From Runner's World on-line

I scalped this from RW.com. First, I wish I could get a pace group like Lance. Wow. There is some serious talent. Secondly, 1:57:48 marathon?! Are you serious. That is a decent half-marathon time for many people. All I have to say, is one day I hope to run a 2:57:48 marathon, so until then they should hold all those conferences without me.

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Will Lance Armstrong Get A Little Help From His Friends In New York City?

"Runner's World" has learned that Nike is hoping to put together a marathon pace team for Tour de France hero Lance Armstrong at the ING New York City Marathon on November 5. Possible members of the pace team: 1984 Olympic gold medal marathoner Joan Benoit Samuelson, three-time New York City Marathon winner Alberto Salazar, and 2004 Olympic 1500 and 5000-meter gold medalist Hicham El Guerrouj.

Can A Human Actually Run a 1:57:48 Marathon?

The star-studded (scientists can be stars, you know) World Conference on the Science and Medicine of the Marathon in Chicago last week covered a wide array of topics pertinent to running, but none perhaps more intruging than the perennial topic of how fast humans might actually be able to cover 26.2 miles. Edward Coyle, Director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Texas, used physiological measures like VO2 Max to suggest that a runner is theoretically capable of running a 1:45 marathon. Factoring in a 10 percent slowdown due to fatigue and stress on the body, Coyle still came up with a 1:57:48 figure. And, using information culled by British exercise physiologist Max Jones on Paula Radcliffe, Coyle deduced that Radcliffe, whose world record is 2:15:25, might one day run a 2:13.

More, www.iaaf.org

20K vitals

Time: 1:34:17
Ave pace: 4:43 min/k
Ave HR: 168
Splits: 4:32, 4:39, 4:29, 4:35, 4:42, 4:43, 4:33, 4:46, 4:41, 4:47, 4:40, 4:47, 4:47, 4:45, 4:51, 4:42, 4:40, 4:51, 4:42, 4:51.
The goal was to run the final 5K at 4:30 but the wind made the laughable.

Finally have 20K in the books

Seven days before my half-marathon (hopefully) I finally have 20K in the log book. In a typical training period this would be my taper, but this is not normal and I'm not gunning for any great time in Moncton.
I had a great Sunday. It started when we took a family 2.7K walk around the neighbourhood before naptime (what can I say every route in the neighborhood is GPS'd, so no walk is just a walk anymore). Once everyone was asleep I did my 20K run! This was only two weeks delayed. The last time I remember running 20K was the NCM half marathon. I wanted to keep the pace slower than I hope to run next weekend's half-marathon, but fast enough to see how much I've lost in the last two months.
I will post my splits later, but the first 10K was fine. I had a few fast splits but they generally were during the two downhill segments along the Lincoln Road. I generally kept my times plus-minus five seconds of 4:40 min/k. I really felt good during this part. My feet were a bit sore but that is due to my desperate need for new shoes.
When I turned around that is when the wind really bothered me. It was there the entire run but it was gusting from the side. The final 10K was into a direct headwind. To say it was brutal would be an understatement. It totally killed my final few splits, I couldn't breathe it was so bad. In fact, I ended up yelling at the wind a few times for a brief respite, to no avail, I ended up looking like an idiot.
I ended up averaging 4:43 min/k for the 20K. For its many faults, this run proved that I can run a half-marathon next weekend. I won't be a speed demon but hopefully it will get me in the right mental frame to start marathon training.

20K Finally!

For some reason my three last posts did not upload. I will try and get them on-line today.

Seven days before my half-marathon (hopefully) I finally have 20K in the log book. In a typical training period this would be my taper, but this is not normal and I'm not gunning for any great time in Moncton.
I had a great Sunday. It started when we took a family 2.7K walk around the neighbourhood before naptime (what can I say every route in the neighborhood is GPS'd, so no walk is just a walk anymore). Once everyone was asleep I did my 20K run! This was only two weeks delayed. The last time I remember running 20K was the NCM half marathon. I wanted to keep the pace slower than I hope to run next weekend's half-marathon, but fast enough to see how much I've lost in the last two months.
I will post my splits later, but the first 10K was fine. I had a few fast splits but they generally were during the two downhill segments along the Lincoln Road. I generally kept my times plus-minus five seconds of 4:40 min/k. I really felt good during this part. My feet were a bit sore but that is due to my desperate need for new shoes.
When I turned around that is when the wind really bothered me. It was there the entire run but it was gusting from the side. The final 10K was into a direct headwind. To say it was brutal would be an understatement. It totally killed my final few splits, I couldn't breathe it was so bad. In fact, I ended up yelling at the wind a few times for a brief respite, to no avail, I ended up looking like an idiot.
I ended up averaging 4:43 min/k for the 20K. For its many faults, this run proved that I can run a half-marathon next weekend. I won't be a speed demon but hopefully it will get me in the right mental frame to start marathon training.

Wednesday night rain

I definitely did not pick a good week for running. The other night it was wind and tonight it was rain. To be honest, it was not a constant downpour but it was enough to drench me and make for slippery footing.
I opted for a 7K tempo. In an effort to stay injury free I've kept my paces down recently. The flip side to that, I'm finding now that it is harder to gear up for a faster paced run. I thought I was going at a good clip for my first K but then I was told it was 4:26. That is what I do on longer runs not tempos. That is 26 seconds off my short tempo pace. The 7K was finished in 29:57, giving me an average split of 4:17. That is normally slow but I've been running the loop with some steady inclines which accounts, partially, for the slower times. My ave HR was 171 BPM. A bit high but I'll take it.
Now when will I do that 20K?

Another 10K under my belt

After all the girls were asleep last night I managed to get out for a 10K run. I kept it slow so not to aggravate my right hamstring. I finished in 44 minutes and felt strong the entire time. My HR remained consistent, leading me to believe that I didn't lose a lot of my conditioning during my September running hiatus and last week's events. I have come to the conclusion that I really need a new pair of shoes. I'm hoping that is what is causing my pain and not another overuse injury, mainly because I haven't ran a lot lately and if I'm getting injured now that is a bad omen for my marathon training.

My goal is still to run the Legs for Literacy half-marathon in Moncton on Nov. 5. But before I register I want to get in a good long run. I've done 15K and that felt fine but I still haven't got in my 20K run that I have scheduled a few times. I may try tonight or tomorrow night if I get done my work earlier and can leave immediately after the girls go down. I'm not holding my breath.

Quick run

First run in a week. Long story. I did a 5K tempo in 20:03. Felt good despite hurricane force winds ... well they felt that strong. HR and splits were consistent.
 

Slowly getting back into it

It's pouring in Fredericton today. Does it count as my interval training when I'm running from car to Second Cup, car to office, etc. to avoid the rain?
I can only get out running at night now, which is tough to get any specific training done. I essentially get out when I can and I run until it's too dark or I'm too tiried. So I'm never quite sure what I'm going to run in the morning, it will all come down to whether I can get away in the evening.
I ran 12K last night and it felt tough at the end. I tried to keep an even pace throughout much of the run, but some of the slight incline/decline areas killed that plan. I really, really want to get a 15K run in this week so we'll see how that goes. I feel great this morning, so that is a huge bonus.