ITB BS

 Last night my IT bands were tight for the first time in a while and my hips were barking at me.  Not an unusual feeling as I've felt not quite right in these areas for years now but the last month or so they suddenly stopped bothering me and I thought maybe I've worked through it but last night it was back.  

Maybe just a culmination of a couple days off and then running hard?  Or driving in the car, running hard, and then sitting all day?  Feeling a bit better today at least.

Ran another 9 miles today at 7:55 pace.  Mostly just running easy.  Felt more normal than yesterday anyway.  Last thing I need is issues popping up when I'm getting ready to taper.  Technically I'm tapering already but I don't feel like I've trained all that hard that a full 3 weeks is required so it's more like a 2 week taper.  

It's finally getting cool but it's also staying dark.  To get in 9 miles before work I'm running my first mile in the dark pretty much.  leaving the house at 6:10 and not getting done to 7:20.  If I want to get more miles in I have to run faster to squeeze it in.  I'll be back on the treadmill soon and I'm dreading it... once I readjust it wont be bad but right now I can't even think about it.

One year fitter

 I ran 2068 miles last year at an average pace pf 7:58.  This year I'm at 1880 miles at an average pace of 7:54.  I don't know if that 4 seconds faster really means anything?  My easy runs might be slightly faster but not significantly... not sure if I have a point here, just thinking out loud.

A lot of times I wonder if I run too easy.  Nothing wrong with easy runs easy but i'm not sure if I run enough workouts.  I got some track workouts in over the summer and I had a handful of hard lactic sessions in the spring but more often than not I'll run longer rather then faster.  Part of this is staying within my limits and avoiding getting hurt.  Eventually I'll need to push it but right now I'm steadily improving and I'm happy with that.

It's not that I never push it.  Today I ran harder than most days.  I pushed it... not sure if I pushed it enough.  Maybe in the gray area.  Had the HR in the 150s but barely breached the 160s.  Last year I used to get it into the upper 160s more often (I think).  Last year it really hurt.  I'd go run 8 miles at 6:53 pace and my stomach would hurt and cramp for the next few hours.

Today I ran 9 miles at 6:49 pace... I was pushing it but it was also pretty easy.  It was probably the fastest I could run without actually hurting.  I was at about 6:55 pace the first 7 miles.  I'd zone out and lose some pace and then pick it back up.  Last 2 miles were 6:34 and 6:17.  Those 2 miles felt harder but even then my HR was still at around 160.  

I wonder if 3 miles easy, 3 miles at 6:10, then 3 miles easy would be a more productive way to run 9 miles?... But I like running medium fast for longer distances.  I don't know why but I just love that feeling 7 miles into a run where I should be tired but I'm still just cruising along at sub 7 pace and now instead of being tired I'm running even faster and even after mile 9 I could have kept going.

Last year I ranked my top 10 runs and I put 9 miles at 6:51 pace as my #1 run of the year... this year I can run that easily.  I could probably run 9 mile at 6:51 pace once a week if I really wanted.  9 miles today at 6:49 was way easier then when I ran 6:51 last year.  

This year 10 miles at 6:33 pace is probably my number 1 run... that or my sub-18 5K. 

So if 6:33 pace is my new 6:51 pace, then maybe next year I'll be running 6:20 for 10 miles at my peak and 6:30 will be manageable?  

16 more days between today and marathon time.  Expectations are tempered.  I'm almost looking past it.  Almost guaranteed a PR unless something tragic happens.  

< 3 Weeks out

 Solid 17 miler on Sunday on a very hilly course.  I ran a loop I'd been eyeing for a while but didn't have the guts to try because of all the hills.  According to Strava it was 1000 ft total gain which is probably not a lot if you live in the mountains but is a ton when you live in central Illinois where it pretty much equates to constant rolling hills.

I didn't run particularly fast 8:13 average pace but it was also fairly easy.  I was squeezed for time because my daughter had a couple soccer games so I got out early, which was probably for the best because it wound up being a hot day.  

Heat didn't effect my run too much although I did stop after 16 miles for some water at the track.  After the water stop I contemplated running 2 more miles but as I got close to home I said screw it... 17 will do and took the easy route.  Could have run 18 no problem but I'm starting to get into the taper mentality.

Got another 7+ miles in this morning at 8:30 pace.  Also felt quite easy.  

I'm travelling for work again this week for a couple days which will probably result in a day or two off from running?  

We'll see though.  Don't plan on cutting mileage too much this week but with 20 more days to the marathon I'm not going to worry about pushing it.  

Another drop in the bucket

 8.31 more miles at 7:34 pace.  Average HR of 139.  After feeling kind of crappy for about a week, I'm suddenly feeling fit again.  Garmin VO2 max dropped to 59 on Tuesday but is back up to 61 after today.  I figured I was just tired from training but not sure what caused it to go back up.  It's not like I've taken any days off.

If I run 4.80 miles tomorrow I'll have hit my highest mile week to date.  

I kind feel myself getting more and more crazy as my race approaches.

Almost there

 Just back from another work trip.  Lots of driving really wears me down these days.  I'm powering through though.

20 more miles on Sunday (2nd week in a row with a 20 mile long run).  This one was tougher (and slower) than the previous week.  Weather was much hotter and legs were much more tired as well.  Still kept it under 8 minute pace on average but just barely.

5 slower miles on Monday at 8:47 pace before driving 6 hours to Nebraska.  Slowest recovery run in a while.

Worked all day Tuesday and drove several more hours.  But then miraculously I dragged myself out for a run and wound up running 10 more miles on the Cowboy trail out of Norfolk.  Planned to do 5 miles but then just kept going and next thing I know it was 10.  This was my first afternoon run in quite a while.  Body is not used to that but I felt okay.  Worked pretty hard in the afternoon sun and still barely held a sub 8 minute pace.  Unlike Sunday's 20 miler the last few miles were the quickest and felt the best so that was good.

Woke up the next day and squeezed in another 10K worth of mileage at 8:35 pace on the Cowboy trail again...  once I find a route to run when I'm travelling for work I usually stick to it... exploring new places is great and all but it's nice to find some consistency where you can.  More work and then a 7 hour drive home.  Got home late and tired.

Still woke up at 5am this morning and got in 10 more miles.  This time at 7:05 pace.  Felt way better then I have the last few days.  Maybe just being home and getting a night of sleep in my own bed?  The didn't necessarily mean to run quite this fast but today this was the pace that felt good... well, really 7:10 pace felt good and pushing a few miles here or there had me down at 7:05 pace.  

I officially have 3 more days until my 3 week taper starts.  Not sure how much I'll actually taper next week but I'm looking forward to it.  I really have hardly any unexpected soreness or injury right now but my legs are definitely tired and I'm looking forward to getting some pep back in my step.

Back on pace

 Easy run today...  5.33 miles in 45 minutes (8:26 pace).  The weather is finally cool but now I'm running around tired all the time from the mileage.  Just need to make it about 9 more days to the taper!

Not to tired to prevent me from knocking out 60 more pushups and 60 more pullups (3 sets of 20)...  Yep, I can just go ahead and do 20 pullups whenever I want at this point.  I'm not going to say that it's easy, but it's not that hard either.  At this point, I feel like pullups are this secret talent that I'll never get to use.  Maybe one day I'll get lucky and find myself hanging on the edge of a cliff and will have to pull myself up to save myself.

Anyway, with the 60 more pullups I'm officially back on pace for the year (on pace for 10013.7 to be exact)... for now anyway.

Tired legs, don't care

 Still recovering from my 20 miler I reckon...  but I haven't really pushed myself very far into fatigue this marathon training cycle and I'm quickly running out of time.  Sooooo... 12 miles more miles today.

I got out the door at 5:50 and then ran the pace I needed to get back in time for work, running a course that had previously only been used for weekend long runs.  

The first 20 minutes were in the dark and although there wasn't a lot of traffic I spent the time zig-zagging back and forth across the road to avoid the cars I did encounter.  First mile was 7:23 and felt okay... then 7:11, 7:13, 7:16, 7:19, 7:23...  I felt okay through mile 3 but then started struggling as the pace started to drop.  I just wasn't feeling great... nothing specific, just fatigue I think.

About 6.5 miles in I started to feel a bit better and a very steep downhill section at the end of mile 7 helped my average pace, dropping it from 7:18 to 7:16 with a 7:07 mile.  Things slipped again mile 8 as I ran a 7:22.

Now I had 4 miles left and I could at least see the light at the end of the tunnel.  7:09, 7:08, 7:09, 6:58 for the last 4 miles.  Finished strong with an effort to maintain form.  Legs are fatigued but it's not like I'm falling asleep at my desk.  

Final Stats:
12.04 miles
1:26:59
7:13 pace

That's 12 miles under my planned marathon pace on tired legs...  not the same confidence boost as running 10 at 6:33 pace a week ago but I'm probably still recovering from that 10.

I knocked out 2 sets of 50 pushups and 2 sets of 20 pulls ups between my run and work as well so I moved the bar a bit there.  

Kind of having trouble envisioning my next few weeks of training but I'm sure it will work itself out.

Another 20 in the bank

 2nd 20 mile run of this training block.  I was extremely pleased with my first 20 mile run 2 weeks ago but I'm elated with this one.

I hit the Rock Island trail at about 8am on Sunday and the weather was fairly comfortable in the low 60s.  After running my 10 mile PR on Thursday I didn't have high asperations for pace and planned to just cruise at a comfortable effort.

I hit the first mile in 7:58 and thought 8 minute pace would be just fine.  After loosening up in that first mile I naturally sped up and hit a metronomic 7:43, 7:45, 7:44, 7:43 for the next 4 miles.  I dropped my Gatorade bottle off at the picnic table at the 4.5 mark after taking a few swigs and then continued on. 

For the next segment between the picnic table and Wyoming I focused on cruising and running extra easy.  Pace slowed slightly but not much... 7:48, 7:50, 7:51.   About 8 miles in I hit my flow and things started picking up.  I ran through the town of Wyoming at a 7:38 pace before reengaging with the trail for about 1 more mile at 7:43 pace. 

After the turn around point it always start to feel easier, just from the fact of knowing that every step is in the direction of my final destination.  I ran a 7:37 11th mile back through Wyoming before stopping briefly for water break at the bathrooms at the Wyoming trail head... then I hoofed it back onto the trail.  

4.25 miles to my Gatorade and I started to push the pace.  7:31 and then 7:17 for miles 12 and 13.  I thought Woah, that was pretty easy for 7:17 and that's near my planned marathon pace.  Might as well run a few more marathon pace miles at least until I get to my Gatorade.  7:14, 7:08 for mile 14 and 15.  Halfway through mile 16 I got to the picnic table and right where my Gatorade had been about an hour and a half before sat a slovenly looking man writing in a notebook.  I asked him "you didn't happen to see a Gatorade bottle there did you?"... He claimed ignorance.  I looked in the trash and there it was.  Weird, I probably saw like 2 other people on the trail during the entire run... must have been one of them who threw it away.  

Now I was thirsty and tired and craving sugar.  My only respite was back at the Dollar General where I parked my car.  Decided to run the last 4.5 miles on pure hate.

7:11 for mile 16, 7:17 for mile 17...  Just wanted to power through to mile 18 and then I could let off?  7:01 for mile 18.   I was tired but tried to hold my form... 7:04 for mile 19.  One more mile left and I was counting off by .05 increments... 6:52 last mile.

Total Stats:

20.01 miles
2:30:09
7:30 avg pace

7:47 pace for the first 10 miles

7:14 pace for the last 10 miles

7:05 pace for the last 5 miles

Came out of this workout with great confidence... Heart rate was in the 140s until mile 15 and 150 exactly for mile 15 and 16.  Finally hit in the 160s for the last 2 mile, averaging 163 for the last mile and peaking at 171 as I sprinted to the finish...  So despite a really solid pace (for the distance), I wasn't even close to taking it to the well.

On the other hand after an off day on Monday I ran 7.44 miles at 8:27 pace on Tuesday and 8.06 miles today at 7:58 pace.  HR was fine but my legs still felt fairly zapped.  Not sure if running the whole way with basically no fuel made an impact?  32 days til the marathon... one more 20 miler in my plans and then recovery.

2021 Goals Update

Its been quite a while since an update.  Truth be told, I didn't want to admit how bad I'd fallen off my pull-ups.  It's getting better after some catch up so here we go.

1. 10,000 pushups:  7370 on pace for 10717.  I never do pushups anymore.  Finally did 50 this morning.  They were harder than they should have been (actually they were exactly how they should have been since I don't do pushups any more).  This goal is probably too easy which is why I keep procrastinating.  I really need to work these back in and just get them done.

2. 7500 10,000 pulls ups: 6841 on pace for 9948.  Behind pace now but considering I was down to 9700 pace last week not too bad.  Feel like I'm drowning on these a bit... keep bobbing under water and then barely making it back up for air.  Just need to hang on for less than 4 more months.

3. 26 Hours on the Bike:   18:56 for the year... Still haven't biked since May.  Still plan to bike in October after the marathon.

4. 2021 miles: 1765 miles puts me on pace for 2566.  Will probably lose pace a bit when I taper and recover but I should hit 2021.  Kind of shooting for 2500 miles.  We'll see though.  I'm not as worried about the marathon as I used to be but still need to take recovery serious... definitely more important to recover long term than chase arbitrary mileage numbers... anyway, if I hit 2000+ miles for the second year in a row I'll be pleased.

  

Brimming with excitement

 Damn... I needed that.  Woke up on time, got myself into the right place in a decent amount of time for once (wake up, get dressed, coffee, bathroom, stretch, etc)..  It finally cooled off and it's looking like September is going to be a good month.  54 degrees and low humidity as I headed out the door this morning at about 6am.  I just plain felt good and was ready for a good solid effort.   Plan was 10 solid miles... Didn't have an exact time goal up figured sub-7 minute pace would be reasonable and even would have been okay at 7:15 pace.  

I started my first mile pretty fast.  I could tell my legs were turning over well and I knew I was probably sub-7 but I was feeling good and it was the first mile so I figured I'd start out strong and then could settle in.  I made a point not to just run by what felt right and not check my watch until the mile split.  I was pleased but not completely surprised when I hit that first mile in 6:33.  

I continued strong into the 2nd mile.  Down a hill smooth then up the next hill not quite as smooth and split a 6:36.  Still cruising and my mind started to wander a bit... this used to happen to me all the time on runs in my younger years but just recently started happening for me again.  I hit mile 3 at 6:51.  

When I saw the 6:51 I figured I must be slowing down.  Wondered if I would continue to slow down and bounce around the 7 min mile pace.  I refocused a bit for mile 4 but still tried not to push too hard.  Hit mile 4 at 6:39.  

I thought, 6:39 is probably a bit fast but maybe I'll bank some time early and cruise in to a good overall pace even if I slow down for the 2nd half of the run.  Kept cruising into mile 5 and wound up zoning out some more and missed seeing the mile split (6:43).  Still relaxed for mile 6 and hit another 6:43.

Now 4 miles left and I was on the back stretch of my typical 7 mile run.  It's a 1 mile straight away on pretty much completely flat ground.  The first (and really only) mile without any significant hills.  At the end of mile 6 my HR was averaging 157 and I didn't feel like I was aerobically over-exerting at all.  But as I came to the end of mile 7 my legs started feeling some discomfort and fatigue.  I was able to utilize a mind trick I had stumbled upon during my summer track workouts... it's hard to explain exactly but if I focus too much on the leg pain I start to tighten up but if I refocus and mute the signals from the legs I can almost ignore them and then they loosen up and I run more smoothly.  In this case, I focused on what it would take to keep the legs relaxed and wound up picking up the cadence as a result going from about 180 spm early in the run up to about 187 spm.  With the upped cadence I wound up hitting a 6:38, my fastest mile since mile 2.  

Now I had 3 miles left.  I was thinking, I needed to keep cruising for that 8th mile and if I felt good I'd start picking it up the last 2 miles.  My HR was still right under 160 for mile 7.  HR stayed under 160 for mile 8 but running with the upped cadence I wound up running a 6:29.  

I was almost euphoric after that 8th mile.  Sub 6:30 pace for my 8th mile and it felt easy! Now with 2 miles left I started to push it just a bit.  The first half of mile 9 is uphill but the 2nd half is downhill.  Still wasn't pushing too hard and split a 6:17.  

I'm still feeling good but now I'm ready to actually push it.  I finally take my HR over 160.  Still staying relaxed but I'm not comfortable anymore and I'm glad there's only a mile left.  My 9.5 miles I'm hurting, counting down to the finish in .01 increments.  It's all downhill the last .5 miles though so I'm moving fast.  I'm going hard as I turn the corner towards my house and for some reason my watch measured the course a bit shorter than normal today so I still have .05 left.  Now I'm sprinting, giving it my all and waiting for my watch to vibrate to let me know I hit 10 miles (6:01 split).  It finally vibrates and I cruise to a stop.

Final Stats:
10.01 miles
1:05:37
6:33 avg. pace

10 mile PR by 2:24, 15K PR by 2:19, and my 2nd fastest 10K on Strava.  19:27 for my last 5K.

Wrapped it up with a 1+ mile cooldown at ~8 min pace.

I think I'll have tired legs tomorrow but as of now, I still feel good.  High energy, no stomach issues, legs moving fine. 

Probably a bit more intense of a workout than I should be doing right now but after mile after mile of long slow distance, sometimes I just need to get out and use that fitness a bit!

Quick Check in

 Been too busy to post but wanted to at least check in.

Ended august with 229.35 miles and ran 64.58 miles last week which is .08 off my all time high.  

Ran 15.5 miles on Sunday at 7:53 pace through heat and then rain.

Took a much needed day off from running on Monday but instead woke up early drove 6 hours worked 6 hours then drove 6 hours home for the 2nd time in 3 weeks.   The travel is exhausting and resulted in me pacing around a rest area at 10:30 at night to get my steps in.

Yesterday (Tuesday) I ran 5 miles at 8:26 pace and felt like crap.

Today (Wednesday) I started off my run feeling like crap but eventually found a rhythm during the 5th mile and wound up doing 10.38 miles at 7:48 pace.  

The weather finally broke and it was in the lower 60s today but still humid.  Tomorrow is supposed to bein the 50s and I hope to really break one off for the first time in a while.

It starting to get light later in the morning as the days get shorter and it's about to start cramping my style.  I don't like running around town when it's dark but I'm going to have to figure something out at least through September because I don't have enough time to get in 10+ miles during the week unless I start at 6am or earlier.

I've been trying to keep up with my pull ups but the longer runs have really been squeezing me on time. I'm just trying to not fall to far off on pace and figure I will have to catch up once my marathon training is over.

Hopefully I'll post again tomorrow, brimming with excitement and confidence after a solid fast/long effort.