Ni!

Thursday, November 30, 2006

1:18:05 :: 12 miles

Moderate run. Did as much as I could given the conditions. Patchy ice on the roads, 10mph wind, and -2F temp made it tough to get the pace down. Had about five miles of strong pace (6:00-6:15s w/ 145-150 HR) and another seven of easy to moderate pace (6:25-7:00s). Felt good, just couldn't cruise on the streets. Final four miles on the treadmill at 135-155 HR.

Building up volume now, so I'm not going to worry about these sub-par workouts in sub-par conditions. Frustrating, but not too big a concern.

Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

2:02:20 :: 18 miles

Easy run. Mother nature is a dirty !@#$ing @%$#@. Really cold, windy, and ice covered everything. Did three out and back sections of a N-S road with some tree cover to stay out of the west wind. Worked pretty well. Footing was poor, so the run was not as fast as I wanted, but better pace than expected. Overall feeling really good. No niggles to speak of. That hasn't happened for a long time.

Second run was very good, probably the most relaxing and comfortable I've had.

Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

1:27:15 :: 11 miles

Recovery run. Ran on the treadmill at 7:45-8:00 pace. Ice storm outside, so no go for outdoor running. Running 1.5 hours on the treadmill sucked just as bad as I remember.

Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Monday, November 27, 2006

1:10:53 :: 11 miles

Moderate progression run. Started with a 7:24 to warm up, then waited to see if I was going to feel better today. 6:38, 6:33, 6:46 into the wind. Feeling okay, but still a bit tired. 6:22, 6:26, 6:19 and feeling a bit better, HR into the high 140s/low 150s. 6:15, 6:10, 6:06 with HR in the mid-to-high 150s, and 5:47 to finish with average HR of 167.

Overall average HR of 147 and pace of 6:26. Good run. Took a bit to feel loose, but it came around.

Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Sunday, November 26, 2006

2:20:01 :: 20 miles

Long run. Went easy pretty much the whole way. Wind and cold again today (10 degrees and 15 mph wind) really put me off. Feeling really uncomfortable, wet, and cold so I came indoors at 12 miles and finished on the treadmill. Tried to increase the pace, but it just wasn't there today. First poor long run in quite a few weeks, so I'm just going to look past it, and have a good week. The leg and calves are feeling better, so onward and upward.

Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Saturday, November 25, 2006

November 19-25 :: 72 miles [7 runs]

1:02:30 :: 8 miles

Recovery run. Ran 4.5 outside then 3.5 more on the treadmill. Very windy and cold this morning, not an enjoyable run.

Second run on the treadmill. Four miles at recovery pace.

Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Friday, November 24, 2006

1:32:12 :: 14 miles

Moderate to hard progression run. Ran in the park back home. Nice ~1200 meter mostly dirt road around the park took a good deal of the pounding out of the run. A couple of easy miles to start, then a steady progression down from 4:35 per lap (1150 meters) for a few to 4:20 for a few to 4:10 for two laps to 4:02 to 3:52 for the final lap. Finished with several easy miles. Solid workout.

Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Thursday, November 23, 2006

1:38:17 :: 14 miles

Easy run. Pretty much seven minute miles except for the last couple. 6:07 for the final mile, didn't feel very strong. Average HR for the run was a recovery-worthy 135.

Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

1:01:44 :: 10 miles

Hard run. Felt okay. This really felt more like a tempo run than a hard run. The wind was a big factor in how poorly I felt, as well as some 'stomach issues' that cropped up in the last five miles. Heart rate steady at 152-157 for miles two through nine, but the pace varied between 5:53 and 6:17 depending on the wind. So I just had to go by effort. Other than the warmup, the final mile was the only outlier--a 5:38 averaging 162.

Pain from the left leg was non-existent, no thanks to the two days of biking, which seemed to make it worse. Stretching and some isometric exercises really make it feel better, and I don't feel it at all when running. Good news.

Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

No Run :: 1:15:00 bike

Well, the biking seems to be hurting rather than helping. The soreness is more significant after an hour on the bike than it was when I was running. So I guess I'll stick with the light strength work, stretching, and icing, and ease back on the running in order to get rid of this. According to the info I found on google, I should get significant improvement from the srteching alone. We'll see.

Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Monday, November 20, 2006

No Run :: 1:00:00 bike

Recovery ride today. Giving the left leg a break. Some pain in the adductor, so playing it safe. Today was a recovery pace eight to ten miles, so it was a good one to replace with a bike ride.

Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Sunday, November 19, 2006

2:10:50 :: 20 miles

Long steady run. Felt good right out of the chute, so I went with it. Started with a 7:15, then 6:40 pace through the next several miles. Felt the zip go out of the legs around mile 13. I changed my pattern of taking GEF at one hour in, and intstead took it at about 1.5 hours. I could tell the difference in the last six miles or so. Felt sluggish and my breathing changed to a near tempo run pattern even though my HR stayed steady around 155. Just different with a different fueling pattern. Ran just under 6:20 pace for miles 5, 10, 12, 17, and 20, otherwise in the 6:25-6:35 range. Avg HR 149, 6:32 pace overall. 143lb post-run weight.

Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Saturday, November 18, 2006

November 12-18 :: 79 miles [10 runs]

52:12 :: 8 miles

Moderate 'oreo' run...good stuff in the middle. One mile warmup, then 6:24, 6:01, 5:52, 5:58. Left shin locked up through a portion of the third faster mile. Not cool. Three miles easy to finish. Left achilles was perfect. Iced it four times yesterday, which seems to have worked really well. Left quad is feeling strange. Good during the run, but sore after. Icing and stretching should bring it around.

Overall, didn't feel good today. Whatever fitness I had that allowed me to run easy at six-minute pace is gone.

Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Friday, November 17, 2006

24:34 :: 3 miles

Recovery jog. Used a heat pack on the left achilles for a few minutes while riding the trainer to warm up. Worked great. No problems at all during the run. Felt good. Really enjoying these short, slow jogs.

54:52 :: 8 miles

Easy run. Left achilles had a slight twinge in the first mile, then felt fine. Iced and light massage on the left achilles and calf, as well as right calf. Will try to ice three to four more times today.

Light snow last night so the sidewalks were a little slick. No problems though. New shoes on Wednesday (Asics 2080). Seem to be helping, as legs are feeling better in general.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

45:44 :: 6 miles

Recovery run. Everything felt good, other than the weather--breezy and about 20 degrees. Stretched and iced both calves as well as right leg crotchal region (technical term). Calves have been a bit moody since the fartlek workout on Tuesday, so I'm trying to get out ahead of any further problems. I have been stretching well and doing 80-100 calf raises several times a week for the past few months in order to avoid the calf problems this time around. Hopefully it works!

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

25:07 :: 3 miles

Recovery jog. Started at 10 minute pace and worked down to 7:45 or so. Avg HR 123. Felt good. Stretched some and iced calves after.

1:19:23 :: 12 miles

Steady run. First few miles slower to warm up the niggles, then started to gradually drop the pace. Legs felt a bit heavy until about mile six or seven, then everything felt good for the balance of the run. Last four miles in 6:15(151), 6:16(152), 6:10(153), 5:49(161) average HR in parentheses. Avg HR for the run was 145. Good run.

There was a nice 1.5 mile dirt road left over from the flood protection project that I made a regular part of my runs, helping to keep the wear and tear on my legs reasonable. This morning I found out the hard way that the entire road was tilled up and seeded with grass. Fortunately, I didn't break an ankle.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

24:51 :: 3 miles

The first, of what I hope will be many, second runs of the day. The plan is to do 3-5 miles at about 8:00 pace five to six times a week in addition to the core mileage. Average HR of 126 for the run. The idea is blood flow, time on feet, and recovery enhancement, so the heart rate should stay below 130, but probably over 120.

Good run. Actually relaxing as well as energizing. Usually I go back to work feeling kind of lethargic, so this may provide a nice boost there as well.

52:06 :: 8 miles

Fartlek run. Not a real fartlek, as this was overly structured, but still speed play. Did 1.5 mile warmup, then 800 (2:55), 400 (1:26), 800 (2:35), 400 (1:13), 800 (2:38), 400 (1:13) with full recoveries at 6:45 pace. The first 800 and 400 were into a decent wind, and the rest were with the wind. Stride felt strong and smooth by the second 800, and average heart rates on the repeats were in the 165 range, controlled and comfortable. I felt a bit of lactate creeping in a minute into the last 400, so I shut the fartlek down and finished with two miles easy. Good run. Already feeling the recovery from the reduced miles this week.

Monday, November 13, 2006

55:40 :: 8 miles

Easy run. Didn't feel all that great from the start, so I tried to just relax and get it done.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

2:14:25 :: 20 miles

Long run with eight mile progression (50:52 :: 6:21p). Decided to do a cut-back of about 20% overall this week to recover a bit from the last several weeks of the build. Averaged 6:43 pace with an average HR of 140. Felt really good except for the last two, when I slowed from 6:15 pace to 6:50 pace thinking I would have a nice cooldown. Never doing that again, as I felt absolutely terrible. What a way to ruin a good run! Did my recovery drink after and .5 liter of GEF around nine miles. Nothing to eat before the run, and no problems. Small niggle in the right quad, tightened up a bit at the beginning of the run, fine during.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

November 5-11 :: 83 miles [6 runs]

1:24:22 :: 12 miles

Overall easy run. Split time between 7:30s and 6:40s for an average just over seven minute pace. Decent run, feeling a bit better, but still kind of off since the rest day. Considered running the Vet's Day 8k, but the course was very rough and I had some cramping in my quad during the run today. Made a smart decision (for once) and didn't race. Unfortunately, this would have been a good year to go for the win. Winning time was 31-something, and I ran 29:51 last year before I was even in shape. I've run the race five different years, but have never won, so that's disappointing. Maybe if I stay healthy, I can come back next year and win it in 26-something!

Friday, November 10, 2006

1:08:42 :: 10 miles

Easy run. Felt like absolute crap. I generally don't run well following a rest day, and today was no exception. Niggles were fine, but the stride just felt awful and clunky. Couldn't wait to get out the door this morning, and after a mile or two, couldn't wait to get done.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

30:00 bike :: Rest Day

Feeling some niggles in legs starting yesterday evening and overall a bit tired, so playing it safe and taking a rest day. Stretched and iced some spots, also did a few sets of body weight squats to start off the strength training very easy.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

1:57:53 :: 18 miles

Steady pace longer run. This one was a little bit challenging from a mental perspective. I think some general fatigue may have set in, as it required a fair bit of focus to stay on pace. Lungs and legs felt strong, with heart rates in the 145-150 range for the first 14 miles or so, picking up to 155-160 for the last four (at nearly the same pace). Finished feeling more than pleasantly tired, but still not depleted. Average pace of 6:33, with a final two miles of 6:19 and 6:14. Average HR of 149. Good run overall. Looking forward to a recovery run tomorrow. Did my recovery drink, ten minute cooldown spin on the bike, stretching, and quick self-massage in the shower. Not that kind of quick self-massage. Cheers!

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

1:21:14 :: 12 miles

Easy run with 6x200 strides. Strides were at approximately five minute pace, give or take 10 seconds. First three were slower, last three were quicker. All felt fine, but clunky, as expected. Strides were done at the beginning of each of the last six miles, after which I would settle in to a 6:5x pace. Overall the run was really good. Legs were still a bit sluggish at the beginning, feeling much better in the second half. 6:45 pace overall, average HR of 142.

Monday, November 06, 2006

1:07:11 :: 9 miles

Recovery run. Set out to run only as fast as I naturally felt comfortable, and locked in at about 7:30 pace. Strange to think that during my first go around with 100 mile weeks I did that kind of pace nearly every day. Looking forward to feeling fresh tomorrow.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

2:25:54 :: 22 miles

Strong pace long run. It worked well last week to break up the long run into different paces, so I did it again this week. The first mile was a leisurely 7:40, then the next eight were in the 6:50 to 7:05 range. I found a nice 1.5 mile dirt road close to home that I did several out and back stretches on to get to 10 miles. Felt okay, but a bit out of sorts. Miles 10 to 14 were 6:30-6:40 pace. This is also where I took in a half-liter of GEF. From 15 on, I decided I was feeling good, and would go strong for as long as it felt comfortable. Splits from that stretch were 6:03, 6:18, 6:16, 6:24, 6:18, 6:13, 6:06, and 6:01.

No heart rate info from this run. Apparently the battery died. The strong section felt similar to the stronger paced run I do during the week, and the last two miles felt about like a tempo effort, maybe a touch easier. I finished feeling tired, but not depleted.

Several hours later, the legs feel good, no cramping or soreness anywhere. Good run.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Oct 29 - Nov 4 :: 86 miles [7 runs]

1:09:17 :: 10 miles

Easy run with a couple of strides at the finish. Seven minute pace for the first six, then 6:40s for the last four. Thought about going as far as 14, but I decided it's still early and I would just have been going for the '90' in the log book.

Friday, November 03, 2006

1:26:53 :: 12 miles

Recovery run, finished with three miles on the treadmill. Between 7:05 and 7:10 miles outside. Felt good. Coldest day yet. Weather Channel said 13 degrees. Very light winds though, which helped. Nothing compared to what will come in January. =)

Thursday, November 02, 2006

1:02:08 :: 10 miles

Great run. Pretty tough running for the most part. Felt more like a tempo run due to the wind during the first 4 miles. Settled in nicely with the wind at my back. Defintely took some focus to keep up the effort. Splits of 7:16, 6:30, 6:13, 6:17, 6:05, 5:51, 5:59, 6:01, 5:49, 6:00. Mile 10 was a spur of the moment addition, and I ended up running over a lot of ice. Otherwise it would have been in the 5:50 range. It was a nice little fartlek between 6:30 and 5:30 pace. Stretched well and massaged the legs afterward.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

1:50:23 :: 16 miles

20 degrees, windy, and icy in spots. Overall a decent run with challenging conditions. Had to wear a slightly heavier jacket and supertights. First 9 in 63-something, then final seven at 6:45 pace with final two miles of 6:27 and 6:06. Average HR of 142 for the run. It's frickin' NOVEMBER.