week of 22 March

• Mon AM - Moderate 7.86 1:04:05 8:09
• Mon PM - Recovery 2.06 0:19:48 9:36
• Tu - Easy 7.87 1:10:18 8:56
• We AM - Easy 7.85 1:09:21 8:50
• We PM - Recovery 2.09 0:20:11 9:41
• Th AM - Recovery 7.83 1:10:55 9:03
• Th PM - Recovery 2.05 0:20:01 9:46
• Fr AM - Drills 7.18 1:09:49 9:44
• Fr PM - Recovery 2.08 0:19:03 9:10
• Sa - Moderate 14.01 1:47:11 7:39
• Su - Recovery 7.86 1:11:42 9:07

This Week - 68.74 10:02:24 8:46

Continued the PF battles this week. It doesn't hurt when I walk barefoot and it only bothers me for a few miles, so I think it's partly paranoia.

I played shoe roulette this week and remembered why I gave up on the Frees. I think they're great for PF as I can easily bend my toes, but the arch is very high and rigid and uncomfortably bashes against my arch. The Precisions feel like Army boots even though they're a lightweight trainer/marathon racer. Loosening the laces let me flex my foot more (picking up my heel) and seemed OK. Still I longed for my ronins and actually wore them on Sunday (even though I estimated they had >1100 miles on them). Anyway, I ordered a new pair of Ronins and found some Free 3.0's that I'd like to pull the trigger on, but couldn't quite spend the extra $$ after buying the Ronins.

The week went pretty well running-wise, getting in 4 doubles and almost 69 miles. I think I might have run Saturday a little too hard. It felt great and I ran ~160 bpm after the first couple of miles, which is well below my MP average (172), while running 7:3x over my usual hilly course. I was wiped out afterwards though like I used to be on a weekly basis when doing long runs. Sunday was a very long 8 miles. I jogged the whole way, but 138 bpm felt tough and I was very glad to be done.

week of 15 March

• Mo - 7.9 @ 9:09
• Tu - 7.9 @ 9:15
• We AM - 7.9 @ 9:15
• We PM - 2.1 @ 9:33 (wore ronins)
• Th AM - 8.2 @ 8:06 -- double out and back when I forgot my keys
• Th PM - 2.1 @ 9:24 -- wore Frees
• Fr AM - 7.2 @ 9:45 -- drills on high school turf (pace includes drills and walking in between)
• Fr PM - 2.1 @ 9:17
• Sa - 13.3 @ 9:04 -- ran w/ friend; slower than I'd have done alone, but maybe good for the weekend after a race
• Su PM - 4.9 @ 9:00 -- about 70 degrees! All I could get with daughter's all-day soccer tournament

Total: 63.4

PF felt better and worse over the course of the week. I ditched my Ronin's which I'd say have about 1000 miles on them. The Frees seemed to help as they did before because my toes can bend easily, creating less tension on the bottom of my foot when I toe off. It's still up and down though.

By Thursday I was recovered enough from the 8k for a moderate run.

On Friday, I did all the Pete Magill drills (except the skip kicks) and was surprised I could to the the carioca drill. I tried the drills barefoot which felt great except a 35 degree sopping wet field is quite cold! I put my shoes back on halfway through.

8k pictures

http://www.brightroom.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=61503&BIB=3682&S=230&PWD=

Includes some action shots of me avoiding get "chicked" at the end. I gave up on catching a pack of guys on the final straightaway (green tights in the pictures), but when a "girl" came up next to me, that was too much! :-)

My form is so awful and this is probably the best form I've ever run with. I'm sitting in a bucket less than normal and it almost looks like running, but what's the deal with my splayed right hand swinging across my chest?

PF is doing much better. I was pain free in my feelmax shoes last night. A very slight bit of tugging today, but I think I'll be OK.

Plantar fasciitis Day 3

I felt the ugly PF sensation on my Sunday PM run after the race, but stupidly did my 2 miles instead of turning around after the first step and bagging Monday.

I went out on Monday and felt it, but not as intensely -- I think because of heavier shoes -- and it didn't bother me after a mile, so I did my 8.

Today I felt it again and regretted running the last two times, but now what to do? I've only got about 6 weeks left to set some spring PRs and taking a week off will kill that and probably won't help much anyway, so I guess I'll just muddle through. I rolled my calf and stretched after the run and it felt much better. It's also can't be too bad as I don't get that first-step pain in the morning. Here's hoping it will just go away.

hip bursitis? plantar fasciitis?

I (perhaps unwisely) did a shakeout 2 miles yesterday afternoon. I felt like I was banging on my right heel from the get go in my feelmax shoes, but I persisted. This morning I did 8 very easy and I don't think I really noticed it, but walking around today I can feel the tugging under my right foot. Uh oh. I'm not sure what I'll do tomorrow. I had a couple of PF scares that turned out to be nothing, so here's hoping this is more of the same.

My hip has continued to bother me. The pain is pretty local and right on the point of my hip. I've felt all along like it was "in there" and now I'm started to think it's just bursitis. Looking at drawings, it's in exactly the right place. It sounds like a cortisone shot is the real cure if that's the case. Not sure I want to go to the doc though. Maybe ice and vitamin I will get the inflammation down?

week of 8 March - Recovery / 8k race

Mo - Easy 7.84 1:09:06 8:49
Tu AM - Moderate 8.02 1:03:21 7:54
Tu PM Recovery 2.70 0:25:00 9:16 -- hotel treadmill alternate 4' flat/2' @ 2.5 deg
We - Recovery 6.50 1:00:04 9:14 -- hotel treadmill alternate 4' flat/2' @ 2.5 deg
Th - Easy/Moderate 8.00 1:09:59 8:45 -- hotel treadmill alternate 4' flat/2' @ 2.5 deg
Fr - Easy 6.38 0:58:24 9:09
Sa - Drills 4.56 0:43:05 9:27
Su AM - 16:56 warmup, 8k race in 32:07, 7:37 cooldown
Su PM - Recovery 2.08 0:19:38 9:26

Week - 53.70 7:45:14 8:40

Had to travel for work which disrupted things and then I tapered Friday and Saturday for the race on Sunday.

32:07 8k

Ran way better than I thought I would. I went out like a bat out of hell and it felt easy (Garmin said 6:04 pace) and I backed off when I saw >190 on the HRM which didn't match how I felt. Then I saw 238 bpm and knew it was screwed up. I hit the first mile marker at 6:29/189 (HR not right), I passed very fast female runner (low 18s for 5k) in the second mile -- 6:30/187, I concentrated on not gooning up the middle miles and ran 6:25 for the third mile. I hit the 5k split at 19:59 on my watch and thought I'd only have to drop 4 seconds in the last 2 miles. I thought I picked it up, but the next split was 6:30, so I needed to make up 9 seconds to get a PR. I gave it what I have, but realized I was probably come up short. A woman came up and passed on the last straightaway, but I came back even and sprinted in ahead of her. Last split was 6:12 (6:23 pace). Watch said 32:04 -- 9 seconds short of a PR. The results said 20:03/32:07 compared to 19:59/20:04 on my watch, so I think it didn't register me crossing the second mat at the start.

• 06:29 1.01 6:29 6:25 189 (94%) -- HRM messed up
• 12:59 2.03 6:30 6:22 187 (93%)
• 19:24 3.05 6:25 6:17 189 (95%)
• 25:53 4.06 6:30 6:26 189 (94%)
• 32:04 5.06 6:12 6:15 188 (94%) -- 6:23 pace

I felt like I had a spring in my step and my legs felt great even afterwards. I think the drills have helped with my form. My legs didn't give out, but I was sucking wind. My form got kind of off in miles 3 and 4 and I think I corrected it some in the last mile. I was starting to lean back and get my legs in front of me, I think.

Racing again

I'm signed up for my usual St Patrick's Day 8k this Sunday and the Cherry Blossom ten miler on 11 April. Fenty has had some political troubles lately and I'm hoping it has affected his training. Given his 30:10 and 62:59 last year, that's the only way I have a chance.

week of 1 March

Mo - 7.81 @ 8:53 easy
Tu AM 8.00 @ 8:11 - moderate, work route
Tu PM 2.08 @ 9:17 in feelmax
We AM 9.38 @ 9:02 easy
We PM 2.08 @ 9:06 in feelmax
Th AM 8.00 @ 9:08 - MAF test on treadmill (see below)
Th PM 2.31 @ 9:32
Fr - 7.16 @ 9:20 - included Pete Magill drills
Sa - 13.30 @ 8:15 - moderate, home hilly
Su - 7.33 @ 9:04 - jog; 153 (wrong), 130, 129, 134, 134, 140 (uphill), 137, 137

This Week: 67.46 9:55:55 8:50

Nice. 10 hours is what I'd like to shoot for.

Soleus on both legs was sore on Wed, Th, and Fr. Wasn't sure about the Pete Magill drills but I did them and was fine. I did just as in the video. I did about 4 miles jogging, 4 x 40y strides, then 40y skipping, 40y high skipping, 40y high knees, 40y butt kicks, 20y marches, 10y foot shuffles. I took off my shoes and did 4 x 40y strides on the astroturf after and that felt great. Jogged about 2 miles back for 7.16 total.

Did a MAF test on the 'mill on Thursday.

Time          Distance   Split pace   Avg. HR
0:04:49      0.48        10:02            125
0:09:45      1.00        9:29              132
0:14:19      1.50        9:08              135
0:18:43      2.00        8:49              137
0:27:42      3.05        8:33              142
0:35:59      4.00        8:44              143
0:44:49      5.00        8:50              142
0:53:43      6.00        8:54              142
1:02:51      7.00        9:07              142
1:07:50      7.50        9:58              137
1:13:04      8.00      10:30               133

It seems like the heat built on my me as I had a lot more drift than on my run in FL last week that was essentially the same heart rate. Still it's not a terrible place to start from.

week of 22 February

Getting behind...

• Mo - 7.85 @ 9:15
• Tu - 7.83 @ 8:30
• We - 7.85 @ 8:50 -- tortuous day travelling to FL (wx in ATL)
• Th - 8.00 @ 8:19 -- flat course in Florida (28 degrees in FL?!)
• Fr - 7.90 @ 8:56 -- tortuous day traveling back (25 mph winds, gusting to 50 @ DCA)
• Sa AM - 5.11 @ 9:39 -- felt like crap, ran easy
• Sa PM - 2.09 @ 9:32 -- feelmax shoes
• Su - 12.19 @ 8:21 -- moderate, HRs in mid-150s

This Week: 58.83 @ 8:47

The word for the week is "hills." The snow drove me and every runner to the same road. All the 7.85-7.90 run are on the same route. The 12.19 route is the same with some (very hilly) additions. The weird thing is my knee started bothering me after running at 0 degrees on the treadmill for a couple of weeks. The steeper the hills, the better my knee feels. I didn't charge the hills, but I didn't shy away either, so I pushed my HR up a little on the uphills, and rested a bit on the downs.

This was the "no plan" plan and I liked it. If I felt good, I'd run faster (Tu/Th) and then run slowly until I felt better. The moderate run on Sunday just felt right. I'm not doing any "quality" and some might consider the moderate runs "junk" (not slow enough and not fast enough), but I can feel myself getting stronger. Running on the flat ground in Florida was fun. Splits were

Time Distance Split pace Avg. HR
0:09:01 1.00 9:01 160 (80%)
0:17:30 2.00 8:29 131 (65%)
0:25:48 3.00 8:19 135 (67%)
0:34:02 4.00 8:14 140 (70%)
0:42:13 5.00 8:11 141 (71%)
0:50:25 6.00 8:13 143 (71%)
0:58:32 6.99 8:09 142 (71%)
1:06:29 7.99 7:56 145 (72%)
1:06:32 8.00 9:16 126 (63%)

First is obviously a bogus HR. It was nice to see that 7:56 @ 145.