To some extent my recent Johnnycake race invigorated me a bit. I felt like I was getting my "mojo" or "swagger" back after the race. It felt good to run solidly and be a few steps closer to 2nd place this year than last.
I am certainly the last person to intentionally brag about myself or my running, but I think for some reason I have let this go too far in the direction of humility, not publicly, but internally. (I've touched on this a bit here) I have worked so hard to not take my results for granted, and to credit others for what they do better than me, that I have forgotten to give myself the proverbial pat on the back when it is deserved. It's something I struggle with and I need to find a way to work through it in a positive manner that also sits well with my personal feelings about it. Because the truth is how I portray myself to others regardless of what I really feel will become my personal reflection on myself. And if put out there often enough, it becomes my own reality.
I think to an extent this is a female thing, it goes along with self image issues and being our own worst critics. But it is also a personal issue of mine as I want to credit others for what they've done well, and I want to excel, and I struggle to marry the two. I often forget that no opinion other than mine really matters when it comes down to my work ethic and my resulting performances. And unfortunately sometimes that opinion is really far from reality. I need to give myself credit where it is due and I need to see myself in a more realistic light.
Coincidentally my ultra buddy Sir Walks-a-Lot's must be thinking along the same lines and posted briefly and succinctly a summary of what I am struggling with:
"...about the negative characteristics of arrogance, and pride, and obsession as they relate to the positive characteristics of commitment, and patience, and persistence. They all are, I think, a similar breed of cat and somehow symbiotic and yet in conflict with each other..."
I do not think of myself as arrogant, and people who come off as arrogant frequently annoy me. But somewhere there is a fine line between arrogance and confidence, and I want to get myself to the brink of confidence without going over the line into arrogance. I also struggle with the fine line between persistence and obsession. I am working very hard to keep things light while making sure to put in the work day after day to hopefully be ready come go time. (Patience (or my lack of) is a whole 'nother post!)
So for those whose musical tastes, like mine, vary widely, something a little different today. I don't want to go quite so far as to be crowing all my victories like a rapper, but it wouldn't hurt to feel a bit more confident about myself and have a little more swagger in my steps :) If I want to see my goals reached, I need to really believe in myself and my ability to step up when it is warranted.
Note that I do not approve of Chris Brown's personal behavior whatsoever, but I am a Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne fan. And I have to give Brown credit, his dance moves are sick.
Quarter Pacing (Or Lack thereof)
For the life of me I cannot pace 400s on the track. We have gotten in the (bad) habit of running fast on the front 200 of almost all our intervals the past few years and I just cannot get a feel for the proposed pace to really nail it every time.
Since we raced Sunday and it was (once again) unbearably hot at the track last night we had 12 quarters followed by an 800 last night. Nothing too fast, just a workout to focus on pacing.
Goal was 3 sets of 89 (10k pace), 86 (5k pace), 86, 82 (3k pace) with 1:00 rests between each quarter. Followed up by 90 seconds rest and an 800 at 5k pace (2:52)
I didn't hit a single quarter or the 800 at the correct pace and I never ran the first 200 slower than 43 on the 89s, or 41 on the 86s, or 39 on the 82s. I knew the point of the workout was pace and to feel it, but I just could not settle in on the front 200 and would have to jog the last few steps of the 400 to even come close to the desired goal. I never felt like I was straining, I just couldn't run the right paces, my "feel" for the pace just wasn't there.
88.55, 82.83, 84.87, 79.46, 87.99, 83,32, 85.09, 80.49, 88.41, 84.10, 83.98, 78.28, 2:46.90
I am not sure why I struggle with this. Clearly I can run evenly paced miles in longer repeats and events, why I can't nail a pace for 400 meters is beyond me.
Since we raced Sunday and it was (once again) unbearably hot at the track last night we had 12 quarters followed by an 800 last night. Nothing too fast, just a workout to focus on pacing.
Goal was 3 sets of 89 (10k pace), 86 (5k pace), 86, 82 (3k pace) with 1:00 rests between each quarter. Followed up by 90 seconds rest and an 800 at 5k pace (2:52)
I didn't hit a single quarter or the 800 at the correct pace and I never ran the first 200 slower than 43 on the 89s, or 41 on the 86s, or 39 on the 82s. I knew the point of the workout was pace and to feel it, but I just could not settle in on the front 200 and would have to jog the last few steps of the 400 to even come close to the desired goal. I never felt like I was straining, I just couldn't run the right paces, my "feel" for the pace just wasn't there.
88.55, 82.83, 84.87, 79.46, 87.99, 83,32, 85.09, 80.49, 88.41, 84.10, 83.98, 78.28, 2:46.90
I am not sure why I struggle with this. Clearly I can run evenly paced miles in longer repeats and events, why I can't nail a pace for 400 meters is beyond me.
Johnnycake Jog 2011
Well somehow summer snuck up on me quickly and before I knew it I was toeing the line for one of my less desirable (but necessary since working with the coach) races and tests of my current fitness. The Johnnycake Jog is a staple of the Cleveland racing scene and throughout the years has brought out the best of the best year after year despite incredibly hot temperatures, no shade on the back half of the course, and a killer mile 2 hill. It's one of the only local races to still offer a bit of prize money and so I always assume it will draw out the "big dogs" from the area and near surrounding areas. Many years a van full of Russians or Kenyans from midwest training camps will show up, and usually you can count on any local studs to be there.
But the reality now is that there are just a lot of races and for some reason the past decade or so the womens field at Johnnycake has been a bit diluted. There are still local studs that run some amazing times, but the depth of the field is not like it was in the past. As I have increased my speed the past few years I have noticed a trend in the local "money races" that typically a year with slow times is followed by a year with fast ones. Knowing that last year I placed 3rd here with a 30:16 and that top 5 win money I assumed this year the field would have more depth and I was gearing myself up for a tough fight and hopefully a fast time by using others to pull myself faster. Placing was on the back-burner in my mind dependent on who showed up to race.
I had it in my head that I had two options for this race depending on the field.
1) Go nuts and stick to the big dogs until I died hoping for a huge PR (Goal sub 29) and a breakthrough. After Tuesday's track workout I really was fired up and thinking this might be a possibility.
2) Run a smarter race this year, go out a bit more conservative and have something left to really hammer the last two miles. With the desire that the resulting time would at a minimum be faster than last years Johnnycake (30:16), and in an ideal world a PR (29:31).
I knew three gals that were for sure running that are faster than me on paper. My mental plan was to try and stay as close as I could to them and pull myself to a better time. When I arrived to the race NC announced a van full of Kenyans was here so I quickly put placing out of my mind and decided I was running my race and would let the field play out however it played out. Being aggressive also seemed silly knowing it was 88 degrees at the start.
Warm up felt good but it was sweaty. I ditched the singlet and went with a sports bra for the race. We used ice in our bras before the start just like on the track, my legs felt good, but the heat was making my mouth feel dry and a bit parched despite hydrating very well that morning. I really was not sure how I was going to feel once we started.
I went sans Garmin and purely ran by feel. We started and I went out smooth and relaxed. I counted the girls ahead of me and was surprised to note only 4. NC, BO, and JK who I knew would be up there and then only one Kenyan female. I watched NC and the Kenyan girl go together but noted that BO and JK seemed to be holding back a bit from them before we made the first turn. I felt really smooth and was surprised to see a few men who are usually further ahead of me before we hit the mile marker. I was closing on JK but I didn't feel like I was straining so I went with it. We hit the mile in 5:52 which was exactly my conservative plan. (Last year I ran 5:42 this mile trying to keep up with NC) NC was long gone by this point, but I could see the Kenyan and BO not too far ahead.
The second mile heads uphill right away and I kept my effort the same running side by side with JK. We made a right hand turn and we pulled even with the Kenyan somewhere around the 2 mile mark which we hit at 12:00 even and a 6:11 mile. This was the same time I ran for this mile last year and now I was getting nervous. While my effort was still relaxed and controlled I knew I needed to step it up if I wanted to close better than last year. As I passed the Kenyan I encouraged her to come with me as I upped my effort to stay with a small pack of guys. My friend TJ was out cheering and informed me I was in 3rd place for women. I gave a wave, and incoherently held up 3 fingers. I guess I was starting to feel the heat a bit as I have no idea why holding up 3 fingers made any sort of sense.
Starting to get a bit uncomfortable here as we head out of the shade and I upped my effort. I focused on relaxing my arms and gliding. I had some random song in my head and a few times I repeated the mantra "I achieve when I believe" to myself. But for the most part I really didn't have to amp myself up or talk myself into anything. I just ran and did my best to tune out the heat. Every water stop I grabbed a water and dumped half on my back and drank half. By mile 3 (5:55) my shoes were soaked. I heard the timer call out around 17:57 here and knew I needed to step it up if I wanted to stay under 30.
Shortly after three you make your last right hand turn and head straight to the finish. No shade, just the hot sun beating down and the clock ticking away. I really tried to focus on keeping my effort up. I knew JK has a sick fast kick and I was sure the Kenyan would as well. 2nd place was far ahead at this point so it was a race for 3rd and a race for a good time for me. I closed on some guys here and was encouraged by my friend TJ who informed me I had 3rd locked down with no close chasers. Mile 4 came in 5:56 and it was time to decide how much I had in the tank.
Normally they have markers out for 1200, 800, and 400 to go. This year I did not see the 1200 or 800 but glanced at the watch at some point to ensure I had less than a few minutes to go. Unlike past years nobody passed me during these two miles and I think I passed three guys. 440 to go coach is yelling for me to get on my toes but I couldn't find that extra gear to really "sprint" though I upped my effort and hammered in for a 5:50 last mile and a 29:43 3rd place finish.
I ran a perfectly paced race for this course. My energy management was ideal and I got lucky that the field allowed me to get away with running my own race and still bringing home some money. I'm happy to be faster than last year at this point, and I am happy my racing instincts were solid on Sunday. But somewhere in the back my head I am wondering if I am limiting myself by being conservative and if there isn't a faster racer in me just waiting for my confidence to come back. I'm a bit torn between being realistic based on my current training, and being "scared" of really going for it. While I felt good Sunday I never was able to find that extra gear to really get after it.
So I guess what this race boiled down to for me is that I ran what I deep down felt was a realistic time for me at this point based on training. But this is not the time I want to be capable of at this point in time. I want to be faster. Keeping in mind that the real goal is Columbus Marathon this fall, what this race was for me was a test of my racing instincts and a benchmark of where I am. So I will be working on getting faster and stronger the next few weeks and I will allow myself to dream a little bigger at my next race and really get after it. Now that I have a solid race under my belt I can take a few more risks as a blow up would be worth the risk of a big breakthrough.
Per usual my SERC and Second Sole teammates all kicked butt. NC ran another 5 mile PR winning the race. BB ran a PR and placed 1st overall master despite being 60 years young. JK and BO went 2 and 4 sealing a second sole sweep of the top 4 places. And all the SERC ladies including Salty (PR) placed 1st in their age groups!
But the reality now is that there are just a lot of races and for some reason the past decade or so the womens field at Johnnycake has been a bit diluted. There are still local studs that run some amazing times, but the depth of the field is not like it was in the past. As I have increased my speed the past few years I have noticed a trend in the local "money races" that typically a year with slow times is followed by a year with fast ones. Knowing that last year I placed 3rd here with a 30:16 and that top 5 win money I assumed this year the field would have more depth and I was gearing myself up for a tough fight and hopefully a fast time by using others to pull myself faster. Placing was on the back-burner in my mind dependent on who showed up to race.
I had it in my head that I had two options for this race depending on the field.
1) Go nuts and stick to the big dogs until I died hoping for a huge PR (Goal sub 29) and a breakthrough. After Tuesday's track workout I really was fired up and thinking this might be a possibility.
2) Run a smarter race this year, go out a bit more conservative and have something left to really hammer the last two miles. With the desire that the resulting time would at a minimum be faster than last years Johnnycake (30:16), and in an ideal world a PR (29:31).
I knew three gals that were for sure running that are faster than me on paper. My mental plan was to try and stay as close as I could to them and pull myself to a better time. When I arrived to the race NC announced a van full of Kenyans was here so I quickly put placing out of my mind and decided I was running my race and would let the field play out however it played out. Being aggressive also seemed silly knowing it was 88 degrees at the start.
Warm up felt good but it was sweaty. I ditched the singlet and went with a sports bra for the race. We used ice in our bras before the start just like on the track, my legs felt good, but the heat was making my mouth feel dry and a bit parched despite hydrating very well that morning. I really was not sure how I was going to feel once we started.
I went sans Garmin and purely ran by feel. We started and I went out smooth and relaxed. I counted the girls ahead of me and was surprised to note only 4. NC, BO, and JK who I knew would be up there and then only one Kenyan female. I watched NC and the Kenyan girl go together but noted that BO and JK seemed to be holding back a bit from them before we made the first turn. I felt really smooth and was surprised to see a few men who are usually further ahead of me before we hit the mile marker. I was closing on JK but I didn't feel like I was straining so I went with it. We hit the mile in 5:52 which was exactly my conservative plan. (Last year I ran 5:42 this mile trying to keep up with NC) NC was long gone by this point, but I could see the Kenyan and BO not too far ahead.
The second mile heads uphill right away and I kept my effort the same running side by side with JK. We made a right hand turn and we pulled even with the Kenyan somewhere around the 2 mile mark which we hit at 12:00 even and a 6:11 mile. This was the same time I ran for this mile last year and now I was getting nervous. While my effort was still relaxed and controlled I knew I needed to step it up if I wanted to close better than last year. As I passed the Kenyan I encouraged her to come with me as I upped my effort to stay with a small pack of guys. My friend TJ was out cheering and informed me I was in 3rd place for women. I gave a wave, and incoherently held up 3 fingers. I guess I was starting to feel the heat a bit as I have no idea why holding up 3 fingers made any sort of sense.
Starting to get a bit uncomfortable here as we head out of the shade and I upped my effort. I focused on relaxing my arms and gliding. I had some random song in my head and a few times I repeated the mantra "I achieve when I believe" to myself. But for the most part I really didn't have to amp myself up or talk myself into anything. I just ran and did my best to tune out the heat. Every water stop I grabbed a water and dumped half on my back and drank half. By mile 3 (5:55) my shoes were soaked. I heard the timer call out around 17:57 here and knew I needed to step it up if I wanted to stay under 30.
Shortly after three you make your last right hand turn and head straight to the finish. No shade, just the hot sun beating down and the clock ticking away. I really tried to focus on keeping my effort up. I knew JK has a sick fast kick and I was sure the Kenyan would as well. 2nd place was far ahead at this point so it was a race for 3rd and a race for a good time for me. I closed on some guys here and was encouraged by my friend TJ who informed me I had 3rd locked down with no close chasers. Mile 4 came in 5:56 and it was time to decide how much I had in the tank.
Normally they have markers out for 1200, 800, and 400 to go. This year I did not see the 1200 or 800 but glanced at the watch at some point to ensure I had less than a few minutes to go. Unlike past years nobody passed me during these two miles and I think I passed three guys. 440 to go coach is yelling for me to get on my toes but I couldn't find that extra gear to really "sprint" though I upped my effort and hammered in for a 5:50 last mile and a 29:43 3rd place finish.
I ran a perfectly paced race for this course. My energy management was ideal and I got lucky that the field allowed me to get away with running my own race and still bringing home some money. I'm happy to be faster than last year at this point, and I am happy my racing instincts were solid on Sunday. But somewhere in the back my head I am wondering if I am limiting myself by being conservative and if there isn't a faster racer in me just waiting for my confidence to come back. I'm a bit torn between being realistic based on my current training, and being "scared" of really going for it. While I felt good Sunday I never was able to find that extra gear to really get after it.
So I guess what this race boiled down to for me is that I ran what I deep down felt was a realistic time for me at this point based on training. But this is not the time I want to be capable of at this point in time. I want to be faster. Keeping in mind that the real goal is Columbus Marathon this fall, what this race was for me was a test of my racing instincts and a benchmark of where I am. So I will be working on getting faster and stronger the next few weeks and I will allow myself to dream a little bigger at my next race and really get after it. Now that I have a solid race under my belt I can take a few more risks as a blow up would be worth the risk of a big breakthrough.
Per usual my SERC and Second Sole teammates all kicked butt. NC ran another 5 mile PR winning the race. BB ran a PR and placed 1st overall master despite being 60 years young. JK and BO went 2 and 4 sealing a second sole sweep of the top 4 places. And all the SERC ladies including Salty (PR) placed 1st in their age groups!
Last Speed Week Rundown!
Goal for the week:
Total Mileage 65 - 70.
Monday: Easy.
Tuesday: Track.
Wednesday and Friday: easy miles @ 7:20 or slower. 6 x 30 sec @ 5:40 pace on Friday
Thursday: Tempo run: 6 miles @ 6:30 pace
Weekend:
Saturday: Easy 5 miles.
Sunday: Johnny Cake 5 mile
How it played out:
67 miles
7 runs
one semi tweaked knee, but despite that a solid race this morning
Need to make sure I am getting in pool time! Totally neglected it this week.
Total Mileage 65 - 70.
Monday: Easy.
Tuesday: Track.
Wednesday and Friday: easy miles @ 7:20 or slower. 6 x 30 sec @ 5:40 pace on Friday
Thursday: Tempo run: 6 miles @ 6:30 pace
Weekend:
Saturday: Easy 5 miles.
Sunday: Johnny Cake 5 mile
How it played out:
67 miles
7 runs
one semi tweaked knee, but despite that a solid race this morning
Need to make sure I am getting in pool time! Totally neglected it this week.
Generous Garmin Tempo
Met up with Salty for last nights tempo. Since we are racing Sunday the pace was a bit slower this week. Just 6 at 6:30. I wasn't feeling particularly perky, but knew it would get done one way or another :)
Though I was a bit worried about my right knee. I did something to it Wednesday, but it seemed to loosen up for the run, and just a bit tender so far today. I changed a flat Wednesday night and think that jumping up and down on the lug wrench may have tweaked it. That or the single leg squats I did Tuesday night overloaded the quad a bit...regardless it was fine during the tempo. Though my right ankle had some issues. It felt like perhaps a minor sprain or like it was out of alignment, but by focusing in on my footstrike I was able to make the pain go away after a half mile or so. I've run more trails the past week than I have been and some of the Jay Johnson exercises definitely require balance so I think it may just be a little tender still from the tendonitis. That and I may have turned it a bit on the warm up. So keeping an eye on both the knee and ankle in addition to my left foot plantar fasciitis and slightly still tweaked left hamstring. What I wouldn't give to be 100%, but glad that for the most part everything seems good given I am finally getting back up to mileage and quality. Just need to be careful not to overdo it in my excitement.
Last week my garmin decided it would be the "slow" one for the first few miles, but this week it was back to feeling generous, and Salty's would go off 3.5 seconds after mine each mile. Not a real big deal, but a bit annoying as by 6 miles that's another 23 seconds. Not such a big deal on a workout (Though I am thinking it might not be a bad idea to create a few set tempo courses soon with marked miles and rely less on the garmin and more on feel.), but in a race I would be pretty miffed if I thought I was 23 seconds faster than I really was :) Either way 6 miles somewhere between 6:24 and 6:28 average with two quick stops in the 4th mile for water and a shoelace. Much better than how I was feeling last year at this point.
Hoping the knee and ankle feel good after tomorrows easy run as I am really looking forward to racing Sunday!
Though I was a bit worried about my right knee. I did something to it Wednesday, but it seemed to loosen up for the run, and just a bit tender so far today. I changed a flat Wednesday night and think that jumping up and down on the lug wrench may have tweaked it. That or the single leg squats I did Tuesday night overloaded the quad a bit...regardless it was fine during the tempo. Though my right ankle had some issues. It felt like perhaps a minor sprain or like it was out of alignment, but by focusing in on my footstrike I was able to make the pain go away after a half mile or so. I've run more trails the past week than I have been and some of the Jay Johnson exercises definitely require balance so I think it may just be a little tender still from the tendonitis. That and I may have turned it a bit on the warm up. So keeping an eye on both the knee and ankle in addition to my left foot plantar fasciitis and slightly still tweaked left hamstring. What I wouldn't give to be 100%, but glad that for the most part everything seems good given I am finally getting back up to mileage and quality. Just need to be careful not to overdo it in my excitement.
Last week my garmin decided it would be the "slow" one for the first few miles, but this week it was back to feeling generous, and Salty's would go off 3.5 seconds after mine each mile. Not a real big deal, but a bit annoying as by 6 miles that's another 23 seconds. Not such a big deal on a workout (Though I am thinking it might not be a bad idea to create a few set tempo courses soon with marked miles and rely less on the garmin and more on feel.), but in a race I would be pretty miffed if I thought I was 23 seconds faster than I really was :) Either way 6 miles somewhere between 6:24 and 6:28 average with two quick stops in the 4th mile for water and a shoelace. Much better than how I was feeling last year at this point.
Hoping the knee and ankle feel good after tomorrows easy run as I am really looking forward to racing Sunday!
I Feel It All
Feist comes up on my Pandora channel relatively frequently and I really like this tune. I Love the care free feel of the video too. And clearly a few lyrics stick out for my running right now regardless of the real subject matter.
"I know more than I knew before, I didn't Rest, I didn't Stop"
"Ooh I'll be the one who'll break my heart, I'll be the one to hold the gun"
"No one likes to take a test, Sometimes you know more is less"
Short and Sweet Track Workout
Coach must have been feeling generous tonight as we have a race Sunday and this is our last speed week. Workout was only a total of 3.5 miles tonight, and plenty of rest. 3 sets of 800, 600, 200 followed by one 800. Goal was 800s in 2:49, 600s in 2:02, and 200s in 38-39. Last 800 all you've got. Rest was 2:00 after the 800s and 200s, and 90 seconds after the 600s. Hot night but for some reason I did not suffer quite as much as I have been in previous weeks. I am continuing to make use of ice in my top and drinking water each rest to really try and keep my core temp as low as I can. Workout didn't sound too intimidating, but the 600s worried me a bit. 82s is creeping awfully close to my max speed so I was a bit worried. Turns out I had no need to worry. First 800 was a little labored, but after that I just did my best to stay as close to NC as I could to ensure I hit all my splits, and it all worked out just fine.
2:48.93, 2:00.12, 37.83
2:46.65, 2:00.05, 38.40
2:44.20, 1:59.22, 37.10
2:38.32
Finished the night out with a long cool down to get in 13 miles and then did the Jay Johnson LC#1, 40 second pedestals, and the Myrtl cool down. Really felt fantastic, like I could have run all night. Hoping this is a good sign!
2:48.93, 2:00.12, 37.83
2:46.65, 2:00.05, 38.40
2:44.20, 1:59.22, 37.10
2:38.32
Finished the night out with a long cool down to get in 13 miles and then did the Jay Johnson LC#1, 40 second pedestals, and the Myrtl cool down. Really felt fantastic, like I could have run all night. Hoping this is a good sign!
Week 7 of the Speed Phase
Goals for the week:
Total Mileage 75.
Monday: Easy.
Tuesday: Track.
Wednesday and Friday: easy miles @ 7:20 or slower. 6 x 30 sec @ 5:40 pace on Friday
Thursday: Tempo run: 2 x (2 miles @ 6:20, 1 mile @ 6:15)
Weekend:
12 miles @ 7:00
16 miles @ 7:25
How it played out:
78 miles
2 doubles
1 rest day
2 swims totaling 3200 meters
1 deep tissue massage
Saturdays 16 miler came bright and early. We tackled some hills and my quads were definitely sore, but really felt ok on both long runs despite upping the mileage and having to get in some doubles to make up for a Monday off. Sundays 12 miler we jumped in a small local 5 mile race for part of the 12 and finished 1-2-3 holding hands and being cheesy. Most of the race was actually shaded, and despite some trail miles we got in the 12 on pace with no real issues. Feeling a lot better than I did this time last year, clearly because last year I pretty much trained right through Boston up until Johnnycake, before a down week and jumping into marathon training. This year it feels like I am just starting to get into a groove after some unplanned rest, and some time to re-build fitness.
Johnnycake is coming up on Sunday and it will be the first real comparison of fitness versus last year. So hopefully this week continues to go well, and hopefully I'll have a good race on Sunday to boost the confidence before closing out this speed phase and moving into marathon mode!
Total Mileage 75.
Monday: Easy.
Tuesday: Track.
Wednesday and Friday: easy miles @ 7:20 or slower. 6 x 30 sec @ 5:40 pace on Friday
Thursday: Tempo run: 2 x (2 miles @ 6:20, 1 mile @ 6:15)
Weekend:
12 miles @ 7:00
16 miles @ 7:25
How it played out:
78 miles
2 doubles
1 rest day
2 swims totaling 3200 meters
1 deep tissue massage
Saturdays 16 miler came bright and early. We tackled some hills and my quads were definitely sore, but really felt ok on both long runs despite upping the mileage and having to get in some doubles to make up for a Monday off. Sundays 12 miler we jumped in a small local 5 mile race for part of the 12 and finished 1-2-3 holding hands and being cheesy. Most of the race was actually shaded, and despite some trail miles we got in the 12 on pace with no real issues. Feeling a lot better than I did this time last year, clearly because last year I pretty much trained right through Boston up until Johnnycake, before a down week and jumping into marathon training. This year it feels like I am just starting to get into a groove after some unplanned rest, and some time to re-build fitness.
Johnnycake is coming up on Sunday and it will be the first real comparison of fitness versus last year. So hopefully this week continues to go well, and hopefully I'll have a good race on Sunday to boost the confidence before closing out this speed phase and moving into marathon mode!
Core and Strengthening
I met some great runners in the great state to my near north (My home state Michigan) during my lead up to Boston and they recently directed me to these Jay Johnson Core and Strengthening workouts. I am on week 3 of incorporating these into my hard days (Tempo and Track) and going to start doing a minimum of the 20 second pedestals on my easy days too. And I think they are making a difference. It seems counter-intuitive to do a semi-hard cool down after a hard workout, but I actually think it is promoting recovery while strengthening some of my weaknesses in my core and hips!
Check them out and see if you can find time to squeeze them in!
http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=16625
Check them out and see if you can find time to squeeze them in!
http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=16625
Let's try that again Tempo
Sometimes I don't always go about things in the smartest way :) I took Monday off this week because I was home visiting family, we were having fun, and I assumed mileage would be 65-70 or at least the option of 70-75 this week and that I could easily get that in with one double while taking a rest day Monday. Wake up Tuesday morning to find out it is 75 for the week. Oops! So that leaves me with some mileage to squeak into the schedule this week and I decided I would add a mile or two extra to the track and tempo days and do doubles Wednesday and Thursday since I run early AM I could get in some easy evening miles without staying up too too late.
It has been a bit of a struggle doing the Tuesday track night workouts and getting downtown by 6:30 am for my morning easy miles. I barely get in 7-8 hours of sleep and I am pretty groggy and still pretty toasted from the track effort. I thought an easy evening run would be all right, and it felt pretty good to get out for some easy trail miles. But I think it was just a bit too much to expect to be able to recover from a hard Tuesday evening session, double on Wednesday, and be up and ready for a tempo effort by 6 am this morning. (Which is a bit of a bummer because I was kind of hoping to start doing easy trail runs Wednesday nights when mileage gets higher, might have to switch that to Thursdays post tempo if I want to continue with morning tempos)
I struggled on the warm up and just could not keep up on the first two tempo miles this morning. Goal was 6 miles with the 3rd and 6th mile at 6:15 and the rest at 6:20. After a 6:21 and a 6:27 followed by .25 miles at over 6:30 I bagged it. For whatever reason it just wasn't happening this morning. My legs didn't feel bad, I just didn't have any power, and no mental prowess to power through. I knew Salty and NC were tempo-ing this evening so I asked coach if I should just bag it or if I should try again. I needed to get in more miles anyways and he agreed I should try again.
Apparently I needed to be relaxed, but not quite as relaxed as I was this morning to get things done. I think I have been a little nonchalant about these tempos lately because in my head the paces aren't that fast, but the truth is they are still hard and I should know better. After a hard track effort Tuesday I should have known I needed to gear up properly for this workout rather than thinking I could skate through.
Throughout the day I reminded myself that I wanted to do the workout well, and though it wasn't the end of the world if my body said no, I knew my body could do better if I provided it with the proper tools to get it done. Pandora aptly played one of my favorite jazzy tunes "I'm Feeling Good" as performed by Michael Buble, and it reminded me that for the most part I have been feeling pretty good lately so I should just suck it up and get it done tonight :)
So I did my best to rally by eating better today and focusing on getting in more calories and hydration. Took two salt pills to make sure my electrolytes were up, took a quick cold shower to freshen up the legs, put up the legs for a few minutes and did some relaxation breathing and visualized a successful tempo. Worked up a mantra for the run of "I achieve when I believe," put on my fast twitch shoes instead of my clunkers I wore this morning, took a roctane gu for a little caffeine boost before starting our warm up, and listened to some pump me up music before getting started.
Armed with my mental soundtrack of my mantra for the first three miles mixed in with Rhianna's Breakin' Dishes the last three miles, and joined by my trusty sidekicks NC and Salty I managed to get the workout done tonight, and felt worlds better than this morning. Still can't keep up with NC, but I hit the goal paces, and really felt pretty smooth other than the last mile. Not sure where that fourth mile came from, I was relaxed but it just wanted to be a fast one I guess :)
6:17
6:21
6:13
6:10
6:17
6:04
It has been a bit of a struggle doing the Tuesday track night workouts and getting downtown by 6:30 am for my morning easy miles. I barely get in 7-8 hours of sleep and I am pretty groggy and still pretty toasted from the track effort. I thought an easy evening run would be all right, and it felt pretty good to get out for some easy trail miles. But I think it was just a bit too much to expect to be able to recover from a hard Tuesday evening session, double on Wednesday, and be up and ready for a tempo effort by 6 am this morning. (Which is a bit of a bummer because I was kind of hoping to start doing easy trail runs Wednesday nights when mileage gets higher, might have to switch that to Thursdays post tempo if I want to continue with morning tempos)
I struggled on the warm up and just could not keep up on the first two tempo miles this morning. Goal was 6 miles with the 3rd and 6th mile at 6:15 and the rest at 6:20. After a 6:21 and a 6:27 followed by .25 miles at over 6:30 I bagged it. For whatever reason it just wasn't happening this morning. My legs didn't feel bad, I just didn't have any power, and no mental prowess to power through. I knew Salty and NC were tempo-ing this evening so I asked coach if I should just bag it or if I should try again. I needed to get in more miles anyways and he agreed I should try again.
Apparently I needed to be relaxed, but not quite as relaxed as I was this morning to get things done. I think I have been a little nonchalant about these tempos lately because in my head the paces aren't that fast, but the truth is they are still hard and I should know better. After a hard track effort Tuesday I should have known I needed to gear up properly for this workout rather than thinking I could skate through.
Throughout the day I reminded myself that I wanted to do the workout well, and though it wasn't the end of the world if my body said no, I knew my body could do better if I provided it with the proper tools to get it done. Pandora aptly played one of my favorite jazzy tunes "I'm Feeling Good" as performed by Michael Buble, and it reminded me that for the most part I have been feeling pretty good lately so I should just suck it up and get it done tonight :)
So I did my best to rally by eating better today and focusing on getting in more calories and hydration. Took two salt pills to make sure my electrolytes were up, took a quick cold shower to freshen up the legs, put up the legs for a few minutes and did some relaxation breathing and visualized a successful tempo. Worked up a mantra for the run of "I achieve when I believe," put on my fast twitch shoes instead of my clunkers I wore this morning, took a roctane gu for a little caffeine boost before starting our warm up, and listened to some pump me up music before getting started.
Armed with my mental soundtrack of my mantra for the first three miles mixed in with Rhianna's Breakin' Dishes the last three miles, and joined by my trusty sidekicks NC and Salty I managed to get the workout done tonight, and felt worlds better than this morning. Still can't keep up with NC, but I hit the goal paces, and really felt pretty smooth other than the last mile. Not sure where that fourth mile came from, I was relaxed but it just wanted to be a fast one I guess :)
6:17
6:21
6:13
6:10
6:17
6:04
Wednesday Blues
If you haven't checked out the Black Keys yet you are seriously missing out. From Akron Ohio, they are definitely, in my personal opinion, one of the best bands out this year.
No official video for this first tune, but it is worth a listen!
And because it is pretty funny a second video.
No official video for this first tune, but it is worth a listen!
And because it is pretty funny a second video.
Toasted Track Workout
Got to the track early last night to get in an extra mile and just felt off. My legs felt good, foot pain was minimal, but something just didn't feel "right." Likely a combination of eating a little bit too much/too late at lunch, recovering from some adult beverages from the weekend, and temps being above 80.
Workout didn't sound too awful. Ladder 400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800, 400. All at 86 per quarter with half the rest.
Well it didn't feel easy and my focus was definitely not where it should have been. I was using a detached approach last night for whatever reason, and I am actually impressed I finished the workout. Towards the end it was everything I could do to keep my eyes open, let alone hammer. Thank goodness for the boys, salty, and coach being there to keep me honest or I would have wimped out of this one for sure.
It is hard to say where I am at relative to last year right now, last time we did this workout it was a little faster and definitely felt smoother, but it was also late fall and the weather was much better. So I think I am getting there.
Splits from last night:
I asked for more rest after the mile, but didn't get it, somehow I managed to keep from falling apart and was only slow on the 1200. Each rest I was downing water but was still parched by one lap in. I really have no idea how I finished that last lap. I was toast!
Workout didn't sound too awful. Ladder 400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800, 400. All at 86 per quarter with half the rest.
Well it didn't feel easy and my focus was definitely not where it should have been. I was using a detached approach last night for whatever reason, and I am actually impressed I finished the workout. Towards the end it was everything I could do to keep my eyes open, let alone hammer. Thank goodness for the boys, salty, and coach being there to keep me honest or I would have wimped out of this one for sure.
It is hard to say where I am at relative to last year right now, last time we did this workout it was a little faster and definitely felt smoother, but it was also late fall and the weather was much better. So I think I am getting there.
Splits from last night:
| 01:24.6 |
| 02:49.0 |
| 04:17.2 |
| 05:43.2 |
| 04:20.1 |
| 02:50.5 |
| 01:20.4 |
I asked for more rest after the mile, but didn't get it, somehow I managed to keep from falling apart and was only slow on the 1200. Each rest I was downing water but was still parched by one lap in. I really have no idea how I finished that last lap. I was toast!
Quick Speed Phase Week 6 Rundown
Goals:
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, 1 mile @ 6:15
Weekend:
12 miles @ 7:05
14 miles @ 7:25
How it played out:
70 miles
7 runs
3 swims = 3600 meters
Legs felt good and runs all went well despite lots of festivities Fri-Sunday.
My garmin is misbehaving and being awfully generous (to the tune of 2-3 seconds faster per mile than my running partners watches) and the screen keeps getting scrambled. Debating if I can survive a few weeks of training without it and send it in for repairs. I have been really spoiled by the instant feedback. Though I am sure a few weeks of effort based running wouldn't kill me.
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, 1 mile @ 6:15
Weekend:
12 miles @ 7:05
14 miles @ 7:25
How it played out:
70 miles
7 runs
3 swims = 3600 meters
Legs felt good and runs all went well despite lots of festivities Fri-Sunday.
My garmin is misbehaving and being awfully generous (to the tune of 2-3 seconds faster per mile than my running partners watches) and the screen keeps getting scrambled. Debating if I can survive a few weeks of training without it and send it in for repairs. I have been really spoiled by the instant feedback. Though I am sure a few weeks of effort based running wouldn't kill me.
Power Walking?
Sometimes I wonder how fast I could be if I had running form more like an elite runner and less like a power walker...I swear I don't remember heel striking during this race!
A wee bit better :)
Two'Fer Tempo
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!
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.
Pumped Up Kicks Tempo
Easing back into things here. Of course my mind is ready to go out and crush some workouts and races, but I need to let my body catch up from all this crazy minor injury and marathon recovery stuff :)
This morning was a great relaxed tempo with my girlfriends. Both recovering from big races of their own it was nice to get out early and get in a relaxed workout with no real pressure (despite my stupid alarms failing to work I woke up when I was supposed to be leaving and thankfully I get ready fast and was out the door in time to meet them only 10 minutes late).
Jamming on the radio on the way in and the last tune must have been Pumped Up Kicks because this is what was on replay in my head for the workout.
I forgot to turn my autolap back on after Tuesdays track workout so I just had average pace rolling for the tempo and Stina was in charge of the individual miles. Wind was at our backs on the way out so we were a little quicker than the targeted 6:50 pace but nothing crazy. All miles were between 6:40 and 7:00. Finished out the 5 miles into the wind at an average of 6:44 pace for the run. It was nice to pick up the pace a bit and let the legs roll and as always great to catch up with the ladies.
Second run without the ankle brace and everything felt good! Unfortunately I somehow sprained my middle finger when I got back to the office. Seriously of all the dumb things, I don't even know how I did it but it is purple and swollen and typing all day is probably not ideal, ouch!
This morning was a great relaxed tempo with my girlfriends. Both recovering from big races of their own it was nice to get out early and get in a relaxed workout with no real pressure (despite my stupid alarms failing to work I woke up when I was supposed to be leaving and thankfully I get ready fast and was out the door in time to meet them only 10 minutes late).
Jamming on the radio on the way in and the last tune must have been Pumped Up Kicks because this is what was on replay in my head for the workout.
I forgot to turn my autolap back on after Tuesdays track workout so I just had average pace rolling for the tempo and Stina was in charge of the individual miles. Wind was at our backs on the way out so we were a little quicker than the targeted 6:50 pace but nothing crazy. All miles were between 6:40 and 7:00. Finished out the 5 miles into the wind at an average of 6:44 pace for the run. It was nice to pick up the pace a bit and let the legs roll and as always great to catch up with the ladies.
Second run without the ankle brace and everything felt good! Unfortunately I somehow sprained my middle finger when I got back to the office. Seriously of all the dumb things, I don't even know how I did it but it is purple and swollen and typing all day is probably not ideal, ouch!
Sweet Disposition
Just really love this song. Pandora as always just has a way of finding tunes to suit my given mood.
"Sweet disposition
Never too soon
Oh, reckless abandon
Like no one's watching you"
"And while our blood's still young
It's so young
It runs
And we won't stop until it's over
Won't stop to surrender"
Yes there has been some training going on
Well two weeks ago was pretty much a bust with the ankle drama. I was able to get in two swims but then got side tracked by a last minute work conference and only ran the one day at Cleveland. About 13 miles at about 6:40 pace and sadly it was rough.
This week I have been easing back into things. With no official marching orders I just ran what I felt each day paying attention to my ankle, feet, and lungs and trying to listen to my body.
This resulted in 6 runs and 3 swims totaling about 45 miles and 6400 meters. I did some actual workouts in the pool this week so that was my anaerobic stuff for the week while the running was all kept between 7:20 and 8:20 pace.
I should be getting official marching orders this week as we start building into a summer speed phase. Fingers crossed that the body is ready and willing!
This week I have been easing back into things. With no official marching orders I just ran what I felt each day paying attention to my ankle, feet, and lungs and trying to listen to my body.
This resulted in 6 runs and 3 swims totaling about 45 miles and 6400 meters. I did some actual workouts in the pool this week so that was my anaerobic stuff for the week while the running was all kept between 7:20 and 8:20 pace.
I should be getting official marching orders this week as we start building into a summer speed phase. Fingers crossed that the body is ready and willing!
Underdog
I've always been relatively competitive. I don't particularly like to lose, at anything. But with running for the most part I have always kept my expectations realistic. While I may have been driven to be the best on the team in high school, or driven to be the fastest of my friends when I started into endurance sports I always knew there was going to be someone faster and I had no delusions of grandeur. I was perfectly content to chase minor PRs and slowly get better year after year or pursue some other venue if I wasn't getting better.
Then in 2008 Boston held the women's marathon trials. I watched that race and thought to myself, what is the difference between these women and me? I wasn't looking at the Deena Kastors and Magdelena's and Blake's in the group, but rather the women who were running towards the back of the pack. Women who clearly weren't professional runners, but had found a way to get to a sub elite level while still holding down full time jobs, raising children, and pursuing lives outside running. Running 3:22:50 the next day at Boston clearly the answer was, they were doing a lot more. But was it something I could achieve?
I decided then I needed to run more mileage and get serious about my workouts. Getting myself down to 3:16:30 the next year at Boston before starting to work with my coach who has taken me to 2:49:53 at Columbus last fall, and in the process I have taken down my PRs in every distance from the mile to the marathon. Clearly I have come so close to reaching this goal that seemed like a real long shot at the time. Something you thought about doing, something maybe you told a few close friends you wanted to do, something you weren't even really sure was feasible. And now I am here staring the next seven months in the face and knowing that while I have come so far I still have a long way to go.
Clearly my body has responded well to training, and up until the last few months every race I have run was a new PR indicating better fitness. Achieving these results builds confidence and I think that is what allowed me to let go of my doubt and go for it at Columbus. But the truth of it is that about a month before Columbus I was seriously contemplating trying for the 2:46 then. My training partner was going for it and our other training buddy was on her way to getting it done at Wineglass. I was doing the same workouts as them, the same mileage, but I just wasn't confident I could get 2:46. So while publicly everyone thought I would be gunning for sub 3 I was actually toying with 2:46 and the moment I decided to take that off the table and go for 2:50 instead I felt this huge wave of relief. My instincts told me I was ready for 2:50 despite my best time being a 3:05:57 and having blown up at Boston trying for sub 3. Somewhere inside I just knew I was ready for better.
Being competitive I wanted to place well at Columbus leading up to the race. I felt with a 2:50 I should have a run at top 5. At the expo I asked for a list of the elites. I did my homework and noted that instead of a few gals who might compete that there were around 15 girls lining up the next morning with credentials equal to or better than mine. I decided then to ignore my competitors and just run my own race for time. This also left me relaxed and focused on just myself, allowing me to run without fear. (Imagine my surprise when I placed 2nd!) Not many people expected me to place well or even to run a great time (note what I consider a great time for myself holds no bearing on what I believe to be great for others). Running my race I was able to do something unexpected by others and to achieve a goal I was pretty sure I was capable of on a good day.
But even though I had this great race at Columbus, and I had great races in shorter distances leading up to Columbus I still don't think of myself as a real competitor. For some reason I have this underdog complex. I don't have the benefit of coming from a track background, I was never an all American, I don't have the confidence of someone who is used to going out and dominating a race field. I currently lack the tenacity of a champion. I watch my competition get better and I put them up on this personally unachievable pedestal while holding myself on the ground.
I am not sure when this started. I have always had perceptions of a "pecking order" in the local running scene. When I first got back into running I was aiming to be within a certain % of the top women, then I wanted to place in my age group, now I want to place overall locally, and stay top 1% in more competitive fields. I certainly know all of the girls in the local racing scene who are currently out of my league, and those that I am close to, and those who are coming after me. And I think it is holding me back. I have this perception that I will never be good enough no matter how fast I get, no matter how hard I work. I have this fear of getting left behind while watching all of my speedy pals continue to get better.
I perceive this to be one of my (many) mental issues that is holding me back and that I need to overcome in order to achieve my goals. It is one of my goals this summer to toe the line with no fear of any other woman on it. To focus purely on myself and run the best times I am capable of on the day no matter who is there. I need to make sure my perception of who I should and shouldn't be able to keep up with doesn't hold me back.
I need to shed my underdog complex.
Such Great Heights
Todays Pandora pick of the day.
I'm actually listening to the more mellow cover by Iron & Wine which is okay, not as good as Postal Service (in my opinion). I came across this tune a few years ago when making my husband a mixed CD for one of our anniversary's. I love the tune. Ben Folds did an awesome cover of it live when we saw him at Blossom. I tend to be a day dreamer so the chorus speaks to me.
I'm actually listening to the more mellow cover by Iron & Wine which is okay, not as good as Postal Service (in my opinion). I came across this tune a few years ago when making my husband a mixed CD for one of our anniversary's. I love the tune. Ben Folds did an awesome cover of it live when we saw him at Blossom. I tend to be a day dreamer so the chorus speaks to me.
Keeping It Real
My friend recently mentioned to me that perhaps I don't come across clearly via my blog. She gets to see the side of me that has doubts, worries, and crazy spells that I don't often post about here. The intent when I started this blog was always to be honest and up front about my training.
In the beginning this was to be held accountable to those that were donating to TNT on my behalf, and later it morphed into a place to give an honest take on my own running pursuits. These have been so varied and I never would have guessed this crazy journey would have taken me down my current path. From triathlons for charity, my first marathon BQ attempt, to ultras for fun, to pacing marathons, to chasing a dream. It is definitely not the typical path one would have taken to get where I am and maybe that hasn't come across here recently. I'm still the person who loves a new challenge, I still wish I could be running socially with my TNT and ultra buddies, I miss the trails, I miss the freedom of running a race for fun and not worrying about a poor result reflecting on my training or my coach. Then there is this other part of me who wants to see these goals achieved and that part has tried to sacrifice the other things I want in the heat of the moment to what I want in the long term. But sometimes that is extremely difficult to do.
Sometimes as runners we make stupid decisions. I am not above this. I've been really lucky the past few years to train at a higher level than I used to without any major mishaps and for the most part the goals just keep getting checked off the list. But my running seems to come in ups and downs. Major breakthroughs, often followed by plateaus. It never bothered me too much in the past, but it seems the faster I get I am also getting a bit greedy and impatient :) I want to reach my marathon goals, and I want to do it ASAP. It doesn't help that there is a short time line on my current goal.
Post Boston I was not upset about my race result. I was a bit distressed that it was so difficult mentally and physically to achieve a result that I thought I was well beyond. I was anxious to run at the level I hoped I was capable of, and I was anxious to do it soon. I ignored the fact that I had warded off minor hamstring and calf injuries with religious massages and ART as well as ice and rest, then followed that up with a severe sinus infection just a week before the marathon. I kept trucking along as if this year was the same as last and I would bounce back quickly from this marathon despite these minor set backs that should have been flags all along that I wasn't quite ready. I pushed the boundaries jumping back into training and assumed I could also go out and do other activities on top of runs that were clearly stressing my system because my body has always done what I ask of it. All of this to try and jump in at Cleveland just 4 weeks after Boston and run the race with my training partner. I was advised not to tell anyone about my plans, so that I would have no pressure on me to perform and no negative feedback about making what might be an unwise decision. Then I hurt my ankle and pretty much resolved that my $96 was lost to a race I don't really support and that I would have to suck it up and move on.
Then this little devil on my shoulder realized that Friday my ankle was feeling better and the cough that had been plaguing me finally went away. I took the air cast off Saturday and had no pain walking. I stopped the NSAIDs and went for a light jog to test it and it was fine. I then spent the next 12 or so hours deciding whether or not to toe the line for a race I most likely would not be able to finish. In 21 marathon starts and 9 ultras I have never DNF'ed. I didn't know what my body would do after a week of no running, and I really had no idea if the ankle would be a problem or not. I vowed that if I started and I had pain I would stop immediately and walk off the course.
And so I found myself at the line of the Cleveland Marathon on Sunday. I planned to go out with the 2:45 pack and just see what happened. I stayed with the group for about 5 miles surprised that my ankle felt perfectly fine. But unfortunately I just felt stale and the pace was not going to happen. I let the group go and just ran at what felt like marathon effort. I hadn't worn a Garmin and had assumed at the 10km I would probably have to bail and take a short cut back to town to cheer on my friends. But at 10 km I still had no ankle pain and no real reason to pull out. Clearly I was not running that fast, but nothing hurt and at the end of the day I'd much rather be running than anything else so I kept going and waiting to see how I would feel.
My ankle still made no peep, but it was clear my legs and feet were not very happy. I contemplated where the course went and if I would be able to stop by the club and switch into trainers as I thought I might be able to suffer through the back half if I put on more supportive shoes. Thankfully some friends caught up and distracted me for a few miles, then Salty caught up and was clearly suffering so I put my crappy feeling legs aside and did my best to help her rally and finish the half strong. After all, two gals in their skimpy running clothes really should move as quickly as possible through the ghettos, not power walk the 4+ miles back to town! This actually helped me to focus on something else, my left foot was getting sore and I was starting to get some cramps in my calves which was weird, but the ankle felt great. I did my best to pep talk Salty and run strong to the 13 mile mark where I peeled off and realized a minute later she actually might still be able to PR even though we thought we were running a lot slower than that, with no Garmin I can't say for sure, but my guess is mile markers were not placed correctly. They had said before the race you could not switch to the half mid race, so I walked off the course and took my first ever marathon DNF.
Then I headed out to cheer on all my awesome friends. Including my training partner who got the job done winning the marathon and getting the OTQ. So freaking stoked for her!
Was this the smartest thing I have ever done? No. Did I have to do it? I think so.
Last year I felt fantastic at Cleveland and was kicking myself for not running the full there. I will always wonder what I could have done in the full that day. And now this year I know I could not have done what I wanted to achieve this day. And I am glad to know it. I now have a clearer outline of my physical boundaries and what I can and can't get away with. And I am glad I tried on the off chance something special might have happened. And I am thanking my lucky stars that I didn't injure myself further in the process.
I know now I have a lot of work to do mentally and physically to get ready for the fall. I need to figure out why I am getting all these minor injuries and illness, and I need to find some balance to get to the start line ready to go, ready to fight hard, and not get burned out on the way. The good news is the ankle really feels good, and my body seems to be injury free. Waiting on some blood tests to make sure the cough/lung stuff is really over and to see if perhaps my Vitamin D or Iron levels are low. I want to be 100% before I start ramping up for an awesome summer and fall!
So all this to say that I need to remind myself sometimes that I am not invincible, and I am not perfect, but I love everything about this sport and all the good and bad that comes along with putting what I do and what I want to do out there in the public realm for others to see. So I will try harder to keep it real here and show that much more than my log books go into my race results and decisions.
In the beginning this was to be held accountable to those that were donating to TNT on my behalf, and later it morphed into a place to give an honest take on my own running pursuits. These have been so varied and I never would have guessed this crazy journey would have taken me down my current path. From triathlons for charity, my first marathon BQ attempt, to ultras for fun, to pacing marathons, to chasing a dream. It is definitely not the typical path one would have taken to get where I am and maybe that hasn't come across here recently. I'm still the person who loves a new challenge, I still wish I could be running socially with my TNT and ultra buddies, I miss the trails, I miss the freedom of running a race for fun and not worrying about a poor result reflecting on my training or my coach. Then there is this other part of me who wants to see these goals achieved and that part has tried to sacrifice the other things I want in the heat of the moment to what I want in the long term. But sometimes that is extremely difficult to do.
Sometimes as runners we make stupid decisions. I am not above this. I've been really lucky the past few years to train at a higher level than I used to without any major mishaps and for the most part the goals just keep getting checked off the list. But my running seems to come in ups and downs. Major breakthroughs, often followed by plateaus. It never bothered me too much in the past, but it seems the faster I get I am also getting a bit greedy and impatient :) I want to reach my marathon goals, and I want to do it ASAP. It doesn't help that there is a short time line on my current goal.
Post Boston I was not upset about my race result. I was a bit distressed that it was so difficult mentally and physically to achieve a result that I thought I was well beyond. I was anxious to run at the level I hoped I was capable of, and I was anxious to do it soon. I ignored the fact that I had warded off minor hamstring and calf injuries with religious massages and ART as well as ice and rest, then followed that up with a severe sinus infection just a week before the marathon. I kept trucking along as if this year was the same as last and I would bounce back quickly from this marathon despite these minor set backs that should have been flags all along that I wasn't quite ready. I pushed the boundaries jumping back into training and assumed I could also go out and do other activities on top of runs that were clearly stressing my system because my body has always done what I ask of it. All of this to try and jump in at Cleveland just 4 weeks after Boston and run the race with my training partner. I was advised not to tell anyone about my plans, so that I would have no pressure on me to perform and no negative feedback about making what might be an unwise decision. Then I hurt my ankle and pretty much resolved that my $96 was lost to a race I don't really support and that I would have to suck it up and move on.
Then this little devil on my shoulder realized that Friday my ankle was feeling better and the cough that had been plaguing me finally went away. I took the air cast off Saturday and had no pain walking. I stopped the NSAIDs and went for a light jog to test it and it was fine. I then spent the next 12 or so hours deciding whether or not to toe the line for a race I most likely would not be able to finish. In 21 marathon starts and 9 ultras I have never DNF'ed. I didn't know what my body would do after a week of no running, and I really had no idea if the ankle would be a problem or not. I vowed that if I started and I had pain I would stop immediately and walk off the course.
And so I found myself at the line of the Cleveland Marathon on Sunday. I planned to go out with the 2:45 pack and just see what happened. I stayed with the group for about 5 miles surprised that my ankle felt perfectly fine. But unfortunately I just felt stale and the pace was not going to happen. I let the group go and just ran at what felt like marathon effort. I hadn't worn a Garmin and had assumed at the 10km I would probably have to bail and take a short cut back to town to cheer on my friends. But at 10 km I still had no ankle pain and no real reason to pull out. Clearly I was not running that fast, but nothing hurt and at the end of the day I'd much rather be running than anything else so I kept going and waiting to see how I would feel.
My ankle still made no peep, but it was clear my legs and feet were not very happy. I contemplated where the course went and if I would be able to stop by the club and switch into trainers as I thought I might be able to suffer through the back half if I put on more supportive shoes. Thankfully some friends caught up and distracted me for a few miles, then Salty caught up and was clearly suffering so I put my crappy feeling legs aside and did my best to help her rally and finish the half strong. After all, two gals in their skimpy running clothes really should move as quickly as possible through the ghettos, not power walk the 4+ miles back to town! This actually helped me to focus on something else, my left foot was getting sore and I was starting to get some cramps in my calves which was weird, but the ankle felt great. I did my best to pep talk Salty and run strong to the 13 mile mark where I peeled off and realized a minute later she actually might still be able to PR even though we thought we were running a lot slower than that, with no Garmin I can't say for sure, but my guess is mile markers were not placed correctly. They had said before the race you could not switch to the half mid race, so I walked off the course and took my first ever marathon DNF.
Then I headed out to cheer on all my awesome friends. Including my training partner who got the job done winning the marathon and getting the OTQ. So freaking stoked for her!
Was this the smartest thing I have ever done? No. Did I have to do it? I think so.
Last year I felt fantastic at Cleveland and was kicking myself for not running the full there. I will always wonder what I could have done in the full that day. And now this year I know I could not have done what I wanted to achieve this day. And I am glad to know it. I now have a clearer outline of my physical boundaries and what I can and can't get away with. And I am glad I tried on the off chance something special might have happened. And I am thanking my lucky stars that I didn't injure myself further in the process.
I know now I have a lot of work to do mentally and physically to get ready for the fall. I need to figure out why I am getting all these minor injuries and illness, and I need to find some balance to get to the start line ready to go, ready to fight hard, and not get burned out on the way. The good news is the ankle really feels good, and my body seems to be injury free. Waiting on some blood tests to make sure the cough/lung stuff is really over and to see if perhaps my Vitamin D or Iron levels are low. I want to be 100% before I start ramping up for an awesome summer and fall!
So all this to say that I need to remind myself sometimes that I am not invincible, and I am not perfect, but I love everything about this sport and all the good and bad that comes along with putting what I do and what I want to do out there in the public realm for others to see. So I will try harder to keep it real here and show that much more than my log books go into my race results and decisions.
Retail Therapy and Swim WOD
So what does this runner do to clear away the no running blues? Well with all this awesome weather it's tough, but I just logged onto SwimOutlet.com and ordered two grab bag competition bikinis to get ready for the outdoor pool workouts that will be coming up soon! Looks like I will also be adding core workouts into the new cross training regime ;) Hello P90 X!
Todays workout was brought to me by one of my gal pals who took pity on me after reading yesterdays post. She sent me a plethora of new swim workouts assigned to different training "systems." So I grabbed a random "Aerobic Endurance" workout and hopped in the pool. This should be great for changing things up a bit even after I am back up and running.
Unfortunately time is limited in the morning and I misread the total meters on the workout so we didn't even get half way through the first main set which was supposed to include a 600 meter swim that I was looking forward to seeing how fast I could do. But it was still fun to change it up a bit and do something "new."
Daisy joined me and because the workout had plenty of kicking we got to chat (aka vent) a bit while burning the heck out of our hip flexors.
Warm up:
300 swim
200 kick
Main Set
4*300 - 100 swim, 100 kick, 100 swim with 30 second rest between each 300
Cool Down:
300 swim
A total of 2000 meters with 600 meters of kicking and my hip flexors were feeling it, in a good way. Daisy wore her zoomers today so I had to keep the effort honest.
And one more positive note to wrap it up, the cough finally seems to have gone away!
Todays workout was brought to me by one of my gal pals who took pity on me after reading yesterdays post. She sent me a plethora of new swim workouts assigned to different training "systems." So I grabbed a random "Aerobic Endurance" workout and hopped in the pool. This should be great for changing things up a bit even after I am back up and running.
Unfortunately time is limited in the morning and I misread the total meters on the workout so we didn't even get half way through the first main set which was supposed to include a 600 meter swim that I was looking forward to seeing how fast I could do. But it was still fun to change it up a bit and do something "new."
Daisy joined me and because the workout had plenty of kicking we got to chat (aka vent) a bit while burning the heck out of our hip flexors.
Warm up:
300 swim
200 kick
Main Set
4*300 - 100 swim, 100 kick, 100 swim with 30 second rest between each 300
Cool Down:
300 swim
A total of 2000 meters with 600 meters of kicking and my hip flexors were feeling it, in a good way. Daisy wore her zoomers today so I had to keep the effort honest.
And one more positive note to wrap it up, the cough finally seems to have gone away!
Peroneal Tendonitis
So that is the "official" diagnosis. Too much of a good thing with the Dance Central just overwhelmed this little used tendon of mine. I am sincerely hoping it heals fast since I managed to injure it so quickly. But everything I am reading makes it sound like minimum of 2 weeks no running, and that tendons are slow to heal. This is why my preference is always to see a sports doc who runs if I can with injuries, the last thing they want to tell you is no running, so if they say no running then I will believe them. But unfortunately I had to go with first available. And now I am wondering if perhaps he was just being conservative and if I might be able to run by the weekend. :) It also struck me as odd that he said I won't need any physical therapy to rehab it, I just feel like I will need to strengthen the muscles connected to the tendon to avoid it happening again. And I actually thought I would be okay with time off, ha. It doesn't help that it is gorgeous outside and I am amped up for all the hometown girls running at Cleveland this weekend.
I am doing my best not to "test" the tendon yet. I did try some ankle exercises yesterday and it feels a lot better, but still get pain when standing on my toes and if I step wrong I feel it. So I am behaving and wearing the air cast and avoiding all lateral motion. I'm icing like a maniac and taking the prescribed NSAIDs. But of course I'd rather be running.
So if anyone has any stories of miraculous peroneal tendon healing let me know ;) I really don't want to prolong recovery by forcing the issue, and I know big picture I need to be 100% to train for this fall, but I also don't want to avoid running if it actually isn't hurting it. Part of me is worried that all these small set backs are making me paranoid and turning me into a hypochondriac, I don't want to screw up training every time a small pain crops up as clearly that happens with running. Doing my best to remain patient and in the mean time sending lots of healing vibes to my ankle!
I am doing my best not to "test" the tendon yet. I did try some ankle exercises yesterday and it feels a lot better, but still get pain when standing on my toes and if I step wrong I feel it. So I am behaving and wearing the air cast and avoiding all lateral motion. I'm icing like a maniac and taking the prescribed NSAIDs. But of course I'd rather be running.
So if anyone has any stories of miraculous peroneal tendon healing let me know ;) I really don't want to prolong recovery by forcing the issue, and I know big picture I need to be 100% to train for this fall, but I also don't want to avoid running if it actually isn't hurting it. Part of me is worried that all these small set backs are making me paranoid and turning me into a hypochondriac, I don't want to screw up training every time a small pain crops up as clearly that happens with running. Doing my best to remain patient and in the mean time sending lots of healing vibes to my ankle!
4*200 meter, 20 second rests
Well if I can't run I figure I better HTFU and actually push the swim workouts. Since starting back up swimming I have mostly just been getting in easy meters to loosen up the legs for the next run, maybe a few 100 meter sets to feel like I actually worked, and I have been adding in a good dose of kicking to strengthen my hips, but I haven't really pushed myself that hard. Since I won't be on the track tonight I decided I should up the effort this morning in the pool and try to simulate a hard track workout a bit, at least aerobically if I can't simulate the physical pounding. I've done some googling to try and find good swim workouts for runners and I have to say I haven't found much. I think a Runners World article quoted the following two workouts for runners:
1. Swim 4 to 6 x 25 meters hard, with 30 seconds of complete rest between repeats. Build up to 6 x 50 meters. Always finish with several minutes of easy swimming.
2. Swim 2 x 100 meters hard, with a 2-minute rest between repeats. Eventually work up to 2 to 4 x 200 meters.
Seriously? The rests are incredibly long and the distance is a bit weak. I guess if you never swam before this might be sufficient, but in my head I am thinking if I want to simulate 15-20 hard minutes of track work I need to do 15-20 hard minutes of swimming.
Way back in 2004 is when I got started with the endurance sports via Team in Training. Our coach was an excellent swimmer so I got plenty of workouts to do. Now I am making it up as I go, but I remember I never had any trouble cranking out sets of 100s on minimal rest, but as the distance got longer I tended to fall off. So I decided this morning to do some 200s and see what I could do.
800 meters of warm up: 2* 200 swim, 100 kick, 100 pull
Timed the 200 meter warm up swim to get an idea of what I do with a moderate effort and it was 3:35ish
Then I did a main set of 4*200 meters with 20 second rests. The interesting thing about the pool is I have no feedback like I do on the track, no Garmin to tell me if I am "on pace." But for some reason I do well with this. First 200 I go by effort, I work hard, check the time when done, and try to give the same output or harder the following set. A lot of times in the pool it feels like I must be going slower as I start to go anaerobic in the later sets and my breathing goes from every 5th stroke to every 3rd, but I have found that typically I actually get a little faster. Today was no different. 3:20, 3:20, 3:15, 3:13. I was breathing heavy and definitely working hard, but it felt good to push myself and I would say the effort was equal to my 800s or 1000s on the track.
Followed the main set up with a cool down of 100 kick, 100 pull, 100 swim, 50 breast, and 50 back to round out 2000 meters in about 45 minutes.
It's a start. Way back in the day when I was in a swim club I know we used to spend several hours in the pool. Not sure if I have the mental fortitude (or the drive to get up early enough) to get in 5000 meter workouts by myself several times a week, but we will find out!
Ideally I would be doing pool running to replace any running I can't do, but the pool at my gym has no deep end and the tendon is irritated on push off so I don't think that is an option right now. I find it hard to believe that there isn't more information out there on actual swimming as a substitute for running with some sort of equivalent workouts. I realize it is inherently different. Swimmers have to do a lot more technique work and the workouts are inherently more interval based, but you would think that there would be some information on what type of workouts would work best if you simply can't run or do any weight bearing. Right now I am thinking perhaps a few days of hard intervals and a few days of longer steady swims. We'll see. Hopefully this is a very short term problem!
1. Swim 4 to 6 x 25 meters hard, with 30 seconds of complete rest between repeats. Build up to 6 x 50 meters. Always finish with several minutes of easy swimming.
2. Swim 2 x 100 meters hard, with a 2-minute rest between repeats. Eventually work up to 2 to 4 x 200 meters.
Seriously? The rests are incredibly long and the distance is a bit weak. I guess if you never swam before this might be sufficient, but in my head I am thinking if I want to simulate 15-20 hard minutes of track work I need to do 15-20 hard minutes of swimming.
Way back in 2004 is when I got started with the endurance sports via Team in Training. Our coach was an excellent swimmer so I got plenty of workouts to do. Now I am making it up as I go, but I remember I never had any trouble cranking out sets of 100s on minimal rest, but as the distance got longer I tended to fall off. So I decided this morning to do some 200s and see what I could do.
800 meters of warm up: 2* 200 swim, 100 kick, 100 pull
Timed the 200 meter warm up swim to get an idea of what I do with a moderate effort and it was 3:35ish
Then I did a main set of 4*200 meters with 20 second rests. The interesting thing about the pool is I have no feedback like I do on the track, no Garmin to tell me if I am "on pace." But for some reason I do well with this. First 200 I go by effort, I work hard, check the time when done, and try to give the same output or harder the following set. A lot of times in the pool it feels like I must be going slower as I start to go anaerobic in the later sets and my breathing goes from every 5th stroke to every 3rd, but I have found that typically I actually get a little faster. Today was no different. 3:20, 3:20, 3:15, 3:13. I was breathing heavy and definitely working hard, but it felt good to push myself and I would say the effort was equal to my 800s or 1000s on the track.
Followed the main set up with a cool down of 100 kick, 100 pull, 100 swim, 50 breast, and 50 back to round out 2000 meters in about 45 minutes.
It's a start. Way back in the day when I was in a swim club I know we used to spend several hours in the pool. Not sure if I have the mental fortitude (or the drive to get up early enough) to get in 5000 meter workouts by myself several times a week, but we will find out!
Ideally I would be doing pool running to replace any running I can't do, but the pool at my gym has no deep end and the tendon is irritated on push off so I don't think that is an option right now. I find it hard to believe that there isn't more information out there on actual swimming as a substitute for running with some sort of equivalent workouts. I realize it is inherently different. Swimmers have to do a lot more technique work and the workouts are inherently more interval based, but you would think that there would be some information on what type of workouts would work best if you simply can't run or do any weight bearing. Right now I am thinking perhaps a few days of hard intervals and a few days of longer steady swims. We'll see. Hopefully this is a very short term problem!
Crank 'dat Tendon
Goals for the week:
50-55 miles
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 @ 6:15, 1 Mile @ 5:55
Weekend:
10 miles @ 7:10.
12 miles @ 7:25.
How it played out:
44 miles
6 runs
1 swim 1400 meters
1 inflamed tendon from playing Dance Central.
Yes I gave myself tendonitis playing Dance Central. I'm in an air cast and have been put on rest mode until the inflammation goes away. Mission recover and start focusing on the fall begins today.
50-55 miles
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 @ 6:15, 1 Mile @ 5:55
Weekend:
10 miles @ 7:10.
12 miles @ 7:25.
How it played out:
44 miles
6 runs
1 swim 1400 meters
1 inflamed tendon from playing Dance Central.
Yes I gave myself tendonitis playing Dance Central. I'm in an air cast and have been put on rest mode until the inflammation goes away. Mission recover and start focusing on the fall begins today.
Thursday = Windy Tempo
This weeks goal was 5 miles at 6:15 followed by one mile at 5:55. Funny how the goal of the workout can change ones whole perspective on the outcome. Last week I changed the goal mid run and was happy with a slow into the wind finish and even cutting the tempo short one mile because I wanted to err on the side of safe post marathon. This week I really wanted to run that last mile faster and the wind just wiped me out the 4th and 5th miles so in my mind it was a "blown" tempo. So to recap, last week 5 at 6:23=Yay, this week 6 at 6:15=Blown. I need my head checked ;)
Clearly I am not yet fully recovered from the marathon as these paces wouldn't have been an issue before the marathon, but on a good note the legs still feel great and ready to fly. Just waiting for my aerobic system to catch up.
Started with two of the guys and was chatting comfortably at 6:04 pace for the first two miles. Figured it was wind aided as it felt comfortable. Third mile right on uphill and out of the wind a bit in 6:15. Fourth mile I figured would be a little slow into the wind and it was at 6:23, but the next mile just sucked it out of me 6:35 and I was so close to quitting or taking a 2 minute walk break before the last mile, but at 5 I forced myself to turn out of the wind and just ran as hard as I could to close out in 6:09. Salty wasn't too far behind me and looked great. We cooled down together and I was glad she was there as I was seeing stars, so I was also probably a little dehydrated. I am definitely not used to warmer than 40 yet on these hard days :)
Likely had I gone out at 6:15 like I was supposed to the later miles probably wouldn't have felt so bad. It's hard with the wind to guess what pace is ok and what pace is a bit too aggressive early in the run because it all feels good. After last weeks 27 mph winds I didn't think 12 mph would be a big deal, but it was definitely noticeable. One of these runs I will learn my lesson and actually stick to the goal pace the whole way instead of going out too fast!
Clearly I am not yet fully recovered from the marathon as these paces wouldn't have been an issue before the marathon, but on a good note the legs still feel great and ready to fly. Just waiting for my aerobic system to catch up.
Started with two of the guys and was chatting comfortably at 6:04 pace for the first two miles. Figured it was wind aided as it felt comfortable. Third mile right on uphill and out of the wind a bit in 6:15. Fourth mile I figured would be a little slow into the wind and it was at 6:23, but the next mile just sucked it out of me 6:35 and I was so close to quitting or taking a 2 minute walk break before the last mile, but at 5 I forced myself to turn out of the wind and just ran as hard as I could to close out in 6:09. Salty wasn't too far behind me and looked great. We cooled down together and I was glad she was there as I was seeing stars, so I was also probably a little dehydrated. I am definitely not used to warmer than 40 yet on these hard days :)
Likely had I gone out at 6:15 like I was supposed to the later miles probably wouldn't have felt so bad. It's hard with the wind to guess what pace is ok and what pace is a bit too aggressive early in the run because it all feels good. After last weeks 27 mph winds I didn't think 12 mph would be a big deal, but it was definitely noticeable. One of these runs I will learn my lesson and actually stick to the goal pace the whole way instead of going out too fast!
5*1k, 4*200
Legs are coming around, lungs are apparently still stuck a couple of VDOTs slower though. Not sure if this is just post marathon, or if this cough that is clinging on has something to do with it. Either way it is an odd feeling for me having legs that want to fly but lungs that are sucking wind. I am more used to my legs being the limiter not the aerobic capacity. It feels like someone is squeezing me really tight whenever I try to get under 6:20 pace.
Goal for the workout tonight was 5*1000 with 2:00 rest followed by 4*200 hard (<40 and jog 200 between each) Goal times: 3:30, 3:25, 3:25, 3:20, 3:20. I asked coach if he really thought I was ready for that and he said he wasn't changing the paces and to just run what I could.
Cold drizzly night and I did my best to keep up with our pacer and my partner. Did okay the first two but just couldn't get the lungs to comply on the 3rd and 4th. The last one we got some extra rest while my partner hit the bathroom and I was able to get that one back to start pace, but clearly not the desired step down. 200s started at my average 38 and coach yelled at me to get on my toes. For once I listened and I ran my little shins off getting on my toes and was rewarded with my fastest 200s ever, but boy did they hurt!
3:30.57
3:26.05
3:29.90
3:36.50
3:29.88
38.30
36.40
36.93
36.50
Goal for the workout tonight was 5*1000 with 2:00 rest followed by 4*200 hard (<40 and jog 200 between each) Goal times: 3:30, 3:25, 3:25, 3:20, 3:20. I asked coach if he really thought I was ready for that and he said he wasn't changing the paces and to just run what I could.
Cold drizzly night and I did my best to keep up with our pacer and my partner. Did okay the first two but just couldn't get the lungs to comply on the 3rd and 4th. The last one we got some extra rest while my partner hit the bathroom and I was able to get that one back to start pace, but clearly not the desired step down. 200s started at my average 38 and coach yelled at me to get on my toes. For once I listened and I ran my little shins off getting on my toes and was rewarded with my fastest 200s ever, but boy did they hurt!
3:30.57
3:26.05
3:29.90
3:36.50
3:29.88
38.30
36.40
36.93
36.50
Weekly Rundown April 25-May 1
Diving back in here and hoping for a quick recovery. The legs feel pretty good but aerobically I just feel a bit ragged. My pre marathon paces were definitely a little out of my lungs league the past week. Still clinging on to this cough so I am assuming allergies, but can't lie I am definitely over it! Here's hoping this week the paces will start coming back to me this week and I can start pushing it a bit. I have been erring on the side of "safe" this week with the workouts. It would be awfully easy for "playing it safe" to turn into being a wuss when the going gets tough so I need to really listen to the body and make sure I am putting in the right efforts this week.
Goal:
Total Mileage 60 - 65
Monday: Easy
Tuesday: Track
Wednesday and Friday: easy miles @ 7:20 or slower. 6 x 30 sec @ 5:30 pace
Thursday: Tempo run
Weekend:
10 miles @ 7:00
16 miles @ 6:50
How it played out:
65 miles
7 runs
6 ice baths
4 swims totaling 5500 meters
Long Runs:
10 @ 6:56
16 @ 6:49 with a few marathon paced miles thrown in at the end before a mile cool down
Goal:
Total Mileage 60 - 65
Monday: Easy
Tuesday: Track
Wednesday and Friday: easy miles @ 7:20 or slower. 6 x 30 sec @ 5:30 pace
Thursday: Tempo run
Weekend:
10 miles @ 7:00
16 miles @ 6:50
How it played out:
65 miles
7 runs
6 ice baths
4 swims totaling 5500 meters
Long Runs:
10 @ 6:56
16 @ 6:49 with a few marathon paced miles thrown in at the end before a mile cool down
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