Still grooving to Young the Giant this week thanks to my library loaner. Not sure if it's been the mellow CD, added sunshine, or the awesome weekend with friends, but I have been in a better mood this week than I have been in awhile (despite a rather frustrating Monday). A few months ago I would have been pretty frustrated with my current fitness, but I am really just grateful to be training pain free and keeping up hopes that I will see a bounce back to my previous fitness and beyond soon.
This mornings tempo went well. No speed records, but it was solid and I was relaxed the whole way despite having to micromanage the pace too much. Not sure if it was the garmin, me, or the crosswinds but the garmin pace was very unsteady the first 4 miles. But all miles ended faster than the target and I just ran as fast as I could the last mile so I could stop looking at the watch.
Goal was 5*6:25 and 1*6:15.
A few of the Young the Giant tunes made their mental tempo debut this morning. But this one has a cool video :)
6:22.46
6:20.87
6:22.70
6:23.72
6:20.10
5:57.05
Started out with Christina and despite a questionable stomach and swallowing a bug I had no further problems during the run other than probably working a bit too hard mentally fighting the garmin. Left hamstring and left foot aren't 100% but they do seem to be improving and aren't holding me back at all which is great. The right ankle has not posed any problems since about two weeks after the dance injury incident thank goodness!
"I Got" Mile Repeats
I've been jamming to Young the Giant the past few days and was listening to the CD on the way to the track workout last night so my mile repeats were accompanied by bursts of "I Got." Not exactly a speedy tune, per se, but it worked to keep me relaxed when I was forcing it a bit the second and third repeat last night.
My last attempt at mile repeats didn't go over so well, so I was excited to give the workout another go. Given before Boston I had two successful 5*1600 workouts last nights 3*1600 didn't sound too intimidating. It was a bit windy and coach wanted our repeats as close to 3k pace as possible. I'm not sure what my 3k pace is right now but he said faster than 5:50, but preferably closer to 5:45 (which is a little depressing since the last two 5*1600 workout targets were supposedly 10k pace and were done around 5:50, but my current fitness is what it is and I know it will improve soon). So we took off aiming for 86 or 87 quarters. First mile felt really smooth and we were a hair fast in 5:41.32. Next repeat was work but managed to keep it close at 5:43.67. Third repeat was rough, I felt a little steamed the first lap, upped the effort but was a second behind by 1000 meters and really had to push to get it even at 5:43.73 even though I moved in to the inside of the lane the last lap after having run the rest of the workout on the outside. These were all with 3 minute rests then followed that set with 5 minutes rest before doing 6*200 step down with 200 jogged recoveries like a few weeks ago.
For whatever reason these felt harder than a few weeks ago, but they were still pretty good for me. 40.45, 41.56, 38.65, 37.35, 35.92, 34.72
Coach wants me to focus on getting up on my toes, I tried to do it during the mile repeats last night but just couldn't get a feel for it at that pace. It feels like I can only get up if I am running under 5:40 pace, and then I can only sustain that strike for 200 meters or so. In other words I basically have to feel like I am sprinting in order to really get the fore foot strike. I'm just going off of still shot photos but it looks to me like I am over striding a little bit, or my foot is striking in front of my hip rather than below it. Though my friends all mentioned at Hyde Park Blast that they thought it was interesting how many steps I take, they felt I had pretty short strides and a high cadence. I'm thinking I will add some single leg jump roping to my routine and see if that helps! I'm definitely still a work in progress!
My last attempt at mile repeats didn't go over so well, so I was excited to give the workout another go. Given before Boston I had two successful 5*1600 workouts last nights 3*1600 didn't sound too intimidating. It was a bit windy and coach wanted our repeats as close to 3k pace as possible. I'm not sure what my 3k pace is right now but he said faster than 5:50, but preferably closer to 5:45 (which is a little depressing since the last two 5*1600 workout targets were supposedly 10k pace and were done around 5:50, but my current fitness is what it is and I know it will improve soon). So we took off aiming for 86 or 87 quarters. First mile felt really smooth and we were a hair fast in 5:41.32. Next repeat was work but managed to keep it close at 5:43.67. Third repeat was rough, I felt a little steamed the first lap, upped the effort but was a second behind by 1000 meters and really had to push to get it even at 5:43.73 even though I moved in to the inside of the lane the last lap after having run the rest of the workout on the outside. These were all with 3 minute rests then followed that set with 5 minutes rest before doing 6*200 step down with 200 jogged recoveries like a few weeks ago.
For whatever reason these felt harder than a few weeks ago, but they were still pretty good for me. 40.45, 41.56, 38.65, 37.35, 35.92, 34.72
Coach wants me to focus on getting up on my toes, I tried to do it during the mile repeats last night but just couldn't get a feel for it at that pace. It feels like I can only get up if I am running under 5:40 pace, and then I can only sustain that strike for 200 meters or so. In other words I basically have to feel like I am sprinting in order to really get the fore foot strike. I'm just going off of still shot photos but it looks to me like I am over striding a little bit, or my foot is striking in front of my hip rather than below it. Though my friends all mentioned at Hyde Park Blast that they thought it was interesting how many steps I take, they felt I had pretty short strides and a high cadence. I'm thinking I will add some single leg jump roping to my routine and see if that helps! I'm definitely still a work in progress!
Speed Phase Week 5
Goals for the week:
Total Mileage 65 - 70.
Monday: Easy.
Tuesday: Track.
Wednesday and Friday: easy miles @ 7:20 or slower. 6 x 30 sec @ 5:30 pace on Friday
Thursday: Tempo run- 5 miles @ 6:25
Weekend:
Hyde Park Blast 5k, and what ever other miles you can get in on the weekend.
What everyone else in the group was scheduled to do for the weekend:
12 miles @ 7:05
16 miles @ 7:25
How it played out:
68 miles
8 runs
10 mile long run
Total Mileage 65 - 70.
Monday: Easy.
Tuesday: Track.
Wednesday and Friday: easy miles @ 7:20 or slower. 6 x 30 sec @ 5:30 pace on Friday
Thursday: Tempo run- 5 miles @ 6:25
Weekend:
Hyde Park Blast 5k, and what ever other miles you can get in on the weekend.
What everyone else in the group was scheduled to do for the weekend:
12 miles @ 7:05
16 miles @ 7:25
How it played out:
68 miles
8 runs
10 mile long run
Hyde Park Blast Elite 5k
Wasn't planning on another race until the 4th but last week I mentioned to my friend that we were heading to Cinci this weekend and she remembered that the Hyde Park Blast was this weekend. So I looked it up and emailed my way into the elite 5k. Crazy fun event run on the cycling criterium course. The course is a bit shy of a mile and we would run it about 3 and 3/4 times. Making it fun for spectators and fun for runners with crazy cheers the entire route.
I was a little under prepared on the supplies front. Half way to Cinci I realized I had only brought Nike Frees and my Nike Zoom Streaks, no trainers. And I didn't have a warm up/cool down outfit. While the morning was super cool and beautiful by race time it was around 75 and I was a bit warm. After the sweaty warm up I threw some ice in my shirt and went to find the start line with 10 other ladies. (And some speedy boys)
Thankfully before the race I figured out one of the girls was a regular 17:50 gal so I knew I would have some company. The normal field around my range I was anticipating to be there wasn't, so I was really glad I found out that not every gal in the field was a sub 17 gal before hand :)
I knew who 5 of the gals were and all of them usually race much faster than me so unless they went out at my pace I was glad to know who I could really race to push myself, not who I would be chasing the whole time. Top 6 got money so there was certainly some incentive, and that was clear from the start as a pack of 8 sprinted ahead of me. I did my best to sit in right behind PB and was aware that the girl I thought I would work with was behind me. I ditched the watch for the race and purely was running on feel and trying to be competitive. As we started into the first loop and made our first left on our way up the small hill that we would run 4 times another gal went by putting me in 9th, she said good job and I told her the same. As we neared the top of the hill there was a line of kids with their hands all out for high fives. I thought what the hell, if you aren't having fun with this what the heck was the point? So I slapped some hands and was rewarded with "We like that girl."
We made a sharp right turn and sharp right to head back down the hill. I watched PBs fast feet fly down the pavement and did my best to cover the ground lightly and quick. At the bottom another sharp right turn and back into the sun as we head straight towards the finish arch which signifies we have 3 more loops to go. PB starts to pull away from me and I am doing my best to get in a groove and push. After the arch we make our way around our sharp "hairpin" turn and head back towards the hill. My friends and husband were here and I got a nice boost from their cheering. Just before the hill someone is calling out mile splits and we go through in around 5:38 which I am happy with given the effort.
In the next loop I slowly made my way back up to PB and wished her luck as I passed moving into 8th place. Second time through the hill not quite as energetic so no high fives but a peace sign and a smile for the kids. It is becoming clear to the spectators back here that we are no longer in the race for first and they are a bit less enthusiastic. But as we make our way back down the hill to the main drag spectators are going crazy with lots of cheer for Karen and Kerry, who must be right on my heels.
Karen passes me before making the hairpin turn and I tell myself to work with her and let her drag me for a bit. She is the girl I was told regularly runs 17:50s so I know I can't afford to fall back from her. I am parched and seriously tempted to grab water from my husband, but I don't and I instead keep pushing. I stick to Karen like glue, but it definitely is not easy. Third time up the hill the kids get a glimmer of a smile as I am running out of steam. We hit the 2 mile mark and I can't tell if the guy is saying 11:39 or 11:49, either way it is clear this mile with the hill hit twice is a bit slower despite running hard.
Closing in on one loop to go and I am committed to trying to pick up the effort. I have a tendency of holding something back for the last 200 meters or so and this time I did not want to do that, I wanted to run hard start to finish. I was pretty confident I was not going to be able to pass Karen but as I passed my friends cheering again I willed myself to up the effort a bit more. We got to the hill and I managed to pull even with her and tell her good job. I ran as hard as I could down the hill trying to create a gap. When we reached the bottom I essentially sprinted as hard as I could the rest of the race. Still hearing cheers for Karen I knew I needed to hammer hard, who knew what kind of kick she had. We weren't gaining any ground on the girl in front of us, so we were essentially in a race against each other, and I knew PB was always a threat for a fast finish too. The announcers were reading off the winners times and each successive girl who crossed the line, listening to the times it was clear sub 18 was probably out but I ran as hard as I could regardless. Crossed the line in 8th place and saw the clock at 18:11. Official time 18:14. Hardest I have ever run a 5k, clearly not the fastest, but definitely the hardest :)
I'm really happy with the effort. I know I could not have eeked out any faster last night. And I was glad Karen was there to work with as I would have run slower by myself for sure. Despite being pretty far behind the next girl I was closer to the top 5 girls than I have been in previous races so I consider it an improvement in my racing skills. There weren't as many girls in the race as last year, I think a few of them opted for the 4 mile run in the morning instead; opting to be the lead girls rather than the girls in the elite race making the lead elite girls look good. But I am more than happy to make those ladies look good if it gets my best race effort out of myself. It was great to really push myself last night and find that my inner racer is still in there and was ready to come out and play. It feels great when you run a race and leave it all out there regardless of place or time.
I think my speed is probably still a little behind where I was last year at this time, but that is hard to say since these past two 5ks were night races and kind of warm, not sure if I could have run faster with cooler conditions in the morning. The course was tough for me, but it was a nice challenge and clearly what goes up must come down so it isn't like you had one monster climb with no downhill return. I'll be glad to go back to morning races now though! Trying to plan meals for the day to make sure your stomach is ok and energy is good as well as not wasting energy is not much fun. Especially when hanging with friends who you'd like to be doing active things with :)
The event was an absolute Blast, no pun intended. The cycle races were really exciting to watch, I have no idea how they make those turns without crashing! The whole run you could hear the announcers giving stats about each of the runners as they ran by. It was a super fun atmosphere. I am very glad I am in a position to be able to take part in this type of event. And I am super grateful to the organizers for allowing me to participate. Next year I will have to make sure I get some more impressive stats for them to say something about me though :) It was pretty funny to hear them rattling off stats about each of the ladies and as I went by they just hearing my name.
My friends and husband were the best cheering for me each loop and keeping me amped! Thanks guys!
I was a little under prepared on the supplies front. Half way to Cinci I realized I had only brought Nike Frees and my Nike Zoom Streaks, no trainers. And I didn't have a warm up/cool down outfit. While the morning was super cool and beautiful by race time it was around 75 and I was a bit warm. After the sweaty warm up I threw some ice in my shirt and went to find the start line with 10 other ladies. (And some speedy boys)
Thankfully before the race I figured out one of the girls was a regular 17:50 gal so I knew I would have some company. The normal field around my range I was anticipating to be there wasn't, so I was really glad I found out that not every gal in the field was a sub 17 gal before hand :)
I knew who 5 of the gals were and all of them usually race much faster than me so unless they went out at my pace I was glad to know who I could really race to push myself, not who I would be chasing the whole time. Top 6 got money so there was certainly some incentive, and that was clear from the start as a pack of 8 sprinted ahead of me. I did my best to sit in right behind PB and was aware that the girl I thought I would work with was behind me. I ditched the watch for the race and purely was running on feel and trying to be competitive. As we started into the first loop and made our first left on our way up the small hill that we would run 4 times another gal went by putting me in 9th, she said good job and I told her the same. As we neared the top of the hill there was a line of kids with their hands all out for high fives. I thought what the hell, if you aren't having fun with this what the heck was the point? So I slapped some hands and was rewarded with "We like that girl."
We made a sharp right turn and sharp right to head back down the hill. I watched PBs fast feet fly down the pavement and did my best to cover the ground lightly and quick. At the bottom another sharp right turn and back into the sun as we head straight towards the finish arch which signifies we have 3 more loops to go. PB starts to pull away from me and I am doing my best to get in a groove and push. After the arch we make our way around our sharp "hairpin" turn and head back towards the hill. My friends and husband were here and I got a nice boost from their cheering. Just before the hill someone is calling out mile splits and we go through in around 5:38 which I am happy with given the effort.
In the next loop I slowly made my way back up to PB and wished her luck as I passed moving into 8th place. Second time through the hill not quite as energetic so no high fives but a peace sign and a smile for the kids. It is becoming clear to the spectators back here that we are no longer in the race for first and they are a bit less enthusiastic. But as we make our way back down the hill to the main drag spectators are going crazy with lots of cheer for Karen and Kerry, who must be right on my heels.
Karen passes me before making the hairpin turn and I tell myself to work with her and let her drag me for a bit. She is the girl I was told regularly runs 17:50s so I know I can't afford to fall back from her. I am parched and seriously tempted to grab water from my husband, but I don't and I instead keep pushing. I stick to Karen like glue, but it definitely is not easy. Third time up the hill the kids get a glimmer of a smile as I am running out of steam. We hit the 2 mile mark and I can't tell if the guy is saying 11:39 or 11:49, either way it is clear this mile with the hill hit twice is a bit slower despite running hard.
Closing in on one loop to go and I am committed to trying to pick up the effort. I have a tendency of holding something back for the last 200 meters or so and this time I did not want to do that, I wanted to run hard start to finish. I was pretty confident I was not going to be able to pass Karen but as I passed my friends cheering again I willed myself to up the effort a bit more. We got to the hill and I managed to pull even with her and tell her good job. I ran as hard as I could down the hill trying to create a gap. When we reached the bottom I essentially sprinted as hard as I could the rest of the race. Still hearing cheers for Karen I knew I needed to hammer hard, who knew what kind of kick she had. We weren't gaining any ground on the girl in front of us, so we were essentially in a race against each other, and I knew PB was always a threat for a fast finish too. The announcers were reading off the winners times and each successive girl who crossed the line, listening to the times it was clear sub 18 was probably out but I ran as hard as I could regardless. Crossed the line in 8th place and saw the clock at 18:11. Official time 18:14. Hardest I have ever run a 5k, clearly not the fastest, but definitely the hardest :)
I'm really happy with the effort. I know I could not have eeked out any faster last night. And I was glad Karen was there to work with as I would have run slower by myself for sure. Despite being pretty far behind the next girl I was closer to the top 5 girls than I have been in previous races so I consider it an improvement in my racing skills. There weren't as many girls in the race as last year, I think a few of them opted for the 4 mile run in the morning instead; opting to be the lead girls rather than the girls in the elite race making the lead elite girls look good. But I am more than happy to make those ladies look good if it gets my best race effort out of myself. It was great to really push myself last night and find that my inner racer is still in there and was ready to come out and play. It feels great when you run a race and leave it all out there regardless of place or time.
I think my speed is probably still a little behind where I was last year at this time, but that is hard to say since these past two 5ks were night races and kind of warm, not sure if I could have run faster with cooler conditions in the morning. The course was tough for me, but it was a nice challenge and clearly what goes up must come down so it isn't like you had one monster climb with no downhill return. I'll be glad to go back to morning races now though! Trying to plan meals for the day to make sure your stomach is ok and energy is good as well as not wasting energy is not much fun. Especially when hanging with friends who you'd like to be doing active things with :)
The event was an absolute Blast, no pun intended. The cycle races were really exciting to watch, I have no idea how they make those turns without crashing! The whole run you could hear the announcers giving stats about each of the runners as they ran by. It was a super fun atmosphere. I am very glad I am in a position to be able to take part in this type of event. And I am super grateful to the organizers for allowing me to participate. Next year I will have to make sure I get some more impressive stats for them to say something about me though :) It was pretty funny to hear them rattling off stats about each of the ladies and as I went by they just hearing my name.My friends and husband were the best cheering for me each loop and keeping me amped! Thanks guys!
Sluggy Muggy Tempo
Still adjusting to the early morning workouts and yesterday I just couldn't drag my butt out of bed, so I opted for a few more hours sleep and moved the tempo to the afternoon. Stressful day at work and I was just ready to get the workout done. Goal was 5 at 6:25. Given that my legs just felt stale I was glad we only had five to do. Met up with Salty and NC. It was drizzling when we got there, pouring during the warm up, drizzling off and on, then sunny, then muggy during the tempo. So pretty much the gamut. But thankfully never too hot.
NC had 5 at 6:20 so we decided we'd just try and keep everything between 6:20 and 6:25 and see hoW it went. I've been getting spoiled by my normal route because the pace never varies much on the straight shot out and back. The course last night had quite a few turns and some false flats up and down so at any given time the garmin pace for each mile would range from 6:13 to 6:40. I was just too steamed to really "let go" last night and it felt a bit forced, but we got it done, the last half mile was slightly down and I was just so ready to be done, I felt awful and assumed I would slow down, so I probably picked it up a bit too much.
6:21.92
6:18.43
6:22.72
6:18.17
6:08.56
Slowly making my way back to the tempo paces I was holding before Boston :)
NC had 5 at 6:20 so we decided we'd just try and keep everything between 6:20 and 6:25 and see hoW it went. I've been getting spoiled by my normal route because the pace never varies much on the straight shot out and back. The course last night had quite a few turns and some false flats up and down so at any given time the garmin pace for each mile would range from 6:13 to 6:40. I was just too steamed to really "let go" last night and it felt a bit forced, but we got it done, the last half mile was slightly down and I was just so ready to be done, I felt awful and assumed I would slow down, so I probably picked it up a bit too much.
6:21.92
6:18.43
6:22.72
6:18.17
6:08.56
Slowly making my way back to the tempo paces I was holding before Boston :)
Daylight
Just a fun feel good tune that seems appropriate for kicking off official summer training. Also yesterday was my 8th wedding anniversary to David and the video reminds me of the tiny apartment we lived in when we first got married.
Hot and Sweaty Quarters
I had a feeling we were due for a quarters workout this week and sure enough we got to the track and the workout was 16 quarters. Two sets of 8. Last time we did this workout we smoked it, sometimes I look back at last summers track workouts and wonder how on earth I ran so fast. But hopefully that speed will come back soon and hopefully I will get even faster. In the meantime I certainly can't complain about the slightly slower paces as my body and attitude are benefiting from successfully completing the workouts after the craziness of injury and illness leading up to and following Boston.
Same workout as last time. 2 sets of 8 quarters with 80 second rests then 2 minutes between the sets, goal 85 per quarter. It was hot hot hot and humid! Thankfully NC has been bringing a cooler with ice. So between downing 2 bottles of water during the workout (and 3 electrolyte pills throughout the day) and putting ice in my bra every other quarter I managed to stick to the pace without falling off or cramping up. I definitely felt like I was working hard, not sure if I could have run 81s if that had been the stated goal, maybe, but I was content to really try and nail the pace and not race it. Salty and I did a good job of just trying to run smooth and relaxed despite being a sweaty mess!
85.65, 81.45, 85.29, 83.99, 84.79, 84.80, 84.77, 84.89
85.18, 83.50, 85.13, 83.72, 84.05, 83.60, 83.27, 81.15
I do think I need to try and be better about running more even on the track. We are in the habit of always running the front 200 faster than the back 200. We do this even in longer reps. Not sure why, but we consistently run the first 200 of every lap at least 1, sometimes up to 4 seconds faster than the back 200.
Followed the workout up with Video 1 of the Jay Johnson Core and Strength Series. I was a gross sweaty mess by the end of it all! Great way to spend your 8th anniversary :) I'm a lucky girl to have scored such a supportive and understanding husband! He even gutted out 2.5 miles at the track last night before succumbing to the heat and hitting the AC while waiting for me to finish up.
Same workout as last time. 2 sets of 8 quarters with 80 second rests then 2 minutes between the sets, goal 85 per quarter. It was hot hot hot and humid! Thankfully NC has been bringing a cooler with ice. So between downing 2 bottles of water during the workout (and 3 electrolyte pills throughout the day) and putting ice in my bra every other quarter I managed to stick to the pace without falling off or cramping up. I definitely felt like I was working hard, not sure if I could have run 81s if that had been the stated goal, maybe, but I was content to really try and nail the pace and not race it. Salty and I did a good job of just trying to run smooth and relaxed despite being a sweaty mess!
85.65, 81.45, 85.29, 83.99, 84.79, 84.80, 84.77, 84.89
85.18, 83.50, 85.13, 83.72, 84.05, 83.60, 83.27, 81.15
I do think I need to try and be better about running more even on the track. We are in the habit of always running the front 200 faster than the back 200. We do this even in longer reps. Not sure why, but we consistently run the first 200 of every lap at least 1, sometimes up to 4 seconds faster than the back 200.
Followed the workout up with Video 1 of the Jay Johnson Core and Strength Series. I was a gross sweaty mess by the end of it all! Great way to spend your 8th anniversary :) I'm a lucky girl to have scored such a supportive and understanding husband! He even gutted out 2.5 miles at the track last night before succumbing to the heat and hitting the AC while waiting for me to finish up.
Speed Phase Week 4 and Ohio City Run and Crawl
Goals:
Total Mileage 60 - 65.
Monday: Easy.
Tuesday: Track.
Wednesday and Friday: easy miles @ 7:20 or slower. 6 x 30 sec @ 5:30 pace on Friday
Thursday: Tempo run, 7 miles @ 6:30
Weekend:
11 miles @ 7:00
14 miles @ 7:25
Throw in a race on one of the weekend days but get in the mileage.
How it played out:
67 miles, 7 runs, Friday off (Cedar Point), 2 swims 2400 meters, and a much needed massage Sunday post run.
Ended up going a little long on Saturday with a morning shakeout and strides before the night race getting in 14 for the day instead of eleven and not averaging anywhere close to 7:00. Oh well!
Sunday I did get in 7:25 pace but it was ugly. Hot and not enough sleep made me a running zombie!
Coach wanted us to jump into a low key local race this weekend before we get into the real racing scene here soon. Two weeks ago I would have dreaded this as I clearly just wasn't feeling up to snuff yet, but after Tuesdays successful track workout I was looking forward to it. Since I was going to Cedar Point Friday I decided a night race Saturday would be good, time to get in a nap Saturday, and good practice for next weekends Hyde Park Blast which is also in the evening. There was a small race in Ohio City to be followed by a bar crawl. Sounded like fun to me! Unfortunately when I got there I realized I knew literally only two people in the entire race (later spotted 3 more friends, but didn't locate them after the race). Bummer! I was looking forward to the post run bar crawl as much as the race so I was hoping to see a few more familiar faces!
Warmed up really easy (It was hot and I was sweaty!) with one of the guys I knew, we did part of the course and while there were a lot of turns it was flat and partially shaded so I knew it should be relatively fast. The course appeared to be legit, which is always a big question mark at smaller local road races. After the warm up I changed into my speedy green Second Sole outfit and Nike Zoom Streaks for a few strides before heading over to the start to get in my legs swings.
Looked like there were at least a few guys around my pace so I wouldn't be completely alone which was nice. I wasn't sure what pace I could hold but I figured if the legs felt good 17:50ish to 18:20ish was the likely result. I decided to try using 1 km splits on the garmin targeting 3:30 to 3:32. I figured a small low key race was the place to try new things!
I got caught off guard by the start, the announcer got out "ready" and "set" and while I was waiting for "Go" there was a ringing of some bells and I was not ready for that so got off with a bit of a delay. Sorry to those behind me! I did my best to just sit in a pack of guys as we maneuvered a bunch of turns in the first mile. I got pulled out a bit too fast in 3:23 for the first km. Ooops! I was behind one of the guys I knew who runs about my pace and somewhere during that first mile the other guy I knew tried to sneak by. I called him out as he pulled ahead quickly. He paced himself much better than I did that first mile! Mile split was somewhere around 5:40 which was right on target.
Someone was playing a radio in their yard for us and got Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" in my head so the rest of the race was ran to that cadence. Unfortunately with the fast start my pace was already dropping and the second km was in 3:37. Average was right on target, but I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to pick it back up. In retrospect using the km targets threw me off, my poor mid race math skills do not allow me to properly calculate finishing times even in the best of scenarios and using the km targets once they got off my math skills really got messed up. I know at some point I was thinking I'd be lucky to run 18:30 even though I hit the 2 mile somewhere around 11:30. I went back and forth with a few of the guys in the second and third mile. 3rd km was 3:40 and I was not doing a good job of upping the effort to get back on pace.
Getting a little hot I was working hard and my breathing was heavy! I did my best to relax my arms, but forgot all about using my mental tricks and was really just in survival mode. I kept waiting for the 4th km split telling myself just 2.5 laps around the track after that! It seemed like eternity before that split finally arrive in 3:45, ouch! The guys I was with were pulling a few steps ahead of me here and I really tried to focus on staying with them. But I certainly could have been more motivated. Finally we got back near the finish and around all the crazy turns, the 3 mile split guy called out 17:17 and I realized if I hammered I could still break 18, so I finally got my butt in gear and moved, but unfortunately I don't think that was the 3 mile mark as I came in a little over 18. Not sure when I stopped my watch but I had 18:07. The race gave me 18:04.89, I'll take the 3 seconds :) So 5:50 pace instead of the 5:40 I would have liked to see, but it was a good hard effort and a good reminder to myself that 5km races are hard and they aren't meant to feel good. I need to remember that next week and come to the line prepared to suffer!
I stayed at the finish and cheered for the next 15 or so girls that came in before heading out for the cool down. I probably should have run this a little faster, but I was content to jog around and chat while running the course backwards and cheering. It was fun to see all the other people racing and walking in such a fun part of the city.
Added bonus I met some new people and had a blast touring a few of the bars I have not had the pleasure of checking out yet. Ohio City was hopping! My 1st place medal even scored me a few free drinks which is always fun (of course I paid for them a bit Sunday morning!). Though I felt a bit ridiculous touring the bars in my racing shorts and tech tee no one seemed to mind the stinky spunky girl with the faux hawk.
Total Mileage 60 - 65.
Monday: Easy.
Tuesday: Track.
Wednesday and Friday: easy miles @ 7:20 or slower. 6 x 30 sec @ 5:30 pace on Friday
Thursday: Tempo run, 7 miles @ 6:30
Weekend:
11 miles @ 7:00
14 miles @ 7:25
Throw in a race on one of the weekend days but get in the mileage.
How it played out:
67 miles, 7 runs, Friday off (Cedar Point), 2 swims 2400 meters, and a much needed massage Sunday post run.
Ended up going a little long on Saturday with a morning shakeout and strides before the night race getting in 14 for the day instead of eleven and not averaging anywhere close to 7:00. Oh well!
Sunday I did get in 7:25 pace but it was ugly. Hot and not enough sleep made me a running zombie!
Coach wanted us to jump into a low key local race this weekend before we get into the real racing scene here soon. Two weeks ago I would have dreaded this as I clearly just wasn't feeling up to snuff yet, but after Tuesdays successful track workout I was looking forward to it. Since I was going to Cedar Point Friday I decided a night race Saturday would be good, time to get in a nap Saturday, and good practice for next weekends Hyde Park Blast which is also in the evening. There was a small race in Ohio City to be followed by a bar crawl. Sounded like fun to me! Unfortunately when I got there I realized I knew literally only two people in the entire race (later spotted 3 more friends, but didn't locate them after the race). Bummer! I was looking forward to the post run bar crawl as much as the race so I was hoping to see a few more familiar faces!
Warmed up really easy (It was hot and I was sweaty!) with one of the guys I knew, we did part of the course and while there were a lot of turns it was flat and partially shaded so I knew it should be relatively fast. The course appeared to be legit, which is always a big question mark at smaller local road races. After the warm up I changed into my speedy green Second Sole outfit and Nike Zoom Streaks for a few strides before heading over to the start to get in my legs swings.
Looked like there were at least a few guys around my pace so I wouldn't be completely alone which was nice. I wasn't sure what pace I could hold but I figured if the legs felt good 17:50ish to 18:20ish was the likely result. I decided to try using 1 km splits on the garmin targeting 3:30 to 3:32. I figured a small low key race was the place to try new things!
I got caught off guard by the start, the announcer got out "ready" and "set" and while I was waiting for "Go" there was a ringing of some bells and I was not ready for that so got off with a bit of a delay. Sorry to those behind me! I did my best to just sit in a pack of guys as we maneuvered a bunch of turns in the first mile. I got pulled out a bit too fast in 3:23 for the first km. Ooops! I was behind one of the guys I knew who runs about my pace and somewhere during that first mile the other guy I knew tried to sneak by. I called him out as he pulled ahead quickly. He paced himself much better than I did that first mile! Mile split was somewhere around 5:40 which was right on target.
Someone was playing a radio in their yard for us and got Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" in my head so the rest of the race was ran to that cadence. Unfortunately with the fast start my pace was already dropping and the second km was in 3:37. Average was right on target, but I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to pick it back up. In retrospect using the km targets threw me off, my poor mid race math skills do not allow me to properly calculate finishing times even in the best of scenarios and using the km targets once they got off my math skills really got messed up. I know at some point I was thinking I'd be lucky to run 18:30 even though I hit the 2 mile somewhere around 11:30. I went back and forth with a few of the guys in the second and third mile. 3rd km was 3:40 and I was not doing a good job of upping the effort to get back on pace.
Getting a little hot I was working hard and my breathing was heavy! I did my best to relax my arms, but forgot all about using my mental tricks and was really just in survival mode. I kept waiting for the 4th km split telling myself just 2.5 laps around the track after that! It seemed like eternity before that split finally arrive in 3:45, ouch! The guys I was with were pulling a few steps ahead of me here and I really tried to focus on staying with them. But I certainly could have been more motivated. Finally we got back near the finish and around all the crazy turns, the 3 mile split guy called out 17:17 and I realized if I hammered I could still break 18, so I finally got my butt in gear and moved, but unfortunately I don't think that was the 3 mile mark as I came in a little over 18. Not sure when I stopped my watch but I had 18:07. The race gave me 18:04.89, I'll take the 3 seconds :) So 5:50 pace instead of the 5:40 I would have liked to see, but it was a good hard effort and a good reminder to myself that 5km races are hard and they aren't meant to feel good. I need to remember that next week and come to the line prepared to suffer!
I stayed at the finish and cheered for the next 15 or so girls that came in before heading out for the cool down. I probably should have run this a little faster, but I was content to jog around and chat while running the course backwards and cheering. It was fun to see all the other people racing and walking in such a fun part of the city.
Added bonus I met some new people and had a blast touring a few of the bars I have not had the pleasure of checking out yet. Ohio City was hopping! My 1st place medal even scored me a few free drinks which is always fun (of course I paid for them a bit Sunday morning!). Though I felt a bit ridiculous touring the bars in my racing shorts and tech tee no one seemed to mind the stinky spunky girl with the faux hawk.
7*6:30 Tempo
Wasn't sure how this one would go. Tuesdays track workout was good, but my body was definitely feeling the effects of pushing the pace. My quads a little sorer than normal, my left calf tight, my left hip flexor tight, and just in general a bit tired for a 6 am workout. But just like Tuesday my body seems to prefer being in motion right now and once we got going the run just flowed. My training buddy 'Stina tends to run a little faster than the given workout, whether it is because her Garmin isn't as friendly as mine or she's just feeling that good I have been going with it content to run a few strides behind as long as we stay somewhere close to the goal. Today was no different, the miles just clicked off all faster than 6:30. Her Garmin wasn't as friendly as mine and we had to go another 20 seconds beyond my 7th mile before hers finally beeped, so to be a little tougher on myself I added 3 seconds to each of my garmins split for the total today. I think my Garmin is a little too friendly to me sometimes. :)
6:25.18
6:26.70
6:27.74
6:28.35
6:20.74
6:28.79
6:23.92
So 7 at 6:23-6:26 depending on whose Garmin you side with :)
6:25.18
6:26.70
6:27.74
6:28.35
6:20.74
6:28.79
6:23.92
So 7 at 6:23-6:26 depending on whose Garmin you side with :)
L.E.S. Artistes
This is definitely not the video I expected to find to go with the song. But it is interesting.
A few of the Santigold songs from her album Santogold pop up on my pandora station occasionally and I've liked them all.
I've definitely been struggling lately with some of the "why" am I doing this type questions and if I am really happy pursuing my current running goals or if I somehow ended up on this path against my best personal interests. So I like the line "I can say I hope it will be worth what I give up," it kind of rings a bell with me right now.
A few of the Santigold songs from her album Santogold pop up on my pandora station occasionally and I've liked them all.
I've definitely been struggling lately with some of the "why" am I doing this type questions and if I am really happy pursuing my current running goals or if I somehow ended up on this path against my best personal interests. So I like the line "I can say I hope it will be worth what I give up," it kind of rings a bell with me right now.
6*800, 6*200
Weather at the track was downright lovely for once last night, thank goodness!
My sluggish legs disappeared the moment I hit the track and didn't return until after dinner which was a pleasant surprise. It felt very good to get back in a groove last night. I wasn't breaking any personal records on the 800s (but coming close!), but we did finish up with my fastest 200 ever :) It was nice to feel excited about pushing my body again, rather than timid or frustrated. Though the 200s were crazy with the whole group shooting off the line together each time, it was not the one or two partners I am used to, and you could definitely tell who the sprinters in our group are! (Note, not me!)
Goal was 6*800 at 2:50 with 2 minutes rests followed by 6*200 with 200 jogs, 200s were to start at 40 for the first two and step down from there. I believe my fastest 200s so far were in the 36's. Putting on the spikes and really hammering it out on my toes was fun. It felt so good to feel that my legs could and would push me faster.
2:48.89, 2:47.45, 2:46.59, 2:46.93, 2:47.75, 2:46.97
39.83, 40.53, 37.02, 36.73, 35.42, 34.07
Glad the speed is starting to come back! Maybe this summer will go better than anticipated. Now just need to ice away this plantar fascitis and I would be really stoked!
Also of note the workout was again accompanied by one of my mental soundtracks. Had another Enrique song on tap with Tonight I'm "Loving" You. And thanks to Pandora I found out this week that those lyrics are actually the PG version of the tune. That is the second song in the past two months that I did not realize was edited for radio. While the meaning of the song is clearly the same for some reason it just feels a lot dirtier using the real lyrics!
My sluggish legs disappeared the moment I hit the track and didn't return until after dinner which was a pleasant surprise. It felt very good to get back in a groove last night. I wasn't breaking any personal records on the 800s (but coming close!), but we did finish up with my fastest 200 ever :) It was nice to feel excited about pushing my body again, rather than timid or frustrated. Though the 200s were crazy with the whole group shooting off the line together each time, it was not the one or two partners I am used to, and you could definitely tell who the sprinters in our group are! (Note, not me!)
Goal was 6*800 at 2:50 with 2 minutes rests followed by 6*200 with 200 jogs, 200s were to start at 40 for the first two and step down from there. I believe my fastest 200s so far were in the 36's. Putting on the spikes and really hammering it out on my toes was fun. It felt so good to feel that my legs could and would push me faster.
2:48.89, 2:47.45, 2:46.59, 2:46.93, 2:47.75, 2:46.97
39.83, 40.53, 37.02, 36.73, 35.42, 34.07
Glad the speed is starting to come back! Maybe this summer will go better than anticipated. Now just need to ice away this plantar fascitis and I would be really stoked!
Also of note the workout was again accompanied by one of my mental soundtracks. Had another Enrique song on tap with Tonight I'm "Loving" You. And thanks to Pandora I found out this week that those lyrics are actually the PG version of the tune. That is the second song in the past two months that I did not realize was edited for radio. While the meaning of the song is clearly the same for some reason it just feels a lot dirtier using the real lyrics!
Speed Phase Week 3
Still feeling sluggish. For some reason my quads and hip flexors were really sore both Saturday and Sunday despite taking a rest day Friday. Not breaking any speed records yet but glad to have a solid track and tempo this week!
Goal for the week:
Total Mileage 55 - 60.
Monday: Easy.
Tuesday: Track.
Wednesday and Friday: easy miles @ 7:20 or slower. 6 x 30 sec @ 6:00 pace with
full recovery on Friday
Thursday: Tempo run: 5 miles @ 6:35, 1 mile @ 6:25
Weekend:
10 miles @ 7:00
14 miles @ 7:25
Ended up taking Friday off so I moved the strides to Saturdays 14 miler on the towpath. I was in Michigan for a family party Sunday and ended up running another 14 at 7:25 rather than the 10 at 7 so I would have company. Given how my quads felt not sure I could have pushed the pace anyways.
How it went down:
64 Miles
6 runs, 1 rest day
1000 meter swim
I am finding that mentally I want to run more miles already (meaning I find all my friends runs enticing and I feel like I am missing out the days I "only" need an hour run and can't double), but I don't think my body is quite on board with that yet so it is probably good we are still easing back into things. Not really feeling "race ready" right now and I know that needs to change soon. Thinking I need to work on getting more regular massages and perhaps adding back in strength work somewhere to get back to where I was last fall and early this winter.
My left foot is still screaming PF at me in the mornings but loosens up on the run. I am icing and massaging, but I am thinking getting in to have a professional work it out would be good. Anyone else struggle with fitting this in while not interfering with work and the budget? I have tried several therapists since my regular from last year does not have weekend hours and was a little pricey, but so far I haven't been thrilled with what I have found. I think I got spoiled with her, she was perfect. If only she was a bit cheaper and worked Saturdays or Sundays! Anyone want to sponsor weekly massages for me and work those few morning office hours for me? ;)
Goal for the week:
Total Mileage 55 - 60.
Monday: Easy.
Tuesday: Track.
Wednesday and Friday: easy miles @ 7:20 or slower. 6 x 30 sec @ 6:00 pace with
full recovery on Friday
Thursday: Tempo run: 5 miles @ 6:35, 1 mile @ 6:25
Weekend:
10 miles @ 7:00
14 miles @ 7:25
Ended up taking Friday off so I moved the strides to Saturdays 14 miler on the towpath. I was in Michigan for a family party Sunday and ended up running another 14 at 7:25 rather than the 10 at 7 so I would have company. Given how my quads felt not sure I could have pushed the pace anyways.
How it went down:
64 Miles
6 runs, 1 rest day
1000 meter swim
I am finding that mentally I want to run more miles already (meaning I find all my friends runs enticing and I feel like I am missing out the days I "only" need an hour run and can't double), but I don't think my body is quite on board with that yet so it is probably good we are still easing back into things. Not really feeling "race ready" right now and I know that needs to change soon. Thinking I need to work on getting more regular massages and perhaps adding back in strength work somewhere to get back to where I was last fall and early this winter.
My left foot is still screaming PF at me in the mornings but loosens up on the run. I am icing and massaging, but I am thinking getting in to have a professional work it out would be good. Anyone else struggle with fitting this in while not interfering with work and the budget? I have tried several therapists since my regular from last year does not have weekend hours and was a little pricey, but so far I haven't been thrilled with what I have found. I think I got spoiled with her, she was perfect. If only she was a bit cheaper and worked Saturdays or Sundays! Anyone want to sponsor weekly massages for me and work those few morning office hours for me? ;)
DD Tempo
Thanks to the FM dial in the car this morning Dirty Dancer was stuck on replay in my head for this mornings tempo, and sadly (aka I should never admit it to the world) the last mile was Travis Porter's Bring it Back on repeat. As Daisy said "I love me some Enrique." What can I say I like a wide variety of music and I can't say no to some Usher, Lil Wayne, and Enrique to go with my more eclectic tastes.
Goal today was 5 at 6:35 and 1 at 6:25. Always seems easy in theory :) Reality was it was humid and hot this morning and I was grateful for the slower paces. But thankfully the crazy thunder storms and rain that were outside my home window this morning were not hanging out downtown and Daisy, 'Stina and I got in the miles without having to dodge lightning.
Our downtown route definitely leaves something to be desired. It's boring, out and back, no scenery, high chance of 10+ mph winds, and crappy footing, but there is hardly any traffic and it is conveniently located close to our work places. So Marginal it is. But it definitely helps to come armed with some mental tunes because 6 miles of tempo feels more like 10 some days on this route. Today was one of those days. 3 miles in I am doing the math and hoping I somehow missed a mile, but I knew we still had 3 to go.
The last mile I decided to loop the airport lot a few times to avoid running straight into the wind the entire mile or backtracking. This worked well, but I was still whipped by the end of the workout and super sweaty. Change Dirty Dancer to Sweaty Runner and the tune may have been a more appropriate one for today's workout :)
18 minute warm up
6:29.21
6:30.38
6:32.88
6:31.38
6:33.25
6:15.69
14 minute cool down
Goal today was 5 at 6:35 and 1 at 6:25. Always seems easy in theory :) Reality was it was humid and hot this morning and I was grateful for the slower paces. But thankfully the crazy thunder storms and rain that were outside my home window this morning were not hanging out downtown and Daisy, 'Stina and I got in the miles without having to dodge lightning.
Our downtown route definitely leaves something to be desired. It's boring, out and back, no scenery, high chance of 10+ mph winds, and crappy footing, but there is hardly any traffic and it is conveniently located close to our work places. So Marginal it is. But it definitely helps to come armed with some mental tunes because 6 miles of tempo feels more like 10 some days on this route. Today was one of those days. 3 miles in I am doing the math and hoping I somehow missed a mile, but I knew we still had 3 to go.
The last mile I decided to loop the airport lot a few times to avoid running straight into the wind the entire mile or backtracking. This worked well, but I was still whipped by the end of the workout and super sweaty. Change Dirty Dancer to Sweaty Runner and the tune may have been a more appropriate one for today's workout :)
18 minute warm up
6:29.21
6:30.38
6:32.88
6:31.38
6:33.25
6:15.69
14 minute cool down
Help I'm Alive
Just another mid week tune I enjoy!
Hot hot hot lunch run today, it's these nasty ones that remind us how lucky we are to be able to do this every day. So glad to come back to the office AC and enjoy jamming to Pandora while working this afternoon :)
4*1200, 1600
Last nights track workout was more up my alley right now. For some reason anything speedier than around 5:40 pace and I am struggling but keep things in the 5:50 to 6:00 range and I seem fine. Just another check mark in the strength is my strength column. I'm happy to have actually finished a track workout on target, even if I know it is because the pace was a little slower. The nice thing about having some super speedy workouts under my belt is 89 second quarters doesn't sound very intimidating (in reality the workout was still tough, but doable, it is just mentally easier to get on board with the workout when in the back of your head you know just 8 or so weeks ago you did 5*1600 at a faster pace with the same rest).
It also helped that last night I got assigned to work with Salty while the boys and NC were assigned slightly faster paces. It definitely took the pressure off knowing I didn't have to try and keep up with NC.
Workout was 4*1200 with 2 minute rests followed by 3 minute rest then 1600. 1200s at 89 per quarter or 4:27 and 1600 equal or faster to the 1200 pace.
Another hot night in the mid 80s with some wind, but this week I was better prepared, less stressful day at work than last week so I ate on time and better food and to avoid last weeks cramps I took an electrolyte pill before leaving work and one at the start of the workout. NC also brought a cooler like last week so each rest I would stuff ice in my bra to try and keep core temp down.
1200s:
4:25.21, 4:27.99, 4:26.33, 4:25.10
1600:
5:44.83
I know it is not my fastest workout ever but it felt good to get it done without struggling and falling apart. Hopefully before long I will be back to my fastest paces and beyond!
It also helped that last night I got assigned to work with Salty while the boys and NC were assigned slightly faster paces. It definitely took the pressure off knowing I didn't have to try and keep up with NC.
Workout was 4*1200 with 2 minute rests followed by 3 minute rest then 1600. 1200s at 89 per quarter or 4:27 and 1600 equal or faster to the 1200 pace.
Another hot night in the mid 80s with some wind, but this week I was better prepared, less stressful day at work than last week so I ate on time and better food and to avoid last weeks cramps I took an electrolyte pill before leaving work and one at the start of the workout. NC also brought a cooler like last week so each rest I would stuff ice in my bra to try and keep core temp down.
1200s:
4:25.21, 4:27.99, 4:26.33, 4:25.10
1600:
5:44.83
I know it is not my fastest workout ever but it felt good to get it done without struggling and falling apart. Hopefully before long I will be back to my fastest paces and beyond!
Speed Phase Week 2
Goals:
Total Mileage 55.
Monday: Easy.
Tuesday: Track.
Wednesday and Friday: easy miles @ 7:20 or slower. 6 x 30 sec @ 6:00 pace with
full recovery
Thursday: Tempo run: 2 x set (1 mile @ 6:40, 1 mile @ 6:30, 800 @ 7:00 pace, 800 @ 6:10 pace) with 3 mins jog between set
Weekend:
10 miles (5 @ 7:10, 5 @ 6:55).
14 miles @ 7:25
How it played out:
55 miles
6 runs, 1 rest day
Blown Track workout (92 degrees sure didn't help)
Good Tempo
Solid 10 miler
Sluggish 14 miler (but pace was fine)
1 swim: 1600 meters
Second week of our speed phase and I am still not feeling very speedy, but the legs do seem to be coming around a bit. Need to be careful with stretching and icing this week as my left foot and left hamstring are talking to me. We'll see how this week goes!
Total Mileage 55.
Monday: Easy.
Tuesday: Track.
Wednesday and Friday: easy miles @ 7:20 or slower. 6 x 30 sec @ 6:00 pace with
full recovery
Thursday: Tempo run: 2 x set (1 mile @ 6:40, 1 mile @ 6:30, 800 @ 7:00 pace, 800 @ 6:10 pace) with 3 mins jog between set
Weekend:
10 miles (5 @ 7:10, 5 @ 6:55).
14 miles @ 7:25
How it played out:
55 miles
6 runs, 1 rest day
Blown Track workout (92 degrees sure didn't help)
Good Tempo
Solid 10 miler
Sluggish 14 miler (but pace was fine)
1 swim: 1600 meters
Second week of our speed phase and I am still not feeling very speedy, but the legs do seem to be coming around a bit. Need to be careful with stretching and icing this week as my left foot and left hamstring are talking to me. We'll see how this week goes!
Running2Win and random updates
I have been slacking off here on workout updates. Partially because I have been busy, and partially because I don't have much exciting to report. I am wading my way back into training and so far the body isn't very happy with the fast stuff so it has been a little frustrating. But here's hoping it will get better soon!
The ankle is not 100% but it is pain free while running. I only notice it if I do something that requires balance like lunges. So I am still icing and strengthening. My left foot is threatening PF so I am also icing and strengthening that. And my left hamstring seems to be speaking up again so I am going to be diligent with the stretching and proper warm up and if it doesn't pipe down it is probably back to ART and massage for me.
In the meantime I started up a new running log at running2win.com and so far I like it. The great thing is it is easily shareable so you can check it out if you wonder what my coach has me up to.
ESpeeds Log
Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend with friends and family! Mine was packed with lots of visiting, volunteering, eating, drinking, yard work, shopping, and even a little bit of running.
My husband ran the Blossom Time Run (5.25 hilly hot miles) for the first time since his college days. So I took off my "racing" hat and ran with him. It was great to see him run the course faster than he expected and it was fun to see the race from a different perspective this year.
The ankle is not 100% but it is pain free while running. I only notice it if I do something that requires balance like lunges. So I am still icing and strengthening. My left foot is threatening PF so I am also icing and strengthening that. And my left hamstring seems to be speaking up again so I am going to be diligent with the stretching and proper warm up and if it doesn't pipe down it is probably back to ART and massage for me.
In the meantime I started up a new running log at running2win.com and so far I like it. The great thing is it is easily shareable so you can check it out if you wonder what my coach has me up to.
ESpeeds Log
Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend with friends and family! Mine was packed with lots of visiting, volunteering, eating, drinking, yard work, shopping, and even a little bit of running.
My husband ran the Blossom Time Run (5.25 hilly hot miles) for the first time since his college days. So I took off my "racing" hat and ran with him. It was great to see him run the course faster than he expected and it was fun to see the race from a different perspective this year.
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