Monday, February 25th:
5:15 am, 33 degrees, 60%, 0-10mph. Grove-Lake-Haddon-Maple-Grove. Brooks Ravenna 3.
8mi recovery progression - (8:16): 8:35-8:01
Started as a slow shuffle and very gradually eased into the run. Felt better at the halfway point and focused on "running like water." My reward for my early morning efforts today?...I found a $5 bill laying in the road with a 1/4 mile to go! Running does pay off! :)
Tuesday, February 26th:
4:20 am(!), 29 degrees, 80%, calm. 4x CHW Loop. Adidas Supernova Glide 4.
12mi total - (7:09): 2mi warmup, 8mi@MP, 2mi cooldown
Target warmup/cooldown paces: 8:10-:40
Actual warmup/cooldown paces: 8:31, 7:54
Target tempo pace: 6:40
Actual tempo splits: 6:48 37 43 33 36 34 36 34
Bad weather in the forecast for tonight, plus Janine won't get home until late. I figured I would take my chances getting up VERY early while the weather was good. Glad I made that decision. Perfect weather conditions, ran surprisingly well, and after the first few erratic splits I really got into a rhythm around 3.75mi after taking my Gu and gatorade. Cooldown felt like I was walking the whole way - I couldn't run slow enough. Much, much stronger than last week's MP run in terrible conditions.
Wednesday, February 27th:
4:45 am, 43 degrees, 90%, 5-20mph. Hialeah-Kilmer-Hialeah. Nike Pegasus 29 Shield.
8mi recovery progression - (8:19): 8:50-8:06
Not gonna lie. I seriously thought about bagging the run after a mile. Then again after 2 miles. My body was so tired and I just wasn't feeling it. Somehow, I kept at it, slowly started to feel better, and with 2 miles to go I actually felt pretty strong. Great mental fortitude today.
Thursday, February 28th:
4:45 pm, 45 degrees, 50%, 10-15mph. Home-Cooper River-Home. Brooks PureFlow.
8mi total - (7:36): 3mi easy, 2 x 0.5mi @ 10k effort (2:57, 2:58) w/0.5mi recovery jogs, 3mi easy w/4x strides
Sleeping in this morning made a big difference this afternoon. Really had to hold myself back the first few miles, as they felt SO easy. The 10k pace efforts felt controlled, even the first one which was into a direct headwind. The second one of course felt much easier with the wind at my back, but the important thing is I locked into a pace that felt right. I would be REALLY happy with a 5:55/mi pace on Sunday, but I am more concerned with getting back into the racing groove and just remembering what it's like to toe a line and compete. We'll see how sharp I feel after tomorrow's long run.
Friday, March 1st:
4:45 am, 36 degrees, 75%, 0-5mph. Maple Ave out-and-back x 2. Brooks Ravenna 3.
16mi easy - (7:43)
First 4.5mi solo, 7mi with Larry's group, last 4.5mi solo. Had some GI issues the last 4mi, but was able to maintain focus and still finish strong. Practiced taking a Gu at miles 6 and 12, both went down fine. Drank some Gatorade around miles 8 and 10. I think the GI issues had more to do with last night's late dinner more than anything else. I was definitely starting to feel the fatigue at the end. As the Hanson's preach, today did feel like the latter half of a marathon and not the first 16 miles, that's for sure!
Saturday, March 2nd:
7:00 am, 36 degrees, 70%, 5-15mph. Denning's area. Adidas Supernova Glide 4.
7.5mi easy progression - (7:41): 8:13-7:22
Nice crisp, cool morning. Felt surprisingly fresh after yesterday. We didn't necessarily try to pick up the pace, just let it come naturally as the run progressed.
Sunday, March 3rd:
9:20 am, 36 degrees, 50%, 15-20mph. Kelly Drive. Adidas Supernova Glide 4/Adidas Adizero Tempo 4.
10.5mi total - (6:49): 2mi warmup, 0.5miT, 2x100m strides at race pace, 10k race, 1.3mi cooldown
Goal time: 36:45-37:00
Actual time: 36:42 (6:05 5:59 59 52 50 47 36)
So pleased with my first race in almost a year. I am really happy with the time of course, but even happier with how I raced and competed. Ran most of the first half of the race solo into a direct headwind, just focusing on the one runner who was about 10 seconds ahead of me. I gradually reeled him in while staying relaxed, catching him right at the turnaround (18:40). We ran together for about 1/2 mile on the way back before I slowly started pulling away. With two miles to go I knew sub-37:00 was in the cards, and with a mile to go I knew I had it in the bag. I could feel myself tightening up but I never fought it or forced the issue, just running as fast as possible while staying relaxed. Was surprised to find out afterward that I ran the second 5k in 18:02 - the tailwind sure helped, but the effort felt pretty even. Great return to racing, and great way to cap an outstanding week.
Weekly Total: 70 miles
Today and this week were big confidence boosters. At the same time, I have my eye on the bigger picture and I won't let myself become too confident with 7 weeks to go or try to do more than I should. Larry's plan is working brilliantly for me, and I can't wait to see where this will all lead.
No comments:
Post a Comment