Not much time to get too in depth right now on how week 11 went. I'll just say that I felt like I had a very good week, so I'm happy. A little tired today, but I'll be ready to fire it back up tomorrow.
With 5 weeks to go, here's where I stand so far in my training, and what I have on my plate this week.
Week 11 mileage: 48.25 (10K walk, not included in mileage)
Weeks 0-11 mileage: 453.56
Week 12 schedule:
M: rest
T: 2GP/4x2T, 2:00 recovery jog in between/3GP, yoga
W: WT, 3 miles + 6x100 S
Th: 90-min run, including 8:00-10:00 TUT, yoga
F: rest
Sa: 4 miles, WT
Su: 19 miles
Mar 30, 2009
Mar 29, 2009
Race Day Report - AHA 5K Run For Your LIfe
Today was the American Heart Association's Heart Mini-Marathon 15K & 5K, in downtown Cincinnati. I was originally planning to run the 15K, but backed down to the 5K after realizing I had an 18-mile long run this weekend too. And the 18-miler was far more important to me. Plus, I didn't know how my legs would feel after Saturday. So I figured I'd run the 18 miles on Saturday instead of Sunday, my normal long-run day, and then go out an cruise around the 5K nice & easy. After that, 3.5 hours later, I planned to walk the 10K with my wife. No problem, right?
Well, that was the PLAN. The plan went straight down the drain inside of the first 1/4 mile. LOL.
I actually felt decent when I woke up, no soreness at all in the legs, which was a surprise. I wasn't sore yesterday either, and I'd thought that perhaps whatever soreness I didn't feel yesterday, I would today. Didn't happen. Conditions today weren't great. 40 degrees, 10-20 mph wind out of the south. Course doesn't have a flat spot on it. Just rolls up & down the whole way. Got out pretty quickly, felt strong, wind in my back a little at the start (we ran east, then back to the west, from downtown on 5th street, down Columbia Blvd, out to Kemper and back). That kinda made me feel like I could really run fast. And that's when I decided that I was going to run, not jog. Nice & easy was no longer my plan. Yet, I'd say I only ran at about 75%. I was smart enough to not run all-out at any point, not even for a sprint to the finish. Just ran steady.
Final time: 22:08 (7:08/mile). That was good for 7/116 in my division (good for $10 gift certificate - woohoo! - my first "prize") , 69/859 males, 82/1718 overall. In my division, 12 seconds separated 4th & 7th. I could have taken 12 seconds off, for sure. Not important though. I'm really pleased with my result, especially after an 18-mile long run the day before. I now think I can do a 21-minute 5K, for sure. Gonna prep for some 5K's and 10K's this summer to see what I can do, before deciding on a fall marathon. While it likely doesn't mean much for the Pig in 5 weeks, it was incredibly encouraging, from an overall running perspective. So I couldn't be much happier tonight.
And later, I did walk the 10K with my wife, so at least I stuck with part of my plan. Ah, best laid plans. Gotta love 'em.
Well, that was the PLAN. The plan went straight down the drain inside of the first 1/4 mile. LOL.
I actually felt decent when I woke up, no soreness at all in the legs, which was a surprise. I wasn't sore yesterday either, and I'd thought that perhaps whatever soreness I didn't feel yesterday, I would today. Didn't happen. Conditions today weren't great. 40 degrees, 10-20 mph wind out of the south. Course doesn't have a flat spot on it. Just rolls up & down the whole way. Got out pretty quickly, felt strong, wind in my back a little at the start (we ran east, then back to the west, from downtown on 5th street, down Columbia Blvd, out to Kemper and back). That kinda made me feel like I could really run fast. And that's when I decided that I was going to run, not jog. Nice & easy was no longer my plan. Yet, I'd say I only ran at about 75%. I was smart enough to not run all-out at any point, not even for a sprint to the finish. Just ran steady.
Final time: 22:08 (7:08/mile). That was good for 7/116 in my division (good for $10 gift certificate - woohoo! - my first "prize") , 69/859 males, 82/1718 overall. In my division, 12 seconds separated 4th & 7th. I could have taken 12 seconds off, for sure. Not important though. I'm really pleased with my result, especially after an 18-mile long run the day before. I now think I can do a 21-minute 5K, for sure. Gonna prep for some 5K's and 10K's this summer to see what I can do, before deciding on a fall marathon. While it likely doesn't mean much for the Pig in 5 weeks, it was incredibly encouraging, from an overall running perspective. So I couldn't be much happier tonight.
And later, I did walk the 10K with my wife, so at least I stuck with part of my plan. Ah, best laid plans. Gotta love 'em.
Mar 27, 2009
A plea to drivers everywhere
If you run on the roads like I do, you're convinced that there are too many drivers out there with this very attitude. And with the approach of spring well on its way, the weather warming up, and darkness not falling until much later than in the past few months, I’d like to take a moment and reach out to drivers on the roadways. In fact, there are times I’d REALLY like to reach out to these drivers (and wring their necks). But for now, I’ll approach it in a much more civilized fashion.
Let me begin by saying I know the roads are meant for being driven on. Our society would virtually shutdown if it weren’t for automobiles and roads for them to travel on. But let me also say that these roads are accessible to many other types of travelers, such as cyclists and runners. Yet, all too often, drivers seem unwilling to take them into consideration. Since I’m a runner, I’ll continue from that perspective. Yet, most of what I say could apply to cyclists as well.
Last night, I spent 90 minutes running out on the roads of Liberty Township, where I live. During those 90 minutes, I must have nearly gotten hit by a vehicle no less than 30 times. Honestly, I wish I was exaggerating. I found myself getting more & more upset as each person seemed to get closer & closer. I went from swearing under my breath, to swearing out loud as I threw my hands up the air, and looking back at the driver who just passed, as if to say “WTF?!? How close you plan on getting?!?” Hey folks, FYI, that sideview mirror is a lot closer than you might think! I finished my run and couldn’t believe what had just gone on. Now, I’m accustomed to the occasional driver nearly clipping me, but this last night was unbelievable. I’ve never had to avoid so many cars during one run. One guy literally swerved TOWARD me, about 150 feet before he reached me! I had to jump 6 feet over, into the embankment by the road. YO! PAY ATTENTION JACKASS! I’m embarrassed to say that he got the “Your #1 sign” from me. But chances are, he never bothered to look in his rearview mirror to see what I thought of him. Eh, whatever. But at that point in the night, I’d had enough. More than enough.
Liberty Township, as opposed to somewhere like Hyde Park, has very few long stretches of sidewalk for runners who plan to run any significant distances. Therefore, we are essentially required to share the roads with local motorists. And we’re all more than willing to do so. We don’t mind, provided we get one thing in return…that drivers have the same kind of courtesy towards runners when it comes to sharing. Now, I don’t mean all motorists are like this. The vast majority are not. Most slow down and/or slide over in their lane just to be sure they don’t strike the runner. You know the ones I love? The ones who slow down in order that they can time it with oncoming traffic so they can slide over and provide ample room to the runner coming towards them. They do this instead of zooming past at 60 mph and not moving over because “the other lane had traffic in it, so they couldn’t”. Yeah, baby! They’re the best. They get it. I love you folks! But all too often there are those who think the road belongs to them, and only them. The road is only there to get their car from here to there. So they hug the shoulder like it’s their God-given right. That somehow it’s the runner’s job to avoid being hit by the car, not the other way around.
Now I know what some of these drivers are saying. Why can’t runners just run in their safe, little subdivisions where the only thing to fear is the occasional dog that gets loose from his backyard? It shouldn’t matter where they run, just that they run. Well, that’s a good question. Let me answer it by asking those same drivers a question. Why don’t you eat plain white rice and boiled chicken for every meal, drink just water, and take a multi-vitamin to get sufficient vitamins, minerals and nutrients? Because that would be boring, and you’d go out of your mind within a few days! Same with runners. While some of us do like to run through our neighborhoods from time to time, we can’t log 50 miles a week (some log many, many more) running through a subdivision. It’s not practical, and it’s not enjoyable. But most importantly, we have every right to run out on the roads as drivers have to drive on them. It’s no different than that same white rice & chicken eater having every right to grill up a ribeye steak, bake up a giant baked potato and load it with butter, sour cream & cheese, and wash it all down with a cold beer. (Pause while I wipe the drool off my chin, because that sounds killer-good right now!) We all need variety, and we need it in most every aspect of our lives. From the food we eat, the shows we watch, the clothes we wear, and yes, the routes we run.
Now, at this point, I should say that the runner DOES have some responsibilities here that they must take seriously:
First, run INTO oncoming traffic. They can see you, you can see them.
Second, run with your head up. Trust me, your shoes look the same as they did when you left the house. Not to mention, when someone does get too close, you need to know that evasive action may be necessary…very quickly.
Third, wear easily visible clothes, especially if you’re out there when it’s dark. The darker it is, the more reflective wear and flashing LED lights you need to have on you, in order to be seen. No nighttime running ninjas, please.
Fourth, and maybe it’s just me, but I think you should show some gratitude to those who show you courtesy. Offer a small wave, or tip of the hat, to those who clearly have you in mind as they drive by. Yeah, you may do this a hundred times during your run. But if you want consideration from them, it can’t hurt to show your appreciation of said consideration. Fair is fair.
Drivers, if we follow these rules, can we get the kind of respect from you that we feel we deserve? Yes, I know it might be 5PM, and you’ve had a hard day at work, and you just want to get home, and have dinner, and enjoy some well earned relaxation. That is assuming you don’t have soccer, or baseball practice to run your kids to. Dance recitals, and girl scouts. Believe me, I know. But slowing down a bit, and clearing a little bit of room for others, isn’t going to significantly delay your arrival to wherever you are going. And just because your one-ton vehicle outweighs me by 1,840 pounds, and can reach speeds many multiples faster than the human body can achieve, it doesn’t give you the right to play target practice with runners like me out there. No, really. It doesn’t.
So as we approach spring, consider this. People are getting outside and enjoying what nature has to offer. Some walk, some run, some bike. Some do it with no formal goal in mind, they just want to get out of the house. At the other end of the spectrum, others might be training for upcoming spring races, like Cincinnati’s very own Flying Pig Marathon. Regardless of why we’re out there, on behalf of all of us pedestrians, let me ask you drivers to do us a favor.
Let me begin by saying I know the roads are meant for being driven on. Our society would virtually shutdown if it weren’t for automobiles and roads for them to travel on. But let me also say that these roads are accessible to many other types of travelers, such as cyclists and runners. Yet, all too often, drivers seem unwilling to take them into consideration. Since I’m a runner, I’ll continue from that perspective. Yet, most of what I say could apply to cyclists as well.
Last night, I spent 90 minutes running out on the roads of Liberty Township, where I live. During those 90 minutes, I must have nearly gotten hit by a vehicle no less than 30 times. Honestly, I wish I was exaggerating. I found myself getting more & more upset as each person seemed to get closer & closer. I went from swearing under my breath, to swearing out loud as I threw my hands up the air, and looking back at the driver who just passed, as if to say “WTF?!? How close you plan on getting?!?” Hey folks, FYI, that sideview mirror is a lot closer than you might think! I finished my run and couldn’t believe what had just gone on. Now, I’m accustomed to the occasional driver nearly clipping me, but this last night was unbelievable. I’ve never had to avoid so many cars during one run. One guy literally swerved TOWARD me, about 150 feet before he reached me! I had to jump 6 feet over, into the embankment by the road. YO! PAY ATTENTION JACKASS! I’m embarrassed to say that he got the “Your #1 sign” from me. But chances are, he never bothered to look in his rearview mirror to see what I thought of him. Eh, whatever. But at that point in the night, I’d had enough. More than enough.
Liberty Township, as opposed to somewhere like Hyde Park, has very few long stretches of sidewalk for runners who plan to run any significant distances. Therefore, we are essentially required to share the roads with local motorists. And we’re all more than willing to do so. We don’t mind, provided we get one thing in return…that drivers have the same kind of courtesy towards runners when it comes to sharing. Now, I don’t mean all motorists are like this. The vast majority are not. Most slow down and/or slide over in their lane just to be sure they don’t strike the runner. You know the ones I love? The ones who slow down in order that they can time it with oncoming traffic so they can slide over and provide ample room to the runner coming towards them. They do this instead of zooming past at 60 mph and not moving over because “the other lane had traffic in it, so they couldn’t”. Yeah, baby! They’re the best. They get it. I love you folks! But all too often there are those who think the road belongs to them, and only them. The road is only there to get their car from here to there. So they hug the shoulder like it’s their God-given right. That somehow it’s the runner’s job to avoid being hit by the car, not the other way around.
Now I know what some of these drivers are saying. Why can’t runners just run in their safe, little subdivisions where the only thing to fear is the occasional dog that gets loose from his backyard? It shouldn’t matter where they run, just that they run. Well, that’s a good question. Let me answer it by asking those same drivers a question. Why don’t you eat plain white rice and boiled chicken for every meal, drink just water, and take a multi-vitamin to get sufficient vitamins, minerals and nutrients? Because that would be boring, and you’d go out of your mind within a few days! Same with runners. While some of us do like to run through our neighborhoods from time to time, we can’t log 50 miles a week (some log many, many more) running through a subdivision. It’s not practical, and it’s not enjoyable. But most importantly, we have every right to run out on the roads as drivers have to drive on them. It’s no different than that same white rice & chicken eater having every right to grill up a ribeye steak, bake up a giant baked potato and load it with butter, sour cream & cheese, and wash it all down with a cold beer. (Pause while I wipe the drool off my chin, because that sounds killer-good right now!) We all need variety, and we need it in most every aspect of our lives. From the food we eat, the shows we watch, the clothes we wear, and yes, the routes we run.
Now, at this point, I should say that the runner DOES have some responsibilities here that they must take seriously:
First, run INTO oncoming traffic. They can see you, you can see them.
Second, run with your head up. Trust me, your shoes look the same as they did when you left the house. Not to mention, when someone does get too close, you need to know that evasive action may be necessary…very quickly.
Third, wear easily visible clothes, especially if you’re out there when it’s dark. The darker it is, the more reflective wear and flashing LED lights you need to have on you, in order to be seen. No nighttime running ninjas, please.
Fourth, and maybe it’s just me, but I think you should show some gratitude to those who show you courtesy. Offer a small wave, or tip of the hat, to those who clearly have you in mind as they drive by. Yeah, you may do this a hundred times during your run. But if you want consideration from them, it can’t hurt to show your appreciation of said consideration. Fair is fair.
Drivers, if we follow these rules, can we get the kind of respect from you that we feel we deserve? Yes, I know it might be 5PM, and you’ve had a hard day at work, and you just want to get home, and have dinner, and enjoy some well earned relaxation. That is assuming you don’t have soccer, or baseball practice to run your kids to. Dance recitals, and girl scouts. Believe me, I know. But slowing down a bit, and clearing a little bit of room for others, isn’t going to significantly delay your arrival to wherever you are going. And just because your one-ton vehicle outweighs me by 1,840 pounds, and can reach speeds many multiples faster than the human body can achieve, it doesn’t give you the right to play target practice with runners like me out there. No, really. It doesn’t.
So as we approach spring, consider this. People are getting outside and enjoying what nature has to offer. Some walk, some run, some bike. Some do it with no formal goal in mind, they just want to get out of the house. At the other end of the spectrum, others might be training for upcoming spring races, like Cincinnati’s very own Flying Pig Marathon. Regardless of why we’re out there, on behalf of all of us pedestrians, let me ask you drivers to do us a favor.
Can you please give us a little space, so that we can safely get to where we are going, just as you are trying to get where you are going? Please?
Mar 25, 2009
Oh so tired
T: 2GP/4x2T, 2:00 recovery jog in between/3GP
OMG, this workout kicks my ass!!!! I was so exhausted when I finished this last night.
On Monday, I decided not to lift b/c I didn't have enough time to get a proper, full workout in before my soccer match. I'll go tonight & Friday and get that in. So anyway, I decided instead to get on the elliptical trainer and use that as my warmup for soccer. I do 46 minutes, 180 strides/min and feel great. I can actually remember when 180/min for more than 15-20 minutes owned me. Now, my heart rate barely gets to 130. But I did break a bit of a sweat, which is all I wanted to do. Then I go play soccer. We have 3 subs, I play hard, run hard, I come home feeling fine. No big deal. No injuries. I'm happy.
I wake up yesterday morning with unexpected tightness in both hips. More of a faint ache, really. I figure it's probably from having used the ET, seeing as I have used one in at least a year. Eh, no biggie. I go run as soon as I get home from work. And that workout just took it out of me. I (once again) didn't complete the final 3GP, I stopped at 2.1GP. Although, this time I don't feel bad about it. I ran solid throughout, running my 4x2T's in 15:58, 16:22, 16:15 & 16:25. I felt good about this considering the winds I was running in. At one point, while running into the wind, a truck passed me, and the gust he produced nearly knocked me off my feet...literally. It kinda scared me, actually. I wasn't expecting that. And the workout from the night before, I decide, makes up for the 0.9 miles. Regardless, that 0.9 isn't a big deal. And my hips were really fatigued at this point. So I called it a night. But this workout, for me anyway, is just so tough. I have the same one next Tuesday, before going back to 3x1-mile cruise-intervals plus 3x800 speed-intervals for 2 weeks. I'd really like to complete this workout in its entirety.
So with that in mind, as well as the fact that the Pig is in 5.5 weeks, and my actuarial exam is in 6.5 weeks, I've decided to take this upcoming 8-week session off from indoor soccer. I really hate to do it, but I've decided I really need that rest day now, given my next 3 Sunday long runs are 18, 19 & 20-milers and Tuesday is my speed workout. Besides, to get hurt at soccer now and risk not being able to run the marathon...well, I can't tell you how off the deep end I'd go after putting in this work.Today, my legs are very tired. Nice easy 3-miler with some striders will be welcomed greatly. I just hope the rain holds off. Glad I brought rain gear today. I don't normally think that far ahead when packing my bag at 6:20 in the morning. First time for everything, I guess.
OMG, this workout kicks my ass!!!! I was so exhausted when I finished this last night.
On Monday, I decided not to lift b/c I didn't have enough time to get a proper, full workout in before my soccer match. I'll go tonight & Friday and get that in. So anyway, I decided instead to get on the elliptical trainer and use that as my warmup for soccer. I do 46 minutes, 180 strides/min and feel great. I can actually remember when 180/min for more than 15-20 minutes owned me. Now, my heart rate barely gets to 130. But I did break a bit of a sweat, which is all I wanted to do. Then I go play soccer. We have 3 subs, I play hard, run hard, I come home feeling fine. No big deal. No injuries. I'm happy.
I wake up yesterday morning with unexpected tightness in both hips. More of a faint ache, really. I figure it's probably from having used the ET, seeing as I have used one in at least a year. Eh, no biggie. I go run as soon as I get home from work. And that workout just took it out of me. I (once again) didn't complete the final 3GP, I stopped at 2.1GP. Although, this time I don't feel bad about it. I ran solid throughout, running my 4x2T's in 15:58, 16:22, 16:15 & 16:25. I felt good about this considering the winds I was running in. At one point, while running into the wind, a truck passed me, and the gust he produced nearly knocked me off my feet...literally. It kinda scared me, actually. I wasn't expecting that. And the workout from the night before, I decide, makes up for the 0.9 miles. Regardless, that 0.9 isn't a big deal. And my hips were really fatigued at this point. So I called it a night. But this workout, for me anyway, is just so tough. I have the same one next Tuesday, before going back to 3x1-mile cruise-intervals plus 3x800 speed-intervals for 2 weeks. I'd really like to complete this workout in its entirety.
So with that in mind, as well as the fact that the Pig is in 5.5 weeks, and my actuarial exam is in 6.5 weeks, I've decided to take this upcoming 8-week session off from indoor soccer. I really hate to do it, but I've decided I really need that rest day now, given my next 3 Sunday long runs are 18, 19 & 20-milers and Tuesday is my speed workout. Besides, to get hurt at soccer now and risk not being able to run the marathon...well, I can't tell you how off the deep end I'd go after putting in this work.Today, my legs are very tired. Nice easy 3-miler with some striders will be welcomed greatly. I just hope the rain holds off. Glad I brought rain gear today. I don't normally think that far ahead when packing my bag at 6:20 in the morning. First time for everything, I guess.
Mar 23, 2009
New shoes = Renewed Enthusiasm
Aren’t new running shoes the best? You slide those bad boys on and you can immediately feel the improved cushioning over the ones you’ve been running in for nearly 400 miles. You can’t wait to get out there and put them “through their paces”. And if you’re lucky, which I was not this past Friday when I got my new kicks, you’ll get them on a day that: 1) isn’t an off day and 2) you still need to get out and get your run in. But once you get out and run in them, you either think, want, or both, that you need to run fast. Well, that’s where I was somewhat fortunate.
After getting my new Asics Kayano-15’s on Friday, I was supposed to run a 10K race on Saturday as part of my training for the Pig. Unfortunately, there wasn’t one nearby. So I met with my CCFA buddies for a Saturday morning run. They’re just starting their season, with a mostly new crew of folks (good luck everyone!), and so their run was scheduled for 3 miles. I decided to get out there early, run 3 miles semi-hard, meet them at 7:30am, and run the other 3 miles a little harder, never getting above a PEL of 8.0-8.5. And I thought what better shoes to do this in than my new 15’s? It was, in a word, awesome. I loved it. It felt great to get out there on a brisk 33-degree morning, before the sun has come up, and just run! Plus I was able to get some pretty good turrnover. I felt strong, and that's always encouraging. And I love the shoes. I plan to work about 40-50 miles on them prior to the Pig, and run in them on May 3rd. I just hope I can hold off that much, and save them.
So, after a “light” week, I’m back to the more grueling weeks. My final push of hard training before starting my taper. I’m ready to get after it. And the weather turning nicer is certainly a big boost. We might get some rain, but I can live with that so long as it’s 50+ degrees out there. I love winter running, but I’m ready for nice weather. It just adds such a nice spring in your step. And to have the sun shine warmly on your face, without the roasting feeling you get in summer, is the best.
Week 10 mileage: 33.92
After getting my new Asics Kayano-15’s on Friday, I was supposed to run a 10K race on Saturday as part of my training for the Pig. Unfortunately, there wasn’t one nearby. So I met with my CCFA buddies for a Saturday morning run. They’re just starting their season, with a mostly new crew of folks (good luck everyone!), and so their run was scheduled for 3 miles. I decided to get out there early, run 3 miles semi-hard, meet them at 7:30am, and run the other 3 miles a little harder, never getting above a PEL of 8.0-8.5. And I thought what better shoes to do this in than my new 15’s? It was, in a word, awesome. I loved it. It felt great to get out there on a brisk 33-degree morning, before the sun has come up, and just run! Plus I was able to get some pretty good turrnover. I felt strong, and that's always encouraging. And I love the shoes. I plan to work about 40-50 miles on them prior to the Pig, and run in them on May 3rd. I just hope I can hold off that much, and save them.
So, after a “light” week, I’m back to the more grueling weeks. My final push of hard training before starting my taper. I’m ready to get after it. And the weather turning nicer is certainly a big boost. We might get some rain, but I can live with that so long as it’s 50+ degrees out there. I love winter running, but I’m ready for nice weather. It just adds such a nice spring in your step. And to have the sun shine warmly on your face, without the roasting feeling you get in summer, is the best.
Week 10 mileage: 33.92
Weeks 0-10 mileage: 405.31
Week 11 schedule:
M: WT, indoor soccer
T: 2GP/4x2T, 2:00 recovery jog in between/3GP, yoga
W: WT, 3 miles/ 6x100 S
Th: 90-min run, including 8:00-10:00 TUT, yoga
F: Rest
Sa: 18 miles (switching Sa/Su runs)
Su: American Heart Association Mini-Marathon, 5K (nice & easy)
Mar 17, 2009
Week 10, here I come!
Well, all in all, last week was a very good week. The only thing I didn't do, that I should have, was on Thursday. I swapped my Tuesday & Thursday workouts due to time constraints on Tuesday. On Thursday, I only finished with 1.5 miles @ GP, instead of 3 miles. It was getting a little late, family was waiting for me to be home to have dinner, I felt bad about it, so I cut my run short by that mike and a half. I was pretty tired too, so stopping didn't sound like such a bad idea. Turned out, they couldn't wait to eat, and so they went and ate without me! If I had known that was going to happen, I would have finished those final 1.5! I know it really makes little difference in the overall training, but leaving a workout incomplete has always bugged me. But I got over it pretty quickly, so no big deal.
The best part of the week was yesterday, my long run. FINALLY, it looks like spring might actually roll around. Yesterday it was sunny, 57 degrees, and light wind of 5-7 mph. Got through mile 6 feeling really good (same as the previous week). Hit the midway point at a considerably faster pace than I'd been running the past few weeks. Got to mile 11 and still felt really strong. I was thoroughly enjoying this run. When I got to 14, I knew I'd have no issues finishing the final 3 fairly strong. Hit the 17 mile mark 16 seconds FASTER than I hit the 16 mile mark last week, and only 2 minutes slower than I'd hit 16 the week before that. Important part was that I felt far better after finishing yesterday than the previous 2 weeks. So I feel very encouraged right now.
I have no major physical issues to deal with. I have no groin pain, which thrills me. Perhaps I'm going to avoid that injury after all. No pain in my legs, in general. Slight fatigue, but nothing significant. The only (minor) issue I do have is with my right foot. After running yesterday, the skin on the balls of right foot feel like they've been rubbed raw. It's a burning type sensation when I put pressure on them. But upon inspection, there seems to be nothing of note. They look just fine. I'll have to keep note of how long this lasts. I know it's not the shoes, they only had 158 miles on them, going into yesterday. I must simply be landing on my right foot harder than I do my left, and it's caused some discomfort. Nothing I can't handle though, so that's good.
This week is a change-up. Some different workouts, plus a little bit of a rest, from a mileage POV. Gonna see if I can't find a 10K to run this weekend, but last I checked, no 10K's. We'll see.
Week 9 mileage: 44.42Weeks 0-9 mileage: 371.39
Week 10 schedule:
M: WT, NO indoor soccer
T: 1-hour run, including 2x1200 CI (5:56, recovery is half distance), 2x400 SI (1:52, recovery is equal distance), yoga
W: WT, 4 miles
Th: 4x800 SI (3:34, recovery is half distance), 6x100 striders, yoga
F: Rest
Sa: 10K race, WT (optional)
Su: 6-8 miles
Mar 13, 2009
Uneventful week so far
Not much to say except that I continue to train. My motivation is waning slightly (I had trouble motivating myself on Tuesday), but not too bad. The countdown to the Pig is getting closer & closer, and the closer I get, the more scared I get. A marathon! A FULL marathon! Am I really that crazy? My wife certainly thinks so. I'm planning to break out my "secret motivation weapon" shortly. I'm actually really excited about it. I've been dying to watch it! Hint, hint.
I did have a very good day at the gym on Wednesday. Felt like I lifted strong for the first time in about 2 weeks. It's weird...when I go in there and push myself hard, I feel really good afterward. When I go in and "save" my legs, so I can run strong the day or two after, I don't really feel like I'm saving much of anything anyway. Maybe that's not so weird. Lesson learned. Get in there, and get after it.
My Forerunner is absolutely GREAT. I love it. Why did I ever wait so long to get it?!? I'm using both Motion Based and Sportstracks as well, but I admit, I have to find some time to dig into what each can do, and determine which plugins I think are useful for Sportstracks. I do know that the "Old Man's Activity Documentation" one is worthless. You don't really get much unless you donate money to him. Granted, he does put a lot of time & effort into building a lot of plugins, by the looks of it, I just don't feel like donating money for something when I don't know if it's even worth it.
Tonight, I head up to Lima to see my dad, and then we're going to Bowling Green to watch my old high school basketball team play in the Regional Finals on Saturday. That'll be interesting. I'd love to see them win, but I'll be jealous too. We never should have lost to Sandusky that night, back in 1991. That still bothers me when I think about it. Anyway, 5-miler in the morning tomorrow in my hometown will be nice. Gotta watch what I eat & drink though. I don't always make the best choices when I'm away from home. And I don't want to compromise my long-run on Sunday.
Waste no more time talking about great souls and how they should be. Become one yourself. --Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Roman Emperor, A.D. 161-180 (121 AD - 180 AD)
I did have a very good day at the gym on Wednesday. Felt like I lifted strong for the first time in about 2 weeks. It's weird...when I go in there and push myself hard, I feel really good afterward. When I go in and "save" my legs, so I can run strong the day or two after, I don't really feel like I'm saving much of anything anyway. Maybe that's not so weird. Lesson learned. Get in there, and get after it.
My Forerunner is absolutely GREAT. I love it. Why did I ever wait so long to get it?!? I'm using both Motion Based and Sportstracks as well, but I admit, I have to find some time to dig into what each can do, and determine which plugins I think are useful for Sportstracks. I do know that the "Old Man's Activity Documentation" one is worthless. You don't really get much unless you donate money to him. Granted, he does put a lot of time & effort into building a lot of plugins, by the looks of it, I just don't feel like donating money for something when I don't know if it's even worth it.
Tonight, I head up to Lima to see my dad, and then we're going to Bowling Green to watch my old high school basketball team play in the Regional Finals on Saturday. That'll be interesting. I'd love to see them win, but I'll be jealous too. We never should have lost to Sandusky that night, back in 1991. That still bothers me when I think about it. Anyway, 5-miler in the morning tomorrow in my hometown will be nice. Gotta watch what I eat & drink though. I don't always make the best choices when I'm away from home. And I don't want to compromise my long-run on Sunday.
Waste no more time talking about great souls and how they should be. Become one yourself. --Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Roman Emperor, A.D. 161-180 (121 AD - 180 AD)
Mar 9, 2009
I've hit the halfway mark!
Good week, but a tough week. I'm now halfway through my training. 8 weeks to go.While none of my workouts were bad, they weren't particularly great either. The wind was an issue again most of the week, and really affected me most on Thursday when I ran cruise intervals, and yesterday, during my long run.
Also, for some reason, I decided to run 3 "junk miles" on Friday, which is usually a day off. It was just so nice out; I wanted to get out there during my lunch hour. I've been good about not doing this, but Friday I just couldn't help myself.
Yesterday was the second straight week where I ran 16 miles. I actually considered running 17, just cuz, but at about the 10-mile mark, I knew it wasn't going to happen. I was feeling pretty spent. When I walked out the door, it was just starting to sprinkle, and they'd been calling for rain. So I put on a rain jacket, in anticipation of that. While I knew it would likely make me much warmer than I would have preferred, I figured that was better than being drenched to the bone. Unfortunately, it also created a parachute effect when I ran into the wind, since I tried to keep it only half zipped, to prevent from roasting. Turned out, it never rained during my run. Oh, well. Better safe than sorry, right?
I've also just started experimenting with Gatorade. I hate the stuff, in general (I do like G2). I've been using Cytomax-Tropical Fruit flavor, since November, which I discovered in training with the CCFA for San Antonio. But the Flying Pig uses Gatorade. And I don't want to run with a hydration belt. So, I'm incorporating Gatorade into my runs. I used 8 oz on my Saturday run, and 8 more on Sunday (along with the Cytomax), with no ill effects. I'll ramp this up over the coming weeks. I don't care if I don't like the taste. It's more important to me to be able run as comfortably as possible on race day.
Week 9 coming up, just like week 8. Then for week 10, a "low mileage" week to recharge the batteries. That'll be nice.
Week 8 mileage: 45.69
Weeks 0-8 mileage: 326.97
Week 9 schedule:
M: WT, indoor soccer
T: 2GP/3x2T, 2:00 recovery jog in between/3GP, yoga
W: WT, 3 miles/ 6x100 S
Th: 4x1-mile CI (7:53/mile, recovery is half the distance of the repetition.), yoga
F: Rest
Sa: 5 miles, WT (optional)
Su: 17 miles
Also, for some reason, I decided to run 3 "junk miles" on Friday, which is usually a day off. It was just so nice out; I wanted to get out there during my lunch hour. I've been good about not doing this, but Friday I just couldn't help myself.
Yesterday was the second straight week where I ran 16 miles. I actually considered running 17, just cuz, but at about the 10-mile mark, I knew it wasn't going to happen. I was feeling pretty spent. When I walked out the door, it was just starting to sprinkle, and they'd been calling for rain. So I put on a rain jacket, in anticipation of that. While I knew it would likely make me much warmer than I would have preferred, I figured that was better than being drenched to the bone. Unfortunately, it also created a parachute effect when I ran into the wind, since I tried to keep it only half zipped, to prevent from roasting. Turned out, it never rained during my run. Oh, well. Better safe than sorry, right?
I've also just started experimenting with Gatorade. I hate the stuff, in general (I do like G2). I've been using Cytomax-Tropical Fruit flavor, since November, which I discovered in training with the CCFA for San Antonio. But the Flying Pig uses Gatorade. And I don't want to run with a hydration belt. So, I'm incorporating Gatorade into my runs. I used 8 oz on my Saturday run, and 8 more on Sunday (along with the Cytomax), with no ill effects. I'll ramp this up over the coming weeks. I don't care if I don't like the taste. It's more important to me to be able run as comfortably as possible on race day.
Week 9 coming up, just like week 8. Then for week 10, a "low mileage" week to recharge the batteries. That'll be nice.
Week 8 mileage: 45.69
Weeks 0-8 mileage: 326.97
Week 9 schedule:
M: WT, indoor soccer
T: 2GP/3x2T, 2:00 recovery jog in between/3GP, yoga
W: WT, 3 miles/ 6x100 S
Th: 4x1-mile CI (7:53/mile, recovery is half the distance of the repetition.), yoga
F: Rest
Sa: 5 miles, WT (optional)
Su: 17 miles
Mar 6, 2009
With spring weather, comes...
wind! OMG.
Not that it is spring yet, I know, but yesterday starts off like it's going to be beautiful here in Cincy, then by the time I get off work, and get home to run, it has turned into a beautiful, ridiculously windy, day in Cincy. Talk about a day to NOT be trying to run fast. The workout for last night...four, one-mile cruise intervals, all at or under 7:53/mile. Into 30 mph winds out of the SSW. Ugh.
After my mile warmup, I try to go east-west as much as I can, but occassionally I got going north-south. A few times it was blowing so hard that it nearly knocked me off balance. On the last half-mile of my 4th CI, I was running uphill, dead south. The wind is just going nuts, gusting to the point where I'm leaning forward so much, running as hard as I can, just to keep moving forward. I thought that I probably looked like a running back about to hit the line of scrimmage. I literally let out this primal scream to help get me to the top of the hill, where I can then turn left, start heading west again, and wrap this run up.
Brutal, brutal workout. I was so gassed after the 4th CI, I bagged the cooldown jog, and went inside to get ready for dinner. My only positive from the run was that I ran the 4 CI's in 7:19, 7:28, 7:26, 7:46. I have a repeat of this workout next Thursday. I'll be curious to see how I compare, assuming the wind is more cooperative. One thing is for sure...I'm not looking forward to it. But, I am reminded that I shouldn't complain.
MOSQUITOES COMPLAINED, by Ray Lucero
One day a swarm of mosquitoes complained to God.
One day a swarm of mosquitoes complained to God.
“Lord God we must protest!”
“What is it My Children?”
“We want You to still the Wind”
“Why?”
“Because the Wind scatters our swarm”
“Ah I See”
God summoned the Wind.
Within moments Wind arrived.
God Spoke, “Wind, the mosquitoes have brought suit”
Wind replied, “Where are my accusers?”
“Gone…lost within thee Wind”
So it is when Seekers dispute God’s Creation
Mar 4, 2009
My new toy
OK, it's not new, the toy itself, but it's new to me. The Forerunner 305. Very, very cool. It arrived on Monday (my day off - DAMN!), so I had to wait until last night to try it out. I think what I enjoy the most is being able to run anywhere I want, whenever I want, and know that I'm still able to track my info. It's far superior to the Nike+. I used that for over a year and half, both the iPod Nike+ and the Sportsband. Actually, 2 sportsbands, both of which failed, and I returned them to Nike when they did their recall. I know they're coming out with a new version this summer, but I guess I kinda don't trust it. So the Forerunner was the easy choice.
Returning the Sportsband left me back to only running routes that I could mark off using a mapping function like mapmyrun.com, or that I could drive. For some reason, that's far less fun. Less accurate too, as I've learned when I compare the mapping with driving of the same route. Now I have total freedom! Run here, run there, run anywhere! Man, I love that. Plus, I think getting a new toy like this can really help your motivation when you're starting to lose a little of your edge right in the middle of a training program. I'm actually still enjoying my training, so this was just an added bonus. But I know I've had times in the past where I've lost my focus. I still have one "secret weapon" to use for this training session...but that'll have to wait until another post.
So tonight, after getting my run & weight training in, I'll play around with the Garmin software and see what kinds of new info I can learn when I download my runs. That'll be followed by some Part 7 studying, UGH! And a good night's sleep! Last night was a miserable night of sleep. I think a glass of wine might be in the cards too. You know, to help me sleep. :)
Mar 3, 2009
Lots of changes coming
I hope, anyway. Looking to add lots of content on here, most running related, some just stuff I'm interested in. Peeking at other people's blogs for ideas of how to organize the content. I tried to maintain a blog once, but that wasn't much of a success. I wasn't nearly as passionate about that as I am about this.
So over the next few weeks, I hope that this becomes much more interesting. Perhaps no one will ever follow it, and that's fine. If nothing else, it'll help me to organize all the notes, links, etc. that I have scattered all over the place.
So over the next few weeks, I hope that this becomes much more interesting. Perhaps no one will ever follow it, and that's fine. If nothing else, it'll help me to organize all the notes, links, etc. that I have scattered all over the place.
Mar 2, 2009
Becoming a podcast junkie
It was only a few weeks ago that I learned of all the different podcasts I could download for free. I started by downloading a bunch, but quickly realized that I just couldn't listen to everything. So I picked one, and stuck to it...Phedippidations. It took 2 or 3 to get used to it, but now I'm hooked. I decided to start with January 2009, get up-to-date, then go back and listen to archives. There is some really good stuff. What has really surprised me is that I would never have thought that I'd listen to podcasts during my long runs. I've always been a "run to music guy". But as my runs get longer, I find the Phedip podcasts to be really great to run to. Keep up the great work, Steve!
And in listening to a recent one, I learned about Adam20, Adam Tinkoff's new podcast. I've listened to episodes 1 & 2 so far. Also, good stuff.
There are so many more out there to get to. But for now, I'll stick with these, and slowly add as I go along. I've got about 160 Phedip episodes that I could potentially still listen to (not that I'll listen to all of them). I think my next addition will be the runner's roundtable.
And in listening to a recent one, I learned about Adam20, Adam Tinkoff's new podcast. I've listened to episodes 1 & 2 so far. Also, good stuff.
There are so many more out there to get to. But for now, I'll stick with these, and slowly add as I go along. I've got about 160 Phedip episodes that I could potentially still listen to (not that I'll listen to all of them). I think my next addition will be the runner's roundtable.
This week was better
All in all, a good week. Didn't get off to a great start though. On Monday, I decided it was time to change up my weight training routine a little. Along with a few other minor changes, instead of lying leg curls, I went with straight-leg, straight back deadlifts, an exercise I've done before. Followed by my indoor soccer game. I expected some soreness the following day. I didn't expect as much as I got. I really shocked my hamstrings. Plus, the next day I felt a bit lethargic. So I bailed on yoga class, and swapped my Tuesday speed workout and my Wednesday easy run. Wednesday, the hammys were better, but not great. So I changed my speed workout too. I really hate making changes to my training on the fly like this, but I knew it was the smart thing to do. So instead of 2GP/2x2T/3GP, I decided to do a 7.5-mile run, focusing on keeping my PEL at around 7-8, but without feeling pain in my hamstrings. Surprisingly, when I checked the watch, it had turned into a standard 7.5-mile tempo run. So I was really pleased with that. I decided I'd just throw on that extra 1.5 miles that I didn't get in onto my Thursday run, which was great b/c it was so nice out that day. I actually wanted to run more, but I had to get home and get to dinner with the fam. By Friday, my legs felt normal, and the rest day really made sure I'd be good for the weekend. Saturday's run was just, eh. I ran early in the morning, on an empty stomach, which I hate doing. But I needed to hurry up and get it in. Busy day. Sunday was my long run. Temps had dropped, and it was a repeat of the week before. 33-degrees, 20 mph winds, according to weather.com. Oh, bother. The only good thing was that it was coming from the north, and since the majority of the loop I was running was east/west, I didn't face much headwind, just lots of crosswind, which I can handle much better. 16 miles later I was done, and very pleased. I felt much better afterwards than I did after the 15 the week before. And by that evening, my legs felt stronger too. Today, I don't have any soreness or fatigue. I could easily run, if it weren't a rest day. So I'm pleased with the week. One more down.
Week 7 mileage: 42.62
Weeks 0-7 mileage: 281.28
Week 8 schedule:
M: WT, NO indoor soccer
T: 2GP/3x2T, 2:00 recovery jog in between/3GP, yoga
W: WT, 3 miles/ 6x100 S
Th: 4x1-mile CI (7:53/mile, recovery is half the distance of the repetition.), yoga
F: Rest
Sa: 5 miles, WT (optional)
Su: 16 miles
Week 7 mileage: 42.62
Weeks 0-7 mileage: 281.28
Week 8 schedule:
M: WT, NO indoor soccer
T: 2GP/3x2T, 2:00 recovery jog in between/3GP, yoga
W: WT, 3 miles/ 6x100 S
Th: 4x1-mile CI (7:53/mile, recovery is half the distance of the repetition.), yoga
F: Rest
Sa: 5 miles, WT (optional)
Su: 16 miles
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)
