Friday, June 30, 2006

5 miles

Relatively cool temperatures. temp 60.6/dew point 58.3. My time was 51:50 (134 bpm) which is the first time I've been under 52 in a while. Last time was 5/27 when the temp was 69 and dew point was 60. Weather was a little worse and time/heart rate was 51:53/137.

Thursday, June 29, 2006

10 miles - ran to work

It was a good run today. I again started very, very slow. My average hr ticked up to 131 at ~50 minutes and my average for the whole run was 135 and I at least got back under two hours, 1:58:13 (ugh). The weather was much better than Tuesday with 66 degs and 61 deg dew point. Last time it was close to this good was 26 May when it was 69 degrees, dew point 63. I was much faster that day (1:55:38), but my avg heart rate was 140 and it was a different route (but same distance), so they're not really comparable.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

8 miles

Trying to sort out the shoe situation. Wore the shoes I believe are grass-stained today (WC4). After some educated guesses and log review, I believe I have 380 miles on WC4 (grass stained) and 298 miles on WC5.

Out and back to Hun. Blvd on bike path. Took "shortcut" through half basketball court. I just google earthed it. It was 8.24 miles.

I finally learned. I have to go out at really low heart rates like I did before. I knew this. I've said to myself, but I guess reckoning with just how slow that would be wasn't something my ego would let me do, so I ended up going too "fast" and fighting the monitor. Anyway, I took it *very* easy today (probably too easy). The way out was 46:47/131(!) (11:21 min/mi) and back was 44:29/138 (10:48 min/mi). Average heart rate was 136 bpm. All in all, almost perfrect. I say I should have gone a little faster out and maybe a little slower on the way back, but I felt great at the end and the level of effort was like those first maffetone runs. No demoralizing shuffling and beeping!

Still humid. Temp was 69.8F, dew point was 68.6.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

10 miles - ran to work

Swapped shoes b/c the others were wet from yesterday. I really need to figure out which is which and track the mileage.

Took a different route today to avoid the washed out paths. Google earth said it was 10.47. I was incredibly slow. 2:04:15 or 11:52 min/mi! I think I did I much better job with my heart rate. I stayed in the 130's (<135 on the flats) and didn't start to bump against 145 until my usual 1:50 transition point (this is like clockwork). My average was 137. All in all, this felt more like those first few maffetone runs to work when it was still cool. I think this is the way it's supposed to be. Too bad it takes over 2 hours to run 10 stinkin' miles!

I just checked the weather. It was 72.9 degs when I started and the dew point was 71.7(!) at 5:50 am and stayed pretty much constant for the 2+ hours.

Monday, June 26, 2006

5 miles

Pretty steamy. 72.1 degs and a dew point of 70.6! 54:19 on my regular 5-mile loop and I felt good about it.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

18 miles

Raining and humid (dew point 69, temps in 70s). Did a run to and around lake B and back. Ugly slow after about two hours trying to keep under 145. The 5.22 miles out was 56:23 (10:48 min/mi). The same 5.22 miles returning was 1:12:03 (13:48 min/mi) with lots of walking. Ouch! Not only that, but I didn't feel well. I think I was dehydrated.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

7 miles -- maffetone test #3

I ran another maffetone test today. The test was done identically to the last two (5/13 and 6/3).

Weather
5/13 - 56F temp/53F dew pt.
6/03 - 66F temp/60F dew pt.
6/24 - 70F temp/67F dew pt.

Warmup (a little over two miles)
5/13 - 21:04/131
6/03 - 22:49/131
6/24 - 22:13/133

5/13 6/3 6/24
Mile 1 09:18 09:59 09:53
Mile 2 09:32 10:02 10:01
Mile 3 09:35 09:57 09:54
Mile 4 09:45 09:59 10:09
Mile 5 09:52 10:05 10:19

- From 1/1 through 5/13 before maffetone, I ran 805 miles (42 mpw).
- From 5/14 through 6/3, I ran 122 miles (41 mpw). I really feel like I was less fit at the second test then the first. I guess that's to be expected since my mpw were the same and I dropped intensity. (I was recovering from a marathon on 5/7 or I'd have run more.)
- From 6/4 through 6/24, I ran 154 miles (51 mpw). I'd say I was in about the same or slightly better shape than the second test. It felt muggier today.

I guess I'll just keep applying the mileage and hope I hit a turning point.

Friday, June 23, 2006

5 miles -- aborted run to work

I ran to the damn area and the spillway was overflowing across the path. The only option I could figure was to run the other way around the lake and that would have added ~45 minutes and made me very late for work, so I just turn around and came home. 5.0 miles is a pretty close guess. Slow time of 56:18.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

8 miles

To the lake A around and back. Cooler today. 67 deg/85% humidity. Did it in a reasonable 1:29:01 (10:44 min/mi).

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

10 miles - ran to work

Very warm and sticky. Sprinkled a little at the end. Footpod died in the middle and I turned it back on. I also lost contact with the HRM twice. That's never happened before. Did my soaking shirt block the signal or is the battery low?

Monday, June 19, 2006

5 miles

Standard neighborhood run. 51:20. Not terrible.

Sunday, June 18, 2006

16 miles

It was already 72 degrees when I started at 8:30. At 11:30 when I was done it was 83. Same 15.9 mile route as last Sunday (out and back to Lake A plus three laps around), but it took me 3:12:19 (12:05 min/mi) versus 2:52:55 (10:52 min/mi) last week. Last Sunday I ran at the same time (8:30-11:30), but the temps were 58-66 degrees.

Did 55 miles this week.

Saturday, June 17, 2006

5 miles

Had to run at noon in the 82 degree heat because of various kids activities. Man was I slow. On the usual neighborhood route, I ran 57:14.

Friday, June 16, 2006

10 miles - ran to work

I left my T6 hr belt at work, so I borrowed my wife's polar. It doesn't have an alarm, so I probably cheated more than usual, but not intentionally. Anyway average heart rate was 141 bpm and time was 1:52 and change. My knee really hurt after Wednesday and I took the day off yesterday. After some active isolation stretching the last couple of days, it felt a lot better (although still not great).

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

10 miles - ran to work

Made OK time. 1:52 something. A little warmer than the last few days, but pretty cool. I had trouble with my knee. Running on Lake A a few days ago, I tweaked my knee in the usual spot (between bone toward midline -- on the inside), but it hasn't bothered me. Today it felt like it needed to "crack" but just didn't.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

8 miles

Did the out, around lake a, and back route for 8.3. I felt good today, like I was almost (but not quite) back to my old self. Took me 1:26:30. Last thursday was 1:29:22. Temperature was nice and cool today at 56 degrees, 80% humidity.

I switched back to a previous pair of WC6's because my current pair weren't quite dry from yesterday. The footpod wasn't calibrated so I got 8.04 versus 8.3.

Monday, June 12, 2006

5 miles

standard neighborhood 5 mile run. Ran in the rain (pretty heavy for a bit) and 56 degrees. Time was 50:08.

Sunday, June 11, 2006

16 miles

Out and back to lake A (2x 2.25 miles) + 3 loops around (3x 3.8 miles) for 15.9 miles. Footpod read 15.98 miles. Not too shabby. In fact I'm not sure which is right. Google maps actually gives 2.26 mile there (.02 delta there and back), so .06/3 is just .02 miles per loop difference. I've seen one website call it 3.81 miles around, so... "footpod good" is what I think I'm saying.

Anyway, 2:25:55 was the time (10:52 min/mi). Weather was pretty cool. "Me slow" is what I guess I'm saying here. I'm pretty sure when I up the mileage with this lower intensity, that the times will come down. This week was 3x5, 10, 8, and 16 for 49 miles total. I've sure taken my time getting my miles back up after the marathon. I haven't really thought out where I'd like to get. It's already only 20 weeks until the marathon. The Pfitz 18 week at less than 70 mpw plan starts at 53 mpw. I think I'll very roughly follow that, but without the speedwork. His 53 mile week is 8, 11, 5, 9, 5, and 15. Two runs to work (2x10.5), one lake route (8 mile), 2x 5-miler, and a long run like today (16 miles) sounds like a plan for this week (56 miles).

Friday, June 09, 2006

5 miles

nbrhd loop. still slow (51:04). Weather was pretty cool, but humid. Hopefully increasing mileage will help.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

8 miles

to and back from Lake A with a loop around. Nice run. works out to right at 1.5 hours at current pace. A nice alternative to running into work if that doesn't work out.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

5 miles

Today's training: 4.90 miles, nbhrd loop, 50:30 (10:19 min/mi), 137 bpm avg/2:10 over 145

Weather was cool again today. 53 degrees. Faster than I've been recently, but still slower than I was a few weeks ago (at lower temps). Should be expected. I need to exploit the lower intensity by increasing mileage. I don't want to build up too quickly though and get injured.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

10 miles to work -- I'm slow

On 5/18 I ran 1:49:23 with an avg 135 bpm. Today was 1:52:51 and 138 bpm. Weather on 5/18 was 46-51 deg. Today was 54-62 deg. Weather doesn't explain it I'm afraid. I'm slower. Gotta up them miles to make up for intensity.

Monday, June 05, 2006

5 miles -- slow and no weather excuse

It was 58 deg/dew pt 46 this morning. Usual route, but 3 minutes slower at 52:41 with the same 137 heart rate. I did the same route in 49:36 @136bpm with 55 degs/55 dew pt (100% humidity) on 15 May. I guess it stands to reason that lower intensity without increasing miles has made me slower.

Sunday, June 04, 2006

14 miles

Today's training: 13.8 miles, 3x lake B laps, 2:35:59 (11:19 min/mi), avg 139/max 148/2:10 over 145

Better than last week when I did the same run with an 11:37 pace, 140 average, and 8:40 over 145. The weather was better today though. Today the temp was 65-70, dew point 45-41. Last week was 70-78, 49-48.

Saturday, June 03, 2006

7 miles -- second maffetone test

I did my second maffetone test today at the tenth-mile track. The weather was kind of odd as a cold front moved through while I was doing the test. It was very sticky when I walked out the door but was much better later as a cold front moved in. I found a local weather station on wunderground.com that gives updates every 5 minutes. It was 68.9F/65.2F dew pt/88% humidity at the start and 63.9F/55.4F/74% at the end. Last time it was a pretty constant 57/54.


Here are the results, compared with the first test.


























May 13June 3
temp57F~67F
warmup21:04/13122:49/131
Mile 1.9:18/1459:59/144
Mile 2.9:32/14610:02/144
Mile 3.9:35/1459:57/145
Mile 4.9:45/1459:59/145
Mile 5.9:52/14610:05/145
I'm electing to believe the drop off in pace was weather-related. I did do better at sustaining my pace this time, which I'll take as a positive sign.

I jogged another quarter mile and estimate my total at 7.4 miles. The foot pod worked throughout although I've used it uncalibrated for a number of weeks now. It called each mile 0.94 miles. It doesn't really matter when I'm running known routes.

Thursday, June 01, 2006

8 miles

Today's training: 8.3 miles, home to 1x lake A loop, 1:50:27 (13:17 min/mi), avg 138 bpm/max 154/10:30 above 145

A quick check of the weather before going out said "87, feels like 91." Ugh. Lots of walking breaks to keep my heart rate down. After tripping 145, I'd let it get down to 135 before "running" again.