Monday, September 9th:
5:25am, 57 degrees, 63%, 0-5mph. Kilmer Loop. Adidas Supernova Glide 5.
6mi easy - (8:13)
Didn't check watch again. Focused on staying relaxed and focused. Felt smooth the entire run.
Tuesday, September 10th:
5:15am, 68 degrees, 92%, 0-5mph. Maple Shade Loop (S). Saucony Cortana 3.
5mi total - 2mi warmup (8:24), 1mi~HMP (6:05), 2mi cooldown (8:15)
I am not sure if it was the humidity or the classic taper-effect, but I felt super sluggish today. I also think that doing the run continuously without stopping and doing some strides before the HMP mile didn't help either. Not fretting - the weather is supposed to improve by week's end and I am sure I will feel sharper by then.
Wednesday, September 11th:
5:10am, 74 degrees, 89%, 5mph. Neighborhood. Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.
4.5mi easy - (7:42): including 4x strides after
Today was a complete 180 from yesterday. Temps went up but I felt SO much better and smooth. Was locked into 7:30s after the first mile. Strides were very controlled. One of those days where I felt like I could just roll endlessly. Maybe this whole taper thing is working after all. :)
Thursday, September 12th:
5:50am, 69 degrees, 74%, 5-10mph. Oakbrook, IL. Saucony Cortana 3.
4.5 mi total - 2mi warmup (7:56), 4x strides, .5miHMP (2:59), 1.5mi cooldown (7:50)
Just marvelous running this morning! In Chicago for a dental convention, so I was able to sleep well on a comfy bed, take my time waking up in the morning, stroll to Mickey D's for some coffee beforehand, and then just cruise along the industrial park. Settled into the pace much, much easier than Tuesday, and then enjoyed 10 minutes of aqua jogging in the hotel pool afterward. Great visualization and deep breathing exercises as well. First time this week I feel totally ready.
Friday, September 13th:
Rest.
Saturday, September 14th:
8:30am, 59 degrees, 62%, 5-10mph. Neighborhood. Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.
4mi easy - (7:22): including 4x strides after
I feel like an artist at the top of his craft. Today was the day that EVERYTHING came together - form, breathing, visualization, confidence, positive thinking. Today was just a test drive in low gear. Tomorrow I will make it happen.
Sunday, September 15th:
7:30am, 56-61 degrees, 70-56%, 0-5mph. Philadelphia. Saucony Cortana 3.
15mi total - 1.9mi easy (including 4x strides), Philadelphia Distance Run in 1:19:57 (6:06/mi).
Some race splits:
3mi - 17:48 (5:56/mi)
3mi - 18:06 (6:02/mi)
3mi - 18:12 (6:04/mi)
1mi - 6:08 (10mi - 1:00:14)
5k - 19:43 (6:22/mi)
An absolutely beautiful morning for running! My original goal at the start of the cycle was to break 1:20:00. My stretch goal today was 1:18:00-1:19:00, so to give myself a realistic shot at the stretch goal, I went out aggressively. I realized at the 3mi mark that I could not sustain that pace for the entire way, so I backed into a more comfortable pace and settled in for about the next 6mi in that 6:00-:05/mi range. I got to 10mi on pace for a 1:18:50 finishing time, but I was HURTING.
I tried my best to stay focused and loose, relax my breathing, work on form, repeat my mantras, etc., but once I lost the rhythm and started working hard (and watched runner after runner pass me by) I just couldn't get it back. When I finally saw the clock at the 13mi mark, I knew I would have to sprint to break 1:20:00, so I gave it everything I had left, which thankfully was just enough.
I am very happy overall, both with today's race and the cycle as a whole. I trained smartly, stayed healthy, and gave myself a shot today to think big. I would have liked to run a smarter and slightly faster race today, but you don't know unless you try, and in the end I gave it everything I had. And now I can build on it.
For the short term, I'll now take a 10 day break to recover and re-energize, both physically and mentally. For the long term, now that I am officially in the 1:19:XX bracket for the half marathon, wouldn't it be great to be in the 2:49:XX bracket for the marathon this spring? Never hurts to keep dreaming...
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