Week 7 of Coached Training

Starting to get in a bit of a groove here. It may be all in my head but it feels like my body composition is definitely morphing. All I know is by the time my Sunday long run comes around I don't feel like the endurance junkie I used to. The long runs don't feels quite as easy now and I am sure that is because I have added in the speed work and tempos and they are slowly building me up but leaving me a bit more fatigued. High humidity, work stress, and lots more yard work this year probably adds to that Sunday fatigue. But I am getting it done and I think I am getting over a little week 7 plateau in fitness as we start week 8 and looking forward to racing this weekend.

My Garmin is still toast as I cannot locate my warranty receipt, got to get on that. So mileage/pace are estimated from my friends Garmins, track was calculated using the known distances and an average slow pace for recovery jogs, and Fridays trail run pace was estimnated based on how I felt and a small section where I knew the mileage. Can't believe I used to log miles like this all the time, the Garmin just makes the log book so much more straight forward.

June 22nd through June 28th ~59.75 miles

Monday 6.9 miles 8:30 pace

Tuesday ~9.64 miles including tempo

Wednesday 8.1 miles averaged 8:50ish pace overall but most miles were 8:25-8:35

Thursday 7.2 miles including track

Friday 82 minutes on the bridle trail, I am guessing 8.7 miles+ based on taking a pace on the last section where I knew approximate mileage

Saturday 6.2 easy in Aurora 8:50 pace

Sunday 13.1 8:06 pace (I jogged the last mile because I was feeling run down and my stomach was upset, the rest was 7:50ish)

Key Workouts:

Tuesday Tempo:
Aiming for 5 miles under 35 minutes with the last mile at 6:40 or better. Did this on the same route I have been so thankfully I knew the turn around point and used Janet and Christina's watches to mark the mile and 2 mile in order to get my splits, started with them the first two miles then was on my own the rest.

Ran the usual course but did it in the morning early (it was humid but cool compared to how it would have been at lunch).

07:03.5

07:05.9

06:56.2

06:41.9

06:29.3

Total 34:16.8

Thursday Track:

The track has been getting busy with fall athletics teams doing summer practices. We were going to do 600s but instead did 400s so that coach wouldn't have to run through a field of football and soccer players to give us splits.

It was humid but not too hot as a storm front was moving in. I was absolutely toasted by the end of the workout, praying coach only planned 8 quarters, but thankful for 10 rather than 12 :) Ran these by myself this week since SH was in CA.

We were aiming for 1:25 on all but I obviously faded a bit at the end of the workout:

As usual one mile warm up and 4*100 strides than 10*400

1:25.20 (1:18.51)
1:23.58 (1:22.66)
1:23.39(1:10.57)
1:23.87(1:10.67)
1:23.55(1:09.38)
1:24.33(1:11.24)
1:25.01(1:17.01)
1:25.38(1:11.89)
1:26.33(1:09.38)
1:26.25

Sunday Long Run:

I had intended on doing 15 miles Sunday but by 9 it was clear that 13 would be plenty. Just wasn't feeling very perky and the hills were draining me. My form was pretty poor and I ended up jogging in the last mile because my stomach was upset with a slight push in pace the 12th mile.

8:06 pace for the run including 2 minutes walking to get my stomach under control.

It was cool but humid and I think having run and done some yardwork in the afternoon sun the day before had drained me a bit. Took the next day off and I am feeling much perkier now.