Runner that is....So last night I was hit with the news that my training partner, Paul, has decided that he can't make the morning commitments to be a running partner. That's a big blow to the training plan, because a large majority of the reason I'm up and out there is because I made that commitment to be there. Sure there have been a couple of setbacks here and there, but in large, we were a good team and making significant strides. So, at least until '09, these morning runs are going to have to be done SOLO. I still have the running group 3-4 times per week, it was those extra two days that really helped to the trick. I do understand his reasoning. He and his wife just had a new baby, and these first few weeks of sleepless nights have really been pretty tough to adjust to. He's said his wife ends up sleeping on the couch to be closer to the baby when it's time to take action. This is similar to the situation I had, only mine wasn't a newborn, it was being a small business owner of a small coffee house, and having to deal with the day to day issues of what seemed like 13 newborns. That was the main driving factor to why I was never making any progress in running goals, and my times progressively got slower and slower.
But, I need to keep to the task at hand, and keep making strides forward, even if it's in the O Dark early hours of the morning. Today I set out on the standard Friday run of 5.6 miles. Nothing real significant to report there. The time by myself allowed me to totally restructure my training plan to the next level. I'm constantly figuring out ways to juggle the schedule around and get in quality miles. I'm coming up on that next phase where I need to intorduce that mid week long run into the plan. So, starting the first Wednesday in December, I'm going to up my hour long run to 1:30. That not only will get in some quality miles, it's starts adding to that base to the Sunday Long Runs. I'm hoping that next week I'll hit the big 5-0! Yep...that would be 50 miles in a Single week. That's a big challenge, but I'm extrememly confident my legs can handle it. Here's a preview of what's on tap:
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 5miles
Wednesday - 7 Miles
Thursday - 7 Miles
Friday - 5 Miles
Saturday - 8 Miles
Sunday - 16 MIles
Very doable, if you ask me. And nothing too taxing. The 7 mile says are right at an hour. The 5 mile days are around 45 minutes. Sturdays a mile repeate speed workout and then Sunday is the long run. I may even bust out more miles since it's Thanksgiving week, and I have 2 days off from work. We'll just have to play it by ear and run by feel.
Well, until tomorrow.....LIVESTRONG and Trian Hard....
P.S. GO CARDINALS! SHOCK THE WORLD ON SUNDAY!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Back with the group at O'Dark early....
Winter time is really a hard time to muster up the gumption to get out of bed and go running. Here in Tucson, we at least have that advantage where the temperatures aren't too extreme like they could be say in the North East. Most mornings it's cold, but not to the point where adding an extra layer wouldn't get you by. Today was one of those days. Low 50s, just a nice morning for running. The hardest part was that it's just so darned dark out there. So dark, to the point, that you can't see much in front of you. Thank goodness for headlights! Those little LED lights you wear around your head...you know the ones....they make you look like your a coal miner....or going spelunking. Okay....I jsut wanted to say spelunking...
So, I finally got back with the group today. Officially over that head crud that I had, only having minor gunkage coming out. The only problem with the cold is that my nose runs like a freakin fire hydrant when it gets cold. Which is a really nice site as I'm blsting snot rockets out in between sets. It's okay....Most of the group is doing the same thing...we just try and get out of range of one another. It's a good thing to keep your runny snot to yourself. Not the gift that keeps on giving. So, you can just imagine the sounds of heavy breathing between each of the 12 400m repeats. I swear, the people that live in those houses along that path.....I just wonder what goes through their minds when you hear 12 people out there clearing their sinuses. All at different times, because we have little packs that end up running together. What a site we are. This is also going to be a staple Thursday run for a while. My target pace is 1:45 for the quarters. The goal is to keep them even, and that seems to be my problem. Well, not that they're even, but that I think I'm running them too fast for my target marathon training. The last thing I want to do is get to marathon day and go out too fast and ruin what's been a great training segment. Or mayby I'm jsut underestimating my talent level. Either way, I managed to run all 12 sets between 1:40-1:43. Not a huge disparity. And actually, I'm pretty proud of that fact because I never actually took the full 45 second prescribed rest. Coach Mamma Michele pointed that out to me as well. But, she wasn't either, and I didn't want to tail the group. I wanted to run fairly close to my pack. But, I can honestly say that I'm realy happy with my times.
This week isn't going to be huge action packed mile week. I really need to let my body catch back up after going through what I went through this weekend. I had initially planned 18 miles on Sunday as the next increase from teh 15 mile "tempo" run two weeks ago, but since I didn't get my 16 mile run back in, I'm going to keep it at the 15 the rest of the group will be running. We have it coming up again three weeks from Sunday, so then will probably be an appropriate time to up it to 18. We have some really good tough runs coming up, so I don't feel like pushing that out will be harmful. I'll take the 14 that's scheduled next week and up that to the 16 I was to do last Sunday. Flexibility is the key to any good training plan!
With that, LIVESTRONG and Train HARD!
So, I finally got back with the group today. Officially over that head crud that I had, only having minor gunkage coming out. The only problem with the cold is that my nose runs like a freakin fire hydrant when it gets cold. Which is a really nice site as I'm blsting snot rockets out in between sets. It's okay....Most of the group is doing the same thing...we just try and get out of range of one another. It's a good thing to keep your runny snot to yourself. Not the gift that keeps on giving. So, you can just imagine the sounds of heavy breathing between each of the 12 400m repeats. I swear, the people that live in those houses along that path.....I just wonder what goes through their minds when you hear 12 people out there clearing their sinuses. All at different times, because we have little packs that end up running together. What a site we are. This is also going to be a staple Thursday run for a while. My target pace is 1:45 for the quarters. The goal is to keep them even, and that seems to be my problem. Well, not that they're even, but that I think I'm running them too fast for my target marathon training. The last thing I want to do is get to marathon day and go out too fast and ruin what's been a great training segment. Or mayby I'm jsut underestimating my talent level. Either way, I managed to run all 12 sets between 1:40-1:43. Not a huge disparity. And actually, I'm pretty proud of that fact because I never actually took the full 45 second prescribed rest. Coach Mamma Michele pointed that out to me as well. But, she wasn't either, and I didn't want to tail the group. I wanted to run fairly close to my pack. But, I can honestly say that I'm realy happy with my times.
This week isn't going to be huge action packed mile week. I really need to let my body catch back up after going through what I went through this weekend. I had initially planned 18 miles on Sunday as the next increase from teh 15 mile "tempo" run two weeks ago, but since I didn't get my 16 mile run back in, I'm going to keep it at the 15 the rest of the group will be running. We have it coming up again three weeks from Sunday, so then will probably be an appropriate time to up it to 18. We have some really good tough runs coming up, so I don't feel like pushing that out will be harmful. I'll take the 14 that's scheduled next week and up that to the 16 I was to do last Sunday. Flexibility is the key to any good training plan!
With that, LIVESTRONG and Train HARD!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
3 days felt like an eternity....
Well, the last time I blogged, I just wasnt' feeling myself on the run. Every step just kept sending back signals to the engine room...i'm given' er all shes GOT captain! Well, Friday afternoon I figured out why....I was on my way to coming down with a nasty cold that ended up knocking me out of my weekend runs and Mondays as well. Thankfully, it really only lasted Saturday and Sunday. I took Monday off because it was my first full night of sleep that I had gotten since Thursday night. I think it didn't last very long mainly because I'm in such good shape right now. I watch what I eat, I take my vitamins, and most of all, I each a fresh fruit soy protein smoothy every night to aide in recovery. I'm sure that played a big part.
Yesterday, I got the chance to not only sleep in, but still get in the workout midday. I was able to work from home since we had the final inspection on our pool that we're building, so it meant that I didn't need to get up at 5am for the group workout. I also didn't want to take the chance of passing on whatever I was just getting through to them, seeing as there are several who are on their last dificult week of marathon training. They don't need to have an awesome training session messed up by me. Besides, I had my target times, I knew what needed to be done. And so I did it. Yesterdays workout literaly seemed as if I had missed a week. Whatever I had, thankfully never got fully entrenched in my lungs. That's normal mode of operations for me. I could tell that it had started to go there, but not comepetely. The workout entailed 1 mile at your Half Marathon pace, 3/4 miles at your 10K pace, 1/2 mile at your 5K pace, and 1/4 mile at your 3K pace. Defeinitiely a tough workout that would gaurantee whatever was in my lungs, would soon be gone. :) The first set, my legs were fresh and felt great, and I definitley ran it faster then the 7:50 targeted pace. In fact, I came in at 7:30, and boy were my lungs burning. After the 2:30 rest period, I knocked oout the 3/4 mile in 5:33, faster then the targeted 5:40. This trend continued for the entire workout. My 800 was in 4 seconds faster, and my 400 which was targeted for 1;45, was done in 1:40. I added in a 1 mile cool down and by the time I got home, I could really feel that I was going to be hacking up a lung. And for the next hour or so....weird things kept coming up at random intervals. I'm glad for that because once they were gone, they were gone!
In the evening, my son Dylan had his first ever track meet. He's in 4th grade, and he was singed up for the 400m and the 4x100 relay. As a spur of themoment, he addedin the 4x200m relay. His first running event's ever. On the 400m relay, he ended up finished 6th with a time of 1:27....DANG!!!! Good job son! Dad was proud with that time, especially considering he lost a couple of sends and places when he lost his shoe about 100m from the finish. After that I laced them up properly so he wouldn't lose them, and his relay team got 3rd in both events!!!! I think I have a little track star on my hands. Even better, I may have a new running buddy!
By the time we got home, we were all dog tired. The entire family went to bed at 8:15. What a bunch of dorks. :) But, It was good for whenmy alarm went off at 4:20 this morning, as I had no problems getting up for the run. I got out of bed, got dressed and headed out the door to meet Paul. he must have had a rough night with the baby, so I ended up doing the 5.6 miles solo this am. It felt so good to get back ou there on that loop. And I can officially say, whatever I had is in the rear view mirror. All of my mile splits were much faster then Fridays, and I feel strong again. I so bad want a makeup of Saturdays run. On the schedule was the Long Loop Lope 5 Mile Time Trial. I know that there was a several minute personal best in there.....but that's just going to have to wait until next time. It's on the schedule for 12/20. I'll just have to make sure that not only I PR it by a couple of minutes.....I need to add in the couple that I would have PR'd it this time!
Until the next run....LIVESTRONG and Train Hard!
Yesterday, I got the chance to not only sleep in, but still get in the workout midday. I was able to work from home since we had the final inspection on our pool that we're building, so it meant that I didn't need to get up at 5am for the group workout. I also didn't want to take the chance of passing on whatever I was just getting through to them, seeing as there are several who are on their last dificult week of marathon training. They don't need to have an awesome training session messed up by me. Besides, I had my target times, I knew what needed to be done. And so I did it. Yesterdays workout literaly seemed as if I had missed a week. Whatever I had, thankfully never got fully entrenched in my lungs. That's normal mode of operations for me. I could tell that it had started to go there, but not comepetely. The workout entailed 1 mile at your Half Marathon pace, 3/4 miles at your 10K pace, 1/2 mile at your 5K pace, and 1/4 mile at your 3K pace. Defeinitiely a tough workout that would gaurantee whatever was in my lungs, would soon be gone. :) The first set, my legs were fresh and felt great, and I definitley ran it faster then the 7:50 targeted pace. In fact, I came in at 7:30, and boy were my lungs burning. After the 2:30 rest period, I knocked oout the 3/4 mile in 5:33, faster then the targeted 5:40. This trend continued for the entire workout. My 800 was in 4 seconds faster, and my 400 which was targeted for 1;45, was done in 1:40. I added in a 1 mile cool down and by the time I got home, I could really feel that I was going to be hacking up a lung. And for the next hour or so....weird things kept coming up at random intervals. I'm glad for that because once they were gone, they were gone!
In the evening, my son Dylan had his first ever track meet. He's in 4th grade, and he was singed up for the 400m and the 4x100 relay. As a spur of themoment, he addedin the 4x200m relay. His first running event's ever. On the 400m relay, he ended up finished 6th with a time of 1:27....DANG!!!! Good job son! Dad was proud with that time, especially considering he lost a couple of sends and places when he lost his shoe about 100m from the finish. After that I laced them up properly so he wouldn't lose them, and his relay team got 3rd in both events!!!! I think I have a little track star on my hands. Even better, I may have a new running buddy!
By the time we got home, we were all dog tired. The entire family went to bed at 8:15. What a bunch of dorks. :) But, It was good for whenmy alarm went off at 4:20 this morning, as I had no problems getting up for the run. I got out of bed, got dressed and headed out the door to meet Paul. he must have had a rough night with the baby, so I ended up doing the 5.6 miles solo this am. It felt so good to get back ou there on that loop. And I can officially say, whatever I had is in the rear view mirror. All of my mile splits were much faster then Fridays, and I feel strong again. I so bad want a makeup of Saturdays run. On the schedule was the Long Loop Lope 5 Mile Time Trial. I know that there was a several minute personal best in there.....but that's just going to have to wait until next time. It's on the schedule for 12/20. I'll just have to make sure that not only I PR it by a couple of minutes.....I need to add in the couple that I would have PR'd it this time!
Until the next run....LIVESTRONG and Train Hard!
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