Base Training, Week 11

Monday, November 26th:

5:15 am, 31 degrees, 75%, 0-5mph.  Maple Shade Loop (M).  Brooks Ravenna 3.

6mi easy - (8:18)

Cold, early morning start.  Took awhile to get moving.  Felt loose the whole way, just slow-going in the cold while still groggy.

Tuesday, November 27th:

7:45 pm, 36 degrees, 90%, 5-10mph.  Hialeah-Kilmer-Hialeah.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

8mi easy - (7:57) with 12-15 random 20-30 second pickups

Absolutely terrible conditions.  My lower body was frozen the whole way.  About as cold as you could have light rain without having snow, though the precipitation let up as soon as I got out the door.  Never really got into a rhythm, and seemed to generally slow down as the run progressed.  A workman-like run where you are just glad you got it in and got it over.

Wednesday, November 28th:

7:50 pm, 36 degrees, 60%, 0-5mph.  Maple Shade Loop (S).  Nike Structure Triax 15 Shield.

5mi easy - (7:49)

Not sure where I am finding the energy to run right now.  Work has been unbelievably hectic everyday this week.  Despite getting up early each morning and getting home late each night, it seems that running is my one constant right now that no matter what is going on or how mentally tired I am, I can still lace up the shoes and get my miles in.  Really showing some fortitude this week, of which I am quietly proud.  Let's see how long this lasts.

Thursday, November 29th:

5:00 pm, 45-40 degrees, 50%, 0-5mph.  Hialeah-Kilmer Loop.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

7mi easy - (7:51)

Lots more energy today.  Not as stressful at work today, legs not as heavy, able to actually enjoy the whole run while keeping an easy, relaxed pace.

Friday, November 30th:

8:50 am, 36-40 degrees, 65%, calm.  Croft Farm-Pennypacker-Grove-Tavistock Loop.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

9mi total - (7:15), with 3.5mi warm-up, 4mi@GMP(6:37 27 33 35) on Tavistock Hills, 1.5mi cool down

Definitely became a slave to the Garmin today and ran the MP portion about 10-12 seconds too fast per mile, as the run felt more like half-marathon race pace effort.  Made the mistake of trying to run even splits on a very hilly course, when I should have aimed for either an even "effort" on the same course, or even splits on a pancake flat course.  Learned my lesson the hard way.  Still, this type of workout was a good workout for where I am at in base training right now - just harder than the workout I was trying to accomplish.  Will adjust my approach on the next MP run.

Saturday, December 1st:

5:45 am, 38 degrees, 80%, calm.  King's Hwy and back.  Nike Structure Triax 15 Shield.

7m recovery - (8:28)

Felt relaxed and in control the entire way, but even more so on the way back.  Pace was exactly what I needed for today after yesterday's hard session.

Sunday, December 2nd:

7:00 am, 40 degrees, 95%, calm.  Moorestown.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

8m easy - (7:33)

Very foggy morning.  Legs felt a lot fresher than earlier in the week.  I let Rich set the pace, which felt a little quicker than my natural turnover but still very comfortable.  I like mixing up the paces of easy runs between about 1-2 minutes slower than marathon pace, so today was just on the fast end of the easy spectrum.  Nice way to end the week after a rough start.

Weekly Total: 50 miles

A week of resiliency and fortitude.  Didn't feel great on half my runs, but got in solid mileage with some real quality work on Friday - even if it was harder than I intended.  I am now considering running the Gettysburg Marathon in April instead of the Pocono Marathon in May, which would move up the start of marathon training to three weeks from yesterday!  Hard to believe how fast it is all coming back.

Because You Can't Spell "Smiles" Without Miles

In anticipation of breaking the 50 mi/week barrier next week, I am announcing my full-time conversion back to miles from kilometers.  Logging kilometers has helped me build up slowly and intelligently while returning from injury, and it has been fun learning "a second language" (so to speak) of running.  But I am now ready to pick-up where I left off last April - albeit wiser and more patient. 

To my faithful blog followers (all three of you) - you can put your Gozdan Conversion Calculators back into storage.

Thank you kilometers - it's been a fun ride.  I will see you again when it's time for 1k repeats on the track and 10k road races.

Base Training, Week 10

Monday, November 19th:

7:35 pm, 49 degrees, 70%, 5-10mph.  Maple Shade Loop.  Nike Structure Triax 15 Shield.

8k easy - BOF 4:51 (5:07, 4:53-:47, 4:46)
~5 mi easy - 7:49 average

Simply magical.  Seemed as if I were running downhill the whole way.  Had to hold myself back.  Most incredible I have felt on an easy run since I started running again.  Maybe just a carryover effect from yesterday's emotional marathon experience, but man did that feel good tonight.

Tuesday, November 20th:

6:35 pm, 47 degrees, 55%, 5-15mph.  Kilmer Loop +.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

10k easy - BOF 4:59 (5:02-4:53)
~6.2 mi easy - 8:01 average

As great as I felt last night, I felt just as depleted today.  No real energy, but somehow kept a miraculously consistent pace.  At least I finished feeling good the last km.

Wednesday, November 21st:

8:50 am, 42-45 degrees, 70%, 0-5mph.  2x Tavistock Loop.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

12k total - Fartlek 4:38, with uphills "on" (Upland, Greenmount, Triple Hill), everything else "off"
~7.5 mi total - 7:27 average

"On" splits: (4:03 08 3:47 54 58 44)/km, or (6:31 39 05 17 23 00)

Loved the lack of real "structure" of this workout, as I ran it primarily on feel.  Handled all of the hilly "on" segments very well and recovered from each very quickly, as I kept an honest pace in-between each hilly segment once I got moving.  Nice confidence booster.

Thursday, November 22nd:
 Happy Thanksgiving!

7:45 am, 39 degrees, 70%, 0-5mph.  Maple Shade Loop (M).  Nike Structure Triax 15 Shield.

10k recovery - 5:05 (5:18, 5:08-:01, 4:57)
~6.2 mi - 8:11 average

Smooth as silk the whole way.  Great rhythm, felt incredibly loose.  Very thankful for today's run. :)

Friday, November 23rd:

9:30 am, 44-50 degrees, 80-70%, 0-10mph.  Haddonfield (Pearl Croft-Pennypacker-Tavistock).  Brooks Ravenna 3.

18.4k easy - BOF 4:40 (5:10, 4:52-:31, 4:29)
~11.4 mi - 7:30 average

Great easy long run with Rich.  Perfect weather and fall landscape.  Mixed it up with some flat running, some trail running, and finally some hills.  Finished feeling strong.

Saturday, November 24th:

10:40 am, 42 degrees, 50%, 15-30mph.  2x Pennypacker Park.  Nike Structure Triax 15 Shield.

8k slow - 5:09 pace
~5m slow - 8:17 average

Cherry Hill West Alumni run.  Ran the first long loop with Bill Addison and his son, and the second loop by myself.  Very gusty today.  Probably good I ran slow anyway after yesterday's long run.  Followed up the run with a whole plate of cheesesteak nachos at Kaminski's!

Sunday, November 25th:

7:40 am, 35 degrees, 50%, 5-10mph.  Cherry Hill West.  Adidas Adizero Tempo 4.

11.6k - 2.6k warm up, 4x (400m@HMP+5secs/mi, 1200m@HMP+40secs/mi), 2.6k cool down
7.2 mi total - tempo splits (1:34/5:08, 1:35/5:06, 1:35/5:06, 1:32/5:04)

First formal track workout since March 31st.  Felt smooth and in control the entire way. 

Weekly Total: 78 km (~48.5 mi)

Felt like I put together a really nice week.  A fartlek hill workout, a moderate long run that included hills, and a comfortable tempo run that averaged 6:40/mi pace overall.  As long as I continue to feel good, I will increase the difficulty and duration of workouts.

Base Training, Week 9

Monday, November 12th:

Off.  First day off in two weeks.  Well-deserved.

Tuesday, November 13th:

Off.  Life got busy and I just couldn't make time for a run today.  Sad thing is, tomorrow's schedule is not looking too promising, either.  I will probably amend this to a recovery/down week and try to run Thursday-Sunday.  Probably not a bad idea anyway, since I have been building up (albeit slowly) for 8 weeks in a row now.

Wednesday, November 14th:

Off.  Zero.  Zip.  Zilch.  Nada.  Was at work by 7:00 am, got home at 6:20 pm, left for my daughter's school conference at 6:30 pm, got home at 8:00 pm, and have to be back to work tomorrow morning at 6:45 am.  Just wasn't meant to be, which is a-okay.  As I said yesterday, I am due for a down/recovery week.  If all goes well, I will jump back on the saddle tomorrow night.

Thursday, November 15th:

5:05 pm, 45-42 degrees, 65%, calm.  Kilmer-CH Blvd-Hialeah-Neighborhood.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

12k total - 3k warm up, 4x1k "hard" w/600m jogs, 2.6k cool down
~7.5 mi total

Splits: 4:00 (long gradual uphill) 3:50 (long gradual downhill) 3:52 (short gradual uphill, short gradual downhill) 3:50 (long steep uphill).

Average pace for "hard" segments: 3:53/km or 6:15/mi

Good way to get back into running - what a workout!  I wasn't intentionally timing the splits just running them on a consistent "hard" effort.  The last rep was incredibly tough with the climb up Hialeah - I was nearly all-out the last 200m.  The recoveries were slow enough and long enough that I felt fully rested at the start of each rep.  Probably would have been a little easier if I had daylight to run in, but it is what it is.  Overall, very pleased with the effort and results.

Friday, November 16th:

1:20 pm, 49 degrees, 45%, 5-10mph.  Maple Shade Loop (M).  Nike Structure Triax 15 Shield.

10k easy - BOF 4:53 (5:13, 4:57-:47, 4:45)
~6.2 mi easy - 7:51 average

Today was an easy recovery day from yesterday.  Never looked at the watch once.  Thought I was running much slower than I actually was, because it felt super easy.  My calves were really tight when I woke up but loosened up throughout the day and were fine during the run.  Absolutely perfect weather helped.  Getting excited for Philly Marathon weekend for my family and friends.

Saturday, November 17th:

6:40 am, 33 degrees, 75%, 5mph.  Grove-Kings Hwy-Haddon-Maple.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

13k easy - BOF 4:52 (5:14 4:58 58 57 53 50 50 49 49 48 50 44 39)
~8.1 mi - 7:50 average

The splits tell the whole story.  Never looked at the watch once, yet ran like clockwork.  Couldn't have tried to run so steady.  Being truthful, though, my legs did start to get numb and stiff the last 4k.  Had to practice keeping hands/jaw relaxed to maintain form and resist the urge to "fight through it."  May have been a little dehydrated from an upset stomach last night.  Still, a great run.

Sunday, November 18th:

6:45 am, 37-45 degrees, 70%, 5-10mph.  Philadelphia.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

~20k total, 4:55 total average, including 5k@4:14/km pace
~12.4 mi, 7:55 total average, including 3.1 mi@6:48/mi pace

Philadelphia Marathon.  Was mostly a spectator with Rich, running to mile markers 6, 11, 17 and 23.  Ran the last 5km with Denning to help him finish.  It was an unbelievable feeling to guide him in - probably more emotionally satisfying than my own sub-3:00 hr marathon.  Overall an unbelievable day for the team: Tom 2:45, Colleen 2:46, Oleg 2:53, Jim 2:53, John 2:58, Mike 3:03.  Rich and I got to witness firsthand what an unbelievable group of runners we have!

Weekly Total: 55km

An unplanned down week, but it was perfect timing.  I got to let my body recover this week, and still put in two quality sessions counting today's long run with an M-pace 5km.  Can't wait until I am ready to run my own marathon again - what an experience!

Base Training, Week 8

Monday, November 5th:

5:15 am, 40 degrees, 60%, 0-5mph.  Cherry Hill West and back.  Nike Structure Triax 15 Shield.

8k recovery - 5:17 (5:23, 5:20-:10, 5:13)
~5 mi recovery - 8:30 average

First early morning run on a work day in a long time.  I don't miss these kinds of days.  It was a chore to get out of bed, but once I got moving it wasn't so bad.  I think I overdressed a little thinking it would be colder, but I survived.  Now for a long day of work - ugh.

Tuesday, November 6th:

7:20 pm, 40 degrees, 50%, 0-5mph.  3x Neighborhood Loop.  Adidas Adizero Tempo 4.

10k workout - 2k warmup, 5x (3:00 "on"/2:00 "off), 2.3k cooldown
~6.2 mi total

My first introduction to "speedwork" beyond strides.  The "on" paces were between 6:43-:03/mi pace.  The "off" paces were between 8:45-:20/mi pace.  Progressively got faster each "on" split, just stayed focused and relaxed and let it happen.  Felt great on the cooldown.

Wednesday, November 7th:

6:30 pm, 34 degrees, 90%, 20-30mph.  Cherry Hill West and back.  Nike Structure Triax 15 Shield.

8k easy - BOF 5:03 (5:13-4:56)
~5 mi easy - 8:07 average

Nasty, brutal conditions this evening.  Rain, wet snow, gusty.  Just kept moving one foot in front of the other until I was finished.  Took a funny step on my right foot at one point and felt a twinge at the top of my right hamstring.  It instantly went away, and I stretched well after when I was done, but will monitor to see if it re-occurs at all.  Very odd.  Good news is, the left shin finally feels fine.

Thursday, November 8th:

8:40 am, 42 degrees, 40%, 10-25mph.  Started at Knollwood.  Kilmer-Hialeah-Valley Run loop.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

11k easy - BOF 4:48 (5:13, 5:00-4:35, 4:33)
~6.8 mi easy - 7:43 average

Very gusty conditions again for the first half, but at least it wasn't raining snow today.  Sun was out, worked my way into a nice rhythm the second half, and handled the rolling hills nicely.  No hamstring issues today - I think it was just tight in the cold weather last night, and I may have been perhaps a little dehydrated.  Did some good stretching after the run today and everything felt great.

Friday, November 9th:

9:00 am, 40 degrees, 60%, 10-15mph.  Haddonfield.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

8k total - easy warm up, 6x triple hill hard (225m in :46-47) w/ full recovery, easy cool down
~5 mi total - 8:10 overall average, with hills run at 5:37-:52 mi/pace

Wow.  My lungs haven't burned that badly in a LONG time, but man did it feel glorious.  Rounding out the top of each hill was tough, but I managed.  Considering how fast the paces were, I think the workout went much better than I expected.

Saturday, November 10th:

6:55 am, 37 degrees, 80%, calm.  Maple Shade Loop.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

8k recovery - 5:16 (5:27-:05)
~5 mi recovery - 8:28 average

Forced myself to run slow today after yesterday's hill workout and before tomorrow's long run.  Legs felt a bit heavy toward the end from the slow pace, but breathing was very easy and I didn't have to think much once I locked into the pace.  A clock in and clock out kind of run.

Sunday, November 11th:

7:00 am, 43-50 degrees, 90%, calm.  Haddonfield.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

17k easy - BOF 4:43 (5:02, 4:48-:31, 4:43)
~10.6 mi - 7:35 average

Felt very strong from the first step.  Nice having Jason and John's company - time just flew by.  Practiced taken a Gu with water around 10k mark, which went down smoothly.  Had tons of running in me at the end, but was just holding a steady easy pace.  Great long run.

Weekly Total: 70km (~43.5 mi)

Fantastic week comprised of seven full days of running.  The two "workouts" went better than expected, and my long run today felt terrific.  Aside from the one day of nasty weather, couldn't ask for a much better week.  Already feeling the strength returning on my long runs.

The Gozdan Conversion Calculator

The kilometer has been an integral part of my training for the past 6 weeks and is a measuring unit that millions around the world have adopted.  While using the kilometer does not require diverting attention from the United States standard mile, it is clear that it has become the source of controversy and division among my 3 blog followers.  The kilometer has helped me resume my fitness and inspired us with daily musings of courage and determination.  However, I would not want a cloud to hang over the kilometer for those who have trouble making high-level math conversions, and so I have decided to reinstate the mile using the widely accepted Gozdan Conversion Calculator.  I cannot allow a controversy over a measuring unit -- even one as meaningful as the kilometer -- to distract attention away from this running blog.  I will have additional information in the weeks ahead for my followers.  Thank you for your support and understanding.

Please note: conversions have been applied retroactively solely to October 30th.  Any conversions prior to October 30th will require personal implementation of the Gozdan Conversion Calculator.