week of 23 March

MPW - Only 50.7.

Monday, March 23
Rest
-- check
2-3 sets max push ups
-- 30 and 6 again

Tuesday, March 24
5-6 mile easy run
-- went OK. Much better than last Tues (after the 8k)
core plank
-- check

Wednesday, March 25
9-10 mile easy run
-- 9.3 @ 8:31. On the quicker side of easy I guess, but it was Wednesday and I felt pretty good.
2-3 sets max body weight step- ups
-- check. I did 40 and 30 I think.

Thursday, March 26
5-6 mile easy run
-- 5.24 @ 9:06
Forearm Plank w/Alternating Leg Lifts
-- forgot

Friday, March 27
8-10 mile moderate run including Everest Hill drills and 10 x 30 sec
hills @ 3k effort w/jog back rests
-- 9.4 @ 9:06 pace. Did 1x Everest. Felt like doing another for the first time, but I had the hills, so I left it at 1 set. Did 10x30 hills. No clue what 3k effort is but just ran hard and under control.
2 -3 sets max body weight or light weight one leg squats
-- forgot again. Argh. I'm putting "exercise" on my calendar to try and stop this. It's easy for me to remember to run, but I forget about everything else.

Saturday, March 28
7-8 mile easy run including 3 strides then sprint training: 6 x 10 sec's w/60 sec rests
-- 7.0 @ 9:16. I was glad just to get through this. My legs were still sore from Friday
100 reps of abdominal exercises of your choice
-- check (finally remembered!)

Sunday, March 29
12-16 mile total moderate run including 4-6 x 1 mile @ GMP w/1-2 min jog rests then 2-4 x ½ mile @ 10 mile goal pace w/2 min jog rests. Finish run w/3 x 150m cutdowns.

-- I felt oddly stiff when I woke up, especially my calves. I thought I should feel great given the low mileage, but I didn't. It was 50 and "Mist" according to the weather -- like running in a cloud. I thought I'd be cold, but it felt steamy and I regretted my long sleeve shirt pretty quickly. Very strange weather today. The 12-16 scheduled range was a pretty big one. I decided to do 6 x 1 mile and 4x1/2 mile and try to hit 16. Looking at my schedule and seeing the last 20+ miler is 4 weeks from Boston is a little disconcerting and I guess I wanted to pad the mileage even though I know Cherry Blossom next weekend is my goal.

-- Did 5.1 @ 9:03 on the way to the track.
-- Splits were 7:14 (1600), 1:59 (400), 7:12 (1600), 1:58 (400). Then after maybe 200 meters into the next MP interval, my left hamstring started to tighten up and I kept running only to have a small pull after another 200 meters. I actually tried to start up again and realized that was a bad idea. The MP sections were pretty easy. I was hitting 166-167 bpm by the end of each rep.
-- Still determined to get some mileage, I jogged back the long way. 5.2 @ 9:08. My hamstring felt fine at this pace. I kind of slogged my way through though and was glad to be done. Total mileage was 14.44.
-- I did the foam roller later. I'm terrible about this. This is another thing I need to put on my calendar.

Well, one week until Cherry Blossom. I'm sure my hamstring will be
fine. I'm glad I stopped when I did, but 200m earlier would have been
better!

training - week of 2009.03.16

MPW 66

-- 63.5

Monday, March 16

rest

-- check

2-3 sets max push ups

-- 30 on the 1st and 6 on the 2nd. Pushed it to make to 30 (I like round numbers) and didn't have much left for the 2nd set

Tuesday, March 17

AM: 5-6 mile easy run

-- 5.4 @ 9:32

PM: 3-4 mile easy run

-- 3.2 @ 9:06

core plank
-- check

Wednesday, March 18

AM: 10-12 mile moderate run including 5 x 10 sec hill sprints and Everest Hill drills and 15 x 1 min hills @ 5k effort w/1 min jog rests
-- 11.5 miles. My legs were sore, but this went fine. I'm not sure I can claim 5k effort though. I ran pretty hard, but my muscles didn't have the oomph to drive the heart rate up.

PM: 3 mile easy run w/last 10 min @ marathon effort

Wednesday – 2-3 sets max body weight step- ups

-- 3.4 miles. cursed my coach for the first mile, but was ready for marathon effort after the second. 10 minutes at about 7:15 on a 10 laps/mile gravel track
-- forgot step ups

Thursday, March 19

5-6 mile jog
-- slow, tired, sore, unpleasant, but done. 5.0 @ 9:50
-- did yesterday's step ups in AM

Forearm Plank w/Alternating Leg Lifts
-- did these in PM

Friday, March 20

7-8 mile total moderate run including 3 strides then sprint training:

Use the first few sprints as a warm up and always run in control with good form

3 x 15 sec's w/75 sec rests

3 x 20 sec's w/75 sec rests

2 x 25 sec's w/90 sec rests

- 7.9 @ 8:23 including strides and sprints

Friday - 2 -3 sets max body weight or light weight one leg squats

- 40 left/40 right, 30 left/~10 right. I stopped on right for disturbing, but not painful, clicking sound

Saturday, March 21

4-5 mile easy w/4-6 strides

- 4.6 @ 8:54

100 reps of abdominal exercises of your choice

- forgot, but my excuse is being locked in a hotel room with crazy children

Sunday, March 22

HM workout

20-22 mile total moderate run including 5-7 miles easy before race then 5 miles @ 7:10-7:25 min pace then 3 miles @

6:42 pace then alternate the next 4 miles between 7:10-7:20 min and 6:42 pace. Run the last mile as hard as you desire. 2- 4 mile easy jog cooldown

- Warmup was 6.07 @ 9:12 pace. I got there about 5:50, jogged, hit the porta-john, and jogged some more right up until race time. It was a nightmare getting in the corral, but I made it in 3 minutes before the gun and I ended up starting 20 feet behind the 1:45 pacer. Ugh. They didn't have any water out before the race and I forgot to bring a bottle. So much for the hydration plan

- below are the splits for the race. More babbling below that

Time Distance Split time Split distance Split pace Avg. HR
0:07:25 1.00 7:25 1.00 7:24 161 (81%)
0:14:44 2.00 7:19 1.00 7:19 161 (80%)
0:21:57 3.01 7:12 1.00 7:11 165 (83%)
0:29:09 4.01 7:12 1.00 7:11 166 (83%)
0:36:20 5.02 7:10 1.01 7:08 168 (84%)
0:43:01 6.03 6:41 1.02 6:35 178 (89%)
0:49:26 7.02 6:24 0.98 6:31 179 (90%)
0:56:05 8.02 6:38 1.00 6:38 182 (91%)
1:03:19 9.02 7:14 1.01 7:12 175 (87%)
1:09:58 10.02 6:39 1.00 6:40 180 (90%)
1:17:12 11.03 7:13 1.00 7:12 174 (87%)
1:23:59 12.03 6:46 1.01 6:44 178 (89%)
1:31:08 13.06 7:08 1.03 6:58 177 (89%)
1:31:53 13.18 0:45 0.12 6:24 184 (92%)

I weaved my way in and out of traffic for the first mile and actually hit the 7:25 for the first mile. I took splits at the mile markers. The "split time" column is the split time at the markers (didn't miss one!) and the "split pace" is Garmin pace. For the most part, they're very close. I was hitting the prescribed pace like a robot the first 6 miles. Right after mile 6 my shoe came spectacularly untied and I stopped to tie it. It took forever with my gloves on and then came untied again in 20 feet! I stopped my watch though both times out of instinct. I think I overcompensated running afterwards and was shocked by the 6:24. Looking at splits above though, it looks like mile 6 was long and mile 7 was short. I was pretty much on target the rest of the way.

I guess my legs were a little fatigued and the first minute or so of mile 12 was slow (maybe 7:00 pace) and then I picked it up, but only got down to 6:46 (missing the prescribed 6:42). I took a loophole on "run the last mile as hard as you desire" and went back to MP rather than pick it up. Here's my weeny excuse: I never completely shook the soreness from the 8k and I had a couple of niggles. Plus I really didn't want to push it that hard. I did pick up the pace down the homestretch though.

The clock time was about 1:33:00 when I croseed. My watch said 1:31:53 and I now know my chip was 1:32:34. Looking at my Garmin data, I was paused for 23 and 21 seconds on my shoe tieing events (yikes!), which roughly agrees with the watch versus chip. Yikes! Even with the fiasco and the fact it was a training run, this would have been a 53 sec PR before January.

I grabbed my schwag, including some food to eat after my cooldown and did 3.06 @ 9:29. The food wasn't great and I ate my banana, cookie, granola bar, and pretzels in the car. 22.3 total for the day! We stopped by Williamsburg on the way back and I got another 2+ hours of walking as a bonus :-)

This was way easier than I thought it was going to be. I guess the race magic carries over to a training run. It was a real PR day out there. Flat as a pancake course, 40 degrees, and no wind. I think I could have run a big PR today. Those 7:12's were not hard at the beginning and the heart rates are a little under my normal HR in a marathon.

My biomechanics are terrible. I felt pretty "smooth" at MP, but when I go lower than 7:00 pace, I start to feel like I'm galloping, dipping my shoulder and almost limping on my duck-footed right legs. I also walked around Williamsburg feeling like my hips were "twisted." Maybe I'm just self-conscious about this stuff.

I just did my makeup 100 reps of ab stuff. I still say "ouch."

Shamrock forecast - perfect

Of course since I've decided to do the Shamrock HM as a workout instead of my goal race, the weather forecast is perfect. 40 degrees and, most importantly for that race, no wind. The course is also absolutely pancake flat. On the other hand I don't have to endure the pain of a HM! Check out my workout though.

20-22 mile total moderate run including 5-7 miles easy before race then 5 miles @ 7:10-7:25 min pace then 3 miles @ 6:42 pace then alternate the next 4 miles between 7:10-7:20 min and 6:42 pace. Run the last mile as hard as you desire. 2- 4 mile easy jog cooldown

Yikes! If you're running near me Sunday, I apologize in advance.

week of 9 March

Recover/race week -- total was 52.9

Monday, March 9
rest
-- I rested
2-3 sets max push ups
-- I did 27 (an improvement for me) and 10. If I really max the first
set, I'm never going to do a lot on the second. Am I doing this right
or should I shoot for even sets next time?

Tuesday, March 10
8-10 mile easy run including 6 x 10 sec hill sprints and Everest Hill
drills 1-2 x thru
core plank
-- Barely slept last night. Did 9.5. Did everest 1x thru. Almost
did another but checked my watch and I was late.

Wednesday, March 11
10-12 mile total moderate run over rolling hills w/ 45 sec @ 5k
effort/2 min jog rests x 15
-- Did 10.5 moderate and definitely over some hills. 15 x (45''
5k/120'' jog) went fine. There's no way to know the pace since the
Garmin doesn't work well enough over a 45 seconds period. That's
probably a good thing.
1 set max body weight step- ups
-- done

Thursday, March 12
5-6 mile jog
-- 5.1 @ 9:25 Again little sleep last night.
Forearm Plank w/Alternating Leg Lifts and 1 set max body weight or
light weight one leg squats
-- did the plank, but forgot the squats. I'll get this one day.

Friday, March 13
4-5 mile easy run including 10 strides
-- 5.2 easy (9:07) with 10 strides. I'm feeling rested!
100 reps of abdominal exercises of your choice
-- 20 x (crunch, rt oblique crunch, left oblique, reverse, and
bicycle). Easier this week, but man that's hard!

Saturday, March 14
3-4 mile easy run w/10 strides
-- 3.8 @ 8:50 w/ 10 strides. So rested, I'm about to come out of my shoes.

Sunday, March 15
AM: 10-12 mile total run including 10 strides and 8k race
- 4 mile wup w/8 strides (call me a rebel), 8k in 31:55, 3 mile cdn
PM: 6-8 miles easy
- 6.6 @ 8:51. This felt remarkably good! My HR was 145-150, but I
just ran a race 6 hours earlier! Total 18.7 for the day.

sub-32, but I'll get Fenty next time

I ran 31:55 today. I went out too fast chasing my arch nemesis, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty. I was a couple of meters behind His Excellency at about 3/4-mile before realizing I wasn't going to keep this up for 8k. He looked a lot smoother than I felt. The Garmin claims a 6:05 first mile, but I missed the actual mile marker and the Garmin was well long today so who knows.

Anyway, I ran pretty steady after the first mile and finally knew where I was when I saw 19:53 at the 5k split clock (my PR is 19:49 -- but no chip at that race and they famously started with a mis-firing gun). I faded a little and raced to beat 32. I saw 32:01 on the clock as I crossed. Argh. Well, with the miracle of chip timing, I checked the results and netted 31:55. My 5k split was 19:48. So two new PRs (one unofficial). I'll take it.

Mayor Fenty ended up running 30:12!!!!! Holy cow. The last three years he has run 33:49, 32:20, and now 30:12. Doesn't he have a city to run? Is there another big city mayor running these kinds of times? What is he on? Since I've beaten his prior year times the last two years, do I get a sub-30:12 next year? These are questions I want answers to.

I have to say I'm a little unhappy with myself for the effort I gave although I was pretty happy with the time. I just didn't push myself as hard as I could have. I never really decided that I was going to give 100% today and since Fenty blew my doors off, I ran to get the sub-32 I was looking for. My HR was a few beats lower and I definitely had something left. At one point in the last mile I decided to encourage a female runner next to me and said "let's go," to which she nodded determinedly, and then we proceeded to pass a couple of people. She seemed to be suffering a lot more than me but she still hung with me and then blew my doors off to the finish line. Today just wasn't a day I felt like suffering. I could tell on the cooldown I had a lot left. I didn't have that searing lung sensation or hamstring soreness. I actually didn't mind jogging after the race.

I think part of the reason for my mindset was the context of the whole running plan for the day made it seem like the 8k was just part of the puzzle. This morning was a 4 mile warmup with 8 strides (was supposed to do 10), 8k race, and 3 mile cooldown. Now I'm scheduled for 6-8 tonight! (No way I'm doing a step more than 6 -- more likely less.)

On the plus side, my running is just different now. My stride is more compact, but I guess longer (since I'm going faster). There's no way I could have run the first mile that fast that easily in the past. I'm not really used to going out too fast because I never had the speed to :-) This is probably an important point for (sub-)master runners. Doing hills plyometrics, etc. is probably important for those of us who don't remember how to run like a kid. If I can drop some weight and get my endurance up, I'll give it a good shot at Cherry Blossom.

My I-can't-believe-I'm-saying-this-out-loud goal for CB is sub-67. This is quite a stretch and will require real suffering come race day, but it's a worthy goal I think.

I love recovery weeks

Off day on Monday, 9.5 w/ hills Tues, 10.5 Wed with an easier than normal workout and no double. Usual 5.2 on Th and then only 5 this morning (instead of 8-10). I'm feeling positively fresh. Tomorrow is only 3-4 miles instead of 10. I should be running out of my shoes tomorrow before the 8k on Sunday.

The forecast is nearly perfect -- ~40 and light winds -- but light rain. The course is very fast. I'm hoping both Fenty and sub-32 are going down.

The one negative right now is my weight. I stopped weighing myself for about 3 weeks and suddenly I'm up a couple of pounds!

week of 2 March

Weekly Exercise Routine Monday – 2-3 sets max push ups 21 first set and 10 second set.  Sad, but this is way better than I could have done before the rock circuit! Tuesday – core plank done Wednesday – 2-3 sets max body weight step- ups I think I did the forearm plank on Wed for no apparent reason (forgot which one) Thursday –  Forearm Plank w/Alternating Leg Lifts Totally forgot to do step ups Friday -  2 -3 sets max body weight or light weight one leg squats completely forgot again Saturday – 100 reps of abdominal exercises of your choice Did this 9:30 am after my run.  20 crunches, 20 right oblique crunches, 20 left oblique crunched, 20 reverse crunches, and 20 "bicycles."  Ouch! Did 2 sets max step ups on Sat night at 6pm to try and make up. Foam Roller Exercises 1-2 x this week 5 Weeks to goal 10 mile race MPW 68 (62.2) Monday, March 2 rest Tuesday, March 3 8-10 mile total easy run including 5 x 10 sec hill sprints and Everest Hill drills 1 x thru We went from 60+F on Friday to 8'' of snow on Sunday and 14F on Tuesday morning.  Anyway, it was too icy to run outside. I did 8.0 w/ 5x10 sec hills, but Everest didn't work on the treadmill.  I even tried to throw a jacket on and do Everest in the front yard, but it didn't work when I was calf-deep in snow. Wednesday, March 4 AM: 10-12 mile total moderate run including 8 strides and 8- 10 x 3 min hills @ 10k effort (not harder)w/ 2 min jog rests. Finish run w/ 3 x 100m cutdowns Another day on the treadmill.  Got everything done except the cutdowns were scary (that fast on the treadmill) and I cut off the last one.  10.7 total. PM: 4 mile jog 4.00 at about 9:40 on the treadmill. Thursday, March 5 5-6 mile jog Finally outside!  Felt great.  5.02 at 9:17 pace, 133 bpm average. Friday, March 6 7-8 mile total moderate run including 3 strides then sprint training: Use the first few sprints as a warm up and always run in control with good form 2 x 15 sec’s w/75 sec rests 1 x 20 sec's w/75 sec rest 1 x 25 sec's   7.9.  Went well.  Effort was moderate.  Sprints went well.  I thought I was faster on the last one. Saturday, March 7 7-8 mile moderate run including Everest Hill drills 7.3 miles.  HR was about 140 so more on the upper end of easy than moderate.  Hills went well.  It was 65 degrees by the time I finished and got to 71.  It's strange to see residual snow on the ground when it's 70 degrees. Sunday, March 8 AM: 15-16 mile moderate run including 15 min run down a slight grade hill (try to run down the same grade as Boston) @ marathon effort then 45 min run up a hill @ LT effort Finish run w/10 strides I hate doing this run since it means running on the treadmill, but I did it.  Did 7.1 outside and then 8.2 on the treadmill.  The 15 minutes downhill is pretty tough on my runner's knee.  You'd have heard a couple of audible "argh"s if you were there.  I didn't push it so much on the uphill as last time when I only made it 30'.  Today my hr steadily rose to 172 by the end of the 45'.  I did the 10 "strides" on the treadmill which is a bit tricky and maybe not such a good idea.  I punch 9mph and then hit 6 again by the time it gets up to speed, just hoping I don't go shooting off the back. PM: 4 mile jog It was *hot* outside -- 70+ degrees.  Combined with the fact that I run terribly in the afternoon, in the heat, and on the second run of the day and it was unpleasant.  Miles were 10:20, 9:40, 9:13, and 9:00.  I think I sped up to get it over with.

week of 23 February

Below is my schedule in black with my execution in red.

training - week of 2002.02.23

Hill Phase

1-2x this week – Core Plank - Begin face down elbows bent, lift entire body off ground in a pushup position except for hand to elbow touching ground. Hold position for up to 2 minutes. Back should not slouch. Suck in your abdominal muscles. If you start slouching immediately stop!

Forearm Plank w/Alternating Leg Lifts – Same position as above but lift one leg up off the ground approx. 1 1/2 foot or until it is level with your head. Hold for 30 sec, place foot back down and repeat with opposite leg.

I did this Wed and I think Friday but can't remember.

Foam Roller Exercises 1-2 x this week

Once on Sunday. I was traveling for work didn't have a foam roller.

3 Weeks to goal Half Marathon race

MPW 74 (68.9)

Monday, Feb 23 - rest

rest

Tuesday, Feb 24 - 8-10 mile easy run including Everest Hill drills

9.1 including 1 set of Everest hill drills. Single leg hops are tough! I sort of had that efficient feel, but I still had soreness in spots. I definitely wasn't as rested as the previous Tuesday.

Wednesday, Feb 25

AM: 10-12 mile total moderate run including 2 x 3 miles alternating every 400m between GMP and GHMP. 3-5 min jog rests between reps

2.1 warmup to the track. I was planning on 7:20 (55 per 200)/6:48 (51 per 200). It was pretty cold (low 20s I think) and I eased into the miles. The first 3 miles were 7:14, 6:59, and 6:55. Again, the MP was more like 7:10. 800 m rest (4:03). Next three were 7:01, 7:00, and 7:00. The 2x3 miles was not hard at all. I only averaged 170 bpm on the last interval. I think I did some strides on the way back because it always seems like those are tacked on. 10.75 total.

PM: 4 mile easy including 10 min @ LT effort

I flew to Atlanta for work around 2pm and did this from my hotel at 5. This went strangely well. I made a google map and found a 2 mile route from my hotel to a bike path by the Chatahooche river. Turned around and did the 10 min @ LT up a big hill out of the valley. The pace was only about 7:40 but I hit 174 bpm by the time I reached the top of the hill.

Thursday, Feb 26 - 5-6 mile jog

Another out and back to the bike path. I was feeling Wednesday's double and took it very easy. How's this for a jog? 10:33 pace and about 126 bpm average. It was 60+ degrees and very humid. Strange.

Friday, Feb 27

AM: 8 mile moderate run over rolling hills including 10 x 20 sec @ 800m race effort w/ 1 min recoveries

Only did the 10 this time! This was between easy and moderate except for the 10x20''.

PM: 4 mile easy run

Flew back from Atlanta on the noon flight and got a run in about 4pm. 4.15 at 9:17 min/mi. It was 60+ at home, too!

Saturday, Feb 28 - 7-8 mile moderate run including Everest Hill drills

7.1 miles total. This was a legitimate moderate run with the middle miles ~145 bpm and a 150bpm mile 7. I did the Everest Hills in front of a school in full view of a major road. Maybe I can be the crazy hopping guy!

Sunday, March 1

20-22 mile total moderate run including 8-10 x 6 min @ LT effort w/1 min jog rests. Full recovery then 3 x 30 sec’s hills @ mile effort w/full recoveries. Finish run w/10 strides. Run over rolling hills

I did this on my lake trail, so I have the rolling hills covered. I wasn't feeling great and my legs felt heavy. I eased into a 9:00 pace for about 9.5 before I started doing the LT intervals. I have to learn to ignore the paces when I run this trail. It rained and the ground was soft and for some reason I just run slow here. One nice part was there was a race going on that I was in the middle of. Some guy must have thought I was in it because he yells "2nd" as I go by. I made it a game to hold off the leader. I made it a couple of intervals before 6th place passed me and we parted ways. Anyway, the interval pace/avg bpm/max bpm were 7:34/159/171, 7:27/163/173, 7:16/172/178, 7:23/172/175, 7:57/171/176, 7:28/171/176, 7:50/170/174, and 7:47/173/177. The times were slow but the effort was there, I think. I jogged some 10 minute miles and thought my coach a sadist as I contemplated the 3x30'' hills. The hills were actually a relief from the relentless plodding. I jogged another mile and then did the strides, such as they were, on the way back for 20.1 miles total. By far the hardest part of the run was just jogging those miles after the tempo intervals. I actually found it hard just to finish like doing my first 20 miler. Overall only 8:57 pace. Yikes!