh conditions would make race day feel easy. By December I was limiting the treadmill to select recovery workouts and doing everything outside on the W&OD trail. I did all of my evening runs alone and rarely saw a single runner on the trail. I adopted the image of the 'lonely long distance runner' - training alone and driven by my own unseen demons. As I ticked through the workouts, the longer I stayed on schedule, the more galvanized and driven I became with completing the program. Looking back, I missed only four workouts in 21 weeks.

Challenges Along the Way
No quest would be complete without some challenges along the way. I had a few scares but at no point did I train myself to injury. This was my ultimate fear. I'd get within a few weeks of completing the training and suddenly wake up injured and unable to run. While this never happened, I did manage a trip to emergency room with a severe abdominal infection. As bad as it was, the timing was almost perfect, coming near the end of the hard training cycle. The time off corresponded with a scheduled recovery period and I bounced back quickly. My life outside of running also brought a few challenges. Work demanded much of time and I found myself exhausted from the challenges in the office and the demands of training. Once again, when things really became tough, the timing worked out. My late nights in office came during taper when my run training decreased dramatically. Had this come during a major training cycle, I would have likely snapped under the pressure. Everything seemed to happen at the opportune time, and I started to think that I just might be successful.

Confidence
As my training moved through the two key months of January and February, I started to believe that I could BQ. The tests I completed in training gave me the confidence that I could run 26.2 miles at 7:15 pace. I was running faster then ever around the track and able to hold the right pace on select long runs. Each milestone in training sowed the seeds of confidence that would bloom during taper. The final few weeks were largely uneventful. My challenge was balancing work with my life at home. The other item to control was my mental strength. It could make or break the race and I needed to balance confidence, patience, relaxation, and excitement. "The work is done, now you need to execute" and "Execution: running the race according to plan" became phrases I repeated over and over. I was nervous no question about it, but I was also excited.

3:08:00

On Sunday I ran a 3:08:00 at the Shamrock Marathon and successfully qualified for the Boston Marathon. I'll be posting photos and race report shortly once I get things settled at work.

For now, a huge thank you to all my family and friends for their support, well wishes, and congratulations the past week. This has been an amazing past four months of works and I couldn't have got through it without you. THANK YOU!

http://results.active.com/pages/page.jsp?eventLinkageID=20302

DAVID ORTON #275

RESTON, VA

Age: 31 Gender: M

Distance	MAR
Clock Time	3:08:05
Chip Time	3:08:00
Overall Place	73 / 2555
Gender Place	68 / 1573
Division Place	9 / 193
Age Grade	66.4%
7 Mile	50:36
Half Split	1:34:13
18 1 Mile	2:09:44

The Final Week

So it's come down to this...one last week of taper. The work is done so now the focus shifts to staying relaxed and keeping my head straight. As of today, the weather is looking good and all the pieces are in falling into place for a great weekend in VA Beach.

I'll try to post some more info this week leading up to the race. After Thursday the best source for updates will be my twitter account.

Thanks again to all my family and friends who've provided support and encouragement along this journey.

Monday	03/16/09	Off	0.0
Tuesday	03/17/09	Recovery Run	6.0
Wednesday	03/18/09	7 Miles w/ 2 Mi @ marathon pace	7.0
Thursday	03/19/09	Off	0.0
Friday	03/20/09	5 Miles w/ 6x100m Strides	5.0
Saturday	03/21/09	Recovery Run	4.0
Sunday	03/22/09	Shamrock Marathon	26.2
Week 21 Totals			48.2

Weekly recap: 3/9 - 3/15

Taper Week #1. This was a nice week of training with a significant drop in total volume. This was the lowest weekly volume going back to November. With only four runs and three days off - I had a number of moments where I didn't know what to do with myself. I was full of energy and wanted to get on with the race. The taper anxiety was beginning.

The key workout this week was my track session on Wednesday. I was supposed to run on the HHS track but the varsity soccer game forced me into the parking lot. I ran around the front of the high school which created a .3 mile loop. Not ideal, but given it was flat and had no traffic, it was the best option. The wind was bad and I honestly lacked the focus while executing the three 1 mile repeats. I ran 6:20, 6:15, and 6:16 which was about 10 to 15 seconds below my goal going into the workout. While I didn't kill the workout, I told myself that this was OK given the proximity to race day.

Sunday was my last 'medium distance' run. I did the 12 miler with Karolina running out on the W&OD. The run went well and I felt solid wearing my race shorts and compression calve guards. I did have one quick scare around mile 8 when I felt a sudden sharp pain in my right foot. I don't know what it was, but for a moment I thought I cracked something in my metatarsal. The pain went away after a few seconds and it left me wondering if I'd just given myself a stress fracture. Ahh the irony... a stress fracture on my last real run one week before the marathon. The pain was gone and when I got home but my paranoia persisted. As of today there is nothing there but I keep convincing myself that my foot feels 'off'. The taper-gremlins are messing with my head...

Below is a recap of my second-to-last week of this marathon jounry. As always, thanks for reading.

Monday	03/09/09	Off	0:00:00	0.0
Tuesday	03/10/09	7 Miles w/ 8x100m Strides. Ran around old north Reston and the W&OD. Started to feel good after 3 miles. Strides became more snappy and I felt more controlled.	0:59:30	7.4
Wednesday	03/11/09	8 Miles w/ 3x1600m @ 5k pace w/ 2 min recovery. Did this at the HHS parking lot b/c the track was taken. Not ideal location, very windy and I lacked my usual pop. Would have liked to have been 15 seconds faster on each interval. 1. 6:21 2. 6:15 3. 6:16	1:10:01	8.8
Thursday	03/12/09	Off	0:00:00	0.0
Friday	03/13/09	5 Miles w/ 6x100m Strides. Did this on the treadmill. Felt great and wanted to do more. Wore my flats to get used to them again.	0:40:48	5.0
Saturday	03/14/09	Off	0:00:00	0.0
Sunday	03/15/09	Medium Distance Run on W&OD. Ran the first three miles with Karolina for WU. Felt great and picked things up to 7:50 pace. Felt good but had some new foot pain after the uphill in Sterling. Kept the average HR at 141 but felt a little beat at the end.	1:37:24	12.1
Week 20 Totals			4:27:43	33.3

Two Weeks to Go = Taper City

OK -- The volume is really coming down now and I've got three days off this week (yes!). The key workout this week is on Wednesday when I do my final interval session -- 3 times a mile at 5k pace with 2 minutes rest. It seems hard but shouldn't be too bad given the rest interval. Other then that it's strides a 'short' 12 miler on Sunday. I'm starting to get the pre-race butterflies as I approach March 22. The other item I'm focusing on is my nutrition. I need to closely watch what I eat the next couple weeks and make sure I don't put down too many calories as my training effort decreases.

Welcome to Taper City!

Monday	03/09/09	Off	0.0
Tuesday	03/10/09	7 Miles w/ 8x100m Strides	7.0
Wednesday	03/11/09	8 Miles w/ 3x1600m @ 5k pace w/ 2 min recovery	8.0
Thursday	03/12/09	Off	0.0
Friday	03/13/09	5 Miles w/ 6x100m Strides	5.0
Saturday	03/14/09	Off	0.0
Sunday	03/15/09	Medium Distance Run.	12.0
Week 20 Totals			32.0

Weekly recap: 3/2 - 3/8

This was a recovery week but I have to say I don't feel recovered yet. Things went well overall and I had a three critical workouts which went well.

My track session on Wednesday was very good. Despite running across snow and ice (there was a little ice on the HHS track), I was able to hit my targets for 5x600. I stayed near 5:45 pace and dropped down to 5:39 for the last effort. Legs felt good and my speed/turnover were dialed in. The jog to and from the track in snow and ice was terrible and I was lucky I didn't slip or fall. In hind sight, I should have drove to the track and done the entire run there rather than risk injury this close to my goal race.

The next key workout came on Friday night. I executed a 7 mile tempo run with two miles of warm up and one mile of warm down. The tempo miles started at 7:00 pace and dropped down to 6:50 over the last five miles. This was my first hard run in 'warm weather' and I did feel some additional fatigue. Warm weather efforts have always been challenging for me but I need to get some warm weather acclimation done before Shamrock. There is no telling what the weather will be on race day. It could be rainy and 40 or sunny and 70. I pushed through a few tough patches during the tempo run and finished with strong confidence that I have some speed.

Sunday's long run went well but it seemed 'harder' than normal. Karolina, Reid, Mary Beth and I went to the C&O Canal for this run and I tried to execute a typical pre-race routine. It was a warmer out (70s) and I tried to hydrate as much as possible before running. After a two mile warm up and quick potty stop I settled into 7:45 pace and felt great over the next 10 miles. I paid special attention to nutrition and hydration, using my fuel belt at regular intervals. The last four mile I picked things up a little into the 7:30 range and started to feel the effort. I'm not sure if it was fatigue or dehydration, but my HR was creeping up to the mid 150s when it was normally in the mid-high 140s. I finished well but felt more dead after the run than expected. It was a good effort and it was great to be out running on a beautful warm day with friends.

I ended this week of training feeling a bit dead. The long run on Sunday left me more pooped than normal but overall I still feel great. Next week I have one hard workout remaining and then it's all recovery and strides. So far so good, now the focus starts to shift to my mental game.

Thanks for reading.

Monday	03/02/09	Off	0:00:00	0.0
Tuesday	03/03/09	Recovery Run on the treadmill. Kept things steady at low 8 min pace with some 7:55 mixed in. Felt solid but a little tight in right hamstring.	0:49:50	6.2
Wednesday	03/04/09	8 Miles w/ 5x600m (.37 mile) @ 5k pace w/ 90 sec recovery on HHS track. Very icy conditions so WU/WD were slow. Intervals felt good. 1. 2:06 (5:43 pace) 2. 2:08 (5:47 pace) 3. 2:06 (5:43 pace) 4. 2:07 (5:44 pace) 5. 2:05 (5:39 pace)	1:12:37	8.6
Thursday	03/05/09	Off	0:00:00	0.0
Friday	03/06/09	Tempo run on W&OD. WU first two miles then settled into 7:00 pace. Ran the last miles at 6:50 pace. Felt solid but a hard effort.	1:13:47	10.0
Saturday	03/07/09	4 Miles recovery run around Reston. Felt tight after the tempo run so I took it easy. Hot weather and wasn't used to the heat!	0:35:35	4.3
Sunday	03/08/09	Long Run on the C&O. WU first two miles then settled into 7:45 pace. Felt really good going. Dropped things down to 7:30s for the last 6 miles but started to tire and feel the heat. A solid run but tired at the end.	2:07:52	16.1
Week 19 Totals			5:59:41	45.3