Strass Marathon
Training 2004

26.2 MILES TO GO!!! The challenge is pure and simple: complete the 26.2 mile course before passing out. Since I am also the new father of Jack, my other main challenge lies in not letting the training consume my entire life. I am very much a family man who loves spending my free time with Suzy, Jack, Sydney and Buster. That will not change. This is simply a way to continue to increase my fitness level, by working toward a new goal. By viewing my journal you will see that I am taking a somewhat level-headed approach to my training. I know that I will continue to look and feel great.

October 10, 2004 - A date that will be repeated, remembered and relived forever. A date that will be passed down in stories, included in pictures, emblazoned on a medal and engraved in my memory. But more than that, a date that forever adds a line to my list of life accomplishments: MARATHON RUNNER.

HERE IS MY JOURNAL ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS ARE MUCH APPRECIATED!!!

July 31st
Swim Bike Run 10k
Tommy and I went out to Creve Coeur lake at 715am and ran for an hour before the 10k race started. We got in a little over 6 miles, stretched and then went off individually for the 10k. This was the innagural year for this race and it went off without a hitch. Course was flat and Matt had a great breakfast following the run. I felt much better doing the 12.5 miles today vs. last week. It was good to change the scenery up and run around the lake. Handled the higher mileage well today. Finished the 10k race in 53:52 - just under 9 minute miles - not bad!

July 30th
Day off as planned. Rained throughout the day and washed out the Senior Open at Bellerive CC. Big weekend coming up with a long run Saturday followed by 5 miler on Sunday.

July 29th
Ran with TPR, Gerard and Mona at 6am. Completed 5 miles at a good pace. Weather is warming up but was perfect for this run.

July 28th
Major change to the schedule today -> met Tommy and Mike on Clayton road at 545am for a 21 mile bike ride. Temps were low - everyone wore long sleeves. This was a good change of pace. It has been a while since I was on the bike and I noticed the lack of riding immediately. Need to log some more bike time (and swim time) before Chicago Triathlon. Trying to work out a time to get out to practice at Babler before the Beast on August 8th. It is clear that I have spent the majority of my time running - Babler and Alligator should help me get back into the Tri spirit.

July 27th
Ran the 5 mile loop out and back to Wellbridge at 6am. Weather was good - temps low. Felt fine after long run this past weekend.

July 26th
Here we go with week 8. Planning on doing the SBR 10K course twice on Saturday for the 13 mile long run and am also signed up to do the flat 5 run in St. Charles on Sunday. It is going to be a busy weekend. Resting today in preparation for this big mileage week.

WEEK 8

GAMEPLAN

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Day Off Run 3 Run 6 Run 3 Day Off

Saturday Sunday

Run 13 Cross Train

July 25th
CONGRATULATIONS LANCE!!!
You see the LIVESTRONG bracelets everywhere now - check out www.laf.org to see how you can support Cancer research. After watching Lance win his 6th Tour De France I went and swam 50 laps. I am starting to think about the Chicago triathlon so I increased from 32 to 50 laps. Felt good even with the increased mileage. Starting to believe that a 1/2 Ironman might be in my future plans for next year if I can get my legs in good enough shape to go from the bike to the run.

July 24th
Celebrated Carolyn's 31st Birthday with a LONG RUN of 12 miles. Weather was in the low 70s when Rosenthal, Pepper and I left Wellbridge at 6am and ran down Lindell just past Compton. With the Arch in sight we turned around and headed for home. I can honestly say that my legs felt like they took a beating. For as good as I felt 2 weeks earlier doing 10 miles, this was much tougher. Got a small blister on my foot going back but no big deal. This run wiped me out - I spent much of the remainder of the day resting at home - did not do much of anything.

July 23rd
Took the day off - slept in since Jack was up every other hour all night long.

July 22nd
It absolutely felt like an oven out there today. Started at 6am (temp=83, humidity=250%). Did the 5 mile loop with Vic, Mona, Gerard and Tommy. Legs felt good but breathing was tough as the air was so thick.

July 21st
Easy early morning swim of a 1/2 mile. At some point in the near future I am going to have to take my swimming up a notch in order to be prepared for the Chicago Triathlon. After swimming, I drove out to the West County YMCA and dropped off my application for the Babler Beast - I don't want to miss out on this one. I also sent in applications for the SBR 10K, the St. Charles Flat 5 and the Lewis & Clark 1/2 marathon.

July 20th
Back to regular schedule as we did the Wellbridge-Museum loop. Everyone has told me that this is a 6 mile loop but when I clocked it in the car it only came out to 5. This should not make a significant difference in our training. Mapped out the 12 mile run for this Saturday - it looks far but we will get through it. Spent some time this evening sending in applications for Babler & Alligator Creek. I have to get these in since I missed South County, Ballwin and am now going to be out of town for Lake St. Louis. Even though I added Columbia, Innsbrook and Chicago Tri, I still feel like I have missed some great races. I would like to have an active remainder of the summer as we get closer to the marathon.

July 19th
I decided to swim today as a makegood for yesterday. Scrambled a little but got to the pool midday for a 1/2 mile swim. Wellbridge pool is going to close down in August for repairs - will need to take a look at Shaw Park in order to get some solid laps in before jumping in Lake Michigan for the Chicago Triathlon.

WEEK 7

GAMEPLAN

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Day Off Run 3 Run 6 Run 3 Day Off

Saturday Sunday

Run 12 Cross Train

July 18th
Happy 7 Year Wedding Anniversary!!!
I was disapointed to not be in the Ballwin Tri today. I thought about doing the Touring Cyclist 4.5/20 Biathlon in Fairview Heights but decided against it. Weather was beautiful - we took Jack out to Mt. Pleasant Winery for lunch and then went swimming at Ricks. Needless to say, I did not exercise today.

July 17th
With some of our group out of town, everyone ran solo today. I slept in and decided to run in the afternoon. Ran the Forest Park loop and then hit the history museum and back for a total of 8 miles. It is much nicer when you have a group to run with. It is also much better to run first thing in the morning so that it is not hanging out there for the rest of the day. I can really notic a big difference with the 1/2 size bigger shoes.

July 16th
Once again planned on getting some swimming in today but it never materialized. This turned into an off day.

July 15th
Cool wave moved in - beautiful morning in the low 80s. Once again did the 6 mile Wellbridge - History Museum loop at 6am. Ran with Gerard, Vic and Mona. New shoes performed well. Happy to have the extra room in the toes.

July 14th
I planned on swimming today but it was not meant to be. This turned into a day off. Disappointed to learn that the Ballwin Triathlon was filled and that I would not be able to defend my title. Looking at doing the Touring Cyclist Biathlon instead.

July 13th
Did the 6 mile Wellbridge - History Museum loop at 6am. TPR is on vacation but ran with Gerard, Vic, Mona and crew. Incredibly hot and humid today. Heat index hit 110 in the late afternoon. Was very humid even at 6am. Went to the Running Center after lunch and bought a new pair of Asics. After much consultation I decided to go with a larger size - 9 1/2.

July 12th
13 weeks to go until the Marathon!!!
This is a lighter week but make no mistake - the training gets tougher after this week. Long run this Saturday is slated for 7 miles. Since I swam yesterday, I decided to use today as a rest day.

July 11th
Had a good long run yesterday. Went to Wellbridge in the late afternoon and swam a 1/2 mile. This was a good/lite cross-training day. Continues to be hot outside - takes a lot out of you. Sweated at the Cards Cubs game in the evening.

July 10th
Had a great group for the Saturday am long run. Pepper, Brenden, Gerard, Tommy and I met at Wellbridge at 610am for a 10 mile jaunt down to the park, down Lindell to McDonalds and back. Caught up with Vic and company who were heading down to the arch. Luckily Mike Pepper brought us back to reality and we stuck with the gameplan of doing 10 miles. The training is going well.

July 9th
Early am conference call kept me from working out. That's ok. I want to rest my legs anyway for the 10 mile long run on Saturday. Called Brendan Walsh to see if he wants to join us.

July 8th
Well, with the power still off I did not hear my watch alarm and hence did not get up until 545am. Too late to meet Gerard and TPR. Ran 4.5 miles around Tilles Park instead and then went to Wellbridge to shower.

July 7th
Electricity is still off. Swam a 1/2 mile in the AM, showered and then headed down to the office. Good news is that I booked 5 rooms at the Wyndham in Chicago for the Marathon. LODGING IS NOW SET.

July 6th
Storm last night knocked out the electricity but I was able to get up in time to do the 6 mile loop with the group from Wellbridge. Weather was very humid. I felt like I lost 2 pounds after running. Ate a huge lunch to try to replenish.

July 5th
Met Tommy, Mike, and Jim on Clayton road for a 30 mile bike ride. Got caught in the rain coming back. Soaked!

July 4th
Happy 4th of July!!!
Rested legs after yesterdays long run.

July 3rd
Early morning long run = 9 miles. Started in Forest Park, up to Wellbridge and back and then down Lindell and back. Everything felt fine.

July 2nd
Took the day off

July 1st
Welcome to July!!!
Ran the 4 mile Wydown loop from Wellbridge with Gerard and TPR. Felt fine.



E-Mail John Strassner Contact John..... We Conquered Chicago!!! Welcome To Strass Training Thanks for checking out my training journal. I am training for the 2004 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 10th. If you want to join me and my teammates in Chicago then visit The Chicago Marathon Site. Why Am I Doing This? Thats a good question. I am looking for a major challenge and think that I have found one in Chicago. I love doing Triathlons but think that completing a marathon is a great accomplishment. After seeking counseling from fellow triathalete, Tommy Rosenthal and fellow marathoner/sister, Blair, I said "what the heck and signed up for Chicago." Contact Coach Blair..... Contact Tommy..... Training Program I am using the Hal Higdon training program as a guide. Of course, since we are in the middle of a very busy triathlon season, this will only be a guide. I plan to incorporate many triathlons into the overall training program. As long as I focus on getting the long runs in each week I think I will be okay. Hal Higdon's Training Program Archive May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 Strass Training Web Links The Chicago Marathon St. Louis Marathon Swim Bike Run St. Louis StrassTraining Active.com Nike.com Training Forecast Thanks For Your Support Strass Marathon Training has welcomed visitors to the site!!! Sponsor	Strass Marathon Training 2004 26.2 MILES TO GO!!! The challenge is pure and simple: complete the 26.2 mile course before passing out. Since I am also the new father of Jack, my other main challenge lies in not letting the training consume my entire life. I am very much a family man who loves spending my free time with Suzy, Jack, Sydney and Buster. That will not change. This is simply a way to continue to increase my fitness level, by working toward a new goal. By viewing my journal you will see that I am taking a somewhat level-headed approach to my training. I know that I will continue to look and feel great. October 10, 2004 - A date that will be repeated, remembered and relived forever. A date that will be passed down in stories, included in pictures, emblazoned on a medal and engraved in my memory. But more than that, a date that forever adds a line to my list of life accomplishments: MARATHON RUNNER. HERE IS MY JOURNAL ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS ARE MUCH APPRECIATED!!! July 31st Swim Bike Run 10k Tommy and I went out to Creve Coeur lake at 715am and ran for an hour before the 10k race started. We got in a little over 6 miles, stretched and then went off individually for the 10k. This was the innagural year for this race and it went off without a hitch. Course was flat and Matt had a great breakfast following the run. I felt much better doing the 12.5 miles today vs. last week. It was good to change the scenery up and run around the lake. Handled the higher mileage well today. Finished the 10k race in 53:52 - just under 9 minute miles - not bad! July 30th Day off as planned. Rained throughout the day and washed out the Senior Open at Bellerive CC. Big weekend coming up with a long run Saturday followed by 5 miler on Sunday. July 29th Ran with TPR, Gerard and Mona at 6am. Completed 5 miles at a good pace. Weather is warming up but was perfect for this run. July 28th Major change to the schedule today -> met Tommy and Mike on Clayton road at 545am for a 21 mile bike ride. Temps were low - everyone wore long sleeves. This was a good change of pace. It has been a while since I was on the bike and I noticed the lack of riding immediately. Need to log some more bike time (and swim time) before Chicago Triathlon. Trying to work out a time to get out to practice at Babler before the Beast on August 8th. It is clear that I have spent the majority of my time running - Babler and Alligator should help me get back into the Tri spirit. July 27th Ran the 5 mile loop out and back to Wellbridge at 6am. Weather was good - temps low. Felt fine after long run this past weekend. July 26th Here we go with week 8. Planning on doing the SBR 10K course twice on Saturday for the 13 mile long run and am also signed up to do the flat 5 run in St. Charles on Sunday. It is going to be a busy weekend. Resting today in preparation for this big mileage week. WEEK 8 *GAMEPLAN* Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Day Off Run 3 Run 6 Run 3 Day Off Saturday Sunday Run 13 Cross Train July 25th *CONGRATULATIONS LANCE!!!* You see the LIVESTRONG bracelets everywhere now - check out www.laf.org to see how you can support Cancer research. After watching Lance win his 6th Tour De France I went and swam 50 laps. I am starting to think about the Chicago triathlon so I increased from 32 to 50 laps. Felt good even with the increased mileage. Starting to believe that a 1/2 Ironman might be in my future plans for next year if I can get my legs in good enough shape to go from the bike to the run. July 24th Celebrated Carolyn's 31st Birthday with a LONG RUN of 12 miles. Weather was in the low 70s when Rosenthal, Pepper and I left Wellbridge at 6am and ran down Lindell just past Compton. With the Arch in sight we turned around and headed for home. I can honestly say that my legs felt like they took a beating. For as good as I felt 2 weeks earlier doing 10 miles, this was much tougher. Got a small blister on my foot going back but no big deal. This run wiped me out - I spent much of the remainder of the day resting at home - did not do much of anything. July 23rd Took the day off - slept in since Jack was up every other hour all night long. July 22nd It absolutely felt like an oven out there today. Started at 6am (temp=83, humidity=250%). Did the 5 mile loop with Vic, Mona, Gerard and Tommy. Legs felt good but breathing was tough as the air was so thick. July 21st Easy early morning swim of a 1/2 mile. At some point in the near future I am going to have to take my swimming up a notch in order to be prepared for the Chicago Triathlon. After swimming, I drove out to the West County YMCA and dropped off my application for the Babler Beast - I don't want to miss out on this one. I also sent in applications for the SBR 10K, the St. Charles Flat 5 and the Lewis & Clark 1/2 marathon. July 20th Back to regular schedule as we did the Wellbridge-Museum loop. Everyone has told me that this is a 6 mile loop but when I clocked it in the car it only came out to 5. This should not make a significant difference in our training. Mapped out the 12 mile run for this Saturday - it looks far but we will get through it. Spent some time this evening sending in applications for Babler & Alligator Creek. I have to get these in since I missed South County, Ballwin and am now going to be out of town for Lake St. Louis. Even though I added Columbia, Innsbrook and Chicago Tri, I still feel like I have missed some great races. I would like to have an active remainder of the summer as we get closer to the marathon. July 19th I decided to swim today as a makegood for yesterday. Scrambled a little but got to the pool midday for a 1/2 mile swim. Wellbridge pool is going to close down in August for repairs - will need to take a look at Shaw Park in order to get some solid laps in before jumping in Lake Michigan for the Chicago Triathlon. WEEK 7 *GAMEPLAN* Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Day Off Run 3 Run 6 Run 3 Day Off Saturday Sunday Run 12 Cross Train July 18th Happy 7 Year Wedding Anniversary!!! I was disapointed to not be in the Ballwin Tri today. I thought about doing the Touring Cyclist 4.5/20 Biathlon in Fairview Heights but decided against it. Weather was beautiful - we took Jack out to Mt. Pleasant Winery for lunch and then went swimming at Ricks. Needless to say, I did not exercise today. July 17th With some of our group out of town, everyone ran solo today. I slept in and decided to run in the afternoon. Ran the Forest Park loop and then hit the history museum and back for a total of 8 miles. It is much nicer when you have a group to run with. It is also much better to run first thing in the morning so that it is not hanging out there for the rest of the day. I can really notic a big difference with the 1/2 size bigger shoes. July 16th Once again planned on getting some swimming in today but it never materialized. This turned into an off day. July 15th Cool wave moved in - beautiful morning in the low 80s. Once again did the 6 mile Wellbridge - History Museum loop at 6am. Ran with Gerard, Vic and Mona. New shoes performed well. Happy to have the extra room in the toes. July 14th I planned on swimming today but it was not meant to be. This turned into a day off. Disappointed to learn that the Ballwin Triathlon was filled and that I would not be able to defend my title. Looking at doing the Touring Cyclist Biathlon instead. July 13th Did the 6 mile Wellbridge - History Museum loop at 6am. TPR is on vacation but ran with Gerard, Vic, Mona and crew. Incredibly hot and humid today. Heat index hit 110 in the late afternoon. Was very humid even at 6am. Went to the Running Center after lunch and bought a new pair of Asics. After much consultation I decided to go with a larger size - 9 1/2. July 12th 13 weeks to go until the Marathon!!! This is a lighter week but make no mistake - the training gets tougher after this week. Long run this Saturday is slated for 7 miles. Since I swam yesterday, I decided to use today as a rest day. July 11th Had a good long run yesterday. Went to Wellbridge in the late afternoon and swam a 1/2 mile. This was a good/lite cross-training day. Continues to be hot outside - takes a lot out of you. Sweated at the Cards Cubs game in the evening. July 10th Had a great group for the Saturday am long run. Pepper, Brenden, Gerard, Tommy and I met at Wellbridge at 610am for a 10 mile jaunt down to the park, down Lindell to McDonalds and back. Caught up with Vic and company who were heading down to the arch. Luckily Mike Pepper brought us back to reality and we stuck with the gameplan of doing 10 miles. The training is going well. July 9th Early am conference call kept me from working out. That's ok. I want to rest my legs anyway for the 10 mile long run on Saturday. Called Brendan Walsh to see if he wants to join us. July 8th Well, with the power still off I did not hear my watch alarm and hence did not get up until 545am. Too late to meet Gerard and TPR. Ran 4.5 miles around Tilles Park instead and then went to Wellbridge to shower. July 7th Electricity is still off. Swam a 1/2 mile in the AM, showered and then headed down to the office. Good news is that I booked 5 rooms at the Wyndham in Chicago for the Marathon. LODGING IS NOW SET. July 6th Storm last night knocked out the electricity but I was able to get up in time to do the 6 mile loop with the group from Wellbridge. Weather was very humid. I felt like I lost 2 pounds after running. Ate a huge lunch to try to replenish. July 5th Met Tommy, Mike, and Jim on Clayton road for a 30 mile bike ride. Got caught in the rain coming back. Soaked! July 4th *Happy 4th of July!!!* Rested legs after yesterdays long run. July 3rd Early morning long run = 9 miles. Started in Forest Park, up to Wellbridge and back and then down Lindell and back. Everything felt fine. July 2nd Took the day off July 1st Welcome to July!!! Ran the 4 mile Wydown loop from Wellbridge with Gerard and TPR. Felt fine.

Strass Marathon Training 2004

Strass Marathon
Training 2004