Yesterday was the standard 12x400m intervals. Thursday workouts are going to be rough for a while as I get adjusted to the mid week Wednesday long run. Last week, I was fairly well recovered, but only because I did 8 miles and didn't do the Thursday run at 5am, instead I waited until 6pm to get it done. that extra few hours of recovery seemed to really help. This week, I didn't give myself that break and I added an extra mile and a half. So the fact that I didn't totally rock the house wasn't shocking. I will say this, my goal on that workout is to keep the 400s under 1:45 per set. And I managed to accomplish that goal, even on the first set which is typically my slowest as I ease into the workout. I will say this, my last three sets, although not the 1:32s that I ran last Thursday, were VERY respectable at 1:37. They weren't easy by any stretch of the imagination either, I really had to work at them to make them happen. But that's just the thing you have to do if your going to continue to make progress. Push hard, and do it on tired legs. As you roll through that 20 mile mark of a marathon, you're going to be tired. But your body has to be trained and you have to mentally push yourself through it and know that you've done that a million times in previous workouts and have the confidence to keep going.
Today's workout my legs were sluggish. There was no time requirement, just go on out there and turn the legs over for 5.6 miles. I was doing the big loop around the neighborhood. Today's temperature, for whatever reason was about 10 degrees warmer then the previous two days. In my morning fog of trying to wakeup....I didn't quite notice that, and I bundled up like had for the rest of the week. I will say this. If the temps in the 50s.....Don't wear so much clothing, unless theres a really stiff wind. I got warm....Almost to the point of stripping stuff off. I didn't, cuz i didn't want to have to carry it around...so I just sucked it up. If I were racing...That $4 winter cap I bought at Walmart yesterday....would have ended up missing somewhere. :) The miles were not fast, but they were very consistent ranging from 8:55 to 9:01. Nothing real spectacular to report. I got it done, and it's job of a recovery run should serve itself well. So far this week, I've already got 26.6 miles in the books. If that's any indication of where I'll be after my Sunday run, that's a good sign I'll be somerewhere around 45-47 range. That could get a bit dicey as we're expecting some rally bad weather this weekend. I just hope it's not of the thunerstorm variety, as that's going to cause me not to head out the door....uggghh....But, so goes life eh!
Until Monday AMs weekend report, Train Hard and LIVESTRONG!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Putting Your Past Behind you
Today was the second time that I've run a midweek long run on phase two of my training plan. This is really where the fun starts in the program. From previous training cycles, the mid week run was kind of my nemesis. When I did them, I ran well and benefited greatly, but I ALWAYS had problems with gettin' my mind right, and most of the time ended up skipping it. The biggest problem was that life got in the way. Doing a longer run meant getting up earlier, because life as a small biz owner meant getting to the bank in time to make that days deposit. And what usually happened was that I wouldn't get up in time, and ended up not running at. Well, those times are behind me.....or as Timon from Lion King said...No, no no. Amateur. Sit down before you hurt yourself. It's "You got to put your past behind you." Which is EXACLTY what I'm doing. I'm doing it so fast, it's having a hard time keeping up!
Today was one of those it's going to be cold mornings. When I woke up and turnedon teh weather channel, that cold I felt inthe house, was even worse outside. It was 41 degrees, and DROPPING! So I decided i should layer up. And GOOD THING I DID.....Cuz I was really cold for most of the run. Never really got the chance to warm up much.....Not even in my hour and 21 minutes on the run. It was cold....And there seemed to be a pretty good wind on occasion out there. I decided that even though it was drak outside, I would wear my iPod and jam out to tunes. Normally I wouldn't do that, but my ears needed covering. I'm glad I did. My darned lips felt frozen! My run started out slow. I like to take it easy for about the first mile. Just get everything moving in the right direction and wake up right. My pace startedout at a 9:11 for the first mile, and from there I eventually brought it down to a very respectable 8:15 for the last mile and a half. Don' tknow if it was because i was cold and just wanted to get over with it....But in any case it felt very smooth and rhythmic, and nver once was my breathing ever labored. So, two weeks in a row, I've managed to get the 2nd most important run of the week in. The most important being that Long Run on Sunday....I think what makes it important, it really gets your running into overdrive. Right now I'm sitting on that edge of breaking 50 miles per week. I can FEEL it, and I can taste it. That will be my next short term goal. From there, I don't really want to increase my mileage a whole lot, I want to keep that 50 miles per week base going strong, and when my body tells me it's time and I'm strong enough to step it up....I'll take that next step. I think part of the reason I got sick a few weeks ago is becasue I wore myself out by getting to 40 too quickly. Right now my body is settling into 45 miles per week, and I think the perfect time to go after the big 5-OH may be during the 2 weeks I have off from work, where I can be assured to get the extra sleep, and have the extra time to really crunch out mile after mile. That's not far away, as I only have 7 more days of work after today. It will be here before I know it.
I know the progress will come, and I've seen remarkable progress so far. I'm running better then I was when I was in my early 20s.....Heck, I may even make an effort to head back to my 20 year high school reunion in July and when people ask me what I've been doing I can tell them....ahhh...not much, just qualifying to run the Boston Marathon. :) I really wish I had been more of a runner when I was in High School and college. Remember.....You've got to put your past behind ya! But don't forget those mistakes you made along the way. Learn and grow from them.
Tomorrows workout is the standard 12x400 with wamrups and cool downs. I'm going to do a longer then normal cool down. I'll have the extra time. I may even get out early and jog to the start instead of driving. :) Until tomorrow, TRAIN HARD and LIVESTRONG!
Today was one of those it's going to be cold mornings. When I woke up and turnedon teh weather channel, that cold I felt inthe house, was even worse outside. It was 41 degrees, and DROPPING! So I decided i should layer up. And GOOD THING I DID.....Cuz I was really cold for most of the run. Never really got the chance to warm up much.....Not even in my hour and 21 minutes on the run. It was cold....And there seemed to be a pretty good wind on occasion out there. I decided that even though it was drak outside, I would wear my iPod and jam out to tunes. Normally I wouldn't do that, but my ears needed covering. I'm glad I did. My darned lips felt frozen! My run started out slow. I like to take it easy for about the first mile. Just get everything moving in the right direction and wake up right. My pace startedout at a 9:11 for the first mile, and from there I eventually brought it down to a very respectable 8:15 for the last mile and a half. Don' tknow if it was because i was cold and just wanted to get over with it....But in any case it felt very smooth and rhythmic, and nver once was my breathing ever labored. So, two weeks in a row, I've managed to get the 2nd most important run of the week in. The most important being that Long Run on Sunday....I think what makes it important, it really gets your running into overdrive. Right now I'm sitting on that edge of breaking 50 miles per week. I can FEEL it, and I can taste it. That will be my next short term goal. From there, I don't really want to increase my mileage a whole lot, I want to keep that 50 miles per week base going strong, and when my body tells me it's time and I'm strong enough to step it up....I'll take that next step. I think part of the reason I got sick a few weeks ago is becasue I wore myself out by getting to 40 too quickly. Right now my body is settling into 45 miles per week, and I think the perfect time to go after the big 5-OH may be during the 2 weeks I have off from work, where I can be assured to get the extra sleep, and have the extra time to really crunch out mile after mile. That's not far away, as I only have 7 more days of work after today. It will be here before I know it.
I know the progress will come, and I've seen remarkable progress so far. I'm running better then I was when I was in my early 20s.....Heck, I may even make an effort to head back to my 20 year high school reunion in July and when people ask me what I've been doing I can tell them....ahhh...not much, just qualifying to run the Boston Marathon. :) I really wish I had been more of a runner when I was in High School and college. Remember.....You've got to put your past behind ya! But don't forget those mistakes you made along the way. Learn and grow from them.
Tomorrows workout is the standard 12x400 with wamrups and cool downs. I'm going to do a longer then normal cool down. I'll have the extra time. I may even get out early and jog to the start instead of driving. :) Until tomorrow, TRAIN HARD and LIVESTRONG!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Nope....Not a Fluke...
So, I figured today would be the tell tale sign if Saturday's run was a fluke or not. Well, I've got my answer. Today's workout was one that we ran about a month ago and one that I blogged about. It entailed 3x2mile intervals with a 2 minute rest. And boy....2 mins didn't seem like a whole lot as compared to the time you were actively running. The last time I ran this workout, I was given a projected pace of 8:05/mile by coach Momma Michele. I don't think she realized all of the miles I had been putting in with Paul in the mornings we weren't running with the group, so it was an eye opener when I ran the workout amazingly consistent at a 7:30 pace.
Fast forward to today, I wanted to 'prove' to myself that Saturday was for real, but in my mind, I figured my pace should realistically be 7:30/mile or 15 mins per set. Well, that went out the window....but in a great way! My first set I came in at 14:30, on the nose. A picture perfect 7:15/mile! In fact, I crossed the 1 mile marker spot on at 7:15. Did I mention there was a NASTY headwind on the way out. We had some wicked front rolling through this morning, and I can say with confidence....the wind is NEVER in our face on the outward legs of this course. Today, it was. Set number two, my goal was to stay consistent with set ones times. And I did that, with a little margin....I ran the first mile of the interval in 7:18 and finished the set in total of 14:38, which means my second set was a 7:20. Still very consistant in my eyes. I don't see 8 seconds as that huge of disperity over 2 miles. That's only 4 seocnds per mile, and STILL under a 7:30 pace. Set number 3 I had to modify a bit, and only got a mile and a half in. What I did was run out to the half mile marker, turn around and run the mile back to the car. During the rest period I checked what time it was and I noticed that it was alreadcy 5:42am. There was no way I was going to make it back in time for my 6am meeting if I ran the whole set out to the 1 mile marker and back, and then jogged the half mile back to the car. This is a MUCH longer day then we usually do on a Tuesday, and my work at Honeywell entails me working globally and I have an engineer that I meet with via telecon at 6am every Tuesday. The set held AMAZINGLY strong hoever, and I kept the total pace under 7:30, and around the 7:20 mark, and that includes the slowdown of a turnaround at the 800m mark.
In all I'm very pleased with the workout. All these miles during the week are really benefitting. I think in the month, I'm going to have to drop down to a 30" waistline on my jeans. 34s are amazingly baggy, and 32s are starting to get loose. Thank goodness for belts! Nobody needs to see a massive plummer crack incident at work!
Tomorrow I'm on my own for an 1:30 minute run through the neighborhood. I shoudl be able to get between 9 and 10 miles in. Until then, have a great day, and LIVESTRONG!
Fast forward to today, I wanted to 'prove' to myself that Saturday was for real, but in my mind, I figured my pace should realistically be 7:30/mile or 15 mins per set. Well, that went out the window....but in a great way! My first set I came in at 14:30, on the nose. A picture perfect 7:15/mile! In fact, I crossed the 1 mile marker spot on at 7:15. Did I mention there was a NASTY headwind on the way out. We had some wicked front rolling through this morning, and I can say with confidence....the wind is NEVER in our face on the outward legs of this course. Today, it was. Set number two, my goal was to stay consistent with set ones times. And I did that, with a little margin....I ran the first mile of the interval in 7:18 and finished the set in total of 14:38, which means my second set was a 7:20. Still very consistant in my eyes. I don't see 8 seconds as that huge of disperity over 2 miles. That's only 4 seocnds per mile, and STILL under a 7:30 pace. Set number 3 I had to modify a bit, and only got a mile and a half in. What I did was run out to the half mile marker, turn around and run the mile back to the car. During the rest period I checked what time it was and I noticed that it was alreadcy 5:42am. There was no way I was going to make it back in time for my 6am meeting if I ran the whole set out to the 1 mile marker and back, and then jogged the half mile back to the car. This is a MUCH longer day then we usually do on a Tuesday, and my work at Honeywell entails me working globally and I have an engineer that I meet with via telecon at 6am every Tuesday. The set held AMAZINGLY strong hoever, and I kept the total pace under 7:30, and around the 7:20 mark, and that includes the slowdown of a turnaround at the 800m mark.
In all I'm very pleased with the workout. All these miles during the week are really benefitting. I think in the month, I'm going to have to drop down to a 30" waistline on my jeans. 34s are amazingly baggy, and 32s are starting to get loose. Thank goodness for belts! Nobody needs to see a massive plummer crack incident at work!
Tomorrow I'm on my own for an 1:30 minute run through the neighborhood. I shoudl be able to get between 9 and 10 miles in. Until then, have a great day, and LIVESTRONG!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Weekend FULL of Goals CRUSHED!
I'm sitting here absolutely amazed at the progress this training session has been for me. At no point would I have ever 'believed' I'd be where I am today. I knew the training plans put together by Mama Michele were amazing. We've got the results in the group to prove it. Never was that ever a doubt for me. My biggest doubt in my mind was ME. So, the fact that I've been religious about making the workouts has been one MAJOR accomplishment. A lot of that has to do with the fact that I'm not straddled with the day to day stresses of being a small business owner. I look back at where I was in my life mid August to early September time frame when we closed the store. NIGHT and DAY. Officially, I'm 34 pounds lighter. That's right. 34 freakin' pounds of FAT no longer plaguing my joints every time I put one foot down in front of the other. Every day when I wake up, I'm excited about what my run will put in front of me. I never want to miss a run, and I get angry when I do. Before, it was always....The coffee house got in the way, and there was never a consistency. That's all in the past, and and the me of NOW is FULL THROTTLE about achieving and setting new GOALS!
Which takes me to my Saturday workout. On tap that morning while most of the group was in Sacremento for the California International Marathon was a 30 minute tempo run. All along, my goal was to get to the elusive corner of Coachline and Silverbell. On that corner sits a Walgreens. My goal for the past 5 years has to be able to run our large loop and get to the Walgreens. And every single 30 minute tempo run in the past five years, I've always come up quite a bit short. My best effort to day was about 5 weeks ago when I made it 3.88 miles. To get to my goal spot, is 4.25 miles. The group was small on saturday, but there was FAST runners. I was the slowest of those that showed up, and so we wnet off in waves. I took point as the rabbit, and went out first. I set off at a pace that felt comfortable. To my utter amazement, about a half mile into it I start hearing the footsteps of a couple of the runners. It was at this point, I looked down at my watch to see what kind of slacker pace I'm running. Sheesh, even with the faster runners in the group, I usually hold out for a mile before getting caught. When I looked at my Garmin 305, imagine my amazement when I noticed that 6:57 as my current pace! WHAOH! I'm freakin flying!!! But, those guys passed me like I'm standing STILL, and the next thing I notice is their red flashy light moving off in the distance. After the workout, I find out they were running a 5:20/pace. Showoffs. :) Anyways, I go past the first mile marker in 7:02. Strangely enough, I'm still feeling GREAT! I keep going and get passed by a couple of other faster runners, about the spot I expected to get passed at. At mile two, I was at 14:04, so another 7:02 in the books. How all of a sudden did I become Mr. Consistency.....Mile 3 slowed a little bit, but came in at 7:08, and at this point is where I actually start to realize that my goal is rapidly approaching. This is kinda where things start to get sketchy....My pace was ALL OVER THE PLACE between mile 3 and 4. Mostly because I found myself getting so exicted that I would almost start hyperventilating. Somhow I managed to put all of that in check, and when I crossed my 4 I had something like 1:40 to go in the 30 minute workout. So yes, it was slower, then the previous 3, but I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT!!!! AND MAKE IT I DID!!!!! Not only did I make it, I crossed the street, and ended up towards the BACK OF THE WALGREENS BUILDING!!!! That's when I'm sure somebody in the neighborhood probably had to wonder why is there some stranger in lycra tights the middle of the street jumping up and down screaming!! Those are honestly the moments I would love to have on video. BUT.....That would entail having someone there to video it....namely my wife....and the sun was barely up....so that ain't happnin! HA!
Because I accomplished my goal, I allowed myself to sleep in an extra 35 minutes and cut my 16 miler to 12. I still did the wade loop course because the hill work is ABSULTELY necessary. But I didn't want to kill myself before travelling up to Phoenix to watch the Cardinals win their FIRST EVER NFC West Championship. By the end of the day I was totally WIPED OUT! I had nothing left in the tank. My boys and I actually got home, and all three of us pretty much went straight to bed. I had INTENDED to run this AM for a little 5 mile jog through theh neighborhood, but Mother Nature had a different plan when she decided to schedule that impromptu THUNDER STORM at 4:50 this morning. Honestly, I've never lived in a place that had more violent weather in the 40 degree early mornings. What's up with that. Oh well, I fugure I'll just do a short run when I get home so as not to completely wipe out the day. Mother Nature, if you're listnening.....I really despise treadmills, and I love enjoying the beauty of which you helped create. Please leave me dry and unstruck by lighteneing.
Your Pal.....KidStallyn. :)
And I would be remiss if I didn't give HUGE SHOUTS OUT to those who ran California International yesterday from my traingin group. The Grinders went out, KICKED ASS and took Names. Here's their results.....(EVERYONE Boston Qualified!)
Todd 2:36:08 (33rd overall, 5th age 35-39)
Steve 3:13:11 BQ
Merry 3:24:27 (942nd overall, 2nd age 50-54)
Rhonda 3:43:56 BQ
Untill tomorrow, LIVESTRONG and Train HARD!
Which takes me to my Saturday workout. On tap that morning while most of the group was in Sacremento for the California International Marathon was a 30 minute tempo run. All along, my goal was to get to the elusive corner of Coachline and Silverbell. On that corner sits a Walgreens. My goal for the past 5 years has to be able to run our large loop and get to the Walgreens. And every single 30 minute tempo run in the past five years, I've always come up quite a bit short. My best effort to day was about 5 weeks ago when I made it 3.88 miles. To get to my goal spot, is 4.25 miles. The group was small on saturday, but there was FAST runners. I was the slowest of those that showed up, and so we wnet off in waves. I took point as the rabbit, and went out first. I set off at a pace that felt comfortable. To my utter amazement, about a half mile into it I start hearing the footsteps of a couple of the runners. It was at this point, I looked down at my watch to see what kind of slacker pace I'm running. Sheesh, even with the faster runners in the group, I usually hold out for a mile before getting caught. When I looked at my Garmin 305, imagine my amazement when I noticed that 6:57 as my current pace! WHAOH! I'm freakin flying!!! But, those guys passed me like I'm standing STILL, and the next thing I notice is their red flashy light moving off in the distance. After the workout, I find out they were running a 5:20/pace. Showoffs. :) Anyways, I go past the first mile marker in 7:02. Strangely enough, I'm still feeling GREAT! I keep going and get passed by a couple of other faster runners, about the spot I expected to get passed at. At mile two, I was at 14:04, so another 7:02 in the books. How all of a sudden did I become Mr. Consistency.....Mile 3 slowed a little bit, but came in at 7:08, and at this point is where I actually start to realize that my goal is rapidly approaching. This is kinda where things start to get sketchy....My pace was ALL OVER THE PLACE between mile 3 and 4. Mostly because I found myself getting so exicted that I would almost start hyperventilating. Somhow I managed to put all of that in check, and when I crossed my 4 I had something like 1:40 to go in the 30 minute workout. So yes, it was slower, then the previous 3, but I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT!!!! AND MAKE IT I DID!!!!! Not only did I make it, I crossed the street, and ended up towards the BACK OF THE WALGREENS BUILDING!!!! That's when I'm sure somebody in the neighborhood probably had to wonder why is there some stranger in lycra tights the middle of the street jumping up and down screaming!! Those are honestly the moments I would love to have on video. BUT.....That would entail having someone there to video it....namely my wife....and the sun was barely up....so that ain't happnin! HA!
Because I accomplished my goal, I allowed myself to sleep in an extra 35 minutes and cut my 16 miler to 12. I still did the wade loop course because the hill work is ABSULTELY necessary. But I didn't want to kill myself before travelling up to Phoenix to watch the Cardinals win their FIRST EVER NFC West Championship. By the end of the day I was totally WIPED OUT! I had nothing left in the tank. My boys and I actually got home, and all three of us pretty much went straight to bed. I had INTENDED to run this AM for a little 5 mile jog through theh neighborhood, but Mother Nature had a different plan when she decided to schedule that impromptu THUNDER STORM at 4:50 this morning. Honestly, I've never lived in a place that had more violent weather in the 40 degree early mornings. What's up with that. Oh well, I fugure I'll just do a short run when I get home so as not to completely wipe out the day. Mother Nature, if you're listnening.....I really despise treadmills, and I love enjoying the beauty of which you helped create. Please leave me dry and unstruck by lighteneing.
Your Pal.....KidStallyn. :)
And I would be remiss if I didn't give HUGE SHOUTS OUT to those who ran California International yesterday from my traingin group. The Grinders went out, KICKED ASS and took Names. Here's their results.....(EVERYONE Boston Qualified!)
Todd 2:36:08 (33rd overall, 5th age 35-39)
Steve 3:13:11 BQ
Merry 3:24:27 (942nd overall, 2nd age 50-54)
Rhonda 3:43:56 BQ
Untill tomorrow, LIVESTRONG and Train HARD!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Two Great Days...One Awesome Blog...
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!!!!!
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!!!!!
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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