October 11th - Threshold run - Sedgefield track - 3 mile warm-up. 15/5/10 - 15 minutes on, 5 minutes off, 10 minutes on. 14:35 (4:47, 9:41) - 4:45. Windy and cloudy. 1 mile cooldown.
October 12th - Seven mile loop. Feeling a little tired. Ran moderate pace. Total time running was 46 minutes.
October 13th - Drove to Columbia. 4 miles easy with Brian Radle and Thomas O'Gara. Total time running was 28 minutes.
October 14th - Govenor's Cup 8k, Coumbia, SC - 4th, 23:55. Brian Radle led the first mile in 4:30. I was in 2nd. At 2 miles, Tom O'Gara took the lead and started throughing in small surges. I stayed in 2nd. At 3 miles (14:08), a pack of 5, Bob Henes, Tom O'Gara, Radle, me and Randy Ashley. Henes gradually started to pull away. I got dropped right before 4 miles (18:50), but caught Radle again before he took off after Henes. I really suffered up the last hill (last mile). Still lacking some strength. 1st Henes 23:39, 2. Radle 23:45 3. O'Gara 23:51 4. Scott Dvorak 23:55 5. Randy Ashley 24:30. 3 mile warm-up, 5 mile cool down. Much work to be done!
October 15th - Ran for an 1:10 minutes. Felt pretty good.
October 16th - Easy run with group from the YMCA. Felt good. Total time running was 56 minutes.
October 17th - Morning run of 23 minutes. Afternoon workout - Threshold run - 3 1/2 mile warm-up, 4 miles on track in 20:13 - (5:08, 5:13, 5:09, 4:43) Felt pretty good. Would have like to have run a little slower, but I felt good and went with it. Cooled down for 23 minutes.
October 18th - Ran 10 miles on tredmill at YMCA. Ran easy, 6:30 - 6:53 pace. Total time running 1:10.
October 19th - Ran very easy for 43 minutes (6 miles), then ran 2 more miles on tredmill at 6:00 to 6:49 pace. Total time running was 56 minutes.
October 20th - Flew to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Ran over to Cherry Street Mile course. Ran easy for 28 minutes. Cool and very windy.
October 21st - Cherry Street Mile - Tulsa, OK - 11th/3:56.01 - Went out pretty hard (57, 1:58) Felt good at the 800m mark, then I found out why I'm not a miler.The pack went from running 58 pace, to running 53's. Uncomfortable just got real uncomfortable! I got dusted 1200m-2:57) 1.) Phillimon Hanneck, 3:46.69 2.) Dan Maas, 3:48.68 3.) Paul Donovan, 3:49.21 4.) Nial Bruton, 3:50.74 5.) Michael Bartozak, 3:51.18 6.) Mike Morin, 3:51.70 7.) Shannon Lemora, 3:53.16 8.) Bungei, (KEN) 3:54.49 9.) Chris Katon, 3:55.26 10.) Jason Bunston, 3:55.53 11.) Scott Dvorak, 3:56.01 (17 guys under 4:00) 3 mile cool down.
December 17th - Lincoln Bank Peace Run 10 miler - 34 degrees, Very hilly course which went over parts of the Trials course. Was ment to be a workout, but didn't end up that way. Had planned on just going out and running 5:15 pace with friend and Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier Pat Piper. Pat took it out like a "Bat outa hell" in 4:42, which left me wondering what was he thinking? Supprisingly, we weren't alone either. There was another gut running with us who looked really good. "Come on guys, I was out late last night" was my comment to myself. I just sat back in 3rd, hoping they'd slow it down some, and let me run my 5 ish pace. We passed 2 miles in 9:48, and 3 miles in 14:32. Stiff competition for a little race with no money. At 5 miles (24:48), Pat dropped off and left me alone with the mystery man. He was really surging and pushing the pace. At 6 miles, curiousity overcame me and I ask him who he was. It turned out that he was a 2:14 marathoner from Finland, over here visiting his girlfriend who is here for a year. He asked me if there was money, to which I replied "No, so let's not kill eachother over this!" That manage to get him to slow down for a little bit, but he started to pick it back up with 2 miles to go. I was just sitting on him, and he started to pull away with a mile to go. I had conceded victory to him, and had decided that I wasn't going to leave myself spent over a "workout." With 300m to go though I start to kick it in and caught him right at the line for the win. Funny how things work out! The time was 49:34.
December 18th - No run today. Drove to Virginia to spend time with family.
December 19th - Ran an easy 4 miles out and back from Dad's house. Very cold, windy and rainy. Had planned on doining 2 runs, but I'm still sore and the weather is completely crappy.
December 20th - Morning run for 42 minutes. Very cold and windy. Felt much better than yesterday. Calves are still fairly tight. Afternoon run - Ran 28 minutes in the evening. Felt okay.
December 21st - Morning run - for 45 minutes. Felt decent, a little tired. Legs feel a little stale.
December 22nd - Morning run of 23 minutes. Evening run of 56 minutes at moderate pace.
December 23rd - Drove to Florida. Was hit from behind while stopped in traffic on Int. 95 by a crazy canook who couldn't speak any english! Neck sore, no run!
December 24th - 10 mile run at easy to moderate pace. 1:06 total time
December 25th - 7 miles in 52 minutes. Ran very easy. Felt okay.
December 26th - Drove back to Charlotte. When I got home, I found out through a very inpersonal form letter that I was dismissed by Reebok today. Seems they're cutting back. That sucks, I have my best year and they drop me!? I don't get it? Here's a company that I've represented well for the last 4 years and this is how they repay me. Thanks guys! From what I'm hearing through the grapevine, they just about dropped everyone. Oh, and thanks for the notice, I really appreciate you letting me know so late in the year, so that all the other companies will have already filled their rosters. Corporate Machines Suck! Angry! Ran 10 miles on tredmill at YMCA for 60 minutes.
December 27th - Quality track session - Charlotte Latin - 3 miles warm-up. 9 X 800m (3 sets), 400m recovery. Stopped after 7th, cold, windy, tired! 2:12, 2:14, 2:15, 2:15, 2:15, 2:15, 2:18 Felt pretty bad! 1 1/2 mile cooldown.
December 28th - 10 miles easy. Total time running was 1:06.
December 29th - Ran for 1:36 at easy to moderate pace. Felt much better. Cool and clear.
December 30th - Quality speed session - Charlotte Latin - 3 1/2 mile warm-up. 3 X (100m,200m,300m,300m,200m,100m) - 14,29,45,42,29,14,14,29,42,43,29,13.8,14,29,42,42,28,14 - Good workout - tried to float recovery, but couldn't, pace was too fast, and I didn't wan't the speed to suffer for the short recovery. 300's are too long to float. Slight wind and cool. 1 1/2 mile cooldown.
December 31st - Morning run for 58 minutes at moderate to easy pace. Feeling pretty beat up.