So I’ve really never established any regular blogging habits. Instead of trying to blog once a day, my new goal is at least one update per week.
July training recap – one week at a time (just the highlights and totals):
07.05 – 07.11
Monday 07.05 15.3M (2:01:02) A long, slow run the day after the Firecracker 4K – a bit more than I was planning.
Wednesday 07.07 13M treadmill (1:19:28) Building to just under my LT heart rate (going with 145-155 for an LT range), and holding it there through 10M, then gradually back down over next 3M
Saturday 07.10 20.3M (2:37:56) City Park – Denver. Ran my first long run as a coach for BoldRunning – helping out the 7-8:00 pace groups for marathon/half-marathon. This run consisted of ~9M with group members, and another 11 or so tagged on afterwards as the morning continued to heat up. Ugh. More on the BoldRunning gig later.
Sunday 07.11 20M treadmill (2:40:00) A bit of an experiment here, with back to back 20 milers, but this one was quite easy. I dialed in at 8:00/M pace, and was excited to see just how easy it was – AHR101/MHR107.
Weekly Total = 108M (+ 5M elliptical)
07.12 – 07.18
Wednesday 07.14 8K Tempo @ Erie Middle School (EMS) Track (29:55.4) AHR146/MHR154 on a very warm morning. My left foot was a bit sore during run, and my left calf was a bit tight/sore during warm-up.
Thursday 07.15 13M treadmill, easy (1:26:52)
Saturday 07.17 20.5M on Highline Canal Trail (HCT) in (2:43:55). BoldRunning: ran 8M solo before the group run, and then spent time running with different group runners. Got warm by end of run, but we were done by around 9 am, so not too bad on a day that hovered around 100 degrees.
Sunday 07.18 10.4M (1:14:16). Ran first 5.2M while RG rode her bike and Niwot ran along side me (39:33), then dropped them at home and repeated the same local course for another 5.2M (34:43). I really felt good on a morning that was quickly turning hot. Strong.
Weekly Total = 76.55M (+ 20K rowing, 5M elliptical, 1 running day off)
07.19 – 07.25
Tuesday 07.20 4.05M Tempo Run @ Teller Farm (TF) in (24:23.7) AHR148/MHR159. Rained on me a little bit (nice with how hot it’s been)
Friday 07.23 3.84M Tempo Run @ Thomas Res near my place (22:40.5) AHR148/MHR152. Felt better and quicker here than on Tuesday.
Saturday 07.24 20.3M on HCT (2:38:06). BoldRunning: ran 6M solo (44:16), then 14.3M with different members of group. AHR112/MHR129.
Sunday 07.25 15M treadmill (1:59:55). Stuck it on 8:00/M and sat there – just like 07.11, but shorter, and even lower HR #s: AHR98/MHR104.
Weekly Total = 71.7M (+ 16K rowing, 13.5M elliptical, 2 running days off)
07.26 – 07.31
Wednesday 07.28 3M shakeout in AM on treadmill (22:35). In the evening…
Freeman Myre Corporate Challenge “Elite Race”5K: 16:45, 17th Male, 2nd Masters. Peter Hegelbach nicely coordinated a rare team racing night, with 5 of us running (Justin, James, GZ, Peter and myself – see the official results here). There seemed to be the feeling that a) the course might have been a touch short, but that b) the 6 hairpin turns kind of negated the shortness. I know GZ GPS’d it short, but others were just going off of time, I guess – I don’t get how the turns then negated the shortness. Whatever. I was pretty happy with the effort. I hit the first loop in 5:25, slowed to a 5:39, but held solid on the 3rd circuit with a 5:41. My form is feeling off – my left foot was bothering me some, my left leg bowing seems to have tweaked my form some more, and it just added up to a less than smooth gait. Tagged on ~7M for a warm-down with GZ and James that was a bit quicker than I was expecting. I’ve got some work to do…
Saturday 07.31 21M on HCT (2:49:25). BoldRunning: Ran 5.5M solo before group run, and 15.5M during, sharing time between Megan and Greg. Solid effort on both of their parts for 2+ hours. Warm – and more humid than normal for CO.
Monthly Total = 350.6M (+ 60K rowing, 31.5M elliptical)
Sunday 08.01 20M treadmill (2:39:58) AHR105/MHR111. Later – 2M @ EMS track with RG.
Weekly Total = 84.3M (+ 16K rowing, 4M elliptical, 1 running day off)
While I didn’t plan to have my usual marathon build-up heading into the Boulder Marathon, I don’t know if I’ll be able to prepare the way I want and need to reach an acceptable level of success. I haven’t ruled it out, and there’s still 1.5 months to go, but I’m also being pulled in a different direction. I’m still quite interested in the Bear Chase Trail Race 50M down in Lakewood on 10.03. And with that in mind, I’m going to be performing an experiment next Sunday, 08.08:
The Highline Canal Trail 38M Experiment
So there’s a 19M unpaved section of the HCT that runs from Colorado/Hampden to County Line Rd. On a couple of occasions (several years ago), I’ve attempted to run this entire section as an out & back, and crashed and burned both times. Once, I even had to call a cab to get back to my car.
Since then, it’s always been stuck in my brain as an unfulfilled goal. In the past, I was more fit, but I know that part of my issue was simply running too fast. I aim to correct that next weekend. I haven’t decided on a pace/HR quite yet, but what I’ve learned from some of these long, easy, low HR workouts on the treadmill is that I can run 8:00/M pace on the treadmill for a long time, and keep my HR around 100. Now, I can run quicker on the treadmill than outside at most any HR, but I figure that the key is to find an easy pace at a low HR (100? 105? 110?), and just hang out there and pile up the miles on the trail.
My main concern is how my body will hold up structurally – specifically my feet (damn left foot), my Achilles, and my neck/upper back that tends to tighten up on extra-long runs.
My longest outdoor run has been a 35M run that I completed back in 2005 (I also ran 40M on a treadmill in my basement, but that’s another story). I’m planning for a run that could take 5:30, depending on how things go. I’m undecided if I want to just maintain that low HR/slow pace, or pick it up if I’m feeling good in the 2nd half of the run. I hope to start some time around 4:30 AM to beat the heat, as that would have me finishing by 10 AM if things go OK. I’m still sorting out the fueling/hydrating logistics – more later on that. The exciting (and scary) thing about this experiment is that I really DON'T know if I can pull it off.
If things go well during and after this 38M adventure, I’ll likely be signing up for the 50M. And I’ll probably go check out the 12.5M loop at Bear Creek Lake Park the following Sunday (08.15) to see what I’d be in for.
Past that, I’d like to run the 5000m at the Boulder Road Runners All-Comers meet on 08.19. And I still like the idea of running in the Coal Creek Challenge 10M on Labor Day.
In the meantime, I need to get my eating and weight in order. My weight has crept up over the past few weeks – I average 179# this week, and I’m very much heading in the wrong direction. Stop it.
Again (to me!) - I'll be updating at least once a week.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
07.04.10: Back in the game.
Last race:
- July 26, 2006
- West End 3K
- KG wasn't born yet
- RG wasn't running races yet
- I had a bad left foot - neuroma, stress-fractured sesamoid, achy achilles
Today:
- July 4th, 2010
- Firecracker 4K - almost a full 4 years since my last race
- 13:37 - 2nd Overall - 1st 40-49 (winner Lendon Hartshorn 13:20)
- RG 22:04 - 4th 8-12
- KG ran a kids' race
- My left foot isn't perfect, but it's a heck of a lot better, and has let me put in some big miles and just maybe some good racing.
Today really worked out to be an ideal race to see where I'm at purely off of aerobic base work. Based on Wednesday's tempo run, I settled on sub-14:00 as a tough but realistic goal. I figured the race would be somewhat of a low key affair, and that turned out to be pretty accurate.
When the gun went off, it was back to old times, meaning I was quickly left behind by all the "kids" who sprinted out. The "kid" who went to the front was 20-year old Lendon Hartshorn, who proceeded to gap everyone in the field. I was in about 10th place at the first turn (from Powers St @ the Erie Community Center north onto the sidewalk paralleling Erie Parkway), but closed quickly on the stocky guy wearing headphones. I started to reel in a loose pack of guys which included Dean Maruna and a handful of other guys. A little after the 2nd turn (from the sidewalk onto S.Briggs St), I had moved past those guys and had my sights set on the guy in 2nd. As we approached the 1M mark, I caught him and moved past. He hung pretty close for awhile, but I lost track of him. I hit the mile in 5:25, and thought "that's a little quicker than I was thinkin', but it was somewhat downhill and I feel decent." Hartshorn had a healthy lead at this point, which I measured at :26 at the turnaround (6:19 vs 6:45) at Briggs/Evans. Heading back south on Briggs, I realized I had 2nd tied up unless I completely fell apart. I also realized that it was going to take one hell of a finish for me to win it. I seemed to gain a few seconds on the return trip down Briggs, but as I passed 2M in 11:05 (5:40), I probably gained more on one curvy section as we approached Erie Parkway. Hartshorn was content to follow the lead bike, which just followed the curve of the road, while I, the sneaky veteran ran the tangent. By the final turn, his lead was down to 17 seconds, but there wasn't much left, and that was all I could gain on him. My last .485M(?) was in 2:32.
So, my overall pace was just under 5:29/M. While the race was a pretty short distance, I'm pretty happy to be able to handle that pace coming off of pure base training at mostly slower than 7:00 miles and a heart rate capped at 130.
I'm not sure what's next - it just feels good to be back in the game.
In other news, next Saturday I'll start coaching the Saturday / Long Run group for BoldRunning. I had a good talk with Ewen North on Friday, and I've committed to coaching through the end of the program on October 17th. Looking forward to that...
More later...
Checked out the Boulder Four on the Fourth results - I'm confident about getting "all the way" back (whatever that means?), but I made the right choice about what 4K to run for my first race back. Saw at least a couple of guys doubled with the Superior Downhill Mile. Fun. Yeah, seeing James @ 13:01 and Ken @ 13:31 as the top 2 masters guys shows me the work I need to do and inspires me to do it. All things being equal (which they weren't), my time would have placed me 16th in Boulder today.
The morning's warm-up, race and warm-down netted me 9M, and I just added another 7M on the treadmill (48:58) for 16M on the day, and 50M for the week. In a change from the last several weeks, I compensated for the reduced running mileage with 26K rowing and 14M on the elliptical. So, 50M of running and ~30 "miles" of cross-training still gave me some solid volume for the week.
Next week will bring more running miles, a long run and a tempo run. I haven't seen the training plan for the BoldRunning group, but I think this Saturday calls for only a 75-80 minute run. I'm not sure how I'll work in those long runs yet. I'll know more when I see the full schedule and get a feel for how quick and long those runs go.
Have a happy and safe 4th.
Checked out the Boulder Four on the Fourth results - I'm confident about getting "all the way" back (whatever that means?), but I made the right choice about what 4K to run for my first race back. Saw at least a couple of guys doubled with the Superior Downhill Mile. Fun. Yeah, seeing James @ 13:01 and Ken @ 13:31 as the top 2 masters guys shows me the work I need to do and inspires me to do it. All things being equal (which they weren't), my time would have placed me 16th in Boulder today.
The morning's warm-up, race and warm-down netted me 9M, and I just added another 7M on the treadmill (48:58) for 16M on the day, and 50M for the week. In a change from the last several weeks, I compensated for the reduced running mileage with 26K rowing and 14M on the elliptical. So, 50M of running and ~30 "miles" of cross-training still gave me some solid volume for the week.
Next week will bring more running miles, a long run and a tempo run. I haven't seen the training plan for the BoldRunning group, but I think this Saturday calls for only a 75-80 minute run. I'm not sure how I'll work in those long runs yet. I'll know more when I see the full schedule and get a feel for how quick and long those runs go.
Have a happy and safe 4th.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
06.30.10: Tempo Run!
This morning I headed over to the Rock Creek Trail off of 120th in Lafayette.
After an out & back warm-up on the trail (3.5M @ 26:06), I headed back to my car for a shoe change. I recently picked up a pair of Arch1000 insoles and a couple pairs of metatarsal pads for a new experiment with my feet and shoes. I wore the new insole/metatarsal pad combo in an old (but with relatively little mileage on them) pair of Brooks Racer STs.
I hit the trail for the tempo run at around 6:30, and it went pretty well, with my feet feeling fine.
Details:
3.5M (20:35.4)
AHR=145/MHR=157 (:32@HR155+ / 11:14@HR145-155)
Out: 10:38.2 (AHR141)
Back: 9:57.2 (AHR149)
I decided a few days ago to go with a HR of 145-155 for a tempo/lactate threshold guesstimate range (T/LTGR), and that seemed about right. That said, I don’t know how much faster I could run, so maybe it’s a bit high of a HR. I felt pretty solid and felt like I ran pretty evenly. The out & back numbers probably reflect the fact that it’s a net uphill on the way out. I hit 2.5M (just over the 4K race distance for Sunday) at 14:56, and the entire run was worked out to 14:36/4K pace. My early thoughts are that sub 14:30 should be very do-able, and that sub 14:00 might be within reach. More on all that later.
In the meantime, I’m just psyched to be BACK doing quality workout. It’s been a LONG time. Yippee for me!
I put in a 2M cool-down and headed home (9M on the day, a mere 18.9M for the week, but a solid 409.7M for June).
After an out & back warm-up on the trail (3.5M @ 26:06), I headed back to my car for a shoe change. I recently picked up a pair of Arch1000 insoles and a couple pairs of metatarsal pads for a new experiment with my feet and shoes. I wore the new insole/metatarsal pad combo in an old (but with relatively little mileage on them) pair of Brooks Racer STs.
I hit the trail for the tempo run at around 6:30, and it went pretty well, with my feet feeling fine.
Details:
3.5M (20:35.4)
AHR=145/MHR=157 (:32@HR155+ / 11:14@HR145-155)
Out: 10:38.2 (AHR141)
Back: 9:57.2 (AHR149)
I decided a few days ago to go with a HR of 145-155 for a tempo/lactate threshold guesstimate range (T/LTGR), and that seemed about right. That said, I don’t know how much faster I could run, so maybe it’s a bit high of a HR. I felt pretty solid and felt like I ran pretty evenly. The out & back numbers probably reflect the fact that it’s a net uphill on the way out. I hit 2.5M (just over the 4K race distance for Sunday) at 14:56, and the entire run was worked out to 14:36/4K pace. My early thoughts are that sub 14:30 should be very do-able, and that sub 14:00 might be within reach. More on all that later.
In the meantime, I’m just psyched to be BACK doing quality workout. It’s been a LONG time. Yippee for me!
I put in a 2M cool-down and headed home (9M on the day, a mere 18.9M for the week, but a solid 409.7M for June).
Sunday, June 27, 2010
06.27.10: Done with MAF
Catching up...
Wednesday 06.23.10
Bike to Work (BTW) was fun, except that it fell into my danger zone – free food. Fortunately, much of the free food was food like bars, cereal and yogurt that I could save for another time. Fun time, though – got 32+ miles on the bike for the day.
With BTW in the morning I didn’t get my run in until late: 11.6M treadmill (1:19:52).
Thursday 06.24.10
AM 5M from the house (38:19) – 3M w/ Niwot, 2M solo. All easy.
PM 9.9M (1:34:01) @ Heil Valley Ranch. It was HOT, so I headed to some shade, and even though it was still quite warm and the sweat was pouring, I had a nice run.
Friday 06.25.10
AM 8M treadmill (55:03)
PM 2M easy w/ RG (20:21)
Saturday 06.26.10
AM 3M WU @ Peak to Peak track (22:47)
8K MAF Track Test @ Peak to Peak track (34:38.1) AHR127/MHR132 , 1:58@MAF+ / 32:25@MAF. 1600m splits (AHR):
6:53.5(126)
6:58.3(127)
6:59(126)
6:54.4(127)
6:52.9(128)
Avg 1600m = 6:55.62
7.13M WD @ Rock Creek Trail. Measured a few out & back points for upcoming tempo runs.
Sunday 06.27.10
AM 20M (2:44:30) AHR114/MHR129. Started in Superior @ Singletree TH – dirt rd (66th?) – Community Ditch tr – Doudy Draw tr – Flatiron Vista South tr – Flatiron Vista North tr – High Plains tr – Coalton tr – McCaslin Rd – Singletree TH.
Legs were a bit sleepy, and I was concerned about my R hamstring, so I kept this one pretty low key, just putting together a nice loop – even the road section wasn’t too bad or too long. My hamstring held up fine, and seems to be feeling better when I’m not running as well.
Totals: Week 100M / Month 390.8M
So I’m done with MAF for now. I piled up 1218.6M over the past 13 weeks, so 93.7M/week, with the last 8 weeks @ 100M+, and with 20M+ runs for each of the last 5 weeks.
I’d like to be a little lighter (averaging about 177#), but it’s better than 10# heavier where I’ve spent too much time. I’m looking forward to ditching the heart rate monitor for many of my runs, and excited about (cautiously?) kicking things up a bit.
I stopped by the Erie Community Center to see if they had any information on next Sunday’s Firecracker 4K. They had a small flyer for the race, but no map of the race. All I know is that the course is supposed to start @ Erie Community Park and then head to Erie Parkway and Briggs Street. Not sure from that point. I was trying to find out because RG also wants to race, and would be running a race solo for the first time, so I wanted to make sure she couldn’t get lost and would be comfortable enough to do it on her own.
Glancing at the flyer, I discovered a problem. The age groups listed started at “10-12” and towards the top of the flyer it stated “Ages 10+.”
What? Erie Parks & Rec is putting on a race and they’re not going to let runners younger than 10 run a race less than 2.5M? Does RG need to enter as K.Switzer? Now they are supposed to be having free kids races after the 4K, but I’m not expecting much from them. I don’t recall seeing shorter races having that old of an age requirement. I realize this isn’t the Bolder Boulder, but they’ve been letting kids 6 & up run for a long time – for a 10K! I get it for a ½ marathon or marathon. But a 4K?!
I’ve e-mailed the woman in charge of the race, so I’ll see what I hear back. If they don’t adjust things, I’ll be pretty disappointed (RG already said “I don’t think that’s fair.”) and need to do what I can to make sure that changes for the future. But should I go ahead and enter her, listing her age as 8 anyway? Would she be eligible for awards in the 10-12 age group?
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
06.22.10: Treadmill miles, long days
Monday & Tuesday (06.21.10, 06.22.10) Training Treadmill: 3 x 8M easy (57:38 @ AHR109/MHR115), 14 hours rest, (55:58 @ AHR112/MHR120), 8 hours rest, (56:40 @ AHR114/MHR120)
RG and I are headed over to Teller Farm a little after 8 PM for a nice ~4M evening run.
While I'm sure I'm not maximizing my MAF training, as I could probably keep this up for quite awhile without reaching an aerobic plateau, I'm definitely psychologically ready to move on to something new. I definitely feel like I'm always working to squeeze in enough running to reach 100M+/week. And I'm itching to vary my training. The tempo/AT runs are on the top of my list, and I'd also really like to mix up my long runs. Eventually, I plan on doing some grass/park fartleks and hill work based on how my body responds to the other quality work. I have been pretty happy with consistently running strides at the end of many of my outdoor runs. I don't always feel particularly fast, but I'm curious to see what kind of speed I'll have when I toe the line.
Week 1: Tempo Focus
I kept these 3 runs VERY easy, for the first time in awhile not worrying about getting my heart rate up to my lower MAF "limit" of 115, as I was a little concerned about the tightness in my right hamstring, but I didn't feel any problem with it during these runs. I did feel tired, and generally sore from the quickest long run I've done in a long while. Experience tells me I'll feel better as the week goes on.
RG and I are headed over to Teller Farm a little after 8 PM for a nice ~4M evening run.
While I'm sure I'm not maximizing my MAF training, as I could probably keep this up for quite awhile without reaching an aerobic plateau, I'm definitely psychologically ready to move on to something new. I definitely feel like I'm always working to squeeze in enough running to reach 100M+/week. And I'm itching to vary my training. The tempo/AT runs are on the top of my list, and I'd also really like to mix up my long runs. Eventually, I plan on doing some grass/park fartleks and hill work based on how my body responds to the other quality work. I have been pretty happy with consistently running strides at the end of many of my outdoor runs. I don't always feel particularly fast, but I'm curious to see what kind of speed I'll have when I toe the line.
For the tempo runs, I think some of the time I'll be using the HRM, and some of the time just a watch. In the past, the HRM has really helped me slow down. Once I got to my desired HR range (155-161 several years ago), I knew I didn't have to run any faster. Without the HRM, my tendency was to turn my tempo runs into time trials.
My big concern is how my body will hold up as I transition my training. I've been trying to chart out how the training will look, and I'm very concious of not trying to squeeze too much quality into the schedule. Here are my current thoughts, using a 3-week rotation, and not factoring in any specific dates or races:
My big concern is how my body will hold up as I transition my training. I've been trying to chart out how the training will look, and I'm very concious of not trying to squeeze too much quality into the schedule. Here are my current thoughts, using a 3-week rotation, and not factoring in any specific dates or races:
Week 1: Tempo Focus
- 2-3 tempo runs (1 of these could be a race)
- No long runs
- 2 days OFF* from "my pace" running (easy cross-training &/or easy running w/ RG)
- Easy running on all other days
- ~50M?
- 1 X-Long run
- No tempo runs
- No days off
- Easy running on most/all other days (an occasional up-tempo or steady run might be worked in based on how I feel)
- ~90M?
- 1 tempo run
- 1 long run
- 1 day OFF* from "my pace" running (easy cross-training &/or easy running w/ RG)
- Easy running on most/all other days (an occasional up-tempo or steady run might be worked in based on how I feel)
- ~70M?
- I'll make good use of my treadmill. I couldn't run the kind of mileage that I'm currently running (100M+/week) without the treadmill. It just plain gives my body a break. Plus, it works well logistically when working around the big 3 (family, work and sleep), and keeps me from doing too many pounding road miles (as I'd be running a lot more from the house without it).
- I'll work in a mix of doubles to my training, as I have been for some time.
- I'll keep up a decent training volume every week whether it's all or mostly running or not. Most of the time, the additional volume will come from my Precor elliptical machine or my Concept 2 rowing machine. I'll work in some hiking and a little biking into the mix as well.
- While I know the value and strength of "sticking to the plan," I also know the downfall of "being a slave to the plan." I need to be adaptable. I need to always be listening to my body.
- I'll be experimenting with my shoes and inserts in the coming weeks. I've been wearing orthotics for quite some time, and generally they've worked out OK. I'm currently doing all of my training in neutral shoes and my orthotics. My new thought is to experiment with a couple of new options: #1) In my racing/lightweight trainers, I'll be trying out just insoles with metatarsal pads attached (like my orthotics have) for neuroma protection/control, and #2) I'll be trying stability shoes with full-length arch supports, also with metatarsal pads attached. I'm primarily a forefoot runner, so training shoes and orthotics can only have a limited effect on my footstrike/pushoff as it is.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
06.20.10: End of spring, long absence, coming soon...
So, another season in the books - summer begins tomorrow. While I haven't been blogging, I have apparently been busy running, and at least by pure endurance standards I'm rounding into some semblance of fitness:
"Official" spring mileage total = 1149M
Backing up a couple of months, I had some trouble with my right shin/ankle right at the start of the year. I immediately took time off, got PT for it within about a week (muscle tears/muscle tearing away from shin bone - nice), but ultimately missed quite a bit of time. Nothing new there. RG actually was instrumental in getting me back into it, as a number of weeks went by without any runs with her. I did a decent job of cross-training in the meantime, primarily sticking to the elliptical machine and rowing machine.
By late March, everything started feeling better, and I got it rolling pretty quickly. I've been very deliberate about sticking to MAF training, which also included all the cross-training workouts. Here's a look at the mileage totals of the past 12 weeks, starting from Monday 03.29:
57.1M
75.9M
80M
95.5M
89.7M
100.1M
105M
100M
106.5M
101.3M
103.1M
104.4M
1118.6M - 93.2M/week
I'm planning one more week of MAF; ideally another 100M+ week. This Saturday I'm planning a final MAF Track Test of 8K. I haven't had a huge improvement in performance during this stretch of MAF training, but we'll see what Saturday holds. I've run 3 MAF Track Tests (HR ceiling of 130), and my times have dropped from 35:32 to 35:20 to 35:01. That said, based on this morning's long run, I'm optimistic I'll show a greater improvement the next time out.
Today's Training
I wanted to run long today, but I wanted to stay relatively close to home, and decided I would do a multiple loop course that I'd been working on:
Start: Erie Lake parking lot - south side of lake - over and around west/south side of Kneebone - an approximately 2.1M loop in Rothman - around the east/north side of Arapahoe Ridge - back to the Erie Lake parking lot via the north side of lake.
This worked out to just over 5.7M per loop. In my head going into the run, I'd thought it was somewhere closer to 7M, and had planned 3 loops. I spent much of the run debating whether I should just run 3 loops, and add some laps around the lake to get my 20M, or if I should run 4 full loops. I ran the 4 loops.
22.85M (2:42:55)
AHR=124. MHR=133
7:08/M
Lap splits: 40:34 (AHR122), 40:59(124), 40:37(126), 40:45(127)
Other than a right hamstring that got a little sore/tight late in the run, I was really pleased with this run. It was a warm and humid (for Colorado) morning (started about 6:20 AM), and while I had a little HR drift, I ran very consistently over a long stretch of time and distance. Also, nobody stole my waterbottles that I picked up and dropped off throughout the run. This loop is definitely a keeper for future long runs, tempo runs, and marathon pace efforts. It's mostly flat with some very mild elevation change throughout.
Later, around 4:30 PM, I headed out for an easy run with RG and Niwot:
2M (19:25)
Home - Thomas Reservoir (1 loop) - Home
We had fun with this one. As I knew it would be hot, I poured a large cup of water over RG's head/cap, and brought a waterbottle along to squirt her with a number of times during the run. Despite just heading out for a casual easy run on a hot day, RG continues to impress me with her recent improvement. She seems to have spiraled upwards a bit in fitness over the past few weeks (starting with the Bolder Boulder).
After this coming week, I'll transition into a post-MAF phase of training, with a primary focus on...well, running faster. I'm still playing around with how I'll structure my training, but I'm planning on initially focusing on tempo runs and varied long runs for my quality work.
While I certainly won't be race ready, I have penciled in a local race to kick things off:
Firecracker 4K
This race and upcoming tempo runs should give me somewhat of a picture of my starting point for racing. For the rest of the summer/early fall, I'm still piecing my "season" together, but I'm leaning towards the Boulder Marathon as a primary race to point towards, and the Coal Creek Crossing 10M a couple of weeks prior. Other races could include: Eldorado Cure 4M, West End 3K, BRR track races, etc.
I'm also intrigued by a new race just a couple of weeks after the Boulder Marathon - the Bear Chase Trail Race. They're having a 10K, 1/2 Marathon, 50K, and 50M. I don't know where my fitness will take me, and how my body will hold up, but I'd LOVE to run that 50M.
"Official" spring mileage total = 1149M
Backing up a couple of months, I had some trouble with my right shin/ankle right at the start of the year. I immediately took time off, got PT for it within about a week (muscle tears/muscle tearing away from shin bone - nice), but ultimately missed quite a bit of time. Nothing new there. RG actually was instrumental in getting me back into it, as a number of weeks went by without any runs with her. I did a decent job of cross-training in the meantime, primarily sticking to the elliptical machine and rowing machine.
By late March, everything started feeling better, and I got it rolling pretty quickly. I've been very deliberate about sticking to MAF training, which also included all the cross-training workouts. Here's a look at the mileage totals of the past 12 weeks, starting from Monday 03.29:
57.1M
75.9M
80M
95.5M
89.7M
100.1M
105M
100M
106.5M
101.3M
103.1M
104.4M
1118.6M - 93.2M/week
I'm planning one more week of MAF; ideally another 100M+ week. This Saturday I'm planning a final MAF Track Test of 8K. I haven't had a huge improvement in performance during this stretch of MAF training, but we'll see what Saturday holds. I've run 3 MAF Track Tests (HR ceiling of 130), and my times have dropped from 35:32 to 35:20 to 35:01. That said, based on this morning's long run, I'm optimistic I'll show a greater improvement the next time out.
Today's Training
I wanted to run long today, but I wanted to stay relatively close to home, and decided I would do a multiple loop course that I'd been working on:
Start: Erie Lake parking lot - south side of lake - over and around west/south side of Kneebone - an approximately 2.1M loop in Rothman - around the east/north side of Arapahoe Ridge - back to the Erie Lake parking lot via the north side of lake.
This worked out to just over 5.7M per loop. In my head going into the run, I'd thought it was somewhere closer to 7M, and had planned 3 loops. I spent much of the run debating whether I should just run 3 loops, and add some laps around the lake to get my 20M, or if I should run 4 full loops. I ran the 4 loops.
22.85M (2:42:55)
AHR=124. MHR=133
7:08/M
Lap splits: 40:34 (AHR122), 40:59(124), 40:37(126), 40:45(127)
Other than a right hamstring that got a little sore/tight late in the run, I was really pleased with this run. It was a warm and humid (for Colorado) morning (started about 6:20 AM), and while I had a little HR drift, I ran very consistently over a long stretch of time and distance. Also, nobody stole my waterbottles that I picked up and dropped off throughout the run. This loop is definitely a keeper for future long runs, tempo runs, and marathon pace efforts. It's mostly flat with some very mild elevation change throughout.
Later, around 4:30 PM, I headed out for an easy run with RG and Niwot:
2M (19:25)
Home - Thomas Reservoir (1 loop) - Home
We had fun with this one. As I knew it would be hot, I poured a large cup of water over RG's head/cap, and brought a waterbottle along to squirt her with a number of times during the run. Despite just heading out for a casual easy run on a hot day, RG continues to impress me with her recent improvement. She seems to have spiraled upwards a bit in fitness over the past few weeks (starting with the Bolder Boulder).
After this coming week, I'll transition into a post-MAF phase of training, with a primary focus on...well, running faster. I'm still playing around with how I'll structure my training, but I'm planning on initially focusing on tempo runs and varied long runs for my quality work.
While I certainly won't be race ready, I have penciled in a local race to kick things off:
Firecracker 4K
This race and upcoming tempo runs should give me somewhat of a picture of my starting point for racing. For the rest of the summer/early fall, I'm still piecing my "season" together, but I'm leaning towards the Boulder Marathon as a primary race to point towards, and the Coal Creek Crossing 10M a couple of weeks prior. Other races could include: Eldorado Cure 4M, West End 3K, BRR track races, etc.
I'm also intrigued by a new race just a couple of weeks after the Boulder Marathon - the Bear Chase Trail Race. They're having a 10K, 1/2 Marathon, 50K, and 50M. I don't know where my fitness will take me, and how my body will hold up, but I'd LOVE to run that 50M.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
12.01.09 Update: Month-End Catch-Up, Eerie Erie, etc.
The Erie Review did print my response to Patty Hagan back on November 25th. I had read Amanda Lovato's blog where she talked about doing a GI test, so I knew she wasn't using oxygen, but her husband's blog (thanks GZ) definitely illustrates why his wife wasn't "thrilled" about this event. Yikes. And I thought GZ and I running down the road sharing a Camelbak was funny...
My foot is coming along. The cortisone shot seems to have helped for now. I'm not sure if the neuroma will pop back up in awhile, or much later on. That has me bummed - it's just something that (for me) eventually comes back to bite me in the foot, and makes it hard to plan long term. I've been dealing, off and on, with this thing since 1993. I only did a few outside runs in November, and all but one of them were with my daughter. On Monday, I ran outside in the area around my house - some trail, some roads, some grass - and my foot did OK. I'll continue to baby it and gradually work in more outdoor running.
Month-End Training Update: November 2009
Running totals: 315M
Rowing totals: 349K (most for 2009)
Elliptical totals: 29M
Highlights:
My foot is coming along. The cortisone shot seems to have helped for now. I'm not sure if the neuroma will pop back up in awhile, or much later on. That has me bummed - it's just something that (for me) eventually comes back to bite me in the foot, and makes it hard to plan long term. I've been dealing, off and on, with this thing since 1993. I only did a few outside runs in November, and all but one of them were with my daughter. On Monday, I ran outside in the area around my house - some trail, some roads, some grass - and my foot did OK. I'll continue to baby it and gradually work in more outdoor running.
Month-End Training Update: November 2009
Running totals: 315M
Rowing totals: 349K (most for 2009)
Elliptical totals: 29M
Highlights:
- 3 20M+ runs (all on treadmill)
- Worked in a LOT more climbing on the treadmill - 29,839' over the course of 12 runs with incline.
- A couple of the incline highlights (nothing special, but new for me during this course of training: 11.26 - 20M (2:29:53) starting @ 5% & dropping 1% every 4M, 11.23 - 10M (1:29:23) starting @ 11% & dropping 1% each mile, 11.24 - 6M (1:16:21) starting @ 15% & dropping 1% each mile.
- Two 100M+ weeks (103M & 106M)
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