Break through workout

I had great success from my last fartlek speed workout 2 weeks ago so I decided to repeat the workout again as my final super hard workout before my 5K.  

The plan:  1 Mile Warmup... .25 Hard... .25 Recovery... .50 Hard... .50 Recovery... 1 Mile Hard… .50 Recovery... .50 Hard... .25 Recovery... .25 Hard

Here's the results:

                                                                            2 Weeks Ago                              Diff

Mile 1:  7:56 pace                                               8:04 pace                                    -8 sec 

.25 Hard:   96sec (6:24 pace)                             98sec (6:32 pace)                       -2 sec

.25 Easy: 114 sec (7:36 pace)                             123 sec (8:12 pace)                    -9 sec                          

.50 Hard: 3:30 (7:00 pace)                                  3:26  (6:52 pace)                       +4 sec  

.50 Easy: 4:01 (8:02 pace)                                   4:02 (8:04 pace)                         -1 sec

1 mile HARD:  6:26 pace                                   7:04 pace                                    -38 sec

    .50 Easy: 4:07 (8:14 pace)                                  4:13 (8:26 pace)                         -6 sec                          

.50 Hard: 3:10 (6:20 pace)                                 3:20 (6:40 pace)                         -10 sec

.25 Easy:  120 sec (8:00 pace)                            131 sec (8:44 pace)                     -11 sec                    

.25 Hard: 84 sec (5:36 pace)                                98 sec (6:32 pace)                      -14 sec

Overall:

5.01 miles in 36:15

7:14 Average Pace

2.51 miles easy at 8:11 pace

2.5 miles hard at 6:26 pace

Pretty much dominated this workout!  This is after running 28.6 miles last week (new high) with a 10 mile long run on Sunday (new high).  

Some other notes:

• Wore my "racing shoes" today just to try them out... definitely using them for the race!
• 2nd mile split was 6:57 which is the tough mile of the course with 2 steep hills and one gradual one.
• Happened to cross paths with a biker going the same direction as me climbing the 2nd hill on the 2nd mile.  She was walking her bike up the hill and we were pretty much lined up as I crested the hill and started my 1st .50 hard.  I was basically running the same speed she was biking and this was distracting because I didn't really want to be racing a woman on a bike.  I figured she would think I was racing her and it was making me self conscious.  Not sure if this attributed to my slower .50 split relative to the rest of the workout although it is a slight uphill .50 and also my .25 recovery before was taken a bit too hard.
• During this workout I set some new achievements with fastest 1K, fastest 1mile, and fastest 5K... 6 seconds off my 1K... 15 seconds off my mile, 2 seconds off my 5K.... All without really meaning too!
• Still not sure how Nike Run Club achievements are calculated… I had my mile times at 6:26 between the 2.5 and 3.5 mark of my run... maybe since it didn't start at a mile split it doesn't count?  Doesn't really matter, its all for fun so I'll just take them as they come

Back from travel

Spent last week in Virginia for a work trip.

Some running highlights:

• Hit a mileage high for the week with 28.6 miles.
• Ran 7 times in a week (one 2 a day with Saturday off)
• Hit 10 miles on my long run at 8'34" pace and felt pretty good doing it (first double digit effort)
• Had one quality "fast" workout including a sub 7 minute mile. 
• Did a 2 miler on the boardwalk of Virginia beach (2nd run of the day)
• Hit a new step-count high for the week with 141,523

Followed up Sunday's long run with an 1 hour session on my stationary cycle yesterday.  Then 3 easy miles today at 8:43 pace.  Hoping to feel refreshed for a hard workout tomorrow as my 5K training cycle quickly closes.  

Had a couple of dreams the last two days... One on Sunday afternoon during a nap following my long  run I dreamed I was finishing up a marathon with a last lap around a track and that my legs would barely move... last night I dreamed that I had a break away to score a goal in a soccer game and that my legs would barely move... wonder if there's some deeper meaning here or if its just a reflection of my current fatigue level after the increased mileage.

Easy 3 miles

Three miles at easy pace today.

Average HR of 142 at a pace of 8:30.

Was encouraging to feel how easy 8:30 pace felt today.  Was discouraging that both shins hurt for the whole run.

I have been taken Ibuprofin before running but didn't today so that might partially account for the shin pain... not that that's a good thing.  Also, this was my third day in a row running with a hard day yesterday and my 4th day out of the last 5.

3 weeks until race time and after that I might have to back it off a bit to heal up... we'll see.

Maiden voyage on my new toy plus today's redemption workout

Last Thursday I had picked up a used Startrac Pro gym quality treadmill off Craiglist that a local health club was selling.  After a lot of straining and the addition of a 20 Amp dedicated outlet I was able to get the unit into the house and powered for running.

My main goal of the purchase was to have something I can use over the winter, but yesterday it was raining in the morning so I got the opportunity to try out my new toy.

2.5 mile recovery run at an 8:34 pace (7 MPH).  

The maiden voyage went great.  Haven't ran on a treadmill too much lately but I didn't experience my typical phobia of falling off the back so that was good.  Interestingly enough, I'd say my perceived exertion (5/10) was relatively high considering the pace which would of felt easier on an outdoor run.  However, my HR stayed at about 135 BPM (75% Max) which is on the low side for what I've typically been running.

I felt good after the run was done and for the rest of the day so I'd say the recovery run was a success.
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Today I had a harder workout schedule... I've been falling a bit flat at the track, not ever really being able to complete my intended workouts so I decided to switch it up and try a fartlek.

Here was the plan:  1 Mile Warmup... .25 Hard... .25 Recovery... .50 Hard... .50 Recovery... 1 Mile Hard… .50 Recovery... .50 Hard... .25 Recovery... .25 Hard

Here's the results:

Mile 1:  8:04 pace

.25 Hard: 98sec (6:32 pace)

.25 Easy: 123 sec (8:12 pace)

.50 Hard: 3:26  (6:52 pace)

.50 Easy: 4:02 (8:04 pace)

1 mile HARD: 7:04 pace

.50 Easy: 4:13 (8:26 pace)

.50 Hard: 3:20 (6:40 pace)

.25 Easy: 101 sec (8:44 pace)

.25 Hard: 98 sec (6:32 pace)

Overall:
5.02 miles in 37:53
7:32 Average Pace
2.52 miles easy at 8:15 pace
2.5 miles hard at 6:50 pace

I'm pumped after this workout.  It was very tough and I had to fight through it but I got it done and feel good now!  After Sundays disaster of a long run I feel redeemed.  24 days till my goal 5K race.

The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad run

Went out on Sunday for my long run and it was not good.

I had gone to a minor league baseball game the night before with a friend and had a few beers (actually like 5 of them).  I might not be a lightweight these days when it comes to stepping on the scale but I guess I am when it comes to drinking.  Wound up staying up past midnight and woke up the next morning feeling like crap... no excuses though so I hit the road at 8am for an 8 miler.

It started out okay... I didn't feel great but I took an easy pace and figured I'd run myself out of the funk:

Mile 1: 8:52
Mile 2: 8:40
Mile 3: 8:50

About mile 3 I started to feel exhausted.  The fact that it was 80 degrees on a humid sunny day wasn't helping.  Probably was a bit dehydrated as well.

Mile 4: 9:04

Really struggling now, but at this point I was 4 miles from home so no choice but to keep going.

Mile 5: 9:13

Got through the 5th mile and at this point I decided I needed to walk.  I walked for about a minute and then started running again...  and then started walking again... Wound up run/walking the last 3 miles.

Mile 6: 9:55
Mile 7: 9:54
Mile 8: 9:51

Got home, sprayed myself down with the hose, and chilled out the rest of the day.

Overall experience, not something I'd like to do all the time but I can take solace in the fact that I finished the workout and will hopefully reap the benefits down the road, on the road,

Final stats:
Distance: 8.07 miles
Time: 1:15:03
Pace: 9:18

Where have all the bloggers gone?

I started casually running/exercising about a year ago now.  I was getting older and needed to tune up my health... plus my kids are finally getting old enough that I can sneak in a workout without them needing my constant attention... which means getting up early before everyone is up.

These days I get up at 5:30 and count on the fact that my kiddos mostly sleep in till at least 7:00... and even if they do wake up early they can pour their own milk and keep themselves occupied while being mature and considerate enough to allow me to finish up my workout.

This February I turned 40 and started running/excising with more intensity.  Figured my window to run fast is closing and I'd still like to see what I can pull off if I can be consistent with training.

During my last wave of running (back in 2009-2010) I'd read other runners blogs for inspiration.  Recently I decided to look up my old blogs and started reading them.  Very nice and relatable to read about myself 10 years ago as I struggled through getting into shape, accompanied with the various training aches and pains.

Clicking through my old reading list there are not too many, if any, running blogs still active from 2010.  Interesting to see how the different people dropped the blogging over time.  Others seemed to have acquired their own domain name at a certain point and then decided eventually not to shoulder the continuous expenditure.  Those blogs seem to be gone for good with even the historical posts wiped clean.

My blog, was still there ready to be posted on... so I figured, might as well start posting again so maybe in 10 years, 50 year old me can look back and draw inspirations from his musings... pretty easy to write when your target audience is your future self.

Maybe if I ever need to keep my motivation up I'll go search out some of the other running bloggers and see what they have to say... wonder where they've gone?

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Today's training...  A hard 4 miles:

Distance:  4.03 miles
Time: 29:30
Pace: 7'19"

Notes:  Fastest 4 miles I've run in a long time and not the easiest course either with mile 2 being a very hilly section.

Mile 1: 7'38"
Mile 2: 7'29"
Mile 3: 7'11"
Mile 4: 6'56"

Looking at my HR data from my apple watch (which I somewhat question) I was in the 90% HR range pretty much from the 2nd mile to the end (between 162-165 BMP) if I use 180 as my max.  Maybe this is approaching my 10K pace at this point?  I was running hard but not full out... I'd put my perceived effort at a 7.5/10.

Overall this has been a good week of training.  I've had a few hard days and some good easy days as well.  My body has been responding well and I'm not feeling nearly as exhausted as normal.  Hope to get a long run in on Sunday to cap off the week.

My left shin is still hurting but feels okay while running after I've warmed up for the first mile.  Part of me knows that I should probably rest it but another part of me thinks that I have a 5K race coming up in less than a month and I would like to see how much fitness I can build by then.  Assuming it all holds together by then, maybe I'll rest it after the race (either that or more likely run a hilly half-marathon in September and rest it after that).

 

EASY BIKE DAY!

Milestone workout on my upright stationary bike today.

I started riding the bike consistently on Feb 26, 2018.  Starting as a benchmark workout and now for easy days, I will use the HR control program on the bike.  This program will run for 30 minutes plus a 3 minute warmup and 5 minute cool down.  During the first 3 minutes it will gradually bring your HR up to target pace (126 BPM for a 40 year old) and for the 30 minutes following it will adjust the intensity level every 15 seconds to maintain a HR of target pace +/- 15 seconds.

My first HR workout was on March 26, 2018.  During this workout I burned 264 calories over the 38 minutes resulting in a 6.95 cal/minute burn rate.  Today I set a new PB by burning 382 calories for a  10.05 cal/min burn rate.  First time over 10 for a HR workout!

Arbitrary for sure but a long time fitness goal for me.

2000K more at the track

This was my third track workout. 

2 X 1000 with 400 meter rest between the two.

I ran the first 1000 at 4:07.  The 400 meter rest in about 2 minutes and then the next 1000 in 4:03.   

Then I ran home, finishing the run strong.

Feeling pretty much good now and felt pretty good during the workout although the 1000 pace hurt some.

Some notes:

• Stretch, foam rolled, wore a compression sock on my left leg to work on a tight calf issue (which I think is also affecting my shin)… seemed to work okay as it didn't really bother me while I was actually running.
• Not sure if my fitness is to the point where I really should even be doing track workouts at all?  I keep cutting them short... 
• Probably could have done at least one more 1000 but I'm really trying not to completely over do it while wondering if I'm already overdoing it.
• Not sure 400 meter jog is enough rest for a 1000?
• Next week maybe a fartlek?

An almost easy, easy day

I actually ran an easy day today!

3.12 miles at 8:56 pace.  First mile was 9:06... sped up just a tad on the 3rd mile (8:47) to get my overall pace under 9:00 (just can't help myself even though I know it makes no sense).  Kept the HR under 140 which was better than normal as well.

My left calf has been super tight.  I rolled it out with the foam roller and stretched.   Legs are actually feeling better this morning after the run then they did before the run though.  Maybe there's some truth to the easy run theory after all.

Hoping for a track workout tomorrow assuming I'm feeling up for it.

Rest of the "rest" week

Thursday was the 4th of July.  I started out for an easy 3 at 9 mile pace but felt a hamstring twinge at 2.36 miles and stopped there.

My shins had been hurting and I was tired from being up watching fireworks and general sleep deprivation so I took Friday off.

Saturday I still felt the shins so I rode the stationary bike at hard effort for 45 minutes and then finished up with 2 miles in the afternoon heat.

Sunday I was feeling better so after watching USA Women's Soccer take the  World Cup I ran 6.30 miles at 8'28" pace in the summer afternoon...  Wife and kids are out of town for 2 weeks so I then slept all afternoon to recover and felt great.

50 minutes on the Bike this morning.

Right now my legs feel tired but not particularly injured.  Hope to do a recovery run tomorrow and then hit a good workout on Wednesday.

Run for the hills

Since this is an "easy" week I skipped the track today and instead ran 5 miles with 6 hill repeats sprinkled into the middle.

Hill repeats covered about 1.5 miles of the 5.  Pace/Efforts was pushed for the ascent.  Moderate pace for the rest of the mileage.

Last two miles were a struggle after the hills but a good workout overall.

Still having some tenderness in my left shin.  Ibuprofen before the run makes it go away but I can feel it later.  

Final stats:

Distance: 5.02 miles
Pace: 8:23
Fastest Mile: 7:54
Slowest Mile: 8:41

The day after

Yesterday's long run did a number on me.  I was sleepy all day...  Could barely keep my eyes open and took a couple short naps throughout the day.  My thoughts are this is partly due to my increasing training load but also partly due to me being sleep deprived throughout the week.  Having the kids out of school for the summer has thrown off the home schedule with them going to bed later... since I can't sleep in like the rest of the family this winds up resulting in me losing precious sleep hours.

After some sleep I still feel tired today but better than yesterday.  Felt good enough to way up at 5:30 am and get in 1:03:00 (~20 miles) on the bike this morning (Moderate effort).

In terms of aches and pains I'm doing pretty well... my left shin, which has been the most problematic is still sore to the touch but otherwise is not bothering me while running or otherwise.  My left and right ITB can be borderline tight but don't seem significant to worry about right now.