Last run of the year - Orlando, FL

Today I went out for a "long, easy" run. I put that in quotes as when I run solo I never know what my run is gonna end up being. I started at my parents house and ran out to John Young Pkwy (by Grandma's church), then north on John Young Pkwy until I got to Central Florida Pkwy. Turned around and went home - and added a lap around the neighborhood to extend some time. Weather was great for running warm with a nice cool breeze - something I'm not used to when I visit Orlando.

Total Distance: 9.5 miles
Total Time: 1:28:43
Average Pace: 9:30ish

Old school 3 miler

Today Justin, Tim and I went out for an easy 3 mile run today on Liberty Lane. Roads were pretty rough and still slippery in some places.

Total Distance: 3 miles
Total Time: 25:11
Total Average: 8:23

Roads....where I'm going I dont need roads.

So even with 12-14 inches of snow and temperatures in the single digits (with wind) - I decided to go for my normal Saturday run. Today was supposed to be a long run of around and hour and 45 minutes - but with the weather I settled for 3 miles :). Running in the cold was fine - the snow on the roads was a bit slippery so I definitely had to be careful. I did what is known (by me) as the Luszcz Loop - run to Joe's house and come home. Not alot of cars on the road which allowed me to run down the middle of the road.

Total Distance - 3 miles
Total Time - 27:03
Average Pace: 9:01

Im hoping some of this melts away so I can get in a long run early this week.

Weather held.....

The weather improved as the day went so it was perfect for a lunch time run - although a little cold with a list mist. Since Justin is recovering from an IT Band issue - I let him lead and dictate the distance today.

Total Time: 54:33.33
Total Distance: approx 6.5 miles
1st Mile: 8:50.78
2nd Mile: 8:58.71
3rd Mile: 9:20.38 (A little longer than a full mile)
4th Mile: 9:19.52 (A little longer than a full mile)
5th Mile: 9:02.47
6th Mile: 9:01.47

50 minute run today

Today Justin and I ran for 50 minutes. Approximately 5.65 miles. Until official Marathon training begins I will be following the "Marathon Training for Busy People" on MSN's website. Hopefully the weather holds tomorrow.....

Hill repeat day

I went with Shawn and Drew to do hill repeats on the "Fairgrounds Hill". We did a 1.8 mile warmup...and cooldown of 1.8 miles. In between we did 4 repeats of the hill on Estelle Dr. Below are the stats:

Warmup: 17:23
1st Hill Up: 57.48
1st Hill Down: 2:00.42
2nd Hill up: 57.67
2nd Hill down: 2:00.64
3rd Hill up: 59.73
3rd hill down: 2:15.29
4th Hill up: 1:00.31
4th hill down: 2:01.60
Cooldown: 17:06.57

Total time: 46:43

Cold long run with Drew

Today Drew and I went for our long run. Temperature when we left my house was around 20 degrees. Gotta love New England weather where you can run one day and its in the 60s and few days later in the 20s.

Total Distance: 8.5 miles
Total Time: 1:16:55
Average Pace: 9:03

Total weekly mileage = 26.5 miles

4 miler with pickups

Today Drew, Justin and I went for a four mile run on the bike path. During mile 3 we did four 30 second pickups with one minute recoveries. Mile 4 started with a pickup for 1:30 a recovery (for a good while) then the last .25 mile Justin and I just kept picking up the speed. By the time we finished we were at an all out sprint.

Total Distance: 4 miles
Total Time: 34:50.83
1st mile: 9:12.60
2nd mile: 8:48.90
3rd mile: 8:24.90
4th mile: 8:24.43

Fun run today with Justin (he isnt so evil)

Today Justin and I took advantage of the warm weather (low 60s) and went for a run. Drizzled most of it - but really came down for the last part of the run. We initially went out to do five miles - but as we got back in front of work Justin said he was going to go one more mile. Since I was already soaked I went with him.

Total Distance: 6.05 miles
Total Time: 56:00.00
Total Average: 9:15

Slower than normal - but just around my goal pace for full marathon (which ideally would be no slower than 9:09).

4 miles with Drew

Drew and I hit the bike path today for a 4 mile run. Nothing too exciting except for a bug flying into my eye during mile 3. Who would have thought a bug in the eye would hurt so much....

Total Distance: 4 miles
Total Time: 33:10.46
1st mile: 8:15.39
2nd mile: 8:06.24
3rd mile: 8:43.89
4th mile: 8:05.57
Total Average: 8:17.61

Both Drew and I struggled to run as fast as we did today. Which is strange as we have run much faster with alot less effort than today. I think its time to do go back to hill repeats or track work.

Back at it (again)

After a miserable Turkey Trot and an even more miserable run last week (due to illness for both) - I decided to rest the remainder of last week off and recover. Today I was back at it. Justin, Tim and I went out today for a very very cold and icy run. Bike path was kind of messy - went from super clear path - to ice - to snow and ice - to black ice - to snow and ice - to clear (etc. etc. etc.)

Total Distance: 4 miles
Total Time: 32:59.67
1st mile: 8:28.41
2nd mile: 8:13.55
3rd mile: 8:09.96
4th mile: 8:08.71

2nd Annual Sunapee Turkey Trot Results

Place: 74
Div/Total: 12/38
Div: M3039
Name: MARK JULIANO
Age: 32
S: M
Bib #: 130
City, ST: PAWTUCKET, RI
Time: 25:50
Pace: 8:20

Last run before Turkey Trot

I went out for a 5k "easy" run. Warmer today than it has been so it was back to shorts.

Total Distance: 5k
Total Time: 22:05
Average Pace: 7:06

Long run Saturday on bike path in Bristol

Nice cold day today in Rhode Island - with wind chill 11 degrees at the beginning of my run (14 at the end).

Total Distance: 15 miles
Total Time: 2:18:29
Total Average: 9:13 per mile
1st Half: 1:08:17
2nd Half: 1:10.12

Second half was a bit slower due to tired legs and a crazy and cold head wind. I got hungry around mile 13 or so - I ended up eating my Clif Shot Bloks for "nourishment".

With today's miles it puts me at 31 miles for the week. WAHOOOO!!!

4 mile run with Drew

Drew and I ran an easy 4 miles today on the bike path. Yet another cold day in Rhode Island - mid 20s with windchill.

Total Distance: 4 miles
Total Time: 33:45
Total Average: 8:26

Tomorrow is long run Saturday. Temperature at running time tomorrow 11 degrees. Hopefully I can reach my goal tomorrow before I freeze.

Brrrrr Cold run today

Twenty degrees with the wind chill today.....brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Anthony and I hit the bike path for a quick cold 4 mile run.

1st Mile: 8:13.49
2nd Mile: 8:39.32
3rd Mile: 8:11.26
4th Mile: 8:06.89
Total Distance: 4 miles
Total Time: 33:09
Total Average: 8:17.49

Tempo...umm.. whatever i ran

So today I was solo for my run....I was going to do hill repeats but those are miserable alone. So I went out to do a Tempo run. My tempo pace (based on McMillan) is 7:44-8:00. So here is the break down of my 4 miles today.

1st Mile - 8:37 (a little fast for a warm up but I went with it)
2nd Mile - 6:48 (ummmmmmm what?!?!?!)
3rd Mile - 8:30
4th mile - 8:27
Total Distance: 4 miles
Total Time: 32:15
Total Average: 8:03

I decided that trying to maintain that 6:48 pace for the 3rd mile would be stupid - so I called off the tempo run at that point and just "relaxed" back to work by running the 8:30s. Not sure what to do tomorrow - but I know one thing - I wont be running a 6:48 mile.

4 miler back in RI with some pickups

Today was my first run back in RI. Andrew, Anthony and I hit the bike path for an easy 4 mile run. During the 3rd mile I did 5 pickups of 30 seconds with a one minute recovery.

Total Distance: 4 miles
Total Time: 33:51.68
Total Average: 8:27.92
1st mile: 8:44.91
2nd mile: 8:32.05
3rd mile: 7:52.59
4th mile: 8:42.13

Florida run

Today, I went running with my sister/coach in Orlando. My body was a bit confused why I was running in 70+ degree temperatures in November. Nice easy pace today with a very good kick at the end.

Total mileage: 4.7 miles
Total Time: 44:17
Average: 9:25

Long run Sunday.....

Today Anthony, Drew and I went for our long run in the Bucket. We ran to the Massachusetts and back....

Total Mileage: 7.5 miles
Total Time: 1:06:57
Avg Pace: 8:55

All in all a decent run.....

Second run since 1/2 marathon

Feeling much better today than I did on Wednesday. Anthony and I went out to the bike path (yaaaawn) again. I love running in the fall with all the leaves and the cooler temps. I wish I could pause weather like today.....

Total Distance: 4 miles
Total Time: 36:21.17
1st Mile: 9:34.77
2nd Mile: 9:24.53
3rd Mile: 8:51.26
4th Mile: 8:30.61
Average: 9:05.29

First run since 1/2 marathon

Decided today that I felt good enough to go out for an easy run. Anthony and I headed out to the bike path - and it felt like I was running in water. No matter how slow I went it felt like I was sprinting. About half way back I realized how tired I was - probably a combination of still recovering from race and from staying up late to watch election results. Off day tomorrow - Dr appt to talk about my health and training for full marathon. Then a nice easy run on Friday - then Ill figure the rest out later.

Total Distance: 3.25 miles
Total Time: 27:28

Ok I just figured out my average on the Pace Calculator - didnt think about it until now.....but I blame Anthony - man he cant run slow.
Total Average: 8:27

The day after.....

I feel as though I haven't slept in a few days. No real pain - just some general soreness. No running today or tomorrow....but Wednesday I think I'll go out for a nice easy run.

Manchester Half Marathon race report

Saturday we drove up to Manchester for the Manchester City Half Marathon. I picked up my race pack on Saturday afternoon at the Radisson. Blah blah blah …..we then went to Uncle Phils house for dinner and a good night sleep before the race. Celina was nice enough to give me the single bed while she slept with teeth grinding and kicky Alec.

After a great night of sleep, I woke up around 6am to down a Kashi bar and banana and get ready. Hot shower, got dressed and started to hydrate myself. Phil’s house was a little over 2 miles from the start….so I decided to jog/run to the staring line as a warm-up. I got to the start around 7:30ish and I saw a few runners milling around – but no clear place where the start would be so I headed to Veteran’s park (where the finish was). It was 30 degrees out (before the wind) so I ended up running around just to stay warm.

We then got herded to the starting line. The wind was whipping down the street and we were all freezing. After some quick announcements and the National Anthem we were off. I positioned myself near the front, but off to the side, so I’d be up with the faster runners. I told myself let them all go their speed and don’t try to catch them. Even though I told myself to hold back and I didn’t chase any of the faster runners my first mile was 7:45 (I planned to go out at an 8:45 pace). I attempted to take the 2nd mile easier and did by going 8:18. Then we went up the hill on River Rd by Uncle Phil’s house which helped hold me back a bit. But by the third mile marker my split was 8:08. At this point I wasn’t feeling great – but I wasn’t miserable. I tried to scope out a runner to follow but at this point there still was a lot of passing going on and I couldn’t find anyone to latch on to – so I ran solo.

Then the hills came – miles three through five (as my splits show) suffered a bit due to the hills. Mile 5 I took my double latte gel at the water station. During the 5th mile we cut into Livingston Park and the course went cross country on us. The change in terrain helped break up the race a bit. Around mile 7 I found someone to latch onto. She was going about the pace I was so I stayed a few feet back and followed her. As we headed up on Reservoir Ave I passed my “pacer” and was alone up the hill there.

As I made the turn on Bridge St, I looked back over my shoulder and realized I had become the pacer. I found yet another runner to follow (and draft) for a bit but he was going just slow enough that I ended up having to pass him. I then turned on Broadway and saw that I was still being the pacer. My “pacee” then told me that she was following me and using me to pace – I told her that I was using her as well to pace. We then ran and chatted for the next few miles together. It was nice to have someone to run with (especially through the last cluster of hills). Somewhere around mile 12 I found myself alone again. The final mile I found myself with very few runners around. I wouldn’t say I kicked the last little bit – but I did push it a bit.

After the finish, I got my chip cut off, got my medal and my mylar blanket. Grandpa B came over to me and congratulated me, took a pic and told me Celina missed my finish as Alec had to go potty right before I finished.

Overall – it was a very good race and felt pretty good afterwards. I look forward to my next half marathon.

Oh and my new running friend Jessica from Exeter, NH finished 1:49:20 - Congrats Jessica!

Manchester 1/2 Marathon Official Results

Place: 277/924
Name: MARK JULIANO
Age: 32
Bib #: 1309
Div/Total: 34/72
City, ST: PAWTUCKET RI
Total Time: 1:48:59
Avg Pace: 8:20

Official results here at CoolRunning.com.

Manchester 1/2 Marathon "official" watch spilts

Here are my splits from my watch -

0-1 - 7:45.73
1-2 - 8:18.51
2-3 - 8:08.40
3-4 - 8:23.41
4-5 - 8:40.11
5-6 - 8:10.55
6-7 - 8:37.28
7-8 - 8:26.36
8-9 - 8:22.65
9-10 - 8:29.94
10-11 - 8:10.04
11-12 - 8:29.60
12-13 - 7:56.77
13-13.1 - 48.52

Total Time - 1:48:47
Total Avg: 8:17

Last run before Half Marthon

Today was my last run before my 1/2 marathon on Sunday. It felt SOOO good to get out and dust off the cobwebs. Ive had a real hard time tapering - very antsy/jittery during the day and restless at nights.

Total mileage - 3.25 miles
Total Time - 29.21
Average - 9:01

1st split (1 mile) - 9:08
2nd split (1.25 mile) - 8:56
3rd split (1 mile) - 9:02

I will post my stats after race on my Facebook page....then will follow with a race report when I get home either Sunday night or sometime Monday. Time to go pack for Manchester!

Taper run part 2.....less blech

Although it was cold and wet today I headed out to the bike path for a quick run. Justin, Anthony and Drew joined me. Since Justin is prepping for a 5k - he just took off from the start. Took all my energy to not chase him - not sure if I could have based on the pace he was going.

Total Distance: 3.25 miles
Total Time: 27:23
Average Pace: 8:25

Rest for a few days and then something easy and short on Friday evening or first thing Saturday morning.

Taper run part 1....blech

So the taper began yesterday and I slept terribly. Even though I ran long on Saturday, I was very antsy on Sunday and just wanted to go out for a few miles. So I went out today for a nice easy run. I ended up going 3.25 miles on the bike path alone. I felt like garbage....not sure if its because I was alone, or if im getting anxious for Manchester....but today was pure yuck.

Total Mileage: 3.25 miles
Total Time: 28:06
Pace: 8:38

Hyannis Half Marathon

Since I was in the mood for registering for races tonight, I went ahead and registered for the Hyannis Half Marathon. My sister/coach is going to run this as well. Ahhh...Hyannis at the end of February - the weather should be great.

Boston Prep 16 Miler - Derry, NH

Well, today I signed up for the Boston Prep 16 miler in Derry, NH. The course looks very challenging but should be a good "training race" for my full marathon that I plan to run in May. Supposedly this race is "one of New England's MOST popular races" and is described as "moderately challenging". I now just have to sit down and re-do my training schedule.

Here is a story about the Boston Prep at CoolRunning.com.

Last Long run before Manchester

Today was my last long before my half marathon next weekend. Tim, Drew, Anthony and I went to the bike path in East Providence. Plan was to go out 45 minutes, turn around and go back 45 minutes...and thats about what we did. Pace felt good and the weather was awesome for running. Used some Double Latte Gu to try out for next weekend.

Total Distance - 10.25 miles
Total Time - 1:30:18
1st half - 45:24
2nd half - 44:54
Total Average - 8:46




Next up taper time...I plan on doing three runs next week of no more than 3 miles each at 1/2 marathon pace. Im not setting any time goals on this race - I have some ideas in my head but nothing Im going to share. I just need to focus on not going out too fast.

4 miler with Pickups

Justin, Anthony and I went to the bike path today for a 4 mile run. Between miles 2 and 3.5 ish we did 5x 30 second pickups (at about 400m speed or faster) with a 1 minute recovery in between.

Total Distance: 4 miles
Total Time: 34:57.10
Lap 1 - 9:12.52
Lap 2 - 9:04.06
Lap 3 - 8:14.84
Lap 4 - 8:25.68
Average - 8:44.27

I felt pretty good after today's run - probably as good as I have felt in a while. Long run planned for Saturday - then begin to taper before race.

Manchester, NH Hi\Lo - 52\22

Larabar

Today I tried the Larabar - Chocolate Coconut Chew. It looked small and was surprised when it gave me the energy I needed for my run today. As with most bars - it had a strange consistency but its taste was actually pretty good.

Interval Day at URI - i have no idea why

Today we decided to do some interval work at the track at URI. I had this idea of interval work and how it would be great and all....but after the warm up (the run to the track) - I had to change plans. So I decided to do 400s just to get out some aggression, get some hard running in before I taper....(insert your own excuse here).

Warmup 1.65 miles - 15:22.74
1st 400 interval/400 cooldown - 1:42.35/2:42.68
2nd 400 interval/400 cooldown - 1:47.68/2:48.01
3rd 400 interval/400 cooldown - 1:42.76/3:01.64
4th 400 interval/400 cooldown - 1:42.15/2:38.24
Cooldown 1.65 miles - 16:33.10

I know 400s won't directly help me with a half marathon - but it did feel good to get out and just run. Also it helped break up the monotony of the 4,5 and 6 milers we'd been doing lately. There was a pretty good headwind on the 2nd halfs of the interval and I definitely could feel it slowing me down. We also figured that after my half marathon to head back to the track and redo our all out mile and see how we do.

Manchester, NH Hi\Lo - 59\39

Raw Revolution bars

I picked up a Raw Revolution bar to try it out. It tasted ok....but all in all it was just......weird.

Solo 6 miler on bike path

Total Distance: 6 miles
Total Time: 50:18.91
Average Pace: 8:23.15

Splits
1- 8:25.55
2- 8:13.31
3- 8:00.63
4- 9:01.25
5- 8:10.98
6- 8:26.89

Mile 4 was bad as it was up a little bit of a hill and it has the turn around in it....which I'm always slow at. There is rumor of track work tomorrow - so maybe some 800 intervals are in my near future.

Manchester, NH Hi\Lo - 59\31

Dartmouth YMCA 10K Road Race results

Place: 20/64
Name: Mark Juliano
Bib #: 9
Age: 32
S: M
City, State: Pawtucket, RI
Time: 48:36
Pace: 7:51

Offical Results at Cool Running

Race Report: Dartmouth YMCA 10K Road Race

My final tune up race for the Manchester Half Marathon was today - the Dartmouth YMCA 10k. Drew got to my house around 1:30am after a trip for work to Vegas. We were all up in my house around 7am and out the door by 8am. Not sure if Drew got much (if any) sleep. After a stop at Tim Horton's for coffee and donuts we were on our way.

We got to the YMCA a bit before 9am, which gave us plenty of time to register, stretch, warm up and get acclimated to the lovely cold morning we had. They called us over for announcements - mainly procedural stuff. Mark Kruger from The Biggest Loser 5 was there and spoke a bit before the race. He said in the last year he has gone from 300 lbs to something WAY under 300lbs, A year ago he could barely walk a flight of stairs and today he was gonna run a 10k and how it doesn't matter if we are 1st or last...just that we do.

We walked up to the starting line....and about 2 minutes later we were off. The crowd spread out pretty quick and we all kind of fell into our places within the first mile. The first mile went quick. Drew had fallen a little behind me - not surprising after spending a week in Vegas. Right after the first mile I got passed by someone. The second mile was extremely fast. Somewhere in the second to third mile the hills started and I realized Mark Kruger was running next to me. He was running strong so I asked if I could tag a long for a bit. He was super nice and kept me strong through the hills.

Once we cleared the hills I needed to recover a bit so I thanked Mark for letting me hang around and off he went. Around mile 4 I started to feel better again and was able to pick up the pace. There was no marker (or people marking) the 5th mile so between mile 4 and the end I was kind of lost on where I was.

Right before the turn onto Gulf Rd, I felt two people running right behind me. After the turn, I kicked it into gear and took off for the finish. I mis-judged the distance from the turn to the finish. I was hoping to kick the last .2 of a mile and ended up doing the last 1/2 mile. After I got through I walked back to the road to cheer Drew on to the end.

Total Time: 48:36
Average: 7:51

Splits
0-1: 7:57.30
1-2: 7:16.80
2-3: 8:18.09
3-4: 7:14.44
4-6.2: 17:48.23 (avg 8:05)

During races I don't usually use my Ipod, but this race seemed a bit different and I'd knew I'd be alone for most of it. I listed to One Day as Lion on repeat. Gotta love anything with Zack De La Rocha....Next up Manchester Half Marathon - back to training tomorrow.

Some pictures from Dartmouth 10k.....

Running

Number for 10k....

I got my number for my 10k....#9. Sweet I must be an elite -or- the ninth person to register. Drew is #27. Found out we are 2 of 49 runners running the 10k!

Race list

4 miler with Justin - who knew that could get sore

Today went for an easy 4 mile run with Justin. I was pretty sore today (yes, yes my gluteus maximus is sore)...guess the long run on Saturday took more out of me then I expected.

Total Distance: 4 miles
Total Time: 38.35.41
Pace avg: 9:38

1st mile 9:30.95
2nd mile 9:40.51
3rd mile 9:44.00
4th mile 9:39.95

Taking Thursday and Friday off to rest up for 10k on Saturday in Dartmouth, MA. Don't need to do something dumb - i know i know - Ive done lots of dumb things before. Hopefully with a couple days of rest (and ibuprofen) these aches and sores will clear up. I have a goal in mind for the 10k - but im not gonna put it down here as really this race is just a "tune-up" for the Manchester Half...so I'm not concerned about the 10k as much. Just gonna run with Drew and see what happens.

Oh and yes Im going to train to run the marathon in Providence on May 3, 2009. So Justin and Jeff - better start working out where your free dinner is gonna be with Drew and Anthony soon....cuz it looks like they are gonna lose the bet. I still feel used in this - I should get a free dinner too.

Evil Justin

Since Evil Justin has been banned from reading my blog...his wife banned him for trying to keep up with my training...I know he wont see this post. There is talk of running the Providence Rhode Race FULL Marathon in May. Most of the talk is on his part - but he knows me and how I am. If he runs it - I'm gonna run it.

Evil Justin has a bet with some people at work saying Ill run a full marathon in 2009. Andrew and Anthony are betting against it. So Evil Justin does have ulterior motives in getting me to run the full with him.

Six mile run with Evil Justin and Tim

Today was a 6 mile run with Evil Justin and Tim over on the bike path.

1st Mile: 9:04.21
2nd Mile: 9:01.01
3rd Mile: 9:19.65
4th Mile: 9:13.83
5th Mile: 8:56.55
6th Mile: 8:10.81

Total Distance: 6 miles
Total Time: 53:46.06
Average Pace: 8:57.67

30 MILE WEEK!

Today I went for a 3.66 mile run. This has made it so I reached 30.36 miles for the week!

Total Distance: 3.66 miles
Total time: 30:55
Avg Pace: 8:26

1st mile - 8:26
2nd mile - 8:38
3rd mile - 8:33
last .66 mile - 5:16 (7:58 pace)

Two hour long run Saturday

Today Drew, Anthony and I headed out from Anthony's house for a long run. Instead of worrying about distance we decided to run for two hours. We left Anthony's house and headed out Rte 120 towards Woonsocket for one hour, turned around and go back to Anthony's. The path was very very hilly which felt good and bad at the same time. We were hoping to make it to Mendon Rd, but it was just out of reach. Next time.....

Total Time: 2:00:00
Total Distance: 12.64 miles
Total Average: 9.26

"Fairgrounds Hill" repeat day

Well so much for an easy run day. I went with Justin and Drew to do hill repeats on the "Fairgrounds Hill". We did a 1.8 mile warmup...and cooldown of 1.8 miles. In between we did 4 repeats of the hill on Estelle Dr. The first two werent too bad....3rd was hard....and the 4th ...well lets just say was miserable. Below are the stats:

Warmup: 17:13
1st Hill Up: 1:03
1st Hill Down: 1:43
2nd Hill up: 1:00
2nd Hill down: 1:43
3rd Hill up: 1:01
3rd hill down: 1:40
4th Hill up: 1:01
4th hill down: 2:37
Cooldown: 17:24

Total time: 46:30
Total distance: Not 100% sure - Justin is gonna drive the hill with his car and figure out our distance for the repeats.

update: Justin and I are approximating the hill was 175-200 yards.

Hill run on Rte 2 with Anthony....

Since Alec was sick yesterday and we stayed home my hill work got delayed a day. So today Anthony and I did a little bit of hill work. Nothing too crazy.....We ran out Fairgrounds Rd/Liberty Lane to Rte 2, then up the long hill, down the steep hill to just about the light at rte 138, then back up the steep hill, down the long hill, and back on Liberty Lane/Fairgrounds Rd. The minimum elevation was about 115ft feet while the max was 233 ft. The long hill is about a half mile long and the steep hill is about a .2 miles. All in all a good run....

Total Distance - 5.5 miles
Total time - 48:13.00
Avg Pace - 8:46 per

On Monday I'm going to attempt to do two full repeats of the hills - and it will be my last set of hill work before Manchester Half.

and yet ...another 4 miler....

Took the new shoes out for a spin today. The normal bike path route for 4 miles with Anthony, Drew and Justin.

Total Distance 4 miles
Total time: 32:40.82

Mile 1 - 8:12.43
Mile 2 - 8:01.38
Mile 3 - 7:43.24
Mile 4 - 8:43.77

Average - 8:10.20

Tomorrow - HILLS...MUAHAHWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

Picked up another pair of shoes

I got a phone call last night from Anthony who was at the Saucony store at Wrentham Outlet. He told me the prices there were REALLY good and they had an awesome selection of shoes. So since I love my Saucony shoes and will be in need of a new pair in the next few weeks, I headed up and bought a pair. I got the same pair as I had except my new ones are blue and were $54. I plan on using them sparingly over the next few weeks and then use them for the Manchester Half.

Long run Friday!

After speaking with my sister (my "coach") - and laying out my races and goals for the races, AND the lack of weekends left to do long runs before these races...today went from a normal easy day into an 8 mile day. So....Anthony and I hit the bike path and went from work to Curtis Corner Rd and back. We tried our hardest to keep at a similar pace from beginning to end...and we did pretty good. Since I didnt know the mile markers I didnt use the split feature of my watch and just timed the whole thing.

Total Distance: 8.1 miles
Total Time: 74:46
Avg Pace: 9:13/mile

Awesome 5 miler today

Happy October - 1 month til Manchester Half Marathon (yikes!).

After a much needed day off - Anthony and I hit the bike bath for a 5 miler. Thanks to day of rest - no tweaks, twinges, pulls, strains or pains today.

Total Time - 42:56.93

1st mile - 8:58.70
2nd mile - 8:39.12
3rd mile - 8:53.00
4th mile - 8:27.01
5th mile - 7:59.10

Average Pace - 8:35.38

Got the new Runners World today...look forward to the section on "The Runner's Footprint"

Yet another 4 mile bike path run.....

Just a normal 4 mile bike path run.

Total Time: 37:01.12
1st mile: 9:19.55
2nd mile: 9:17.49
3rd mile: 9:04.41
4th mile: 9:18.67

Total Average - 9:15.28

4 mile run - 1st with new watch

Just a normal 4 mile bike path run.

Total Time: 33:10.83
1st mile: 8:19.10 (goal 10k pace)
2nd mile: 7:36.16
3rd mile: 8:20.16 (goal 10k pace)
4th mile: 8:55.41

Total Average for 4 miles: 8:17 per mile. New watch was great....

I was a bit concerned this morning - while I was getting ready for work my right knee was "creaking" pretty bad (and loud) when I was walking. It seemed to clear itself and I never noticed it when running.

I feel like my body is the Millennium Falcon and I just keep telling everyone.
"Don't worry. She'll hold together!"

Timex Men's Ironman Sleek Triathlon 150-Lap Watch

Today I finally picked up a running watch. I no longer have to try to remember my stop watch anymore. I got the Timex Men's Ironman Sleek Triathlon 150-Lap Watch on clearance at Target today for $17 (normally about an $80 watch).

Long Wrun to Wrentham

I ran with Anthony today from his place (in Attleboro) to the outlet mall in Wrentham and back. Total distance 10 miles. Total time - no idea, decided not to worry about time on my long runs - but if I had to guess we probably ran 9:20s or so. My calves were pretty mad at me most of the way - but as we were about to finish they started to feel better.

Total miles for the week - 26. Not sure if I'm going to go out tomorrow for a few miles or not - guess I'll see how I feel in the morning. With Celina gone next weekend my next long run is Oct 11 - for 13.1 miles.

"Easy Tempo" Run

Well today was supposed to be an easy run day. HOWEVER (I blame Justin although it is my fault) we turned it into a mini-easy-tempo run. What was supposed to be 3 miles at 9:20ish pace today turned into 4 miles at the following paces per mile
1st mile - (warmup) 9:13
2nd mile - 8:21
3rd mile - 8:41
4th mile - (cooldown) 8:52

Total Distance: 4 miles
Total Time: 35:07
Avg Pace: 8:46

Good run today.....

Ran with Justin on bike path to Minesterial Rd and back. No pains, no tight calves. Even though it was a 9:17 pace - it felt like I was going slower than 10:00 - which I think is good.

Total Distance: 3.2 miles
Total Time: 29:45
Pace: 9:17

Tonight I need to plan out the LONG run for Saturday. Hope the weather behaves.

Registered for my last race of 2008

I just registered for the 2nd Annual Sunapee Turkey Trot in Sunapee, NH. Its a 5k course that starts at the Sunapee Harbor gazebo. This should be a good/fun race to finish of the 2008 season.

So far I'm 1 of 32 runners registered.

5 miler with Anthony.....this one hurt

Today Anthony and I ran our normal bike path route - but for 5 miles. This one hurt a bit especially my calves. They are very tight. I guess that's what I get for running all out on Sunday. I managed to do 5 miles in 46 minutes - 9:12 pace. Maybe tomorrow is a good day to rest.

Oh - and Andrew registered for the Dartmouth 10k today - so I wont be running alone.

Recovery run with Anthony....

Anthony and I took advantage of the nice cool weather today and went for a recovery run (from yesterdays 5k). Nice and easy 4 miler on the bike path. It took us 38:34 (or a 9:38 pace). My calves started to feel tight during the run - but other than that I felt real good. The rest of this week is going to be a nice easy run again tomorrow, hopefully hills on Wednesday, easy on Thursday and LONG on Saturday - but we'll see what happens.

CVS/Caremark Downtown 5K Results

Place: 726/4214
Div/Total: 353/1053
Division: M0139
TIme: 23:54
Pace: 7:42
Name: Mark Juliano
Age: 32
S: M
Bib #: 1024
City, State: Pawtucket RI
Team: APC BY SCHNEIDER

CVS/Caremark Downtown 5K

Today was the CVS Caremark Downtown 5k in Providence RI. We met up with the APC team at the Renaissance Hotel downtown at about 10:30. After we took our team picture – Justin, Anthony and I ran a .8 mile warm-up run. We then took a leisurely walk to our corrals. Justin and I were in one corral, Anthony and Tim in another and Shawn in yet another.

After the normal pre-race stuff – we were off. Took about 20-30 seconds to cross the starting line. Right from the beginning it was FAST – in front of the mall – then down the hill to head into downtown. Justin and I were together for a bit – then around the convention center we got separated. As we passed in front of Trinity Brewhouse – part of me thought that a beer sounded good. My first mile was in about 7:35. As the second mile started I felt as if I slowed down a lot – but based on my finish time I guess I didn’t. The only thing I really remember about the 2nd mile was the band that played “Rockin In A Free World” over and over and over and over all day. Sometime right after that band – Tim caught up to me. He stayed with me for a few minutes and then he went off as Tim can only do. (its kind of sickening). Again it was a blur until I saw the mile 3 timer. It said 23:40. Of course it was at the bottom of the hill in front of the mall – so I kicked it and ran full blast up the hill. The finish line was a lot further away than expected but I was able to maintain my pace. As I passed the finish line I looked up and the clock read 24:13. My chip time was 23:54 for a 7:42 pace.

All in all a very good race – highly recommend this race to any of you reading (all 3 of you) for next year.

APC by Schneider Team Results:
18:39 6:01 Andrew Bradner
19:39 6:20 Tom Kiernan
19:46 6:22 Paige Roberts
19:51 6:24 Timothy Mallin
22:11 7:09 Marty Lunn
22:42 7:19 Gwenael Guillemoto
22:45 7:20 Ron Catanzaro
23:30 7:34 Tim Coffey
23:54 7:42 Mark Juliano
24:18 7:50 Joe Savino
24:28 7:53 Anthony Chiu
24:54 8:01 Matthew Sojka
25:07 8:05 Patrick Scarella
25:21 8:10 Laurent Vernerey
26:34 8:33 Arun Mandayam
26:37 8:34 Justin Finch
26:48 8:38 Owen Rielly
27:43 8:55 Michael Ricci
27:43 8:56 Gerard Jorge
28:13 9:05 Marc Setevage
28:32 9:11 Emily Klein
28:43 9:15 Shawn Murdock
29:11 9:24 Jennifer Fischer
31:10 10:02 Bridget Gamache
32:20 10:25 Melissa Ferrell
33:08 10:40 Brian Mom
43:57 14:09 Kenneth Pippins
50:42 16:19 Rachael Hilton
50:42 16:20 Kate Meyer

Ill also give shout outs to a couple others –
28:28 9:10 Lance Swenson
31:26 10:07 Carson Heinemann

Next up – 10k in Dartmouth. Training starts up tomorrow.

Got my number for CVS

Just got an email from CVS race organizers....First time for any race I got my bib number and my chip number sent to me before the race. #1024 is me.

Last run before CVS

Today is my 5th day of running in a row...and amazingly enough I feel good. Legs are a bit tired, but nothing hurts. Shawn and I ran the normal bike path route to Ministerial Rd and back. Total Distance- 3.2 miles Total time - 27:45 Pace - 8:40. Next run - CVS 5k in Providence.

Tired Legs Run

Today the legs are tired - no pain - just tired. Justin and I went out for a leisurely 5 mile run. We went out at about a 9:10 pace for the first couple miles. On the way back we did 5 pickups that felt to be around my 400s time with a nice recovery in between. Total today was 5 miles at 46:15 - a 9:15 pace. Maybe tomorrow is a good day to rest.

Nice fall day run

Thank you mother nature for listening to my pleas. Today was a great day for running. I ran with Justin for the first mile and 1/2 or so. We did first mile in 10 minutes. At about 1.5 miles Justin turned around - I picked up the pace. At the 2 mile marker I turned around and picked up the pace again. Every quarter mile or so I kept picking up the pace. I was able to do the last 3 miles at an 8:20 pace. My legs are pretty tired today but no pains. Hopefully the weather will behave for tomorrow.

Total distance = 4 miles
Total time = 35 minutes

Recovery run with Shawn....

Today I decided to not rest after running the 5k yesterday and go out for a recovery run. Shawn took me on his new 5k route. First mile was in 9:15, second was 9:48. I finished the total 5k in 29:45. I took some extra time to stretch beforehand since I was/am still a bit sore from the race yesterday. It did feel good though to get out on tired legs and go for a nice relaxing run - even though it was hot. WHERE IS FALL?!?!?!?!

Thank you Shawn for keeping a great pace and times on your Garmin.

Hopefully tomorrow I can go out for a run - mmmmmmm tomorrow high of 68. Thank you mother nature.

Shawn M Nassaney 5k Results

Place: 86
Div/Tot: 16/36
Div: M3039
Name: MARK JULIANO
Age: 32
S: M
Bib #: 16
City: PAWTUCKET
State: RI
Time: 26:14
Pace: 8:28

See all results here at CoolRunning.com.

8th Annual Shawn M. Nassaney Race/Walk

Today was the 8th Annual Shawn M. Nassaney Race/Walk at Bryant University in Smithfield RI. This is a very difficult (at least I think) cross-country 5k race. To make things more difficult/interesting/fun - it poured all morning (after raining a bunch last night too).

After registering (and waiting for the rain to lighten up). Andrew, Anthony and I took a warm up run on the course just to check the conditions. Lets just say the course was wet...and where it wasn't wet - it was mud - mostly wet and mud. We warmed up for what I guess was about a mile and change. Then we went to the track to stretch. We met up with Justin, Tim and Carson. We tried to do some pickups on the track - but Bryant had a football game today and both teams were using the track area for warm ups - so it was VERY busy around the track. Finally the rain stopped - and the muggies came out.

After that we headed over to the starting line. I'm not sure if there was no starting gun/horn or somehow I just missed it - but at some point everyone just yelled GO and off we went. Ground was extremely wet and soft. I was able to keep with Justin in the beginning which was good - cause he is a great pacer. We hit the first mile at 7:30 - 30 seconds faster than last year - and still TOO FAST. Anyway - then into the hills.

The beginning was MUD MUD and more MUD. Since I walked alot of the hills last year - I forgot how many there are. Hill after hill after hill. I came out of the hills and felt spent. I couldnt believe I had only run 2+ miles at this point and felt like I had run 20 (or what I assume 20 feels like). After the big grassy hill all I wanted to do was walk. But that was goal #1 - NO WALKING. I (purposely) slowed my pace down a bit (and had to take my shirt off - it was getting muggy/warm). I realized then that Anthony was right behind me. We ran the last 2/3 a mile or so together and finished together. After I got through the chip removing junk - I went straight to lying in the cold wet grass to help cool off. Final time 26:14. (last year 31:24)

Manchester 1/2 Marathon

I bit the bullet last night and registered for the Manchester City Half Marathon on November 2. Not sure what to expect over the next 2 months for training - but I have mapped it all out and feel I can get ready for it. Im hoping to finish just around 2 hours (+/- 5 minutes).

Back on track

So after 2 weeks of sub-par runs, Ive now had back to back runs this week where I felt great before, during AND after the runs. The first was the 4 mile back path, and the next was the 3.2 mile. While running the 3.2 miles I felt as if I was going SOOO slow. But in the end, without much exertion I did an 8:46 pace. Not blazing fast - but considering how I felt the last few weeks - I will definitely take it.

4 mile run/walk

Today we went to the bike path to run 4 miles. It was kind of humid today which made the run very difficult. Felt like someone was pushing me in my chest trying to slow me down the entire time. Sometime after mile 3, I was taking my normal stride and when my left foot came forward I just started walking. It wasnt a conscious decision.....my body just had enough. I walked for about 5 minutes and then was able to jog it back to work.

800s at URI

So today we went to URI to do 800m repeats with 400m recovery.

1 Mile warmup
1st 800m - 3:35
400m recovery
2nd 800m - 3:45
400m recovery
3rd 800m - 3:45
400m recovery
1.25 mile cool down.

The first 800 was tough but felt good. But the last little bit of the last 800m was BRUTAL. I decided not to do a 4th and start the cool down process.

Back at it

After a week off (needed to rest cause of a cold/allergy/injury)....I went 4 today at about a 9:15 pace. It was very difficult. Felt heavy legged and just plain ole blah/sluggish.

Blah - solo speed work

So I found out I'm terrible at doing solo intervals. I cant get the right pace down. I planned on going out tonight to do 4-6 800s at 3:40. I ended up doing 3 at 3:20 and feeling like garbage afterwards. Its nice to know that I can do 3:20/800s but, not sure if it was productive or not. I might hit the track at URI on Wednesday and try again with Shawn.

Also I registered today for the Shawn Nassaney 5k and the Dartmouth YMCA 10K.

11+ mile long run day

Ran to Brown (via Newport Ave - Broadway - Massasoit - Red Bridge - Angell St) then back via Hope. When running up Hope St I stepped on a rock and twisted my ankle a bit. Other than that it was a nice run. I was very hot and tired by then end.

Registered for the CVS Caremark Downtown 5k

Today I registered for the CVS Caremark Downtown 5k in Providence on Sept. 21st. Since I have now registered for it, Ill put my goal here. I am aiming for a 7:59 pace. Its a bit ambitious...but hey why make "easy" goals.

I'm going to register for the Shawn Nassaney Memorial 5k on Monday when I get back to work.

Rock run

Ran to rock today and back to the cabin twice. Total mileage was 5 miles run in 41 minutes (8:12 pace). Right calve is feeling a bit better. My legs were very tired the rest of the day.

My weekly mileage is a bit lower than I had hoped for at this point. I have a nice long run planned out for Sunday ...so I hope to be at 25+ again this week.

Rest day today

Due to a rough night of sleep and my right calve acting up - i decided to rest today. "Mapped" out distances for my long runs for the next few weeks leading up to the Manchester Half Marathon (if I run it).

Easy run today

Today I went alone for an easy run. I ran 15 minutes out from the cabin (clockwise around the lake)...then 15 minutes back. Total mileage was 3.25 miles/30 minutes/9:14 pace.

Clockwise run around Crescent Lake

Today Bob and I went the other way around the lake to the stop sign and back. Both of us felt the first mile was fast, but we didnt realize how fast until we did some math. First mile was 8:20. The rolling hills seemed much bigger going this way. Each "lap" was 2.8 miles long. From cabin to stop sign took 25 minutes (8:54 pace) and from stop sign to cabin took 23:15 (8:18 pace). I was able to give a pretty good kick at the end to cut the 1:45 off the return trip. Total mileage was 5.6 miles at 48:15 (8:36 pace). In talking afterwards, Bob said he was waiting for me to slow down, and was waiting for him to slow down. Hence the fast times.....

Oh - and black toe is making a come back.

Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner

One thing my vacation allowed me to do (besides get away from the computer) was to read. Doug let me borrow Dean Karnazes - Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner. Dean is an ultramarathon runner (runs longer than 26.2 miles). He has done some crazy things (at least for now I think they are crazy) such as single-handedly completed the 199 mile Providian Saturn Relay six times, ran 350 miles in 80 hours and 44 minutes without stopping and ran in and won the Badwater Ultramarathon. The book was a very good read and I'd recommend it to any of you that run.

"To call running fun would be a misuse of the word. Running can be enjoyable. Running can be rejuvenating. But in a pure sense of the word, running is not fun." - Dean Karnazes.

Congrats To Shawn!!!

Just want to take a moment and say congrats to Shawn on finishing his first (of many I hope) triathlons. You can read about his race/results and such at his blog.

Long run day at Crescent Lake, NH

Today Bob and I went for a run around Crescent Lake. Its a 4.1 mile loop. We ran the first loop in 40 minutes(9:45 pace). I ran the second loop solo and finished it at 39 minutes. I pushed the last mile to make it a 9 minute mile flat. So 8.2 miles in 79 minutes (9:38 pace). The terrain was extremely hilly. One big hill in the beginning and then about 5 or 6 rolling hills. I'd even say the hills were worse than the Boilermaker hills. The sounds of Rage Against the Machine's Evil Empire helped alot during the 2nd loop. Not too much pain after. About an hour or so after the run, Celina, Alec and I went out for about a mile or so on the canoe. Today's total mileage of 8.2 pushed my weekly mileage to 26.4 miles - which is my first 25+ mile week ever.

Intervals at URI

So today Anthony, Justin, Tim and I went to the URI track to do our interval work. All week I wanted to do 800s but decided that doing good 400s was more important than mediocre 800s. Below is what I did.

1 Mile Warmup
Interval 1 (400m) 1:46 - Recovery (200m) 1:25
Interval 2 (400m) 1:42 - Recovery (200m) 1:25
Interval 3 (400m) 1:44 - Recovery (200m) 1:25
Interval 4 (400m) 1:44 - Recovery (200m) 1:25
Interval 5 (400m) 1:47 - Recovery (200m) 1:25
.75 Mile cooldown
Run back to work

Total mileage 6 miles

The first 3 were "comfortably hard", the 4th was hard and the 5th kind of hurt. All in all very fun and fulfilling.

Easy day today....

Today was an easy day. Justin, Drew, Anthony and I went bike path today and went 5.8 miles in 57:33.

Tempo run day......ouch

So today was tempo run day. We warmed up for 1.5 miles at around 10 minutes per. Then we went to about 9:15 per mile for a mile, then kicked up yet another notch and tried to maintain around 8:30. When we first started the FAST tempo, Tim yelled up a pace time in the 7s...so we pulled back a bit. Tim then yelled up 8:15....so we slowed up just a tad more. We kept our pace after that around 8:30. We did that for a little over a mile but not quite the full mile 2 miles we had hoped. We then cooled down around a 9:45-10 pace. All in all, a good run. I have some soreness in my left leg (knee and calve). Im sure getting out of bed will be "fun" tomorrow.

Total mileage for today 6.4 miles @58:35

Easy Run Sunday

So this morning I ran 3.6 miles in 36 minutes. Nice and easy pace - although it was very tiring coming off of a long run yesterday. Total weekend mileage is now 10.3 miles. Rest tomorrow....

Long run Saturday to Massachusetts and back

Today was long run day. I didnt know how long I could go to day, since we did hill work yesterday. So instead of making a daily mileage goal for today, I told myself I need to 10 miles this weekend total. Today I was able to knock of 6.7 miles of that (in 66 minutes). I feel good now - but pretty tired. Last night after the hills I was fighting to stay awake. I'm sure tonight I'll be out cold again.



And after running with that Clif Mojo bar ....im sold. They are really good.

Clif Mojo bars

After stomaching through the case of regular Clif Bars I bought, I decided it was time to change my pre-run snack. Today at the store I bought Clif Mojo bars. Soooooo much better. Its nice having a snack that tastes like actual food and not a dry hunk of gunk garbage. Yes, I said gunk garbage. I've only had the Mountain Mix Mojo bar - but so far so much better.

Hill repeat day

So today was hill repeat day. I was a bit nervous going into it as I am a little intimidated by hills.

Warmup - 1.5 miles
#1 Hillup 100m - 52 seconds
#1 Hilldown 100m - 1:32
#2 Hillup 100m - 59 seconds
#2 Hilldown 100m - 1:32
#3 Hillup 100m - 57 seconds
#3 Hilldown 100m - 1:32
#4 Hillup 100m - 57 seconds
#4 Hilldown 100m - 1:32
#5 Hillup 100m - 56 seconds
#5 Hilldown - 1:32
Cooldown - 1.5 miles

Total approximate mileage - 5 miles

Not sure what else to write about the hills but...they were hard, but they werent miserable. And when we were done I felt very satisfied (and tired and hungry). Hopefully I can go out tomorrow for a nice easy 3 mile run. I also need to figure out a good long run for Sunday. No break til Monday.

Still love the new shoes.

Black toe update

Well the black toe is going away - I'm betting its due to the new shoes. Thank you Saucony and Rhode Runner!!

I'm running in the rain...I'm running the rain.....

Well today it rained hard, but that didnt get in our way. Justin said we are running so we ran. Today was easy run day - we ran 3.58 miles, total time 36:17, pace 10:07.

1st mile - 9:59
2nd mile - 10:18
3rd mile - 10:27
last .58 mile - 5.30

Thanks Shawn for the times from his Garmin.

Tempo errrr I mean Hill Run errr....whatever

So today was supposed to be a Tempo run with Justin and crew. It being Jeff's last day they decided to play frisbee. So I ran to the park to meet them but took the "scenic" route. My first mile was 8:15 - not too shabby. I got to the stop sign on Liberty lane and Rte 2 at 11:15 (1.45 miles in) - my fastest to the stop sign EVER. Then UP the big hill - then down the big hill.....Total 3.2 miles in 27 minutes even.

Today's run definitely gave me my confidence back from my crappy run on Saturday. Easy run tomorrow. Hill work (ugh) on Thursday.

"Long" Run Day

Today's run just flat out stunk. Woke up around 7am and was out the door by 7:30. Took off up Hinckely Ave (in Somervilla) - up Broadway hill. I went nice and slow and felt actually kind of good considering the lack of sleep. I missed the turn on Central and had to come back up the hill to make the turn. I should have realized that was a sign.

The next few miles were just slow, painful and just plain miserable. The last 3/4 of a mile, when Rage and Cypress Hill came on the headphone I got a boost and was able to run ALL out for that bit. And I mean all out - i tried to talk (to myself) and could barely gets 2 words out before needing a breath. So I'm officially calling my last bit the "Zack, Tom, Tim, Brad, B-Real, Sen-Dog, DJ Mugs, and and Eric Bobo 3/4 Mile".

Couple days off and back at it on Tuesday with a Tempo run or hill work.

Update -

Day off -

Today I am taking the day off from running. I actually feel pretty good from yesterdays Tempo run. My left knee feels "tender" right below the knee cap - but nothing too bad. I slept really well last night. Long run is planned for tomorrow in Boston - I'm hoping for a 6-7 mile or 70 minute run.

No more Nike+ for me

I've decided to ditch my Nike+ for my iPod and go with a watch and MapMyRun to figure it all out. I could really never get the Nike+ calibrated and it was always off for my runs (based on what google maps said). So if anyone has a watch to recommend let me know....

Tempo Run - IN NEW SHOES!!

Today, Justin and I did our first Tempo run. Also today was the first run with the new shoes. The shoes were great - I couldn't be happier with them. Results of today's tempo run.

Warmup - 1 mile in 9:50 minutes
1st mile tempo - 8:00 minutes (too fast)
2nd mile tempo - 9:00 minutes (too slow)
Cooldown - 1 mile in 10:00 minutes
Overall time - 36:50 for 4 miles

We were aiming for 8:30 minute pace - so we have some work to do to bring the fast down and speed the slow up to the midpoint. The tempo miles felt tough but not impossible. We could talk a little as we ran which is a good sign (I think).

Off day tomorrow - which is good as this is the first time in a long time I ran 3 consecutive days. I'm looking for a good route in Somverville/Cambridge area for my Saturday long run. Guess I'll be on MapMyRun most of the night finding that "perfect" route.

10:15pm Update - No soreness or pain. Im a little shocked. But I guess we will see how I feel in the morning (or when the ibuprofen wears off).

NEW SHOES!!

I did some quick math the other day and realized that my Nike's have quite a few miles on them. That coupled with my new case of "Black Toe" - I decided it was time for a new pair of shoes.

Instead of going to Dick's or similar place and buying the most inexpensive of the fancy Nike's I could find; I thought it was about time I go to a real running store and get someone to watch me walk and all that jazz. I heard good things about Rhode Runner in Providence from Justin so I headed there (after a quick trip to Books on the Square to get some books for Alec to keep him occupied).

As soon as I walked in I was helped by a nice kid working there. He made me take off the shoes and roll up my jeans and walk to the door and back a couple times. After a few questions about mileage and stuff - he brought out 3 pairs - 1) Nike 2) Saucony and 3) Brooks.

The Nike's felt just like my current Nike's so nothing spectacular. I then put on the Saucony shoes - and WOW. They felt soooo good. I tried on the Brooks after that - they were nice - but the Saucony's were the way to go. So I have a brand new pair of Saucony Progrid Trigon 5 Ride (silver/grey/orange) size 10.5s.



I know it seems I'm a little over excited about a pair of shoes - but I hate going shoe shopping for any shoe - and this was as painless as it gets. Oh and Alec insisted on seeing my black toe when I was trying on shoes - he says and I quote "Its not that gross Daddy".

Todays "Easy" run

Today was "easy" run day. We went our old school 5k route down Liberty Lane. We did today at a 9:27 pace. A little faster than we would have liked - but we did negative splits which is good. First mile was 10 minutes, last 1.1 was 8:45. The knees are a little sore and the toe is still black. Hopefully tomorrows Tempo run isnt as hard as I think its gonna be.

Inspiration for the next few weeks

I think Trent Reznor said it best --

"Nothing can hurt me, nothing can stop me now"

The Great Toe

Looks like its time to get a new pair of shoes as the Black Toe has struck. Im sure most of you have had it at some point - but in case you haven't here is what "The Toe" is - (from RunnersWorld)

"A black toenail happens because repeated jamming of the toes against a shoe causes the nail to dislodge. It can happen when shoes are too big or too small, so go to a specialty running shoe store and have the salesperson make sure there's a thumb's width between the end of your longest toe and the front of the shoe. Also, make sure your toenails are trimmed straight across."

Intevals: 400s

Went to URI track today with Finch, Chiu and Drew-guy. We split up into two groups - me and Drew, Finch and Chiu. Drew and I did 1:46 400s, with a recovery of 1:24. Four sets each. We should have done one more but called it quits at four.

Heading to Track tomorrow

So, in talking it over with Justin - looks like we are headed to the track tomorrow. WAHOOO!!! (I sarcastically yell.) I have to do some work tonight to figure out what pace to run our 400's at tomorrow. My ideal goal would be to finish one of the two 5ks coming up in the 25 minute range. Last year I ran my one 5k at a 10:07 pace...so i need to shave 2 minutes per mile off of last year's time. I think I can do a 8:40ish pace now. So just need to try and nix that last 40 seconds.

Blessing of the Fleet 2008 Race Results

Place: 1227/2289
Name: Mark Juliano
Age: 32
Gun Time: 1:32:43
Pace: 9:16
Watch Time: 1:31:00
Pace: 9:06
Place/group: 186
Age Group: M30-39
Place/sex: 813
Bib #: 1347
Pawtucket, RI

Coolrunning.com results page

The Blessing of the Fleet - 10 Miler - Narragansett RI

Lets see...This was my first non chip race. (granted it was only my 4th race ever....). For a small race there appeared to be alot of people - but i guess it was a small space. There was no pre-race countdown - just the opening gun fire to start. It took us all by surprise. Took us about 30 seconds to cross the start line. The first mile took 9:04 to run. It was way too fast. I heard Drew yell up to me that we were going to fast. So I slowed down....or did I. Passed the second mile marker - 9:05 pace. Again - too fast..so I slowed down...or did I. Third mile - 9:05 pace. (see a pattern forming here?) Each mile was exactly the same - 9:04 to 9:06 pace - too fast - my saying to slow down - me not slowing down.

They gave us our race T-shirts when we picked up our numbers - but we parked pretty far from the start so I carried my shirt while I ran. I used it as a sweat rag for the first two miles - then decided it was really annoying to carry. I ended up tossing it off to some kid that was watching the race. Man, I hope he washes it before he wears it.

Even though I did well and was really happy with my results - it was definitely too close to running the Boilermaker to run this.

Last training run before The Blessing

Today was our last day to run before The Blessing on Friday. We had all intentions of going 4 miles, however Anthony forgot about a 9am meeting. So - we ended up going 3 miles. Knees are a little sore today. Now I have a headache.....im sure all will be fine in the morning. I hope

Blessing of the Fleet Road Race

So I am registered for the Blessing of the Fleet in Narragansett. A lovely 10 mile race in lovely south county.

Here is the map of the race.

1st Run since Boilermaker

Today Anthony and I ran before work...it was my first run since the Boilermaker. We did 4 miles in 35 minutes...so 8:45s. Entirely too fast...but it felt good.

Still resting

Im still resting from the Boilermaker. Most of the twinges and strains have gone away, but I dont want to push it and set myself back in my 5k prep. For the two 5ks I have come up with some goals.

For the Nassaney Cross Country 5k, I'd like to finish at 27 minutes - which would be a full 4 minutes "and change" faster than last year.

And for the CVS 5k 26 minutes.

Pictures from Boilermaker Weekend

Here are some pictures from Boilermaker weekend - and the trip to Upstate NY....

Morning after

Got some sore spots from the race. Mostly my quads and yes I have a "twinge" in my right butt cheek (pleasant isnt it). Other than that - just tired. Oh and I've decided today to rest the remainder of the week and not to run the Blessing in Narragansett.

Next week I'll be back at it and start focusing on improving my 5k time.

Boilermaker 2008 Results

Place: 5570
Name: Mark Juliano
Age: 32
Gun Time: 1:36:07
Pace: 10:19
Place in age group: 417/588
Age Group: M30-34
M# 3886
Pawtucket, RI

Boilermaker 2008

Well the Boilermaker is over. 15k is so far the longest race I've run in. The course was hard - not brutal.

Laura and I lined up around 7:30am or so for the 8am start. Once the starting gun was fired it took almost 8 minutes for us to hit the starting line. Once we got going it took a while to weave our way around people into an area where we could run comfortably. Then of course i had to pee. So we had to re-weave our way around people again.

The weaving through people continued even through the hill at the golf course. Once we came down the hill and got on Memorial Parkway it opened up a bit. So 5 miles in and it opened up....i guess thats what happens when 11000+ runners are registered to run.

Laura said to me she didnt feel it and if i wanted to leave her to just go. I hung for a bit with her, but my Clif Goo i took started to kick in so I took off. As we came around in front of Pin O Rama, WOUR 96.9 had Stone Temple Pilots playing real loud which got me pumped up again.

From Burrstone Rd to the finish, it was mostly a blur. I remember high fiving spectators, dumping water on my head, running through hose mists and swearing at myself to keep up the pace. I can't imagine what people around me must have thought.

My gun time was 1:36:07 #5569 overall. After the race we found out that the chip timing system had some issues and didnt get the starts for most people so they scrapped the chip times. Laura had her watch going and we estimated that my "chip" time was 1:28:40ish.

Overall it was a great race, with great people along the race path to cheer us on. Look forward to running it next year.

Log:
Mile 0-1 --> Alot of weaving in and out of slower people, and getting weaved around by faster people. Not much to say about pace as it was just so slow due to amount of people.

Mile 1-2 --> Had to pee.....first time peeing in the weeds in front of thousands of people, however I was not alone. After pee stop more weaving and getting weaved around. Skipped water station.

Mile 2-3 --> Things opened up a very little. Then we started a small hill into the golf course area.

Mile 3-4 --> The hill. It was rough - but not as bad as I thought it would be in my head. I think since it was still pretty busy it kept me from just flying up the hill and "wasting" energy. At this point i started to drink 1/2 the cup of water and pour the other 1/2 on my head.

Mile 4-5 --> Goo'd up with Clif. And since it was going down hill, was probably my fastest mile, although i kept it under control.

Mile 5-6 --> I separated from Laura as my adrenaline kicked in - most likely from combination of crowd and Goo. Great crowds through here.

Mile 6-7 --> Up Burrstone Rd. This wasnt too bad and I felt the best during this mile. Not a huge surprise as usually on my long runs mile 6->7 are when I normally feel good.

Mile 7-8 --> Felt pretty good still in the beginning. As I got closer to the 8th mile I started to feel drained.

Mile 8-9 --> Felt drained for a bit still after passing the 8 mile timer. Around 8.5th mile, I started to feel better and was able to pick it up a bit. Ran through some hose water which made it all feel good. Passed up some people's offer to take a break for some free beer. Right before the 9 mile timer, i kicked it into a higher gear and took off for the finish.

Mile 9-end --> I was able to maintain my "higher" gear through to the end. Crossed finish line. Success - finished first Boilermaker.

Boilermaker Map

Last 5k run before the Boilermaker

Felt terrible today during the run. One of my top 5 least enjoyable runs since I started. Guess that happens sometimes. No more running until race day.

July 7th Run

Just a nice easy run today with Shawn. I headed to Stop sign on Fairgrounds and Rte 2. No golden retriever today....so a good day.

July 6th Run

Went running with Tim on the East Providence/Bristol Bike path. Good...but tiring run. The first mile was a calibration mile for my Nike+....then we went 5 more.

Boston Run To Remeber 2008 Race Results

Place: 468/1702
Division Place: 120/251
Division: M3039
Chip Time: 43:50
Pace: 8:46
Gun Time: 44:15
Age: 32
Bib Number: 7616

Boston Run To Remeber 2008 Map