An Exercise In Utility

Ni!

Sunday, December 31, 2006

1:08:30 :: 10 miles

Frustrating run. Just ten miles, roads are very bad. We got hit with eight inches of snow last night in 30 degree temps, so a lot of the snow melted on the road, then turned to ice overnight. Basically back to the poor traction we had a few weeks back--compacted snow on top of ice. Plows hadn't gotten to some of the roads yet when I was out, so anywhere from 10-40 seconds per mile slower in various places on the route. Ran six outdoors and started feeling my hamstrings and shin, so I went in to run on the mill, but quickly fell victim to wussiness and stopped after four miles.

Tried to go for a second run later in the day, but it didn't work out. Just not a good day.

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

Saturday, December 30, 2006

1:25:06 :: 13 miles

Another great run. Snow and ice on the roads again, but still averaged 6:31 pace, ranging from 6:40 down to 6:15s. The whole run was just in the sweet spot of being comfortable, but a bit more challenging than 'easy'. Average HR of 144. The last three miles slid down just under 6:20 pace, so I cut the run at 13 rather than going for 14, knowing the goal for today is to be recovered well for the next three days (long run, fast run, moderate longer run).

Snow and ice caused a couple of little tweaks in the hamstrings and caused my left shin to flare up for a couple of miles. Both went away quickly, but reminded me to take steps to prepare them for the next couple weeks of 'modified traction'.

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

Friday, December 29, 2006

1:10:53 :: 11 miles

Legs felt pretty good. Breathing was a bit out of sync through the first few miles--breathing more than the pace should have required. HR was averaging 142-144 with pace at just under 6:30. Once I settled in to a slightly faster pace (~6:20) the breathing settled down, HR went up to 148-150, and I felt smoother.

Overall, the run was comfortable, but I thought to myself several times during the run that this effort had a fair amount of 'pressure' to it. It didn't feel easy--just beyond that, but not a challenging effort. And an hour later, I feel great. Really good run. The overall pace was right at 85% of goal MP--again, no meaning, just a comparative number.

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

Thursday, December 28, 2006

1:11:46 :: 11 miles

Moderate to hard run. Felt a bit tired heading out the door, but everything came around nicely within a half mile or so. Nine miles in 55:26, 6:10 pace, 155 average HR, then two miles on the mill at 8:00 pace to cool down. Felt good, good conditions. No problems from the shin(s) at all, which makes an amazing difference in how these runs feel. I actually do have a positive attitude when I'm not writhing in severe pain!

Pace was kind of sloppy--all over the place, but the effort felt consistent. Break it down:

6:47|140 : 6:13|150 : 6:08|152 : 6:09|156 : 5:50|158 : 5:55|162 : 6:04|161 : 6:12|160 : 6:03|163

I don't think the 5:50 is accurate, as it was on the mile with a 180 degree turn. Maybe five seconds off. Something happened around mile six. The pace slowed with no perceived change in effort, and continued dropping before heading into the last mile, which always seems faster due to the 'git done' effect. Overall this is right at 90% of goal MP (probably 98-100% of current) which is nothing more than mildly interesting. At least it isn't 80%. Then I'd be in trouble.

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

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

1:59:17 :: 17 miles

Easy run. Felt kind of tired and borderline depleted the whole run, and heavy legs with a tinge of soreness started creeping in around eight miles through about fourteen. Different than I have felt before.

Legs feel good a couple of hours later. Not feeling like going for another run or anything wild like that, but feeling pretty relaxed. Average HR was 134 for the run, and the trend of 'minus five bpm' seems to be holding up over the last several days. Interesting. BUT WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN!? =)

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

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

1:02:55 :: 10 miles

Moderate run. Feeling a little tired from yesterday. First mile was 7:15, then down into the 6:15 range. Had a few miles right at 6:00-6:05 in the middle, then back to 6:15s to finish. Average HR right at 150, got into the low 160s during the faster parts.

Shin was pretty good. Not much discomfort, and only tightened up for about two miles between three and five.
Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury

Monday, December 25, 2006

1:29:46 :: 14 miles

Moderate run. Recovery must have worked. Started with a 6:45 mile at 136 average HR, then dropped the pace a few seconds per mile for the next several miles while maintaining a 140 HR. Mile five was 6:27 and 143 average HR, so I pulled back to 6:40s so as not to get carried away on a 14 mile progression run. Stayed at 6:35-6:40 pace and 139-142 HR through mile nine, then decided to throw in five miles between 150-155 HR just to check the pace, which ended up being 6:05-6:10. Last half mile was an extended pick-up from about 5:30 pace down to 5:00 pace for an overall 5:41 averaging the typical 162 HR.

Left shin locked up moderately bad through mile four and legs felt kind of thick, like I was running through syrup, but regardless, everything was working. Got a massage after, which made any lingering tightness from the long run and today disappear. HR was a good five bpm lower at 6:40 pace than it has been. Maybe a new level of fitness, maybe just a good day. Either way, good run.

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

Sunday, December 24, 2006

2:20:00 :: 20 miles

Another tough run. After a few miles of feeling like shit, I just decided to let my legs find the pace they were happy with. That ended up being 7:15 to 7:20 for a few miles, then down into the low 7:00 range for most of the rest of the run. Finally, by fifteen I was feeling better and started dipping into the sub-7:00 paces. I threw on a 5:40 mile to finish, which felt good (and burned off some frustration).

The left shin locked up on me again for about four miles, at 7:00 minute pace, which is incredibly frustrating, but expected, following these three mile test runs. It's good to know I can run fast without the lockup issues as long as I get some miles in first. I'll have to do some other test workout, because the shin thing is absolutely wrecking any chance of these things being a positive experience.

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

Saturday, December 23, 2006

41:16 :: 6 miles

Another horrible test run. Right out the door I knew it was going to be a bad day, but I thought I would try it anyway on the chance that I would come around after a warmup. Three mile warmup at seven minute pace, and the HR averaged in the mid-140s. Not a good sign. Breathing was heavy as well. Didn't get any better as I started the fast part. Locked in to 5:40 pace quickly, but both shins locked up within half a mile and I turned into the wind and started struggling along at 163bpm. I managed a 5:42 for mile one, and another 5:42 (167 avg HR) through a painful second mile, then called it quits a mile early, recalling the shin and quad problems following the first test run. I recovered from 169bpm to 153bpm in the first 30 seconds or so, then to 105 after about a minute. At two minutes, I was at 98bpm.

Minus the incredibly painful shin muscles, the workout would have been fine. Still, I think I was not recovered from the previous few days, if not the last week or so, of workouts. The HR at seven minute pace was a good ten beats high, especially that early in the run. I think it will end up a Good Thing that I cut this run. Something just wasn't right today.

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

Friday, December 22, 2006

1:22:18 :: 12 miles

1:22:18 :: 12 miles
Originally uploaded by esondag.

Bread and butter run. Easy running with eight strides in the middle. Strides between 5:30 and 5:00 pace, about 150 to 200 meters each. Felt very smooth and fast. Quads were better, but still not one hundred percent. Good run.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

1:06:30 :: 10 miles

Felt easy for the most part, but HR averaged 146, so it was in the moderate range. Nice morning, no wind, 15 degrees. Perfect running weather. Legs are still a bit sore, no better than yesterday, but no worse. Knee was good. No other problems.

Feels like the paces are getting faster with a consistent effort. Finally starting to feel as fit as I did 10 weeks out from TCM, but now I'm 21+ weeks out from Fargo. Don't get hurt...don't get hurt...don't get hurt...

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

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

1:29:22 :: 14 miles

Moderate run, hard finish. Legs were about 70%, much better than yesterday. Took a few miles to shake out, feeling better around 7-8 miles. Most runs lately I've started feeling good around 50-55 minutes into the run, regardless of the pace. Not sure if there is a reason for this or not. First mile in 7:00, then several miles at 6:25-6:30, dropping down to 6:05-6:15 for the rest of the run. Finished with half mile in 2:44 feeling strong, good stride. Average HR of 148.

Post-run, the legs feel great. Almost like they're filled with helium. Sounds strange, but they feel light and full of zip. Still icing the knee, just to be safe.

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

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

No Run :: 1:00:00 bike

Did a (short) run to test the legs, didn't last very long. Very sore to the point it's affecting my stride. Like I don't have one it hurts so bad. Stuck to the bike, and will try to fit in a short run later today depending on how the legs feel.

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

Monday, December 18, 2006

55:11 :: 7.75 miles + 50min bike

Recovery run. Legs pretty beat up from the hills, feeling the DOMS. Hit the bike to offset some of the pounding and warm up well, then got in just about 8 miles before the kids woke up. Worked well to take care of that .25 miles from yesterday. =)

Knee felt good, left calf was good too. A light massage last night and icing the quads this morning should help clear off the pain a bit quicker.

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

Sunday, December 17, 2006

1:45:38 :: 15.25 miles

Moderate run over hills. Ran in the St. Johns University wildlife refuge/campus area. Really nice rustic trail system. Footing was dodgy at times, lots of rolling hills. Not as severe as yesterday, but much more numerous. Windy in the open areas. Around fourteen miles the hills started irritating the knee just a bit, so I stopped just over 15. The effort was solid, and I'm not used to hills like this. Two days of hills turns out to be like starting weight lifting--lots of DOMS in the quads.

On the flatter parts of the run, I was hitting 6:40-6:45 pace at 145-150 heart rate. Good follow-up effort to the 10 miler yesterday.

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

Saturday, December 16, 2006

1:03:40 :: 10 miles

1:03:40 :: 10 miles
Originally uploaded by esondag.

Big hills, soft dirt, good times. 10 miles in 1:03:40. Felt fast and strong. Long run tomorrow. Looking forward to it. Paces ranged from 5:20 to 7:20. Avg HR 155, range 145 to 170. Windy in places. Have a good weekend.

22:15 :: 3 miles

Test run. Everything went fine with the knee, so I'll do a longer run this afternoon once we get to the grandparents' house. Still icing for the next couple of days to keep it managed. Some problems with the left shin again. I was wearing flats on the treadmill, which is supposed to help rather than make it worse. Will try some massage techniques to loosen the muscle sheath and hopefully prevent the pain.

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

Friday, December 15, 2006

No Run :: 55:00 bike

Thursday, December 14, 2006

10:00 :: 1.25 miles

No run this morning. It rained most of the night and temps hovered between 30-35 degrees, so it's water on top of ice everywhere. Just like how hockey rinks are polished.

More importantly, the tendinitis in my knee is still bugging me, and it got pretty painful after the last two days of slipping around. I'm going to continue icing and try a run after work, which will give it more time to loosen up.

Knee has gotten somewhat less painful, but still hurt a bit on a test run, so I'm going to rest it until it's feeling better. Iced five times today and did some light massage.

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

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

1:22:19 :: 13 miles

Frustrating run. Still slippery. Managed seven miles in the middle around 6:05 pace, about 160 HR. Bookended the faster stuff with three milers at an easy pace. Sick of the ice, sick of six-minute miles feeling like a sprint, and sick of thinking about old goals. My goal isn't to crack 2:30. My goal is to crush 2:30 and crack 2:27. Right now I don't feel like I'm progressing toward that goal, but I'm an idiot. Maybe I am making progress and I need to be patient. Maybe I just can't get there from where I am in 150 odd days. I have no idea. That is what is so frustrating.

Yesterday I read about this 20-something dude from Alaska who got second in the Fargo Marathon this past May in 2:32. He followed that up in October with a 2:28. He's coming back to Fargo in May and I want to be able to compete with him. 20 weeks.

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