Sunday, May 18, 2008

week of 12 May

Mo - 5.3/8:23/144 maintenance run
Tu - 9.8/8:35/144 w/ 3x3 hill reps am, 3.2/9:26/142 pm (HRM messed up in pm)
We - 9.3/8:24/146 moderate, hilly
Th - 3.0/9:28/134 recovery
Fr - 5.7/8:30/144 maintenance run
Sa - 5k in 19:47/188 (pr), 2 mi wup, 1 mi cdn
Su - 13.5/8:48/142 easy - 1 hr out, 1 hr back

Week: 56 miles, avg pace 8:35/mile, avg hr 145

Great week. I can check sub-20 5k off my list. I think I'm also starting to feel rather than think the "Kung Fu" of this schedule.

Of course, I've started scheming after my PR. I guess the 5k PR was soft and the calculators have that pretty much in line with my 8k (32:45) and 10M (1:08:49). Still, when you lop 45 seconds off your 5k PR, the wheels start spinning and you think of new goals.

I'm going to shoot for NCR as my goal marathon on 29 Nov, so I have some time before I get in marathon mode. I'd like to get a little faster at shorter distances over the summer and then build endurance in the fall. (Really this is just a scheme to avoid doing 20 milers in the middle of the summer heat.) 5-10k in the summer and the Parks half on 9/14. I ran 1:33 there last year. If things go great, I could take a shot at one of my long-term goals -- sub-1:30. That's a reach, but who knows. If I get antsy after that waiting for NCR (which I probably will), Baltimore is on 12 Oct and I could take a shot at 3:15 there.

I'll probably sign up for Carlsbad (24 Jan) as my backup to NCR since we'll be in San Diego. I'd love to just do the half, but I'm not sure it will still be open after 29 Nov and if something happens at NCR (like snow) I'd want to do the full at Carlsbad. If I already have the BQ in hand, a 4 hour fun run along the pacific ocean wouldn't be the worst thing in the world :-)

4 comments:

Mindi said...

Nice 5K!!! Congrats!

It is the best feeling when you start "planning" after a PR! Enjoy!

Mindi said...

Advice please.... I am going to wear my HRM for MadCity next week. How do you usually work your numbers in a marathon? I plan to use it as something of a tool, but not be a slave to it. I was thinking generally, however, to start in the mid-upper 160s. Is that about right for you?

Anonymous said...

Greg, this is *exactly* how the training week should break down. Easy days easy, hard days hard. Remember, these first four weeks are meant to be EZ, so don't go crazy and put in 70 miles this week--that's for later in the cycle--a temptation right after the PR.

Unsolicited advice: I wonder what you'll think of the Tuesday 200s. Think of them as glorified striders...take a 200m recovery jog on them. They should be EZ!! The recovery > the duration of the interval--practically a 2:1 rest to work ratio. Do them towards the end of the workout...you probably already know this, but figure I'd throw it out there...hate to see others make some dopey mistakes I made the first time I tried it...

Greg said...

Mindi,

The short answer is "yes," mid-upper 160's is probably right.

My splitsahol was

7:35/157, 7:21/168, 7:31/170, 7:34/169, 7:26/170,
7:26/171, 7:23/171, 7:28/171, 7:34/171, 7:32/171,
7:26/172, 7:38/172, 7:43/172, 7:40/173, 7:31/173,
7:29/173, 8:04/173, 7:35/173, 8:14/174, 7:53/174,
7:42/173, 7:56/173, 7:57/174, 7:40/176, 8:10/176,
7:58/175, 2:24/180.

I was skirting BQ pace (7:27) and trying to stay <= 170 avg in the early miles. The hills and wind hurt me in the second half, but I probably went out a little fast also. If I had it to do over, I'd drop a beat or two off those early miles.

For you, I'd be pretty conservative early on since you haven't been getting the mileage you'd like and dropping your pace early could spare some of that precious glycogen. Also be warned that HRMs can be wonky (technical term) before you work up a sweat, so you might have to rely on pace (hopefully conservative) in the first mile or so.

Of course there's also the caveat that I'm not sure we have exactly the same heart rates. For reference, I've averaged 172 or 173 bpm in the 7 marathons I've raced while wearing an HRM.

Hope this helps.
Greg