First off, best wishes to Joseph. Be well and you're in my thoughts.
This week was 62+ miles in 7 runs.
m: 5 easy
t: 1 @ 5:20 + 4 @ 5:49 + 1 @ 5:20
w: 7.5 easy
th: 7.5 with 2 x (2/5 @ 2:00, 1/5 @ 58)
f: 5 easy
s: 11 with 4x5x440y
s: 16+ at 7:15 pace
Tuesday was a nice tempo workout. I started with a mile at 5:20 to take some of the zip out of my legs. This was a nice workout and really replicated the feeling of a HM pretty well. The tempo pace wasn't too fast, but my legs were a little tired. The 5:20 after the tempo was just gratuitous.
Thursday night was an easy run with a light speed workout on my HS 1/5 mile dirt loop. 2/5 @ 2:00 then 1/5 @ 58 seconds. Then jog for a bit and repeat. Oddly, the second set was easier than the first.
Sunday was an easier long run - 16+ at 7:15 pace. I tired to keep them all over 7:00 pace and only slipped under for one.
Saturday was low 40s and windy. When I showed up at my 440 yard dirt track, I was the only one there. I set about doing a couple warmup laps and making some marks in the dirt for using the 50 yardlines and the football goalposts as my guides for the 110s. As I was doing this, a whole little league team showed up for batting practice on the infield. Watch out.
Then the octogenarian who speed walks in lane 1 showed up. I don't mind him so much, but he does that jaunty old man thing where he swings his elbows real wide as he walks and I've almost caught it in the chin a couple times trying to cut by in lane 2.
Then some other runners showed up.
Then a couple who thought it would be cool to have their 5 or 6 year old daughter rider her bike around the track while they jogged. Ride it the wrong way. In lane one. And swerve out trying to hit runners. And park her bike across lanes 1 & 2.
Really, when you are doing 440s, the last thing you want to see coming down the backstretch, when your eyes are tearing up from the wind, is the Huffy Training Wheel Express bearing down on you.
I was dodging people on every lap.
Regardless, the workout was good. The plan was 4x5x440. Jog 110 after each rep, then 440 after each set.
1 (Goal: 1:24): 1:17, 1:20, 1:20, 1:21, 1:21
2 (Goal: 1:22): 1:21, 1:21, 1:20, 1:20, 1:21
3 (Goal 1:20): 1:20, 1:19, 1:20, 1:20, 1:19, 1:19
4 (Goal 1:18) 1:17, 1:17, 1:18, 1:17, 1:15
I was really happy to nail all my times on this one, and especially with the last set. Somehow I lost count on one set and did an extra rep. Of all things, how do you undercount intervals?
It's the first workout this year that I felt like I really nailed like I wanted to.
On the second to last rep the stunt biker was (finally!) leaving with her parents. Not to be intimidated though, she felt compelled to run back over and jump in front of me in lane 1 and put her hands on her hips. I gave her parents as cold a stare as you can manage when you are in oxygen debt.
Good week. Fun runs. Feeling faster.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Fun workouts
So. It's crazy. The new job's time demands and mental energy is pretty high. But I've made it through the first week and that's the hard part. Thanks for the comments and emails! I've been trying to do my easy runs early, and my workouts at night. I just don't usually have the gusto to hit the track early. (Good for you Joseph for pulling that off!).
Thursday night was an easy run, but I swung by the track to throw in 4x440 just to get some turnover. Goal was 72-75. I did 1:13,1:11,1:12,1:15. The track was cold and windy (is the track ever not windy?), but we had an almost full moon and it was fun to run on an almost-lit track for a change. Those reps were just fast enough to get me feeling some fire in my belly. (And few enough that it didn't make me want to cry.)
It occurred to me while I was doing them - and these felt just about as fast as I could go with breaking out into full on crazy mode - that that's how fast you have to run a HM under the new qualifiers for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials (a 1:03). Holy carp that's fast!
Saturday was a big workout - 6x1000. I didn't really feel up for a workout, but after some prodding from my dear wife I went out to give it a shot. The goal was 6 x 1000m in 3:20 with a 1 minute jog. I'm converting everything for my dirt track, so it was really 1100 yards with a 220 jog.
3:20, 1:15 jog (max hr - 179)
3:17, 1:22 jog (183)
3:20, 1:22 jog (182)
3:22, 1:28 jog (183)
3:23, 1:32 jog (183)
3:28, -- (181)
It felt a lot like my 5k from last weekend and I was happy that I held it together. The last rep was tough and I felt like I was running in Fluffernutter. I just went to pieces flailing my arms trying to keep my legs moving for the last 440. But I kept my HR up, so I'd like to think it was honest, and not just showing off for the octogenarians walking in lane 1.
Sunday I felt surprisingly strong, so I snuck out during a lull in the Easter festivities for 15.5. After the first few, I just fell down into the 6:30s and it felt good, so there it was. Low 6:40s pace overall. Hilly course, but I've found a new trail, and a decent way to get there, so that was nice.
So now I just take it 1 week at a time.
Thursday night was an easy run, but I swung by the track to throw in 4x440 just to get some turnover. Goal was 72-75. I did 1:13,1:11,1:12,1:15. The track was cold and windy (is the track ever not windy?), but we had an almost full moon and it was fun to run on an almost-lit track for a change. Those reps were just fast enough to get me feeling some fire in my belly. (And few enough that it didn't make me want to cry.)
It occurred to me while I was doing them - and these felt just about as fast as I could go with breaking out into full on crazy mode - that that's how fast you have to run a HM under the new qualifiers for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials (a 1:03). Holy carp that's fast!
Saturday was a big workout - 6x1000. I didn't really feel up for a workout, but after some prodding from my dear wife I went out to give it a shot. The goal was 6 x 1000m in 3:20 with a 1 minute jog. I'm converting everything for my dirt track, so it was really 1100 yards with a 220 jog.
3:20, 1:15 jog (max hr - 179)
3:17, 1:22 jog (183)
3:20, 1:22 jog (182)
3:22, 1:28 jog (183)
3:23, 1:32 jog (183)
3:28, -- (181)
It felt a lot like my 5k from last weekend and I was happy that I held it together. The last rep was tough and I felt like I was running in Fluffernutter. I just went to pieces flailing my arms trying to keep my legs moving for the last 440. But I kept my HR up, so I'd like to think it was honest, and not just showing off for the octogenarians walking in lane 1.
Sunday I felt surprisingly strong, so I snuck out during a lull in the Easter festivities for 15.5. After the first few, I just fell down into the 6:30s and it felt good, so there it was. Low 6:40s pace overall. Hilly course, but I've found a new trail, and a decent way to get there, so that was nice.
So now I just take it 1 week at a time.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Keep it moving
Still trying to sort out the new schedule. Got home later last night than I wanted, so I hustled for 10 miles in 1:06 when the kids were down - warmup, 7.5 miles at tempo in 46 minutes (6:08), short jog, then 3 minutes at 5:30 pace, then a cooldown.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Pressing for Time
Sunday was a nice 17 in 1:59. Monday 6 easy.
Monday I started a new job at a software startup here in the Philly area and I'm already in over my head. :) I'm sure there is going to be a period of adjustment as I get time for everything sorted out.
At some point today I'm going to fit in some tempo work. Probably tonight.
Monday I started a new job at a software startup here in the Philly area and I'm already in over my head. :) I'm sure there is going to be a period of adjustment as I get time for everything sorted out.
At some point today I'm going to fit in some tempo work. Probably tonight.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Adrenaline 5k
For a nice summary of the race, check out Seebo's summary. Except where he says he surges past Tom in the last 30 meters just substitute "Seebo surges past me" and you've got my view on it. :)
Nice day for racing, first time on this course. As planned, first mile was 5:18, but I didn't drop down from there. Mile 2 was a tiny bit hilly, and a few turns. I didn't think I dropped off pace but ran a 5:29. There wasn't much horse trading going on where I was - just 3 or 4 guys hanging together and moving back and forth. I thought I would be able to drop the hammer a bit for the last 3/4 of a mile or so which was a straight shot to the finish, but there were no more gears there. Last 1.1 in 5:58 for 5:25 pace. 16:47 for 47th overall.
I heard the 'first female' calls as I was heading in and it sounded like there was a race developing so I just drifted off to the left a bit to stay out of their way.
Congrats to Seebo on a nice race - he's setting up for a great Boston. Congrats also to the Jenkintown Running guys who went 1-2. (You had to go sub 15 to crack the top 10 in this one!)
I thought I had more in the can for this one. Don't really know what happened, but it was what it was.
Nice day for racing, first time on this course. As planned, first mile was 5:18, but I didn't drop down from there. Mile 2 was a tiny bit hilly, and a few turns. I didn't think I dropped off pace but ran a 5:29. There wasn't much horse trading going on where I was - just 3 or 4 guys hanging together and moving back and forth. I thought I would be able to drop the hammer a bit for the last 3/4 of a mile or so which was a straight shot to the finish, but there were no more gears there. Last 1.1 in 5:58 for 5:25 pace. 16:47 for 47th overall.
I heard the 'first female' calls as I was heading in and it sounded like there was a race developing so I just drifted off to the left a bit to stay out of their way.
Congrats to Seebo on a nice race - he's setting up for a great Boston. Congrats also to the Jenkintown Running guys who went 1-2. (You had to go sub 15 to crack the top 10 in this one!)
I thought I had more in the can for this one. Don't really know what happened, but it was what it was.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
How far we've come
I started running but there's no where to run to
I sat down on the street, took a look at myself
...
let's see how far we've come (right now)
let's see how far we've come
Saturday - go time. First race. Game plan is to hold back the first mile and try to negative split. I have never successfully done that, but I will give it a try. I will say the goal is 5:20 first mile, 16:20 something overall. Hopefully this plan will survive the first quarter mile. :)
Tuesday
At my dirt track. I'm not a great track runner. I don't really know how to run the turns. Especially on this 1/5 mile track I can feel myself just fighting to keep my speed up and leaning in to stay close to the curb in the turns, then rocketing down the straights.
4 x 1/5 goal 64: 64,63,63,62
1 x 4 mile tempo: 5:54,5:59,5:59,5:56
4 x 1/5 goal 64: 62,63,62,62
Monday & Wednesday - easy.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Week of 3/3
This week was about 57 miles.
M:5 easy
T:10.5 with 30 min at 6:00 and 15 at 5:52
W:5 easy
T:8.5 with 15 x 1/5 mile cutdowns - was too fast on the first, ok in
the middle, struggled to hit 58s
F:5 easy
S:10.5 with 3x(7min @ 5:30,4 min jog, 4 min @ 5:20, 2 min jog)
S: 12 @ 7:30 pace
This was a higher effort week. The 45 minute tempo on Tuesday was further than I normally go. But I felt good after a half hour at 6 min pace, so I dropped it down a bit to the end.
Thursdays workout was 15 x 1/5 mile on my local HS dirt track. Frankly, my pace identification isn't very good.
I ran these without checking a split in the middle, just trying to run by feel. Basically I was way too fast on the first few, hit the 62s and 60s pretty well, and didn't quite get the 58. That's a gear (4:50 pace) I haven't quite gotten to yet and my legs were fatiguing a bit by then. Overall the running was decent, but the pace id wasn't. 5 x (2.m, .1 jog, .2m, .1 jog, .2m, .2 jog)
1 (Goal 66): 63, 64, 63
2 (Goal 64): 63, 62, 64
3 (Goal 62): 62, 61, 62
4 (Goal 60): 60, 60, 60
5 (Goal 58): 59, 59, 60
Saturday was a tough one - 3x(7min @ 5:30,4 min jog, 4 min @ 5:20, 2 min jog). That just really sucked my legs dry.
Next Saturday is the Adrenaline 5k. I'm excited to see where things stand right now.
Also decided this week that I'm taking a new job. I've been an independent consultant now developing software for about 9 years. I've been talking for a couple months to an internet startup and they are just getting underway. So I've decided to hang up the consulting hat for a while and try my hand with them. This should be exciting.
And the fridge is fixed.
M:5 easy
T:10.5 with 30 min at 6:00 and 15 at 5:52
W:5 easy
T:8.5 with 15 x 1/5 mile cutdowns - was too fast on the first, ok in
the middle, struggled to hit 58s
F:5 easy
S:10.5 with 3x(7min @ 5:30,4 min jog, 4 min @ 5:20, 2 min jog)
S: 12 @ 7:30 pace
This was a higher effort week. The 45 minute tempo on Tuesday was further than I normally go. But I felt good after a half hour at 6 min pace, so I dropped it down a bit to the end.
Thursdays workout was 15 x 1/5 mile on my local HS dirt track. Frankly, my pace identification isn't very good.
I ran these without checking a split in the middle, just trying to run by feel. Basically I was way too fast on the first few, hit the 62s and 60s pretty well, and didn't quite get the 58. That's a gear (4:50 pace) I haven't quite gotten to yet and my legs were fatiguing a bit by then. Overall the running was decent, but the pace id wasn't. 5 x (2.m, .1 jog, .2m, .1 jog, .2m, .2 jog)
1 (Goal 66): 63, 64, 63
2 (Goal 64): 63, 62, 64
3 (Goal 62): 62, 61, 62
4 (Goal 60): 60, 60, 60
5 (Goal 58): 59, 59, 60
Saturday was a tough one - 3x(7min @ 5:30,4 min jog, 4 min @ 5:20, 2 min jog). That just really sucked my legs dry.
Next Saturday is the Adrenaline 5k. I'm excited to see where things stand right now.
Also decided this week that I'm taking a new job. I've been an independent consultant now developing software for about 9 years. I've been talking for a couple months to an internet startup and they are just getting underway. So I've decided to hang up the consulting hat for a while and try my hand with them. This should be exciting.
And the fridge is fixed.
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