Pool Running is Fun

met up with some friends who are also running Boston.  I wanted to get in 10 easy averaging 7:00.  here were the splits: 7:13, 7:03, 6:48, 6:42, 6:37, 6:31, 6:34, 6:37, 6:31, 6:37.

It felt pretty easy talking the whole way and I'm now more confident that I will be able to hold 6:30 pace for my long runs. 

8 easy this morning.

8 miles easy in my kinvaras.  Averaged about 7:00 pace.  typical abs and pushups.  Exciting week this week.  I have 8 easy scheduled everyday for the next few days.

8 easy. Avg. 7:00 pace then typical core and push-up routine.

8 miles easy + core and push-up routine.

8 easy plus core and pushups.  

6 easy plus barefoot strides and drills in the gym.  Ran out of time this morning.  It was an early run since I had to be at work at 8:00 but the gym didn't open until 6:30.

off today although I didn't plan for it. I woke up at 5:30 am to run but I couldn't stay awake and fell back asleep.  I had to work so I did that and was tired so I didn't run.

10 miles with Scott. Drizzly weather but only 52 degrees. Great day for a run.  I had a lot of beer and queso and chips last night so it was a close call towards the end. I will have to really watch my diet more closely when I get into heavy training.  Averaged 6:58 pace

8 miles before work.  Warm and wet (50s) not too bad. Averaged 6:58 pace. Abs and push-ups.

8 miles easy.  Averaged 6:58.  Pushups, core, standard routine.  Still warm.  Good for running.

2 mile WU

Marathon pace run: 5:51, 5:56, 5:53, 5:50, 5:55 

1 mile CD. 

Today was the first day for me to attempt marathon pace.  It felt strange and a little labored at first since I haven't run any faster than 6:30 pace for more than a mile for three+ weeks. I couldn't quite nail the 5:55-6:00 target range I was aiming for so I ended up going a bit quicker.  I think this will definitely level out once I get into the 8-12 mile range for these workouts.

All in all I think I'm training at the right pace but we will find out how I can do with longer mileage and more workouts in the same week. 

8 easy.  Push-ups, core routine.

7 easy then barefoot drills (karaoca, high knees, butt-kicks, skips) and barefoot strides + core work.

well this run did not go as planned. I ran with Lavar and his friend Thomas. The plan was 1 mile WU then 8 miles at 6:25-6:35 pace then 1 CD mile for 10.  It went like this:

7:18, 7:01, 6:38, 6:36, 6:25, 6:13, 6:10, 6:07, 6:11, 6:19, 6:46

It turned out to be a bit longer and I was way too fast in there and I tried to go slower but I felt so good I just kept clicking the miles off. I felt great and I did get 9 miles in 6:22 average range so mission accomplished.  I'm sure this will get closer to goal range as the length of the long runs and mileage weeks intensify.

10 easy.  Again I tried to slow it down but cranked out mostly 6:40s. Tired a bit from yesterday. Took a long nap.

2 mi WU

12 x 1:00 at 5K-3K pace w/ 1:00 min. jogs

2 mi CD

First day of workouts.  The Hanson's plan calls for speed work early in the marathon cycle and then it turns into "strength" work or longer intervals at faster than tempo pace but slower than 5K pace.  Mondays will be my speed-strength day while Wednesdays will be my marathon pace runs, what the Hanson's call "tempo runs." I will be doing 6 at marathon pace on Wednesday.

7 mile recovery run.  Started at 7:30 and went down to 7:10.  Averaged 7:19.

I decided to force myself to a slow pace in order to try the concept of the recovery run.  In the past I've always done my easy runs at a medium pace but I've heard that this is not always the best.  Even Kenyans who run 3 times a day will devote one run to a slow recovery run.

I'll need that bit of recovery after yesterday's speed and tomorrow's marathon pace run. 

2 miles WU

5:54, 5:52, 5:49, 5:50, 5:48, 5:54

2 miles CD

I wanted to get a marathon paced "tempo" run in.  At first it was uncomfortable and felt faster than "marathon pace" and of course it is faster than my current ability to run a marathon although I may be able to do it by Boston time.  I ended up going faster than expected and it took concentration to keep the pace not too fast but not too slow.  I wanted to hit 5:55 every mile. turns out I averaged about 5:52.  good enough for now.  I was thinking about how it will feel when I get this tempo up to 10 and 12 miles. ouch!

easy 7 before my flight back to Ohio

10 easy-medium back home in Ohio.  Holy wind. cold and windy.

14 mile long run.  I ran out from my parents' home to Leipsic.  It was out in the country with nothing but fields and water towers in the distance. Very flat here compared to DC with the smell of manure laying fallow in the fields.  That wind was ridiculous.  I didn't choose a very good route.  Most of the way was into the wind and going into the wind, a 6:20 pace effort was 6:45 pace! you can probably tell from my splits below where I was going into the wind! Averaged 6:33 minus the two warm up miles.  good enough with that wind.

7:26 (WU), 7:07 (WU), 6:39, 6:38, 6:37, 6:35, 6:43, 6:30, 6:27, 6:23, 6:25, 6:40, 6:42, 6:24 

"Out here in the fields,

I fight for my meals.

  I get my back into my living" 

8 miles easy.  I ended up running in the 6:40s most of the way even though I was dead tired.  That 14 on Saturday really took it out of me.  The wind and the effort were rough.

2 mile WU

8 x 2:00 min. @ 5K-3K pace with 1:30 min. jogs.

1 mile CD

Cold and quiet.  Tired but able with all of my systems on go.  Good place to be.  The cumulative fatigue is there but no niggles or sore tendons or joints. Ran on the track back home. 

10 easy on Christmas morning.  Dead quiet outside. 27 degrees but the wind wasn't too bad. Heard a rooster croak.

1.5 miles barefoot on my parents' treadmill. 

10.5 miles on the treadmill at the YMCA with my dad back home.  There is a winter storm/blizzard outside and the wind is ridiculous. I'm glad I at least got the treadmill miles in and I even maintained a quick 6:30 pace for 3 miles and 6:00 for 2 miles in there. Looking forward to going back to the slightly warmer DC weather where that slightly warmer temperatures mean rain instead of snow.

Still back home and a blizzard warning was in full effect.  The wind sucked and there was no footing.  Pretty much leaped and dodged and got wet attempting to run.  I went back home and shoveled snow.  A lot of snow.  Good core workout and some cross training.

felt hungover from Christmas and the bar yesterday and didn't get a run in before my flight.  Turns out the flight was delayed many times and I didn't get home until late.  No running today I guess.

15 miles starting easy and picking it up from there.  On the way back there was this massive and long hill that I always run on Harvard street by the National Zoo.  It hurt like a bitch today as I was hitting the wall at the same time.  Here were my splits:

7:33, 7:02, 6:45, 6:48, 6:42, 6:43, 6:40, 6:50, 6:39, 6:31, 6:37, 6:30, 6:35, 6:48, 7:27 

8 recovery run.  Legs are destroyed after yesterday's solid effort.

20 min WU

6 x 3:00 min @ 5K pace

20 min CD

Legs are tired from the hard 15 on Sat. I feel like it is easier time-wise and leg-wise to train for faster races.  Sometimes faster paced workouts are tough but at least you don't have that deep glycogen depleted feeling in your legs sticking around many days after a workout.  This marathoning stuff will give me one hell of an aerobic base to destroy my 10K and 5K PRs next spring/summer.  Who knows maybe I will eventually like the longer races better.