- Mo - 5.5/9:13/139
- Tu am - 9.3/8:52/141 -- 57 deg
- Tu pm - 3.6/11:03/142 -- lunch, hot and on trail at lunch
- We - 9.3/8:42/145 -- another pretty good weather day
- Th - 3.2/no watch or HRM -- heat, humidity back
- Fr am - 9.3/8:41/149 -- middle 6 at "80%", hrs - 146, 148, 155, 160, 159, 161; pace between 8:03 and 8:54 because of hills
- Fr pm - 3.2/9:34/143
- Sa - 5.6/9:00/140
- Su - 15.3/10:03/141 -- dew point 70. 'nuff said.
Week: 64.5/9:20/142, went over 10 hours: 10:01:43
It was hot and humid for my long run today. I think the humidity affects me as much or more than the heat. I really start to feel it when the dew point gets above 60 and when it's 70, like today, then forget about it.
Anyway, I started way slow for the first lap (4.6 miles), hoping to at least make it comfortable. I'm such a weeny. On the second lap, I bumped into a friend. I ran with her for 3/4 of a lap, which included a 2 or 3 walk breaks. It was very nice to run with somebody. The conversation and slow pace made the second lap go quickly. I "picked it up" for the last lap, "running" a little under 9:30 pace I think. I tacked on an out and back for another 1.9. The Garmin credited me with 10:03 pace (did I mention I'm a weeny). I think I really went 0.4 longer than it said, but for some reason it cheats me on that course. (The certified 5 miler was 4.9 according to Mr. Garmin.) I only think about it because of the magic of the 10 min/mi. The fact we have 10 fingers and 10 toes has a powerful effect.
I again noticed the 10 min/mi summer compression phenomenon today. What's that, you ask? Every summer, everybody slows down, but nobody wants to go over 10 min/mi so everybody ends up at that pace even if it's going to kill them. In the spring, I run about 9 min/mi or a little faster and the people passing me look like they should be passing me (cross country kids, age group runners, etc.) . In the summer, it's open season on Greg, with me getting passed by pot-bellied, middle-aged guys in near cardiac arrest.
All in all, I think the week went about right. I do wonder about my easy pace though. Should I really be running *that* slow? I've been looking at Jack Daniels and thinking I'm being to easy on myself, but his easy pace has to be a bit too hard. He also seems to discount heart rate as an indicator of effort and he doesn't give any alternative. He goes in great detail about the effects of altitude, but for heat and humidity says, "Ah, you might be a little slower." All his tables for R, I, T, M, and E pace don't help when it's 80 and 80 outside.
1 comment:
Very good training week.
9.5-10.5 hours of running per week is where most of your aerobic gains are going to be made--and where I'd keep things for the next mesocycle or two, particularly since the race prep phase is super-demanding (Joe once told me never operate at your max beyond 8 weeks or you'll get hurt).
Pace is completely irrelevant at this point, particularly if the heat nails you, and it sounds like it does. And those pot-bellied guys won't have anything on you come September.
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