Base Training, Week 13

Monday, December 10th:

7:50 pm, 59 degrees, 90%, calm.  Maple Shade railroad loop.  Nike Structure Triax 15 Shield.

6mi easy - (8:01)

Crazy December weather.  Felt like a summer morning this evening.  Full of energy the entire run, had to hold back the whole way.

Tuesday, December 11th:

7:45 pm, 43 degrees, 60%, 5-10mph.  Valley Run-Kilmer(S)-Neighborhood.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

7mi total - (7:45), including 7x100m strides at mile race pace at end

After the first mile, I really got into a groove and just let the pace happen.  Opened up the last 2 miles or so.  Really felt fast and strong on the strides - long powerful strides with great arm action.

Wednesday, December 12th:

7:50 pm, 38 degrees, 60%, 0-5mph.  Maple Shade Loop (M).  Nike Structure Triax 15 Shield.

6mi easy - (7:59)

Very comfortable run.  Steady the whole way.

Thursday, December 13th:

6:30 pm, 38 degrees, 60%, calm.  Moorestown.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

7mi easy - GROUP (7:54), ranging 8:33-7:22


Group run from the store.  Ran the first 4.5 miles or so with a larger pack at a very easy pace.  Colleen and I finished the last 2 miles plus together in the 7:20s.  Felt super easy tonight.  And free roast beef sandwiches after!

Friday, December 14th:

8:45 am, 35-40 degrees, 60%, 5-10mph.  Kilmer-Hialeah-3x CHW-back.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

9mi total - (7:17), including 5 mi @ GMP (6:42 37 33 26 40)

A Murphy's Law kind of run.  Everything that could have been wrong with this run was wrong.  I overdressed.  I attempted a workout on about 13 hours rest without enough fuel before the run.  I am battling chest congestion, which should have forced me to ditch the workout or at least modify it.  I ran the first two miles using the Garmin as a guide, tried to get a sense for the pace, and ran the rest of the workout entirely on feel - and entirely TOO FAST!  I was dead at the end of the fifth mile, which, I might add, conveniently concluded with a hill.  On the cool down, I was hacking up thick green phlegm while sweating like a pig and feeling dehydrated.  I'll just chalk it up as another workout that included quality, but the wrong kind.  Will definitely take the weekend easy in hopes of recovering from whatever funk it is I got.

Saturday, December 15th:

6:00 am, 31 degrees, 80%, calm.  Moorestown.  Nike Structure Triax 15 Shield.

8mi easy - GROUP (7:31)

Perfect, crisp morning with no wind.  Had a nice debate with Tom about training.  Colleen and Rich also there to keep company.  I can't even remember the exact route because the conversation was so stimulating and the run went by so quickly!

Sunday, December 16th:

6:30 am, 43 degrees, 90%, calm.  Moorestown.  Brooks Ravenna 3.

8mi easy - GROUP (7:29), including a 7:17 and 7:18 in there

Definitely feeling like I am recovering from the chest congestion earlier in the week.  Opened up the stride a little today and felt much stronger.  Having Mike and Tom setting the pace also definitely helped.  I should be feeling 100% when marathon training starts officially this Thursday.

Weekly Total: 52 miles

This week was funny in that the easy runs all felt great whereas the workout suffered.  I think my legs are finally used to getting the mileage back up - now it's just getting rid of the remnants of this cold/congestion and staying healthy for the marathon cycle.