weeks of 26 Nov and 4 Dec

 Bleh.

Week of 20 Nov.

• easy 5.5 @10:16/134
• no run
• 8.25 usual 6x800 EIM route.  @9:43/141
• easy 5.5 @9:55/135
• easy 5 @ 9:57/135
• 10.2 burke lake.  lap one 45:03 (9:51/135).  lap two MP 41:39 (9:07/151) picking up at end.  1 mile jog. This really wiped me out
• recover 5.5.  10:53/130

Total 40.0

Week of 4 Dec

• easy 5.5.  10:32/132
• off
• 8.25 usual 6x800 EIM.  10:07/142.  way slower and higher HR than last week
• recovery 4.8.  10:44/130.
• off.  (doctor, didn't want to screw up blood work)
• 9.3.  4x spillway to trail head hill.  10:42/140.  When I did this a month ago it was 10:25/139.  and I ran 9.4 the next day.
• easy nbhrd 5.  10:44/131.

Total. 32.8

Really fallen off the wagon.  Weight was 185 yesterday and 183.6 so gain a couple of pounds (was in the 181 to 182 range).

The faster easier paces the week of 20 Nov were too fast I guess and just 5 miles at MP took way more out of me than the EIM intervals.

Need to work myself back to where I was.  You are where you are.  Planning to alternate *recovery* 5 with EIM sessions.  Get back to my typical 5.5@10:30/132 recovery runs or even slower.  Should probably slow the EIM intervals, too.

week of 20 Nov

 Very light week except the race.  Tapered a bit.  Missed monday leading up for lack of sleep and a little niggle near my heel.  Felt better safe than sorry before race.

Super happy with race - 5 M in 38:25.

Was pretty fried that day and the next.  Didn't run Friday.  Easy Sat but HR still a bit high.  135 vice 133 for usual 10:30 pace for easy 5 miler.

Sunday was going to do two laps at Burke Lake but tired after one and bagged the second.  Kinda grooved at 10:00 pace and kept that regardless of HR.  Was 136 average which isn't terrible.

Total. Only 5 runs totalling 21.3 miles.  @9:43/140 including race - 5 miles in 38:25.

Alexandria Turkey Trot 5M

 

Flat course and perfect weather except some wind.  This shows 16 mph pretty much along the long axis of the race. It didn't feel nearly that bad to me, but I think it had an effect.  Miles 2 and 5 had the tailwind and 5 was 7:37 compared to 7:41 despite feeling like I was fading at the end.

These splits are based on garmin which read long (5.04) and gave 7:37 pace vice overall 7:41, so subtract ~4 sec/mile.

Mile two was the fastest despite including a stop to tie my shoe :-)  Mile 1 had the usual zig-zagging through traffic but was OK about half a mile in.

Super happy.  Was planning to go out at 7:45 with the hope of maybe getting to 7:40 pace, which is equivalent to ~1:20 for 10 miles which is my goal for Cherry Blossom.  So basically got there (and definitely would have without the shoe stop!).

1:20 is because I ran just under 1:20 before running my first (sort of) sub 4 marathon.  (4:00:03 officially -- ouch -- but no chip time -- was 3:59:56 on my watch).

Weighed 181 this morning and used to race at under 165, so long way to go there and opportunity for improvement.

week of 13 Nov

 

Up and down week.  Was going to do 4x hills on Sat 18 Nov but felt off. Did easy instead.

Sunday decided to go to track to try my fast shoes (speed 3s) at at least race pace before turkey trot. 

 Meant to do 6x400 EIM (w/ 400 jog) which would be 1:48 to 1:55 for 48-minute 10k.  First as planned in 1:55, then the rest 1:53, 1:50, 1:46.6, 1:45.6, and 1:41.0.  Max HRs 157, 162, 168, 170, 170, and 178.  Don't think I could run 400 much faster than the last one but wasn't aerobically challenging.  HR recovered pretty nicely.  Generally down to ~141 on the jog (~11:20 pace) except 146 between the last two.

Jog home was fine and not like the old days track runs where HR stays high during cooldown.  10:01/137 on way back.

Would very much like to run a 5 miler at equivalent to 10 miles @8:00, which would be ~7:40 per mile.  Very ambitious to think about 24 per mile faster than a 10k a few weeks ago. Would be counting on better weather and shoes.  Will just run and see what happens.

Week:  48.1 miles @10:10/134.

weeks of 30 Oct and 6 Nov

 

Ran every day but Mon after race.

Week of 30 Oct 

39.2 miles.  10:16@135 bpm.  4739 calories.

Did 8.25 6x800 EIM on wed after race and otherwise easy that week.

Tried speed 3's on that tuesday.  5.5@10:36/129 first time and then 5.5@10:01/132!!!!  Holy cow.  29 secs/mile faster and 1 bpm lower than my reliable 5.5@10:30/133bpm.  47.60 effective vo2max per runalyze compared to usual 44.4.

Week of 6 Nov

50.0 miles@10:48/133.  Started off with decent 5.5@10:15/133 in speeds 3s.  Tues was terrible. Heart rate high and ended up walking most of way home thinking I was off.  Felt off most of week.  5.5@10:40/135 friday.  Took allegra (I think it's the leaf mold) and then felt myself on saturday and sunday.

Ran a new Saturday run I've been thinking of.  Do 4x up the steep incline from spillway to top of trailhead (with a flattish part in middle).  Want to build strength.  Ran  with speed 3's because it was wet and kinvaras have no grip.

Sunday did 9.4 (augmented old gc 8) and happened to give me 50.0 for the week.  Run was old reliable 10:30/133 bpm in the kinvaras.  In away better than the usual 5.5 because longer, but also has some more flat in it.  Legs were very tired and felt like I started 4 miles into my long run, which is kinda what I expected following the hill.  Also woke up hungry at 4am and didn't eat.  Wasn't intending it, but maybe glycogen depleted?

Wish I'd figured out the leaves in 2008

I've suspected I had some allergy because my running always fell off a cliff in November.  My PR marathon was Sat after thanksgiving and I remember lamenting how great my Oct workouts were and though maybe even 3:05, but instead workouts tanked in Nov and hung on to get the 3:15 BQ.

Of course maybe I'm wrong.  (Also some of the runs above are after taking Benadryl the night before.)

Think I'll keep on Allegra through November.

The Plan

I really like this Tue/Th 6x800 and am going to add the Sat 4x long steep hill.  Then maybe increase the Sunday long run (eventually) for the marathon.  Might start swapping in "speed" or parkruns on Saturday.  Just ride getting stronger until diminishing returns.

week of 23 Oct - 10k 50:06

Tapered fort the race.

Mon.  easy 3.3@10:20/133.

Tue.  6x800 EIM.  8.23@10:08/140.  36 degrees. Felt great.  performance +6.  First 0.5 rep was 7:21 pace.  Wish the race were this day.

Wed.  recovery 4.8 @10:36/130

Thu. gcc 7.0 easy with 30' pickups @10:14/135

Fri.  easy 5.5 @ 10:30/133

Sat.  easy 3.3@10:46/133

Sun.  10k race.

Weight was 184.0 race morning.  Guessing being fresh means more glycogen and associated water?

It was quite warm and humid.  66 at the start and very humid. 87% humidity.  At least it was cloudy.

Wanted sub-50 at a minimum.  No 5k sign, but from my 3 mile split at the 3 mile was 23:56 and with 8:05 pace that would be 24:49 at the 5k.  I was redlining and kind of gave up in mile 6 and ended up at 50:06. The steep uphill to the memorial was rough.  Grade adjusted pace was 7:50 but it was 8:40 actual.  17 sec positive split isn't terrible and first two miles are easiest.  Flat and you can get in a groove.  Not a flat race, but reasonably fast.  The hills are gradual except the steep uphill at the end.

Garmin was off, giving 6.28 vice 6.22.  Splits were (missed my 1 marker).  GAP is grade adjusted pace per garmin's optimistic miles.  Gives indication of evenness of splits adjusted for hills.

2. 15:46.  7:53.  GAP 7:47.   AHR 161.  MHR 173.

3. 23:56.  8:10. GAP 7:58.  AHR 170. MHR 174.  Might have been bad on tangents.

          5k.  assuming 8:05 pace.  0.11 * 485 + 23:56 = 24:49.

          4. 32:02.  8:06.  GAP 7:57.  AHR 172. MHR 181.  Was grooving and saw 181 and hit the brakes!

         5. 40:02.  8:00.  GAP 7:59.  Welcome net downhill.  AHR 173.  

         6. 48:12.  8:10.  8:09 GAP.  Gave it up here and knew it.  Very bad.  Was running with someone and could have stuck with them but didn't want the pain.

         6.22  50:06.  8:40/mi!  7:50 GAP!  Up the very steep hill to the memorial.  Didn't have enough in the bank to survive this and get under 50.

Hearts rates.  161/173(2), 170/174, 172/181(!), 173/177, 174/179, 177/179.  Overall avg 169.

Really disappointed in myself in giving up in the last mile and missing sub-50 by 7 seconds.

Total  38.4 miles @9:59/139.  First week under 10:00.  4619 calories.  10k race in 50:06.

BP last 3:  120/71/55.

week of 16 October

Mon. 5.5 recovery @11:03/129

Tue.  6x800 EIM CCT 8.25@10:24/138.  Ran these a bit easier as I think I've been doing faster than prescribed and want to make sure I'm recovering.  Still first was 8:07/mi with 144AHR/154MHR.

Wed. 5.5 easy @10:34/132

Thu.  6x800 EIM CCT 8.25@10:26/139.  again relaxed.  first @7:57/145/158.

Fri. 5.5 easy @10:30/133.

Sat.  2x1600@7:45, 7:34 with 400 jog between.  Then relaxed 400 in 1:59 just to get pace sense.

Ad hoc track run.  8 days from 10k. Wanted to go to track and get an idea of where I am, but nothing crazy.  Also wanted to confirm track resurfacing was done. It was, thankfully.  Kinda thought I'd do 5 min/k by three or four with shorter rest than the EIM, but not that short.  maybe 400 jog.

Also picked a random running book off my shelf and it had a schedule for a 49-minute 10k that had 2x mile @7:45.  Hmm.  Just decided to play it by hear.

Jogged 1.5 mile to track.  1600 in 7:45.  max HR 168.  AHR 160.  jogged 400 in 3:08 walking first :30.  1600 in 7:34/MHR 173/AHR167.  Easily felt I could have done another couple.  (Looked at book when got home.  Was supposed to do 800 jog.)

Wanted to see how 8:00 pace felt. Switched to track mode (duh) and did 1200 jog (10:25 pace), 400 in 1:59, and 400 slow jog (11:20 pace). MHR was 161 on the 400.

Sub-50 seems very doable and maybe should go for more?  Runalyze says 47:43, but it was probably too ambitious for my 5k.  49 seems about right, but will be crowded and probably not much chance to warm up.  Will probably go out at 5min/k and try and pick it up.  Have to leave a little pad for the steep uphill at the end.

Sun.  8.6 easy on CCT-g.  @10:31/133.  picked up 30' each mile.  easy pace getting naturally faster.  Cognizant of using right glute and noticed some welcome pronation on right foot.

Total: 48.7 @10:27/135.  5871 calories

Weight:  182.3 (n=3)