Speed and Stagnation (Week 10)
Vol 4. No. 17
March is a transition month here in these parts of North Carolina. Temperatures start to peak into the upper 70’s on multiple occasions, the flowers and tree’s start to bloom and this week we get back to Daylight Savings Time. No longer do we need headlamps and reflective gear for our evening runs and with the sun staying higher in the sky longer, the outdoor socials after the run will last longer.
We can start to slowly put the cold-weather running gear away and look forward to the days of running in simplicity. Just some shorts and a shirt. Lightweight, simple and manageable. However we also know that there could be yet one more Polar-Vortex to slap us in the face before summer arrives overnight.
This week had some transitions in my running, as well as stagnation in my weight loss. For the first time this year, I completed a run with an average pace in the 7’s. I also hit the trails for over seven miles with an average pace around 9’30”, that is approximatley 90 seconds faster than my average trail pace last year. I’m getting fitter and faster. It feels good.
With the good comes some more hurdles. I’ve hit a weight-loss plateau. My weight again this week is at 206.6lbs. For the past three weeks my weight has fluctuated between 205 to 208. It’s time to shake things up and get my internal furnace burning hot again. Here’s how I plan breaking this plateau next week.
Decrease calories.
Intermittent Fasting: 8/16
Incorporate High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T) 3x per week.
Increase Protein and Fiber intake. (While also decreasing calories)
Add in “Rucking” 2x per week.
Overall this was a great week of running! I got in solo runs and group runs. I got in some easy runs, harder speed work and a trail run. It was great to be home all week and the see the beginnings of spring.
Monday: 3.3.2025 (JD 62): 5 at 5.
Vacation is over and my motivation for getting back to work was at an all time low. Sunday was a decent day of rest following a 10-mile run with Robert but now it was time to put my nose down and start grinding through the week. I’m not sure there is anyone out there who looks forward to sifting through a 100+ emails and getting caught back up.
I couldn’t think of a better way to kick Monday in the face and prevent it from knocking me down than to get up early and get after it. Not even the 26F start of the morning could dissuade me from what I needed to do, although I wish it was a tad warmer!
I threw out an open invite to the run club for an early AM run. I got two responses! One where a woman wanted to start at 4:30am! I’m not going to lie, that would have been a little too early for me. So when Maureen chimed in that she’d meet me for a 5am run, I was in.
My expectation was to knock out four miles around a 9’00” pace like we did last month. So when she floated the idea of going for five miles instead of four, I simply couldn’t say no. Maybe this is a friendly trait I’ve picked up from my friend Rob. I think it’s contagious. On Sunday he was only going out for six miles but on a whim decided to do 10 with me. Over the last five years I hadn’t known him to shy away from always doing more. It was my turn to return the favor to another runner.
This was my second run with Maureen and she’s a strong runner! A former Collegiate swimmer and lifetime runner, she has the strength and speed to keep me on my toes. We decided we’d stick to 5-miles but never really discussed a pace. It was an unwritten agreement we’d keep it at a 9’00” pace roughly.
That’s exactly what we did and it felt great. We showed up. Got in the run. No frills no B.S then called it a morning and we went our own directions to go tackle the day and fulfill our adult responsibilities.
5.01 miles | Avg Pace: 8’58” | Avg HR: 137 | Best Mile: 8’46” | 28°F at 76%
Tuesday: 3.4.2025: (JD 63): Another Shoe Brand - Let’s Go.
It’s a funny thing how life works out. This year I decided to start venturing away from Brooks and exploring other brands and shoes. You can read about the Evolution of my Shoes from this weeks mid-week read. I have already purchased a pair of New Balance and Hoka’s and my next purchase was going to be Saucony, but I haven’t pulled the trigger yet.
Then my close friend Robert was giving away his pair of Saucony Endorphin Pro3 with only 30 miles on them. They weren’t a good fit and he was looking to offload them into a good home. I jumped on it and they fit perfectly. So today I decided to give them a go on a short three mile run after some strength training at the YMCA.
Inside I knocked out 45 minutes of strength training before changing shoes and hitting the pavement. I set my COROS Pace Pro to a data screen to only show Time of Day and Distance and decided to go out on an easy run and simply evaluate these gifted shoes.
They were very much different than the other three shoes in my rotation. They are also the only shoes with a carbon plate insole. The shoes were extremely lightweight and I felt like my feet were stomping on the ground as opposed to my cushioned Hoka’s or New Balance’s. While the feel was much different, they didn’t hurt and my pace felt comfortable and easy.
It wasn’t until my run was over that I looked at my pace and was pleasantly surprised to confirm that my “easy”’ pace was right near an 8’30”.
How often do you venture out and test out new shoes?
3.37 miles | Avg Pace: 8’31” | Avg HR: 143 | Best Mile: 8’11” | 64°F at 45%
Wednesday: 3.5.2025: (JD 64): Hiding the pain.
It must have been the pullups yesterday.
Or maybe it was how I slept.
Most likely it’s just a side effect of the aging process.
Whatever the case. I tweaked my back.
At 6am it was painful to take a full breath. Moving through the sagittal plane was painful. This wasn’t soreness, but a knot in the lower-left side of my back, well above my kidneys. Mentally this was a serious blow because I really don’t want to miss any days of running.
I decided to rest in the morning and not go to the YMCA for my regular strength training session. Not that I could lift anything, I was in pain.
Throughout the day I decided to tackle this issue head on in hopes I could run by the 6:30pm start time.
I took a couple doses of Tylenol throughout the day to ease the pain.
Used the foam roller and rolled out my back on the floor. This was tough!
Since the foam roller wasn’t going so great I moved on to a racquetball. Placing the ball on the floor, I was able to pin-point the knot in my back and roll it out.
Continuing with attacking this back pain, I would use the corner of the doorway to apply pressure to my back and ease out this pain.
After all that I asked my wife for assistance to use my percussion gun on my back. She had to really lean into it but it really helped.
By the time 6pm rolled around the pain was gone and what was left was soreness. I really didn’t want to miss my weekly 5K so I decided that I’d jog if I could, walk if I must but no matter what I’m getting it done. On top of the physical pain, I was mentally drained. Work had it’s hurdles and life presented obstacles that required enough mental energy that I was just drained.
If you’re reading this and ran with me on Wednesday, than you may be surprised to know that I “Faked it until I made it”. I was physically and mentally bogged down when I arrived. But I knew that seeing friends and staying active would help.
In fact it did. Thank you.
I’m glad I went because I got to see some friends I hadn’t seen in a while and I got in a 5K run with Jon. The man recently completed two marathons just two weeks apart! While he may not have hit is time goals, I think just the mere ability to run two marathons two weeks apart is strength in itself! It was good to see he is recovering fine and feeling good.
Our run was slow but got progressively faster as I worked through the soreness and realized it really wasn’t too bad.
Mile 1: 9’57” | Mile 2: 9’11” | Mile 3: 8’53” | Final 0.11: 9’18”
3.11 miles | Avg Pace: 9’20” | Avg HR: 130 | Best Mile: 8’49” | 63°F at 83%
Thursday: 3.6.2025: (JD 65): Last Club Run in the Dark!
Thank the Good Lord! I woke up Thursday with no pain in my back. I could breath fully and all that was left was a small tinge of soreness that I was sure I could work out during the day.
Today was also the last Club Run in the dark for the next seven months! We finally made it through the dark period of winter and everyone is looking forward to warmer weather and more light into the evenings.
A few times a year, there’s a magic that happens at the post-run social that you need to experience. My attempts to capture these moments in written word will always fall short. There are moments and times in life that must be seen, felt and experienced and no amount of words or video can capture the magic. These moments happen after you’ve finished a hard run under the grueling southern heat and humidity, when the beer is cold, the conversations are fun and laughter fills the summer air as the sun is setting. It’s one of those essential elements that make life so enjoyable. Doing hard things with friends then laughing about it over a cold beer.
I think we’re all looking forward to it.
Especially the 6+ women runners we have who are all bringing new runners into this world this summer. I know they’re looking forward to it.
New Runners Never Run Alone.
The club is so great because the people are so great. It’s that simple. So when we have new runners show up to the club, we really try our best not to let them go solo on their first time out.
Tonight I chose to run with two new-to-the-club runners who showed up for their first run. Max and Erika were a siblings duo, both great runners in their own right and excited to be joining us. For many, their first time showing up to Run Club is the scariest. You don’t know anyone and you’re not sure what to expect. It can be intimidating.
Our five mile run was a series of intervals with Erika as she’s finishing up her training in preparation for her first ever half marathon in a couple weeks. It was a great run with good conversation. I hope they didn’t get sick of me running my mouth, I tend to do that.
When it was all done and said Erika set a new 5mile PR!
It’s always an honor and privilege to be a part of someone’s running adventure.
5.06 miles | Avg Pace: 10’32” | Avg HR: 128 | Best Mile: 9’59” | 48°F at 40%
Friday: 3.7.2025: (JD 66): Go Fast Friday
Around my house, Friday means “Pizza Friday”. It’s been an ongoing thing for a long time now. So when it was time to pick up some pizza, I successfully got in an impromptu run in the process of picking it up.
Friday was a day of competing demands in my life requiring my time and effort. It was an extremely busy day starting from wakeup and throughout the day. So when it was time to pick up Pizza across town, I decided to incorporate an impromptu run. I was short on time and had to get this done quickly. Even when I was done I had e-mails and phone calls waiting for me. It was a busy day.
So I parked at the Pizza place, laced up and headed out for a three mile run in the Saucony’s, only my second run in the second hand shoes. Once again, I started my watch and scrolled to a data page that only showed the time of day and distance. I ran a familiar route that I’ve done hundreds of times and decided to get outside of my comfort zone.
I was running by feel. I felt like I was moving quicker than normal, but it didn’t yet feel like a 5K Race Pace. I could have dialed it up another notch or two, but not much more than that. It wasn’t an easy run, but it wasn’t a complete smoker either. It felt good to let the feet go.
When it was all done and said I was pleasantly surprised to see that my best mile was 7’31”! Then almost immediately reality set in that I need to speed up another 15 seconds per mile, for another 25 miles! I have a lot of work ahead of me to do.
3.01 miles | Avg Pace: 7’53” | Avg HR: 145 | Best Mile: 7’31” | 52°F at 43%
Saturday: 3.8.2025: (JD 67): Trail Run & Breakfast
This was a run that’s been in the works for the last six week and one I’ve been interested in since Joe first floated the idea. I’ve lived in the region for 20+ years and have never been to the Cliffs of the Neuse State Park before. So when Joe announced there were miles upon miles of trails to run along with functioning bathrooms, I was in!
The day couldn’t have been any better for a trail run and breakfast with friends. I started my one hour drive to the park under Carolina blue sky and a welcoming sun shining through the windshield. The morning air was cool at 48℉ and filled with the sweet sound of song birds welcoming in spring with a chorus. Some of the tree’s are starting to bloom and the first hints of spring are here. It was a great day to run through the woods.
The group met up and after a short discussion we figured out who was going for what distance in what direction. We had a plan to go hit the trails for running and hiking then to meet up at 10:00am for a post-run social potluck breakfast.
I linked up with Joe, who was hosting the event and we decided to get in three separate loops around the park. This was my first time meeting or running with Joe, so I wasn’t sure what the pace would be or how the flow of the run would go. Trail running, especially on a new course requires some separation to allow reaction to roots, rocks and obstacles so conversation can be broken up.
I learned quick. Joe was a superb runner who knows these trails by heart.
He’s lived in the area his entire life, runs the trails weekly and at 20years my senior is an example of where I hope my running will be in two decades. To put it as clearly and concisely as possible. Joe is a fucking stud.
Last year, my average trail pace was 10’30” to 11’30”. On our first loop I noticed we were running between 9’00” and 9’45” ! I was not expecting to be moving this fast through the woods, then again I wasn’t going to fall out of this run. After a short 2.49 miles we were back at the parking lot and discussing loop 2.
We set out on Loop 2 for 2.84 miles and when our pace was around 9’00” or faster, I had to ask Joe about his running.
It was in the next 5 minutes that I realized I was running with an absolute stud. He’s a lifetime runner with 18x Boston Qualifying finishes and has run the sacred course at the Boston Marathon. He’s completed Marathons in 32 states in his 50 state quest. In just a few short weeks he’ll be running two marathons back-to-back on a Saturday then Sunday.
I find myself not running with a casual weekend runner, but a seasoned Marathoner with decades of experience and a pace to back up our conversation. I swear he’s still at a resting heart rate, even after our 100ft climbs.
After a short break at the parking lot, we kit up and head out for Loop 3 before meeting up with the rest of the group for breakfast. It was a quick 2-mile run but had the most amount of elevation gain at 184ft. It was a good way to close out a challenging morning.
Breakfast With Friends
The only thing that makes running with friends better is an added post-run social and this morning would be another on-site breakfast social with everyone pitching in.
We had Fruit-salad, Pupusas, Muffins, Coffee, Bojangles, Bacon, Eggs and more. There was plenty of food for everyone to eat and the conversations flowed easy while the morning birds were calling across the forest to each other.
The highlight of the morning were the hand-made Pupusas made by Andrea and her husband. They were great, I think I had at least half a dozen and brought another plateful home.
It was a great morning of running at a new location followed by breaking of bread with new friends and sharing in our adventures and love of running and the outdoors.
Loop 1: 2.49 miles | Avg Pace: 9’33” | Avg HR: 127 | Best Mile: 9’14” | 58°F at 55%
Loop 2: 2.84 miles | Avg Pace: 9’02” | Avg HR: 144 | Best Mile: 8’53” | 58°F at 55%
Loop 3: 2.01 miles | Avg Pace: 9’42” | Avg HR: 145 | Best Mile: 9’31” | 58°F at 55%
Sunday: 3.9.2025: (JD 68): Reduced Mileage to Reduce Risk
I’ve already achieved my weekly mileage goal so I’m hesitant to go much further beyond that. It’s when you’re feeling 10ft Tall and Bulletproof that an injury could be lurking just around the corner. My running feels strong and I feel like I could easily do 10-miles this morning but I think I’ll keep it closer to 5 or under.
It was another great morning meeting up with runners in the club for this Sunday RunDay “Free Association Running” (FAR) event. As we arrived at the trail head Andrew was just finishing up his run so he got in on the picture.
I arrived around the same time as Amanda and Carrie and each of them were going to get in a walk while Robert arrived early for some extra miles. His timing was dead on as he arrived right at 9:29am, just a minute before our expected 9:30 start. God love Engineers, they are on time and precise.
With Robert being on a condensed timeline and my weekly mileage goal already met, I decided to get a quick out-and-back run with Robert to meet his timeline. I was sitting at 26.89 miles on the week before I even laced up this morning. A full 1.89 miles over my weekly goal. While I felt like I could have made an easy 10-mile run I decided to dial back, not push the envelope and reduce my risk for injury.
I’m glad I did. It was a relaxed run where I didn’t look at my pace and just went for a run with my friend. It was in the last half-mile that Robert wanted to step it out.
You can deal with anything for 4-minutes! Let’s go. -ROB
I guess I couldn’t argue with that logic as I’m sure I’ve used it on him many times before. So we stepped it out and increased our pace from a comfortable 8’30” to a 7’30” pace and it felt challenging yet comfortable.
I do believe this is the first time, in the past five years, where Robert was wheezing and gasping for air and I felt good! It rather caught me by surprise as he’s a superbly strong runner and usually has more capacity than me. However, in the past 12 months he’s had some health conditions to address and that’s slowed him down. Yet, even with that he’s willing to on a whim turn a 6-mile run into a 10-miler and to step out the last half mile to 7’30” or faster. A superb runner indeed.
Overall it was a quick and easy 3.7 miles which rounded me out nicely to 30.59 miles on the week. It’s a slow build and progression to 50-60 miles per week by October. One that I plan on making injury free in micro progressions.
3.70 miles | Avg Pace: 8’38” | Avg HR: 130 | Best Mile: 8’00” | 40°F at 69%
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Running is Natural. Running a Marathon is not normal.