An Exercise In Utility: 2007

Ni!

Monday, December 31, 2007

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Friday, December 28, 2007

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

1:50:00 6:44 16/86

Easy run. Just over 16 miles. A bit slippery, nice weather, can't complain.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Easy run. Would have gone longer, but I needed to be back in the house by 6:00, and I squandered the hours from 3:00 to 5:00 on tea and reading. Definitely a lack of mental energy today in contrast with the excess physical energy and good feeling legs. Cold temps again today (-5F) and willing myself through 2+ hours of slow, poor-traction running yesterday found me needing a mental recovery day. Disappointed in myself to have blown the opportunity to get another 30 minutes in this morning, though I have to remind myself it is a long road to travel yet...
Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

2:20:00 :: 20.2 miles

Long run. Pucker up, Mother Nature...it's that time of year again. Warmer today--no wind and +11F, which made for a decent run. One big negative, and something I have to adjust my mindset to, is the change in pace. Due to the massive loss of traction,I'm dropping 10-15 seconds per mile at the same effort/HR. Nothing really to be done about it, as I am already wearing some traction aids. All those are able to do is prevent the really nasty 'leg flying out behind' slippage and provide some security on hidden icy patches. A 1/8 inch spike just can't compete with dry asphalt.

Legs felt really good after the run and throughout the day. No recovery routine today, either.

Ohana 1
231 miles

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

1:25:00 :: 12 miles

Easy run. Absolutely brutal. Conditions were very poor ater six inches of snow last night and a huge cold front that dropped temps from the low 30s to -10F overnight. The running was fantastic--legs felt great, HR was low--but I was so cold. My hands and forearms were nearly numb. This, even with an extra jacket on top. I must just need to build up the tolerance again.

Good run, looking forward to a long run tomorrow.

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

Monday, November 26, 2007

1:15:00 :: 12.2 miles

Moderate pace run. Felt good after cutting back a bit yesterday. First mile was 6:40, so I decided to go for a strong 10 miler and see how it went. This is day ten of mileage with almost nothing faster than 6:45 pace, so it was about time for a change of pace. Just under 60 minutes for 10 miles, then an easy ten minutes to finish the run. Good run. Took an ice bath and recovery drink after. Good run--fun, too. =)

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

Sunday, November 25, 2007

1:10:00 :: 10.1 miles

Easy run. Cut the planned morning one hour run, and just ran in the afternoon. Felt pretty terrible--tired, a bit sore, irritated with the wind. I think not running in the morning worked out poorly.

Ohana 2
20 miles

Saturday, November 24, 2007

2:10:00 :: 18.8 miles (10.2 / 8.6)

Two easy runs. Afternoon run felt better again. Both were good.

Ohana 2
10 miles

Friday, November 23, 2007

2:17:00 :: 20.1 miles (9.1 / 11)

Two easy runs. One hour with four miles at 6:15 pace, and a longer run in the afternoon. Both felt really good. A bit tired from lack of sleep last night.

Ohana 1
190 miles

Thursday, November 22, 2007

1:30:00 :: 13.3 miles

Easy run. Felt pretty energetic this morning, which is weird. I seem to be alternating feeling tired and snappy every other day. Still need to get some more sleep...maybe over the holiday. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Ohana 1
181 miles

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

2:00:00 :: 17.3 miles

Easy run. This one was pretty tough after 1:35. No problem with the legs, just overwhelmingly tired. Didn't sleep enough again last night. Need to get to bed before 8:30 if I'm going to be getting up at 3:30. Did recovery routine the last two days, and it seems to be working out well--no soreness, legs feel good the next day.

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

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

1:45:00 :: 15.5 miles

Easy run. Felt a little bit of that familiar base training fatigue today. The kind of tired that makes you feel like laying down in the road and going to sleep, but that you can easily run forever through with a bit of concentration. Legs felt great again, so it was probably from a lack of sleep over the past couple of days. Either way, it was good to feel again. Cheers!

Ohana 1
168 miles

Monday, November 19, 2007

1:33:00 :: 13.5 miles

Easy run. Misjudged the out and back and went a few minutes longer than planned. Felt great though. Followed the recovery routine (cold bath, 4:1 drink) the last two days, and it seems to be paying off.

Ohana 1
152 miles

Sunday, November 18, 2007

1:30: 00 :: 13.1 miles

Saturday, November 17, 2007

2:00:00 :: 17.1 miles

Easy run. Felt really good to get out for two hours and just roll. It's been a long time, sweetie...

Ohana 1
139 miles

Friday, November 16, 2007

39:50 :: 6.2 miles

Easy progression run. First mile in 7:00, so I must have been feeling fresh from the time off. Came through the next few in the 6:20s, then 6:15 and 6:05 to finish. No stress at all, just felt strong and easy. Good run.

Ohana 1
122 miles

Thursday, November 15, 2007

40:12 :: 5.7 miles

Easy run. Took the past three days off of running (biking or nothing), but I started feeling like I needed to run to keep the habit tuned. Waking up and drinking tea for two hours before going to work is only a nice break for a day or two tops.

Ohana 1
116 miles

Sunday, November 11, 2007

28:31 :: Veteran's Day 8K XC

NEW! Pictures from the race

8k XC race. First place, course record (or, a new World Record for this race! as the director put it). Good race, happy to be done racing this season and looking forward to training for a spring marathon. Race report and pics in the next day or two...

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

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Charts, Etc. STICKY

Running Log

Google Docs has come a long way. Now the time functions on the spreadsheet appear to be accurate, so I'm going to try to keep the log updated in a spreadsheet (for charts, analysis, etc.) as well as in words on the blog.

For now, I'm going to leave this sticky (the chart will update regularly) at the top of the page--just a warning for those of you who don't use bloglines or RSS feeds.

42:02 :: 6 miles

Friday, November 09, 2007

52:45 :: 8 miles

Easy run. Pace was a bit quicker today, but still felt very easy. Good run.

Ohana 1
110 miles

Thursday, November 08, 2007

30:00 :: 4.2 miles

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

1:15:32 :: 12.1 miles

Taper workout. Really windy today, which affected the whole workout. For some stupid reason I decided to skip the loop today, except for a couple of the 1000s. It made the 30 min run look better than it was, and the recovery and the first 1000 look terrible. On balance the whole workout went just fine, but if I had stayed on the loop, I would at least have something to compare it to.

The warmup was done into the wind, then turned neutral or with the wind for the first four of the 5.27 miles--the change in HR is obvious for the last mile heading into the wind. The entire 15 min steady recovery and the first 1000 were done 100% into the wind, which is obvious. And then the last two 1000s were done with ~700m with the wind and ~300m against. Running the loop evened the 1000s out to the 'normal' time/effort/HR ratio, so I was kicking myself for avoiding the loop for the first part of the workout. That, and I wasn't dressed for the wind/cold combo today, and I was fscking freezing.

15 min Warmup
7:02(129) | 6:39(137) (2.2 miles)

30 min@MP
5:45(148) | 5:43(151) | 5:41(151)
5:39(152) | 5:40(157) (5.27 miles)

15 min Steady Recovery
6:18(152) | 6:18(150) (2.38 miles)

3x1000m on 5:00
3:18.5(164-1:03) | 3:07.2(161-1:06) | 3:04.5(160-1:05)

Tough day, good workout. Can't wait to get to the start line.

Ohana 1
102 miles

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

1:15:10 :: 11.2 miles

Easy run. Felt really good, so I had to hold back a bit knowing tomorrow's taper workout will be my last stronger effort before the race on Sunday. HR is still a bit high, but I'm feeling fine, so I guess it is just what it is. ??

Ohana 1
90 miles

Monday, November 05, 2007

1:00:05 :: 8.3 miles

Recovery run. Ran slow enough to keep the HR under 130 (128 average), with a max of 134 for the run. Mystery Coach noted the HR on yesterday's run seemed to be high, so just in case another cold or something similar is on the way, I thought I'd pull back a bit today.

Good run, although there were some icy spots after the rain last night. The aggravation starts now! I don't mind winter, but I HATE the lack of traction. I will be brainstorming on that problem like crazy this winter.

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

Sunday, November 04, 2007

1:30:02 :: 14.2 miles

Moderate run. Ran a bit longer today at a faster pace. The effort felt right, and I felt good, so I went with it. I think my taper workout falls on Wednesday this week (Sunday race), so I will have a few easy days before that comes up. Average pace 6:20, average HR 149.

Ohana 1
79 miles

Saturday, November 03, 2007

1:01:36 :: 9 miles

Friday, November 02, 2007

39:55 :: 6 miles (2mi TT)

Time trial. Very tired and kind of lazy this morning, as I knew I didn't have to go to work today (staying home with the kids). I didn't get out the door until nearly 5:30, even though I was up before 4:00. With the lazy attitude and a 15mph wind seemingly coming from all directions, I didn't have high hopes for the TT, which is just as well so that it didn't turn into a race. The plan was to duplicate this workout, and with the exception of a couple of seconds, I think it went exactly to plan.

5:01.9(166) | 4:59.7(174)

The first mile felt about right, very similar to the rhythm of the 800s from a few days back. It was a second or two fast, so I tried to dial back a bit without losing the rhythm, but was not successful. I went through the third .5 mile at 2:28, again too fast, and dialed back the effort at that point. Just like the last workout, the last quarter mile or so was challenging, and, if I'm being honest, continuing for another half-mile at pace would have been in the cards, but no fun. Heart rates varied by a couple of bpm, which is accounted for in the increased speed.

It looks like I've held even since the end of August, which is another indicator, along with my mental state, that I am ready to hang up the racing flats for a few months and rebuild. I'm not looking past next week's race, but I am ready to be finished with it.

Ohana 1
65 miles

Thursday, November 01, 2007

1:10:00 :: 10.3 miles

Easy run. Feeling pretty good today. Weather is turning cold now--29 this morning--so it's getting to be time to put on the jacket, gloves, etc. Hopefully this year we will have a nice transition, rather than waking up one morning to 12F or something silly like that after 60F the day before. Mmmm...smell that? That's good winter.

Ohana 1
59 miles

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

I Knew It !

A little trick for trick-or-treat day...

Happy Halloween!

1:07:06 :: 10 miles

Easy run. Felt good following yesterday's workout. I know that I could have duplicated that workout today if I had to (one of Mystery Coach's rules of thumb), so I think the effort was right. Averaged 6:43 pace, 137HR on a windy and cold day.

I checked out the NOVA marathon program last night on PBS, and it was pretty interesting. I enjoyed the science, and seeing everyone (except one) get through the training and finish one of the more difficult Boston Marathons. Leaving aside whether or not a 6+ hour marathon is 'running', 'racing' or something else, I have a lot of respect for anyone who can put in that kind of effort for that length of time. Not for me!

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

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

1:00:00 :: 8 miles (6x800)

Workout. Went incredibly well. Felt very easy, relaxed, and strong. A couple were slightly faster than I wanted, but nothing to cause problems. Mystery Coach was looking for 2:27-2:30--a good rhythm, but not too fast. If I screwed it up, he assured me that I'd have to do it over tomorrow...

Just kidding.

Fifteen minute warmup and fifteen minute cooldown for 4.2 miles.

2:29.4(162-:44) | 2:26.5(159-:46)
2:27.7(161-:??) | 2:29.7(160-:48)
2:27.0(160-:51) | 2:35.0(160-:46)

A couple of notes--the third rep I forgot to check my 120 recovery, so I finally hit the button at 106, at :59 seconds. Based on the other reps, it's safe to say it was in the same :46-:50 range. On the last rep, the watch didn't record .50 miles until about 30m past the finish line for all the others. Based on the way it felt, the HR, and the recovery time, I would say this was in the same time range as the others, and that something happened with the GPS. All that matters is that the reps were consistent in effort, if not in time. I didn't look at my watch until the last few meters before the finish, so I was really trying to gauge the effort off the body rather than split times. I guess my internal clock was off. Maybe I need the Daylight Savings Time patch.

Ohana 1
49 miles

Monday, October 29, 2007

1:01:45 :: 9 miles

Sunday, October 28, 2007

40:00 :: 5.5+ miles

Easy run. Ran the Veteran's Day course in my new spikes--to break them in as well as get in some time on the course. It's quite the ankle breaker again, and it's helpful to practice some of the more technical sections before coming across the ravines, hidden logs, and micro-moguls at race pace.

I should have a couple of workouts over the next week, so today was a nice way to get recovered and ready for them.

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

Saturday, October 27, 2007

1:42:32 :: 15 miles

Easy run. Longer run today, but not as long or fast as the long run a week after Beardsley. Probably why I felt so good during the run and feel so good today. A good lesson for the future following a long race.

Average HR of 136, average pace of 6:50. Solid run, very nice day, and feeling ready for the last two weeks of training leading up to the Veteran's Day race.

We're going to the pumpkin patch! Have a good weekend, everyone.

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

Friday, October 26, 2007

Marathon Challenge Starting Oct. 30!

A few weeks back, I was asked to mention this NOVA program on my blog. So, here it is, in the nick of time! I'll keep this sticky for a few days so you all remember to tune in!

Just a reminder that NOVA's "Marathon Challenge" will be premiering this Tuesday, October 30, at 8PM ET/PT on PBS. You can check your local listings to confirm when it will be broadcast near you.

Here's the scoop on the show: Six months ago, a team of rookies stepped to the starting line of the Boston Marathon. As members of Team NOVA, they were part of an experiment: a test to see what it takes to mold a batch of non-runners into a team of marathoners. Tune in Tuesdsay to find out how this diverse group of hopeful novices transformed physically and mentally to meet the challenge.

While you're waiting, why not click over to the Marathon Challenge Web site, where you can meet Team NOVA and its coaching group, get training tips, and explore the physiology of fitness.

1:00:30 :: 10 miles

Moderate progression run. Really good run. Definitely worked into the mid-range, but remained very comfortable--no difficulty working down to half marathon pace by the end of the run.

6:49(128) | 6:18(141) | 6:10(146)
6:14(145) | 6:05(148) | 6:05(151)
5:54(153) | 5:53(155) | 5:40(161)
5:21(167) MaxHR: 171 AvgHR: 147

Recovered to 120HR in 1:11, to 110HR in 1:34. This run felt awesome! One of those where I was more energized *after* the run than before. Very similar in feeling to the 7 mile MP runs that preceded the long MP back-to-backs during marathon training. Good stuff.

Ohana 1
41 miles

Thursday, October 25, 2007

54:34 :: 8 miles

Easy run, mixed pace. Very windy, so speed was all over the place. Finally determined that the high HR problem must be a low battery in the strap, because it happens on every run now, and has gone as high as 232. Hmm. But it goes away after about .5 to 1 mile, with the rest of the results being consistent and accurate. Weird.

Anyway, here's the breakdown:

7:26(128) | 7:09(130) | 7:11(131)
6:57(135) | 6:20(138) | 6:33(136)
6:33(137) | 6:25(140)

FYI, I'm not going to start recording this in depth on every run. I am doing this for this week to get a read on some different HR ranges and paces. I also want to compare this week to a few weeks back--the one where I went overboard on moderate runs following the Beardsley 1/2 marathon (specifically, the moderate ten miler, followed by the evaluation run, followed by a 2-hour run at 6:41 pace...oops). I am doing some moderate range work this week following the 15k, but dialing back to what I hope is a more 'recoverable' level. We'll see.

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

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

1:09:35 :: 11 miles

We'll call this 'high-easy' pace. I don't think it's quite 'moderate' because it is so comfortable and relaxed--it feels so easy, but is probably not a pace I could do (or would want to do unless I was training for 100k or something) for more than an hour for days on end. Anyway, I wanted to do some work at this pace during the week because I have been feeling like this range has been neglected, and now is as good as any time to do it, as I am winding down from racing and looking ahead to aerobic volume work and marathon training.

Long-winded explanations done. Here is the breakdown:

6:48(130) | 6:19(140) | 6:18(139)
6:16(141) | 6:16(143) | 6:15(144)
6:18(146) | 6:17(147) | 6:15(148)
6:15(149) | 6:17(148)

Recovered to 120HR in :35, to 110 in :55. Overall, a very comfortable and satisfying run. Still feeling the HR is a few bpm high, but no problems due to the lingering cold.

Ohana 1
31 miles

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

1:20:48 :: 12 miles

Easy run. Felt really good from the first mile, but kept the pace under control for the run. Generally, the first mile is around 7:10-7:20, then drops to whatever the pace for the day will be. Today I got through in 6:55, which is a good indicator of both physical and mental recovery. It's actually been a few weeks since I had a sub 7:00 warm up mile on one of these non-workout runs, so I'll take that as a positive.

HR was a bit higher today, averaging 137 at 6:44 pace. The cold is on the way out, but is still sitting in my chest, causing some coughing every so often.

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

Monday, October 22, 2007

1:12:11 :: 10 miles

Recovery run. Took another very easy day, but increased the time. Downloaded some Keane tunes and plugged in the iPod. Turned out to be a very nice, relaxing run. Average HR 130, which is still a bit higher than normal for 7:15 pace. Cold is fading away, but still there.

Ohana 1
20 miles

Sunday, October 21, 2007

54:00 :: 7.5+ miles

Recovery run. Ran 23 minutes pushing kids in the stroller and keeping up with Cindy, then 31 minutes on my own for about 7.5-7.75 miles. Averaged around 7:30 pace between the two segments with a HR average of 127. Nice family run--it's been a while!

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

Saturday, October 20, 2007

~50:45 :: Red River Run 15k + (1st)

Well, a good day weather-wise, an okay day physically, and a bad day for logistics. The weather was great, about 45F, overcast, with a light breeze, 6-8mph according to reports. Couldn't ask for anything better in October--just a great day to run. The course was hillier than advertised, being held in the same park as the Prairie Rose 5k I ran earlier this summer, rather than the original (traditional?) country highway. Not a fast, flat course, but more of an easy roller.

Physically, I just didn't have it today. I could muster about half-marathon pace before my breathing would go crazy on me, which stopped me pushing my intended 5:15 goal pace. I made it two miles on pace, and with my breathing more like the last stages of a 10k, I knew I wouldn't last long without pulling back and reassessing the goal. My legs felt great. Plenty of gas and feeling strong the whole way, which was too bad. So, overall, the cold is still affecting my lungs, but my legs were feeling good. Here's the breakdown:

Max HR: 173

5:14.8(165) | 5:16.2(170) | 5:27.0(170) 5K-16:33
5:20.0(169) | 5:27.8(167) | 5:24.4(167) 10K-33:14
5:30.2(168) | 5:29.2(167) | 5:29.0(168)

I didn't get the split for the last stretch or an actual final time because my watch didn't get stopped properly (or a button got hit and it started up again). Also, the finish timer apparently didn't work, because they had my time at the awards as 57:05, which, as it happens, was ten seconds *slower* than second place. Hmmmm...

You might have noticed the + after the 15k up top. Unfortunately, the lead cyclist took me off course with just over a mile to go (up a steep hill, no less). After about 100m I realized that we were coming in on the finish of the first loop, which would put me over 3/4 mile short of the 15k. I told the biker we must have gone off course, and fortunately we were able to drop down a steep embankment back onto the correct finish loop, adding just about 80 meters to the course, maybe 15 seconds. I had already been frustrated with watching my lofty (sub-49) and reasonable (49:30) goals slip away, so rather than get pissed off about missing my cold-comfort goal (sub-50), I just had to laugh it off. No use getting worked up about it, as a number of other factors combined to make it 'not my day' well before the logistical snafu.

The end result is a new, easy to crack 15k PR, and a good overall experience at a really great race with a lot of history. Next year, I'll shoot for sub-48! haha

Have a great weekend, and stay healthy everyone!

Ohana 1
10 miles

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

1:10:09 :: 11+ miles

Taper workout. Easy 10 minutes, then 30 minutes at 5:45, 15 minutes at 6:25, and 3x1000m ~3:10. Still have a cold and didn't sleep well last night.

5:47.8(148) | 5:45.7(153) | 5:44.1(155)
5:44.0(157) | 5:51.3(157) | 1:06.1(161)

3:10.5(163-:59) | 3:09.7(159-:59) | 3:09.8(162-:56)

Last 2+ miles was into a solid breeze, so HR stacked up a bit due to that (and the cold). Slowed to keep the HR reasonable during the last mile. Decided on 3 reps rather than 4 for the 1000s, but I felt fine to go for another. Better to leave it out there with a race coming up and being a bit under the weather.

15K race on Saturday. Ready for a 49:30 or thereabouts, so I'm shooting for a sub-49. We'll see what we get.

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

Monday, October 15, 2007

40:01 :: ~5 miles

Sunday, October 14, 2007

53:18 :: 7+ miles

Saturday, October 13, 2007

54:15 :: 8 miles

Friday, October 12, 2007

50:51 :: 8 miles

Moderate run with a few MP miles. Average HR 147. Weird HR thing happened again, so I stoppped several times to check my wrist pulse, and it was between 120-130 (six second count x 10) every time. Hmmm... I'm also getting another cold. Somebody at the office, who knows who he is, comes in to work sick, hangs around for half an hour, says he doesn't feel good and then goes home. F***ing irritating.

Decent run today, anyway.
Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Thursday, October 11, 2007

1:11:22 :: 10 miles

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

1:01:17 :: 9 miles (9x1000m)

Workout. 8-10x1000 in 3:08-3:10 on 5:00. Ended up doing nine, as Mystery Coach cautioned me to 'leave a couple in the bag'. Ten minute warmup, then...

3:08.3(158-:40) | 3:09.2(159-:42) | 3:10.4(159-:46)
3:10.5(162-:53) | 3:09.1(163-:62) | 3:09.2(162-:63)
3:07.3(162-:70) | 3:07.2(163-:68) | 3:06.7(164-:56)

First four felt really good--like 10k pace. Then 5 and 6 felt progressively more challenging. The last three were strangely more *comfortable* than the slower ones before. Breathing was slightly heavier but easier, and the legs seemed to turn over better. Recovery inexplicably improved on the last one. I was nearly curious enough about the recovery to do a tenth rep. Nearly. =)

Really good workout. Looking forward to the 15k Red River Run in ten days (October 20). I've never run a 15k before, so it should be fun, and I'll get a PR no matter what. Cheers!
Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

59:11 :: 8 miles

Easy run on the treadmill. Of course, it didn't feel that easy. Heart rate was up in the mid 130s by the last few miles, which is somewhere in the 6:35-6:40 range on the roads. Threw in a mile at 3 percent incline. Felt decent. Workout tomorrow, as there was a 30mph wind today. 20mph I can deal with, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

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

Monday, October 08, 2007

41:15 :: 6 miles

Easy run. Once again, the weird HR thing happened. Normal until about the first quarter mile, then up to 170 until about 1400m, then back down to normal. Weird. I noticed this happened last year, too, but I always attributed it to a flaky HR monitor. Flaky heart?

Average HR 131 for the run. Feeling a bit of a cold still. No worse, no better. Workout tomorrow or Wednesday.

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

Sunday, October 07, 2007

1:38:04 :: 15 miles

Saturday, October 06, 2007

1:08:52 :: 10 miles

Friday, October 05, 2007

28:32 :: 4 miles

Thursday, October 04, 2007

56:44 :: 8 miles

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

1:04:41 :: 11 miles (4x1.5mi)

Volume speed workout. Nice weather--41F, clear starry skies, and light winds. Did just a one mile warmup (6:48-127) and got right into the speed. The goal was to duplicate a similar workout from 8.21, like this:

8.21.2007
[7:56-161] - 6:32(146)
[8:01-163] - 6:36(150)
[7:57-166] - 6:32(154)
[8:00-167] - 6:36(151)
*I don't have the breakdown for the 1.5mi segments like below. That workout got erased from my Garmin.

10.3.2007
[7:55-159]-5:18(156)/2:37(164) - 6:38(140)
[7:58-160]-5:22(158)/2:36(165) - 6:33(146)
[7:56-163]-5:19(161)/2:37(166) - 6:30(148)
[7:53-164]-5:18(161)/2:35(168) - 6:29(146)

I ran a bit faster for the last .5 mile of each rep, with the idea being to practice slightly increasing the pace when tired. Seemed to work out well.

Today's result was a significant improvement. Heart rates were improved, even as speeds increased, but more importantly the workout just felt better overall. This is likely the result of taking a pretty easy week prior to today, creating a bit of a 'taper' effect for the workout. Legs felt really strong throughout, and breathing was of the steady tempo run variety. Good workout.

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

Friday, September 21, 2007

37:07 :: 5 miles

Recovery run. Definitely sick. I've got a solid sinus cold going on right now, with plenty of drainage to make things miserable. The run was tolerable. Just enough distance to get the blood flowing. I'm sleepy.

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

Thursday, September 20, 2007

1:01:40 :: 10 miles (4x1mile)

Workout. Much better today. Getting a cold, so I've started up the Zicam (zinc) again. Weather this morning was 52F and raining with a 10mph east wind, which is nice because it's fairly easy to avoid on the loop outside my house.

5:08.2(159)-6:42(142)
5:06.3(166)-6:50(142)
5:03.5(167)-6:58(144)
4:58.2(169)-1:04 to 120HR

I felt pretty flat for the first two, so even though it was better than yesterday, things still weren't going 'good'. After the second rep, I thought I would be done at three, but somehow the fog lifted, and I felt really good on the third one. Still, I looked at what I had done over the past week, factored in getting sick, bad day yesterday, etc., and thought I should still cut it at three. The end of the mile jog had me feeling strong though, so I figured I'd give it a go, and it felt even better than the previous rep. No idea what happened, but it went well.

Ice bath and recovery drink, then a few easier days of running ahead. Hopefully I can stay ahead of this cold and stay on track.
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Wednesday, September 19, 2007

1:06:32 :: 10 miles

Busted workout. Set out to do 4x1 mile with one mile jog recovery at 5:08 moving down toward 5:02, but only did the first one [5:08(162)]. Two mile warmup did not feel good, but like I have mentioned before, sometimes that precedes an amazing workout. Not today. The 5:08 felt like a 4:48. The first .25 worked out to only 5:12 pace, and the vents were way too hard. I finished out the rep, ran an easy seven miles to close out the run, and decided to try again tomorrow and hope for a better day.

An interesting heart rate anomaly this morning during the warmup (actually during a few runs in the last ten days or so). My heart rate will go from 50-52 standing around, and then for the first mile or so, the HR goes as high as the high-180s, which is higher than my max (??). The monitor doesn't seem to be flaking out, because if I stop running, it will quickly go back down to the 70s. A quick check of the wrist pulse indicated that it was truly in the ballpark of 170-180. I've heard of this before, but usually it's accompanied by some really uncomfortable feelings and just feels wrong. I feel totally normal. This goes on for the first mile or a bit longer, then over the course of a minute or so, the HR comes back down to a pace appropriate number (i.e. 7:00 pace, in the mid-120s). Weird.

And, just to explain further what kind of day it has been, the starter went out on my '98 Accord today (finally! 161K miles). This is the first part I have had to pay for in the six years I have owned the car. Pretty amazing. $350 for a starter. Pretty amazing. The Honda place had it installed and back to me in less than three hours. Pretty amazing.

Alright, that is pretty annoying. Later.
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Tuesday, September 18, 2007

55:03 :: 8 miles

Monday, September 17, 2007

30:19 :: 5 miles

Short progression run. Didn't have much time this morning, so went for a short, quicker run. One mile warmup and cooldown, then three in the middle:

6:00(142) | 5:37(153) | 5:23(162)

Felt really good, strong and relaxed the whole run. It's too soon to get a real effect from yesterday's run, but running the hills seem to have made the small niggles in my legs feel much better. Interesting...

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Sunday, September 16, 2007

Catch Up :: Week of 9.9-9.16 2007

Updating the blog has been difficult! Here we go...

Sun 9.9 :: 6.25 miles 44:12 7:05 pace 126HR. Recovery run. Felt very good.
Mon 9.10 :: ~10 miles 1:10:00-ish 7:00 pace. Easy run, watch died. Felt good through six miles, then a bit tired. Very slight quad soreness.
Tue 9.11 :: 11 miles 1:14:27 6:46 pace 134HR. Easy run. Felt solid the whole run. Very slight quad soreness.
Wed 9.12 :: 14 miles 1:32:46 6:37 pace 134HR. Easy run. Felt really good, had to dial back a bit in the first few miles, sneaking under 6:30 pace. Felt well recovered, but a bit cautious still.
Thu 9.13 :: 10 miles 1:04:22 6:26 pace 138HR. Easy to moderate. Picked up a few miles in the 6:00-6:15 range. Feeling quite good.
Fri 9.14 :: 7 miles 44:20. Evaluation run. Writing a separate entry.
Sat 9.15 :: 18 miles 2:00:42 6:41 pace 137HR. Long easy run. Longest run in a while. Steady 6:40-6:50 miles through 16 then 6:25(148), 6:17(149) to finish. Could feel some heaviness set in about 14 miles, but otherwise felt very good.
Sun 9.16 :: 10 miles 1:11:09 7:07 pace 128HR. Easy run. Ran easy with Cindy (thanks g-ma and g-pa!) for four miles, then 6:40 pace for a couple of miles over hills on golf course, then several miles at plus 7:00 pace to finish.

Overall, a solid recovery week with a couple of moderate efforts to prevent that not-so-fresh feeling.
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1:11:38 :: Beardsley Half Marathon (1st)

:: UPDATED with HR and split info ::

1:11:38 (5.25 pace) - HR Avg 166 - Max HR 173

Recorded distance was 13.23 miles, so the splits indicate the pace according to GPS (i.e. splits are faster than official time).

5:27.9(160) | Slightly uphill. 100 calorie drink @ start.
5:22.3(166) | Rolling hills
5:30.8(165) | Flat, heavy rain, into some wind
5:24.2(165) | More flat. 100 calorie drink.
5:27.0(166) | Slight rolling hills. Took/shared lead.
5:21.0(168) | Pressing/surging on hills.
5:21.2(169) | Long uphill at 10K. Rolling hills.
5:25.0(169) | 100 calorie drink. Dropped 3rd place.
5:23.1(167) | More surging. Flat. Patience.
5:28.0(167) | Patience. Slight rolling hills.
5:31.0(168) | Strong surge at 10.3 on uphill.
5:26.2(168) | Wet, muddy road for 1/2 mile. <10 sec lead.
5:21.5(170) | Hard into the last mile. Mostly flat.
1:09.0(171) | .23mi into the finish ~5:10 pace

Now that was fun! No time for a full race report...just out of the car from a long drive, kids to tickle, etc., but I will say that it was definitely a race versus a time trial, which is a nice change. I think there were three of us together through about seven miles, with fellow UND alum Richie not too far behind in fourth after a conservative start. The first half of the race was series of surges and pace checks, which made me edgy. Those guys seemed comfortable. Fortunately I was, too.

Between eight and ten, I threw in a couple of decent surges, but reminded myself to relax until at least ten. Then, just past ten miles, I threw in a solid surge for about 90 seconds and made the break last to the end. I wouldn't say I was comfortable with the win until about 200m to go. The last time I saw 2nd place, at 12 miles, he was only ten seconds back. One of the consequences of never looking back is that you don't know what the hell is going on back there! But, it caused me to run a bit scared, which is always good for time.

Anyway, it was a really good race, it rained the whole time (which worked out well, as usual), and I met some cool people today, including Frank Shorter. Great day! Sorry it took a while to get something posted...I know how the blogosphere likes its updates! More later.

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Friday, September 14, 2007

44:20 :: 7 miles (w/4mi@5:43)

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

1:12:49 :: 10 miles

Recovery run. Put the new Interpol album on the iPod and ran very easy today. The kids have been sick and I've been tired and possibly sick as well. Standing HR of 45 this morning, yes 4-5, that is not a typo. That is so low, it makes me wonder if the last two days of low heart rates are from being sick or if it results from fitness. I guess I'll find out on Saturday. =) Averaged 126 HR and 7:17 pace. Felt really good, and had a nice run.

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Tuesday, September 04, 2007

1:09:15 :: 11 miles

Duplicated taper workout from 5/15/07. Went really well, except for the few minutes right before the 1000s--I've had GI issues yesterday and today, so I had about a three minute break before starting those, and I was considering not doing any the way that I was feeling. The whole workout was like that--I felt terrible when I wasn't running, but when I was at speed, everything felt great. All I had to do was keep moving.

The past three days, I've felt like I was coming down with something, and I noticed the heart rate was up a bit during the easy runs. Now today the HR seemed back to normal, but the energy level felt a bit off. Legs and breathing were both excellent though. Strange day.

10 minute warmup (1.4 miles)

5:55(141) | 5:47(149) | 5:45(151) | 5:42(154) | 5:42(154) (5 miles)

6:13(145) | 3:20(142) (1.52 miles)

3:04.3(156-:49) | 3:01.6(160-:49) | 3:04.0(162-:55)

1 mile cooldown

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Saturday, September 01, 2007

1:01:13 :: 9 miles

Friday, August 31, 2007

1:09:33 :: 10 miles

Easy run. Feeling a little tired, and ready for a slow run this morning. Definitely a touch of fatigue from the TT yesterday, but not bad. Standing HR of 55, average HR for the run of 128. Ice bath from the knees down again today, as much for peace of mind as recovery. The legs always feel better during the day following the cold treatment.

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Thursday, August 30, 2007

51:12 :: 8 miles (2 mi TT)

Two mile time trial with warm up and cool down. Mystery Coach wanted me to run a two mile effort as evenly as possible, while staying relaxed and controlled, with the suggestion that if, at the end of the two miles, I was asked to run another half mile, I could do it at the same pace (without crying, begging to stop, collapsing in dread, etc.).

It went very well. Going out the door, I decided to see how I was feeling after a 20 minute warmup, and decide at that point if I was going to do it today or wait until tomorrow. I was getting out a bit earlier than usual (3:45), so I didn't know if I would be 'awake' to the effort, but it ended up being fine.

5:03.4(164) | 5:02.9(171)

Started off a bit fast, at 4:45 pace for the first 300m or so, then gradually settled in, which is probably why the first mile felt really easy compared to the second. The second mile felt equal to the first until about 1000m in (1.7mi), where it started to feel challenging, but all I had to do was maintain to the finish, so it was fine.

Time to go! Later...

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Wednesday, August 29, 2007

1:31:39 :: 14 miles

Friday, August 24, 2007

1:02:49 :: 9 miles

Thursday, August 23, 2007

1:24:02 :: 12.3 miles

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

57:08 :: 8 miles

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

1:19:33 :: 13 miles (4x1.5mi)

The workout went well. 7:56(161) - 6:32(146) - 8:01(163) - 6:36(150) - 7:57(166) - 6:32(154) - 8:00(167) - 6:36(151), 1:19:33, 13 miles total. The first rep felt like a good strong tempo, very easy, relaxed. Then the second was the toughest. It felt like a too hard tempo pace, and I was headed into a decent wind. Then three and four were equal effort--required some focus, but felt locked in to the pace and as long as the mental effort was there, the legs were just along for the ride. Legs felt a bit heavy at the end, and it was probably tougher than I realized at the outset. I remember doing 3x2mile at 5:25 or thereabouts in the winter, so I thought this would be a piece of cake. It wasn't a cakewalk, but it wasn't overly difficult either.

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Monday, August 20, 2007

1:08:00 :: 10 miles

Sunday, August 19, 2007

1:33:33 :: 14 miles

Easy run. Went longer today, but not too long. I received an ominous warning from Mystery Coach this morning, advising me to take it easy today as there is a volume speed workout ahead in the next day or two. Average HR of 134 and 6:41 for the run. Feeling good, and finally not feeling tired (in the head, not the legs) following some decent sleep. Standing around heart rate has been lower over the last couple of days following some easy aerobic mileage. 49 this morning while waiting for the satellite lock on the Garmin. Good run.

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Saturday, August 18, 2007

1:04:35 :: 10 miles

Moderate effort run. Picked up the pace a bit this morning after several days of easy running. Everything felt great, weather was perfect, and it felt good to put the pedal down, if only halfway to the floor.

Heart rate averaged 139, with most miles in the 141-146 range. I think this week I've noticed another breakthrough in pace vs. heart rate. Most of my runs this week were done at very low heart rates (<130) but normal easy training paces (6:45-7:00). I would be very interested to see what the result would be of running some shorter (1500-5000) track races this winter to sharpen, and then building up for the spring marathon following. The speed that I have worked on this summer has me feeling really good in my longer races as well. I'm beginning to experience the reality of what an anaerobic training period can do for racing at longer distances.

7:21(123) | 6:29(134) | 6:12(139) |
6:23(141) | 6:24(141) | 6:25(143) |
6:21(142) | 6:21(141) | 6:20(146) |
6:18(146)

My wife ran a 10k today, got a new PR, and made a new friend! I should be as fired up for how well she raced as I was about the comments that the overall winner made to her after she finished. To any morons out there, the moron that showed up at this race should get kicked out of your club. He's making you all look like idiots. He actually had the audacity to tell my wife that he *slowed down* when he looked back and saw that she couldn't catch him. Then he went on to tell her that he would have *blown her away* if she would have caught up to him. Fortunately, I didn't hear any of this (I was taking pictures away from the finish). I can say that I wouldn't have reacted well. Cindy asked me not to make a scene about it, so I didn't, but I will make sure I find the next race that jackass is at and deliberately make him feel like a turd.

Plus he took my $75.

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