Monday, January 27th:
Off. Like last week, just too treacherous to attempt any running outside in the very early AM or very late PM. And now the temps might not get above 15 degrees the next two days. Probably won't make it back outside until Thursday. Content just biding my time and staying in one piece.
Tuesday, January 28th:
Off. Not all Tuesdays are created equal. Ones that involve taking your wife's car to have a tire replaced after a long day of work in anticipation of more overnight snow don't rank especially high on the scale. :)
Wednesday, January 29th:
Off. Was hoping to get out tonight, but I'm happy enjoying one more day indoors. With the official Broad Street training commencing next week, I figure it can't hurt to enjoy some extra recovery while I can.
Thursday, January 30th:
9:00am, 13-20 degrees, 45%, 0-5mph. CH Blvd. Saucony Cortana 3.
11mi (1:23:04) - 2mi warmup, 4x strides, 12x.25mi hill with easy jog down recoveries, 2.3mi cooldown
Splits: 79 (whoops!), 84, 83, 83, 84, 82, 85, 83, 83, 82, 82, 76 (all-out)
Recoveries: 2:20, 2:17, 2:17, 2:26 (gatorade), 2:15, 2:19, 2:19, 2:27 (gatorade), 2:17, 2:20, 2:19, 2:29 (gatorade)
Back with a vengeance! Conceived of the workout as 3 sets of 4 hill repeats with an extra :10 recovery at the end of each set for a quick swish of Gatorade. Started feeling the workout around the 8th rep, but I stayed relaxed with powerful form the entire time. For the last set, I could hear in my mind the famous "Look at Mills!" call from the 1964 Olympic 10,000m - every time I started to feel the burn, I relaxed and focused on opening up faster and faster. For the last rep, I let the damn road have it. I was just hoping to crack 79 again - was quite shocked to see that 76 on my watch. Great feeling today.
Friday, January 31st:
5:15 am, 20 degrees, 73%, calm. Maple Ave out-and-back. New Balance 1260v2.
7mi (no watch)
Very easy recovery run. Had two pleasant surprises on today's run. 1) Ran into Michele, Lou, Annette, and Emily on the way back - so I got to have some early AM company from about 3.5 - 5 miles. 2) Found $.50 laying in the middle of the road. Casey, FTW!
1:45pm, 40 degrees, 45%, 0-5mph. 2x Neighborhood Loop. Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.
4mi (no watch)
Another very easy recovery run. Enjoyed seeing the sun this afternoon. The running gods are smiling down on my birthday weekend. :)
Saturday, February 1st:
6:30am, 31 degrees, 60%, calm. Moorestown. New Balance 1260v2.
8.5mi - with 1.4mi pickup (6:55-7:15/mi) w/Steve
Best group run ever! Colleen, Steve, Jason, Jamie (welcome back!), Rich, Meghan (welcome!), Kevin and I enjoyed a a nice comfortable pace around town. Ran the first part of Steve's cutdown with him along Stanwick. Afterward, got to celebrate with a wonderful homemade breakfast supplied by Colleen and Anita. This is how life should be every morning. :)
Sunday, February 2nd:
10:00am, 40-47 degrees, 68%, 0-10mph. Moorestown. New Balance 1260v2.
14.82mi (1:48:59) (7:21/mi) - 10.5mi easy followed by 10x:30 pickups (~5:30/mi avg) with 2:30 jog recoveries
Another great group run today with fabulous weather. Actually busted out the shorts for this one. Ran the first couple miles with the whole group before everyone splintered into little sub-groups. Col and Tom were cruising around 7:00-7:10/mi pace, the new guy Keith and I were running 7:20s, and Steve, Jim, and Mike were just behind us running 7:30s. I actually felt much better during the pickup segment at the end - I was able to easily open up and get the legs churning after the first couple. Felt strong at the finish. Great way to end the week.
*IN BIGGER NEWS: I got a treadmill for my birthday last night! No more worrying about trekking out in the snow and ice, which means I should be able to get in a solid block of training over the next 13 weeks for Broad Street. Just in time, too, as we are supposed to get another 4-6 inches of snow tomorrow...ugh.
Weekly Total: 45.5mi
Nice volume and quality over just 4 days of running. Very happy with Thursday's hill session and today's long run. I am excited about officially starting the Broad Street cycle tomorrow. Having the treadmill now is going to be huge. :)
Monday, January 27, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
Winter 2014 Base Training, Week 5
Monday, January 20th:
Rest.
Silly me, I decided to get some extra sleep this morning since I knew I would have a long day at work, thinking I would take the day off and get some extra recovery before a planned workout tomorrow night. Now with the looming forecast, it looks like I might not be doing any running before Thursday. Oh well, I'll look at the positive - I definitely won't hurt myself if I can't even get out the door to run! I'll pick things back up when it is safe to go outside again. After this winter, it is definitely time for me to invest in a personal treadmill. :)
Tuesday, January 21st:
Off. Probably 12+ inches of snow when all is said and done. Certainly not running weather any time soon. :(
I have to admit, though, I am enjoying the extra sleep and rest this week. I'm sure I'll feel great and ready to go whenever it is safe to hit the roads again.
Wednesday, January 22nd:
Yet another day off. Can't say I ever really had to urge to go out for a run in sub-zero windchills today. This is just going to be a tough winter it seems, so I am not going to fight it or force the issue. Maybe I'll forgo a big goal race this spring, just try to maintain as high a fitness level as I can and stay healthy, so that I can really give things a go for the fall when the team is all planning to do the Philly marathon together. Maybe February won't be as bad and I can actually get in a solid block of training, but for now the plan is to just take things day by day and run when it is safe.
Thursday, January 23rd:
Off again. My goal tomorrow on my day off work is to find a stretch of road, anywhere, and safely run for at least 30 minutes. Or maybe 2 hours. Just to preserve my sanity. :)
Friday, January 24th:
9:00am, 13-16 degrees, 48%, 10-15mph. Haddonfield. New Balance 1260v2.
7.2mi (58:55) (8:11/mi)
Finally! The roads were kind of hit and miss so I just ran easy and safe. Took the terrain for what it was and didn't try to push the effort at all. Was able to run the uphills and downhills at a decent effort though, and finished strong the last .2mi on Triple Hill at about 7:15/mi pace. Just glad to be back out. Will probably double back with a short run in a couple hours.
12:15pm, 17 degrees, 40%, 10-15mph. 2x Neighborhood. New Balance 1260v2.
4.2mi (34:15) (8:10/mi)
Same as this morning, but the footing wasn't quite as tricky.
Saturday, January 25th:
7:30am, 22 degrees, 52%, 15mph. Moorestown. Adidas Supernova Glide 5.
12mi (1:34:58) (7:55/mi)
Thankfully, I had company this morning with JP and Elliott (and briefly, Rich). Sharing the work made the run go by quickly, even though the wind was gusty at times and the roads were still hit-and-miss. Just grateful to get in a good run before MORE snow today (ugh!).
*IN BIGGER NEWS: Because the winter has been so harsh and training sketchy, I have decided to forgo my plans of running an early spring marathon and will instead make the Broad Street Run my main focus. I'll count all the work I have done to this point as a good base, give myself one more transition week next week, and then start a 12 week specific block geared toward running a fast 10 miler in early May.
Sunday, January 26th:
9:30am, 20 degrees, 40%, 0-10mph. Cinnaminson-Moorestown. New Balance 1260v2.
14.35mi (1:43:30) (7:12/mi) - including 6 x 2:00 "on"/2:00 "off" over the last 4mi (~5:55/mi "on"/~7:05/mi "off")
Perfect kind of run to end the week. It was a great confidence booster running this type of workout after the week I had. A) I comfortably kept up with runners just a tier above me (Tom and Colleen) B) I was able to finally open up again after the extra time off and the sloshing around the snow. I feel rejuvenated again now that I know Broad Street is the new goal and I have more time to prepare. Hearing Tom and Colleen talk about goals of running ~57:30 makes a fast time for me (58:30-59:00) seem more and more possible.
Weekly Total: 37.75 miles
Not much I could do about this week. Got in what I could, including a nice quality longer run today. One more week of base before switching gears for Broad Street. I am excited.
Rest.
Silly me, I decided to get some extra sleep this morning since I knew I would have a long day at work, thinking I would take the day off and get some extra recovery before a planned workout tomorrow night. Now with the looming forecast, it looks like I might not be doing any running before Thursday. Oh well, I'll look at the positive - I definitely won't hurt myself if I can't even get out the door to run! I'll pick things back up when it is safe to go outside again. After this winter, it is definitely time for me to invest in a personal treadmill. :)
Tuesday, January 21st:
Off. Probably 12+ inches of snow when all is said and done. Certainly not running weather any time soon. :(
I have to admit, though, I am enjoying the extra sleep and rest this week. I'm sure I'll feel great and ready to go whenever it is safe to hit the roads again.
Wednesday, January 22nd:
Yet another day off. Can't say I ever really had to urge to go out for a run in sub-zero windchills today. This is just going to be a tough winter it seems, so I am not going to fight it or force the issue. Maybe I'll forgo a big goal race this spring, just try to maintain as high a fitness level as I can and stay healthy, so that I can really give things a go for the fall when the team is all planning to do the Philly marathon together. Maybe February won't be as bad and I can actually get in a solid block of training, but for now the plan is to just take things day by day and run when it is safe.
Thursday, January 23rd:
Off again. My goal tomorrow on my day off work is to find a stretch of road, anywhere, and safely run for at least 30 minutes. Or maybe 2 hours. Just to preserve my sanity. :)
Friday, January 24th:
9:00am, 13-16 degrees, 48%, 10-15mph. Haddonfield. New Balance 1260v2.
7.2mi (58:55) (8:11/mi)
Finally! The roads were kind of hit and miss so I just ran easy and safe. Took the terrain for what it was and didn't try to push the effort at all. Was able to run the uphills and downhills at a decent effort though, and finished strong the last .2mi on Triple Hill at about 7:15/mi pace. Just glad to be back out. Will probably double back with a short run in a couple hours.
12:15pm, 17 degrees, 40%, 10-15mph. 2x Neighborhood. New Balance 1260v2.
4.2mi (34:15) (8:10/mi)
Same as this morning, but the footing wasn't quite as tricky.
Saturday, January 25th:
7:30am, 22 degrees, 52%, 15mph. Moorestown. Adidas Supernova Glide 5.
12mi (1:34:58) (7:55/mi)
Thankfully, I had company this morning with JP and Elliott (and briefly, Rich). Sharing the work made the run go by quickly, even though the wind was gusty at times and the roads were still hit-and-miss. Just grateful to get in a good run before MORE snow today (ugh!).
*IN BIGGER NEWS: Because the winter has been so harsh and training sketchy, I have decided to forgo my plans of running an early spring marathon and will instead make the Broad Street Run my main focus. I'll count all the work I have done to this point as a good base, give myself one more transition week next week, and then start a 12 week specific block geared toward running a fast 10 miler in early May.
Sunday, January 26th:
9:30am, 20 degrees, 40%, 0-10mph. Cinnaminson-Moorestown. New Balance 1260v2.
14.35mi (1:43:30) (7:12/mi) - including 6 x 2:00 "on"/2:00 "off" over the last 4mi (~5:55/mi "on"/~7:05/mi "off")
Perfect kind of run to end the week. It was a great confidence booster running this type of workout after the week I had. A) I comfortably kept up with runners just a tier above me (Tom and Colleen) B) I was able to finally open up again after the extra time off and the sloshing around the snow. I feel rejuvenated again now that I know Broad Street is the new goal and I have more time to prepare. Hearing Tom and Colleen talk about goals of running ~57:30 makes a fast time for me (58:30-59:00) seem more and more possible.
Weekly Total: 37.75 miles
Not much I could do about this week. Got in what I could, including a nice quality longer run today. One more week of base before switching gears for Broad Street. I am excited.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Winter 2014 Base Training, Week 4
Monday, January 13th:
4:50am, 29 degrees, 86%, calm. Cherry Hill Blvd. Saucony Cortana 3.
9.1 mi (1:11:15): 2mi warmup, 10x.25mi hill (90 85 85 86 85 85 87 85 85 85), 2mi cooldown
It takes a special kind of crazy to get up early hours on a Monday morning to do this workout. I was THIS close to climbing back into bed this morning. Glad I toughed it out - workout went fairly well and I could have pumped out a few more reps comfortably if I so desired. Figured 10 reps was enough the first go-round at hill repeats. :)
Tuesday, January 14th:
7:00pm, 45 degrees, 89%, 0-5mph. Maple Shade Loop (M) - Neighborhood. Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.
7mi (55:35) (7:57/mi)
Fought the urge to stay in tonight and headed out the door a little groggy. Was feeling pretty tired around 4mi and at that point thought about ending the run when I hit 5.5mi on a straight shot back to the house. But when I got back to the neighborhood I felt smoother and stronger, so I added on the end until I hit 7mi. Sounds funny, but I guess tonight was an easy run that I toughed out. Glad I did.
Wednesday, January 15th:
7:00pm, 44 degrees, 82%, 5-10mph. Hialeah-Kilmer Loop. New Balance 1260v2.
7mi (55:45) (7:51/mi)
Much, much smoother and stronger tonight. I feel like my form has entirely come back around. Getting great pushoff on my stride again.
Thursday, January 16th:
6:00pm, 36 degrees, 58%, 0-5mph. 2x CHW Loop +. Adidas Adizero Boston 3.
9mi: 2mi warmup, 4x strides, 4.5mi@6:03/mi, 2mi cooldown
My Garmin was almost dead tonight so I didn't time the warmup and cooldown but I am familiar enough with the route to know the right distance. Took a little bit to get moving during the tempo segment as I went through the first mile in 6:07 and then worked my way down from there. Started to feel the effort of the run about 3.5mi in, but held tough the last mile and could have continued another couple miles at that pace if I had to. I also took my first Gu of the cycle prior to starting the workout to get used to the taste of those things again, and I got a gulp of Gatorade at about 2mi and 3.5mi of the tempo. Solid solo run by myself in the dark. Definitely tougher than in the daylight.
Friday, January 17th:
9:00am, 30 degrees, 75%, 0-5mph. 2x Woodcrest Loop. Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.
6.1mi (48:40) (7:59/mi)
Ran a very easy recovery effort. The effort felt slower than the actual pace, which is always a good sign. It was nice to run in sunshine for a change after early AM/late PM efforts every other day this week.
12:25pm, 41 degrees, 59%, 5-10mph. 2x Neighborhood Loop. Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.
4.1mi (33:23) (8:09/mi)
Another very easy recovery effort. This time the actual pace was more in-sync with the effort pace. :)
Saturday, January 18th:
6:15am, 35 degrees, 85%, 5-10mph. MRC, Maple Ave out-and-back. New Balance 1260v2.
10mi (1:19:28) (7:56/mi)
Really nice group run with Mike, Jim, and Steve. Range of 8:47-7:35/mi, all of them feeling very comfortable.
Sunday, January 19th:
7:00am, 28 degrees, 48%, 5-10mph. Haddonfield. Saucony Cortana 3.
17mi (2:03:24) - 2:00 jog, 4x strides, 12mi@7:26, 4mi@6:22 (6:23 23 22 20), 3:30 jog
This was my first "big boy" workout in a while. I did the warmup and first 4mi by myself, and then had Ashley keep me company for the next 8 mi. Felt very comfortable during the entire 12mi easy segment, and was surprised how easy it was to click off mile after mile in the 7:20s.
The tempo segment was a different story. It took me all of the first mile to get down to the pace I wanted - I was at 6:47/mi pace for the first .25mi, 6:31/mi pace at the .5mi, and 6:28/mi pace at the .75mi. Thankfully the first mile ended at the bottom of Washington Ave, so I made up the deficit on the downhill and went through the first mile in 6:23 having felt like I grinded the whole way. Because I had some decent hills in each mile (Upland - Mile 2, Greenmount - Mile 3, Triple Hill and Ellis Ave - Mile 4), I felt like I was grinding much of the tempo segment - I would work hard to get to the top of each hill, but then recover quickly and feel comfortable on the downhill/flat segments. I am sure if I stuck to a flatter course, the effort would have felt much easier - but I was proud how I fought and maintained pace on a challenging course. It was encouraging to know that despite running harder than marathon effort at times, I still had more and more in me each time I dug deep - and with 12mi already in my legs today and 10 mi yesterday. Very pleased with the results.
Weekly Total: 69.3 miles
Happy with all 3 workouts this week. Feeling marathon strong again. It will be nice to have just one workout and an easy long run next week, as well as a day off. If I can keep to this same routine going (13 days on - 1 day off, with 4 workouts and an easy long run over those 14 days), I will feel really confident going into whatever marathon I pick.
4:50am, 29 degrees, 86%, calm. Cherry Hill Blvd. Saucony Cortana 3.
9.1 mi (1:11:15): 2mi warmup, 10x.25mi hill (90 85 85 86 85 85 87 85 85 85), 2mi cooldown
It takes a special kind of crazy to get up early hours on a Monday morning to do this workout. I was THIS close to climbing back into bed this morning. Glad I toughed it out - workout went fairly well and I could have pumped out a few more reps comfortably if I so desired. Figured 10 reps was enough the first go-round at hill repeats. :)
Tuesday, January 14th:
7:00pm, 45 degrees, 89%, 0-5mph. Maple Shade Loop (M) - Neighborhood. Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.
7mi (55:35) (7:57/mi)
Fought the urge to stay in tonight and headed out the door a little groggy. Was feeling pretty tired around 4mi and at that point thought about ending the run when I hit 5.5mi on a straight shot back to the house. But when I got back to the neighborhood I felt smoother and stronger, so I added on the end until I hit 7mi. Sounds funny, but I guess tonight was an easy run that I toughed out. Glad I did.
Wednesday, January 15th:
7:00pm, 44 degrees, 82%, 5-10mph. Hialeah-Kilmer Loop. New Balance 1260v2.
7mi (55:45) (7:51/mi)
Much, much smoother and stronger tonight. I feel like my form has entirely come back around. Getting great pushoff on my stride again.
Thursday, January 16th:
6:00pm, 36 degrees, 58%, 0-5mph. 2x CHW Loop +. Adidas Adizero Boston 3.
9mi: 2mi warmup, 4x strides, 4.5mi@6:03/mi, 2mi cooldown
My Garmin was almost dead tonight so I didn't time the warmup and cooldown but I am familiar enough with the route to know the right distance. Took a little bit to get moving during the tempo segment as I went through the first mile in 6:07 and then worked my way down from there. Started to feel the effort of the run about 3.5mi in, but held tough the last mile and could have continued another couple miles at that pace if I had to. I also took my first Gu of the cycle prior to starting the workout to get used to the taste of those things again, and I got a gulp of Gatorade at about 2mi and 3.5mi of the tempo. Solid solo run by myself in the dark. Definitely tougher than in the daylight.
Friday, January 17th:
9:00am, 30 degrees, 75%, 0-5mph. 2x Woodcrest Loop. Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.
6.1mi (48:40) (7:59/mi)
Ran a very easy recovery effort. The effort felt slower than the actual pace, which is always a good sign. It was nice to run in sunshine for a change after early AM/late PM efforts every other day this week.
12:25pm, 41 degrees, 59%, 5-10mph. 2x Neighborhood Loop. Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.
4.1mi (33:23) (8:09/mi)
Another very easy recovery effort. This time the actual pace was more in-sync with the effort pace. :)
Saturday, January 18th:
6:15am, 35 degrees, 85%, 5-10mph. MRC, Maple Ave out-and-back. New Balance 1260v2.
10mi (1:19:28) (7:56/mi)
Really nice group run with Mike, Jim, and Steve. Range of 8:47-7:35/mi, all of them feeling very comfortable.
Sunday, January 19th:
7:00am, 28 degrees, 48%, 5-10mph. Haddonfield. Saucony Cortana 3.
17mi (2:03:24) - 2:00 jog, 4x strides, 12mi@7:26, 4mi@6:22 (6:23 23 22 20), 3:30 jog
This was my first "big boy" workout in a while. I did the warmup and first 4mi by myself, and then had Ashley keep me company for the next 8 mi. Felt very comfortable during the entire 12mi easy segment, and was surprised how easy it was to click off mile after mile in the 7:20s.
The tempo segment was a different story. It took me all of the first mile to get down to the pace I wanted - I was at 6:47/mi pace for the first .25mi, 6:31/mi pace at the .5mi, and 6:28/mi pace at the .75mi. Thankfully the first mile ended at the bottom of Washington Ave, so I made up the deficit on the downhill and went through the first mile in 6:23 having felt like I grinded the whole way. Because I had some decent hills in each mile (Upland - Mile 2, Greenmount - Mile 3, Triple Hill and Ellis Ave - Mile 4), I felt like I was grinding much of the tempo segment - I would work hard to get to the top of each hill, but then recover quickly and feel comfortable on the downhill/flat segments. I am sure if I stuck to a flatter course, the effort would have felt much easier - but I was proud how I fought and maintained pace on a challenging course. It was encouraging to know that despite running harder than marathon effort at times, I still had more and more in me each time I dug deep - and with 12mi already in my legs today and 10 mi yesterday. Very pleased with the results.
Weekly Total: 69.3 miles
Happy with all 3 workouts this week. Feeling marathon strong again. It will be nice to have just one workout and an easy long run next week, as well as a day off. If I can keep to this same routine going (13 days on - 1 day off, with 4 workouts and an easy long run over those 14 days), I will feel really confident going into whatever marathon I pick.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Winter 2014 Base Training, Week 3
Monday, January 6th:
Off. Taking a couple days off to give myself a mental AND physical break from this rough winter. My body is a little beat up right now, and I don't want to think about another run in sub-zero degree windchills tonight or tomorrow. Plus it will help me get back into the flow of work this week without seeming like over kill.
Tuesday, January 7th:
Off. Bad news is the windchill was below zero all day, so I didn't even once consider going out for a run. The good news is my legs are finally start to feel normal again with the extra rest, so I am hoping tomorrow or Thursday gives me a chance to start some easy running again.
Wednesday, January 8th:
7:45pm, 20 degrees, 47%, calm. Maple Shade - Neighborhood. New Balance 1260v2.
7.5mi (8:00) - including 4x :20 strides after
I finally got some motivation to run again tonight. I have decided I am going to switch things up a bit and move all my workouts to at least every third day to give myself proper recovery so I don't get so run down again. I am also not going to sweat my weekly mileage volume and instead just focus on getting in good workouts when I can get them in. Whenever I need a day off, I'll take one. If the forecast calls for bad weather, I'll just push the workout back until conditions improve. And I'll stop worrying about my easy run paces and just go back to running them based on feel and then checking the watch afterward to see what kind of splits I ran. I love having structure in my training, but at the same time I need to listen to my body, common sense, and continue to look at the big picture - which is long-term. I think this revised thinking will keep me more motivated, less stressed, and overall healthier in the long run.
Thursday, January 9th:
7:40pm, 26 degrees, 56%, 5-10mph. Hialeah-Chapel Loop. New Balance 1260v2.
4.5mi (8:18)
My body almost felt like it wanted to shut down tonight. I just didn't have the energy and couldn't move much faster than a shuffle, so I didn't force the issue, kept the same slow comfortable pace, and called it quits when it felt like my muscles were tightening up. We'll see if I feel up to a workout tomorrow, or if I need to shutdown for awhile to recuperate from whatever funk I am in right now.
Friday, January 10th:
10:15am, treadmill workout. Adidas Adios Boost.
11mi (77:30): 2mi warmup, 7mi@6:25/mi average (3.5mi@6:27, 3.5mi@6:23), 2mi cooldown
First great news to report in awhile! The workout went phenomenal. I had zero expectations going in based on how I have been feeling all week and based on the fact that I HATE treadmills. The roads and sidewalks were just sheets of ice today, so I didn't really have any other option than driving to my in-laws' and using their treadmill.
I also got to break in my new shoes, which I LOVED. Lightweight, just enough cushioning, handled the pounding with ease. I kept the treadmill incline at 0.5 the entire time because it just felt awkward at 0.0. I compensated by easing into the paces during the warmup, the tempo, and the cooldown. Felt completely in control the entire time and could have kept going at that pace for awhile since I had SportsCenter on in front of me on the TV.
Best of all, no hamstring/groin symptoms before, during, or immediately after the workout. I also went back to using an elastic band to do some hip flexor/glute exercises that will hopefully help strengthen/stabilize weaker areas that might be the cause of the muscle tightness/soreness lately.
A very encouraging run, even if on a treadmill. :)
Saturday, January 11th:
8:00am, 60 degrees, 95%, 5-25mph, rainy. Haddonfield. Adidas Supernova Glide 5.
8.84mi (1:17:13) (8:44/mi)
Clothes/socks/shoes got soaked pretty early, which made the effort feel a little harder than it really was. Despite the rain and at times gusty wind, it was nice to keep company with Stilley and Stelmaski, and the run still went by quickly enough.
Sunday, January 12th:
7:00am, 43 degrees, 645, 5-15mph. Moorestown. Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.
~8.75mi total - 2:00 jog, strides, 8mi (62:00) (7:45/mi) per Steve's watch, strides
Finally felt like my legs were totally under me for an easy run this week. Did some stretching and light warmup/strides prior, which seemed to help. Steve and I were both feeling good and kind of held back the pace around 7:45/mi. My Garmin battery was low, so I am basing the times off of Steve's watch. Felt like a regular runner again. :)
Weekly Total: ~40.5 miles
Well, the week obviously started off lousy but ended on a positive note. I was very happy to get the 7mi marathon pace tempo in on Friday, even if on the treadmill. And today's relatively mild, rainless, snowless, iceless run was a refreshing break from the rest of the week. I hope I can carry the momentum into next week, and start hitting some consistent workouts again. Still plenty of time before any major goal race yet.
Off. Taking a couple days off to give myself a mental AND physical break from this rough winter. My body is a little beat up right now, and I don't want to think about another run in sub-zero degree windchills tonight or tomorrow. Plus it will help me get back into the flow of work this week without seeming like over kill.
Tuesday, January 7th:
Off. Bad news is the windchill was below zero all day, so I didn't even once consider going out for a run. The good news is my legs are finally start to feel normal again with the extra rest, so I am hoping tomorrow or Thursday gives me a chance to start some easy running again.
Wednesday, January 8th:
7:45pm, 20 degrees, 47%, calm. Maple Shade - Neighborhood. New Balance 1260v2.
7.5mi (8:00) - including 4x :20 strides after
I finally got some motivation to run again tonight. I have decided I am going to switch things up a bit and move all my workouts to at least every third day to give myself proper recovery so I don't get so run down again. I am also not going to sweat my weekly mileage volume and instead just focus on getting in good workouts when I can get them in. Whenever I need a day off, I'll take one. If the forecast calls for bad weather, I'll just push the workout back until conditions improve. And I'll stop worrying about my easy run paces and just go back to running them based on feel and then checking the watch afterward to see what kind of splits I ran. I love having structure in my training, but at the same time I need to listen to my body, common sense, and continue to look at the big picture - which is long-term. I think this revised thinking will keep me more motivated, less stressed, and overall healthier in the long run.
Thursday, January 9th:
7:40pm, 26 degrees, 56%, 5-10mph. Hialeah-Chapel Loop. New Balance 1260v2.
4.5mi (8:18)
My body almost felt like it wanted to shut down tonight. I just didn't have the energy and couldn't move much faster than a shuffle, so I didn't force the issue, kept the same slow comfortable pace, and called it quits when it felt like my muscles were tightening up. We'll see if I feel up to a workout tomorrow, or if I need to shutdown for awhile to recuperate from whatever funk I am in right now.
Friday, January 10th:
10:15am, treadmill workout. Adidas Adios Boost.
11mi (77:30): 2mi warmup, 7mi@6:25/mi average (3.5mi@6:27, 3.5mi@6:23), 2mi cooldown
First great news to report in awhile! The workout went phenomenal. I had zero expectations going in based on how I have been feeling all week and based on the fact that I HATE treadmills. The roads and sidewalks were just sheets of ice today, so I didn't really have any other option than driving to my in-laws' and using their treadmill.
I also got to break in my new shoes, which I LOVED. Lightweight, just enough cushioning, handled the pounding with ease. I kept the treadmill incline at 0.5 the entire time because it just felt awkward at 0.0. I compensated by easing into the paces during the warmup, the tempo, and the cooldown. Felt completely in control the entire time and could have kept going at that pace for awhile since I had SportsCenter on in front of me on the TV.
Best of all, no hamstring/groin symptoms before, during, or immediately after the workout. I also went back to using an elastic band to do some hip flexor/glute exercises that will hopefully help strengthen/stabilize weaker areas that might be the cause of the muscle tightness/soreness lately.
A very encouraging run, even if on a treadmill. :)
Saturday, January 11th:
8:00am, 60 degrees, 95%, 5-25mph, rainy. Haddonfield. Adidas Supernova Glide 5.
8.84mi (1:17:13) (8:44/mi)
Clothes/socks/shoes got soaked pretty early, which made the effort feel a little harder than it really was. Despite the rain and at times gusty wind, it was nice to keep company with Stilley and Stelmaski, and the run still went by quickly enough.
Sunday, January 12th:
7:00am, 43 degrees, 645, 5-15mph. Moorestown. Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.
~8.75mi total - 2:00 jog, strides, 8mi (62:00) (7:45/mi) per Steve's watch, strides
Finally felt like my legs were totally under me for an easy run this week. Did some stretching and light warmup/strides prior, which seemed to help. Steve and I were both feeling good and kind of held back the pace around 7:45/mi. My Garmin battery was low, so I am basing the times off of Steve's watch. Felt like a regular runner again. :)
Weekly Total: ~40.5 miles
Well, the week obviously started off lousy but ended on a positive note. I was very happy to get the 7mi marathon pace tempo in on Friday, even if on the treadmill. And today's relatively mild, rainless, snowless, iceless run was a refreshing break from the rest of the week. I hope I can carry the momentum into next week, and start hitting some consistent workouts again. Still plenty of time before any major goal race yet.
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