Wow. I don't know what to say. I'm starting to feel some serious paranoia about the times I'm recording. I don't trust my watch, even though simple math tells me it's accurate. These are the good old days.
On the schedule was 3x2miles in 11:10, 11:00, 10:50 with one mile recovery in 6:20, followed by one fast, controlled mile in 5:00-5:15.
Light rain just starting at 4:15, 44F with a SSE wind at 15mph. Wind didn't affect me except for about 150m with and against it during each 1200m loop. Three miles to warm up in 20:09, feeling good. Have had some calf trigger points acting up since Sunday, so I warmed up well and carefully. Stripped off the jacket and pants at 2.5 and immediately felt fast.
Feeling very easy through the first two mile rep in 11:08 (5:37|155 - 5:31|158), followed by an easier mile (6:12|147). This one was frighteningly easy. Legs and lungs were very good.
Rep number two found me feeling a bit clunky and slow for the first half and a touch over the edge for the second half totalling 10:53 for the two miles (5:34|157 - 5:19|164). Recovery mile in 6:19(153). Misjudged pace badly on the second half trying to pull down to 5:30. Breathing for the first was good, for the second it was more like a tempo run. Legs felt great for the rep.
Rep three felt as good as rep one, and I actually hit even pace only a few seconds fast at 10:46 (5:22|161 - 5:24|161). Recovery passed in 6:19(153). Breathing was comfortable all the way through, and legs felt very strong. A steady rain was pouring down by now.
The final mile was very interesting. Very tough breathing with deep oxygen debt starting at the half, at its worst at three-quarters, and maintained through the finish in 5:05 (2:33 - 2:32 | 165avg | 169max). Legs were absolutely eating up the pavement! I felt no stress or strain of any kind below the waist. I've experienced the feeling of 'not being able to go fast enough' to get the lactic acid burn in my legs (being more aerobically fit than speed fit), but this was that feeling in spades. I was totally and completely limited by oxygen debt. Recovered in a walk to 120 in 1:05, to 110 in 1:23.
Very good workout, albeit with a couple of misteps. Running in the fog and rain the last few days has been like heaven. Pouring rain and 55F is absolutely my element, so even though it has not quite been that warm yet, I'm not surprised to feel really good in these conditions. What I am surprised about is an apparent drop in my comfort zone to paces that were unthinkable to me as recently as a month ago. Scary good stuff.
Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury
13 comments:
Good stuff Eric. The training is going great; the good weather can't hurt.
It looks like you're capable of increasing the volume of your specificity training. Rather than 10-12k of race pace, try getting up to 20-25k at this tempo (6 sets of 2). It would be interesting to see how your legs hold up at this pace when they're more fatigued.
Amazing, Eric.
Just do us all a massive favour and don't get injured this time.
You're scaring me. Gonna have to make some 'Stop Eric' t-shirts for Fargo.
Thanks everyone.
I don't doubt you're right, fatboy. It all depends on how I handle the load going forward. So far, signs are good.
Your mouth to God's ear, Thomas. There are no guarantees when you get into the last few weeks. Avoiding injury is a lot about patience, a fair bit about experience, and a small bit about luck.
Stop Eric. That's clever! I should probably stick with 'Go Eric' shirts until I can win 99% of my races like Pre.
Great workout, it's nice when you can improve upon the times you're working towards... and you still have loads of time prior to the race. Keep up the good work, this is going to be an impressive build and race to watch!
P.s. Are you going to be doing any races/tests prior to the marathon?
Thanks, Michael.
I'll be doing a half marathon on April 21, but otherwise no plans for other races until a good six to eight weeks following the marathon.
Reading this one made me smile. Nicely done Eric. Those short, preliminary boosts of speed on top of a huge aerobic base and many miles at steady paces has turned you into a machine. Glad to see the work paying off.
We'll I'll be screwed blue and tattooed! your training is going most excellent! It's interesting to see your fast paces now in respect to your 95' times, which are also very good. I see that you cut about 5 seconds off your speed day when you were doing the 7incl. 5:46 pace to 5:40 pace. I'm trying to figure out the right time as to when to increase my speed. Monthly increments? right now it's been 3x10min at 5:45, 2min recov.
any input would be much obliged.
Keep on tearin' it up man!
~WynnMan
Wow! good work. You are a machine as Mike says.....
I am with Mike, it is great to read a post like this. Well done.
Just imagine how scary you will be 50 days from now.
Hey Eric, thanks for the reply. Did you recently take up running again since college? You looking to PR at Fargo I take it?
With all of those oxygen debt runs you're doing the marathon distance/pace is going to feel smoother albeit pain to some extent!
keep on keepin' on
`WynnMan
Hey WynnMan, yes, I did start up in a serious way again in November 2005. Prior to that I ran very inconsistently, often taking weeks off between runs. After coming across guys like Mike who, even though they had families and jobs, were running 100 mile weeks and getting out of bed at 4 or 5 in the morning to do it, I became inspired to get back into testing my own potential.
This time has been a gift. An amazing gift.
It's about that time, isn't it Rick. :)
I hope you've been well! Drop me a line sometime: esondag at gmail dot com.
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