Not very interesting stuff this week...
Sun- 11.3 (1:19:43)
Another good run with Folsom; still windy.
Mon-off
Tues- 8.3 (59:01)
Just tried to keep the pace decent.
Wed- 7.4 (52:23)
Went out the door with the intention of going easy and managed to for the first couple miles (7:50 1st mile).
Thurs-
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Reevaluation...11/13-11/19/11
I have change the plan for December. I am shooting for sub 22 at the first Frozen Foote instead of running the 5k at St. Lawrence. I think that this is a better plan in that it will still be competitive and offer me good race and without the worry of peaking (which I currently don't feel like I am doing) I can focus more on the Colton 10 miler in late January. The current plan is to do an abridged Daniels plan with 3 weeks devoted to each phase in the hopes of coming into the 10 miler feeling good.
Sun- 3up, 5x4min on/3min off, down for the rest (9.2 miles, 1:03:20)
I think that I should note that a lot of my reevaluation idea came from this workout. I started out feeling ok...not good, but decent. As soon as I tried to speed up my legs were dead. I had zero snap and 6:20-6:30 pace was all I could muster for my 4 minutes on. My HR agreed with the slow pace, but I just could run any faster. This was a very depressing day considering the rest I had last week.
Mon- easy 7.7 (53:46)
I don't know what happened between yesterday and today, but this is the first run I have had since the 10k that I have felt smooth and had some snap. I put a little effort into keeping the pace down, but not much.
Tues- off
Wed- easy 10 (1:10:16)
Similar story to Monday, feeling decent. Minimal effort for 7:02s and my HR agreed with an avg of 140bpm.
Thur- off
Fri- easy 8.3 (1:00:46)
Sat- moderate/tempo 10 (1:09:03)
Ran with Folsom and instead of a workout we decided to go ten and keep the pace uptempo. The first half was comfortable, the second was tempo. The pace actually slowed a bit in the second half, but the wind was tough.
Weekly Recap...
I managed to hit 45 miles this week and I am glad that my body is starting to recover a bit. I feel like I haven't lost any fitness, but don't necessarily have access to my top gears. I am going to try one more week of steady base work and then try some hill repeats.
Sun- 3up, 5x4min on/3min off, down for the rest (9.2 miles, 1:03:20)
I think that I should note that a lot of my reevaluation idea came from this workout. I started out feeling ok...not good, but decent. As soon as I tried to speed up my legs were dead. I had zero snap and 6:20-6:30 pace was all I could muster for my 4 minutes on. My HR agreed with the slow pace, but I just could run any faster. This was a very depressing day considering the rest I had last week.
Mon- easy 7.7 (53:46)
I don't know what happened between yesterday and today, but this is the first run I have had since the 10k that I have felt smooth and had some snap. I put a little effort into keeping the pace down, but not much.
Tues- off
Wed- easy 10 (1:10:16)
Similar story to Monday, feeling decent. Minimal effort for 7:02s and my HR agreed with an avg of 140bpm.
Thur- off
Fri- easy 8.3 (1:00:46)
Sat- moderate/tempo 10 (1:09:03)
Ran with Folsom and instead of a workout we decided to go ten and keep the pace uptempo. The first half was comfortable, the second was tempo. The pace actually slowed a bit in the second half, but the wind was tough.
Weekly Recap...
I managed to hit 45 miles this week and I am glad that my body is starting to recover a bit. I feel like I haven't lost any fitness, but don't necessarily have access to my top gears. I am going to try one more week of steady base work and then try some hill repeats.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Week 19...11/6-11/12/11
This week is the first week of the final phase. The few times that I have done the Daniels plan I have either broken myself or lost motivation. From what I can tell the workouts are a mix of interval, tempo, and repeat efforts with an obvious focus on races. I would like to keep the mileage up, but I'm not going to worry about it as long as I hit a minimum of 40mpw. With no race this weekend I will look to get a solid interval session in on Saturday.
Sun- 2 up, 35:21 10k KRRA Anniversary Run, 3 down
I went into today thinking if I can make it to 4 miles feeling decent I will be okay. Unfortunately this was at odds with my attempts to be more aggressive. The race went out quick as it did the last time I was up there, but I didn't want to loose contact with the leaders. There was a nice little pack of fit looking individuals rolling through the first km so I tucked in. Unfortunately this pack started to unravel around the 3k mark and I found myself in second. I hit the 5k in 17:18 and had an "oh shit" moment as I felt myself begin to unravel before the previously agreed upon 4 mile mark. I put my head down and kept cranking as the pace slipped in the middle miles. I managed to climb back on the horse a bit in the last 2k and finish the second half in one of the hardest 18:03 5ks I have ever run. It wasn't pretty, but I held on for second finishing about 1:40 behind the winner. The upside is I feel I have another 10 secs or so I can run a little more even.
Mon-off
Tues- easy 7.2 (52:33)
Wed-off
Thurs- "easy" 10 (1:12:57)
I had every intention of doing a workout today, but at mile 2 I knew it wasn't happening. I ended up just making an effort to make the pace legit. My legs were empty.
Fri- easy 8 (57:30)
This run went better than yesterday, but I think it was largely due to the mid morning nature of it. I still found myself working harder than I thought I should for such a pace.
Sat- off
Farm stuff...
Weekly Recap...
This week was rough. Tuesday wasn't great, but it seemed to go downhill from there. I spent the week exhausted and unmotivated. Every year the time change hits me like a ton of bricks. I did manage to get 37 miles in 4 days so I am viewing that as my silver lining.
Sun- 2 up, 35:21 10k KRRA Anniversary Run, 3 down
I went into today thinking if I can make it to 4 miles feeling decent I will be okay. Unfortunately this was at odds with my attempts to be more aggressive. The race went out quick as it did the last time I was up there, but I didn't want to loose contact with the leaders. There was a nice little pack of fit looking individuals rolling through the first km so I tucked in. Unfortunately this pack started to unravel around the 3k mark and I found myself in second. I hit the 5k in 17:18 and had an "oh shit" moment as I felt myself begin to unravel before the previously agreed upon 4 mile mark. I put my head down and kept cranking as the pace slipped in the middle miles. I managed to climb back on the horse a bit in the last 2k and finish the second half in one of the hardest 18:03 5ks I have ever run. It wasn't pretty, but I held on for second finishing about 1:40 behind the winner. The upside is I feel I have another 10 secs or so I can run a little more even.
Mon-off
Tues- easy 7.2 (52:33)
Wed-off
Thurs- "easy" 10 (1:12:57)
I had every intention of doing a workout today, but at mile 2 I knew it wasn't happening. I ended up just making an effort to make the pace legit. My legs were empty.
Fri- easy 8 (57:30)
This run went better than yesterday, but I think it was largely due to the mid morning nature of it. I still found myself working harder than I thought I should for such a pace.
Sat- off
Farm stuff...
Weekly Recap...
This week was rough. Tuesday wasn't great, but it seemed to go downhill from there. I spent the week exhausted and unmotivated. Every year the time change hits me like a ton of bricks. I did manage to get 37 miles in 4 days so I am viewing that as my silver lining.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Week 18...10/30-11/5/11
I am hoping to hit 50 again this week, but I am becoming less concerned with quantity and more concerned with quality as move into the month of November. I do want to make sure that I stay above 40 right through the 5k, but what I really would like is a few good races. This weekend is a 10k in Kingston, ON and promises to be a good one. Its a Sunday race which is different, but it starts at 1pm which is nice temp wise. I got second two years ago, but according to results of other years my 35:13 should have had me 5th. Either way I am not likely to win and should have someone to work off.
Sun- easy 14.3 (1:45:01)
I had a very pleasant surprise when Lawton called yesterday and said they would be in town for the weekend. He was looking to for a run and when I told him my intentions were to go 14, god bless him, he didn't even blink . It was way better than last week and great to have company. This should be my last 14 miler in this cycle.
Mon- off
Tues-easy 7.2 (52:34)
Wed- 2up, 3x2mile tempo w/2 min rec, 2 down
I will start out saying this one sucked. I had originally intended to go a full 10k tempo on the Jingleville loop anticipating the last couple miles of it might start to feel like work. Instead it was a struggle from the beginning and I wasn't even hitting pace. At two miles I bagged that plan and settled on the above mentioned workout. As bad as I felt in the first one, the second and third were worse. The first one was slow, but the next two were pretty much where they were supposed to be. Ironically, the worse I felt, the faster I ran...
Splits: 12:30, 11:50, 11:43
Thurs- off
Fri- easy 7.2 (52:56)
Sat-
Sun- easy 14.3 (1:45:01)
I had a very pleasant surprise when Lawton called yesterday and said they would be in town for the weekend. He was looking to for a run and when I told him my intentions were to go 14, god bless him, he didn't even blink . It was way better than last week and great to have company. This should be my last 14 miler in this cycle.
Mon- off
Tues-easy 7.2 (52:34)
Wed- 2up, 3x2mile tempo w/2 min rec, 2 down
I will start out saying this one sucked. I had originally intended to go a full 10k tempo on the Jingleville loop anticipating the last couple miles of it might start to feel like work. Instead it was a struggle from the beginning and I wasn't even hitting pace. At two miles I bagged that plan and settled on the above mentioned workout. As bad as I felt in the first one, the second and third were worse. The first one was slow, but the next two were pretty much where they were supposed to be. Ironically, the worse I felt, the faster I ran...
Splits: 12:30, 11:50, 11:43
Thurs- off
Fri- easy 7.2 (52:56)
Sat-
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Week 17...10/23-10/29/11
The plan is back up to 50+ this week. As Jess is on the committee for Claxton-Hepburn's "Skeleton Scamper" Halloween 5k in Ogdensburg I am under obligation to attend. That is going to count as my interval effort this week so I am going to shift my tempo work to mid week. I am hoping for something in the low 17s this weekend to validate my fitness.
Sun- "easy" 14 (1:42:55)
This was my first solo 14 in quite some time. Right out of the gate I knew it wasn't going to be a great run. I could feel yesterday in my legs, but I managed to run the second half faster and was pleasantly surprised that my avg HR wasn't as high as I thought it was going to be.
Mon- easy 6.3 (46:24)
Was not looking forward to this as it poured rain all the way home from work. I did manage to find a dry spell and had a pretty decent run.
Tues- 2up, 18:00 5k tempo, 2 down
For not looking forward to this it went surprisingly well. I tried to keep it a little more conservative in the first mile this week and ran a little too easy according to my HR. I picked it up a little in the second mile and was still well within "legal limits". I did break the rules a bit in the third mile, but not until the last 200m and even then my HR only hit 165. Overall I ran 18 flat with an average HR of 158 which is 2bpm lower than last week.
Splits: 5:53, 5:48, 5:41, 38
Mon- easy 6.3 (46:24)
Was not looking forward to this as it poured rain all the way home from work. I did manage to find a dry spell and had a pretty decent run.
Tues- 2up, 18:00 5k tempo, 2 down
For not looking forward to this it went surprisingly well. I tried to keep it a little more conservative in the first mile this week and ran a little too easy according to my HR. I picked it up a little in the second mile and was still well within "legal limits". I did break the rules a bit in the third mile, but not until the last 200m and even then my HR only hit 165. Overall I ran 18 flat with an average HR of 158 which is 2bpm lower than last week.
Splits: 5:53, 5:48, 5:41, 38
Wed- off
Thurs- easy 7.2 (53:30)
Fri- easy 6.5 (48:00)
Sat- 2up, 16:59 5k, 4 down
This was a brand new race that the Hospital is trying to put on each year and as such was a learning experience for many of the folks involved. Saying that I have to say it went very well for a new race. Jess asked me to mark the course, but there were some last minute changes to the route. Instead of taking a great walking trail along the river that was currently under construction and not finished, we were to run through downtown Odgdensburg. With the help from the police and it being Saturday morning, it turned out fairly well. As I was marking the course I could just see having to wait for a red light to cross the street. The only other minor issue was the start/finish archway. Because I was told it was going up I marked the start/finish, but didn't make a line... Normally this wouldn't be an issue, but when the arch goes up 5 meters behind the finish ones official time get recorded as a 17:01. My watch said 16:59.5 so I am going with that and look forward to a bigger race to prove it is legit. I know I can run faster.
Splits: 5:40, 5:23, 5:21, 35
Weekly Recap...
I have to say that I am very happy with this week. I hit 51 miles in 6 days with a good mid week tempo. On Saturday I was shooting for something in the 17:15 range and broke 17 even if it was barely. The best part about Saturdays outing was that I did it alone. I lead start to finish and when I crossed the line it felt more like a good hard workout and less like a race. It makes me think that a low 35 minute 10k next weekend in Kingston is a real possibility.
Thurs- easy 7.2 (53:30)
Fri- easy 6.5 (48:00)
Sat- 2up, 16:59 5k, 4 down
This was a brand new race that the Hospital is trying to put on each year and as such was a learning experience for many of the folks involved. Saying that I have to say it went very well for a new race. Jess asked me to mark the course, but there were some last minute changes to the route. Instead of taking a great walking trail along the river that was currently under construction and not finished, we were to run through downtown Odgdensburg. With the help from the police and it being Saturday morning, it turned out fairly well. As I was marking the course I could just see having to wait for a red light to cross the street. The only other minor issue was the start/finish archway. Because I was told it was going up I marked the start/finish, but didn't make a line... Normally this wouldn't be an issue, but when the arch goes up 5 meters behind the finish ones official time get recorded as a 17:01. My watch said 16:59.5 so I am going with that and look forward to a bigger race to prove it is legit. I know I can run faster.
Splits: 5:40, 5:23, 5:21, 35
Weekly Recap...
I have to say that I am very happy with this week. I hit 51 miles in 6 days with a good mid week tempo. On Saturday I was shooting for something in the 17:15 range and broke 17 even if it was barely. The best part about Saturdays outing was that I did it alone. I lead start to finish and when I crossed the line it felt more like a good hard workout and less like a race. It makes me think that a low 35 minute 10k next weekend in Kingston is a real possibility.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Week 16...10/16-10/22/11
It is kind of pointless to write weekly goals for a week that has already been run, so here it is...
Sun-easy 7.2 (53:25)
The plan was to run long tomorrow because the weather was supposed to be better.
Mon- off
Exhausted and felt like shit for the better part of the day. Oh, and by the way, the weather still sucked...
Tues- easy 7.2 (53:41)
Thought about going longer today, but my hamstring has been tweaked a bit lately and was acting up. Still tired.
Wed- off
My right hamstring has a definite knot in it. Spent the evening working it out.
Thurs- 2up, 18:14 tempo 5k, 2down
At this point in the week I need a workout. Ike called and said that he was tied up at home and couldn't run today so I swapped the midweek and the Saturday workout. The Daniels plan calls for some longer tempo work in phase 3 so I thought I would see where I was for a 5k at threshold on the track. I also thought this might be a little gentler on my hamstring (which went away during the warm up). I felt solid for the whole effort and it was actually difficult to keep it in check for the last mile. I managed to keep the average HR at 160bpm and hit mile splits of 5:47, 5:52, 5:54. Which leaves me wondering where I am when I loosen the reigns...
Fri- easy 7.1 (53:02)
Sat- 2+up, 4x1200@I pace w/800jog rec, 2+down
Ike's got a nagging injury and decided to run easy instead. With two days off, I really didn't want the quality to suffer like the mileage has this week so I needed to get the intervals done. I went out a little quick on the first one as always, but settled in after a lap. The second one was a little tougher and I was definitely missing Ike on number three. Now after three I was pretty happy, but had conversations I've had over the last week with both Ike and Folsom floating around in my head. My legs were a bit fried going into number 4, but I wanted to push the envelope a bit. I max out around 180bpm so anything 170+ is decidedly uncomfortable. I managed to hit 170 just before 400m on the last interval and by 600 I was at 173-174bpm. We will see what this translates to next weekend.
splits: 4:01, 4:00, 4:01, 4:00
Weekly Recap...
While the mileage was down, the quality didn't suffer. It is always nice to have people around to remind me that in the long run this is probably not a bad thing. Two more weeks of intervals and then on to the final phase.
Sun-easy 7.2 (53:25)
The plan was to run long tomorrow because the weather was supposed to be better.
Mon- off
Exhausted and felt like shit for the better part of the day. Oh, and by the way, the weather still sucked...
Tues- easy 7.2 (53:41)
Thought about going longer today, but my hamstring has been tweaked a bit lately and was acting up. Still tired.
Wed- off
My right hamstring has a definite knot in it. Spent the evening working it out.
Thurs- 2up, 18:14 tempo 5k, 2down
At this point in the week I need a workout. Ike called and said that he was tied up at home and couldn't run today so I swapped the midweek and the Saturday workout. The Daniels plan calls for some longer tempo work in phase 3 so I thought I would see where I was for a 5k at threshold on the track. I also thought this might be a little gentler on my hamstring (which went away during the warm up). I felt solid for the whole effort and it was actually difficult to keep it in check for the last mile. I managed to keep the average HR at 160bpm and hit mile splits of 5:47, 5:52, 5:54. Which leaves me wondering where I am when I loosen the reigns...
Fri- easy 7.1 (53:02)
Sat- 2+up, 4x1200@I pace w/800jog rec, 2+down
Ike's got a nagging injury and decided to run easy instead. With two days off, I really didn't want the quality to suffer like the mileage has this week so I needed to get the intervals done. I went out a little quick on the first one as always, but settled in after a lap. The second one was a little tougher and I was definitely missing Ike on number three. Now after three I was pretty happy, but had conversations I've had over the last week with both Ike and Folsom floating around in my head. My legs were a bit fried going into number 4, but I wanted to push the envelope a bit. I max out around 180bpm so anything 170+ is decidedly uncomfortable. I managed to hit 170 just before 400m on the last interval and by 600 I was at 173-174bpm. We will see what this translates to next weekend.
splits: 4:01, 4:00, 4:01, 4:00
Weekly Recap...
While the mileage was down, the quality didn't suffer. It is always nice to have people around to remind me that in the long run this is probably not a bad thing. Two more weeks of intervals and then on to the final phase.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
week 15...10/9-10/15/11
This week I am just trying to keep things on track. The mileage goal is still the same; keep it over 50. I am excited about the prospect of being on the track for intervals this week. When we started this interval phase we figured we would do two weeks on the hills and then check our progress on the track. I, as anyone who has ever run with me know, a huge fan of the track.
Sun- easy 13 (1:37:30)
This one felt way better than expected after yesterdays 10k. The great weather didn't hurt.
Mon- easy 7.2 (53:03)
Meant to go 5, but got flagged by Mr. VandeWater and asked to help with a home meet tomorrow so I decided to go a little longer not know if I would get a run in.
Tues- off
Wed- 2up, 4x1200m with 800rec jog, 1 down
This was just what I needed after last weekend. With the hill repeats of the last couple weeks we only had a rough idea of our target pace. I was shooting for around 4-4:05 with Ike about 3-5 sec faster. Once we got going they were tough, but not the struggle to hold on I remember. I managed to hit the times, feel smooth, and have my HR exactly where it was supposed to be. I also wanted to get a 4th one this week, which despite being a little harder, was still in control and ended up being my fastest.
1200s: 4:05, 4:02, 4:03, 4:00
Thurs-easy 7 (52:26)
This one sucked. It was dark, rainy, and my legs did not want to go. I struggled the whole run to get my HR up and the pace down.
Fri-easy 7(52:32)
This one was better in the respect that I didn't struggle to get my HR up and my legs weren't so heavy. It still felt slow. Hurray for two day lag...
Sat- 2 up, 8, 4, 4,8, 4, 4, 8 with 400jog/full rec, 2 down
We were NOT excited about this one. I woke up to a downpour and 48 degrees. I kept pondering my wisdom of a 7:30 repeat session. As I was pondering however a thought occurred to me, "I could be running a marathon this morning", and all negative thoughts disappeared. Ike showed up and we managed to at least find a window in the rain to start the warm up. After strides it went back and forth between sprinkles and a steady rain for the rest of the workout. The silver lining was that the wind didn't hit 20+ mph until after we were done.
splits :2:35, 76, 75, 2:33, 76, 74, 2:31
Weekly Recap...
I hit 51 on 6 days which I am happy with. I also got two quality sessions in with some longer repeats on Saturday. With the faster pace of a 5k in December I wanted the 800s to see how longer/faster was going to feel and so far I am satisfied with the result. I also wanted to say my hat is off to Folsom in his first marathon. I would also like to add that in light of his description, I will stick to my 10ks...
Sun- easy 13 (1:37:30)
This one felt way better than expected after yesterdays 10k. The great weather didn't hurt.
Mon- easy 7.2 (53:03)
Meant to go 5, but got flagged by Mr. VandeWater and asked to help with a home meet tomorrow so I decided to go a little longer not know if I would get a run in.
Tues- off
Wed- 2up, 4x1200m with 800rec jog, 1 down
This was just what I needed after last weekend. With the hill repeats of the last couple weeks we only had a rough idea of our target pace. I was shooting for around 4-4:05 with Ike about 3-5 sec faster. Once we got going they were tough, but not the struggle to hold on I remember. I managed to hit the times, feel smooth, and have my HR exactly where it was supposed to be. I also wanted to get a 4th one this week, which despite being a little harder, was still in control and ended up being my fastest.
1200s: 4:05, 4:02, 4:03, 4:00
Thurs-easy 7 (52:26)
This one sucked. It was dark, rainy, and my legs did not want to go. I struggled the whole run to get my HR up and the pace down.
Fri-easy 7(52:32)
This one was better in the respect that I didn't struggle to get my HR up and my legs weren't so heavy. It still felt slow. Hurray for two day lag...
Sat- 2 up, 8, 4, 4,8, 4, 4, 8 with 400jog/full rec, 2 down
We were NOT excited about this one. I woke up to a downpour and 48 degrees. I kept pondering my wisdom of a 7:30 repeat session. As I was pondering however a thought occurred to me, "I could be running a marathon this morning", and all negative thoughts disappeared. Ike showed up and we managed to at least find a window in the rain to start the warm up. After strides it went back and forth between sprinkles and a steady rain for the rest of the workout. The silver lining was that the wind didn't hit 20+ mph until after we were done.
splits :2:35, 76, 75, 2:33, 76, 74, 2:31
Weekly Recap...
I hit 51 on 6 days which I am happy with. I also got two quality sessions in with some longer repeats on Saturday. With the faster pace of a 5k in December I wanted the 800s to see how longer/faster was going to feel and so far I am satisfied with the result. I also wanted to say my hat is off to Folsom in his first marathon. I would also like to add that in light of his description, I will stick to my 10ks...
Friday, October 14, 2011
week 14 10/2-10/8/11
The culmination of this week will be the Art Tudhope 10k in Shelburne, VT. I am hoping for an solid indication that the work we have been doing is bearing some fruit. In addition to the 10k I want to be back in the 50s for mileage and get a good interval session in on Wednesday with Ike.
Sun- easy 13 (1:39:23)
This was a bleak, cold morning and we were not excited. We were both tired and at 3 miles I was wondering if I was going to have the steam to make it up Tupper hill at mile 10. We kept it easy and thankfully I came out of my funk a bit in the second half of the run.
Mon- easy 5 (36:31)
I ran this one in my new flats. I ordered a pair of Mizuno Wave Ronin 3s which arrived on Saturday. I didn't want this weekends 10k to be the first time I ran in them so I tried them out. They fit well and gave me no issues, so I am ready to go.
Tues-easy 6.5 (47:57)
I had some lingering fatigue from the last few days and it was difficult to run fast enough to keep my HR up for most of this run. By the last couple miles I seemed to find a rhythm.
Wed- 2up, 3x1200@I effort, with equal time jog rec, 1.3 down
After what seemed like a full week of cold rain, we finally got some sun. Ike and I headed over to CCT for another round of hills. This one was a lot smoother with the experience of last weeks workout under our belt. I managed to hit 4:15+/-1 for all three and called it good. I would have liked 4, but it wasn't going to happen without significant effort.
Thurs-easy 6.5 (47:23)
This one went better than expected in light of yesterdays workout. It started slow, but I felt better by the end.
Fri- easy 5 (36:43)
Sat- 2 up, 36:43 Art Tudhope 10k, 1 down
This race felt like a hard tempo. I felt good in the warm up, but in by the first mile I knew it wasn't happening today. Two younger guys took off from the start and another guy passed me about a half mile in. I backed off and ran smart going through the first mile just under 6, but it did not feel smooth. I worked on third place for the next two miles going through the 5k turn around in 18:09. I knew I was already working too hard by mile 4 and mentally packed in for mile five before turning it back on for the last mile. I am satisfied that I ran about as hard as I could today, but still think that I can run in the high 35s right now on the right day.
Splits: 5:58, 5:51, 5:35, 6:05, 6:08, 5:48, 1:10 for a 36:43 4th place finish.
Weekly Recap...
I hit 52 miles for the week and had two solid workouts. I wish that the 10k had gone a little better, but Folsom reminds me that my mileage up and we are doing some pretty solid workouts, so I will be patient. Next week should be more of the same.
Sun- easy 13 (1:39:23)
This was a bleak, cold morning and we were not excited. We were both tired and at 3 miles I was wondering if I was going to have the steam to make it up Tupper hill at mile 10. We kept it easy and thankfully I came out of my funk a bit in the second half of the run.
Mon- easy 5 (36:31)
I ran this one in my new flats. I ordered a pair of Mizuno Wave Ronin 3s which arrived on Saturday. I didn't want this weekends 10k to be the first time I ran in them so I tried them out. They fit well and gave me no issues, so I am ready to go.
Tues-easy 6.5 (47:57)
I had some lingering fatigue from the last few days and it was difficult to run fast enough to keep my HR up for most of this run. By the last couple miles I seemed to find a rhythm.
Wed- 2up, 3x1200@I effort, with equal time jog rec, 1.3 down
After what seemed like a full week of cold rain, we finally got some sun. Ike and I headed over to CCT for another round of hills. This one was a lot smoother with the experience of last weeks workout under our belt. I managed to hit 4:15+/-1 for all three and called it good. I would have liked 4, but it wasn't going to happen without significant effort.
Thurs-easy 6.5 (47:23)
This one went better than expected in light of yesterdays workout. It started slow, but I felt better by the end.
Fri- easy 5 (36:43)
Sat- 2 up, 36:43 Art Tudhope 10k, 1 down
This race felt like a hard tempo. I felt good in the warm up, but in by the first mile I knew it wasn't happening today. Two younger guys took off from the start and another guy passed me about a half mile in. I backed off and ran smart going through the first mile just under 6, but it did not feel smooth. I worked on third place for the next two miles going through the 5k turn around in 18:09. I knew I was already working too hard by mile 4 and mentally packed in for mile five before turning it back on for the last mile. I am satisfied that I ran about as hard as I could today, but still think that I can run in the high 35s right now on the right day.
Splits: 5:58, 5:51, 5:35, 6:05, 6:08, 5:48, 1:10 for a 36:43 4th place finish.
Weekly Recap...
I hit 52 miles for the week and had two solid workouts. I wish that the 10k had gone a little better, but Folsom reminds me that my mileage up and we are doing some pretty solid workouts, so I will be patient. Next week should be more of the same.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Week 13...9/25-10/1/11
I hope to continue to get back on my feet this week and I need to because it is the first week of Phase 3: Intervals. I hope to get the mileage back up to 50, but we will have to see how the legs feel as we go.
Sun- Easy 14
This one actually started out quick. After a couple miles we got it reigned in, but my HR was still up in the mid 140s which concerned me. I just kept slowing it down and managed to finish the run feeling decent. The 15 minute stop to talk to Coach Casserly helped, but we made up for it by dropping the pace down into the low 6s for the better part of a mile to pass some kid that REALLY wanted to stay ahead of us.
Mon- off
Tues- easy 7.1
Still feeling a little heavy, but slowly getting better. I had to work a little to keep the HR up, but managed low 7:20s with an avg HR of 136 so everything but my legs seems to have recovered.
Wed- 2up, 3x1200 Bird St. Backwards w/4min jog rec, 1.9 down
Ike showed up at the house with the idea of running 1200 hill repeats instead of the track and after the bump I saw from the two weeks we did in the end of the Early Quality phase I was game. The target time on the track was 4:07s so we figured we would just let the HR determine where we should be on the first one. That was a mistake. I really should know that my HR takes some time to get to where is should be and we ended up cranking a 4:08 and barely got my HR to 168 for the last 3-400m. The next two were where the first one should have been at 4:20+/- and the HR was 168-170 by 400m into the hill. I was a quick little workout, but there was no doubt it was quality. The cool down was slow and I was well reminded that this is the hardest phase of the plan.
Thurs- easy 7.2 (54:10)
This one saw the first of many rainy fall days to come. It wasn't too bad once I got going, but my legs were heavy and it definitely took some effort to keep the pace where it should be.
Fri- easy 7 (51:28)
I am glad Ike was willing to come in for this one, because getting a run in after working all day can really suck.
With a little company this one was over pretty quick.
Sat- 2up, 3 sets of 6,4,2 at R pace with jog/full recovery, 2 down
We wanted 4 sets, but there was some SLU fundraiser starting at 10 and the track was getting lousy with people. It was pretty cool and windy which kind of dampened the spirits a bit, but we managed to get a decent workout in anyway. We are just trying to keep a little snap.
1st set: 1:58, 76, 37
2nd set 1:57, 75, 37
3rd set: 1:57, 77, 37
Ike showed up at the house with the idea of running 1200 hill repeats instead of the track and after the bump I saw from the two weeks we did in the end of the Early Quality phase I was game. The target time on the track was 4:07s so we figured we would just let the HR determine where we should be on the first one. That was a mistake. I really should know that my HR takes some time to get to where is should be and we ended up cranking a 4:08 and barely got my HR to 168 for the last 3-400m. The next two were where the first one should have been at 4:20+/- and the HR was 168-170 by 400m into the hill. I was a quick little workout, but there was no doubt it was quality. The cool down was slow and I was well reminded that this is the hardest phase of the plan.
Thurs- easy 7.2 (54:10)
This one saw the first of many rainy fall days to come. It wasn't too bad once I got going, but my legs were heavy and it definitely took some effort to keep the pace where it should be.
Fri- easy 7 (51:28)
I am glad Ike was willing to come in for this one, because getting a run in after working all day can really suck.
With a little company this one was over pretty quick.
Sat- 2up, 3 sets of 6,4,2 at R pace with jog/full recovery, 2 down
We wanted 4 sets, but there was some SLU fundraiser starting at 10 and the track was getting lousy with people. It was pretty cool and windy which kind of dampened the spirits a bit, but we managed to get a decent workout in anyway. We are just trying to keep a little snap.
1st set: 1:58, 76, 37
2nd set 1:57, 75, 37
3rd set: 1:57, 77, 37
Weekly Recap...
I am happy to hit 50 again and feeling decent. The loss of light is starting to make things a little more challenging as far as getting our workouts in, but it not too bad yet. The intervals are going to be tough, but its hard to believe we are only 10 weeks out from the indoor meet when we will be running the 5k. I said I want to be under 16:30 and right now i think I can run a 17:15 so I have got some work to do.
I am happy to hit 50 again and feeling decent. The loss of light is starting to make things a little more challenging as far as getting our workouts in, but it not too bad yet. The intervals are going to be tough, but its hard to believe we are only 10 weeks out from the indoor meet when we will be running the 5k. I said I want to be under 16:30 and right now i think I can run a 17:15 so I have got some work to do.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
The Reboot...9/18-9/24/11
This week is a planned down week in an effort to get my legs back under me after RTB. I am not nearly as broken as I was after 100 on 100, but I am anticipating some fatigue.
Sun- off
Mon- easy 5 (38:16)
Tues-off
Wed- easy 6.5 (48:36)
Thurs- off
Fri- easy 6.5(48:44)
The last couple runs I have been hitting the paces with my HR avg where it should be, but it does not feel smooth. I have been draggin' ass all week and my legs are still heavy.
Sat- easy 8 (59:23)
Weekly Recap...
I thought that the low mileage and the every other day plan would hasten my recovery and allow me to start feeling good again, but by it is Saturday and I am still feeling last weekend. I am shocked, however, to note that even after a 26 mile week I have had my first peek at a weight that is under 160lbs.
Sun- off
Mon- easy 5 (38:16)
Tues-off
Wed- easy 6.5 (48:36)
Thurs- off
Fri- easy 6.5(48:44)
The last couple runs I have been hitting the paces with my HR avg where it should be, but it does not feel smooth. I have been draggin' ass all week and my legs are still heavy.
Sat- easy 8 (59:23)
Weekly Recap...
I thought that the low mileage and the every other day plan would hasten my recovery and allow me to start feeling good again, but by it is Saturday and I am still feeling last weekend. I am shocked, however, to note that even after a 26 mile week I have had my first peek at a weight that is under 160lbs.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Week 12...9/11-9/17/11
This week is Reach the Beach and we finally have a full team. With Lawton not in the mix I have traditionally run leg 1. This year with Hurricane Irene, there have been a lot of last minute tweaks and changes to itinerary and course. With a bridge under repair it will be interesting. As for mileage I am shooting for low 50s again with an early week repeat session.
Monday- off
Tues- 1.5 up, 5x200, 200, 400 with equal jog/full rec@R pace, 1 down
This one was another perfect workout. I was thinking 37s and 77s, but we quickly found a rhythm of 36s and 75s finding it difficult to not go faster. It was windy down the back stretch which made these times even more satisfying.
Wed- off
Thurs- easy 5 (35:55)
Fri/Sat- RTB leg 8 (22.5 miles)
Weekly Recap...
I hit 51 miles in 5 days with the 24 total I ran in NH. It was the second time I have run leg 8 and the first time was not pretty. This time I ran it perfectly. While I am at fault for always wishing it was a little faster, it took me 6 years to put together an RTB that felt strong through all three legs. I am very encouraged heading into the next Daniels phase.
Monday- off
Tues- 1.5 up, 5x200, 200, 400 with equal jog/full rec@R pace, 1 down
This one was another perfect workout. I was thinking 37s and 77s, but we quickly found a rhythm of 36s and 75s finding it difficult to not go faster. It was windy down the back stretch which made these times even more satisfying.
Wed- off
Thurs- easy 5 (35:55)
Fri/Sat- RTB leg 8 (22.5 miles)
Weekly Recap...
I hit 51 miles in 5 days with the 24 total I ran in NH. It was the second time I have run leg 8 and the first time was not pretty. This time I ran it perfectly. While I am at fault for always wishing it was a little faster, it took me 6 years to put together an RTB that felt strong through all three legs. I am very encouraged heading into the next Daniels phase.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Reach the Beach 2011
I have to start off by saying that I was definitely going into this year with more of a neutral energy than in years past. In the weeks leading up to RTB i was pretty disappointed in the fact that from all of the members we've had on two full teams in the past, that we couldn't easily find 12 people that would commit to the weekend. But after last year I found myself wondering if I really had another one in me. With that question in the back of my head I was off to Burlington to catch the Van to the start line.
Almost immediately upon meeting up with the other folks who were new to the team (all 8 of them) I started to feel that excitement that had been waning a bit for me over the last couple years. These folks had signed on to something that looked both exciting and challenging with only our word that is was worth it as any real proof. In the end I have to say that maybe the energy of some new blood was what made the difference, but it was one of my more memorable RTBs since the first one and I am very happy to have been a part of the team. What started as an obligation turned into something I would have been very sorry to have missed.
Recaps for my three legs of runner 8
Leg 1...6.61 miles at about 8:30pm
I was glad that I had run this leg in 2008 and had written something down. This leg was a flat as I had logged and it was very hard to keep it in check. I decided that the best way to make it through all three legs was to keep the HR in the mid 150s and I managed to do that and average 6:12s with ease.
Leg 2...9.23 miles at about 4:30am
I had some difficulty waking up for this one and looking back I am not sure I did until a couple miles into it. This was the leg that I was most concerned about as it climbs for about 5.5 miles before dropping down the other side. I remembered it being a steady climb, but once I was going it actually rolled a bit as it climbed and as it was I managed to avg 7s through the first 5 miles. Unlike the last time I ran this I actually had something to work with on the way down rolling 6,6,6:20 for the last three miles. I ended up averaging 6:31s.
Leg3...6.69 miles at about 12:30pm
This was the leg that had me in the most disbelief. I don't think that I have had an RTB yet that I have had much left in the last leg. This time around I was was ready to go. I thought I could avg 6:15-6:20, but I decided to watch the HR and see what that had me running. This leg had a bit of a climb to mile 3 and then downhill for most of the second half. By mile three I was averaging 6:08 and aside from the 5:40 off the back of the hill managed to be just over 6 minutes for the rest of the leg. I definitely left it all there because I started kicking a little early because I couldn't remember if the leg was 6.4 or 6.7. I ended up averaging 6:02 for my best leg of the relay.
Again, I really hate to sound all hokey and sentimental, but this was an awesome year and I really am looking forward to next year when we can hopefully get a few of the old faces back with a few of the new.
For a link to the St. Lawrence Alumni All-Starz Blog click here.
Almost immediately upon meeting up with the other folks who were new to the team (all 8 of them) I started to feel that excitement that had been waning a bit for me over the last couple years. These folks had signed on to something that looked both exciting and challenging with only our word that is was worth it as any real proof. In the end I have to say that maybe the energy of some new blood was what made the difference, but it was one of my more memorable RTBs since the first one and I am very happy to have been a part of the team. What started as an obligation turned into something I would have been very sorry to have missed.
Recaps for my three legs of runner 8
Leg 1...6.61 miles at about 8:30pm
I was glad that I had run this leg in 2008 and had written something down. This leg was a flat as I had logged and it was very hard to keep it in check. I decided that the best way to make it through all three legs was to keep the HR in the mid 150s and I managed to do that and average 6:12s with ease.
Leg 2...9.23 miles at about 4:30am
I had some difficulty waking up for this one and looking back I am not sure I did until a couple miles into it. This was the leg that I was most concerned about as it climbs for about 5.5 miles before dropping down the other side. I remembered it being a steady climb, but once I was going it actually rolled a bit as it climbed and as it was I managed to avg 7s through the first 5 miles. Unlike the last time I ran this I actually had something to work with on the way down rolling 6,6,6:20 for the last three miles. I ended up averaging 6:31s.
Leg3...6.69 miles at about 12:30pm
This was the leg that had me in the most disbelief. I don't think that I have had an RTB yet that I have had much left in the last leg. This time around I was was ready to go. I thought I could avg 6:15-6:20, but I decided to watch the HR and see what that had me running. This leg had a bit of a climb to mile 3 and then downhill for most of the second half. By mile three I was averaging 6:08 and aside from the 5:40 off the back of the hill managed to be just over 6 minutes for the rest of the leg. I definitely left it all there because I started kicking a little early because I couldn't remember if the leg was 6.4 or 6.7. I ended up averaging 6:02 for my best leg of the relay.
Again, I really hate to sound all hokey and sentimental, but this was an awesome year and I really am looking forward to next year when we can hopefully get a few of the old faces back with a few of the new.
For a link to the St. Lawrence Alumni All-Starz Blog click here.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Week 11...9/-9/10/11
I am hoping for another week in the low 50s, but the late week 5 milers will have to be a bit longer as I will be doing it in 6 days. With two weeks left before we switch to intervals I would like to get one more hill session in mid week and definitely some cruise intervals Saturday to see how some 5:58s feel.
Sun-off
Mon- easy 13 (1:36:36)
This was almost the exact same run we had two weeks ago from the overcast skies to the time to the avg HR. It felt subjectively easier and again felt I could have run further.
Tues-easy 7 (52:22)
Wed- 2.4 up, 8x400m hills, 2.1 down
I averaged 85 on these and actually felt worse this week. With 86s last week I will call that progress.
Thurs- easy 5 (37:00)
Fri- off
I didn't mean to take this day off, but I was pretty tired so I decided not to push it.
Sat- 2.5up, 4x1 mile@tempo pace w/65sec rec + 4x200m@rep pace w/ full rec, 1 down
I surprised myself running 5:55s for the miles and the highest my HR hit was 161bpm so I know it was the right pace. The 200s were what I was more excited about; I ran 36, 35, 34, 32 for these. They were a little fast, but for the first time in the last 10 weeks I felt like I was strong enough to gear down. Its just proof that our last two weeks of hills are working.
Weekly recap...
I wish the mileage had been a little higher, but I won't complain about the quality. While the motivation slumped a bit Saturdays workout was very encouraging.
Sun-off
Mon- easy 13 (1:36:36)
This was almost the exact same run we had two weeks ago from the overcast skies to the time to the avg HR. It felt subjectively easier and again felt I could have run further.
Tues-easy 7 (52:22)
Wed- 2.4 up, 8x400m hills, 2.1 down
I averaged 85 on these and actually felt worse this week. With 86s last week I will call that progress.
Thurs- easy 5 (37:00)
Fri- off
I didn't mean to take this day off, but I was pretty tired so I decided not to push it.
Sat- 2.5up, 4x1 mile@tempo pace w/65sec rec + 4x200m@rep pace w/ full rec, 1 down
I surprised myself running 5:55s for the miles and the highest my HR hit was 161bpm so I know it was the right pace. The 200s were what I was more excited about; I ran 36, 35, 34, 32 for these. They were a little fast, but for the first time in the last 10 weeks I felt like I was strong enough to gear down. Its just proof that our last two weeks of hills are working.
Weekly recap...
I wish the mileage had been a little higher, but I won't complain about the quality. While the motivation slumped a bit Saturdays workout was very encouraging.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Week 10...8/28-9/3/11
With the recovery week after 100 on 100 backing things up a little, this marks week 4 of early quality. We have gotten the mileage about as high as we want to hit for this fall so we are going to stay in the low 50s on that front. In terms of workouts, the plan is a mid week hill session of repeat quarters and most likely tempo miles this Saturday.
Sun- easy 14 (1:46:01)
Due to weather and other commitments we ran early. Ike got to Canton and we were running by 6:15. We the Pyrites loop because I wanted something a little more gentle than Peirrepont, but not without some hills. In light of yesterdays race I wasn't sure how we were going to feel and promised to keep things chill. At mile one the time was 8:05 so I thought were were well within our agreement. At about 8 I checked again and we were avg 7:31s despite the fact that we had already reigned it in a few times. We made sure that we kept it in check and I finished feeling pretty good. Very happy that 14 is comfortable again, not just tolerable.
Mon- easy 5 (37:05)
Tues- easy 7 (51:52)
Wed- 2.5up, 8x400 hills, 2. down
I wasn't quite sure sure how this one was going to go so the first couple were by feel. I ended up running almost all of them at 86. The last couple were 84-85 as I felt comfortable being a little more aggressive at that point. Ike ended up 4-5 secs up on me after the first couple. Based on the HR from the track sessions I would say this workout was just what it was supposed to be with the benefit of a little strength.
Thurs- easy 5 (36:55)
Fri- easy 5 (36:22)
Sat- 2up, 3 tempo, 4 down
Seeing as Ike was out of town I was very fortunate that Folsom was in town, well G-town anyway. I was looking for low sixes for pace and despite his nay-saying we agreed to let HR determine how fast we should be running. We warmed up for two and stopped for a quick stretch. Once underway it took a half mile at 5:50s to get my HR to the high 150s. The target was 160 so we held it there. I felt pretty good for the first two miles aided considerably by the slight downhill. The third mile started to roll with some short steep climbs and the HR climbed with it. I had to back off the pace as Folsom pulled me through the last mile, but the total time was 18:10 which I was quite happy with.
Weekly recap...
With my accidental 9 on Saturday, I hit 53 for the week. Both Wednesday and Saturday were quality days and while getting thumped by Ike on the hills doesn't do much for the confidence, running three miles at a tempo effort 15 seconds faster than I raced it a month ago has me thinking I am actually getting somewhere. Having a four mile cool down for Folsom to put things in perspective helps too...
Sun- easy 14 (1:46:01)
Due to weather and other commitments we ran early. Ike got to Canton and we were running by 6:15. We the Pyrites loop because I wanted something a little more gentle than Peirrepont, but not without some hills. In light of yesterdays race I wasn't sure how we were going to feel and promised to keep things chill. At mile one the time was 8:05 so I thought were were well within our agreement. At about 8 I checked again and we were avg 7:31s despite the fact that we had already reigned it in a few times. We made sure that we kept it in check and I finished feeling pretty good. Very happy that 14 is comfortable again, not just tolerable.
Mon- easy 5 (37:05)
Tues- easy 7 (51:52)
Wed- 2.5up, 8x400 hills, 2. down
I wasn't quite sure sure how this one was going to go so the first couple were by feel. I ended up running almost all of them at 86. The last couple were 84-85 as I felt comfortable being a little more aggressive at that point. Ike ended up 4-5 secs up on me after the first couple. Based on the HR from the track sessions I would say this workout was just what it was supposed to be with the benefit of a little strength.
Thurs- easy 5 (36:55)
Fri- easy 5 (36:22)
Sat- 2up, 3 tempo, 4 down
Seeing as Ike was out of town I was very fortunate that Folsom was in town, well G-town anyway. I was looking for low sixes for pace and despite his nay-saying we agreed to let HR determine how fast we should be running. We warmed up for two and stopped for a quick stretch. Once underway it took a half mile at 5:50s to get my HR to the high 150s. The target was 160 so we held it there. I felt pretty good for the first two miles aided considerably by the slight downhill. The third mile started to roll with some short steep climbs and the HR climbed with it. I had to back off the pace as Folsom pulled me through the last mile, but the total time was 18:10 which I was quite happy with.
Weekly recap...
With my accidental 9 on Saturday, I hit 53 for the week. Both Wednesday and Saturday were quality days and while getting thumped by Ike on the hills doesn't do much for the confidence, running three miles at a tempo effort 15 seconds faster than I raced it a month ago has me thinking I am actually getting somewhere. Having a four mile cool down for Folsom to put things in perspective helps too...
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Week 9...8/21-8/27/11
The plan this week is to get back into all things Daniels with a mid week early quality workout and the Alumni Race on Saturday. Its a 6k which is a strange distance, but if I can average around 5:50-5:55 per mile I will feel like I am making progress. As far as mileage, we are are trying to while get the mileage back up near 50 without being stupid about it.
Sun- easy 13 (1:36:30)
This run was just what I needed. We ran out in Peirrepont so there were some pretty good hills with the biggest one starting at the 10 mile mark. We didn't just survive, but felt good on this run. We finished feeling tired, but with something still left in the tank.
Mon- easy 5 (35:50)
Another run in the 'Pont. Again, I felt strong on the hills and the HR said I was well within the recovery range. It's nice to feel like 5 is short; like we are somehow cheating.
Tues- easy 7 (50:20)
"She was concentrating on her pace fer chissakes..."
-Quenton Cassidy
I never thought I would say this, but I was missing the hills today. A flat run in Canton had me running intentionally until the last mile or so to keep the HR up. I was happy however to see another day in the low 7s for pace. I seems I may be getting somewhere.
Wed- 2up, 5x 200, 200, 400 with equal jog/full recovery, 1 down
This workout was awesome and we felt great. The hardest part about this was keeping it controlled. We had thought about doing hills, but Ike must have read my mind when he suggested we go back to the track and see how our progress was coming. It had been three weeks since we had done this workout and Ike had proven he had gained a VDOT improvement and I figured a little bit faster wouldn't kill me. The target was 38s for the 200s and 79 for the 400s. With the higher weekly mileage we needed 5th set. It was a little windy on the backstretch, but the splits are as follows.
Thurs- easy 5 (35:47)
Fri- easy 5 (37:49)
I decided I was not going to look at the time or HR at all on this one and run subjectively easy. It was tough, but it was much better than the avg of 8s I envisioned. My avg HR was only 135 bpm.
Sat- 2up, 22:37 SLU Alumni/Run for Ryan 6k, 1 down
The last couple times that I have raced have seemed more like hard tempo runs than races so today I decided I would be a little more aggressive. I didn't think that a 5:50-5:55 pace was unreasonable so that was the goal. I managed to hang onto Ike through the 1st mile and we split 5:49. I thought perfect even if it was a little harder than I thought it should be. I managed to hang on for about a half a mile before I really started to struggle. At that point I decided 6k be damned, I was going to try to hold it through the second mile. I split mile two in 6:05. The second half of the race was just hanging on; I just tried to keep HR rate up in the high 160s. I kept fading, but my consolation prize was a little knowledge and a good workout. On a side note, the weather was much better than last year even if it was pretty warm by the end. And as always it is great to see everyone.
Splits: 5:49, 6:05, 6:14, 4:31 (6:06 pace)
Weekly Recap...
This was another solid week with the mileage total hitting 50. Workout are going well, but I am a little frustrated. I am getting more convinced that I am going to run a good 10k-half marathon before I hit my 5k goal. I lack speed/turnover and my race pace is not getting much faster, I just seem to be able to hold it longer.
Sun- easy 13 (1:36:30)
This run was just what I needed. We ran out in Peirrepont so there were some pretty good hills with the biggest one starting at the 10 mile mark. We didn't just survive, but felt good on this run. We finished feeling tired, but with something still left in the tank.
Mon- easy 5 (35:50)
Another run in the 'Pont. Again, I felt strong on the hills and the HR said I was well within the recovery range. It's nice to feel like 5 is short; like we are somehow cheating.
Tues- easy 7 (50:20)
"She was concentrating on her pace fer chissakes..."
-Quenton Cassidy
I never thought I would say this, but I was missing the hills today. A flat run in Canton had me running intentionally until the last mile or so to keep the HR up. I was happy however to see another day in the low 7s for pace. I seems I may be getting somewhere.
Wed- 2up, 5x 200, 200, 400 with equal jog/full recovery, 1 down
This workout was awesome and we felt great. The hardest part about this was keeping it controlled. We had thought about doing hills, but Ike must have read my mind when he suggested we go back to the track and see how our progress was coming. It had been three weeks since we had done this workout and Ike had proven he had gained a VDOT improvement and I figured a little bit faster wouldn't kill me. The target was 38s for the 200s and 79 for the 400s. With the higher weekly mileage we needed 5th set. It was a little windy on the backstretch, but the splits are as follows.
1st set: 38, 38, 79
2nd set: 38, 38, 79
3rd set: 39, 38, 79
4th set: 38, 38, 77
5th set: 36, 36, 73
The last set we allowed ourselves a little slack in the reigns. The rule was "don't make it fast, but if it happens to be, don't slow down to compensate". We obviously broke the rules in the last one...at least we made it to the last 150m before doing so.
Fri- easy 5 (37:49)
I decided I was not going to look at the time or HR at all on this one and run subjectively easy. It was tough, but it was much better than the avg of 8s I envisioned. My avg HR was only 135 bpm.
Sat- 2up, 22:37 SLU Alumni/Run for Ryan 6k, 1 down
The last couple times that I have raced have seemed more like hard tempo runs than races so today I decided I would be a little more aggressive. I didn't think that a 5:50-5:55 pace was unreasonable so that was the goal. I managed to hang onto Ike through the 1st mile and we split 5:49. I thought perfect even if it was a little harder than I thought it should be. I managed to hang on for about a half a mile before I really started to struggle. At that point I decided 6k be damned, I was going to try to hold it through the second mile. I split mile two in 6:05. The second half of the race was just hanging on; I just tried to keep HR rate up in the high 160s. I kept fading, but my consolation prize was a little knowledge and a good workout. On a side note, the weather was much better than last year even if it was pretty warm by the end. And as always it is great to see everyone.
Splits: 5:49, 6:05, 6:14, 4:31 (6:06 pace)
Weekly Recap...
This was another solid week with the mileage total hitting 50. Workout are going well, but I am a little frustrated. I am getting more convinced that I am going to run a good 10k-half marathon before I hit my 5k goal. I lack speed/turnover and my race pace is not getting much faster, I just seem to be able to hold it longer.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Week 8...8/14-8/20/11
I expected some recovery was in order from 100 on 100, but I expected it would be in the form of fatigue, not soreness. The original plan for the week call for holding the mileage in the low 50s and continuation of early quality work with some repeats and tempo work. Now I think the goal is a little more short sighted and simply calls for getting back on my feet and maybe a late week workout.
Sun-off
I am struggling to walk. Stairs and hills are particularly painful.
Mon- very easy 3.3 (no watch)
Still in the Hurt Box. The only real difference today is that now it is not just my quads, but my calves too. Had to call Folsom today to see if my current state is due to my state of fitness or if he was have a similar experience this side of leg 2. He reassured me that the source of my current condition is rooted firmly in our Leg assignment.
Tues AM- easy 3.3 (26:13)
Quads better, but still very tender. Downhills are bad, but I managed to keep this one just under 8s
Tues PM- easy 7 (53:40)
Ran with Ike in Canton. Quads better than this morning, downhills still bad, but at least I am running them and it not so much like a fast walk anymore.
Wed- easy 10 (1:14:34)
I would almost go so far as to say I have recovered. Downhills are still sensitive, but I am managing to stride out for the most part. I am still feeling tired, but my muscle soreness is all but gone which is a tremendous relief. I feel good enough that we are going to try some 2s and 4s tomorrow.
Thurs- easy 6 (44:56)
This was supposed to be a repeat session, but after warming up for 2 miles and struggling through 4x100m strides at a pace we were supposed to hit for 400m I called it. The additional 4 miles were bad enough. I am still feeling fatigue from last weekend, but maybe we will try again on Saturday.
Fri- "easy" 5 (35:48)
The pace this morning was intentional, but my HR said that I should have been running 8s. For the last few days my legs have been having trouble keeping up with my heart. I am interested to see how I feel next week when the all of the fatigue from last weekends relay is gone.
Sat-off
Taking full advantage of the down week.
Weekly recap...
34 miles in 5 days. I would have liked to hit 40 this week, but I achieved the primary objective which was to recover. I am definitely feeling better after a week of easy running and lower miles.
Sun-off
I am struggling to walk. Stairs and hills are particularly painful.
Mon- very easy 3.3 (no watch)
Still in the Hurt Box. The only real difference today is that now it is not just my quads, but my calves too. Had to call Folsom today to see if my current state is due to my state of fitness or if he was have a similar experience this side of leg 2. He reassured me that the source of my current condition is rooted firmly in our Leg assignment.
Tues AM- easy 3.3 (26:13)
Quads better, but still very tender. Downhills are bad, but I managed to keep this one just under 8s
Tues PM- easy 7 (53:40)
Ran with Ike in Canton. Quads better than this morning, downhills still bad, but at least I am running them and it not so much like a fast walk anymore.
Wed- easy 10 (1:14:34)
I would almost go so far as to say I have recovered. Downhills are still sensitive, but I am managing to stride out for the most part. I am still feeling tired, but my muscle soreness is all but gone which is a tremendous relief. I feel good enough that we are going to try some 2s and 4s tomorrow.
Thurs- easy 6 (44:56)
This was supposed to be a repeat session, but after warming up for 2 miles and struggling through 4x100m strides at a pace we were supposed to hit for 400m I called it. The additional 4 miles were bad enough. I am still feeling fatigue from last weekend, but maybe we will try again on Saturday.
Fri- "easy" 5 (35:48)
The pace this morning was intentional, but my HR said that I should have been running 8s. For the last few days my legs have been having trouble keeping up with my heart. I am interested to see how I feel next week when the all of the fatigue from last weekends relay is gone.
Sat-off
Taking full advantage of the down week.
Weekly recap...
34 miles in 5 days. I would have liked to hit 40 this week, but I achieved the primary objective which was to recover. I am definitely feeling better after a week of easy running and lower miles.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Week 7...8/7-8/13/11
This week will be a little different. The plan is to hold steady on the mileage or increase no more than 2-3 miles at most. We have shifted the long run to Sunday in light of a Tuesdays Summer Sunset and the upcoming increase in time constraints of another school year. The other difference in the substitution of the midweek workout for the Sunset which will stand in for intervals and Saturdays Groovy Gouvy 5k which I will use as a tempo effort. I think if I do it right it will be a nice change of pace and leave me no worse for wear.
Sun- easy 10 (1:17:03)
Ran the flat course in Canton again with Ike. Legs were a little heavy from yesterday, but the pace and HR were exactly where they were supposed to be for this run.
Mon- easy 3.3 (25:08)
Tues- 2up, 19:01 Summer Sunset, 2 down
I've said it before...I love this race, but hate the course. Tonight was no exception. I was pouring rain when we got there and there was some construction that created even worse footing. I did however manage to run the way I wanted hitting 6:07, 6:05, 6:00 for splits. I just couldn't find my top gear. I only managed to get my HR up to the high 160s, 170 a couple of times. I ran the entire last mile in Clayton around 175. I felt like I could have run another mile at this pace, I just couldn't go any faster.
Wed- easy 8 (59:44) Pierrepont
I was a little surprised by how well this run went while respecting the HR even with the hills.
Thurs- off
There has been a change of plans. I will be doing 100 on 100 afterall. With a 15-20 mile day on Saturday I want to make sure that my weekly total doesn't jump too high.
Fri- easy 4 (29:35)
Sat- 100 on 100 relay in Vermont
There has been a change of plans as I was not sure until Wednesday that I would be on the team. I ran about a half mile warm up before each and ended up with about 20 miles for the day. I am now officially wrecked. The leg descriptions can be found here. My splits are as follows for runner 2:
41:11 for 6.4 (6:26/mi)
The first two mile drop was fast, but leg pounding and I would carry that abuse through the next two legs.
55:46 for 8.3 (6:43/mi)
This leg was just long, but after the gentle, almost non-existent climb of the first two miles it was all downhill.
29:15 for 4.0 (7:18/mi)
This one caught me be surprise even though I knew what I was getting into. After the initial climb there is a big downhill through mile two. I averaged 6:40s to this point before starting a 2 mile climb that never let up until the last quarter mile. I haven't wanted to stop and walk that bad in quite some time.
All in all this was a great day. We merged teams and ended up running with some great guys who made the day truly enjoyable. Thank you Dan, Rich, and Peter, I hope your first 100 on 100 was memorable.
Sun- easy 10 (1:17:03)
Ran the flat course in Canton again with Ike. Legs were a little heavy from yesterday, but the pace and HR were exactly where they were supposed to be for this run.
Mon- easy 3.3 (25:08)
Tues- 2up, 19:01 Summer Sunset, 2 down
I've said it before...I love this race, but hate the course. Tonight was no exception. I was pouring rain when we got there and there was some construction that created even worse footing. I did however manage to run the way I wanted hitting 6:07, 6:05, 6:00 for splits. I just couldn't find my top gear. I only managed to get my HR up to the high 160s, 170 a couple of times. I ran the entire last mile in Clayton around 175. I felt like I could have run another mile at this pace, I just couldn't go any faster.
Wed- easy 8 (59:44) Pierrepont
I was a little surprised by how well this run went while respecting the HR even with the hills.
Thurs- off
There has been a change of plans. I will be doing 100 on 100 afterall. With a 15-20 mile day on Saturday I want to make sure that my weekly total doesn't jump too high.
Fri- easy 4 (29:35)
Sat- 100 on 100 relay in Vermont
There has been a change of plans as I was not sure until Wednesday that I would be on the team. I ran about a half mile warm up before each and ended up with about 20 miles for the day. I am now officially wrecked. The leg descriptions can be found here. My splits are as follows for runner 2:
41:11 for 6.4 (6:26/mi)
The first two mile drop was fast, but leg pounding and I would carry that abuse through the next two legs.
55:46 for 8.3 (6:43/mi)
This leg was just long, but after the gentle, almost non-existent climb of the first two miles it was all downhill.
29:15 for 4.0 (7:18/mi)
This one caught me be surprise even though I knew what I was getting into. After the initial climb there is a big downhill through mile two. I averaged 6:40s to this point before starting a 2 mile climb that never let up until the last quarter mile. I haven't wanted to stop and walk that bad in quite some time.
All in all this was a great day. We merged teams and ended up running with some great guys who made the day truly enjoyable. Thank you Dan, Rich, and Peter, I hope your first 100 on 100 was memorable.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Week 6...7/31-8/6/11
We are a week ahead of schedule, but Ike and I have laid out a rough calendar. We are going to start our Daniels plan with some early quality workouts while shooting for low-mid 40s for this week. The target for this macro cycle is the December indoor meet at SLU with a goal of running under 16:30 in the 5k. It maybe a little ambitious, but i don't think it is unrealistic.
Sun- off
Mon- easy 10 (1:17:45)
I initially had reservations when Ike suggested doing our long run in Pierrepont, but I figured some hills would be good. I actually felt better than last week on a course that had significantly more hills. I would say we are making progress.
Tues- easy 5 (38:22)
Typical slow morning run, but felt better than expected after yesterdays 10
Wed- 2up, 4 sets of 2,2,4 with equal jog/full rec, 1 down
1st set: 40, 40, 83
2nd set: 40, 40, 81
3rd set: 40, 40, 81
4th set: 39, 39, 77
The workout was perfect. With the exception of the first and last 400 we hit the 40s and 81s we were after. The hardest part about the workout was showing restraint. I guess it is a little evident in the last set...
Thurs- easy 8 (1:02:13)
Sun- off
Mon- easy 10 (1:17:45)
I initially had reservations when Ike suggested doing our long run in Pierrepont, but I figured some hills would be good. I actually felt better than last week on a course that had significantly more hills. I would say we are making progress.
Tues- easy 5 (38:22)
Typical slow morning run, but felt better than expected after yesterdays 10
Wed- 2up, 4 sets of 2,2,4 with equal jog/full rec, 1 down
1st set: 40, 40, 83
2nd set: 40, 40, 81
3rd set: 40, 40, 81
4th set: 39, 39, 77
The workout was perfect. With the exception of the first and last 400 we hit the 40s and 81s we were after. The hardest part about the workout was showing restraint. I guess it is a little evident in the last set...
Thurs- easy 8 (1:02:13)
This was an attempt to find some happy medium in keeping the pace up and my HR down. The first 4 weren't bad, but I kept making Ike slow down in the second half. Even easing it up had my HR above 150.
Friday- easy 7.1 (54:55)
If i couldn't keep my HR down yesterday, I couldn't keep it up today. This run took 4.5 miles to find a rhythm, but I ended feeling decent.
Sat- 2up, 3x1mile, 1x800m@tempo w/70sec recovery, 1.5 down
6:22, 6:19, 6:17, 3:08
I like cruise intervals and this was another great workout. Going into this workout Ike and I were wondering how easy 95s were going to feel after 80s on Wednesday. Two laps into the first one my HR was right where it was supposed to be for tempo effort. Our legs were feeling a little heavy by the last 800m, but the pace was quite manageable and we had some difficulty keeping it in check.
Weekly Recap...
This was a solid week and I am very happy to be back in the mid 40s. The last time I did Daniels I was too aggressive often ignoring the prescribed paces because I felt good or they seemed slow. This time around we have agreed to err on the side of caution and risk running too slow rather than too fast. With the increase in intensity partnered with the continued increase in mileage I am feeling it a bit, but I am excited that I can already tell we are getting somewhere.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Week 5...7/24-7/30/11
The goal is more strides this week and trying to hit 35-36 miles for the week.
Sun- 45:35 (6.2)
I normally take Sundays off, but Jeff called yesterday so I opted for some company and ran early with he and Andy at their usual brisk pace (faster than mine anyway).
Mon- 1:16:48 (10.0)
Ran w/Ike. Kept it easy. Last couple miles I was a little out of my comfort zone and could feel the fatigue. I will be happy when I get back to that not happening until 12 or so...
Tues-off
Wed- 5.5 total miles
1up, 4x100m strides...18sec
2x400m...1:27 (target was 6min pace)
4x200...39sec (projected repeat pace of 40) , 2.5 down
jog/full recovery (120bpm) after everything
I was just going to do an easy 5 with strides, but with my thoughts of a 5k this weekend I wanted to see what 6s felt like. I was comfortable on all of them but was a little distressed with the length of my recovery. Two years ago I was running 5:50 mile repeats and was ready to go in 60 sec or less. Today I had to stand there for 4 minutes after one of my 200s. All in all it's not to bad for a fat guy (172lbs). I guess I can't coach patience and have none myself.
Thurs-53:15 (7.0) w/Ike in the 'Pont
This was to be an easy day but when the first 3 miles of an out and back are downhill...Coming back was closer to a tempo effort even if the pace was just under 8s. I couldn't justify making Ike run any slower and Saturday is just a fitness check.
Fri- 30:53 (4.0)
Sat- 2.5up, 18:22 Save the River "5k", 1 down
I wasn't sure what to expect so I just watched the HR and hit all three of of the 3.02 miles at 6:04-6:05. I have zero speed and this felt more like a half marathon than a 5k effort. That may be somewhat due to the pace :) With the heat (10am start) and not feeling 100% I will take this as a decent starting point with hope that I can be into the high 17s in a few weeks.
Weekly Recap...
I am happy with this week. I was little high on the mileage with 39, which is cool and 2 quality days (3 if you count the 3 mile hill on Thursday). With a race time under my belt I have a legit place to start from as we look to get on the track next week for some early quality.
Sun- 45:35 (6.2)
I normally take Sundays off, but Jeff called yesterday so I opted for some company and ran early with he and Andy at their usual brisk pace (faster than mine anyway).
Mon- 1:16:48 (10.0)
Ran w/Ike. Kept it easy. Last couple miles I was a little out of my comfort zone and could feel the fatigue. I will be happy when I get back to that not happening until 12 or so...
Tues-off
Wed- 5.5 total miles
1up, 4x100m strides...18sec
2x400m...1:27 (target was 6min pace)
4x200...39sec (projected repeat pace of 40) , 2.5 down
jog/full recovery (120bpm) after everything
I was just going to do an easy 5 with strides, but with my thoughts of a 5k this weekend I wanted to see what 6s felt like. I was comfortable on all of them but was a little distressed with the length of my recovery. Two years ago I was running 5:50 mile repeats and was ready to go in 60 sec or less. Today I had to stand there for 4 minutes after one of my 200s. All in all it's not to bad for a fat guy (172lbs). I guess I can't coach patience and have none myself.
Thurs-53:15 (7.0) w/Ike in the 'Pont
This was to be an easy day but when the first 3 miles of an out and back are downhill...Coming back was closer to a tempo effort even if the pace was just under 8s. I couldn't justify making Ike run any slower and Saturday is just a fitness check.
Fri- 30:53 (4.0)
Sat- 2.5up, 18:22 Save the River "5k", 1 down
I wasn't sure what to expect so I just watched the HR and hit all three of of the 3.02 miles at 6:04-6:05. I have zero speed and this felt more like a half marathon than a 5k effort. That may be somewhat due to the pace :) With the heat (10am start) and not feeling 100% I will take this as a decent starting point with hope that I can be into the high 17s in a few weeks.
Weekly Recap...
I am happy with this week. I was little high on the mileage with 39, which is cool and 2 quality days (3 if you count the 3 mile hill on Thursday). With a race time under my belt I have a legit place to start from as we look to get on the track next week for some early quality.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Week 4...7/17-7/23/11
Week four rounds out my first full month. I have made it to 30 miles with my body seeming to tell me that I am definitely another year older :)
Sun-off
Mon- 1:03:30 (8.2) w/Ike
I am going to start running Ike's long days with him because besides the Ottawa Half, this was my first hour+ run since April 3rd. It is only the 4th this year.
Tues-36:55 (5.0)
This was a bit of a fartlek as I worked in 6x150-160m strides on the half mile starting at mile one. My rough guess would put them at low six minute pace, fast enough for me.
Wed- 45:09 (6.0)
I don't know how I got talked into this one, but we ran at 2:45 in 90 degree heat and humidity. We stopped three times, twice for water and I was still a hurtin' unit. I don't know how we managed to avg 7:30s.
Thurs- meant to run 7 with Ike this evening but the heat index was still above 100 degrees at 6:30 so I bailed. I don't know how Ike did it.
Fri- 57:23 (7.2)
I still wanted that 7mi, but I was running by 6:30am to beat the heat and this one was rough
Sat- 37:43 (5.0)
Ran early again and wanted another set of strides for the week so I ran 6x100m after the run. I used the Garmin and calculated a pace for the strides around 5:20/mi which is a little better.
Not a bad week. Almost 32 miles (4hr3min) with an avg HR of 142 and an avg pace of 7:38/mi. I was thinking about running the Seaway Fest 4 Miler, but I don't think I am quite ready and I have been having some issues with my left quad in the last few days, some tightness that I need to work out. Besides Jeff called and says they are running tomorrow morning and I think that that is probably better for me right now anyway.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Week 3...7/10-7/16/11
I am still hanging in there at week three and something feels like it is starting to click. This week I wanted to again add a few miles to the total, but also decided that I needed to try to up my avg day to a 5 miler.
Sun-off
I rolled my left ankle pretty hard yesterday afternoon and it is swollen and bruised
Mon-off
Probably could have run, but I am getting a little smarter in my old age
Tues-36:44 (5.0)
Wed-37:38 (5.0) w/Ike in the 'Pont
Thurs-37:24 (5.0)
Fri- 29:31 (4.0)
I wanted the CCT 1/2 mi hill to see what I could run without torquing it too hard (managed about 7:30 pace)
Sat- 36:54 (5.0)
Week 3 was a little spotty with three days off, but the only other bad thing I can say about this week was the lack of variety. I will have to start running longer if only to switch up my loops. I got in 24 miles (2hr58min) at an avg HR of 144 and an avg pace of 7:25.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Week 2...7/3-7/9/11
Still not sure what I am shooting for, but Ike said he wants to break 17 minutes in a 5k again, so that sounds like as good a goal as any...I'm in.
Sun- 31:45 (4.0)
Mon- 24:54 (3.3)
Tues-off
Wed-45:13 (6.0) w/Ike in the 'Pont
Thurs- off
Fri- 30:46 (4.0)
Sat- 25:36 (3.3)
20.6 miles for the week (2hr38min) with an avg HR of 145 bpm and an avg pace of 7:41/mile. Each run is still not what I would call easy, but it I can definitely feel like I am making progress.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
after the break
After a month off I have taken my first steps...
Mon- 25 minutes (3.3)
Surprised myself with 7:40s even if it did take some effort
Tues- 27 minutes (3.3)
8:10s...knew yesterday was too good to be true
Wed-off
Thurs
am- 26 minutes (3.3)
Trying to keep it under 8s
pm- 52 minutes (6.5)
Out of the blue Ike calls and says "do you want to do an easy 5?" Its Ike and we have not run together in close to 15 years so I can't say no. I say how easy? He says hes been running around 7:30s, but he could do 8s, so I said sure. He shows up and says he wants to run blackdog and I inform him that the loop is closer to 7 than 5. His response is we'll go slow. Well I was feeling alright until about 4 and then struggled through the last few miles. All in all it made for a solid day and certainly helped the week.
Fri- off
Sat- off (still paying for Thursday)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)