Global warming continued unrestrained this week as we had cooler than normal temperatures. See what I did there? An illogical conclusion paired with a premise from junk science. But let's not get political, because that's what the warming thing is all about. Let's just say it's still pretty cool outside. Today the temperature was in the mid-50's with a northwesterly breeze. It took a few minutes to get warmed up, but once I did a t-shirt and shorts were fine.
I went 8 miles in total and stayed close to my goal "easy" pace, finishing at about 9:09/mile. I felt like it was a good pace the whole way and never felt labored. I stayed up way too late last night watching a ball game that had been delayed by rain, so I waited until after lunch to head out. That seems in retrospect to have been a wise decision.
Still need to pick a race. The Wife is picking some events for herself. Guess I need to get in the game.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Cold Again
Just when you think Spring is here...
The Wife and I left the house for what turned out to be a 4-miler for the both of us, and before we were two houses down the street we went back because she wasn't dressed warm enough. I can't blame her because, well, it was cold. The wind was not helping matters. It was a good, slow run, and she did well for her longest run in a few months. I opted out of my extra miles because the suffering didn't seem worth the marginal benefit. Sometimes you just have to make adjustments mid-course.
Still not sure when or where the next race will be. I need to figure it out soon so I can make a specific plan. Plus I need to eat better. I've probably had more doughnuts in the past six months than I have in the previous six years combined. I'm at that point in-between races that leads to slacking off a little on the training and diet. Trust me, I don't want to be here very long.
The Wife and I left the house for what turned out to be a 4-miler for the both of us, and before we were two houses down the street we went back because she wasn't dressed warm enough. I can't blame her because, well, it was cold. The wind was not helping matters. It was a good, slow run, and she did well for her longest run in a few months. I opted out of my extra miles because the suffering didn't seem worth the marginal benefit. Sometimes you just have to make adjustments mid-course.
Still not sure when or where the next race will be. I need to figure it out soon so I can make a specific plan. Plus I need to eat better. I've probably had more doughnuts in the past six months than I have in the previous six years combined. I'm at that point in-between races that leads to slacking off a little on the training and diet. Trust me, I don't want to be here very long.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Palm Sunday Run
I'd planned on running yesterday (Saturday), but it just ended up not working out. I slept in, which was much needed, and then took Daughter #2 to a friend's house. After lunch I ended up working on some trim here in the computer room, sanding and repainting it - and it looks nice! - and by the time I finished I'd been on my feet too much. It worked out better anyway since today I got to run the first 3 miles with The Wife and then final five by myself. I maintained my easy pace of 9-minute/miles once I was on my own and it went well. I had to slow down a few times to get back to that pace. We worked in the front yard today and even though I could have used that as an excuse to not run I knew I needed to get out and do it. I'm not planning on running Monday so today was necessary. Hooray for spring!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Spring Must Be Here
As always, I like to think I get smarter the more I run. I can scroll through the entries on this log and find plenty of examples otherwise, but today I did feel a little smarter. I know that if I have a bad night of sleep then the run won't go very well. That was the case this time around, so rather than set lofty goals I decided this day was prime for an easy run. I stayed with my overall goal of completing my easy runs at a 9-minute/mile pace. Spring has rolled in, or should I say, blown in, with winds over 20 mph. Even with that and a temperature in the mid-70's, I managed to keep my pace just below the goal. The only time I felt like I was laboring was when going uphill against the wind. Imagine that.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Fartlek Time!
I decided I needed a little bit of speedwork, this being Tuesday and all, but nothing too serious. I set out with The Wife to start the run, and she lasted with me until just past 2 miles. I continued down the road as she went back into the neighborhood to do some hill repeats. Once I got past the development I started a series of 1-2-3-2-1 fartleks. I didn't go ultra-fast, between 7:30-8 minutes/mile. I felt pretty good, although my last one was uphill so I walked a couple of minutes after that. The temp was in the upper 70's and I'm working to become acclimated to the heat again. By the time I headed back into the neighborhood I was feeling the effects of a warmer weather. I ran into a neighbor who was running as well, pushing his daughter in a stroller. All in all, I think I had it better than he did, at least running-wise.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Burning Off Work
Today was another easy run that ended up at less than 9-minute/mile pace. And again, that seems to be my new standard for an easy run until it gets hotter outside. And just like my last outing, it was a crappy day at work calling for some running time to burn off the stress. Seriously, something has to change because I don't know if I can keep running this fast until I retire. When I started out I had a little pain in my left shin but it quickly disappeared. My calves still feel a little tight - I know I keep saying that and I need to look into what it's going to take to stretch them and keep them from cramping in races. Since I don't have anything planned right now I guess I have the time.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
An Easy Hard Run
Today was the first day back to running since last Saturday's race. It was raining when I walked out the front door, so I danced around under the porch for a few minutes before trotting out. It was one of those very frustrating days at work, which are all too common lately. What was supposed to be an easy recovery run was a an easy 6 miles at an 8:47 pace. And really, it was pretty easy except when running into the wind. I was a little surprised. I thought this was a run to work out the soreness of the race and take it easy, which maybe I should have been more mindful of. Thinking about work kept me pretty riled up. Why can't I be independently wealthy? Anyway, I need to be more careful, especially with hot weather on the horizon. I guess it's okay to keep up a good pace while the weather permits, though, since once it's hotter I have to slow down.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Rocking the Parkway
When I felt the twinge in my right calf at mile 9, I said out loud, "Oh, no." I knew it would cost me, but at that point I didn't know how much. That became apparent less than 35 minutes later.
It was almost a perfect day for a half-marathon. I didn't run the Rock the Parkway race last year, but apparently it was raining that day. This time the conditions were much better, with temps right around 40 degrees at race time, and no wind whatsoever. That is such a rarity in the midwest that we must celebrate it when it happens, and so I did. A week ago the forecast was calling for 20 mph winds with 30 mph gusts. I'm so glad the forecasters were wrong. In the starting corral the body heat of 6,000+ people kept it bearable with the cold temperatures, but once the race started I was wishing I had my knit mittens. That became less of a concern about two miles into the course.
The first few miles were too packed. I like wave starts much better, and with that many people it's something the organizers might want to think about. After Mile 3 the field started to spread out and I started to move up. As I mentioned earlier this week I wasn't going to think about a PR unless conditions were good, and they were. So I started out with the 2-hour pace group so I wouldn't go out too fast, and that worked pretty well at the start. Passing people was tough, but by Mile 6 I'd passed the 1:45 pace group and my goal was to stay in front of them. I continually saw the 1:40 group ahead of me but never drew closer than a minute or so to them. The last time I remember seeing them was about Mile 7.
As goes with most races in KC, the course was full of rolling hills. The worst was after the turnaround about halfway through the race. That's the point where you should start feeling better because you're seeing everybody behind you, but that uphill was tough.
I was trying to keep my pace between 7:30-8:00/mile. By the time I got to Mile 9 I was closer to the latter than the former. And then came that familiar twinge. This time I did something different.
I walked 30 seconds and then started up again. That seemed to work and held true for a while. I walked for a few brief seconds at water stops and then had to walk another 30 seconds at about Mile 11.5. Those 60 seconds are what cost me.
Early on I knew I wanted to beat my 1:49 time, and if possible to get below 1:45. It would be tight, but that was my goal with the great conditions and what was described as a "fast course for Kansas City." When I reached Mile 12 and put the hammer down I definitely knew there wasn't much wiggle room.
Looking at the Garmin stats, in my last mile I stayed below 8 minutes/mile, and mostly well below. But it wasn't enough to break the 1:45 mark. My finishing time was 1:45:41, and I'm pretty happy with that. I knocked four minutes off my PR, and that's a good start for the first race of the season. Plus it leaves room for improvement. In other stats from the Garmin, my heart rate was 90-95% most of the race, with the exception at the end when I was in the last tenth of a mile when I was redlining at 100%. Which explains why I felt like I wanted to throw up as I was running down the chute.
I'm fully convinced now that the only way to get faster times is to train faster. My overall pace was 8:01/mile. I don't feel like I'm in the best shape possible, but I do feel like the speedwork has paid off so that this guy in his mid-40's can keep setting PR's. Whether or not that leads to a BQ time remains to be seen, but by golly I'm going to keep working at it. And obviously I need to come up with a game plan for my cramping calves. I've said that before, but it's even more critical now. I'm not sure yet what my next race will be, but I'm sure it will be another half. I'm going to keep working on speed and we'll see where that takes me.
It was almost a perfect day for a half-marathon. I didn't run the Rock the Parkway race last year, but apparently it was raining that day. This time the conditions were much better, with temps right around 40 degrees at race time, and no wind whatsoever. That is such a rarity in the midwest that we must celebrate it when it happens, and so I did. A week ago the forecast was calling for 20 mph winds with 30 mph gusts. I'm so glad the forecasters were wrong. In the starting corral the body heat of 6,000+ people kept it bearable with the cold temperatures, but once the race started I was wishing I had my knit mittens. That became less of a concern about two miles into the course.
The first few miles were too packed. I like wave starts much better, and with that many people it's something the organizers might want to think about. After Mile 3 the field started to spread out and I started to move up. As I mentioned earlier this week I wasn't going to think about a PR unless conditions were good, and they were. So I started out with the 2-hour pace group so I wouldn't go out too fast, and that worked pretty well at the start. Passing people was tough, but by Mile 6 I'd passed the 1:45 pace group and my goal was to stay in front of them. I continually saw the 1:40 group ahead of me but never drew closer than a minute or so to them. The last time I remember seeing them was about Mile 7.
As goes with most races in KC, the course was full of rolling hills. The worst was after the turnaround about halfway through the race. That's the point where you should start feeling better because you're seeing everybody behind you, but that uphill was tough.
I was trying to keep my pace between 7:30-8:00/mile. By the time I got to Mile 9 I was closer to the latter than the former. And then came that familiar twinge. This time I did something different.
I walked 30 seconds and then started up again. That seemed to work and held true for a while. I walked for a few brief seconds at water stops and then had to walk another 30 seconds at about Mile 11.5. Those 60 seconds are what cost me.
Early on I knew I wanted to beat my 1:49 time, and if possible to get below 1:45. It would be tight, but that was my goal with the great conditions and what was described as a "fast course for Kansas City." When I reached Mile 12 and put the hammer down I definitely knew there wasn't much wiggle room.
Looking at the Garmin stats, in my last mile I stayed below 8 minutes/mile, and mostly well below. But it wasn't enough to break the 1:45 mark. My finishing time was 1:45:41, and I'm pretty happy with that. I knocked four minutes off my PR, and that's a good start for the first race of the season. Plus it leaves room for improvement. In other stats from the Garmin, my heart rate was 90-95% most of the race, with the exception at the end when I was in the last tenth of a mile when I was redlining at 100%. Which explains why I felt like I wanted to throw up as I was running down the chute.
I'm fully convinced now that the only way to get faster times is to train faster. My overall pace was 8:01/mile. I don't feel like I'm in the best shape possible, but I do feel like the speedwork has paid off so that this guy in his mid-40's can keep setting PR's. Whether or not that leads to a BQ time remains to be seen, but by golly I'm going to keep working at it. And obviously I need to come up with a game plan for my cramping calves. I've said that before, but it's even more critical now. I'm not sure yet what my next race will be, but I'm sure it will be another half. I'm going to keep working on speed and we'll see where that takes me.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Cold Speed
Today was the final day for speedwork before the race, so naturally it had to be cold and windy. The temperature was in the low 40's and the wind was out of the northeast. What fun. I ran a total of 5 miles, with the middle three at tempo pace (7:30/mile). Again I was struck by how slowing down at the end wasn't as big a slowdown as in previous outings. My last 3/4 of a mile involved going up and down and up and back down the same hill at my turnaround point. I was busting it pretty hard at that point but I managed to keep up my pace. When I finally put on the brakes at mile four it felt like I had lurched to a crawl. When I looked at the Garmin, looked at it again, and then looked one more time to make sure, my pace was 9:00/mile. More proof that fast and slow is all relative.
I felt pretty good about not walking after the tempo. How things go on Saturday is going to depend a lot on the weather. I still have that lethargic feeling from allergies, which still haven't been that bad. Yet. Tomorrow will be one more easy run and then a couple of days of taking it easy before the race. Guess I'll use that down time to figure out where the heck I'm supposed to go for the event.
I felt pretty good about not walking after the tempo. How things go on Saturday is going to depend a lot on the weather. I still have that lethargic feeling from allergies, which still haven't been that bad. Yet. Tomorrow will be one more easy run and then a couple of days of taking it easy before the race. Guess I'll use that down time to figure out where the heck I'm supposed to go for the event.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Winter Goes On
Final week before the race, and today called for an easy 6-mile run. It was cold and windy and when I stepped out the back door onto the deck and a bitterly nasty gust hit right at that moment. I briefly pondered hitting the treadmill again, but since I was already dressed I decided I needed an outdoor run more than I needed to stay inside. I added an extra layer on top as well as ear-warmers and a stocking cap and that kept me warm enough on the run.
Today I was less worried about speed and focused on getting in the miles. At this point in the training cycle you're either ready or you're not. I'm ready to run 13.1, but at what speed remains to be determined. I'm still thinking that this run is the start of the season, more of a stepping stone than the race I really need to conquer. As always, that could go out the window if Saturday dawns with nice conditions and I'm feeling especially ready to roll. Just a couple more runs and then it'll be showtime.
Today I was less worried about speed and focused on getting in the miles. At this point in the training cycle you're either ready or you're not. I'm ready to run 13.1, but at what speed remains to be determined. I'm still thinking that this run is the start of the season, more of a stepping stone than the race I really need to conquer. As always, that could go out the window if Saturday dawns with nice conditions and I'm feeling especially ready to roll. Just a couple more runs and then it'll be showtime.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Foul Weather
Driven inside again by high winds and cold weather, I knew I needed to get in a good, long run, which is not easy when running on a treadmill. I resolved to stick it out for 12 miles, yes, almost two hours. I loaded up some BSG in the DVD player and watched three full episodes. The drier air prompted me to keep a sports drink handy, and I took a swig about every 10 minutes. With the help of the good ship Galactica I made it and now feel better about getting through the race in a week. Usually for a half-marathon I'll try to run at least a 14-miler somewhere during training, but I missed that opportunity last week when we were traveling. I guess 12 will have to do.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Allergies Can't Keep a Good Man Down
I've felt like allergies have had the upper hand the past week. Even though the usual effects (sneezing, itching, etc.) have been mild I've still felt puffy and lethargic. So today went way better than expected. Plus it was one of my favorite runs. This is my 2x800 at sprint pace with some down time before, between, and after. The temp was also in the 40's, making it easier to go faster. My best time was around 6 minutes/mile during the sprints. I probably could have given just a little bit more, but I wasn't interested in throwing up.
Since I didn't run last weekend, this weekend I'll have to run a little farther than originally planned. I don't think 14 miles is a good idea, but at least 12 seems ideal. It also depends on the weather.
One thing that I was thinking about on the run after the first sprint was how quickly my body adapts to the speedwork. Before the first interval I was running at a 9-minute/mile clip. After running under a 7-minute pace for just over three minutes I was a little surprised to find myself running the recovery at 8:30--minute. Same after the second interval, although a walked a couple of minutes before picking up the run again. I was thinking of a long training run where I could run a half mile at a "slower" pace and then pick it up for a half mile, and keep doing that for anywhere from 10-20 miles. Then over time I could extend the faster segment and decrease the slower, so that at some point I'm doing more faster than slower. I know someone else has probably thought of this before and it probably even has a name. But I think my next round of training might incorporate something along these lines. My new mantra is that if you want to race fast, you have to train fast!
Since I didn't run last weekend, this weekend I'll have to run a little farther than originally planned. I don't think 14 miles is a good idea, but at least 12 seems ideal. It also depends on the weather.
One thing that I was thinking about on the run after the first sprint was how quickly my body adapts to the speedwork. Before the first interval I was running at a 9-minute/mile clip. After running under a 7-minute pace for just over three minutes I was a little surprised to find myself running the recovery at 8:30--minute. Same after the second interval, although a walked a couple of minutes before picking up the run again. I was thinking of a long training run where I could run a half mile at a "slower" pace and then pick it up for a half mile, and keep doing that for anywhere from 10-20 miles. Then over time I could extend the faster segment and decrease the slower, so that at some point I'm doing more faster than slower. I know someone else has probably thought of this before and it probably even has a name. But I think my next round of training might incorporate something along these lines. My new mantra is that if you want to race fast, you have to train fast!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Tough Wind
Today the wind was not my friend. After a really stupid day at work, I was hoping to get in a good marathon-pace run. Alas, I only partially accomplished my goal. I ran 6 miles total, with about 3 1/2 of that at about a half-minute slower than marathon pace. It was just too tough running uphill against 30 mph winds. As I've mentioned recently, I need to find a place with fewer hills to run, but that's tough to do without driving someplace. And when I'm feeling good the hills are no problem. I felt doped up again today from allergies. That and the heat tends to slow me down.
I'm thinking about my goal for the race coming up in 11 days. I really want to break 1:49, which if I remember correctly is my PR. I just don't know that I'm in shape for that yet. I think I can get fairly close, but it's going to depend on the weather and the allergies. Maybe it's better to use this as an endurance-building exercise. Then I could continue to work on speed for my next race. Eight-minute miles will get me to about 1:45 if I'm doing the math correctly. I know I can do it, but I'm not sure at this point if this is the race to do so. I'm going to have to feel a lot better about my training if I'm going to give it a shot.
I'm thinking about my goal for the race coming up in 11 days. I really want to break 1:49, which if I remember correctly is my PR. I just don't know that I'm in shape for that yet. I think I can get fairly close, but it's going to depend on the weather and the allergies. Maybe it's better to use this as an endurance-building exercise. Then I could continue to work on speed for my next race. Eight-minute miles will get me to about 1:45 if I'm doing the math correctly. I know I can do it, but I'm not sure at this point if this is the race to do so. I'm going to have to feel a lot better about my training if I'm going to give it a shot.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Coneys
I didn't get in my long run this weekend, which will make the race that much more of a challenge. We went to Tulsa on Saturday and returned yesterday evening. I could have squeezed in a run somewhere, either here or there, but opted to not shoehorn it in just for the sake of running. When we got back last night I even considered doing it then, but my allergies were calm and I decided keeping it that way was a little more important than running.
So today I ran 6 miles, trying to keep up the 9-minute pace I've adopted as my "easy" run pace. It worked pretty well for the first five miles and then it stopped working. Maybe it was the heat, in the upper 70's today, or maybe it was the ten coneys I ate in Tulsa. I don't suppose I can count that as training food. If I was smart I would have eaten a few less. But I'm not smart. And gluttony never tasted so good.
So today I ran 6 miles, trying to keep up the 9-minute pace I've adopted as my "easy" run pace. It worked pretty well for the first five miles and then it stopped working. Maybe it was the heat, in the upper 70's today, or maybe it was the ten coneys I ate in Tulsa. I don't suppose I can count that as training food. If I was smart I would have eaten a few less. But I'm not smart. And gluttony never tasted so good.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Withering in the Heat
It wasn't really that hot out yesterday, but it sure seemed like it had warmed up a lot with a temperature topping out in the low 70's. I planned to do a good tempo run, but the heat and humidity nixed that after two miles of running under 8 minutes/mile. As usual it started out well, especially after a mile warmup, but no go. I ran 5 miles total and considered going for a sixth, but I determined that marginally speaking it wouldn't get me much, so I made the turn to finish earlier rather than dragging it out.
Allergies are in the air again, oh joy. I also haven't slept well this week, maybe because of said allergies, but I would say that definitely played a role in yesterday's aborted run. That running magazine we all read has said countless times that you should track your diet, your sleep, and other activities and see what are common factors in good and bad runs. I can say without a doubt that a night or several nights of bad sleep really affects my running. And that's not something I have to track on a chart to know for sure.
Allergies are in the air again, oh joy. I also haven't slept well this week, maybe because of said allergies, but I would say that definitely played a role in yesterday's aborted run. That running magazine we all read has said countless times that you should track your diet, your sleep, and other activities and see what are common factors in good and bad runs. I can say without a doubt that a night or several nights of bad sleep really affects my running. And that's not something I have to track on a chart to know for sure.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
No Snow
That didn't last long, and we're back in the 50's again temperature-wise. The chill is still there in the breeze, but hopefully this means it's on it's way out for good. But I'll believe it when I see it.
Today was a good speed workout, with 4x1 mile intervals at marathon-pace and one minute recovery periods between each. Overall I went 6.25 miles. The pace was pretty easy to keep, even against the wind. A few times I had to slow down as I found myself running a little fast, but then again there were periods where I had to speed up because I had slowed going up a rise or just lost focus. Overall I'm happy with the workout, and keeping it a reasonable pace certainly helped, as opposed to some of the speed sessions like 800m intervals are faster. I also kept the warmup mile and the cooldown mile afterward at about 9 minutes/mile, part of my plan to up the speed overall.
One thing I've thought about is how to warm up for the half-marathon next month, since I think I will do better if I've run a mile or so. I've always been irritated by those people who are out running before the start of a race, considering them showoffs or overachievers, particularly when they're doing so right before they're about to cover 26.2 miles. But now I'm starting to wonder if that's something I should do, too? For instance, on today's run it took a good half mile before the stiffness in my legs and hips started to fade. So maybe that's what I need to do before the half. I haven't done a warmup like that before, but maybe this is the time to give it a shot and see how it goes. It certainly will help me start off closer to the pace I want, and I don't think warming up will affect my ability to go the distance. Let's plan on this little experiment now and we'll see how it goes in less than 20 days.
Today was a good speed workout, with 4x1 mile intervals at marathon-pace and one minute recovery periods between each. Overall I went 6.25 miles. The pace was pretty easy to keep, even against the wind. A few times I had to slow down as I found myself running a little fast, but then again there were periods where I had to speed up because I had slowed going up a rise or just lost focus. Overall I'm happy with the workout, and keeping it a reasonable pace certainly helped, as opposed to some of the speed sessions like 800m intervals are faster. I also kept the warmup mile and the cooldown mile afterward at about 9 minutes/mile, part of my plan to up the speed overall.
One thing I've thought about is how to warm up for the half-marathon next month, since I think I will do better if I've run a mile or so. I've always been irritated by those people who are out running before the start of a race, considering them showoffs or overachievers, particularly when they're doing so right before they're about to cover 26.2 miles. But now I'm starting to wonder if that's something I should do, too? For instance, on today's run it took a good half mile before the stiffness in my legs and hips started to fade. So maybe that's what I need to do before the half. I haven't done a warmup like that before, but maybe this is the time to give it a shot and see how it goes. It certainly will help me start off closer to the pace I want, and I don't think warming up will affect my ability to go the distance. Let's plan on this little experiment now and we'll see how it goes in less than 20 days.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Snow Again?
Yes, this morning it snowed. T-shirt and shorts on Saturday, back on the treadmill today. Actually the snow was pretty much gone by the time I arrived home, but I did my workout with weights and then didn't feel like heading out in the cold.
It seems like I'm trending toward the school of thought that says if you want to race fast then you need to train fast. For the time being, at least, I feel like my non-speed runs need to be speedier. I have to be careful to avoid burning out, though. Today on the treadmill I set it for 9-minute miles and ran 6 miles total. I know it was on the treadmill and all, but it felt pretty easy, relatively speaking. In other words I wasn't sucking air and I could have held a conversation. That's the way I'm going to play it, since my marathon pace to BQ will have to be a lot closer to my current 5k pace if I'm ever going to make it.
It seems like I'm trending toward the school of thought that says if you want to race fast then you need to train fast. For the time being, at least, I feel like my non-speed runs need to be speedier. I have to be careful to avoid burning out, though. Today on the treadmill I set it for 9-minute miles and ran 6 miles total. I know it was on the treadmill and all, but it felt pretty easy, relatively speaking. In other words I wasn't sucking air and I could have held a conversation. That's the way I'm going to play it, since my marathon pace to BQ will have to be a lot closer to my current 5k pace if I'm ever going to make it.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Long Running Again
Today's run was 11 miles, another outing at Smithville Lake with Mike the guy from church. This was his new record for a long run, a record he will break again three weeks from today. The chill is not quite gone from the air. Even though it was over 50 degrees outside, there was the slightest trace of coldness still. That didn't stop me from wearing shorts and a technical t-shirt, though. I brought long pants and a long-sleeved shirt with me just in case but didn't have to wear them.
We stayed at just under 10 minutes/mile, a pace where we were both comfortable. I wanted to push it a little bit at the end, so I sped up for the last mile and did that one at a 7:30 pace. I was certainly winded when I finished, but I felt good about kicking some butt the last mile.
When I got home I took a look at the Boston Marathon web site and found that my qualifying time was changed by five minutes - in the wrong direction! For my age bracket I have to run a 3:25 time or better. If I'm calculating correctly that's under 8 minutes/mile. After running one mile at a fast pace today that sure seems like a tough goal, one that just got tougher. I have to remind myself I'm in a training plan that will likely last a couple of years and I'm just getting started. I think I can, I think I can....
We stayed at just under 10 minutes/mile, a pace where we were both comfortable. I wanted to push it a little bit at the end, so I sped up for the last mile and did that one at a 7:30 pace. I was certainly winded when I finished, but I felt good about kicking some butt the last mile.
When I got home I took a look at the Boston Marathon web site and found that my qualifying time was changed by five minutes - in the wrong direction! For my age bracket I have to run a 3:25 time or better. If I'm calculating correctly that's under 8 minutes/mile. After running one mile at a fast pace today that sure seems like a tough goal, one that just got tougher. I have to remind myself I'm in a training plan that will likely last a couple of years and I'm just getting started. I think I can, I think I can....
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Better Weather
Today was quite a difference from my previous outdoors run this week, with a temperature in the 50's. I even donned shorts but stayed with a long-sleeve technical shirt with a race t-shirt over it. That worked out pretty well. The hills killed me again, though.
The speedwork today was Yasso 800's on the same route I ran Monday. The intervals were going really well as I kept them close to 7 minutes/mile. On the last one I found myself running up a long hill, and as has happened before, I just died on it before finishing that interval. Dang it. Next time I run these I will plan a better route so I'm not running uphill on the later intervals. This area is all hills, so I might have to take my game someplace a little flatter. If there is such a flat place in this area.
The speedwork today was Yasso 800's on the same route I ran Monday. The intervals were going really well as I kept them close to 7 minutes/mile. On the last one I found myself running up a long hill, and as has happened before, I just died on it before finishing that interval. Dang it. Next time I run these I will plan a better route so I'm not running uphill on the later intervals. This area is all hills, so I might have to take my game someplace a little flatter. If there is such a flat place in this area.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
As the Treadmill Turns
After yesterday's chilling run, I took today's rain as a sign that I should stay in for my run. I put BSG:Razor in the DVD player, hooked up the earbuds to the TV, and ran. I changed my schedule around so that today was a marathon-pace run rather than intervals. I went one mile as a warm-up, five miles at marathon pace (8-minute miles) and then a mile cooldown. It actually went better than I expected, especially since I felt beforehand that I might be fighting off something. I'll chalk up this one as a good run.
This is my 500th entry on this running b/log. That's a lot of runs over the past several years. I'm sure I could make my entries more useful, and I try to do so occasionally, but mainly this page exists as a way for me to keep an ongoing record of my runs. It works for me, even if it doesn't work for anyone else. At the least an imaginary person can see the ups and downs and progression of all this running. I've been blessed to be pretty much injury-free. I've learned about gear and shoes and some of that stuff, but I feel like there's so much more for me to learn. I have a long way to go in race management, not to mention training management. The book I'm reading now talks about being your own coach, and that's a work in progress for me. I have a pretty lofty goal and need to speed up a lot over the next couple of years in order to BQ. That training might be another 500 entries all by itself!
This is my 500th entry on this running b/log. That's a lot of runs over the past several years. I'm sure I could make my entries more useful, and I try to do so occasionally, but mainly this page exists as a way for me to keep an ongoing record of my runs. It works for me, even if it doesn't work for anyone else. At the least an imaginary person can see the ups and downs and progression of all this running. I've been blessed to be pretty much injury-free. I've learned about gear and shoes and some of that stuff, but I feel like there's so much more for me to learn. I have a long way to go in race management, not to mention training management. The book I'm reading now talks about being your own coach, and that's a work in progress for me. I have a pretty lofty goal and need to speed up a lot over the next couple of years in order to BQ. That training might be another 500 entries all by itself!
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