This was one of the more interesting weeks I've had in a while. It started off terrible and had me extremely concerned, but ended on a high note. Going into Monday, I had taken a total of 8 straight days off, and did not run 10 of the last 11 days. I needed a few days for sure, but probably not that much. I had also lost a little bit of weight from being sick, which threw a curve ball into everything. Loss of weight is really, really bad for me being that I barely crack 140 lbs as it is.
Monday: 7 miles. I felt pretty bad for the first few miles, but by the end, hit a bit of a groove. Within a few hours though, my quads were PAINFULLY sore. It was as if I hadn't run in years. By Tuesday, my quads were in so much pain I could barely walk.
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 7 miles, easy. My quads still hurt pretty bad, but I decided to run anyway. Went with the usual Wednesday night crew and felt somewhat better as the run went on, though my legs were having nothing of the downhills.
Thursday: 7 miles, easy. My quads were still bad going into this run and got much worse as it went on. By mile 5, I seriously considered walking from being in so much pain, but I finished.
Friday: Rest. I woke up and could barely get out of bed, my left quad feeling as if it were strained. Thursday/Friday of last week, I kind of felt it strain pretty badly (from doing nothing because that makes sense) and thought it was ok going into this week. Apparently I was wrong.
A good deal of ibuprofen and as I discovered through trial and error, heat on my lower back eventually cleared it up.
Saturday: 6 miles total with 1 mile somewhere around 4:55 pace. This was an interesting day. I was part of the timing crew for a half marathon Back on My Feet put on. As part of the day, the organizing group set up a 14x 1 mile (with 1 runner going 0.1 miles) relay to try and beat the overall winner. I was the second leg, brought us from 3rd to 1st with a 10 second cushion, but it didn't last as our relay ended up 22nd overall in 1:36.
Regardless, I was worried going into this event that it would be a mistake and originally planned to just jog it. After warming up though, I felt really good and just went for it. By the time the day was done, my legs for the first time, didn't feel as if they had been stabbed by sharp objects.
So at the last minute, I joined the TWSS crew for an early Sunday morning long run...
Sunday: ~13 miles total. The Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, a rather big and fast race was being held today. A bunch of us met up at the College Park metro station (old stomping grounds) and ran from CP to Washington DC to cheer on some of our teammates. It was an early start, 6:20AM, but worth it. We took the metro back afterwards.
It was cool to be back in College Park for the first time in a while (I went to UMD), and to run on some of the trails where I did my first long runs in preparation for my first marathon...National in 2008, where I ran a 3:49. Oh those were interesting days...
Equally importantly, despite running in the cold and standing in the cold cheering for people (in minimal clothing), my legs felt pretty good. I did a couple of pick ups while we were running around the course, and although those runs didn't feel stellar, on the whole, the soreness was nearly non existent.
I'm certainly moving in the right direction, especially considering Boston is a mere 2 weeks away. I'm pretty resigned to the fact that I have to revise my goals slightly, but it almost feels as if a giant burden has been lifted from my shoulders. I'm honestly not even going to announce a goal going into the race. I'll keep it to myself, and make sure I run such a pace that I'll be able to run from start to finish and take in the experience.
Total: 40 miles
For next week, I'll try 50, and maybe a relatively easy workout just so I remember how to pick it up a bit. There is no need to taper down I think, I'll just kind of get my mileage back to what it would have been had I been tapering from higher numbers.
Showing posts with label Training Runs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Training Runs. Show all posts
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
A Lost Week?
Going into the National Half marathon last week, I ran 3 days and took 2 off to try and give myself some rest. After running the race, I managed around 47 miles total. Certainly not high, but not too low either, ok for an easy week.
Then the next week hit. I had planned to take a couple more days off to clear my head from a less than stellar race when I got hit hard on Tuesday afternoon with nausea and a fever. Anyone who knows me well knows I don't get sick, ever. In fact, the last time I had a fever was in 2003 and since I graduated college in 2008, had never called in sick to work.
My streak ended as I couldn't be bothered to work Wednesday. My fever didn't last very long, but the nausea and extreme lack of appetite persisted. By Thursday, I was back at work, though still not 100%. By Saturday morning, I could still count on one hand the number of meals I had eaten since Wednesday. All the while, running has been quite out of the question.
Now, on Sunday, I'm hoping that things might finally be getting back to normal. Saturday afternoon (and today) are the first two times I've actually felt hungry in almost a week, though I still fill up way too fast. One more obstacle remains to running again, that being my bowels. I'll spare details, but lets just say that I'm losing a lot of water in ways I should not be. No dehydration though, not yet anyway!
I'm hoping by Wednesday at the latest, I'll be 100% again. In such a scenario, that would be 10 days without running. But, it may not be so bad. My right lower leg was feeling tender (all too similar to what happened last year, though 1000x times less painful), and now feels fine. I'm also pretty anxious to get going again (also a good sign).
Getting this in the mail has also cheered me up a bit:
Bib #: 609. Not quite as cool as the #444 I didn't use last year, but I'll take a less unique number and a chance to actually run the race!
I have no idea how this will or will not change my pace at Boston. I'll have to see how I feel when I actually start running again. Regardless, I'm willing to run whatever pace I'll be in shape for.
Then the next week hit. I had planned to take a couple more days off to clear my head from a less than stellar race when I got hit hard on Tuesday afternoon with nausea and a fever. Anyone who knows me well knows I don't get sick, ever. In fact, the last time I had a fever was in 2003 and since I graduated college in 2008, had never called in sick to work.
My streak ended as I couldn't be bothered to work Wednesday. My fever didn't last very long, but the nausea and extreme lack of appetite persisted. By Thursday, I was back at work, though still not 100%. By Saturday morning, I could still count on one hand the number of meals I had eaten since Wednesday. All the while, running has been quite out of the question.
Now, on Sunday, I'm hoping that things might finally be getting back to normal. Saturday afternoon (and today) are the first two times I've actually felt hungry in almost a week, though I still fill up way too fast. One more obstacle remains to running again, that being my bowels. I'll spare details, but lets just say that I'm losing a lot of water in ways I should not be. No dehydration though, not yet anyway!
I'm hoping by Wednesday at the latest, I'll be 100% again. In such a scenario, that would be 10 days without running. But, it may not be so bad. My right lower leg was feeling tender (all too similar to what happened last year, though 1000x times less painful), and now feels fine. I'm also pretty anxious to get going again (also a good sign).
Getting this in the mail has also cheered me up a bit:
I have no idea how this will or will not change my pace at Boston. I'll have to see how I feel when I actually start running again. Regardless, I'm willing to run whatever pace I'll be in shape for.
Monday, March 12, 2012
3/5-3/12: Catching Fire Now
If I was a little off for Club Challenge, I'm certainly on now. This was my biggest week in over a year and I largely handled it well. The underlying slight soreness that accompanies a lot of running was still there, but it was very manageable.
Monday: 11 miles total, to and from Fed Hill along with the usual Monday night run. It was mostly easy, until we neared the end. Felt reasonable.
Tuesday: 9.5 miles total with 5x 800...400. Rather than do something in the tempo/longer range, I opted for a second week of faster stuff so my legs would remember what you are supposed to do in a 5K. Overall, it went well:
2:33...68; 2:30...69; 2:28...69; 2:27...69; 2:27...66
The first 800 was slow, but it was tough to get a feel for it at first.
Wednesday: 15 miles total, mostly easy, a good chunk with the Wednesday night crew. At one point, there were three prospective Boston runners running together through Canton, wondering what bib numbers we would get and how competitive the field would be with the new rolling registration. Such running nerds...
Thursday AM: 7 miles, easy. I felt somewhat dehydrated after the Wednesday run, and it continued into this run. My electrolytes must have been out of whack, because my body didn't want to have anything to do with water. After putting salt on everything I ate that day and actually drinking gatorade (rarity), I felt much better for the afternoon run.
PM: 7 miles, moderate-ish; the usual Thursday night run with Dave. He may be in his 40s, but he is quick.
Friday: AM: 4 miles, real easy with the BoMF crew
PM: 7 miles, easy
Saturday: 22 miles at 6:50 average. I kept this one under control, with my fastest mile being a 6:35 and running a 2:30:15 overall. I wanted to save it for the race the next day, and actually get a long run in that was near the time I expect to be on my feet at Boston. Now when I see 2:30 on my watch in the race, it should be easier to pull out only another 10 minutes or so
Sunday: 12 miles total with the Shamrock 5K. I actually ended up doing a bit more than I had planned, but it was fun to cool down through the city with some of the Falls Road and GRC guys that had just torn up the race.
Total: 94.5 miles
Now for this week, I'm taking it easy on the volume, dialing it down to the mid to high 60s. I know I can use the break, and I'm hoping it will freshen my legs up for the "National" Half Marathon this weekend. I'm not yet ready to try for a PR attempt, but hopefully my legs will be more cooperative come race morning.
Closing in!
Monday: 11 miles total, to and from Fed Hill along with the usual Monday night run. It was mostly easy, until we neared the end. Felt reasonable.
Tuesday: 9.5 miles total with 5x 800...400. Rather than do something in the tempo/longer range, I opted for a second week of faster stuff so my legs would remember what you are supposed to do in a 5K. Overall, it went well:
2:33...68; 2:30...69; 2:28...69; 2:27...69; 2:27...66
The first 800 was slow, but it was tough to get a feel for it at first.
Wednesday: 15 miles total, mostly easy, a good chunk with the Wednesday night crew. At one point, there were three prospective Boston runners running together through Canton, wondering what bib numbers we would get and how competitive the field would be with the new rolling registration. Such running nerds...
Thursday AM: 7 miles, easy. I felt somewhat dehydrated after the Wednesday run, and it continued into this run. My electrolytes must have been out of whack, because my body didn't want to have anything to do with water. After putting salt on everything I ate that day and actually drinking gatorade (rarity), I felt much better for the afternoon run.
PM: 7 miles, moderate-ish; the usual Thursday night run with Dave. He may be in his 40s, but he is quick.
Friday: AM: 4 miles, real easy with the BoMF crew
PM: 7 miles, easy
Saturday: 22 miles at 6:50 average. I kept this one under control, with my fastest mile being a 6:35 and running a 2:30:15 overall. I wanted to save it for the race the next day, and actually get a long run in that was near the time I expect to be on my feet at Boston. Now when I see 2:30 on my watch in the race, it should be easier to pull out only another 10 minutes or so
Sunday: 12 miles total with the Shamrock 5K. I actually ended up doing a bit more than I had planned, but it was fun to cool down through the city with some of the Falls Road and GRC guys that had just torn up the race.
Total: 94.5 miles
Now for this week, I'm taking it easy on the volume, dialing it down to the mid to high 60s. I know I can use the break, and I'm hoping it will freshen my legs up for the "National" Half Marathon this weekend. I'm not yet ready to try for a PR attempt, but hopefully my legs will be more cooperative come race morning.
Closing in!
Monday, March 5, 2012
2/20-3/4...Some Catching up
With race reports and the like, I need a training log dump to catch up.
Week of 2/20:
Mon: 7 miles, easy/moderate
Tues: 9 miles total, with 5x800 and 2x (3x400). Relatively short rest within each set, lap jog between each. We kept it hard but not blazing, and threw in some trickery with various pacing targets on some of the reps. Overall times...2:43, 2:31, 2:39; 2:39; 2:26......79, 77, 82, 75, 74, 74
Wed: 10 miles, easy
Thurs: 7 miles, moderate. Finally started feeling strong leading up to race weekend.
Fri: 3 miles, easy
Sat: 7 miles, easy
Sun: Club Challenge, 57:28, 10 miles of racing, 5 miles of warmup/cool down
Total Miles: 58
The week largely accomplished what it was supposed to, I felt relatively fresh for the race, and possibly, a little too good in the days to follow. Does that mean I could have run harder? Maybe...
Week of 2/27:
Mon: 11 miles total, 6 with the Fed Hill Runners group. It was a real chill group run through the Harbor, feeling like quite the victory lap after the race.
Tues: 10.5 miles, easy. Ran a relatively new loop (really, just a loop others have done, but did it myself the first time), going through the back of Druid Hill Park, cutting through Johns Hopkins, and running back south down Charles St. I actually enjoyed it.
Wed: AM: 7 miles, easy. Felt pretty strong, no lingering soreness as has plagued me for most of Feb.
PM: 6.5 miles total with the world famous Leap Day 4K. I continued to feel good
Thurs: 7 miles, easy
Fri: AM: 4 miles, easy
PM: 10 miles total with 5x 800 meter hill. Greenspring road in the back of Druid Hill park. Though not as impressive as Gun Road, it more of the type of hill you can actually charge up, rather than feeling like the grade is going to knock you down. Felt pretty good, though I was lame and waited until that night to run after the rain stopped.
Sat: 13 miles, easyish. A rolling hill run with TWSS. I was feeling a bit stiff, but it actually got better as the run went on.
Sun: 20 miles with the last 8 at marathon pace, on the NCR Trail. Things really started to come together before, during, and after this run. My legs seemed to have caught up with me, and my body is getting used to the demands I have placed on it. I rocked this run, and with hindsight of Monday, realized it didn't take a whole lot out of me as I had a solid run today as well. Here are some splits...
7:06; 6:39; 6:41; 6:41; 6:43; 6:40; 6:32; 6:27; 6:27; 6:34; 6:28; 6:11; 6:05; 6:08; 6:11; 6:01; 5:58; 5:59; 6:00; 5:54...2:07:25 overall, 6:22 average.
I wasn't extremely sore at all following this run. Initially, of course after driving back to my apartment, I was a bit slow getting out of my car but later that day, it certainly did not feel like I had just run 20 miles at a pretty decent pace. My next long run will be a lot slower, so that I can stretch out the legs for close to the total time I expect to be on my feet at Boston. Then perhaps, I'll do this style of run one more time. I've believed in it for a long time, so I'll certainly stick to it! It got me my 2:44, and it should get me into the shape I want to be in again (this time without overdoing it).
Total Miles: 89
That is my second biggest mile week ever. The largest, ironically was this very week last year. After the B&A Trail Half Marathon in which I PR'ed and hit 97 miles, I could barely walk being in so much pain. Now, after 89 miles, I rocked an 11 mile easy/moderate run tonight without feeling any ill-effects.
My slightly delayed start of a peak (by about 2-3 weeks), seems to be working out well. The taper isn't too far away, and I don't feel anything resembling drained. One more big week, then a step down for a half marathon.
Getting closer!
Week of 2/20:
Mon: 7 miles, easy/moderate
Tues: 9 miles total, with 5x800 and 2x (3x400). Relatively short rest within each set, lap jog between each. We kept it hard but not blazing, and threw in some trickery with various pacing targets on some of the reps. Overall times...2:43, 2:31, 2:39; 2:39; 2:26......79, 77, 82, 75, 74, 74
Wed: 10 miles, easy
Thurs: 7 miles, moderate. Finally started feeling strong leading up to race weekend.
Fri: 3 miles, easy
Sat: 7 miles, easy
Sun: Club Challenge, 57:28, 10 miles of racing, 5 miles of warmup/cool down
Total Miles: 58
The week largely accomplished what it was supposed to, I felt relatively fresh for the race, and possibly, a little too good in the days to follow. Does that mean I could have run harder? Maybe...
Week of 2/27:
Mon: 11 miles total, 6 with the Fed Hill Runners group. It was a real chill group run through the Harbor, feeling like quite the victory lap after the race.
Tues: 10.5 miles, easy. Ran a relatively new loop (really, just a loop others have done, but did it myself the first time), going through the back of Druid Hill Park, cutting through Johns Hopkins, and running back south down Charles St. I actually enjoyed it.
Wed: AM: 7 miles, easy. Felt pretty strong, no lingering soreness as has plagued me for most of Feb.
PM: 6.5 miles total with the world famous Leap Day 4K. I continued to feel good
Thurs: 7 miles, easy
Fri: AM: 4 miles, easy
PM: 10 miles total with 5x 800 meter hill. Greenspring road in the back of Druid Hill park. Though not as impressive as Gun Road, it more of the type of hill you can actually charge up, rather than feeling like the grade is going to knock you down. Felt pretty good, though I was lame and waited until that night to run after the rain stopped.
Sat: 13 miles, easyish. A rolling hill run with TWSS. I was feeling a bit stiff, but it actually got better as the run went on.
Sun: 20 miles with the last 8 at marathon pace, on the NCR Trail. Things really started to come together before, during, and after this run. My legs seemed to have caught up with me, and my body is getting used to the demands I have placed on it. I rocked this run, and with hindsight of Monday, realized it didn't take a whole lot out of me as I had a solid run today as well. Here are some splits...
7:06; 6:39; 6:41; 6:41; 6:43; 6:40; 6:32; 6:27; 6:27; 6:34; 6:28; 6:11; 6:05; 6:08; 6:11; 6:01; 5:58; 5:59; 6:00; 5:54...2:07:25 overall, 6:22 average.
I wasn't extremely sore at all following this run. Initially, of course after driving back to my apartment, I was a bit slow getting out of my car but later that day, it certainly did not feel like I had just run 20 miles at a pretty decent pace. My next long run will be a lot slower, so that I can stretch out the legs for close to the total time I expect to be on my feet at Boston. Then perhaps, I'll do this style of run one more time. I've believed in it for a long time, so I'll certainly stick to it! It got me my 2:44, and it should get me into the shape I want to be in again (this time without overdoing it).
Total Miles: 89
That is my second biggest mile week ever. The largest, ironically was this very week last year. After the B&A Trail Half Marathon in which I PR'ed and hit 97 miles, I could barely walk being in so much pain. Now, after 89 miles, I rocked an 11 mile easy/moderate run tonight without feeling any ill-effects.
My slightly delayed start of a peak (by about 2-3 weeks), seems to be working out well. The taper isn't too far away, and I don't feel anything resembling drained. One more big week, then a step down for a half marathon.
Getting closer!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Rain, Lightning, Leap Day, 4Ks
Historically, Leap Day has been a rather uneventful mundane occurrence in my life where the Gregorian Calendar merely makes up for the approximate 0.25 Earth days per year that go unaccounted for. Then an ingenious idea was presented to me, make Leap Day about running!
The glorious day started at 5AM with an easy 7 mile run in comfortable 40 degree weather. As the day wore on, the weather turned, and most of the rest of the day was a downpour. We even had a malfunction-caused fire alarm at work requiring us to all go outside in the rain. It's rather amazing that people would hesitate to leave what is potentially a burning building just to avoid getting wet. You won't melt in the rain, but you will burn in fire...
Anyway, the conclusion of Leap Day, and something I was strangely looking forward to, was an impromptu, inaugural, largest most awesome ever Leap Day 4K race. This race took place of our usual Tuesday track workout to give some more recovery time after Club Challenge, and well, because it's Leap Day. After much debate, I decided to just make the 4K a hard run and count it as speedwork for the week. With a hill workout and another progression long run in the cards, a slightly short track day a few days after a race sounded like a good idea.
Little did I know what I was actually getting myself into...
Based on the weather radar, it was clear that the sky was going to open up in pouring rain for this event. I drove to the track anyway, and all of us warmed up in a downpour. With Nate declaring "this is bullshit!" I knew we were all in for an interesting "workout."
Once 7pm rolled around, we began the run. Some people used it as a workout, others ran hard, others ran to win because well, it's Leap Day, and you get to be the champ for 4 years. I on the other hand, was content to use this as a dry (well I guess wet) run for my upcoming 5K.
About 1.5 laps in to the 10 lap race, the sky lit up purple as a massive lightning bolt discharged across the sky. It got serious after that!
With lightning and thunder continuing to intermittently crash overhead, and the rain only slightly abating, we continued over the waterlogged track.
Mile 1: 5:21
Not content to lose the guys I was running with, I just kept going
Mile 2: 5:14
With 2 laps to go we made a race of it, and I got burned by the two guys around me. I'll blame my "marathon legs" or something like that.
Last 0.5: 2:35
13:09 overall, and 6th place.
I actually felt really good at the end of this, and for a fleeting moment, considered finishing out the 5K because I was on a tear and could have easily smoked my 16:24 track PR. However, this may bode well for an upcoming downhill 5K next weekend...
Either way, it was an awesome way to end the month of February. 287 miles total, (276.5 last month), and 42 consecutive days of running this year including no days off in February. Of course, some of those days were real, real easy 3 or 4 milers, but I'll still take it!
Bring on March...
The glorious day started at 5AM with an easy 7 mile run in comfortable 40 degree weather. As the day wore on, the weather turned, and most of the rest of the day was a downpour. We even had a malfunction-caused fire alarm at work requiring us to all go outside in the rain. It's rather amazing that people would hesitate to leave what is potentially a burning building just to avoid getting wet. You won't melt in the rain, but you will burn in fire...
Anyway, the conclusion of Leap Day, and something I was strangely looking forward to, was an impromptu, inaugural, largest most awesome ever Leap Day 4K race. This race took place of our usual Tuesday track workout to give some more recovery time after Club Challenge, and well, because it's Leap Day. After much debate, I decided to just make the 4K a hard run and count it as speedwork for the week. With a hill workout and another progression long run in the cards, a slightly short track day a few days after a race sounded like a good idea.
Little did I know what I was actually getting myself into...
Based on the weather radar, it was clear that the sky was going to open up in pouring rain for this event. I drove to the track anyway, and all of us warmed up in a downpour. With Nate declaring "this is bullshit!" I knew we were all in for an interesting "workout."
Once 7pm rolled around, we began the run. Some people used it as a workout, others ran hard, others ran to win because well, it's Leap Day, and you get to be the champ for 4 years. I on the other hand, was content to use this as a dry (well I guess wet) run for my upcoming 5K.
About 1.5 laps in to the 10 lap race, the sky lit up purple as a massive lightning bolt discharged across the sky. It got serious after that!
With lightning and thunder continuing to intermittently crash overhead, and the rain only slightly abating, we continued over the waterlogged track.
Mile 1: 5:21
Not content to lose the guys I was running with, I just kept going
Mile 2: 5:14
With 2 laps to go we made a race of it, and I got burned by the two guys around me. I'll blame my "marathon legs" or something like that.
Last 0.5: 2:35
13:09 overall, and 6th place.
I actually felt really good at the end of this, and for a fleeting moment, considered finishing out the 5K because I was on a tear and could have easily smoked my 16:24 track PR. However, this may bode well for an upcoming downhill 5K next weekend...
Either way, it was an awesome way to end the month of February. 287 miles total, (276.5 last month), and 42 consecutive days of running this year including no days off in February. Of course, some of those days were real, real easy 3 or 4 milers, but I'll still take it!
Bring on March...
Sunday, February 19, 2012
2/13-2/19 One Year Ago...
It will be exactly one year ago tomorrow that I finished up a 20 miler and thought to myself "Wow, the inside of both my legs really hurt." Within 2.5 weeks I finally succumbed to a stress fracture. I ran at the time what were the three best races ever, but at significant cost.
Now, things look a lot better. I may have slightly less mileage under my legs for the start of 2012 compared to 2011, but I'm physically and mentally healthy. Though I have experienced all kinds of pain everywhere as mileage has increased, nothing has lingered or been cause for concern. I even still check the tibia in both my legs for any pinpoint pain, and nothing has stuck for more than a day. Everything is holding together!
Mon: 7 miles, easy
Tues: 10 miles, easy
Wed: 12 miles total with 4x2 mile (1:20 rest between): Mile splits: 5:38, 5:32, 5:32, 5:31, 5:31, 5:30, 5:28, 5:29. I felt better during this workout than I did the previous week, despite having run more miles in the days leading up. Doing it on a track with faster people who were running that pace continuously (jumping back on when they came through the start) really helped too.
Thurs: 7 miles, easy/moderate
Fri: AM: 4 miles, easy
PM: 9 miles, easy/moderate
Sat: 10 miles total with hill repeats on what in my mind is now the infamous "Gun rd;" a random road about 20 minutes from my apartment that makes you suffer. 4 repeats total at 6:11; 6:09; 6:13; 6:22. That last one was tough...The hill has a steep initial ascent, flattens for a little, then has two much shorter ascents before hitting a good downhill. In total, it's about a mile and serves as decent training for Boston since you can get a couple of very short downhill sections at speed.
Sun: 19 miles, NCR Trail progression style. I was originally just going to make this a "chill" long run, but after a couple of miles, realized I felt pretty good, so I picked it up...
7:41, 7:01, 6:50, 6:55, 6:45, 6:48, 6:45, 6:36, 6:41, 6:34, 6:33, 6:34, 6:26, 6:20, 6:19, 6:12, 6:11, 6:12, 6:04...2:05:26 total, 6:36/mile average.
I didn't feel too spent at the end of the run, though I was certainly glad I didn't have to run anymore!
Total mileage: 78
Upcoming: A 55 mile week, and the Club Challenge 10 Miler. It's been over a month since my last race, and close to 2 since I've done any race of consequence. I'm certainly looking forward to this one! My focus this week will just to let myself recover and catch up with the work I've put in over the last two, then try and kick some ass on Sunday.
Now, things look a lot better. I may have slightly less mileage under my legs for the start of 2012 compared to 2011, but I'm physically and mentally healthy. Though I have experienced all kinds of pain everywhere as mileage has increased, nothing has lingered or been cause for concern. I even still check the tibia in both my legs for any pinpoint pain, and nothing has stuck for more than a day. Everything is holding together!
Mon: 7 miles, easy
Tues: 10 miles, easy
Wed: 12 miles total with 4x2 mile (1:20 rest between): Mile splits: 5:38, 5:32, 5:32, 5:31, 5:31, 5:30, 5:28, 5:29. I felt better during this workout than I did the previous week, despite having run more miles in the days leading up. Doing it on a track with faster people who were running that pace continuously (jumping back on when they came through the start) really helped too.
Thurs: 7 miles, easy/moderate
Fri: AM: 4 miles, easy
PM: 9 miles, easy/moderate
Sat: 10 miles total with hill repeats on what in my mind is now the infamous "Gun rd;" a random road about 20 minutes from my apartment that makes you suffer. 4 repeats total at 6:11; 6:09; 6:13; 6:22. That last one was tough...The hill has a steep initial ascent, flattens for a little, then has two much shorter ascents before hitting a good downhill. In total, it's about a mile and serves as decent training for Boston since you can get a couple of very short downhill sections at speed.
Sun: 19 miles, NCR Trail progression style. I was originally just going to make this a "chill" long run, but after a couple of miles, realized I felt pretty good, so I picked it up...
7:41, 7:01, 6:50, 6:55, 6:45, 6:48, 6:45, 6:36, 6:41, 6:34, 6:33, 6:34, 6:26, 6:20, 6:19, 6:12, 6:11, 6:12, 6:04...2:05:26 total, 6:36/mile average.
I didn't feel too spent at the end of the run, though I was certainly glad I didn't have to run anymore!
Total mileage: 78
Upcoming: A 55 mile week, and the Club Challenge 10 Miler. It's been over a month since my last race, and close to 2 since I've done any race of consequence. I'm certainly looking forward to this one! My focus this week will just to let myself recover and catch up with the work I've put in over the last two, then try and kick some ass on Sunday.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
2/5-2/12, Most Weekly Miles in a Long Time
The number 70 seems like quite an arbitrary number, but either physically or mentally (maybe both), things start to change once I surpass 70 miles in a week. Looking through all of 2011, post injury, I hit 70+ miles twice. Pre-injury, I had 7 consecutive weeks exceeding 70 (and in many cases 80) miles per week. Leading up to what still stands as my best marathon, the 2010 NCR Trail marathon, I surpassed 70 miles in 9 weeks (somewhat spread out) leading up to the race.
Though the sample size isn't exactly massive, it would appear that more miles = better chance of running a strong marathon. With how weak and dead I felt going into my 2011 marathons, clearly I was doing something right in 2010 and not 2011. Though even through 2010 looking back on the few weeks leading up to that marathon, I was very lucky to get out alive as I still vividly remember teetering on the edge of blowing up physically and mentally. High risk, high reward certainly pays off when the stars align. But as I have learned, the consequences of pushing right up to your limits all the time far outweigh the benefits. 10 miles per week less on carefully built mileage is infinitely more desirable than missing 4 months (nearly 2 with no running, and 2 with significantly reduced running) just to run 15-20 miles per week more than you can really handle. It also turns out that the magic of 70 gets transferred to 60 or less if I try to ride a bike on top of all of that.
So what does all my rambling mean?
I need multiple weeks exceeding 70 miles to truly be ready for a marathon. However, it is almost impossible to run 70+mpw at the level I want to while also riding a bike. Furthermore, my body can and will go into significant recovery debt if I constantly push week after week on 70+ miles. Finally, the paces I run are the paces I run. If I ran my easy runs a little easier, perhaps the magic number would shift higher, but well, I just don't. Sometimes easy runs are in the 7s, sometimes they don't end up being so easy and end up in the 6s. Sometimes I'm really stupid and run sub 6 on "easy" days. As long as I avoid the last one, that is really the best I can do!
So with that, here is my first 70+ mile week in a long time (to be followed with one more before jumping back to 55), which I got to by starting with a 33 mile post marathon week on 12/2/2011 and culminating with 77 miles 9 weeks later:
Monday 2/5: 7 miles, easy-ish, felt somewhat tired from my 15 mile trail run through mud (but would still do it again)
Tuesday 2/6: 12 miles total with 8 miles worth of tempo (on the track, because I am crazy) work as summarized below:
4 miles on: 5:38, 5:38, 5:29, 5:28
1 lap jog
2 miles on: 5:29, 5:32
1 lap jog
1 mile on: 5:29
1 lap jog
1 mile on: 5:28
By nature of the format, I wanted to pick it up a bit as I went on. The 4 miler was a bit too fast, and my legs were still dead from the past weekend. But, I wasn't disappointed. I still ran faster than I would have on a straight 8 mile tempo. I also got to work hard on tired legs which never happened leading up to my 2011 fall marathon debacle. Holding on even with uncooperative legs is the key! Not having runs on tired legs all the time though, means staying healthy.
Wednesday 2/7: 10 miles total, ran downtown, joined the Wednesday night group out of Canton, ran back. My legs were still quite displeased with me, though as the run went on, they slowly started feeling better.
Thursday 2/8: 7 miles, still felt meh, but better than Wednesday. I made extra sure to keep this one on the easy end.
Friday 2/9: AM: 3 miles easy with the Back on My Feet crew
PM: 7 miles easy-ish, finally started feeling something resembling good again
Saturday 2/10: 18 miles total on the NCR Trail. It was a bit snowy, but there was no wind and the 35 degree temperatures were perfect for a long run. Shorts, t-shirt, and gloves all the way! I crushed this run and felt really strong the entire way. It ended up being a slightly up-tempo long run:
7:15; 6:44; 6:44; 6:44; 6:42; 6:39; 6:39; 6:37; 6:36; 6:39; 6:31; 6:35; 6:41; 6:30; 6:30; 6;26; 6:31; 6:16, just under 2 hours overall for a 6:38 average.
Legs felt decent afterwards, just slightly stiff but the feeling went away a few hours later.
Sunday 2/11: The rather calm and peaceful Saturday gave way to freaking cold temperatures (20s) and nasty winds. I drove down to Howard County to get a workout in with TWSS on the Club Challenge course. The workout...
4 miles easy, followed by a farlek with timed intervals: 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1 minutes with identical rest, a little recovery, then 3 miles tempo pace. By the end, we had run the whole course, and all the wonderful hills. With some warm up and cool down, I ended up with about 13 total.
Unfortunately, the run sucked, though not because of my legs; the cold and the wind really did a number. It was really hard to breathe (even on the easy section), and the wind made things even more difficult. But no matter, I survived and still got the work in. Now lets just hope it's warmer come race day, because this mild winter has made me incredibly weak in sub 30 degree temperatures!
Total miles for the week: 77
This coming week, roughly the same mileage. No 80+ yet.
Though the sample size isn't exactly massive, it would appear that more miles = better chance of running a strong marathon. With how weak and dead I felt going into my 2011 marathons, clearly I was doing something right in 2010 and not 2011. Though even through 2010 looking back on the few weeks leading up to that marathon, I was very lucky to get out alive as I still vividly remember teetering on the edge of blowing up physically and mentally. High risk, high reward certainly pays off when the stars align. But as I have learned, the consequences of pushing right up to your limits all the time far outweigh the benefits. 10 miles per week less on carefully built mileage is infinitely more desirable than missing 4 months (nearly 2 with no running, and 2 with significantly reduced running) just to run 15-20 miles per week more than you can really handle. It also turns out that the magic of 70 gets transferred to 60 or less if I try to ride a bike on top of all of that.
So what does all my rambling mean?
I need multiple weeks exceeding 70 miles to truly be ready for a marathon. However, it is almost impossible to run 70+mpw at the level I want to while also riding a bike. Furthermore, my body can and will go into significant recovery debt if I constantly push week after week on 70+ miles. Finally, the paces I run are the paces I run. If I ran my easy runs a little easier, perhaps the magic number would shift higher, but well, I just don't. Sometimes easy runs are in the 7s, sometimes they don't end up being so easy and end up in the 6s. Sometimes I'm really stupid and run sub 6 on "easy" days. As long as I avoid the last one, that is really the best I can do!
So with that, here is my first 70+ mile week in a long time (to be followed with one more before jumping back to 55), which I got to by starting with a 33 mile post marathon week on 12/2/2011 and culminating with 77 miles 9 weeks later:
Monday 2/5: 7 miles, easy-ish, felt somewhat tired from my 15 mile trail run through mud (but would still do it again)
Tuesday 2/6: 12 miles total with 8 miles worth of tempo (on the track, because I am crazy) work as summarized below:
4 miles on: 5:38, 5:38, 5:29, 5:28
1 lap jog
2 miles on: 5:29, 5:32
1 lap jog
1 mile on: 5:29
1 lap jog
1 mile on: 5:28
By nature of the format, I wanted to pick it up a bit as I went on. The 4 miler was a bit too fast, and my legs were still dead from the past weekend. But, I wasn't disappointed. I still ran faster than I would have on a straight 8 mile tempo. I also got to work hard on tired legs which never happened leading up to my 2011 fall marathon debacle. Holding on even with uncooperative legs is the key! Not having runs on tired legs all the time though, means staying healthy.
Wednesday 2/7: 10 miles total, ran downtown, joined the Wednesday night group out of Canton, ran back. My legs were still quite displeased with me, though as the run went on, they slowly started feeling better.
Thursday 2/8: 7 miles, still felt meh, but better than Wednesday. I made extra sure to keep this one on the easy end.
Friday 2/9: AM: 3 miles easy with the Back on My Feet crew
PM: 7 miles easy-ish, finally started feeling something resembling good again
Saturday 2/10: 18 miles total on the NCR Trail. It was a bit snowy, but there was no wind and the 35 degree temperatures were perfect for a long run. Shorts, t-shirt, and gloves all the way! I crushed this run and felt really strong the entire way. It ended up being a slightly up-tempo long run:
7:15; 6:44; 6:44; 6:44; 6:42; 6:39; 6:39; 6:37; 6:36; 6:39; 6:31; 6:35; 6:41; 6:30; 6:30; 6;26; 6:31; 6:16, just under 2 hours overall for a 6:38 average.
Legs felt decent afterwards, just slightly stiff but the feeling went away a few hours later.
Sunday 2/11: The rather calm and peaceful Saturday gave way to freaking cold temperatures (20s) and nasty winds. I drove down to Howard County to get a workout in with TWSS on the Club Challenge course. The workout...
4 miles easy, followed by a farlek with timed intervals: 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1 minutes with identical rest, a little recovery, then 3 miles tempo pace. By the end, we had run the whole course, and all the wonderful hills. With some warm up and cool down, I ended up with about 13 total.
Unfortunately, the run sucked, though not because of my legs; the cold and the wind really did a number. It was really hard to breathe (even on the easy section), and the wind made things even more difficult. But no matter, I survived and still got the work in. Now lets just hope it's warmer come race day, because this mild winter has made me incredibly weak in sub 30 degree temperatures!
Total miles for the week: 77
This coming week, roughly the same mileage. No 80+ yet.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
More Warm Weather (1/23-2/4)
In roughly one more month, it is actually supposed to get warmer. Even if February turns out rather cold, overall I've been quite pleased with the mild winter. Here's to hoping it won't be 100 degrees everyday in the summer....
1/23 Monday:
PM: 7 miles total, 6 with the Monday night Fed Hill group.
1/24 Tuesday:
PM: 11 miles total with 6 in a progression style quick run (on the Gilman track) at least starting out at half marathon pace...
5:39; 5:32; 5:32; 5:30; 5:30
It still amazes me how much I struggle to put together three consecutive miles under 5:20 in a 5K, but slow it down 10-15 seconds, and I can rail off mid 5:20s to mid 5:40s almost on command. This problem has existed forever, the miles just keep getting faster.
1/25 Wednesday:
PM: 7 miles from Canton Square, first half easy, second half not so much
1/26 Thursday:
AM: 5 Miles
PM: (cut short) 4 miles
My shins and ankles still seemed upset with me from the previous weekend and rather than make it worse, I canned the afternoon run halfway through.
1/27 Friday:
AM: 4 miles, easy with the Back on My Feet crew
PM: 7 miles, easy/moderate
Legs felt ok.
1/28 Saturday:
AM: 7 miles, easy/moderate
1/29 Sunday:
About 17 miles total in roughly 2 hours. This was the morning after some bar hopping, which I haven't done in a long time, but a friend was leaving for Philadelphia for a new job opportunity, so we decided to send her off in style. 10 bars in 10 hours (though not quite 10 drinks because well, I only weigh 142 lbs) made for an interesting long run. Overall, it was actually pretty good, until the last 20 minutes; I almost puked but managed to hold it together. I was glad to have the company of TWSS on that one.
Total Miles: 69
That made for three consecutive weeks in the 60s...61, 66, 69. A nice careful addition of miles with no bike riding has left me rather healthy. Except for these pesky shins, but keep reading.
1/30 Monday:
PM: 7 miles with the Monday night Fed Hill Group. It started easy, but as usual, it did not end easy. Good run though.
1/31 Tuesday:
PM: 9 miles total. On yet another crazy warm night in the 60s, I got in a pretty cool workout (thanks to the creativity of others). It was termed a "broken 1600" workout, for good reason.
Rep 1: 1 mile....5:22
1 lap jog
Rep 2: 1200 meters...3:53
short rest
Rep 3: 400 meters...69
1 lap jog
Rep 4: 800 meters...2:30
short rest
Rep 5: 800 meters...2:25
1 lap jog
Final...4x400 meters with short rest between each lap: 72, 67, 67, 65
I had done a lot of sustained hard runs the past few Tuesdays, so it was good to mix it up with some speed. That last 4x400 was a great way to work on that finishing kick.
My shins were actually quite displeased with this run (but don't worry it gets better).
2/1 Wednesday:
7 miles, easy from Canton Square
Shins and ankles were meh.
2/2 Thursday:
By now I'm finally thinking, if I can't get this pain to go away which has been coming and going for the last 2 weeks, I'll take some time off. However, I had a very sneaking suspicion that my shoe laces were to blame. I've occasionally had shin pain when I had running shoes that tended to loosen up in the past. Though I've never had problems with my ST5s doing that, my latest pair for whatever reason would not stay tight.
I changed to that pair around the same time I ran an icy 16 miles the previous weekend. So for 2 weeks, I was experiencing shin and ankle pain that I thought was related to that run when in reality, it may have been related to my shoes. So I tied the shit out of my shoes and went for a not so easy 7 miler with some dude who ran a 58 at Club Challenge last year. He wasn't running for HCS, so I didn't have to dump him in the harbor...
And as luck would have it, all my issues were in fact caused by shoe laces that were loosening up and/or not tight enough to begin with. After that run, I had no pain at all. Kind of stupid in hindsight, but at least I seemingly figured out the problem.
2/3 Friday:
AM: 3 miles easy. The pace nearly makes it an off day, but I'll still count the miles. As I learned last year, even really slow miles can contribute to and make overuse injuries worse, so they need to be tracked.
2/4 Saturday:
7 miles easy/moderate. I actually ran into 3 people I knew. Go Baltimore runners! No pain at all again. Tightly tied shoes = no pain. Hopefully my next pair will be easier to tie.
I've got about 15 miles on tap for tomorrow to cap off a 55 mile step back week. Following this one, things are going to ramp up. I'm going to make my Monday and Wednesday runs longer, around 11 and 10 miles instead of 7 each to get some mid week longer stuff in. I'll also add a secondary workout on Fridays, some hills to help augment my training, rather than just dropping the hammer whenever I encounter hills on regular runs. Both Club Challenge and Boston require some dedication to hills. Mileage will go up into the mid to upper 70s, and I'm still avoiding the bike like the plague to maximize my chances of staying healthy. One step back week during the final week in February will cap this month off, then its time for the races I've been impatiently waiting for:
10 Mile Club Challenge
Shamrock 5K
National Half Marathon
Boston Marathon
I'm gunning to crush Club Challenge and National. I'll take a PR of even 1 second at the 5K. As for Boston, well I have yet to determine a goal time but the main goal is to finally run that damn race after first qualifying in November 2009. I'll worry about a time when I get close to the finish line.
1/23 Monday:
PM: 7 miles total, 6 with the Monday night Fed Hill group.
1/24 Tuesday:
PM: 11 miles total with 6 in a progression style quick run (on the Gilman track) at least starting out at half marathon pace...
5:39; 5:32; 5:32; 5:30; 5:30
It still amazes me how much I struggle to put together three consecutive miles under 5:20 in a 5K, but slow it down 10-15 seconds, and I can rail off mid 5:20s to mid 5:40s almost on command. This problem has existed forever, the miles just keep getting faster.
1/25 Wednesday:
PM: 7 miles from Canton Square, first half easy, second half not so much
1/26 Thursday:
AM: 5 Miles
PM: (cut short) 4 miles
My shins and ankles still seemed upset with me from the previous weekend and rather than make it worse, I canned the afternoon run halfway through.
1/27 Friday:
AM: 4 miles, easy with the Back on My Feet crew
PM: 7 miles, easy/moderate
Legs felt ok.
1/28 Saturday:
AM: 7 miles, easy/moderate
1/29 Sunday:
About 17 miles total in roughly 2 hours. This was the morning after some bar hopping, which I haven't done in a long time, but a friend was leaving for Philadelphia for a new job opportunity, so we decided to send her off in style. 10 bars in 10 hours (though not quite 10 drinks because well, I only weigh 142 lbs) made for an interesting long run. Overall, it was actually pretty good, until the last 20 minutes; I almost puked but managed to hold it together. I was glad to have the company of TWSS on that one.
Total Miles: 69
That made for three consecutive weeks in the 60s...61, 66, 69. A nice careful addition of miles with no bike riding has left me rather healthy. Except for these pesky shins, but keep reading.
1/30 Monday:
PM: 7 miles with the Monday night Fed Hill Group. It started easy, but as usual, it did not end easy. Good run though.
1/31 Tuesday:
PM: 9 miles total. On yet another crazy warm night in the 60s, I got in a pretty cool workout (thanks to the creativity of others). It was termed a "broken 1600" workout, for good reason.
Rep 1: 1 mile....5:22
1 lap jog
Rep 2: 1200 meters...3:53
short rest
Rep 3: 400 meters...69
1 lap jog
Rep 4: 800 meters...2:30
short rest
Rep 5: 800 meters...2:25
1 lap jog
Final...4x400 meters with short rest between each lap: 72, 67, 67, 65
I had done a lot of sustained hard runs the past few Tuesdays, so it was good to mix it up with some speed. That last 4x400 was a great way to work on that finishing kick.
My shins were actually quite displeased with this run (but don't worry it gets better).
2/1 Wednesday:
7 miles, easy from Canton Square
Shins and ankles were meh.
2/2 Thursday:
By now I'm finally thinking, if I can't get this pain to go away which has been coming and going for the last 2 weeks, I'll take some time off. However, I had a very sneaking suspicion that my shoe laces were to blame. I've occasionally had shin pain when I had running shoes that tended to loosen up in the past. Though I've never had problems with my ST5s doing that, my latest pair for whatever reason would not stay tight.
I changed to that pair around the same time I ran an icy 16 miles the previous weekend. So for 2 weeks, I was experiencing shin and ankle pain that I thought was related to that run when in reality, it may have been related to my shoes. So I tied the shit out of my shoes and went for a not so easy 7 miler with some dude who ran a 58 at Club Challenge last year. He wasn't running for HCS, so I didn't have to dump him in the harbor...
And as luck would have it, all my issues were in fact caused by shoe laces that were loosening up and/or not tight enough to begin with. After that run, I had no pain at all. Kind of stupid in hindsight, but at least I seemingly figured out the problem.
2/3 Friday:
AM: 3 miles easy. The pace nearly makes it an off day, but I'll still count the miles. As I learned last year, even really slow miles can contribute to and make overuse injuries worse, so they need to be tracked.
2/4 Saturday:
7 miles easy/moderate. I actually ran into 3 people I knew. Go Baltimore runners! No pain at all again. Tightly tied shoes = no pain. Hopefully my next pair will be easier to tie.
I've got about 15 miles on tap for tomorrow to cap off a 55 mile step back week. Following this one, things are going to ramp up. I'm going to make my Monday and Wednesday runs longer, around 11 and 10 miles instead of 7 each to get some mid week longer stuff in. I'll also add a secondary workout on Fridays, some hills to help augment my training, rather than just dropping the hammer whenever I encounter hills on regular runs. Both Club Challenge and Boston require some dedication to hills. Mileage will go up into the mid to upper 70s, and I'm still avoiding the bike like the plague to maximize my chances of staying healthy. One step back week during the final week in February will cap this month off, then its time for the races I've been impatiently waiting for:
10 Mile Club Challenge
Shamrock 5K
National Half Marathon
Boston Marathon
I'm gunning to crush Club Challenge and National. I'll take a PR of even 1 second at the 5K. As for Boston, well I have yet to determine a goal time but the main goal is to finally run that damn race after first qualifying in November 2009. I'll worry about a time when I get close to the finish line.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Finally Winter, at least for a few days (1/16-1/22)
Weekends like this past one always make me think I should move to a more mild climate. I absolutely despise snow. Snow causes the following, none of which are favorable:
-Slippery running conditions, ice covered tracks, snow covered trails
-Snow on my car that I have to clean off
-High chance of accidents since no one can drive in snow
-Even if I do get a day off of work, we just work twice as hard later to catch up
Basically, snow sucks. I have no problem with freezing cold temperatures, but that fluffy stuff and the ice that comes with it...UGH! But anyway, the snow is all gone now thanks to warmer temperatures and some rain.
Monday:
AM: 5 miles, easy
PM: 6 miles, moderate
No work thanks to MLK day. When I don't have work on a weekday and run twice, it lets me pretend just for a moment that I'm a professional runner. Unfortunately, that dream generally ends quickly once work starts up again...
Tuesday:
10 miles total with 5 @ tempo pace. I did this one on the track, with the benefit of running with others (makes it a little less painful): 5:49, 5:42, 5:42, 5:41, 5:40. Overall, pretty solid, and I felt pretty good with that one.
Wednesday:
Rest
Thursday:
AM: 5 miles, easy
PM: 7 miles, easy
Friday:
AM: 4 miles, easy
PM: 7 miles, easy
Saturday:
Snow conspired against me on this one. All I could manage was a 16 mile fartlek run. If it was slippery, I ran slow. If I was sure footed, I ran fast. I kept this one in Baltimore City and made sure to hit a couple tough hills for good measure. Overall, I still came in around 2 hours which is decent considering the conditions.
Sunday:
Again, I was conspired against, this time by work. I was supposed to get out on the course of an upcoming important race (10 mile club challenge) with the new team I'm running with. But, my job had better plans. Of course, we ended up causing a few thousand dollars (possibly higher than that) worth of damage to our most important piece of equipment and didn't even accomplish what we were supposed to do. Sundays have not fared well at my company; maybe one of these days we'll plan that a bit better...
I still got in 6 miles at night, and almost busted my face on some ice.
Overall, 66 miles
That 16 miler seems to have done a number on my legs. My left ankle a few days later is still barking a bit, my shins are not happy, and I'm a bit sore in general. It is trending better though, so I'm not really concerned.
Thus far, this week is going better. But more info on that is to follow!
-Slippery running conditions, ice covered tracks, snow covered trails
-Snow on my car that I have to clean off
-High chance of accidents since no one can drive in snow
-Even if I do get a day off of work, we just work twice as hard later to catch up
Basically, snow sucks. I have no problem with freezing cold temperatures, but that fluffy stuff and the ice that comes with it...UGH! But anyway, the snow is all gone now thanks to warmer temperatures and some rain.
Monday:
AM: 5 miles, easy
PM: 6 miles, moderate
No work thanks to MLK day. When I don't have work on a weekday and run twice, it lets me pretend just for a moment that I'm a professional runner. Unfortunately, that dream generally ends quickly once work starts up again...
Tuesday:
10 miles total with 5 @ tempo pace. I did this one on the track, with the benefit of running with others (makes it a little less painful): 5:49, 5:42, 5:42, 5:41, 5:40. Overall, pretty solid, and I felt pretty good with that one.
Wednesday:
Rest
Thursday:
AM: 5 miles, easy
PM: 7 miles, easy
Friday:
AM: 4 miles, easy
PM: 7 miles, easy
Saturday:
Snow conspired against me on this one. All I could manage was a 16 mile fartlek run. If it was slippery, I ran slow. If I was sure footed, I ran fast. I kept this one in Baltimore City and made sure to hit a couple tough hills for good measure. Overall, I still came in around 2 hours which is decent considering the conditions.
Sunday:
Again, I was conspired against, this time by work. I was supposed to get out on the course of an upcoming important race (10 mile club challenge) with the new team I'm running with. But, my job had better plans. Of course, we ended up causing a few thousand dollars (possibly higher than that) worth of damage to our most important piece of equipment and didn't even accomplish what we were supposed to do. Sundays have not fared well at my company; maybe one of these days we'll plan that a bit better...
I still got in 6 miles at night, and almost busted my face on some ice.
Overall, 66 miles
That 16 miler seems to have done a number on my legs. My left ankle a few days later is still barking a bit, my shins are not happy, and I'm a bit sore in general. It is trending better though, so I'm not really concerned.
Thus far, this week is going better. But more info on that is to follow!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
60 mile week, 8 mile race, first "marathon workout"
Interestingly, after shelving the bike for the past couple of weeks, I have felt significantly fresher in all facets of running. This will definitely be revisited when it gets warmer out after the Boston marathon, but for now, my focus is singular.
Overall, this was a pretty solid week as I continue to carefully add mileage:
Monday:
AM: 5 miles (fast)
PM; 7 miles total with 6 at around 5:30-5:45 pace.
All this fast running was thanks to a ridiculous mishap in which my car was towed from its legal spot. Despite getting everything resolved and not having to pay anything, I had to blow off quite a lot of steam. It was good timing though, as I got my tempo run in a few days early, even if it was unplanned...
Tuesday:
AM: 7 miles
In the middle of the day I had my right toe looked at. Turns out my toenail was not quite ingrown (but was very close). A quick trimming back has already made my foot feel much better. Now hopefully the damn nail will grow back properly. I actually went to the podiatrist group that was the "official" group of the Baltimore marathon for a few years. My Geico Pacer jacket brought up a little conversation; it was great to be in good hands.
Wednesday:
AM: 3 miles
PM: 7 miles
Since I didn't need surgery to remove that nail, I didn't actually need to take any time off. Though the toe was a bit sore for a couple of days. A cold rain made the Wednesday night run slightly less enjoyable.
Thursday:
Rest
Friday:
AM: 4 miles
PM: 7 miles
Saturday:
5 miles; back just in time to watch the #Houston2012 twitter feed to get live updates of the Olympic Trials race. It was certainly exciting and inspirational. And yes, I admit, I watched the recorded broadcast in its entirety that afternoon.
Sunday:
16 miles total with a low key 8 mile race thrown into the mix. I ran a 2 mile warm up, hit the 8 miler at about 5:45 pace good for 46:14 and 2nd overall, then ran another 6 to round out the day at 16 total. I think that counts as my first legit marathon workout.
The race was an interesting one, taking place at the Loch Raven reservoir, a rather hilly area. Last year, I had run a 47:21 and was hoping to knock that time down a bit. Overall, it was successful. My race was pretty consistent, save the large uphill portion in the middle of the race.
I also probably should have worn more than a singlet, shorts, arm warmers, and thin running gloves because it was freaking cold. It was somewhere around 25 degrees. By the time I had finished the race, my hands were completely frozen, my toes were cold, and lets just say that my shorts provided little protection for other areas as well. To top it off, my left shoe came untied with 2 miles to go.
I didn't bother to stop, since I wouldn't be able to tie it anyway (I was barely able to get into my car to defrost after the race), and 3rd place was hot on my heels. Unfortunately, the shoe slowed me down a bit, especially on the downhills. I almost kicked it off, but opted to keep it on and just finish without falling.
Splits: 5:46, 5:32, 5:45, 5:40, 6:23, 5:46, 5:35, 5:47. Clearly, I could use some more hill work, but overall I'm happy with where I am for January.
Total Miles: 61
Next up...60-69 mile weeks for the next two, then a step back the following week. A 5k the first weekend in February, and the 10 Mile club challenge are on the horizon for the next races. Only racing twice in a month is substantially easier both mentally and physically!
Overall, this was a pretty solid week as I continue to carefully add mileage:
Monday:
AM: 5 miles (fast)
PM; 7 miles total with 6 at around 5:30-5:45 pace.
All this fast running was thanks to a ridiculous mishap in which my car was towed from its legal spot. Despite getting everything resolved and not having to pay anything, I had to blow off quite a lot of steam. It was good timing though, as I got my tempo run in a few days early, even if it was unplanned...
Tuesday:
AM: 7 miles
In the middle of the day I had my right toe looked at. Turns out my toenail was not quite ingrown (but was very close). A quick trimming back has already made my foot feel much better. Now hopefully the damn nail will grow back properly. I actually went to the podiatrist group that was the "official" group of the Baltimore marathon for a few years. My Geico Pacer jacket brought up a little conversation; it was great to be in good hands.
Wednesday:
AM: 3 miles
PM: 7 miles
Since I didn't need surgery to remove that nail, I didn't actually need to take any time off. Though the toe was a bit sore for a couple of days. A cold rain made the Wednesday night run slightly less enjoyable.
Thursday:
Rest
Friday:
AM: 4 miles
PM: 7 miles
Saturday:
5 miles; back just in time to watch the #Houston2012 twitter feed to get live updates of the Olympic Trials race. It was certainly exciting and inspirational. And yes, I admit, I watched the recorded broadcast in its entirety that afternoon.
Sunday:
16 miles total with a low key 8 mile race thrown into the mix. I ran a 2 mile warm up, hit the 8 miler at about 5:45 pace good for 46:14 and 2nd overall, then ran another 6 to round out the day at 16 total. I think that counts as my first legit marathon workout.
The race was an interesting one, taking place at the Loch Raven reservoir, a rather hilly area. Last year, I had run a 47:21 and was hoping to knock that time down a bit. Overall, it was successful. My race was pretty consistent, save the large uphill portion in the middle of the race.
I also probably should have worn more than a singlet, shorts, arm warmers, and thin running gloves because it was freaking cold. It was somewhere around 25 degrees. By the time I had finished the race, my hands were completely frozen, my toes were cold, and lets just say that my shorts provided little protection for other areas as well. To top it off, my left shoe came untied with 2 miles to go.
I didn't bother to stop, since I wouldn't be able to tie it anyway (I was barely able to get into my car to defrost after the race), and 3rd place was hot on my heels. Unfortunately, the shoe slowed me down a bit, especially on the downhills. I almost kicked it off, but opted to keep it on and just finish without falling.
Splits: 5:46, 5:32, 5:45, 5:40, 6:23, 5:46, 5:35, 5:47. Clearly, I could use some more hill work, but overall I'm happy with where I am for January.
Total Miles: 61
Next up...60-69 mile weeks for the next two, then a step back the following week. A 5k the first weekend in February, and the 10 Mile club challenge are on the horizon for the next races. Only racing twice in a month is substantially easier both mentally and physically!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Miles...12/26-1/6
A mileage update to catch up to today:
12/26- PM: 6 miles, easy/moderate pace
12/27-9.2 miles total with 5x1000 meter (1 lap recovery): 3:21; 3:18; 3:19; 3:13; 3:09. Good start to my return to workouts.
12/28- AM: 4 miles, easy
PM: 6.5 miles, easy/moderate
12/29-Commute to work, 20 mile ride back, 25 miles total
12/30-AM: 4 miles, easy
12/31-10.5 miles, comfortable pace with about 15 other people, good New Years Eve run
1/1-9 miles with the Resolution Run 5K, 16:44
Total: 49.2 miles run, 25 miles biked
1/2- AM: 8 miles total, easy/moderate
1/3- PM: 10 miles total with a ladder: 400m, 800m, 1200m, 1600m, 1200m, 800m, 400m with half the distance for rest. It was cold and real windy for this workout, my first true winter weather run. Splits: 75, 2:31, 3:45, 5:11, 3:48, 2:29, 72. The mile was a tad slow, but overall a solid workout given the conditions.
1/4-AM: 4 miles, easy extremely cold, 16 degrees. That beats the previous coldest run I've done (ignoring windchill) by 3 degrees. Even though the forecast claimed there was wind, I didn't feel it. This actually felt better than 25 degrees with 15mph winds on a track from the previous day.
PM: 7 miles, easyish pace, much warmer, in the 30s.
1/5-Rest
1/6-PM: 7 miles, easy/moderate
On tap for the weekend is a 6 mile run and a 14 miler to bring the week to the mid 50s. I'm not cranking out as many hard miles as I have in the past this early on. I've got the 1 workout a week going, the long runs for now are staying easy no fancy progression runs or anything of the sort. For now, it's just about coaxing the weekly mileage up. Other than some lingering minor abdominal cramps (probably need more water and/or need to get used to cold air), and some skin that has completely rubbed off my left heel leaving raw exposed skin, I feel pretty strong.
I was going to run a 5 mile race today, but the venue changed last minute and it will neither be much of a road race, nor is it guaranteed to be anywhere near 5 miles. Given that I'm picking and choosing my spots, I'm opting instead for a hilly more accurate fully on roads 8 miler next week.
12/26- PM: 6 miles, easy/moderate pace
12/27-9.2 miles total with 5x1000 meter (1 lap recovery): 3:21; 3:18; 3:19; 3:13; 3:09. Good start to my return to workouts.
12/28- AM: 4 miles, easy
PM: 6.5 miles, easy/moderate
12/29-Commute to work, 20 mile ride back, 25 miles total
12/30-AM: 4 miles, easy
12/31-10.5 miles, comfortable pace with about 15 other people, good New Years Eve run
1/1-9 miles with the Resolution Run 5K, 16:44
Total: 49.2 miles run, 25 miles biked
1/2- AM: 8 miles total, easy/moderate
1/3- PM: 10 miles total with a ladder: 400m, 800m, 1200m, 1600m, 1200m, 800m, 400m with half the distance for rest. It was cold and real windy for this workout, my first true winter weather run. Splits: 75, 2:31, 3:45, 5:11, 3:48, 2:29, 72. The mile was a tad slow, but overall a solid workout given the conditions.
1/4-AM: 4 miles, easy extremely cold, 16 degrees. That beats the previous coldest run I've done (ignoring windchill) by 3 degrees. Even though the forecast claimed there was wind, I didn't feel it. This actually felt better than 25 degrees with 15mph winds on a track from the previous day.
PM: 7 miles, easyish pace, much warmer, in the 30s.
1/5-Rest
1/6-PM: 7 miles, easy/moderate
On tap for the weekend is a 6 mile run and a 14 miler to bring the week to the mid 50s. I'm not cranking out as many hard miles as I have in the past this early on. I've got the 1 workout a week going, the long runs for now are staying easy no fancy progression runs or anything of the sort. For now, it's just about coaxing the weekly mileage up. Other than some lingering minor abdominal cramps (probably need more water and/or need to get used to cold air), and some skin that has completely rubbed off my left heel leaving raw exposed skin, I feel pretty strong.
I was going to run a 5 mile race today, but the venue changed last minute and it will neither be much of a road race, nor is it guaranteed to be anywhere near 5 miles. Given that I'm picking and choosing my spots, I'm opting instead for a hilly more accurate fully on roads 8 miler next week.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Another week...more miles
This week was still quite chill. In the beginning of the week, I was rather sore from the 5 miler/long run from the previous weekend, but I'm feeling pretty good now. My left leg seems to have finally stopped bothering me; I stumbled on a new stretch for my lower back that seems to be doing the trick.
Monday:
-PM: 6 miles, moderate pace
Tuesday:
-Commute to work, 20 mile ride afterwards, 27 total.
Wednesday:
-AM: 4 miles
-PM: 7 miles
Thursday:
-Commute to and from work, 15 miles total thanks to some detours (always appreciate it CSX...)
-PM: 6 miles
Friday:
-AM: 3 miles
-PM: 6.2 miles
Saturday:
-AM: 6.2 miles
-PM: 30 mile bike ride
Sunday:
-13.1 miles
Miles run: 51
Miles Biked: 50
Miles Commuted by Bike: 22
At long last, it is time to return to track work. I'm not sure what kind of running I'll be doing, but I know I want to get in around 6-8 miles total. I'll have to spend the rest of this week coming up with a plan for workouts through April. The scaffolding is in place including weekly mileage totals, long run lengths, bike mileage, and days for workouts. It is just a matter of the details of each day.
Monday:
-PM: 6 miles, moderate pace
Tuesday:
-Commute to work, 20 mile ride afterwards, 27 total.
Wednesday:
-AM: 4 miles
-PM: 7 miles
Thursday:
-Commute to and from work, 15 miles total thanks to some detours (always appreciate it CSX...)
-PM: 6 miles
Friday:
-AM: 3 miles
-PM: 6.2 miles
Saturday:
-AM: 6.2 miles
-PM: 30 mile bike ride
Sunday:
-13.1 miles
Miles run: 51
Miles Biked: 50
Miles Commuted by Bike: 22
At long last, it is time to return to track work. I'm not sure what kind of running I'll be doing, but I know I want to get in around 6-8 miles total. I'll have to spend the rest of this week coming up with a plan for workouts through April. The scaffolding is in place including weekly mileage totals, long run lengths, bike mileage, and days for workouts. It is just a matter of the details of each day.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
2012 Races, January-June
Normally, Tuesday nights would mean track work at Gilman, but not today after opting for one more week of mental and perhaps some physical recovery. My Saturday race/Sunday long run left my legs rather trashed Monday. Though we did a decently paced 6 miler that felt good aerobically, my legs and particularly my right hip were none too pleased with me. Since I've had nothing but left leg problems for a while, it was nice to have the other leg hurt for a change. After 27 total miles of bike riding today though, I feel much, much better.
So instead of running fast in a workout, I'll dream of running fast in races to come! As I have eluded to earlier, I am rewriting my entire approach to running. This includes training, racing, and volunteering. Everything is being turned upside down in an attempt to maximize my chances of getting faster. I can see that it will be exponentially harder to get to the next level, but if I did it once in 2010, I can do it again this time around. I just won't be expecting anymore 10 minute half marathon PRs (if only it were that easy)!
So, from the racing perspective, I will be committing to significantly fewer races. Not only that, but all races have been carefully selected and planned such that:
a) they fit into my training schedule and I can actually ease off the week of the race (except for one 5k)
b) as much as possible, they are spread out, and there are never more than 2 in a month (I can go back-to-back if one race is a 5k)
c) where possible, I will only run in races that have a high probability of strong competition
To that end, there are a lot of races I have done historically that I will not make an appearance at. I won't run nearly as many BRRC races this year as the competition just isn't there (including their GPS series). Though I may be available to cheer for Back on My Feet runners at their occasional race, more often than not, I will not be doing races that they go to.
Ultimately, I'm throwing my name into races to race. Obviously, not every race will be an "A" level goal race, but I intend for each one to be a real effort. By limiting it, hopefully I won't burn out mentally and physically as I seem to have done at the end of the fall season this year. I can also focus more on training too.
With that, here is the list. I have yet to sign up for any duathlons, as I'm waiting to see if the powers that be will grant me a professional license. If they don't, I'll take a good shot at qualifying at my first duathlon of the year.
January:
1/1/2012- Resolution Run 5K, Patterson Park, Baltimore
1/7/2012- BRRC Frozen Fingers 5 Miler, Lake Montebello, Baltimore
February-
2/5/2012- Chilly Willy Duathlon, 5K run 10 mile bike 5K run, St. Petersburg, FL
~2/25/2012- 10 Mile Club Challenge, Howard County, MD (get some!!!)
March-
3/11/2012 - Shamrock 5K, Baltimore, MD
3/17/2012- National Half Marathon Washington DC
April-
4/16/2012-Boston Marathon
4/28/2012- USAT Duathlon Age Group National Championships, 5k run, 35k bike, 5k run Tuscon, AZ
May-
5/12/2012- Cascade Lake Duathlon, 1.86 mile run, 15 mile bike, 3.1 mile run Hampstead, MD
June-
6/3/2012- Blackwater Duathlon, 10K run, 70K bike, 10K run, Cambridge, MD
6/16/2012-Baltimore 10 Miler (possibly as a pacer, undecided)
2012 is right around the corner!
So instead of running fast in a workout, I'll dream of running fast in races to come! As I have eluded to earlier, I am rewriting my entire approach to running. This includes training, racing, and volunteering. Everything is being turned upside down in an attempt to maximize my chances of getting faster. I can see that it will be exponentially harder to get to the next level, but if I did it once in 2010, I can do it again this time around. I just won't be expecting anymore 10 minute half marathon PRs (if only it were that easy)!
So, from the racing perspective, I will be committing to significantly fewer races. Not only that, but all races have been carefully selected and planned such that:
a) they fit into my training schedule and I can actually ease off the week of the race (except for one 5k)
b) as much as possible, they are spread out, and there are never more than 2 in a month (I can go back-to-back if one race is a 5k)
c) where possible, I will only run in races that have a high probability of strong competition
To that end, there are a lot of races I have done historically that I will not make an appearance at. I won't run nearly as many BRRC races this year as the competition just isn't there (including their GPS series). Though I may be available to cheer for Back on My Feet runners at their occasional race, more often than not, I will not be doing races that they go to.
Ultimately, I'm throwing my name into races to race. Obviously, not every race will be an "A" level goal race, but I intend for each one to be a real effort. By limiting it, hopefully I won't burn out mentally and physically as I seem to have done at the end of the fall season this year. I can also focus more on training too.
With that, here is the list. I have yet to sign up for any duathlons, as I'm waiting to see if the powers that be will grant me a professional license. If they don't, I'll take a good shot at qualifying at my first duathlon of the year.
January:
1/1/2012- Resolution Run 5K, Patterson Park, Baltimore
1/7/2012- BRRC Frozen Fingers 5 Miler, Lake Montebello, Baltimore
February-
2/5/2012- Chilly Willy Duathlon, 5K run 10 mile bike 5K run, St. Petersburg, FL
~2/25/2012- 10 Mile Club Challenge, Howard County, MD (get some!!!)
March-
3/11/2012 - Shamrock 5K, Baltimore, MD
3/17/2012- National Half Marathon Washington DC
April-
4/16/2012-Boston Marathon
4/28/2012- USAT Duathlon Age Group National Championships, 5k run, 35k bike, 5k run Tuscon, AZ
May-
5/12/2012- Cascade Lake Duathlon, 1.86 mile run, 15 mile bike, 3.1 mile run Hampstead, MD
June-
6/3/2012- Blackwater Duathlon, 10K run, 70K bike, 10K run, Cambridge, MD
6/16/2012-Baltimore 10 Miler (possibly as a pacer, undecided)
2012 is right around the corner!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
No Rush To Get Back
My calendar listed this upcoming week as optional to return to the track for speed/tempo. However, I think the results of my 5 miler yesterday have shown that taking another week easy isn't going to kill anything. In fact, this easy December seems to have done more good than the most grueling speedwork I could think of. Since I could care less about being in shape in January when there are no races of consequence, delaying one more week to just get miles in won't hurt. Now for this week...
Mon: PM: 6 miles, long day at work prevented me from joining my usual Monday afternoon crowd.
Tuesday:
Commuted to and from work by bike, 6.75 miles each way
PM: 6 miles, another long day at work
Wednesday:
AM: 4 miles
Thursday:
AM: commuted to work
PM: rode what ended up being about 20 miles on the bike before it got too dark and I had to bail by hopping on the light rail. This little experiment has given me a great route to take from my office in Dundalk to either the Falls Road light rail station or if there is enough daylight, the Lutherville Station. Bikes are allowed on the Light Rail and I live 2 blocks from one of the stations. This lets me take a route that once clear of downtown, doesn't have too many places where I have to stop for traffic lights. It beats the trainer at any rate, at least until it starts snowing.
Friday:
AM: 4 miles
Saturday:
5 miler with some warmup and cool down, 7.5 miles total
Sunday:
13 miles at ~7 minute pace with a group of 8 people. It was hilly, but substantially more interesting with company.
Totals
Run: 40.5 miles
Bike (training): 20 miles
Bike (commuting): 20.25 miles
Low to mid 40s on foot is up for this week, and still just one bike ride in the 25-30 mile range. No more delaying after this week though! By the week of the 26th, I'll be back in the full swing of things and have at least one weekly workout.
Mon: PM: 6 miles, long day at work prevented me from joining my usual Monday afternoon crowd.
Tuesday:
Commuted to and from work by bike, 6.75 miles each way
PM: 6 miles, another long day at work
Wednesday:
AM: 4 miles
Thursday:
AM: commuted to work
PM: rode what ended up being about 20 miles on the bike before it got too dark and I had to bail by hopping on the light rail. This little experiment has given me a great route to take from my office in Dundalk to either the Falls Road light rail station or if there is enough daylight, the Lutherville Station. Bikes are allowed on the Light Rail and I live 2 blocks from one of the stations. This lets me take a route that once clear of downtown, doesn't have too many places where I have to stop for traffic lights. It beats the trainer at any rate, at least until it starts snowing.
Friday:
AM: 4 miles
Saturday:
5 miler with some warmup and cool down, 7.5 miles total
Sunday:
13 miles at ~7 minute pace with a group of 8 people. It was hilly, but substantially more interesting with company.
Totals
Run: 40.5 miles
Bike (training): 20 miles
Bike (commuting): 20.25 miles
Low to mid 40s on foot is up for this week, and still just one bike ride in the 25-30 mile range. No more delaying after this week though! By the week of the 26th, I'll be back in the full swing of things and have at least one weekly workout.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Just Chillin'
Just as last week I thought to myself "Wow, life is really easy when I don't have to run everyday," this week I was thinking "Wow, life is really easy on low mileage and no workouts." Although, I'm already starting to get bored and can feel the "need" to train returning. This is all good.
The week, a quiet one for sure:
Monday AM: 4 miles, easy
PM: 6 miles, easy/moderate-ish
Tuesday: PM: 5 Miles
Commuted to and from work by bike. I got a flat, and apparently, screwed up my rear brake and/or put my rear wheel out of true. It was strange since I never remember hitting anything, I just noticed that all of a sudden, I had a rear flat. Regardless, I got rid of the junk tires my CAAD8 came with and replaced them with much more reliable ones, got the brake readjusted, and swapped out the stock wheels for another pair (only slightly less crappy) I had sitting around. No more flats...hopefully! 6.75 miles each way.
Wednesday AM: 4 miles, easy
Thursday PM: 5 miles, easy
Friday: Rest
Saturday: AM: 5 miles, easy
PM: 25 mile ride on my SuperSix. The first half of this ride was pure torture. I wanted to just throw myself into oncoming traffic. It was barely 40 degrees and windy as all hell. My plan was an out and back on whatever roads I felt like riding on in Howard County. After about 5 or 6 miles straight into a stiff wind, I turned off onto the first road I could find just to change up my direction. I only felt moderately better. It was hard to breathe for some reason and I still felt like crap. After hitting my turn around point, I shed my outer layer of clothing and immediately felt 100% better. The ride back to my car was a bit more fun and overall, it wasn't too bad for my first real training ride back.
Sunday: 10 miles, easy/moderate pace. This felt pretty decent. It was in the low 30s but no wind, so pretty good temperatures to run. Though, there is something about my left leg/back and my bike(s) that is not agreeing. It seems like my lower back is getting tight and its pulling on my quad. Stretching seems to keep it at bay. According to the wonderful internet causes can include bike fit and weak core, amongst other things. I also know for a fact that my left leg is weaker than my right, I can actually tell that it has less muscle on it. It may be time to incorporate some targeted weight training, but I'm still undecided about my approach to that. Working on core should be pretty easy though, I've got some old tricks in that department that I'll finally stick to if it means more comfort on the bike.
As far as bike fit goes, my two bikes have different seat heights and different saddles (one just a bit more padded than the other). It seems my CAAD8 (more padded, just a tad lower seat height) is giving me less trouble than my SuperSix, but only a real ride on the CAAD8, not commuting, will tell for sure. After my next legit ride, if my leg and back feel better on the CAAD8, I'll have to match the seat heights and possibly get a slightly more cushioned saddle. The physical geometry of the bikes otherwise are identical, which is why I have this particular pair.
Miles run: 39
Mikes biked: 25
Miles commuted by bike: 13.5
Up for this week, cracking 40 miles of running, still keeping it to one bike training ride, and no running workouts. I do have the Celtic Solstice 5 Miler coming up this Saturday. With an imminent course change from last year, matching my time may prove difficult, but I'll have to see what happens! It will mostly be a race to see how I stack up against some of the strong runners in the area as it usually draws a good crowd.
The week, a quiet one for sure:
Monday AM: 4 miles, easy
PM: 6 miles, easy/moderate-ish
Tuesday: PM: 5 Miles
Commuted to and from work by bike. I got a flat, and apparently, screwed up my rear brake and/or put my rear wheel out of true. It was strange since I never remember hitting anything, I just noticed that all of a sudden, I had a rear flat. Regardless, I got rid of the junk tires my CAAD8 came with and replaced them with much more reliable ones, got the brake readjusted, and swapped out the stock wheels for another pair (only slightly less crappy) I had sitting around. No more flats...hopefully! 6.75 miles each way.
Wednesday AM: 4 miles, easy
Thursday PM: 5 miles, easy
Friday: Rest
Saturday: AM: 5 miles, easy
PM: 25 mile ride on my SuperSix. The first half of this ride was pure torture. I wanted to just throw myself into oncoming traffic. It was barely 40 degrees and windy as all hell. My plan was an out and back on whatever roads I felt like riding on in Howard County. After about 5 or 6 miles straight into a stiff wind, I turned off onto the first road I could find just to change up my direction. I only felt moderately better. It was hard to breathe for some reason and I still felt like crap. After hitting my turn around point, I shed my outer layer of clothing and immediately felt 100% better. The ride back to my car was a bit more fun and overall, it wasn't too bad for my first real training ride back.
Sunday: 10 miles, easy/moderate pace. This felt pretty decent. It was in the low 30s but no wind, so pretty good temperatures to run. Though, there is something about my left leg/back and my bike(s) that is not agreeing. It seems like my lower back is getting tight and its pulling on my quad. Stretching seems to keep it at bay. According to the wonderful internet causes can include bike fit and weak core, amongst other things. I also know for a fact that my left leg is weaker than my right, I can actually tell that it has less muscle on it. It may be time to incorporate some targeted weight training, but I'm still undecided about my approach to that. Working on core should be pretty easy though, I've got some old tricks in that department that I'll finally stick to if it means more comfort on the bike.
As far as bike fit goes, my two bikes have different seat heights and different saddles (one just a bit more padded than the other). It seems my CAAD8 (more padded, just a tad lower seat height) is giving me less trouble than my SuperSix, but only a real ride on the CAAD8, not commuting, will tell for sure. After my next legit ride, if my leg and back feel better on the CAAD8, I'll have to match the seat heights and possibly get a slightly more cushioned saddle. The physical geometry of the bikes otherwise are identical, which is why I have this particular pair.
Miles run: 39
Mikes biked: 25
Miles commuted by bike: 13.5
Up for this week, cracking 40 miles of running, still keeping it to one bike training ride, and no running workouts. I do have the Celtic Solstice 5 Miler coming up this Saturday. With an imminent course change from last year, matching my time may prove difficult, but I'll have to see what happens! It will mostly be a race to see how I stack up against some of the strong runners in the area as it usually draws a good crowd.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Jingle Bells, Redskins, Jets, and More Training!
The grand totals for this week:
Running: 7.5 miles
Cycling: 27 miles
This was comprised of a 3 mile run on Friday, a 5K race on Saturday (with some warming up) and two commutes to work by bike. First, getting rid of my hybrid bike and picking up a Cannondale CAAD8, the entry level version of my good road bike was an awesome idea. After riding so much in road bike geometry, I could not go back to an upright position. It just felt wrong.
Second, I feel both mentally and physically refreshed. That 5K was my only hard run of the week, and I mostly did it because two of my college friends who have never really been runners had decided to do it. Now between the two of them, they have done a total of four 5Ks. It's awesome that they got into running, and I certainly wanted to encourage it, even if it meant running a 5K race 1 week after a marathon.
It took place around Centennial Lake in Howard County, and was a "jingle bell" themed race to raise money for arthritis. I chose not to wear jingle bells, mostly because the ringing is incredibly annoying. I guess that makes me a Grinch, but whatever. The actual race was pretty uneventful; I wasn't expecting a whole lot of competition and didn't get much. A group of 5 people went out ahead of me, but within 0.25 miles it was down to one other runner. For a fleeting moment I thought he would stick around but by 0.75 miles it was just me, the lead bike, and no more jingle bells. The ringing was overwhelmingly annoying when I was around the others.
The first mile was mostly downhill and I came through the first split a bit too fast...5:12.
The rest of the course was rolling with many, many turns as the path snaked around the lake. There was even some ice and mud around, though the bike ahead of me always pointed out the hazards in advance (which was awesome!).
I came back down to Earth for mile 2...5:27
As I started to feel myself fade with less than a mile to go, I upped my effort to try and stay on pace. For the most part it worked and I didn't really fade.
Mile 3...5:32
Final time...16:43
It was hairy near the finish as I caught up to the bulk of the walking pack, but thanks to that bicycle, he got everyone to stay to the right. I nearly caught up as he had to slow down while all I did was kick it up as much as I could.
Not the best 5K I've ever run, but considering it was just an off season race, I'll take it. After some more running, I should get that back into the 16:20s so I can take a legit shot at knocking more time off my PR.
Thanks to the lack of running Sunday, I managed to go to my first live NFL game, and saw my Jets beat the Redskins after a few hours of tailgating. It was nice to be able to just dedicate the entire day to that without having to worry about getting a run in and (most likely) getting up at an ungodly hour to get my mileage in. Actually having the energy to sit through a football game fully focused was really nice. I'm usually battling falling asleep Sunday afternoons watching football after getting a long run in!
Though its been nice to kick back and actually have more free time than I could ever want, it will get old quick, and I'm itching to get back to it. So that NFL game was certainly a good way to send off my relax week with a bang. But now, it's time to get back to business.
This coming week will actually involve 6 days of running, though less than 50 miles total and 1 legit bike ride plus two commutes. No hard workouts, just easy/moderate running and cycling. Most of December will continue to be quiet, just not as quiet as this past week.
I've got one more race scheduled for December, the Celtic Solstice 5 Miler, a race I finished in the top 10 last year but never actually got an official result. Damned if that happens again...
Running: 7.5 miles
Cycling: 27 miles
This was comprised of a 3 mile run on Friday, a 5K race on Saturday (with some warming up) and two commutes to work by bike. First, getting rid of my hybrid bike and picking up a Cannondale CAAD8, the entry level version of my good road bike was an awesome idea. After riding so much in road bike geometry, I could not go back to an upright position. It just felt wrong.
Second, I feel both mentally and physically refreshed. That 5K was my only hard run of the week, and I mostly did it because two of my college friends who have never really been runners had decided to do it. Now between the two of them, they have done a total of four 5Ks. It's awesome that they got into running, and I certainly wanted to encourage it, even if it meant running a 5K race 1 week after a marathon.
It took place around Centennial Lake in Howard County, and was a "jingle bell" themed race to raise money for arthritis. I chose not to wear jingle bells, mostly because the ringing is incredibly annoying. I guess that makes me a Grinch, but whatever. The actual race was pretty uneventful; I wasn't expecting a whole lot of competition and didn't get much. A group of 5 people went out ahead of me, but within 0.25 miles it was down to one other runner. For a fleeting moment I thought he would stick around but by 0.75 miles it was just me, the lead bike, and no more jingle bells. The ringing was overwhelmingly annoying when I was around the others.
The first mile was mostly downhill and I came through the first split a bit too fast...5:12.
The rest of the course was rolling with many, many turns as the path snaked around the lake. There was even some ice and mud around, though the bike ahead of me always pointed out the hazards in advance (which was awesome!).
I came back down to Earth for mile 2...5:27
As I started to feel myself fade with less than a mile to go, I upped my effort to try and stay on pace. For the most part it worked and I didn't really fade.
Mile 3...5:32
Final time...16:43
It was hairy near the finish as I caught up to the bulk of the walking pack, but thanks to that bicycle, he got everyone to stay to the right. I nearly caught up as he had to slow down while all I did was kick it up as much as I could.
Not the best 5K I've ever run, but considering it was just an off season race, I'll take it. After some more running, I should get that back into the 16:20s so I can take a legit shot at knocking more time off my PR.
Thanks to the lack of running Sunday, I managed to go to my first live NFL game, and saw my Jets beat the Redskins after a few hours of tailgating. It was nice to be able to just dedicate the entire day to that without having to worry about getting a run in and (most likely) getting up at an ungodly hour to get my mileage in. Actually having the energy to sit through a football game fully focused was really nice. I'm usually battling falling asleep Sunday afternoons watching football after getting a long run in!
Though its been nice to kick back and actually have more free time than I could ever want, it will get old quick, and I'm itching to get back to it. So that NFL game was certainly a good way to send off my relax week with a bang. But now, it's time to get back to business.
This coming week will actually involve 6 days of running, though less than 50 miles total and 1 legit bike ride plus two commutes. No hard workouts, just easy/moderate running and cycling. Most of December will continue to be quiet, just not as quiet as this past week.
I've got one more race scheduled for December, the Celtic Solstice 5 Miler, a race I finished in the top 10 last year but never actually got an official result. Damned if that happens again...
Thursday, November 17, 2011
The Philly Plan
At long last...too long I've arrived at the final moments before stepping up to the start line of a marathon with intent to run my heart out!
I've felt really good this week and have been keeping it mostly easy just to get as fresh as possible. Wednesday was an easy 4, today was a mostly easy 7, though I did let it fly a little; it can be hard to hold back now.
But, enough of training talk, its time for some race talk. I don't generally over think racing since at its core, the concept is an easy and simple one. Therefore, my plans going into races are easy, simple, and just vague enough that I can adjust to ever changing variables.
As of now the forecast is calling for around 41 degrees at the start, a 6 degree drop from earlier. It will probably change again, but the bottom line is, 40s. That is more than warm enough for my new singlet, and shorts which are now battle tested through a 14 mile run, more than enough to find out about any issues. I'm leaning towards taking gloves to wear the whole race, especially after my hands froze solid last year. Even if it breaks 50, I'd rather have toasty hands than cold ones.
I'm done with sports beans and am switching to stingers. They go down easier and aren't subject to choking or freezing. Of course, I may still get sick on them, but that remains to be seen since I can't keep anything down. I'll take one bag with me and try and at least get through it by the 13-16 mile point.
I'm starting in corral 2, having missed the cut off for corral 1 by about 4 minutes. The time I want to run is most likely the pace those guys in the back of 1 will be running, so I'm putting myself at the very, very front of corral 2. I started a bit too far back in R&R Philly in September and won't make that mistake again.
The course falls into my general category of "time trial" and not "strategic." Therefore, I have no special pace strategy, just pedal to the floor the entire time. There are some bumps, but nothing I would call a hill. My goal for the first half of the race is a 1:19. That works out to roughly a 6:02 pace. I'll be shooting for 6's, just because its an even number. More specifically, between 5:55-6:05. 5:50-6:10 is fine too, it won't make me freak out, though I want to avoid approaching 5:50. 5:49 and under is the danger zone, I won't last at that pace so any splits like that will force me to back off.
After that 1:19ish, it will just be a matter of holding on. I'm fully confident that getting to the half in 1:19 will be straightforward. For me, its miles 16-22 that will determine the race. All my marathons have either been made or broken over those miles. That is where I'll need to focus and if I'm still alive after mile 22, I'll throw down everything I have left to hold on.
With a 1:19, I can still come through in nearly a 1:21 second half and break 2:40. Upwards of a 1:25 would still give me a PR. I have no plans to slow; I'm going for my A goal of a 2:38. This year has had its ups and downs, but all that is behind me and somehow, I've arrived in fall marathon season in damn good shape. I don't intend to waste it.
I'm certainly very thankful to be getting to this line healthy, but that isn't going to make me conservative, it's time to give this race hell.
I've felt really good this week and have been keeping it mostly easy just to get as fresh as possible. Wednesday was an easy 4, today was a mostly easy 7, though I did let it fly a little; it can be hard to hold back now.
But, enough of training talk, its time for some race talk. I don't generally over think racing since at its core, the concept is an easy and simple one. Therefore, my plans going into races are easy, simple, and just vague enough that I can adjust to ever changing variables.
As of now the forecast is calling for around 41 degrees at the start, a 6 degree drop from earlier. It will probably change again, but the bottom line is, 40s. That is more than warm enough for my new singlet, and shorts which are now battle tested through a 14 mile run, more than enough to find out about any issues. I'm leaning towards taking gloves to wear the whole race, especially after my hands froze solid last year. Even if it breaks 50, I'd rather have toasty hands than cold ones.
I'm done with sports beans and am switching to stingers. They go down easier and aren't subject to choking or freezing. Of course, I may still get sick on them, but that remains to be seen since I can't keep anything down. I'll take one bag with me and try and at least get through it by the 13-16 mile point.
I'm starting in corral 2, having missed the cut off for corral 1 by about 4 minutes. The time I want to run is most likely the pace those guys in the back of 1 will be running, so I'm putting myself at the very, very front of corral 2. I started a bit too far back in R&R Philly in September and won't make that mistake again.
The course falls into my general category of "time trial" and not "strategic." Therefore, I have no special pace strategy, just pedal to the floor the entire time. There are some bumps, but nothing I would call a hill. My goal for the first half of the race is a 1:19. That works out to roughly a 6:02 pace. I'll be shooting for 6's, just because its an even number. More specifically, between 5:55-6:05. 5:50-6:10 is fine too, it won't make me freak out, though I want to avoid approaching 5:50. 5:49 and under is the danger zone, I won't last at that pace so any splits like that will force me to back off.
After that 1:19ish, it will just be a matter of holding on. I'm fully confident that getting to the half in 1:19 will be straightforward. For me, its miles 16-22 that will determine the race. All my marathons have either been made or broken over those miles. That is where I'll need to focus and if I'm still alive after mile 22, I'll throw down everything I have left to hold on.
With a 1:19, I can still come through in nearly a 1:21 second half and break 2:40. Upwards of a 1:25 would still give me a PR. I have no plans to slow; I'm going for my A goal of a 2:38. This year has had its ups and downs, but all that is behind me and somehow, I've arrived in fall marathon season in damn good shape. I don't intend to waste it.
I'm certainly very thankful to be getting to this line healthy, but that isn't going to make me conservative, it's time to give this race hell.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
5 days...
Last week went pretty well overall. Any and all remnants of my upper left thigh pain are now completely gone. My left knee has been a bit weird the last two days, but I think that is just pre-race fake pain. I'm actually pretty excited, relatively confident, and still very mindful of the task that is off in the distance.
My week from last Monday..
Monday:
AM: 4 miles, easy
Tuesday:
AM: 7 miles, easy
PM: 8.5 miles with 9x800 meters at 2:38-2:40 pace with one 2:32 thrown in there. ~80 seconds rest between most, 1 lap rest every 4th. I was actually doing this with a group of runners doing a 3 x 3200meter at a pace a bit too fast for me so close to a goal race (and probably too fast normally), so I jumped on the wagon for an 800, rested for one of their laps, then jumped back on. It was a great workout and I felt really strong. It was good to get some shorter stuff in for a change of pace.
Wednesday
AM: 4 miles, easy
PM: 7 miles, easy
Thursday
AM: 9 miles total, with a few miles in the 6:40 range...joined a couple people who were doing a tempo paced workout on the track, just offering my company as I have the past few weeks. Felt very relaxed.
Friday
AM: 4 miles easy
PM...was going to run, but had a few beers with a coworker who moved on to another job. It's taper time anyway, so I didn't mind.
Saturday
8 miles, marathon pace. Every mile was between 5:57-6:05 with one quick one at 5:52. I was surprised by how shitty 3 beers made me feel. Talk about being a light weight... Regardless, after 3 or 4 miles, I started to feel better and by the end, it really didn't feel like I even ran. So my pacing is down pat now. I can do it in snow, rain, on tight muscles, and with what was apparently a slight hangover.
Sunday
14 miles total...
2 miles warm up, 2 miles at 5:30 pace, 4 miles easy, 2 miles at some kind of fast pace, 1 mile easy, 1 mile fast, 2 miles cool down.
My watch died in the middle of this workout. I knew I needed a new battery but was hoping I could get one more workout in! Not quite though, as it went dead after my 2 @ 5:30 pace. I felt like absolute crap during the second pickup, which is why I threw in the 1 mile easy. I think I just ended up running it way too hard without the watch to guide me. I can guess quick paces on a track pretty well, but on a trail with mile markers, it's a lot tougher. I still got the run in though, so that's all that matters.
Mileage: 66.5.
I've concluded that I can run mid 60 mile weeks forever. It seems to be my sustainable sweet spot, though just a tad short of true peak training.
So far in this week...
Monday
AM: 4 miles, easy
PM: 6 miles, quick
Tuesday:
6.5 miles, with 4x400 meter around 75-80 pace
Things are looking good. All that's left now is the race. I'll make one more post regarding my plan (it's real simple), then it will be time to finally get to the start line of a marathon race healthy!! Being that I was 4 minutes short of being a seeded runner, I have to settle for corral 2 at Philly, but I'll be at the very front of said corral.
5 days...
My week from last Monday..
Monday:
AM: 4 miles, easy
Tuesday:
AM: 7 miles, easy
PM: 8.5 miles with 9x800 meters at 2:38-2:40 pace with one 2:32 thrown in there. ~80 seconds rest between most, 1 lap rest every 4th. I was actually doing this with a group of runners doing a 3 x 3200meter at a pace a bit too fast for me so close to a goal race (and probably too fast normally), so I jumped on the wagon for an 800, rested for one of their laps, then jumped back on. It was a great workout and I felt really strong. It was good to get some shorter stuff in for a change of pace.
Wednesday
AM: 4 miles, easy
PM: 7 miles, easy
Thursday
AM: 9 miles total, with a few miles in the 6:40 range...joined a couple people who were doing a tempo paced workout on the track, just offering my company as I have the past few weeks. Felt very relaxed.
Friday
AM: 4 miles easy
PM...was going to run, but had a few beers with a coworker who moved on to another job. It's taper time anyway, so I didn't mind.
Saturday
8 miles, marathon pace. Every mile was between 5:57-6:05 with one quick one at 5:52. I was surprised by how shitty 3 beers made me feel. Talk about being a light weight... Regardless, after 3 or 4 miles, I started to feel better and by the end, it really didn't feel like I even ran. So my pacing is down pat now. I can do it in snow, rain, on tight muscles, and with what was apparently a slight hangover.
Sunday
14 miles total...
2 miles warm up, 2 miles at 5:30 pace, 4 miles easy, 2 miles at some kind of fast pace, 1 mile easy, 1 mile fast, 2 miles cool down.
My watch died in the middle of this workout. I knew I needed a new battery but was hoping I could get one more workout in! Not quite though, as it went dead after my 2 @ 5:30 pace. I felt like absolute crap during the second pickup, which is why I threw in the 1 mile easy. I think I just ended up running it way too hard without the watch to guide me. I can guess quick paces on a track pretty well, but on a trail with mile markers, it's a lot tougher. I still got the run in though, so that's all that matters.
Mileage: 66.5.
I've concluded that I can run mid 60 mile weeks forever. It seems to be my sustainable sweet spot, though just a tad short of true peak training.
So far in this week...
Monday
AM: 4 miles, easy
PM: 6 miles, quick
Tuesday:
6.5 miles, with 4x400 meter around 75-80 pace
Things are looking good. All that's left now is the race. I'll make one more post regarding my plan (it's real simple), then it will be time to finally get to the start line of a marathon race healthy!! Being that I was 4 minutes short of being a seeded runner, I have to settle for corral 2 at Philly, but I'll be at the very front of said corral.
5 days...
Thursday, November 3, 2011
17 days....
The fact that it has been nearly a year since I've been this close to a goal marathon probably explains my extreme impatience! This week has been going rather well, and it would appear that so far, whatever was/is wrong with my upper left leg has nearly subsided completely. Update so far...
Monday: 10 miles total, mostly easy with about 1.5-2 a bit faster. My Mondays are now definitely Federal Hill Runners night. I run the 2.25 miles from my apartment to Fed Hill, join up with some other runners, we all lie that we'll run 7 minute pace, start off slow, and then eventually someone pushes the pace. Afterwards, I run back home, uphill. Good times...
Tuesday: 9 miles total with 2 miles @ "tempo" pace, ~5 minutes easy, 1 mile @ "tempo" pace, ~4 minutes easy, 2 miles @ "tempo" pace.
I put that in quotes because I'm starting to see a change in my paces. The first two miles were just under 11 minutes, 5:32, 5:28. The lone mile was at about 5:15, and the last two was ~10:35 total. I did most of this run with people faster than me and a few months ago, would have considered this way too fast. It still felt just a hair too fast, but not earth shattering. My legs felt fine afterwards and the next day. Of course the rest was a bit soft, but it does make me think that perhaps I can start pushing just a bit higher when it comes to 2012.
Wednesday: AM: 4 miles, easy...felt great
PM: 8 miles, kind of tired and hungry when I started, but by about mile 3 I was in a groove, mostly easy pace
Thursday: AM: 9 miles total. Once again, I joined a couple other runners finishing off some marathon training with mile repeats on the track. They started at 7:20 pace and cut down to 6:40 pace with a lap recovery between. I just had my run go by the track, joined them for some reps, and ran back to my apartment. Mostly easy miles, with some company.
Despite cooler temperatures, my leg has been largely ok. My back seems to have been part of the massive issue I've had and it feels loose again too. Stretching feels really good, and I actually feel more flexible again. It is very possible that my general lack of stretching for much of September may have played a role in whatever the hell happened to me; don't get lazy!!
I'm looking forward to the weekend. After helping put on a cross country race Saturday morning, I'll be getting in 22 on the NCR trail, with the last 1/3rd at marathon pace or faster. Sunday I'll race in the rockville 10K with whatever I have left, last two chances to run on tired legs. It should help me blow off some steam too, I have a lot of pent up excitement for Nov. 20th right now.
After that, the work will be in the bag, the last two weeks will just have the occasional tougher run to remind myself that running is supposed to hurt.
Monday: 10 miles total, mostly easy with about 1.5-2 a bit faster. My Mondays are now definitely Federal Hill Runners night. I run the 2.25 miles from my apartment to Fed Hill, join up with some other runners, we all lie that we'll run 7 minute pace, start off slow, and then eventually someone pushes the pace. Afterwards, I run back home, uphill. Good times...
Tuesday: 9 miles total with 2 miles @ "tempo" pace, ~5 minutes easy, 1 mile @ "tempo" pace, ~4 minutes easy, 2 miles @ "tempo" pace.
I put that in quotes because I'm starting to see a change in my paces. The first two miles were just under 11 minutes, 5:32, 5:28. The lone mile was at about 5:15, and the last two was ~10:35 total. I did most of this run with people faster than me and a few months ago, would have considered this way too fast. It still felt just a hair too fast, but not earth shattering. My legs felt fine afterwards and the next day. Of course the rest was a bit soft, but it does make me think that perhaps I can start pushing just a bit higher when it comes to 2012.
Wednesday: AM: 4 miles, easy...felt great
PM: 8 miles, kind of tired and hungry when I started, but by about mile 3 I was in a groove, mostly easy pace
Thursday: AM: 9 miles total. Once again, I joined a couple other runners finishing off some marathon training with mile repeats on the track. They started at 7:20 pace and cut down to 6:40 pace with a lap recovery between. I just had my run go by the track, joined them for some reps, and ran back to my apartment. Mostly easy miles, with some company.
Despite cooler temperatures, my leg has been largely ok. My back seems to have been part of the massive issue I've had and it feels loose again too. Stretching feels really good, and I actually feel more flexible again. It is very possible that my general lack of stretching for much of September may have played a role in whatever the hell happened to me; don't get lazy!!
I'm looking forward to the weekend. After helping put on a cross country race Saturday morning, I'll be getting in 22 on the NCR trail, with the last 1/3rd at marathon pace or faster. Sunday I'll race in the rockville 10K with whatever I have left, last two chances to run on tired legs. It should help me blow off some steam too, I have a lot of pent up excitement for Nov. 20th right now.
After that, the work will be in the bag, the last two weeks will just have the occasional tougher run to remind myself that running is supposed to hurt.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Crunch Time...3 Weeks and Counting
I'm starting to get that "kid on Christmas Eve" excited feeling now. Since I got hurt about 5 or 6 weeks out from Boston, its been a while since I've been this close to a big race and I've forgotten about the giddy feeling in the weeks leading up to it!
This week was largely successful as I continue to sharpen for the goal race. My left leg has still been troublesome, though to a lesser extent. I only had to skip one run this week as oppose to the 2, 3, or 4 that I have been in weeks past. It never affected any of the runs I did complete. So as long as I keep stretching, and stay on top of it with compression, it should hold up.
The week:
Monday: AM: 4 miles, easy
PM: 10.5 miles total, with about 3.5-4 miles at 5:40 pace or faster. This was supposed to be an easy run, then some of the people I was running with dropped the hammer about 1/3 of the way through. At first I held back, then my ego took over as I said something along the lines of "Man fuck this, I didn't come out here to get dropped." Of course, by then these guys had about a half mile gap on me and had started at 5:40 pace, so I had to haul at 5K pace just to catch up, and managed to stay with them until about 3/4 of a mile to go when I ran out of gas.
In the future, I'll keep in mind that Monday afternoons may not always be easy...
Tuesday: Rest. Got in a sports massage, which I have never done before. I believe it did help, though it certainly wasn't some kind of magic bullet.
Wednesday: AM: 9 miles, 5 moderate, 4 easy
PM: 7 miles, easy/moderate
Thursday: AM: ~9 miles total. I ran about 4.5 miles around the city, met up with some friends who were doing 800s at 3:00 minute pace, did a few of those, and then ran back home for about 9 miles total. Speedwork for them, marathon pace pickups for me, but we appreciated each others company on a rather dreary rainy morning.
Friday: AM: 3 miles. moderate
This was the first day my leg started bothering me. I canned my easy afternoon run and opted just to keep compression on my leg. It paid off because my weekend went really well.
Saturday:
10 miles at marathon pace: 6:38, 6:07, 5:58, 5:55, 6:00, 6:07, 5:52, 5:53, 5:46, 5:53
I'm rather happy with this run, even if the last few miles were fast. Baltimore got hit with its first winter storm even though it was October 29th. Despite 33 degree temperatures, a mix of snow, rain, and ice pellets, I managed to run pretty evenly. I used the first mile as a warm up and then hit it. The 4 were a bit fast because I was getting really cold and needed to get back to my car! Its rough to get hit with such cold weather so abruptly. Most importantly, after feeling like shit for the first 3 miles, I settled in really nicely and just kept knocking off the miles.
Sunday:
16 miles in the following format: 2 mile warm up, 2 miles at tempo pace, 6 miles easy, 4 miles at tempo pace, 2 miles easy. I have actually never done a workout like this and wanted to give it a try. I actually liked it. The second tempo interval was a bit tougher with 10 miles already on my legs, even if 8 of them were easy. I can see why people do workouts like this. In the future, I'll experiment more with changing the length of the on/off intervals.
The first 2 mile tempo was at 5:40 pace, the second at around 5:30-5:35. Overall, I felt strong. I've got a 10K coming up next weekend where I both PR'ed big time and won last year (Rockville 10K) and will try to repeat both of those this year. I'm thinking going out at 5:25-5:30 pace is not out of the question one bit.
Total Mileage: 68.5 miles...yea its not 70+ but what's more important is I still feel sharp, and my leg isn't killing me.
This week was largely successful as I continue to sharpen for the goal race. My left leg has still been troublesome, though to a lesser extent. I only had to skip one run this week as oppose to the 2, 3, or 4 that I have been in weeks past. It never affected any of the runs I did complete. So as long as I keep stretching, and stay on top of it with compression, it should hold up.
The week:
Monday: AM: 4 miles, easy
PM: 10.5 miles total, with about 3.5-4 miles at 5:40 pace or faster. This was supposed to be an easy run, then some of the people I was running with dropped the hammer about 1/3 of the way through. At first I held back, then my ego took over as I said something along the lines of "Man fuck this, I didn't come out here to get dropped." Of course, by then these guys had about a half mile gap on me and had started at 5:40 pace, so I had to haul at 5K pace just to catch up, and managed to stay with them until about 3/4 of a mile to go when I ran out of gas.
In the future, I'll keep in mind that Monday afternoons may not always be easy...
Tuesday: Rest. Got in a sports massage, which I have never done before. I believe it did help, though it certainly wasn't some kind of magic bullet.
Wednesday: AM: 9 miles, 5 moderate, 4 easy
PM: 7 miles, easy/moderate
Thursday: AM: ~9 miles total. I ran about 4.5 miles around the city, met up with some friends who were doing 800s at 3:00 minute pace, did a few of those, and then ran back home for about 9 miles total. Speedwork for them, marathon pace pickups for me, but we appreciated each others company on a rather dreary rainy morning.
Friday: AM: 3 miles. moderate
This was the first day my leg started bothering me. I canned my easy afternoon run and opted just to keep compression on my leg. It paid off because my weekend went really well.
Saturday:
10 miles at marathon pace: 6:38, 6:07, 5:58, 5:55, 6:00, 6:07, 5:52, 5:53, 5:46, 5:53
I'm rather happy with this run, even if the last few miles were fast. Baltimore got hit with its first winter storm even though it was October 29th. Despite 33 degree temperatures, a mix of snow, rain, and ice pellets, I managed to run pretty evenly. I used the first mile as a warm up and then hit it. The 4 were a bit fast because I was getting really cold and needed to get back to my car! Its rough to get hit with such cold weather so abruptly. Most importantly, after feeling like shit for the first 3 miles, I settled in really nicely and just kept knocking off the miles.
Sunday:
16 miles in the following format: 2 mile warm up, 2 miles at tempo pace, 6 miles easy, 4 miles at tempo pace, 2 miles easy. I have actually never done a workout like this and wanted to give it a try. I actually liked it. The second tempo interval was a bit tougher with 10 miles already on my legs, even if 8 of them were easy. I can see why people do workouts like this. In the future, I'll experiment more with changing the length of the on/off intervals.
The first 2 mile tempo was at 5:40 pace, the second at around 5:30-5:35. Overall, I felt strong. I've got a 10K coming up next weekend where I both PR'ed big time and won last year (Rockville 10K) and will try to repeat both of those this year. I'm thinking going out at 5:25-5:30 pace is not out of the question one bit.
Total Mileage: 68.5 miles...yea its not 70+ but what's more important is I still feel sharp, and my leg isn't killing me.
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