Monday, September 2nd:
8:25am, 75 degrees, 90%, calm. Cinnaminson. Adidas Supernova Glide 5, Adidas Adizero Tempo 4.
7.5mi total: 2mi warmup, 4x strides, 5K in 17:24 (8:35, 8:49), 2mi cooldown
Warm, muggy morning. Did a very slow jog to warmup (8:27/mi) but I was still pouring with sweat before the race started. I took the first 1/4-1/2mi very comfortably, slowly moving up from about 20th to 5th place. Settled into a rhythm and held my position until the turnaround point. The pack of 4 runners ahead of me slowly put some distance on me over the next mile, except for one guy who started to fade. I passed him with about 1/2mi to go and focused on the runners ahead, trying to run faster, not harder. I had a little bit of a kick left in me over the last 150 meters or so, but overall raced about as hard as I could in those conditions and I don't think I could have improved my position any (3rd place was 17:12). I was happy that my splits were pretty consistent giving how tired I felt for most of the second half. I fought hard. I definitely think HM pace should feel more comfortable after that effort.
Tuesday, September 3rd:
Rest. Right shin was a little sore after yesterday's race.
Wednesday, September 4th:
5:00am, 64 degrees, 75%, 5-10mph. Kilmer Loop. Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.
6mi easy - (8:05)
Little cooler this morning which felt nice. Found the groove last 2 miles.
Thursday, September 5th:
5:00am, 64 degrees, 78%, calm. Maple Ave. out-and-back. Adidas Supernova Glide 5.
6mi easy - (7:57)
Got progressively stronger throughout the run. Felt exceptionally strong the last two miles again.
Friday, September 6th:
6:00am, 54 degrees, 72%, 0-5mph. Moorestown. Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.
8mi easy - (7:39): 2:00 jog, 4x strides, 7mi easy, 4x strides
Wow, what a pleasant difference with the weather! Just settled behind Tom and Sue for most of the run as the hour or so flew by. Strides before and after felt great.
Saturday, September 7th:
7:00am, 56-62 degrees, 75-63% humidity, calm. Kelly Drive-MLK Drive loop. Saucony Cortana 3.
11.5mi total - 2mi warmup (8:07), 4x strides, 2x3mi ~HMP (18:01, 17:54) w/1mi recovery jog (7:51), 2mi cooldown (8:09).
Last workout of the cycle before next weekend's goal race. The workout didn't go perfectly, and initially I wasn't sure what to make of it, but on reflection I am very happy with how it unfolded. Started off slow - went through the first mile in ~6:05, even though it felt faster. Couldn't quite find a comfortable rhythm for the entire first 3mi interval - I kept yo-yoing anywhere from 5:52-6:10/mi pace, and I finished the first rep rather tired making up some time over the last 1/4mi to try to hit the 18:00 rep goal.
Right after I finished that first rep, I didn't think I would be able to run another one as fast. I was breathing harder than I wanted to and feeling a little lethargic. But then I got a Gu in me, shook out the rust over that mile recovery, and then started the second rep feeling more refreshed. Initially, I was again slow - went through the first 1k in ~6:09/mi pace and figured I would just relax and try to run "comfortably fast" for the rest of the rep. THAT'S when I hit my rhythm, progressively getting faster over the entire interval and finishing really strong in front of the Art Museum with tons left in the tank, feeling like I had another 3mi interval in me.
I am glad I got to experience today what it feels like to not feel right early on, only to later hit a rhythm and comfortably pick up the pace. Sort of the same thing that happened to me during the Gettysburg Marathon in April. I now know that I don't need to panic if I give up some time early on - I will trust that I can eventually hit that zone and lock into that 6:00/mi pace.
Realistically, I think sub-1:20:00 is the bag, even if I got out hard and blow up over the last 5k. I am pretty confident I can hold things together at a respectable pace, even if my form starts to fall apart. I would be VERY happy if I break 1:19:00. Anything else is just gravy. If I get a perfect day and am able to run the race of my life, I think sub 1:18:00 is possible. But I think the smartest plan is the run the first 5K in that 6:00-6:05/mi zone, and then try to lock into ~6:00/mi pace until the 10mi mark. At that point, it's pedal to the medal with whatever I got left.
The hay is in the barn. Now it's just the waiting game, and taking care of all the small things.
Sunday, September 8th:
8:05am, 68 degrees, 76%, 0-5mph. Kings Hwy-Pearl Croft-Pennypacker. Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.
6mi recovery - (8:13)
Didn't check my watch during the run, just ran according to feel. Felt stronger as the run progressed, practicing visualization/relaxation techniques. It's amazing to think that every run between now and next Sunday will be as short or shorter than this one. :)
Weekly Total: 45 miles
The hay is in the barn. A week from now should be one exciting day!
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