Pool Running is Fun

I feel terrible today (too much party last night). So much so that I feel half sick. oops.

16 min, WU

36 min Tempo Run

16 min. CD

Well today I got up at 5:50 am and I am eager to get back on schedule with my build-up after some bumps in the road last week. At least the days I missed were scheduled easy days and I've nailed my workouts besides the blizzard day last week. I didn't have my GPS because it ran out of juice and I left my charge cord back in Ohio.  I went on perceived effort and time.  Perhaps I was fast, perhaps I was slow but who knows. I worked the system I was targeting.

Speaking of which, back home it was snow covered and 10 degrees this morning.  Here in DC it was 36 with hardly any wind.  I would much rather train here for a spring race and back home for a fall race.  Alas the heat in the summer is easier to deal with than a foot of snow.

10 easy. cooollld this morning.

10 miles easy before work. same old core routine.

jogged out to the meetup spot and met Brian for a 15 mile long run.  He was recovering from the flu and was coming back into running. He came with me all the way to the turn around though. we started slow than began cruising 6:40s after the turn around he was hurting so I slowed the pace a bit and decided to lay the hammer down on the pace at 11 miles and Brian took off to his own run.  Besides that massive-ass quarter mile hill on Harvard street that slowed my time I did a good job of speeding up.

There were packs and packs of resolution runners this morning. I was out on a long run pushing the pace in the last two miles when I come closer to a dude who was smaller than I am and who was running super efficiently and was clearly no resolution runner. I mentioned that most people weren't easily running 6:20s out here when he revealed that he was a 4:04 collegiate miler for some school in Missouri. A dude that was on a whole different level than my after work hobby excursions. You never know who you will meet out on the trails around here. 

Felt tougher and stronger today. Must have been that Cliff bar I ate an hour before the run.

splits:

7:17, 7:19, 6:41, 6:42, 6:40, 6:40, 6:40, 6:45, 6:39, 6:50, 6:51, 6:26, 6:33, 6:22, 6:58 

I ended up not running today.  It was a combination of things I suppose. 1) the hard 15 yesterday 2) the ice skating session yesterday evening 3) the extraordinary amount of beer I had last night 4) pure laziness.

I know that as the marathon gets closer I will have to start changing some things. My new resolution is to drink less beer.  Too much beer just makes me tired and lazy the next day. 

16 min WU

5 x 4:00 minutes @ 5K-3K pace w/ 2:00 min. jogs

20 min CD

Great workout this morning.  It was also warm, 44 degrees so I didn't have to wear tights. Beautiful outside. 

10 easy.  I was running along and I looked ahead and saw a huge dead squirrel on the path.  When I got closer, I realized it was a rat.  The thing was massive.  A giant, massive, sick, bloody, Georgetown super rat. Still cleaner than most of the people hanging out in the Capitol building.  

2 mile WU

7 mile tempo at 5:50s pace

2 mile CD

Well today was cold in the morning so I bundled up in tights, hats, gloves, under armor, etc. It took awhile to get warmed up. I had a tempo run on the docket at projected goal marathon pace.  It was a rough one but I think that's because I didn't do a better job of pacing.  I always end up going too fast i.e. 5:30s 5:40s, or too slow 6:00s but I got it right by the third mile.  It's hard to nail the 5:50s so I have to pay attention. You can see from my splits that my paces were a little messed up this time around. oh well, I still averaged a pretty decent pace even with the cold and extra clothes.

8:04 (WU), 7:01 (WU), 5:55, 6:04, 5:36, 5:55, 5:53, 5:55, 5:52, 7:14 (CD), 7:29 (CD) 

10 easy after work.

10 easy after work

wow is it beautiful out. 50 degrees, calm and sunny! I really got after it today and I amazingly felt great! I can tell I am getting faster. Besides the mile with that huge ass hill, I averaged low 6:1Xs the last 4 miles!

7:15, 7:11, 6:58, 6:45, 6:45, 6:38, 6:30, 6:28, 6:35, 6:31, 6:29, 6:23, 6:18, 6:12, 6:48, (3:27 for last .50) 

I hope Boston has weather exactly like this!  There is no better weather than starting in mid mid 40s and ending at 50 degrees on a calm day. 

8 easy.  Beautiful running weather. 55 degrees, drizzly.  I was actually out in shorts and a tech tee. Strangely enough I passed some people running in hats, gloves, pants, and running jackets.  Apparently they didn't get the memo that 55 was warm for running.

16 min. WU

4 x 5:00 min. @ 5K+ pace w/ 2:00 min jogs

16 min. CD

Very warm this morning.  Started at 60 degrees with some fog.  I was running by the Potomac and there were big pockets of warm 60 degree air and pockets of 40 degree air (or so it seemed).  By the end of the run there was dense fog and the temp had dropped in the low 50s. I was in a tech tee and shorts and my shirt was sweat drenched.  Reminded me of running in September. The weather should be back to normal in the low 30s tomorrow morning at run time. 

10 miles easy. This morning it was 40 and raining.  This is the worst weather.  If it was 30 and snowing it would be better.  If it were 50 and raining it would be better.  But a cold wind with rain and mud on the trails is no fun. legs were heavy.

I couldn't run today.  I found out that my new job is actually located on my school's other campus, which is really tough to get to without a car.  As such, I will have to make a long commute and spend more money even though I am earning more money so why commute?  However, I need to advance my career in the field I want which is this new job.  I was so nervous and anxious about what to do I barely ate anything and felt sick.  I took a Tylenol PM so I could sleep but still woke up at 3:00 am to eat some cereal. I would have gotten sick or injured had I run in that state.  I will get my temp run in on Thursday.

I warmed up 2 miles then started my tempo with a 5:55 mile but I couldn't keep it up.  I just felt terrible with all of the stress and fear I am feeling.  It is welling up like a pit in my stomach and it makes me afraid which really affects my running.  I'm afraid of huge changes and next week will be a big change, new job, new location, longer commute, etc. It is getting to me.  I am just going to take this week as a down week and continue on as best I can. I ended up running the rest of the run easy.

10 easy at lunch.  Since today is my last day I stayed out longer and did some drills and strides along with some lifting.  Man it was colder than normal and windy yet sunny.  Legs felt sluggish because I haven't been keeping up with my drills and strides.  The important thing is that I got my run in and I am feeling a bit better about the big change.

17 mile long run with Scott.  Beautiful day outside.About 45-50 sunny with a slight breeze. started in the 7:00s but quickly went into the 6:40s, then 6:30s, a few 6:20s, etc.  Scott was going to do the last 4 miles at his goal marathon pace.  I said I would try to go with him but I knew I wouldn't make it.  I ran one mile at 6:10 and backed off.  Is seriously hit the wall.  Ouch.  it sucked.  I am sore as shit right now.  I almost feel a little like how I did after the marathon. Everything hurts a little.

today revealed that I still need to work on my base endurance. So instead of trying to nail 16-18 milers in 6:30s, I should run a few 20 milers at 7:00 pace. I know that goes a bit against the Hanson's methods but I know that's what I need after not exceeding 12 miles in a run all last summer and fall.

7:07, 7:04, 6:52, 6:43, 6:49, 6:40, 6:49, 6:39, 6:50, 6:35, 6:30, 6:25, 6:27, 6:10, 6:48, 7:00, 7:41 

12 miles easy. averagedin the 6:50s. very beautiful day near 60. hmm tuesday it's supposed to be 24.  WTF

warmed up then went down to a local ghetto track to do some repeats.  Quit at the start of the 4th 800.  I just wasn't feeling it.  I start my new job tomorrow and I am nervous and can't focus on running for some reason.

first day at my new job way out in Ashburn.  The commute wasn't so bad but it was 22 degrees and windy, dark when I left and dark when I came home.  I'm not used to the new surroundings and routines.  It takes time for me to settle in and get used to the new routine.  The good news is that my supervisor is flexible and I can get my run in at my lunch break even though the locker room facility is far away from the office. I'll try it tomorrow.

8 miles easy+  Super cold and windy (for the DC area) about 25 degrees.  Hard to get the legs warm and I think my hard NW Ohio cold tolerance has worn off since I moved here over two years ago.

I only got in 8 instead of 10 because of the amount of time I have for lunch + abs/situps + shower.  I think I will start implementing some morning runs of 4 miles to my routine a few days a week like I used to do last summer when I ran at lunch.

Still not super happy with the new routine and commute but I'll adjust.  I just hope I can get back into some good training like I had a few weeks ago.  I need my tempos and workouts back.

8 miles. Flipping super windy and cold.  The wind felt like death running into it but going the other way it felt like a pleasant winter day.  Snow on the ground.  Pushed the pace.

sick. bad cold. terrible weather. didn't run.

still have a cold.  Got in 10 easy.

still sick.  Not running.

6 x mile @ strength pace. As you can tell from the splits one direction was directly into the wind and mostly uphill while the other direction was the opposite. I guess the average best reflects the effort. averaged about 5:27, which is actually probably too fast for the purpose of this workout yet I wanted to get after it so I can get back on track with my training after the disaster that was last week.

10 min WU 

5:43, 5:10, 5:42, 5:10, 5:48, 5:09  with 2 min. jogs between

10 min CD 

8 miles easy at lunch.  It warmed up so much today that it was 69 degrees!  Holy shit.  Mind you it was 20 and windy last Tuesday. I even went shirtless today because it seemed so hot.  Shirtless in January...you've got to be kidding me.  Anyway I took advantage of the weather and ran 4 more miles after I got home.

8 easy at lunch.  It was warm again, 70, but the wind was ridiculously wicked due to the screwed up weather patterns.  Last Wednesday there was snow everywhere, the wind was howling, and I was still cold in full under armor and overlayer with gloves and a hat.  Yesterday I ran shirtless.  It is supposed to snow on Friday. WTF.

well today sucked terribly.  I started with a WU mile then a 6:01, 5:49, and a 5:51 before backing off. The wind was so strong that I lost the will to fight it and scampered the rest of the run easily.  I then added four 12 second steep hill sprints into the mix.