ADELANTE!

Ready to attack another week of training. Weather has been quite warm and am not sure how that will affect my training. Goal is to at least get in an hour+ of running each day, really emphasizing on quality of training as well as quantity. Started off well with a good Monday fartlek (after a draining 20M the day before) and ran an adjusted track workout on Tuesday due to motivational and time issues. Wednesday will be a medium long run of at least 14M, while Thursday is the standard bridge workout. Friday is recovery followed by Saturday's either track workout or strength workout. If the weather drops into the 30-50's I will venture 2h30'-3h for my long run in Huntsville. * Update: Well, I had to travel to Dallas for business on Thursday and was emotionally drained by the end of the day and traffic, as well as quite full from a wonderfully relaxing lunch with my wife in the restaurant in which I propsed to her: Antares. It's a revolving restaurant 500-feet in the Dallas...

After a roller-coaster end to my week last week, I hope to now remain a bit more stable. This week has started decently, as I ran an okay fartlek on Monday, followed that with a disappointing, yet proud first serious track workout on Tuesday, and then had a heck of a medium long run on Wednesday. Thursday will be my standard bridge/hill workout, although it will be extended (more warm-up). Friday will be my recovery day and as of date Saturday will be some sort of road/track mixed workout, while Sunday will be a journey to Huntsville and perhaps an attempt at three loops. Monday, 12-11-2006 1h17'29" for 12 Miles of Fartlek on the Seabrook Trails 6 x 3' Hard, 3' Easy... Tuesday, 12-12-2006 1h19' of Track Work at Clear Brook High School for 12 Miles Total 3 x (1500-1000-500) @ 74" pace with 400M Jog Rest 4'39-3'05-1'32", 4'48-3'07-1'32", 4'45-3'06-1'30" (74" Avg.) Wednesday, 12-13-2006 1h29'10" fo...

Due to recent work conditions, I am forced to only train once/daily if I want to keep some semblance of family life. So, I will be loading up the mornings in order to satisfy my obsessive-compusive nature when it comes to total mileage. I will still aim to be well over 70M week, and hopefully approaching 120M/week. Anyway, the week has started out well, as I felt no hangover from my venture past 2h10' on my Sunday long run on hills. Great sign. Also, made a great call to not focus so much on exact splits and turned my 10M alt. mile workout into a fartlek. Great mid-week long run and a solid bridge session round out the beginning of the week which will be followed by two "recovery" days and then a 5M time trial effort on Sunday. Monday, 12-04-2006 46'10" for 7 Miles of Fartlek on the Seabrook Trails 6 x 3' Hard, 4' Easy... Tuesday, 12-05-2006 59'14" for 10 Miles of Alt. Miles on the Seabrook Trails Alternate Mile at 6'15" Effort / 5'1...

Horrible start to the week as I thankfully survived Sunday's stupidity. Sunday was scheduled to be an 8M long run, but I was willing to extend it to 15M with Rudy Rocha, Brent Riley, Tom King, and Chris Bittinger at 5:45 in the morning in Seabrook. However, the "long run" turned into a race-tempo effort of "d!ck-waving" and interval training. Absolute high school running and immaturity. I was only man enough to stop at 8M to minimize the damage (had raced on Saturday and the sub-5'50" pace running was straining my left hamstring/adductors). Looking back, I will never compromise my training again. I think we all learned from this run. Anyhow, I was still feeling the effects by Tuesday's track workout, but I still able to hit my goal pace. Wednesday I was in quite some pain, but I toughed it out and had a solid bridge workout on Thursday. Friday will be complete recovery and I may attempt another 5 km race on Saturday before heading up to Huntsville w...

An excellent week of training, as I am starting to get into a solid rhythm. The weather has been great and I have been feeling stronger with each run, especially Thanksgiving's bridge workout, as I felt full of power and control. This confidence led into today's 5 km time trial in The Woodlands, as I aimed for a 16'10" performance and came away pleasantly surprised with an evenly run 15'56" performance to stun myself on my 20th day of training after "being pregnant", as Jon Walk states. So, here was the week of training, all building like a snowball: Monday, 11-20-2006 AM: 57'04" for 9 Miles of Fartlek on the Seabrook Trails 8 x 3' Hard, 3' Easy... PM: 32'59" for 5 Miles of Recovery at Nottingham Park Tuesday, 11-21-2006 1h15'07" for 12 Miles on the Seabrook Trails (39'55" / 35'12") Wednesday, 11-22-2006 AM: 50'28" for 7 Miles of Recovery on the Seabrook Trails PM: 27'37" for 4 Mi...

Alright, am off to a solid start in my full second week of training, post-Victoria. Started off with a very solid fartlek and am repeating more of the same Oregon System with just an increase in mileage and an introduction to running twice daily on certain days. I just rationalized that I can work harder than my current workload only if my leg does not intensify with pain, which it is not. Am looking to time trial at the end of my third week of training. 16'10" is the goal. Monday, 11-13-2006 AM: 51' for 8 Miles of Fartlek at the Seabrook Trails- 6 x 3' Easy, 3' Hard... PM: 27'39" for 4 Miles of Recovery at Nottingham Park Tuesday, 11-14-2006 1h16'13" for 12 Miles Steady at the Seabrook Trails Wednesday, 11-15-2006 AM: 40'47" for 6 Miles of Recovery at the Seabrook Trails PM: 23'08" for 3 Miles of Recovery at Nottingham Park Thursday, 11-16-2006 1h03'12" for 10 Miles of Hill Workout of 24 x 200M Up Kemah Bridge (Jog Down...

Alright, thanks for your patience. I have been a bit out of touch due to the birth of my second beautiful daughter, Victoria Rodriguez, who was born on November 2nd at 7:40AM weighing 6 lbs 5 ounces and measuring 19" long. My family, consisting of my Mom, Dad, older brother Alex and his wife Julie, flew into town for the birth. Perla is doing fine and so is Victoria and older sister Madelyn. So, back to training: after a solid hill session on the Kemah Bridge on the afternoon of Victoria's birth, I took Friday off, ran about 4 miles with my Dad around the Seabrook Trails on Saturday, and then took Sunday off. I had been running well, so I was disappointed with my lapse in training, but there is only so much energy one can expend in a day, so... Monday, 11-06-2006 46'36" Fartlek for 7 Miles of 6 x 3' hard, 3' easy at Nottingham Park Tuesday, 11-07-2006 1h08'04" Progression for 10 Miles with Chad at the Seabrook Trails Wednesday, 11-08-2006 31'46...

Sunday, 7:45AM, 10-15-2006 37' for 5 Miles in the Rain at the Seabrook Trails Absolutely horrible. My legs had nothing. I had nothing. My leg ached, I could not run my pickups with any effort whatsoever. Actually debated not driving out, as the rain was bad, but went out anyway, against my best judgements and got what I deserved. Rained the rest of the day, so I did not even attempt another run. Supposed to rain all day on Monday, so I will rest and perhaps run long on Tuesday morning. Saturday, 2:30PM, 10-14-2006 1h10' for 10 Miles around Seabrook Trails with Derek Wood + 8 x 100 Meter Strides A great run. Started out solo, but soon met up with Derek at Pine Gully and we finished up well. My leg was a bit awkward today, but the pace of the run was my best since I've been back. Kept rolling but trying to stay recovered. Had a solid session of strides, but once again, am fearful of my hip flexor continuing to bother me. Absolutely love running in the afternoon. Friday, 7:00A...

Thursday, 6:45AM, 10-12-2006 1h20' for 12 Miles on the Seabrook Trails Good recovery from yesterday's bridge workout, but my hip flexor is still a bit tight/sore. I really need to make some time, somewhere, to have Dr. Sanders work on it before it worsens. It did not affect me on the run, which went very well. My legs were a bit tight, and I was running faster than I would have liked, but passed through the first loop in 40' and the second loop in 38'. Had to stretch a couple of time for tightness in my left hamstring/adductor, but all went well. Solid work. Just need to eat and hydrate and rest.

Wednesday, 6:45AM, 10-11-2006 1h07'08" for 9 Miles of 2.5 Mile Warm-Up, 8 x 1'20" up Kemah Bridge, Jog Down Recovery, 2.5 Mile Cool-Down 20'27, 3'26, 1'22" (2'), 1'21" (2'o4"), 1'22" (2'09"), 1'22 (2'03"), 1'20 (2'06"), 1'21" (2'04"), 1'22" (2'51"), 18'21" Woke up this morning and mentioned to Perla, "how have I been doing this so long", this getting up at dawn, driving out, busting @ss, working 9 hours, and repeat. But I found out why this morning. Had a great hill session this morning at Kemah. Got out there early and warmed-up in the dark and fog, but laced up my 205's and hit the bridge, focusing on running smoothly and strongly up the incline. I definitely have a long way to go in terms of strength-endurance, but this workout was exactly what I needed. I felt the fatigue coming on by number six or so, but I bore down, still...

Tuesday, 6:45AM, 10-10-2006 55' for 8 Miles on the Seabrook Trails + 8 x 100 Meter Strides Ah, a good run. Very rejuvenated traveling out to Seabrook every morning. It's like I am going to work again. Love the loneliness of the trails, and lately the darkness. It has been warm and humid, so I need to start running without my shirt, but alas, I am Kenyan in this respect lately. My quads were still torn, but I managed to enter a smooth, powerful rhythm with no hiccups in my stride whatsoever. I guess my left quad is a bit sorer than my right, but it gave me no problems. Beautiful high tide today on the run and was proud that I added up my course correctly. Nailed 55' right as I got back to the loop for a second time. After the run was what I feared most: 8 x 100m strides. In the past I have not been healthy enough to run strides, but I laced up my 205's and got out there. Was going to run them on the trails, but someone parked in my path and I hopped onto the road. Just f...

Monday, 6:45AM, 10-09-2006 1h05' for 9+ Miles on the Seabrook Trails with Rudy Rocha A great recovery run. Rudy and I were both a bit drained from yesterday's long run effort, but once we got rolling, we got into a good rhyhm on the trails working down from 7' pace to the 6'20's. All the while we chatted and controlled ourselves, but a good morning for running although it was a bit humid. Very nice to be able to run with someone out there on a regular basis. Great decision to drive out to Seabrook and resume my secret training. Good run. Sunday, 9:45AM, 10-08-2006 1h45' for 15 Miles from Seabrook to Tuscan Lakes and Back Crazy and old school. Met up with Rudy late after a great barbeque last night at my sister-in-law's. The weather was still excellent (in the 70's), so we opted for a later start than usual in place of more rest. Anyhow, Rudy said he had a nice 5M loop over the bridge and back to start off the run, so we headed out and then I said, you kn...

Wednesday, 10-04-2006 57'23" Fartlek of 12' Warm-Up + 4 x 3' at 5'40" Pace, 6' Recovery, 12' Cool-down for 9 Miles A solid fartlek. I feel I was controlled. I really wanted to run something fast/workout today, so Coach Erickson gave me the green light to run a fartlek since I could not get in my 5 x 12' session. Obviously, my fastest time on this course, but I am still running quite slow although I feel full of fluidity. Thursday-Friday Rest/Motivational Issues This happens everytime I go awry on a training schedule. I felt I could not meet the demands of Coach Erickson's schedule and yet stay healthy. My training area is the number one issue: I just cannot force myself to run hard on concrete and convince myself that I will not get injured. I will have a new plan soon.

The above picture is of myself and current BYU superstar harrier, Josh Rohatinsky. I came across Rohatinsky while part of the USOC "Live High, Train Low" Altitude Study in Deer Park, Utah. The above picture was taken at the Heber City High School track in Heber City, Utah, at close to 5600 feet of altitude. Rohatinsky was "hired" as our rabbit for our 3000 meter time trials while in Utah. On this occassion, I believe I clocked 9'04" for the 3000 two days after running 25+ miles in the Wasatch Mountains (my infamous getting lost story), while Rohatinsky led us through the mile in under 4'40". Great kid. At this time he was about to breakthrough with, I believe, a sub-9' 3200m later in the season, or he had already enrolled at Brigham Young University. Regardless, we all knew that this kid was special. And he proves it to this day, as he is already undefeated and headed into the NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships as a co-favor...

Tuesday, 7:30 PM, 10-03-2006 59'18" for 9 Miles around Memorial Park Another good run. Starting out better than yesterday, but ended worse. Oh well. Had some strengthening issues with my left foot (shoes too tight) and my glutes were super-sore. Anyhow, had some good running moments, especially my final 2 miles after I had to stop and stretch. Very hard to tell how fast I am running in the darkness, but another good run for commitment's sake, and I got home before Perla, so that made me feel better about the run. Am realizing I cannot train in the AM at the moment, so I have challenged Erickson to give me a mid-week fartlek and perhaps a track workout next week. My 5 x 12' effort will be saved for Saturday. Where, I'm not sure yet. Monday, 7:15 PM, 10-02-2006 58'24" for 9 Miles around Memorial Park Well, I've sucked it up for the time being. Due to my current living and life situation, I am unable to train in the mornings and stay healthy. So, I have c...

See if you can find me (be patient) on the slideshow advertisement for the A1A Marathon on the front page of Running Times (middle right of page).

Sunday, 6:15 PM, 10-01-2006 45'10" for 7 Miles around the Seabrook Trails Excellent run. I would qualify this as a progression run. I started out quite late at night since I was able to attend the Texans' game at noon and after having a couple of beers, I needed some down-time with my family. Anyway, debated driving out to Seabrook, but was glad that I did, as I always run well there. I am really able to push myself. I started out easily, but I knew I was running well. Hit Pine Gully under 20' and so I decided to add-on the outer trail and double back. Fought against some struggle, but I was very pleased how my left leg was holding up as I wanted to continue to push the pace, although I was conscious of not forcing the issue. I just starting unwinding and unwinding until I was in full flight, flying down the trails quite smoothly. Finished up well and felt solid, other than my car having a flat tire. Oh well, can't be good all the time. Saturday, 7:15 AM, 9-30-2006...

Friday, 7:30 AM, 9-29-2006 47'28" for about 7 Miles in Heritage Park Big-time recovery run, but I was still covering ground well. My hamstrings are both absolutely trashed due to some new squats I have incorporated in order to fully heal my left adductor. That's how weak I am, is that body-weight (actually, I hold two GU2O cannisters in my hands- probably weigh 2 lbs. each) squats tear me up. They were very tender and weak and caused me not to push the pace at all, which I did not mind. A good run, and am hopefully getting healthy and getting my dedication back. Thursday, 7:15 PM, 9-28-2006 45'36" for about 7 Miles at Memorial Park Solid run. I really opened up on this run. I started out for 24-minutes, passed my starting point in about 21' and then turned around at 24-minutes to retrace my steps. I really opened it up tonight in the darkness. My hamstrings were trashed, but they held up to the pace and I really felt like I was moving. "Moving" right...

Tuesday, 9-26-2006 46'17" for 7 Miles around Heritage Park Much better run. Maybe I can run. Maybe I am a runner. What a difference between today and yesterday, muscle-wise. Today I was much more in control of my running, able to run strongly and fluidly throughout the course. I even covered more distance, about an extra half mile. Better pace as well. Anyway, I still must have bronchitis. I feel like a smoker when I finish, as I just have this horrible cough when I finish running. Anyhow, adductor was much less painful as well. I will not be fast until 2007, I believe. Oh well, at least we shall see.

Monday, 9-25-2006 48' for about 7 Miles around Heritage Park Alright, where do I begin? Well, I went to the Dr. on Friday after a week or so of refusing to admit that I was sick. However, as 10 days passed from my initial sickness, I soon came to the conclusion that I either have sinusitis or bronchitis or a little of both. So, after my last run of 30' on Wednesday of last week, my focus was on to rebuild my immune system by resting. And so I rested the best I could, coughing all day long and enduring sinus pain and headache after headache. Oh, the Dr. What a joke. I ended up getting on webmd.com and selecting a reasonably priced doctor from their list, as I do not have health insurance. Anyhow, by the time the Dr. sees me I know I am in for a disappointment. The guy goes on to question if I either have AIDS, am a homosexual, or participate in recreational drug use. I'm like, buddy, I'm a serious runner and I am sick. He reasons that he rarely sees men as thin as I am a...

Mon (11), 9 miles in 59'32" Tue (12), 9.5 miles in 1h Wed (13), 9 miles in 1h00'42" Thu (14), 9.5 miles in 1h01'07" Fri (15), 8.5 miles in 59'49" Sat (16), 5 km in 16'05" Sun (17), Rest Total, 50 Miles Proposed Week VI Mon (18), AM: 1h at 6'40-7'05" pace / PM: 45' at 6'40-7'05" pace Tue (19), 20' warm-up, 10 km in 34'-34'20" Wed (20), AM: 1h at 6'40-7'05" pace / PM: 45' at 6'40-7'05" pace Thu (21), 1h30' progression (30' at 6'25, 30' at 6'10, 30' at 5'55" pace) Fri (22), AM: 1h at 6'40-7'05" pace / PM: 45' at 6'40-7'05 pace Sat (23), 20' warm-up, 12 km progression (10'30-10'20-10'10"-10') Sun (24), 2h at Huntsville State Park Total, 100 Miles

Sunday, 9-17-2006 Rest Opted to rest today, as I have been ill with flu-like symptoms for well over a week now and it is bothering me. Usually I am quick to recover, but I continue with chills, coughing, fever, and the such. Perhaps I'm dying. Perla says she may have found a grey hair on my head. I always swore that when I did, in fact, start getting grey hair it would be a sign to me that my body was aging and rebelling, and thus I could be less serious about my running. Yesterday's race proved worthwhile in establishing some new time goals for workouts and some new pace objectives. For example, my original goal schedule was oriented around 3'20" per kilometer for a marathon, or 2h18' pace. Now, I am back at my personal best of 2h31' or 3'35" per kilometer. This has impacted my training significantly. For example, recovery runs are now established at 6'40-7'05" pace, whereas before I hoping for 6'15-6'40" pace. I will still c...

Saturday, 9-16-2006 16'05" for 5th Place Overall (1st in 20-29 AG) Absolutely horrible. I guess if one lines up with 1) flu-like symptoms, 2) an injury, and 3) absolutely no work done in the last 4 weeks in terms of being capable of racing a 5 km, than I guess what you get is what I ran today. Oh, and throw in the horrendous weather (Chad) of 80-degrees and humid (74 dew point)... and you get sh!t. I was amazed however, that I was able to move into second place overall after the short Mile in 4'17". I was blown away that I could be ahead of the likes of Brett Riley, someone who is in the peak of marathon training. Anyhow, I could never close on Junior Mitchell (bandit) and soon everyone passed me back, starting with Francisco Perez, Brett Riley, Gerardo Mora (who ran great), and John Yoder. I was expecting Bittinger to pass me at any second, but I truly could have cared less. I was wasted. I was like an inflated balloon starting out, slowly losing air and just waiting...

Friday, 8-15-2006 59'49" for 8.5 Miles in Heritage Park Still am sick. I cannot get over this sickness and it is bothering me. I just have chills all day and feel muggy and drained. The run was okay at best. I am not liking recovery runs and prefer to really go up-tempo, but I have no energy. The roads were hard, but no real issues with the course. I prefer grass and hills and trails, but I needed some extra rest and got it. However, it did not help. Still sick. Race tomorrow.

Thursday, 9-14-2006 1h01'07" for 9.5 Miles around Allen Parkway I am one of two things lately, 1) sick, and 2) stressed. I still continue to have a low-grade fever and suffer from a cough, full-body aches, and dizziness. Also, I am amazingly stressed financially and that is truly affecting how I feel. Perhaps I'm suffering from a slight bought of depression, but I finish these efforts absolutely wasted. Anyhow, today the weather was much better and the workout was the same: 15' warm-up, followed by 45' up-tempo with the goal right under 6' pace on the hills. I finally felt pretty solid physically, as Dr. Sanders nailed my injury yesterday with his creative hip flexor ART and I have felt a noticeable "release" in my groin. Anyhow, I did not have the energy to attack the run, perhaps because I do have a race approaching on Saturday, but moreso because I have absolutely no energy. I was surprised that I passed the first loop in 31'30", which is ...

Wednesday, 9-13-2006 1h00'42" for 9 Miles on Memorial Park Once again was scheduled for 90', so I awoke at 5 AM and headed out to Memorial Park. Amazing the traffic at 6 in the morning. Took me 50' to drive to Memorial. Anyway, once out there I was feeling pretty good in the legs, so I headed off in attempt to run my hour and a half. Completed 2 miles and heading my way is Sean Wade. He asks me if I just started and we headed off together. Had a great conversation about his running and racing, injuries and competition, workouts and everything. We kept a good clip and I had no real issues with my adductor other than it was progressively tighter, but it never stopped me, which made me real happy. After the run, I headed off to Dr. Sanders and got some excellent treatment in which I felt some improvement in my hip flexor. That's how important he is, that I will dig into debt to get treatment and decided that 30' more of running was not more important than 30' ...

Tuesday, 9-12-2006 1h for 9.5 Miles on Allen Parkway Holy cow. After spending close to an hour in traffic, I lined up for my traditional up-tempo run on Allen Parkway. I had a good night of sleep and was feeling ready to run, although my legs have still been a bit achy. I started out easily, feeling pretty good and passing through 2 miles in 14' or so. Another minute later I began my up-tempo that would last for 45' and hopefully take me two times around the 4.75 mile hilly loop. I was rolling nicely by 20-25' but soon realized that I was going to struggle a little. Passed through the loop in 31'. Promising and only 7" slower than last time, but more importantly, over 30' faster than last Tuesday. However, within 10' I was getting wasted. I stopped to stretch and then kept going, finally stopping again to stretch and realizing that I was having a tough time getting started again. My breathing was heavy and my legs were fried. I finished the run with some ti...

Monday, 9-11-2006 59'32" for about 9 Miles in Heritage Park Opted not to travel to Memorial this morning as I had a lot of housework to do, including going grocery shopping. Also, am looking for ways to cut-down on my eating expenses on days I run at Memorial. Anyway, I headed towards my Heritage Park mile loop and ran around there for 30' until I headed back home and finished up. Still feel quite sick, it's just a feeling. Was coughing up a lung most of the run. I am just dead-tired all of the time. No time to rest, and yet I am not doing doubles yet! Am truly looking forward to my non-working weekends. Anyway, a very mechanically efficient run with minor aches and pains, considering it was all on crowned roads and sidewalks. Need more strengthening, however. Good run.

Mon (4), 8.5 miles easy in 1h Tue (5), 9.5 mile steady-state in 1h01'10" Wed (6), 8 miles easy in 1h Thu (7), 9.75 miles steady-state in 1h Fri (8), 9 miles easy in 1h Sat (9), 9 mile progression in 57'43" Sun (10), 14 miles in 1h30' Total, 67 miles Proposed Week V Mon (11), 1h recovery at 6'15-6'40" pace Tue (12), 15' warm-up, 45' at 5'45-5'55" pace Wed (13), 1h30' recovery at 6'15-6'40" pace Thu (14), 15' warm-up, 45' at 5'45-5'55" pace Fri (15), 1h recovery at 6'15-6'40" pace Sat (16), 15' warm-up, 5 km time trial, 15' cool-down Sun (17), 1h30' on hills at 6'15-6'40" pace Total, 70 miles

Sunday, 9-10-2006 1h30' for almost 14 Miles in Huntsville State Park Made a late-call decision with Chad to repeat last week and head up to Huntsville. Last week was such a great run that we wanted to replicate the effort. However, there had been rain the forecast, so we were afraid of a muddy trail, but when we got there we knew we were in for some good conditions, as the trails did not receive any rain. Started out in a good rhythm and before I knew it the clocked had turned 45. I finished climbing the hill that I was running, took a leak, and then headed back to retrace my steps. I was definitely a bit more fatigued this time around, as I had been covering more ground, but I pressed on at a solid pace, dealing with the fatigue and hills and terrain the best I could. Got to the car with a couple of minutes to spare and ran around the parking lot until I hit 1h30'. Once again, only real tightness in the groin towards the very end of the run. Saturday, 9-09-2006 57'43"...

Friday, 9-08-2006 1h for 9 Miles around Memorial Park Put in more distance today, as I was feeling stronger, yet tried to control the run to make sure it was still recovery, which it was. However, my adductor attachment was definitely achy, so I did not like that. My illness has made me not have much energy for other than running and working, so I have been skimping on my drills. Am scheduled for some much-needed Pilates tonight. Hope it comes through.

Thursday, 9-07-2006 1h for 9.75 Miles on Allen Parkway, including 9.5 Miles in 59'15" Still sick. Not much energy, but I knew I would have a better run than yesterday, as I did feel a tiny bit better. Did have some sensation in my adductor/groin, which I did not like (just slight discomfort), but it did not bother me on the run. This was the same run I ran on Tuesday, a 15' warm-up followed by 45' of steady state or up-tempo running. This time I passed through the first loop (4.75 miles), with warm-up, in 30'53" or about 6'30" pace. I ran my second loop in 28'22" (5'58" pace), which put me at 59'15" for two loops or 9.5 miles of hills at 6'15" pace. Hit an intermediate 4.75 miles at 28'35" which was 6'01" pace. Anyhow, enough about numbers, but it was a solid effort. I cannot wait until I am 100% healthy and not sick to test out this course again, because it is tough and 6'15" pace for abo...

Wednesday, 9-06-2006 1h for 8 Miles at Memorial Park Ever heard the term "dragging @ss"? Well, that was me this morning. I went to bed early last night to try and beat this flu illness I picked up, but I awoke with a fever and completely achy. I truly felt like sweating out my fever and staying in bed, but a 90' run beckoned me. After much debate that I would not get any faster staying in bed, I decided to heat out. I managed a painfully slow 8 mile run around Memorial Park, just putting in the time. My kidneys ache, my body is full of chills. All I want to do is lay down and go to sleep, but here I am, working 10-7. I adjusted my 1h30' run for a simple 1h run, the only compromise I would make all morning, and that adjustment gave me time for some ART therapy with Dr. Sanders, which was nice. My injury is definitely on the righteous path to health... I am completely useless today.

Mon (28), 4.5 miles in 31'01 Tue (29), 7 miles in 43'50" Wed (30), 8.5 miles in 1h Thu (31), 7.5 milesin 43'31" Fri (1), 4.5 miles in 29'46" Sat (2), 8 miles in 45' Sun (3), 13 miles in 1h30' Total, 53 Miles Proposed Week IV Mon (4), 1h at 6'15-6'40" pace Tue (5), 15' warm-up + 45' at 5'45-5'55" pace Wed (6), 1h30' at 6'15-6'40" pace Thu (7), 15' warm-up + 45' at 5'45-5'55" pace Fri (8), 1h at 6'15-6'40" pace Sat (9), 1h progression (20' at 6'05", 20' at 5'50", 20' at 5'35 pace) Sun (10), 1h30' at 6'15-6'45 pace Total, @ 75 Miles

Tuesday, 9-05-2006 1h01'10" for 9.5 Miles (2 Loops) around Allen Parkway consisting of a 15' warm-up + 45' up-tempo running Ugh.. woke up barely able to even swallow and with a mild fever. Madelyn has been sick with a bad cough and a runny nose, but finally, with the stress of work and training, my body has broken down. Did not want to get out of bed today, but at 5:30 AM I awoke and started my day. The goal of this run was a 15' warm-up followed by 45' at 5'45-5'55" pace. I chose to complete this run on Allen Parkway's hilly 4.75 mile loop, as I figured I would hit 9.5 miles in an hour. I was close.. If I was a battery, I would have needed to have been replaced prior to this run. My energy level was just above a three-day old sprayed cockroach in the garage... just nervous twitchings were any sign that I was alive. I needed to be in bed.. Anyhow, I headed off on the course feeling quite crappy, loving that I made it harder on myself running on...

Monday, 9-04-2006 1h for 8.5 Miles at Memorial Park Pretty tired, although not as much physically (body/muscle). Played some late night poker with Derek and family (leading in chips most of the night) so I got to bed late, but awoke on schedule and headed out to Memorial in some nice weather. However, I feel I am getting sick, mostly due in part to finally getting some serious training in combination with work. Anyhow, a very good run, as I only had some weakness in the left leg. Felt great post-run, but I need to work on the another area other than adductor. Almost more of a hamstring issue now. We shall see. Hopefully I will get off of work early today on this most blessed Labor Day...

Sunday, 9-03-2006 1h30' on Rolling Hills at Huntsville State Park for 13 Miles Gotta thank Chad for making this trip a reality. He sure is the trooper. We headed out to Huntsville State Park, the training grounds of champions, early Sunday morning at 5:45 in the "Silver Bullet", Chad's powerful Audi A3. Anyhow, upon arriving at Huntsville, we found a very dry and crisp trail with very nice 75-degree weather. The goal for myself was 90', while Chad was heading out on an 18-miler, or two loops of my infamous rollercoaster course. Chad led the early going, but then I took over, leading us up the single track through Lower Earth and into Middle Earth. It was only until late in the Upper Crust that Chad fell back into his own rhythm and I ran onward. At close to 47', and once breaching a very big hill, I decided to double-back, while Chad would go on for a full loop. I felt stronger as the run went on, actually running phenomenally through a very dense section of t...

Saturday, 9-02-2006 45' Progression (15" faster/mile, every 15') for 8 Miles at Seabrook Ugh.. almost injured myself again but it would have been well worth it. Showed up at Seabrook to run with Rudy and Chad, and lo-and-behold, Dr. John Hedengren shows up. So, while Rudy and John were planning on running long (about 12 miles), Chad and I were going to run a 45' progression, stepping down 15" per mile every 15'. My goal pace was 6'05-5'50-5'35" pace. However, John and Rudy being the All-Americans that they are (3 All-Americans, John being the sole Senior All-American, in one run, can't get better than that in Clear Lake), they decided to jump into the progression. So, we head off, John pushing the pace. By 10' I am feeling the strain a bit, as we are close to 6' miles. Feeling like I have to get working after 15', I up the pace, and as Chad drops, Rudy and John, follow suit. John is just chatting away, but I am working hard, a...

Friday, 9-01-2006 29'46" for 4.5 Miles around Heritage Park Ran my standard loop and focused on recovery and smooth running. My left hip flexor/adductor has been quite fatigued and over-worked, so an easy 30' run was very well received. Ran well, no major issues. Just need to focus on recovery for tomorrow's 45' progression.

Thursday, 8-31-2006 43'31" for 7.5 Miles on Allen Parkway with 4.75 Miles in 27'43" Whoa, Nelly! Was a bit worried about this morning's run as 1) I not only ran for 60' yesterday but a) got ART treatment on my adductor and b) did an hour session of Pilates, thus leaving my adductor feeling quite over-worked. Plus, I slept in with my wife and daughter and dreaded the traffic I would encounter. However, the weather was great and I was just needed to stick to my schedule and start challenging myself. Saw Wade and Armenteros warming up while I warmed-up for 15' on the St. Thomas track and then I headed out for the 4.75 mile challenging Allen Parkway loop. Just two days ago, on Tuesday, I covered this beastly course in 29'33" and starting out on this run I did not feel I would even approach that time. I decided to run the course backwards to avoid injury and staleness, and headed out shirtless with shades in cool, but warming conditions. Right off the ...

Wednesday, 8-30-2006 1h for 8.5 Miles around Memorial Park Alright... Fall was in the air. This morning it was a tad bit cooler, much less humid, and you just had that feeling that Fall is on its way. Now, that does not mean that the weather will change, but this morning gave one a sense of hope in the constant downpour of heat in Houston. Both my quads were sore pre-run, but I started out easily and ran a very smooth first couple of laps, passing the first loop in 21'30" and two loops in close to 42'10". I almost convinced myself to go for another loop, but decided to stick to my schedule and run for exactly 60', which I did, and which gave me an okay 8.5 miles. My adductor was a bit sore, so I made a change of plans and headed to Dr. Sanders' office for treatment. The adductor was a bit tight, but he worked well on it and it feels better. Tonight, Pilates. This afternoon, a meeting with our builder!

Tuesday, 8-29-2006 43'50" for 7 Miles around Allen Parkway, including 4.75 Miles in 29'33" Almost a mistake. My right quad was feeling better, but it was still tight, especially in the first 15' warm-up before I was going to take on the infamous Allen Parkway 4.75 mile loop. Actually, I was going to do this run on Memorial's 3 mile loop, but I figured, heck, Allen Parkway is perfect and even has hills! Well, it sure has hills. I started off on my 15' warm-up at St. Thomas High School, not feeling too confident. The little voice was telling me to postpone this run, that maybe I should introduce tempo next week, maybe in September... get some more running under your belt. But I have been feeling strong... why not? So, I started off and immediately I hit a major downhill and my adductor is awake. Great. But my quad feels better at this faster pace. 1'26" through 1/4 mile and 2'56" through 800 meters. I am already feeling the strain of the hi...

Monday, 8-28-2006 31'01" for 4.5 Miles in Heritage Park Still have major quad trauma in my right outer quadricep that I will attribute to over-working the muscle with my increase in mileage and intensity this week. Is still bothering me a bit but am hoping that after this run it will loosen up with the bloodflow and easy recovery run. Stretched a couple of times, but kept the run controlled. Did feel better by the end. Iced during breakfast. Adductor is solid, just achy.

Mon (21) 4.5 Miles in 28'38" Tue (22) 7 Miles in 45' Wed (23) 4.5 Miles in 28'48" Thu (24) 7 Miles in 46'28" Fri (25) 4.5 Miles in 28'27" Sat (26) 7 Miles in 45' Sun (27) 8.5 Miles in 1h Total 43 Miles Proposed Week III Mon (28) 30' easy at 6'15-6'40" pace Tue (29) 15' warm-up, 30' at 5'45-5'55" pace Wed (30) 1h easy at 6'15-6'40" pace Thu (31) 15' warm-up, 30' at 5'45-5'55" pace Fri (1) 30' easy at 6'15-6'40" pace Sat (2) 45' progression (15' at 6'05", 15' at 5'50", 15' at 5'35" pace) Sun (3) 1h30' easy at 6'15-6'40" pace Total @ 55 Miles

Sunday, 8-27-2006 1h at Seabrook Trails or about 8.5 Miles Met up with Rudy on the trails, minus a slacking Chad, and headed out at a comfortable and relaxed pace, as Rudy was already hurting due to already running 7+ miles at six in the morning and he was quite dehydrated/depleted. So, we chatted and jogged out to the bridge and turned around for a loop in 28' and change and then I headed out solo. My right quad was quite tight and was giving me some trouble, but I stopped sufficiently to stretch it and get it going. Ran in my CW-X tights, which made me feel much better with the compression than without them. Still have a long way to go, but definitely gaining health. Felt healthy for the first time in months.

Saturday, 8-26-2006 45' and 7 Miles around Memorial Park Interesting day. Was scheduled to pace Chad through 7 miles at 68' pace for 10 miles, but by two miles we were already at 6'40" pace and he soon fell back soon after 3 miles. By 2 miles I felt tremendous fatigue in my left glute, the same glute that became exhausted in last night's Pilates session. Anyhow, I kept the pace and by 4-5 miles I was feeling pretty solid, running quite strongly. I barely slept last night as I tweaked my adductor on my final exercise last night and was so worried that I was back to square one and injured. However, although painful, I kept pace and had a great run at 6'30" pace. Everyone complained about the weather, including Drew Prisner, Gerardo Mora, Carlo Deason, and Chad, but I thought it was great. Then again, I'm the one that's only been back a couple of weeks. A great run and confidence booster. Now we'll see what I can do over 10 miles tomorrow..

1. Sebastian Coe (GBR) Only 2-time Olympic 1500m Gold Medallist, 1980 & 1984 3-time World Record Holder, Mile (3'48"95, 3'48"53, & 3'47"33) World Record Holder in the 1500m, 3'32"1 2. Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) Olympic Gold in 2004, Olympic Silver in 2000 World Champion in 1997, 1999, 2001, & 2003 World Record Holder in 1500m (3'26") & Mile (3'43"13) 3. Noreddine Morceli (ALG) Olympic Gold in 1996 World Record Holder in the Mile, 3'44"39 2-time World Record Holder, 1500m (3'28"86 & 3'27"37)

Friday, 8-25-2006 28'27" for 4.5 Miles in Heritage Park Absolutely great run. I felt like I was recovering (jogging), although I am still out of shape cardiovascularly (which is rare for me), as I was breathing heavy the whole run, but I felt completely comfortable and well within myself. My legs felt phenomenally strong and light and I have absolutely no pain in my adductor. Surprisingly set a course record for this standard loop. Sure wish this time was my 10,000 m time. Pilates tonight with Irma.

Thursday, 8-24-2006 46'28" or a little over 7 Miles Alright, today was a little bit of a disappointing run. I started off great, running smoothly and much faster than on Tuesday, passing 3 miles in 20'15", but I could tell that my adductor was quite weak, as my left foot was flaring out. I stopped at 4 miles to stretch it out and sensed the adductor was tight, but I kept going and actually finished up quite well. I mis-calculated my time and ran over 45', but I ran well past 7 miles, which is promising. Afterwards, I enjoyed a kolache and a coffee, and then headed to Dr. Sanders' office to get some ART treatment on my adductor, which ended up feeling very good by the time I left. I still have some soreness now, but I have scheduled another pilates session for either tonight or this weekend.

Wednesday, 8-23-2006 28'48" or about 4.5 miles in Heritage Park Another solid run. I was quite sore today due to yesterday's tremendous 45' effort plus the Pilates workouts on Monday night, but otherwise it was a great, fluid run. I did not have any major soreness or pain, just a nice recovery run in some brutal conditions, although today I ran early to make it in time for my ART therapy, which I missed due to traffic. Anyhow, tomorrow is another 45' venture around Memorial Park.

Team 1. Wisconsin 2. Stanford 3. Arkansas 4. Texas 5. Colorado 6. Iona 7. Portland 8. Kansas 9. Arizona 10. Brigham Young

After taking Sunday off as a precautionary measure and a family/wife day, I was eager to resume training on Monday. I have realized that my main issue with my adductor is strength. I need to strengthen it, as it feels better after I isolate the muscle group and work it out with a variety of stimuli and exercises. Post my Saturday run I was a bit sore in the area and that bothered me, although I know I am on the mend. So, Monday I decided to jump back onto my originally planned training schedule, also incorporating a new running technique (which worked wonders with my form and efficiency). Anyhow, here is a run-down of my last two days: Monday, 8-21-2006 28'38" or about 4.5 miles in Heritage Park An absolutely great run. I did have some soreness and tightness in the area, but I focused on "running on eggshells" and proceeded to have a great run, improving my time nonetheless. I felt much more efficient, light, and crisp in my running form. I was able to finish strongl...

6 Miles in 42'45 " Met up with Chad and Rudy at the Seabrook Trails this morning for my attempt at a 45' run with two much more fit runners at the moment. The morning was humid, with the constant threat of storms, but we proceeded to run well, perhaps close to 7'30" pace or faster at times. I had to stop a stretch a couple of times for my hamstrings, which gave me trouble on the slippery trail surface (I have been doing all of my running on concrete). Plus, it was my first run in a new pair of New Balance 900's (my all-time favorite lightweight stability trainer) that I snagged off the Internet. I did have more soreness in my adductor throughout the day than usual, but I improved the situation by doing two sets of adductor strengthening and stability drills. I truly believe that now that I have the injury under control, all I need to do is strengthen it.. but how!!? Sunday I will either attempt a 30' run or a 1h run, depending on the feel of my adductor.

An excellent run today. I am continually shaving off time from my 30' course, as yesterday I ran an awkardly fast 26' loop in stifling heat. Today, I ran the exact loop and was able to add an extra loop and still finish under 30'! I am improving well. There is still some residual pain in my adductor, but whereas in the past the pain had progressed worse as the run went on, the pain now dissipates as I continue. So, in my mind, I am healing and getting better. I am still well out of shape, not really weight-wise, but cardiovascularly. For example, here is the summary of my week, all run on the same @4 mile loop in Heritage Park: Mon, 28'11" Tue, 27'59" Wed, 27'06" Thu, 26'38" I am actually going to aim for a 45' run at the Seabrook Trails with Chad on Saturday, and I may venture to 1h on Sunday so I can get on my proposed scheduled build-up for 2007 Houston.

Sunday I ran for 15' without much pain, just fatigue in the legs and then proceeded to over-do it in terms of strengthening drills, but it may have been for the best as for... Monday, I completed 30' with a sore hamstring, glute, but no major pain or tightness. It is as if I have moved the pain and/or distracted it with the over-worked hamstring and glute. Definitely out of shape, but very optimistic. My entire mood and attitude has changed for the better. Tuesday, I again ran for 30' of pretty much pain free running. It was great other than 1) I am out of shape and 2) my hamstring/glute is quite torn up. However, I will take that any day over my strained adductor. Wednesday will be another attempt at 30' and the plan is to run 30' all week and get back on track next week with increases to 45' and perhaps 60' by next Sunday.

Well, following my disappointing return to running, I took Tuesday completely off and then ran an easy 15-minutes on Wednesday morning, on advice from my doctor. Today, Thursday, I had a day of treatment with Dr. Sanders and he really worked deeper into my adductor, much closer to my groin... and I am feeling a noticeable difference. Furthermore, I was scheduled to head over to Sean Wade's house to utilize his Pilates machine and wisdom and healing this somewhat "common" injury among runners. However, he had to cancel as he is headed to Falmouth to conquer the Master's world again. However, I am optimistic that the injury is on its way out. I am banking on a complete return to action by the first week in September. I am debating taking up swimming as to keep the weight off... We shall see... Austin is becoming more of a marathon choice.

6AM: @ 4 miles in 30'00" This morning's run went surprisingly well. I awoke at 6AM, put on my CW-X short tights (was not going to take any unnecessary risks), proceeded to do two sets of stability ball exercises, carried Madelyn to the car, and then headed out for my run at a local training path. Immediately I was surprised at how strong I felt for taking 2 weeks off. The tendinitis in my left knee was nonexistant, but the dreaded "injury" was still there. High up in my hip flexor/groin, the tightness persisted. I looked forward to it loosening up, which it did. The most troublesome part of the run was my light cramping in my left calf at 12-minutes and pretty much bothered me the rest of the run. However, that usually happens in my first run back from break. Upon returning home, I iced the area and this afternoon will do more stability and strengthening exercises, as well as note that the injury is in a different location than what was perceived.

On Monday, August 7th, I resume training. My initial phase of training, noted the Introductory Period, will consist of the following training for a 2-Week Block: August 7-20, 2006 Mon- 30' aerobic run Tue- 45' aerobic run Wed- 30' aerobic run Thu- 45' aerobic run Fri- 30' aerobic run Sat- 45' aerobic run Sun- 1h aerobic run I estimate that I will cover close to 40 miles on the week and 80 miles in the initial 2-Week Introductory Phase. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday will be run here in Webster, while Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday will be run on Memorial Park's 3-mile loop. Sunday will be run on the Seabrook trails.