This has been an absolutely AMAZING week of running for me. I'm really seeing the fruits of all this hard work and o'dark early mornings. I even had to change out the battery in my headlight last night after only 3 weeks of constant usage. Things are going incredibly well! This is my first week of making my Wednesday run a mid week long run. So, I went out for an hour and 15 minutes and ran really really strong. I did my normal 5.5 miler, but through on an extra short loop 3 miler to add in the extra time. And I just kept feeling stronger and stronger with every single step! It was absolutely amazing! No need to hurry, but by the end I was clicking the miles off at a nice 8:30 pace. This is where you get to see the fruits of the speed work sessions. It's such a mental boost to see easy running at that pace. I even passed a runner out there. I remember the days of slogging along at a 9:30 pace and not making much progress at all. Why....Because the running was always trumped by some coffee house incident. It also helps that I've lost 33 pounds, and I've got a nice steady progression to my overall goal. I'm really starting to see the definition in my legs as they lean up. MO MILES.....MO MILES!
Thursday was an interesting day. On the schedule was a 12x400m day with 45 seconds to catch your breath. I ended up not being able to run with the group, and headed into work early for a one of my worldly telecons with people located in Frankfurt, Germany and Toronto, Canada. It not only got me into work early, it allowed me to get out of work early. early enought to get home, get the kids fed, and go running after dinner when my wife got home. Sure, it was going to be dark.....Wahtev! If I ran it at 5am....Guess what...It's dark then too....Actually, I really like runing in the dark. I know...that's weird, but the thing for me, your out there and your focusing on your running, not the epic distance in front of you. You can't see it.....So it's not a barrier anymore. Running is sooooooo mental. It gets in your head. So, if you can get out the bad thoughts, DO IT! And that's exactly what I did last night. My 12x400m got off to a little rocky start. My first set came in at 1:49, which really kind of upset me, but gave me the motivation to kick it up a notch. From there, I never went above 1:41. Every single set was nice and consistent, ranging down to 1:39. So, when it came down to the last two, I really pushed. The second to last set came in at 1:37. With that I told myself. WIN THE WORKOUT. And with that, I took out on a pace I haven't seen since I was at my 6 week basic training in ROTC. At the midway point of the set, I checked my pace and I was running at a 6:00/mile. That just fuelded me even more! I kept that pace, and really focused on every single stride and breath, trying to keep everything nice and event. In the end, when the distance timer went off on my Garmin, I finished the set in 1:32! YEP...1:32! That equates to a 6:08/mile. Did I mention, I haven't see that kinda speed in over 16 YEARS! Yes...16 YEARS! That's right, this 37 year old guy is running as fast as he did when he was 21! Look out world, I'm coming to GET CHYA!
With that, I earned that Friday off day. Saturday is a 30 minute tempo, and Sunday is going to be another 16 mile day with loops of our hilly course called Wade Rd. I've got to get those in early, so I'll be heading out the door by 4:30am and hopefully be done by 7. That gives me enough time to get the Truck loaded up for a full day of tailgating and FOOTBALL as my Arizona Cqardinals attempt to WIN THE NFC WEST for the FIRST TIME IN THEIR HISTORY! I'm really jonesin' for some FOOTBALL!!! Let's GET IT ON!!!!!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Another Brutal Workout in the Books!
And the hits just keep on coming! Today was another tough workout. 4x1000 (30seconds) 3 min rest 4x1000(30 seconds). Looking at it on the spreadsheet, you just say to yourself...It's only 8K...how hard could it be? Well, after the third 1000, you realize...dang...this is hard. Especially with very little time to recover your breath.
My goal for today was to run them even. It had been a while since I had run the 1K intervals, so I didn't really have a goal time until after the first couple were in the books. Once I settled into a pace, I targeted 4:35 per 1K set as my goal. And I didn't stray too far off that for the entire workout. Surprising considering I basically ran the last 4 all alone seeing as the marathon racers this weekend only had to do the first set. Us non-racing slackers got double duty today, and there were only 3 of us on the course for round 2. But, I held my own and kept them nice and consistent. You can't ask for much more then that, especially after a 16 miler 2 days ago. And speaking of that I was a wee bit sore in my calves when I wok up today. I'm sure it's because of the length of Sundays run is something I haven't experienced in a while, but once I got going there was no complications to worry about.
And with that I was able to add another 6.25 miles to the log. That's double what I had at this point last week, so I'm in a good spot to get that increase from 43 that I've been searching for. Tomorrows a nice easy 1:15 jog through the neighborhood. It's going to be used to just clea out some of the junk in my legs, and get them fresh for the quarters on Thursday. Saturday will be the big test that I'm looking for. It's a 30 minute tempo, so I get to see how much closer I get to that elusive Walgreens stop!
Until tomorrow, Train Hard and LIVESTRONG!
My goal for today was to run them even. It had been a while since I had run the 1K intervals, so I didn't really have a goal time until after the first couple were in the books. Once I settled into a pace, I targeted 4:35 per 1K set as my goal. And I didn't stray too far off that for the entire workout. Surprising considering I basically ran the last 4 all alone seeing as the marathon racers this weekend only had to do the first set. Us non-racing slackers got double duty today, and there were only 3 of us on the course for round 2. But, I held my own and kept them nice and consistent. You can't ask for much more then that, especially after a 16 miler 2 days ago. And speaking of that I was a wee bit sore in my calves when I wok up today. I'm sure it's because of the length of Sundays run is something I haven't experienced in a while, but once I got going there was no complications to worry about.
And with that I was able to add another 6.25 miles to the log. That's double what I had at this point last week, so I'm in a good spot to get that increase from 43 that I've been searching for. Tomorrows a nice easy 1:15 jog through the neighborhood. It's going to be used to just clea out some of the junk in my legs, and get them fresh for the quarters on Thursday. Saturday will be the big test that I'm looking for. It's a 30 minute tempo, so I get to see how much closer I get to that elusive Walgreens stop!
Until tomorrow, Train Hard and LIVESTRONG!
Monday, December 1, 2008
MIssed the 50...But Got 43.....
So, this past holiday weekend I missed out on hitting the big FIVE OH, but I did manage to get in a SOLID 43 miles. It all started out on Thursday as a wicked front moved through. I knew that I was going to have to run through some rain, but what I encountered in the wee hours of Turkey Day, I totally didn't expect. Basically, I got caught out in a brutal downpour thunderstorm about a mile and a half from home. Needless to say, my 8 mile run, turned into an ALL OUT SPRINT FOR HOME. It was kinda eerie. It was just a light sprinkle as I left the house, and there were openings in the clouds to where you could see the stars. I didn't think it was going to be all that bad, and at the start it wasn't. It was actually quite pleasant. That all changed when I hit the Silverbell stretch. I made the right turn, and the morning had progressed enough that I could see the clouds pretty clearly. They were VERY puffy, and all of a sudden, I started seeing flashes. I didn't really think much about it, I couldn't hear any thunder, so it was pretty far off in the distance. But what I didn't know, was that this was a FAST moving and aggressive storm that, roughly a quarter mile later, consumed me. It was so quiet outside. I only saw a couple of cars out. And that that ultimately the calm before the storm. You know your in trouble when all of a sudden, the hills in front of you totally dissappear. Then, I could hear the rain pounding on the pavement in front of me. That's when my 8:30 pace, was quickly elevated to a 6. And that's when I turned into a drenched swamp rat. Everything was soaked, head to toe. And my 6 min mile pace turned to a 5 something when that lighting and thunder burst hit. I turned the corner, went through a Safeway, and sprinted the downhill to home. Never before had I been so excited to make it home. It was raining so hard, my kids and dog were all up. The rain was hiting the windows and echoing off the roof. Totally weird for a November storm, and nothing that I've ever experienced this late into the year. I was a bit dissapointed that I didn't get all of my miles in. It was Turkey day, and I knew that there was a ton of great food waiting for me up in Phoenix. But I did manage to get in a 4 mile effort later that evening after all of the food settled to round out the day at 7 miles.
Fridays run totally got overcome by events. My wife an I headedout for Black friday shopping to get a new TV. Ours died on Wednesday morning, and we figured we would take advantage of the great deals. I guess if it were going to break, it picked an oppertune moment to do it. After we got back form teh maddness that was shopping, I spent the rest of the afternoon getting my fathers deisel motorhome an emissions inspection. That was after the tow service came out and got the batteries recharged....What should ahve taken less then an hour, turned out to be an all afternoon adventure. By the time we got back, there was no time for a run, and we had to eat dinner and get back to Tucson.
Saturdays run is where it gets exciting. On the menu was 4x1 mile repeats. I really like this workout. It's set up to get you to run a nice Consistant pace. I probably should have run them at my goal marathon pace, like many of the others, but I was feeling GREAT. My first set I went out and hung on the tail of Butch and managed to eek out a 7:20. My breathing felt great and I really didn't labor too much. We walked in circles during the rest period and headed back out. Set number 2 came in at a 7:19. Great for consistency, but I really didn't feel all that labored. Again, we walked ciricles through the rest period, and I set off for set number 3.....At this point, I was about 5 seconds behind Butch....He'd crossed the line a few seconds before I had on the previous two sets. So I took off somewhat alone. My goal was to run with Butch, so I figured I needed to catch up. Especially after I looked up, and he looked much farther away then ususal. So I looked down at my watch, and I noticed my current pace at a 6:54. So I thought to myself, he's not going to keep that pace up. At the half mile, I had caught up to him, and sat right on his heels. By the 1000m mark, I had actually passed him, and when I finished the set, I crossed the line at 7:02! I thought to myself...Are you kidding me! A 7:02 on the THIRD set. One of the faster marathoner runners saw the grin on my face, and asked what my split was...I think he took a longer rest so that he could pace with me on the last set. His marathon goal pace is a 7 min/mile next Sunday. I took off, and he went with me. We finished the 4th set in 7:09! All I can say is WOW! Actually, Dave threw in a WHOAH!!! You're flying today! That was a nice little booster there. After we finished the workout, which included a 5x1minute, I logged 6 miles, plus the 1.25 mile warm up and cool down. We all went back to the cars together, and Michele came up with a big smile and said great job! That was a huge booster. My running is REALLY turned a corner to the next level.
And that takes me to Sunday. I started the day with a little Sunday weigh in ritual. To my surprise, I weighed in at 176 pounds. Officially, that 33 pounds lighter since August. I set out on my run and I was still coming off the high from Saturday, which really helped out. It was a crisp morning, and my legs felt fresh. I did the same route that I did for the 14 miles, and added two to the end. As I crossed through the street that could have led me to home, I was CRUISING at a 8:30 pace, and felt strong. No mental barrier there. I got to the 14 mile mark in 2:04, 3 minutes faster then before. I decided to take a little break, to get my last bit of Gatorade endurance down, and took in the beautiful morning. I then started back up after a couple of mins, and finished out the last 2 miles, which ended up being two and a quarter. And I finished strong. I continued my 8:30 pace and completed the entire run in 2hours and 30minutes.
In all, I ended up with 43 miles for the week. yes, it was a little short of the goal, but nothign to get down about! My legs still felt frech this morning on my 3.5 mile recovery run, and I am already looking forward to tomorrows group run!
Until then, TRAIN HARD and LIVESTRONG!
Fridays run totally got overcome by events. My wife an I headedout for Black friday shopping to get a new TV. Ours died on Wednesday morning, and we figured we would take advantage of the great deals. I guess if it were going to break, it picked an oppertune moment to do it. After we got back form teh maddness that was shopping, I spent the rest of the afternoon getting my fathers deisel motorhome an emissions inspection. That was after the tow service came out and got the batteries recharged....What should ahve taken less then an hour, turned out to be an all afternoon adventure. By the time we got back, there was no time for a run, and we had to eat dinner and get back to Tucson.
Saturdays run is where it gets exciting. On the menu was 4x1 mile repeats. I really like this workout. It's set up to get you to run a nice Consistant pace. I probably should have run them at my goal marathon pace, like many of the others, but I was feeling GREAT. My first set I went out and hung on the tail of Butch and managed to eek out a 7:20. My breathing felt great and I really didn't labor too much. We walked in circles during the rest period and headed back out. Set number 2 came in at a 7:19. Great for consistency, but I really didn't feel all that labored. Again, we walked ciricles through the rest period, and I set off for set number 3.....At this point, I was about 5 seconds behind Butch....He'd crossed the line a few seconds before I had on the previous two sets. So I took off somewhat alone. My goal was to run with Butch, so I figured I needed to catch up. Especially after I looked up, and he looked much farther away then ususal. So I looked down at my watch, and I noticed my current pace at a 6:54. So I thought to myself, he's not going to keep that pace up. At the half mile, I had caught up to him, and sat right on his heels. By the 1000m mark, I had actually passed him, and when I finished the set, I crossed the line at 7:02! I thought to myself...Are you kidding me! A 7:02 on the THIRD set. One of the faster marathoner runners saw the grin on my face, and asked what my split was...I think he took a longer rest so that he could pace with me on the last set. His marathon goal pace is a 7 min/mile next Sunday. I took off, and he went with me. We finished the 4th set in 7:09! All I can say is WOW! Actually, Dave threw in a WHOAH!!! You're flying today! That was a nice little booster there. After we finished the workout, which included a 5x1minute, I logged 6 miles, plus the 1.25 mile warm up and cool down. We all went back to the cars together, and Michele came up with a big smile and said great job! That was a huge booster. My running is REALLY turned a corner to the next level.
And that takes me to Sunday. I started the day with a little Sunday weigh in ritual. To my surprise, I weighed in at 176 pounds. Officially, that 33 pounds lighter since August. I set out on my run and I was still coming off the high from Saturday, which really helped out. It was a crisp morning, and my legs felt fresh. I did the same route that I did for the 14 miles, and added two to the end. As I crossed through the street that could have led me to home, I was CRUISING at a 8:30 pace, and felt strong. No mental barrier there. I got to the 14 mile mark in 2:04, 3 minutes faster then before. I decided to take a little break, to get my last bit of Gatorade endurance down, and took in the beautiful morning. I then started back up after a couple of mins, and finished out the last 2 miles, which ended up being two and a quarter. And I finished strong. I continued my 8:30 pace and completed the entire run in 2hours and 30minutes.
In all, I ended up with 43 miles for the week. yes, it was a little short of the goal, but nothign to get down about! My legs still felt frech this morning on my 3.5 mile recovery run, and I am already looking forward to tomorrows group run!
Until then, TRAIN HARD and LIVESTRONG!
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