5/31- Planned to do a moderate progression. Ended up with a 1 Mile time trial in a blazing 7:45. Just a hair short of my best time in 4th grade. Why do I believe in alternative medicine? When I took SSRIs, every day was like this. In fact, it would have been one of my better days.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=1.0
PM- Improvement. Downward ladder workout. Mile in 6:31 with a negative split. I was just hoping for a sub-7. 4 minute R then an 800 in 3:08, another full R followed by a 400 in 78 in which I actually felt somewhat like myself. Okay, the Lithium made things worse and so did the SBF. Stimulants helped. What does that mean? Could it mean that I have beaten my hyperthyroidism? I'm not getting my hopes up but this is a promising development.
Grade:C-/2 credit/distance=2.0
6/1- Another extremely positive step. This is what I meant to do yesterday morning. Lakeshore 5 progression style with Jason and I left him at the end. How about these splits: 8:00-7:40-7:29-7:14-6:33=36:56 (7:23 pace). 2 weeks ago, I almost averaged my split for the last mile over the entire Trak Shak 5 so I've still got a ways to go but I am clearly on the right track. No Lithium and no SBF but 2 chromium and 2 manganese. I'll try 1 of each tomorrow and steer clear of both Lithium and SBF. Saturday's race is still about 50/50
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=5.5
6/2- Felt about the same as yesterday during the day which was a little disappointing. I was hoping for a little better. Workout was a group run at the Trak Shak. 8@ 7:45 with an even pace. Still just a tad sluggish and not quite "race sharp." I've only got 3 days to go. If it was a fun run, I'd do it but not a PR attempt. Things can change in 3 days so it's a game time decision.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=8.0
6/3- Tried some adrenal glandular supplements to give me a little pick up and it was not the answer. Not an immediate severe reaction but I was hurting after a few hours. Felt slightly better by the end of the work day but the workout was still baaauuhhd. Plan was 6 1/2 laps with the first 6 at 5K race pace and the last 200 hard to show that I can handle that pace for another 6 laps. Result: I could not even manage 1 mile at race pace. Mile in 6:23. I did show some life at the end (96-99-97-91) and was not totally wiped at the end. Maybe my system will be clear by tomorrow. I was awful 2 days before Mercedes '09 and ran a 6 minute PR on race day. Game time decision. No pills at all tomorrow.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=1.5
6/4- Did not need Lithium but did need something for my low GABA, which had to be taurine. It's back to glutamine tonight. Workout was 1 mile at easy effort with a moderate pick up in the last 200. Overall time of 6:54 was pretty meaningless but the final 200 was a 37.5. Even at 6 PM and with light effort, I was still impacted by the extreme humidity (75%). I still don't feel race sharp but I will give it a shot anyway tomorrow. The forecast at race time is 75 degrees and 90% humidity. Less than ideal.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=1.0
6/5-AM BTC 5K in 19:44. Splits: :40-6:07-6:25-6:32. #5 all time (#3 since comeback). 31 off my all time PR. Under optimal conditions, I feel that I am capable.
Grade:B+/4 credits/distance=4.0
PM- Lakeshore 4 at an uneven effort. Overall time was 29:32 (7:23 pace). Picked up the pace from .5 to 2.0 because I could. This run had to be cut short because I heard thunder. I backed off the pace to near 8 in the 2nd half partly by design and partly because I was tired. Average.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=4.0
6/6- 400 in a disappointing 62.82 then a very weak 2.5 mile cool down. Just didn't have it and really wasn't into it either. Started too slow (31 first 200) but maintained it to the finish. Felt lousy in the evening and needed Lithium or SBF. Dang it!
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=3.0
Weekly summary:
I'm frustrated. I get one day every now and then when I think I've got it all figured out but I just can't stay in the groove like I was last Fall. One positive was that race day was my best day of the week. This mileage has got to come up too. No races for another month.
Distance=30.0/GPA= 34.4/14=2.46
Monday, May 31, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
training 5/24-5/30
5/24- Pretty good day all around. I got a raise at work after all and ran well today. Perhaps too fast and somewhat "stuck in the middle." Too fast for an easy run but not quite fast enough for a tempo. I hoped to run this progression style but started too fast for that. I could not pick it up at the end without putting forth all out effort. Finished at 9 miles @ 7:35 with an even pace. I did have to stop several times for traffic and water (rush hour+ 90 degrees). Faded a bit at the end but I'm not concerned about that.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=9.0
5/25- Johnny's workout. (800-400)x3. Long recoveries but still a very good run nonetheless. Times were 78-2:44, 75-2:43, 69-2:33. Mile cool down. 5:12 overall pace. Strong. Took glutamine and taurine together at night and it worked well. Shin was sore but it's NOT localized pain. That's good. I blame that on insufficient rest after my race. I won't push it as hard tomorrow and I'll take a rest Thursday. I got some new sprinter's spikes and I'm hoping that could make the difference on Friday. I bet I can run below 61 but sub-60 will be tough.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=4.0
5/26- Easy Trak Shak 8 @ 7:54. Easy may not be the word. On that course, the hills hurt no matter how slow you run. Decent workout. That's probably the equivalent of about a 7:40 on Lakeshore. I feel beat up but it's natural fatigue. Dreams could be crazy. I hope my one day off tomorrow will be enough to leave me fresh on Friday.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=8.0
5/27- Planned rest day. I'm beat up badly. I hope that I'll be fresh tomorrow. This is not natural fatigue. I'm low on GABA. I slept almost 10 hours (no dreams) and it still wasn't enough.
5/28- Awful day. Woke up feeling horrible because of overstimulation. Had to resort to taurine and it took me to the other extreme. Very sluggish all day. I'VE GOT TO SOMEHOW GET OFF THIS TAURINE!!!! 400 time trial. I didn't expect a PR but certainly wasn't expecting THIS either. Finished with a pitiful time of 70.3 then ran a mile cool down @ 8:30 and got disgusted and quit.
Grade:F/2 credits/distance=1.5
5/29- Not much better. 3 miles in the rain with Eric. Put forth near all out effort and only managed a 7:10 pace. Went home and hit the 'mill and had nothing left. Disgusted and quit after a half mile. Heading to Atlanta this afternoon.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=3.5
5/30- Silver Comet 5 with Nick. How about this for splits: 7:35-7:40-8:08-8:27-9:12= 41:12 running all out. Taurine isn't the issue after all. It's got to be the Lithium. Maybe a switch to SBF will do the trick. This is the 3rd straight bad weekend. I AM OFFICIALLY ANGRY!
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=5.0
Weekly summary:
Not much more to say that isn't already evident. It's Sunday evening now and I am feeling a somewhat better only an hour after taking some SBF. Even if it does work, it will take a while for the anger to fade. If taurine wasn't the problem, why the hell did I have such a nasty reaction to it? Could be a sodium/potassium imbalance and both Lithium and taurine lower tissue sodium. If that's true, I'll just have to switch back and forth from Lithium to SBF at regular intervals. Once again, if I could trade my running talent for freedom from this, I would do it in a heartbeat.
Distance=31.0/ GPA= 15.8/8= 1.98
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=9.0
5/25- Johnny's workout. (800-400)x3. Long recoveries but still a very good run nonetheless. Times were 78-2:44, 75-2:43, 69-2:33. Mile cool down. 5:12 overall pace. Strong. Took glutamine and taurine together at night and it worked well. Shin was sore but it's NOT localized pain. That's good. I blame that on insufficient rest after my race. I won't push it as hard tomorrow and I'll take a rest Thursday. I got some new sprinter's spikes and I'm hoping that could make the difference on Friday. I bet I can run below 61 but sub-60 will be tough.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=4.0
5/26- Easy Trak Shak 8 @ 7:54. Easy may not be the word. On that course, the hills hurt no matter how slow you run. Decent workout. That's probably the equivalent of about a 7:40 on Lakeshore. I feel beat up but it's natural fatigue. Dreams could be crazy. I hope my one day off tomorrow will be enough to leave me fresh on Friday.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=8.0
5/27- Planned rest day. I'm beat up badly. I hope that I'll be fresh tomorrow. This is not natural fatigue. I'm low on GABA. I slept almost 10 hours (no dreams) and it still wasn't enough.
5/28- Awful day. Woke up feeling horrible because of overstimulation. Had to resort to taurine and it took me to the other extreme. Very sluggish all day. I'VE GOT TO SOMEHOW GET OFF THIS TAURINE!!!! 400 time trial. I didn't expect a PR but certainly wasn't expecting THIS either. Finished with a pitiful time of 70.3 then ran a mile cool down @ 8:30 and got disgusted and quit.
Grade:F/2 credits/distance=1.5
5/29- Not much better. 3 miles in the rain with Eric. Put forth near all out effort and only managed a 7:10 pace. Went home and hit the 'mill and had nothing left. Disgusted and quit after a half mile. Heading to Atlanta this afternoon.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=3.5
5/30- Silver Comet 5 with Nick. How about this for splits: 7:35-7:40-8:08-8:27-9:12= 41:12 running all out. Taurine isn't the issue after all. It's got to be the Lithium. Maybe a switch to SBF will do the trick. This is the 3rd straight bad weekend. I AM OFFICIALLY ANGRY!
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=5.0
Weekly summary:
Not much more to say that isn't already evident. It's Sunday evening now and I am feeling a somewhat better only an hour after taking some SBF. Even if it does work, it will take a while for the anger to fade. If taurine wasn't the problem, why the hell did I have such a nasty reaction to it? Could be a sodium/potassium imbalance and both Lithium and taurine lower tissue sodium. If that's true, I'll just have to switch back and forth from Lithium to SBF at regular intervals. Once again, if I could trade my running talent for freedom from this, I would do it in a heartbeat.
Distance=31.0/ GPA= 15.8/8= 1.98
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Run for Wishes 5K RR
Pre-race:
I did not make the decision to run this one until mid-week. I spoke with the RD earlier who told me that the course had been changed to make it faster. There would be be "a bit of an uphill" near the halfway point but then we would go downhill on the way to the finish. This led me to believe that maybe we'd have a 1/4 mile incline just before the turnaround then we would go back downhill and the rest of the course would be fairly flat so it at least "could be" a PR course. It would start and end at Alabama Adventure theme park and by running, I would get a free pass for the park. Cool. I knew that I was in much better shape than my last 2 races indicated so I really wanted a fast time. I had smashed my 5 mile PR (32:53) on a training run so it appeared that I had everything together. Competition would not be as light as last week but I still thought I could deliver a top 5 finish. Of course, much of that depends on who shows up that day.
Race day:
Uneventful morning. It was a smooth ride down to Bessemer and the trip took just over 20 minutes. One bad call was taking a few Sport Beans before the race. I was somewhat jittery but still felt pretty well warming up though not as well as Wednesday when my energy was limitless yet was calm at the same time. The weather would be one strike against me. By the time the race started just after 8:00, it was already 75 degrees and sunny with zero shade on the course. Oh well, this was only a 5K. The race would benefit the Make a Wish Foundation for children with life threatening illnesses. Again, I am happy to support that cause.
Race:
The gun went off and I quickly found myself in fifth place, where I would remain for the entire race. At first, I tried to run with the lead pack but looked down at my Garmin to see 39 seconds for the first .12 miles. Too fast. I had no choice but to let them go and settle into "no man's land." I backed off from there, went up a slight hill and turned out of the park for a loop around the parking lot. I was just over 3 at the half mile so I had slowed down enough. From here, it would be a hard effort to the line. The lead back was getting farther and farther away and nobody was coming up from behind so I just started digging and made it through the first mile in a decent 6:07. Soon after, I turned out of the parking lot and on to a main highway (no traffic) and it wasn't long before we headed down a half mile long and fairly steep hill. I tried not to push it too hard for I knew that we would have to go back up very soon but of course the pace was increasing. I passed the 1.55 in a solid 9:33. I would need a 9:40 2nd half for a PR and that would not happen but anything under 20 is a good race in my book and I was still in position to do that. The turnaround point came around 1.8 at the very bottom of the hill and my Garmin showed that I was doing 5:47 pace . I would have to go back up a steep 1/2 mile hill with 60% of the race behind me. Ouch time! I started driving hard early on the climb up but it wasn't long until I started fading. I passed 2 Miles in a solid 12:30 and a respectable 6:23 2nd Mile but my pace had slowed to the 6:50s and by the crest, it was 7:19. I can handle a long hill if it's followed by a nice downhill but that didn't happen here. Once the course leveled off, I was able to get back down to 6:50 pace but no faster. My nearest pursuer was almost 200 yards back. Man, in all my years of racing, I have never been this lonely. Finally, we made it back to the parking lot and I was dead. I can take solace in the fact that even the race winner never recovered from the hill so I didn't feel as bad. In no man's land, I nearly made a wrong turn in the parking lot but made it back into the park with less than 1/2 mile to go. I would need to run the final .25 at 6:00 pace to break 20, which was doable. Oh no, there another fairly steep hill. I can't do it now. Wait, what's this? It looks blocked off. Did I make a wrong turn? I stopped for a few seconds before realizing that there was a small opening in the gate with an arrow painted on the ground. Any chance of a sub-20 was gone now. The last 200 would be mostly downhill but had some twists and turns and I never built up much speed. I came to the line displeased with a watch time of 20:09 (not including the stop). It was 20:14 officially but goes in my book as a 20:09.
Final thought:
All things considered, it was not too bad. A B minus grade on the day. I was fifth overall and 3rd among the men and my award was a picture of a child that I helped grant a wish, which was a trip to Disney World. Touching. Given a flat course, cooler temps, and competition, I would have been good for about the 19:30s. There will be no racing over Memorial Day weekend. I need a good long run. Change of plans: Instead of racing a rolling course in 2 weeks (MDA), I will run the 5,000 at an open track meet (BTC classic). That will be a flat course and will start at 7:30. Good shot at a PR. I encourage those of you in B'ham to consider this one.
I did not make the decision to run this one until mid-week. I spoke with the RD earlier who told me that the course had been changed to make it faster. There would be be "a bit of an uphill" near the halfway point but then we would go downhill on the way to the finish. This led me to believe that maybe we'd have a 1/4 mile incline just before the turnaround then we would go back downhill and the rest of the course would be fairly flat so it at least "could be" a PR course. It would start and end at Alabama Adventure theme park and by running, I would get a free pass for the park. Cool. I knew that I was in much better shape than my last 2 races indicated so I really wanted a fast time. I had smashed my 5 mile PR (32:53) on a training run so it appeared that I had everything together. Competition would not be as light as last week but I still thought I could deliver a top 5 finish. Of course, much of that depends on who shows up that day.
Race day:
Uneventful morning. It was a smooth ride down to Bessemer and the trip took just over 20 minutes. One bad call was taking a few Sport Beans before the race. I was somewhat jittery but still felt pretty well warming up though not as well as Wednesday when my energy was limitless yet was calm at the same time. The weather would be one strike against me. By the time the race started just after 8:00, it was already 75 degrees and sunny with zero shade on the course. Oh well, this was only a 5K. The race would benefit the Make a Wish Foundation for children with life threatening illnesses. Again, I am happy to support that cause.
Race:
The gun went off and I quickly found myself in fifth place, where I would remain for the entire race. At first, I tried to run with the lead pack but looked down at my Garmin to see 39 seconds for the first .12 miles. Too fast. I had no choice but to let them go and settle into "no man's land." I backed off from there, went up a slight hill and turned out of the park for a loop around the parking lot. I was just over 3 at the half mile so I had slowed down enough. From here, it would be a hard effort to the line. The lead back was getting farther and farther away and nobody was coming up from behind so I just started digging and made it through the first mile in a decent 6:07. Soon after, I turned out of the parking lot and on to a main highway (no traffic) and it wasn't long before we headed down a half mile long and fairly steep hill. I tried not to push it too hard for I knew that we would have to go back up very soon but of course the pace was increasing. I passed the 1.55 in a solid 9:33. I would need a 9:40 2nd half for a PR and that would not happen but anything under 20 is a good race in my book and I was still in position to do that. The turnaround point came around 1.8 at the very bottom of the hill and my Garmin showed that I was doing 5:47 pace . I would have to go back up a steep 1/2 mile hill with 60% of the race behind me. Ouch time! I started driving hard early on the climb up but it wasn't long until I started fading. I passed 2 Miles in a solid 12:30 and a respectable 6:23 2nd Mile but my pace had slowed to the 6:50s and by the crest, it was 7:19. I can handle a long hill if it's followed by a nice downhill but that didn't happen here. Once the course leveled off, I was able to get back down to 6:50 pace but no faster. My nearest pursuer was almost 200 yards back. Man, in all my years of racing, I have never been this lonely. Finally, we made it back to the parking lot and I was dead. I can take solace in the fact that even the race winner never recovered from the hill so I didn't feel as bad. In no man's land, I nearly made a wrong turn in the parking lot but made it back into the park with less than 1/2 mile to go. I would need to run the final .25 at 6:00 pace to break 20, which was doable. Oh no, there another fairly steep hill. I can't do it now. Wait, what's this? It looks blocked off. Did I make a wrong turn? I stopped for a few seconds before realizing that there was a small opening in the gate with an arrow painted on the ground. Any chance of a sub-20 was gone now. The last 200 would be mostly downhill but had some twists and turns and I never built up much speed. I came to the line displeased with a watch time of 20:09 (not including the stop). It was 20:14 officially but goes in my book as a 20:09.
Final thought:
All things considered, it was not too bad. A B minus grade on the day. I was fifth overall and 3rd among the men and my award was a picture of a child that I helped grant a wish, which was a trip to Disney World. Touching. Given a flat course, cooler temps, and competition, I would have been good for about the 19:30s. There will be no racing over Memorial Day weekend. I need a good long run. Change of plans: Instead of racing a rolling course in 2 weeks (MDA), I will run the 5,000 at an open track meet (BTC classic). That will be a flat course and will start at 7:30. Good shot at a PR. I encourage those of you in B'ham to consider this one.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Road trips Part 2- Midwest and Heartland
Ohio- 2 distinct regions much like IN and IL. The southern counties are basically an extension of Kentucky while the rest of the state is decidedly northern industrial. I have driven through Columbus and have been to Cleveland and the Cincinnati area. Sandusky, located between Cleveland and Toledo is home to Cedar Point, one of the best amusement parks in the country and I went there once in college. I have also been to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. Returned in 2011 for a PR in the Columbus half.
Indiana- passed through the southern part on a 2004 road trip and found the terrain to be surprisingly hilly. I traveled all the way up I-65 on my way to Chicago 4 years later. I’ve stopped twice for meals across the river from Louisville and got very friendly service both times. I’ve also stopped a couple of times in the northern part of the state and found that it is very much different in both culture and landscape. I raced the Monumental Indy half in 2014 in 1:34, which was a season best.
Illinois- My most memorable experience here was the 2008 Banco Popular Chicago half marathon, where I set a PR in pouring rain and had an adventure getting home because of flooded roads. I also passed through some country in the southern portion just east of the Mississippi and stopped at a restaurant in Carbondale. I saw lots of corn fields with gently rolling hills and it seemed worlds apart from Chicago.
Michigan- I have relatives who lived here in Grand Rapids in the early ‘80s. I know I was there but have no memory. I did return in 2008 on my Chicago trip and stopped at the Welcome center and a McDonalds. Detroit Free Press race is a possibility.
Missouri- I have passed through here 3 times on road trips. I remember a lot of varied terrain. Some areas are quite hilly such as the St. Louis area and the Ozarks while other parts are pancake flat and straight. Culturally, the southern third is an extension of Arkansas while the rest is solidly Midwestern. Returned in 2013 for the GO St. Louis half, which was one of my worst races. Also saw the Arch and toured the Budweiser plant. Went to Kansas City in 2016 and saw the Truman library, IHOP and a Royals game.
Iowa- In one of the weirder things that I have done, I traveled 8 hours out of my way just to step foot in the small town of Keokuk. I wanted to see all 50 states and when else would I have the chance to make it here? The town was nice.
Minnesota-flew into Minneapolis on my way to Fargo and also stopped at the Mall of America on my way back where there was actually an amusement park inside the mall. Good call there. It can stay open 12 months of the year even if the temps are sub-zero. Nice scenery with gently rolling hills and lakes.
North Dakota- flat, barren and cold but had friendly folks and great fans supporting the marathon. Fargo marathon in 2009 and set a PR.
South Dakota- Vacation here back in ’88 and I do remember some parts. We went hiking and fishing near Rapid City and got to see Mt. Rushmore.
Nebraska- stopped at a grocery store in Kimball in the SW corner. Forgettable landscape but friendly locals
Kansas- Back in ’06, I took a trip to the Ozarks and went about 2 hours out of my way to stop in the town of Columbus in the southeast corner. I stopped at KFC and a gas station. It was flat and only memorable because it was a new state. Returned 10 years later for a half marathon on the Kansas Speedway on the Kansas side of KC.
Wisconsin- drove about an hour out of my way from Chicago to stop at McD’s and a gas station in the town of Kenosha.
Indiana- passed through the southern part on a 2004 road trip and found the terrain to be surprisingly hilly. I traveled all the way up I-65 on my way to Chicago 4 years later. I’ve stopped twice for meals across the river from Louisville and got very friendly service both times. I’ve also stopped a couple of times in the northern part of the state and found that it is very much different in both culture and landscape. I raced the Monumental Indy half in 2014 in 1:34, which was a season best.
Illinois- My most memorable experience here was the 2008 Banco Popular Chicago half marathon, where I set a PR in pouring rain and had an adventure getting home because of flooded roads. I also passed through some country in the southern portion just east of the Mississippi and stopped at a restaurant in Carbondale. I saw lots of corn fields with gently rolling hills and it seemed worlds apart from Chicago.
Michigan- I have relatives who lived here in Grand Rapids in the early ‘80s. I know I was there but have no memory. I did return in 2008 on my Chicago trip and stopped at the Welcome center and a McDonalds. Detroit Free Press race is a possibility.
Missouri- I have passed through here 3 times on road trips. I remember a lot of varied terrain. Some areas are quite hilly such as the St. Louis area and the Ozarks while other parts are pancake flat and straight. Culturally, the southern third is an extension of Arkansas while the rest is solidly Midwestern. Returned in 2013 for the GO St. Louis half, which was one of my worst races. Also saw the Arch and toured the Budweiser plant. Went to Kansas City in 2016 and saw the Truman library, IHOP and a Royals game.
Iowa- In one of the weirder things that I have done, I traveled 8 hours out of my way just to step foot in the small town of Keokuk. I wanted to see all 50 states and when else would I have the chance to make it here? The town was nice.
Minnesota-flew into Minneapolis on my way to Fargo and also stopped at the Mall of America on my way back where there was actually an amusement park inside the mall. Good call there. It can stay open 12 months of the year even if the temps are sub-zero. Nice scenery with gently rolling hills and lakes.
North Dakota- flat, barren and cold but had friendly folks and great fans supporting the marathon. Fargo marathon in 2009 and set a PR.
South Dakota- Vacation here back in ’88 and I do remember some parts. We went hiking and fishing near Rapid City and got to see Mt. Rushmore.
Nebraska- stopped at a grocery store in Kimball in the SW corner. Forgettable landscape but friendly locals
Kansas- Back in ’06, I took a trip to the Ozarks and went about 2 hours out of my way to stop in the town of Columbus in the southeast corner. I stopped at KFC and a gas station. It was flat and only memorable because it was a new state. Returned 10 years later for a half marathon on the Kansas Speedway on the Kansas side of KC.
Wisconsin- drove about an hour out of my way from Chicago to stop at McD’s and a gas station in the town of Kenosha.
Monday, May 17, 2010
training 5/17-5/23 (possible race)
5/17- Yesterday was awful and I didn't feel much better when I woke up today. I did get better as the day progressed and by the time the work day ended, I felt about average. Mountain Brook 400 was the first workout of the day. I warmed up with 200s in 45 and 38 then got set. I felt just a tad sluggish and just didn't have that top gear that I need to break 60. I didn't see the split at 200 but I thought I saw 45.xx at 300 but that was probably 47. I thought I held the form but crossed the line with a time of 62.74. That's my best time of the year by a healthy margin but it's 1.5 seconds down on last year's time and 2.75 (11/mile) away from my goal. I think the strength is there (short distance endurance) but the top end speed may be lacking. I'll plan to do Johnny's workout again and sneak in some 200s at the end.
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=0.5
Less than 1 hour later:
Lakeshore 5 in 38:58 with a nice smooth, relaxed and even pace (7:48 average). Felt good.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.0
5/18- Felt about the same as yesterday. Bad morning but improved as the day progressed and was about average when the work day ended. Johnny's workout was 8x400 plus an 800 for dessert. I was the youngest there by far so nobody was within 15 seconds in any quarter. First half, I was holding back and only ran 80-77-79-78 (5:14) then picked up the pace in the 2nd half: 75-74-73-69 (4:51). My 800 was a hard fought 2:40 with back to back 80 laps (5:20). My overall pace was a solid 5:06. I then walked a lap and tried to run some 200s but my speed was gone and I only managed 2 in 33s. Solid but not outstanding performance.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.0
5/19- New formula today. No Trava Cor and 2 glutamine. Felt great all day and just had to test myself in a hard effort. Trak Shak 5 in an awesome 32:53 (6:35 pace). That's a course PR by 31 seconds! 1st half: 16:15, 2nd half: 16:38. Splits: 6:17-6:28-6:54-6:47-6:26. Passed 5K in 20:18 (best time of the year at that distance). Not sure if this formula will work long term but I will do it again before my race on Saturday. Yes, I'm running it. I'm in MUCH better shape than my race results indicate and I've got to get a good time on my record. I think I've got a shot at a PR.
Grade:A+/2 credits/distance=6.0
5/20- Planned rest day. Took Trava Cor again last night and only 1 glutamine and saw the sluggish feeling return. No, this is not natural fatigue from 2 straight hard days. It's a different feeling. Just kind of blah though I could still run fairly well if I wanted to. I'm going with Trava Cor again early in the evening. It should clear my system within 24 hours. Race time is 36 hours away and potential ill-effects from not taking it should not appear until 48 hours. Can I get by with 2 glutamine and no TravaCor? That depends on whether my GABA or serotonin is the biggest problem and I don't know that for sure without a medical report which would not arrive for 2 weeks. I'll get this fixed. If I feel as well as yesterday, the 59.9 is mine and so is the 19:12 5K. My current PR was set way back in 1998.
5/21- 2 mile test run on the 'mill (15:55) followed by some strides around the parking lot. Just wanted to assess my form before tomorrow. I felt better than before Nashville and better than last Friday but not as well as Wednesday. I fully expect a sub-20. If the Trava Cor has not completely cleared my system yet, it certainly will by the morning. Again, my all time PR is more than 11 years old and I'm going into a race with a legitimate shot at it.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=2.5
5/22- Run for Wishes 5K in 20:09 (best time of the year). Glutamine knocked me out later in the afternoon. That's right. I did the same thing I did Wednesday. It was magic then but poison just 4 days later. I can't take this anymore!!
Grade:B-/3 credits/distance=4.0
P.M.- Struggled through a 2 mile shake out run in 16:15 but it was not as bad as I expected. Some of the poison has cleared my system and I should be back feeling well by tomorrow.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=2.0
5/23- AM- Needed a quick workout so I opted for a single 400 at Hoover rather than the 200 intervals. I didn't expect to do it today and wasn't disappointed. Temp was near 85 but that probably didn't hurt me in a sprint. 4 other things did. No spikes, no competition, not fresh, poison was not completely out of my system. All things considered though, I was quite pleased. I was away well and passed 200 in 29.xx. Thinking I had a shot, I really pushed the turn but tied up badly in the homestretch. Time was 62.04 (best of the year). I am now just over 8 seconds per mile from my goal. If everything comes together and all the conditions are right, I believe that I could do it right now even without competition.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=0.5
PM- felt an upsurge of energy around noon so I got the idea to give it another shot. I waited until 5 when it cooled off and headed to Vestavia. Went out a little more conservative and hit the 200 just before it turned 30. I was at 45.xx at 300 but my legs had turned to jello and hung on for a 61.64 finish (best time of the year). That's exactly 1.5 seconds shy of my PR. I am now within 6.5 seconds/mile. This time, I was a little disappointed. I thought I had a chance but realistically, yesterday's race and the morning trial certainly took something out of me. I then summoned my remaining energy for 2 200s in 30.1 and 30.4. I finished the workout with a 2.5 mile cool down at 8:30 pace. Starting to feel weird again. If I take the right pills tonight, I should be fine by morning.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=3.5
Weekly summary:
Decent week overall but again, my patience is wearing thin. My race performance was an improvement over last week but still sub-par compared with my training. This week was unusually low mileage and unusually high in intensity. Next week will be different.
Distance= 29.0/ GPA= 49.9/16= 3.12
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=0.5
Less than 1 hour later:
Lakeshore 5 in 38:58 with a nice smooth, relaxed and even pace (7:48 average). Felt good.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.0
5/18- Felt about the same as yesterday. Bad morning but improved as the day progressed and was about average when the work day ended. Johnny's workout was 8x400 plus an 800 for dessert. I was the youngest there by far so nobody was within 15 seconds in any quarter. First half, I was holding back and only ran 80-77-79-78 (5:14) then picked up the pace in the 2nd half: 75-74-73-69 (4:51). My 800 was a hard fought 2:40 with back to back 80 laps (5:20). My overall pace was a solid 5:06. I then walked a lap and tried to run some 200s but my speed was gone and I only managed 2 in 33s. Solid but not outstanding performance.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.0
5/19- New formula today. No Trava Cor and 2 glutamine. Felt great all day and just had to test myself in a hard effort. Trak Shak 5 in an awesome 32:53 (6:35 pace). That's a course PR by 31 seconds! 1st half: 16:15, 2nd half: 16:38. Splits: 6:17-6:28-6:54-6:47-6:26. Passed 5K in 20:18 (best time of the year at that distance). Not sure if this formula will work long term but I will do it again before my race on Saturday. Yes, I'm running it. I'm in MUCH better shape than my race results indicate and I've got to get a good time on my record. I think I've got a shot at a PR.
Grade:A+/2 credits/distance=6.0
5/20- Planned rest day. Took Trava Cor again last night and only 1 glutamine and saw the sluggish feeling return. No, this is not natural fatigue from 2 straight hard days. It's a different feeling. Just kind of blah though I could still run fairly well if I wanted to. I'm going with Trava Cor again early in the evening. It should clear my system within 24 hours. Race time is 36 hours away and potential ill-effects from not taking it should not appear until 48 hours. Can I get by with 2 glutamine and no TravaCor? That depends on whether my GABA or serotonin is the biggest problem and I don't know that for sure without a medical report which would not arrive for 2 weeks. I'll get this fixed. If I feel as well as yesterday, the 59.9 is mine and so is the 19:12 5K. My current PR was set way back in 1998.
5/21- 2 mile test run on the 'mill (15:55) followed by some strides around the parking lot. Just wanted to assess my form before tomorrow. I felt better than before Nashville and better than last Friday but not as well as Wednesday. I fully expect a sub-20. If the Trava Cor has not completely cleared my system yet, it certainly will by the morning. Again, my all time PR is more than 11 years old and I'm going into a race with a legitimate shot at it.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=2.5
5/22- Run for Wishes 5K in 20:09 (best time of the year). Glutamine knocked me out later in the afternoon. That's right. I did the same thing I did Wednesday. It was magic then but poison just 4 days later. I can't take this anymore!!
Grade:B-/3 credits/distance=4.0
P.M.- Struggled through a 2 mile shake out run in 16:15 but it was not as bad as I expected. Some of the poison has cleared my system and I should be back feeling well by tomorrow.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=2.0
5/23- AM- Needed a quick workout so I opted for a single 400 at Hoover rather than the 200 intervals. I didn't expect to do it today and wasn't disappointed. Temp was near 85 but that probably didn't hurt me in a sprint. 4 other things did. No spikes, no competition, not fresh, poison was not completely out of my system. All things considered though, I was quite pleased. I was away well and passed 200 in 29.xx. Thinking I had a shot, I really pushed the turn but tied up badly in the homestretch. Time was 62.04 (best of the year). I am now just over 8 seconds per mile from my goal. If everything comes together and all the conditions are right, I believe that I could do it right now even without competition.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=0.5
PM- felt an upsurge of energy around noon so I got the idea to give it another shot. I waited until 5 when it cooled off and headed to Vestavia. Went out a little more conservative and hit the 200 just before it turned 30. I was at 45.xx at 300 but my legs had turned to jello and hung on for a 61.64 finish (best time of the year). That's exactly 1.5 seconds shy of my PR. I am now within 6.5 seconds/mile. This time, I was a little disappointed. I thought I had a chance but realistically, yesterday's race and the morning trial certainly took something out of me. I then summoned my remaining energy for 2 200s in 30.1 and 30.4. I finished the workout with a 2.5 mile cool down at 8:30 pace. Starting to feel weird again. If I take the right pills tonight, I should be fine by morning.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=3.5
Weekly summary:
Decent week overall but again, my patience is wearing thin. My race performance was an improvement over last week but still sub-par compared with my training. This week was unusually low mileage and unusually high in intensity. Next week will be different.
Distance= 29.0/ GPA= 49.9/16= 3.12
Saturday, May 15, 2010
A differerent type of race report
I wanted a low-key 5K to kick off my summer race season and I got it with the Race for a Home 5K in Veteran's Park, which is one of my training grounds and just 15 minutes away from home. It turned out to be even more low-key than I expected. It was organized by a Baptist church and most of the participants were members who had never run before. I paid a steep $45 registration fee, which would be spent to support missionaries in Tanzania. That's a cause that I am happy to support.
Pre-race:
It had been a great week of training but I did not feel well staring from the previous evening. I woke up feeling decent but I had some stiffness that I could not shake. I would not pop any pills and would not do anything different than during this good week of training. Registration was a smooth process and I got started on my warm up still feeling decent. I looked around and saw very few runners who looked even semi-serious. I spotted a teenager with a Mercedes half finisher shirt and asked him what kind of time he expected to run. He said that he hoped for a sub-20. I said "Cool. I'll be running with you then." In the end, we would be 2 of the only 3 finishers under 25 minutes. I decided that this would be a glorified tempo run. If I broke 20, great, if not so what. I thought about the possibility of winning overall. That would be great but that would probably depend on the level of competition, not my performance.
Course:
This is my training ground so I knew what to expect. It was a very scenic course around a lake and then through the woods. The negatives were that it was run almost entirely on a gravel path and the surface was a bit soft in spots. Consider the difference between a cinder track and an all weather surface and that's about what you've got. Also, the hills were placed almost all from the end of Mile 2 up until about 2.6 including a very steep but not long hill around 2.5. The race would not start until 8:15 and the temp was already over 75 with sun and moderate humidity. In short, it was not the best course or environment for a fast time.
Race:
The race was started by a former Miss Alabama who had a bit of trouble with the starting gun. We were finally off on the third try. I and the teenager took off and broke away from the pack. It would be a 2 man race to finish. I just stayed in 2nd place and tried to maintain a comfortable pace. I was under 1:30 for the first quarter mile and 3:08 for the half after a slight uphill. By this point, I knew that I didn't have PR stuff but how ugly would it get at the end? Again, this was a glorified tempo but I still wanted a decent time. I was content to stay in 2nd and stayed within about 5-10 yards of the leader for most of the first half. I hit the first mile in 6:17 and got through the first 1.55 around 9:53. With the hills coming up, I pretty much knew that I would be over 20 but still felt that I had a chance of winning. We turned into the woods and headed down a steep hill, too steep to simply let gravity take you. The leader appeared to be fading a bit but I was still content to follow for I knew what was ahead. Just before the 2 Mile mark, we hit our first significant hill and I was told to go ahead, which I did. I had won races in Gym class, had been a part of winning relay teams and had a couple of age group victories to my credit. I had never crossed the finish line first overall in any competitive race. The closest that I had come was in a dual meet my senior year of high school in which I led the first 3 laps of a Mile before getting beat early in last lap and hanging on for a close third. I passed the 2 Mile just over 13 so my pace was slowing. I had hoped to drop my pursuer but was unable to do so. He was hanging right with me. At this time, I made the decision to forget about the time and simply run for the win. My strategy would be to back off a hair now then try to drop him on the steep hill. If it came down to a final sprint, I am very difficult to beat in the last tenth of a mile. Finally, we got to the steep hill and I charged up it and opened up a gap of a few yards but it was not as much as I had hoped. The course went back down and with a half mile to go, I was still in the lead but didn't feel well at all. Okay, just hang on for a little more than a quarter mile and you've got it won. This is now the latest into any race that I have ever held the lead. Now, we were through the woods and back into the sun and I was dead. My legs were stiff and sore and my stomach was cramping. I got passed with about 600 to go and could not hang on. I knew that I didn't have a kick left so I had pretty much resigned myself to 2nd place and I would have to push just to finish under 21. With 200 to go, I was about 15 yards behind with nothing left but what was happening now? I was starting to gain some ground again. The leader was in obvious pain and as I trudged by, I saw him bent over and throwing up. The race was mine now. I had stomach cramps myself but it was the other end that was the concern so I just cruised to victory in a new personal worst time of 21:06.
Final thoughts:
I'm not sure how I feel about this one. I was clearly way off form but I can't be disappointed because I won. I got a nice gold medal out of it and supported a great cause. I began feeling worse a few hours after the race so I obviously need to adjust my formula... again. ARGH! There will be other chances for a 5K PR. Maybe next weekend depending on how I feel. So, what's it like to cross the finish line first in a race? To be honest, there's really nothing magical about it. This was one of my goals growing up and it's accomplished.
Pre-race:
It had been a great week of training but I did not feel well staring from the previous evening. I woke up feeling decent but I had some stiffness that I could not shake. I would not pop any pills and would not do anything different than during this good week of training. Registration was a smooth process and I got started on my warm up still feeling decent. I looked around and saw very few runners who looked even semi-serious. I spotted a teenager with a Mercedes half finisher shirt and asked him what kind of time he expected to run. He said that he hoped for a sub-20. I said "Cool. I'll be running with you then." In the end, we would be 2 of the only 3 finishers under 25 minutes. I decided that this would be a glorified tempo run. If I broke 20, great, if not so what. I thought about the possibility of winning overall. That would be great but that would probably depend on the level of competition, not my performance.
Course:
This is my training ground so I knew what to expect. It was a very scenic course around a lake and then through the woods. The negatives were that it was run almost entirely on a gravel path and the surface was a bit soft in spots. Consider the difference between a cinder track and an all weather surface and that's about what you've got. Also, the hills were placed almost all from the end of Mile 2 up until about 2.6 including a very steep but not long hill around 2.5. The race would not start until 8:15 and the temp was already over 75 with sun and moderate humidity. In short, it was not the best course or environment for a fast time.
Race:
The race was started by a former Miss Alabama who had a bit of trouble with the starting gun. We were finally off on the third try. I and the teenager took off and broke away from the pack. It would be a 2 man race to finish. I just stayed in 2nd place and tried to maintain a comfortable pace. I was under 1:30 for the first quarter mile and 3:08 for the half after a slight uphill. By this point, I knew that I didn't have PR stuff but how ugly would it get at the end? Again, this was a glorified tempo but I still wanted a decent time. I was content to stay in 2nd and stayed within about 5-10 yards of the leader for most of the first half. I hit the first mile in 6:17 and got through the first 1.55 around 9:53. With the hills coming up, I pretty much knew that I would be over 20 but still felt that I had a chance of winning. We turned into the woods and headed down a steep hill, too steep to simply let gravity take you. The leader appeared to be fading a bit but I was still content to follow for I knew what was ahead. Just before the 2 Mile mark, we hit our first significant hill and I was told to go ahead, which I did. I had won races in Gym class, had been a part of winning relay teams and had a couple of age group victories to my credit. I had never crossed the finish line first overall in any competitive race. The closest that I had come was in a dual meet my senior year of high school in which I led the first 3 laps of a Mile before getting beat early in last lap and hanging on for a close third. I passed the 2 Mile just over 13 so my pace was slowing. I had hoped to drop my pursuer but was unable to do so. He was hanging right with me. At this time, I made the decision to forget about the time and simply run for the win. My strategy would be to back off a hair now then try to drop him on the steep hill. If it came down to a final sprint, I am very difficult to beat in the last tenth of a mile. Finally, we got to the steep hill and I charged up it and opened up a gap of a few yards but it was not as much as I had hoped. The course went back down and with a half mile to go, I was still in the lead but didn't feel well at all. Okay, just hang on for a little more than a quarter mile and you've got it won. This is now the latest into any race that I have ever held the lead. Now, we were through the woods and back into the sun and I was dead. My legs were stiff and sore and my stomach was cramping. I got passed with about 600 to go and could not hang on. I knew that I didn't have a kick left so I had pretty much resigned myself to 2nd place and I would have to push just to finish under 21. With 200 to go, I was about 15 yards behind with nothing left but what was happening now? I was starting to gain some ground again. The leader was in obvious pain and as I trudged by, I saw him bent over and throwing up. The race was mine now. I had stomach cramps myself but it was the other end that was the concern so I just cruised to victory in a new personal worst time of 21:06.
Final thoughts:
I'm not sure how I feel about this one. I was clearly way off form but I can't be disappointed because I won. I got a nice gold medal out of it and supported a great cause. I began feeling worse a few hours after the race so I obviously need to adjust my formula... again. ARGH! There will be other chances for a 5K PR. Maybe next weekend depending on how I feel. So, what's it like to cross the finish line first in a race? To be honest, there's really nothing magical about it. This was one of my goals growing up and it's accomplished.
Monday, May 10, 2010
training 5/10-5/16 (race week cutback)
5/10- When I am balanced, my workout capacity is seemingly limitless. Why can't I feel like this all the time? After yesterday's double workout, I ran an "easy" 7.5 miler on Lakeshore and this easy effort yielded an average pace of 7:19, just off BQ pace and I wasn't even trying. Let's see if it catches up with me tomorrow. If I am in the groove like I was in the Fall, it will not. Also, amazingly even splits. My fastest mile was 7:15 and my slowest was 7:25.
Grade:A+/1 credit/distance=7.5
5/11- Same long interval workout as last week (400-800-1200-1200-800-400). This one was Johnny's version. That means recovery jogs between intervals, longer rests and thus faster times. I was shooting for 80-2:45-4:15 and came up a little short. Stats: 80-2:47-4:17-4:22-2:47-74. I could have broken 70 again in the final quarter but Johnny didn't want me to run it all out. Instead, I sneaked in a 200 after a full recovery and turned in a solid 30.04. Felt good despite some soreness. Can I go hard tomorrow? If I feel good, WHY NOT?
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.0
5/12- I did feel strong so WHY NOT? In the past 7 days, I've done 8 runs (total of 46 miles), 7 of the 8 runs were at 7:28 pace or under. Once again, they call me Crazy Justin for a reason. Trak Shak 5 in 33:44 (6:45 pace) plus cool down. Best time of the year. Only 20 seconds down on my course PR and I was anything but fresh. Also set a 2010 best in the 5K with a 20:44 but that one won't last long. Got off to a flying start but faded a bit towards the end. I think the 85 degree heat may have had something to do with that. This was my warmest run of the year.
Splits were 6:27-6:39-6:54-6:59(yes)-6:44= 33:44 #4 all time.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=6.5
5/13- Scheduled rest day. If I wasn't racing this weekend, I could have run an easy 6-8 today. I feel good enough. Even if it's just a fun run on Saturday, I want at least a decent showing and at least a new best time of the year (20:44). Edit: The tough workouts caught up with me this evening. My legs don't feel too sore but man, I am conked out. Good call on the rest day. Not surprising that it hit me 24 hours later so good call on the rest day. I predict some crazy dreams tonight and I'll post whatever I can remember tomorrow.
5/14- 3 dreams that I can remember. One involved high school acquaintances that I have not seen and have barely thought of in more than 10 years. The other 2 had to do with wearing special clothes to protect against severe body odor. Ha Ha Ha! Not the weirdest I've had but still pretty funny. I just jogged 2 miles on the 'mill at 8:00 pace. It wasn't as easy as I had hoped and maybe I should have rested altogether. I still should be fine tomorrow. Again, I'm not placing much importance on this race.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=2.0
5/15- AM-Race for Home 5K in 21:06 PW but good enough for my first ever win. This is a D+ according to my grading scale but I get 10 bonus points for the win.
Grade:C+/3 credits/distance=4.0
PM- Conked out early in the afternoon and woke up at 6 feeling awful. I correctly concluded that it was a GABA issue. GABA supplements do not cross the blood brain barrier without taurine or glutamine so I went to Organic harvest, picked it up and headed to Lakeshore. I took glutamine alone which left me only slightly better but when I added the GABA, I was much better within minutes. Trava Cor does contain a small amount of taurine and I was hoping that it would be enough but apparently, it is not. The workout was a Lakeshore tempo 5 miler with a time of 34:56 (6:59 pace). A sub-35 just like I wanted. I would not have made it without a water stop but who cares? I didn't have top form but I am clearly back on the right track.
2 times in a row, I had great workouts prior to the race but could not deliver on race day.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.0
5/16- Rest day. I want to be fresh for a time trial tomorrow. I'm leaning towards the 400 because my best time of the year at 67.9 stands out as soft.
Weekly summary:
These ups and downs are wearing me out emotionally. Maybe I've got it solved for now. Still, a pretty decent week overall. Too bad that my worst day was race day but then again, it was good enough to win.
Distance=30.0/ GPA= 32.9/11= 2.99
Grade:A+/1 credit/distance=7.5
5/11- Same long interval workout as last week (400-800-1200-1200-800-400). This one was Johnny's version. That means recovery jogs between intervals, longer rests and thus faster times. I was shooting for 80-2:45-4:15 and came up a little short. Stats: 80-2:47-4:17-4:22-2:47-74. I could have broken 70 again in the final quarter but Johnny didn't want me to run it all out. Instead, I sneaked in a 200 after a full recovery and turned in a solid 30.04. Felt good despite some soreness. Can I go hard tomorrow? If I feel good, WHY NOT?
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.0
5/12- I did feel strong so WHY NOT? In the past 7 days, I've done 8 runs (total of 46 miles), 7 of the 8 runs were at 7:28 pace or under. Once again, they call me Crazy Justin for a reason. Trak Shak 5 in 33:44 (6:45 pace) plus cool down. Best time of the year. Only 20 seconds down on my course PR and I was anything but fresh. Also set a 2010 best in the 5K with a 20:44 but that one won't last long. Got off to a flying start but faded a bit towards the end. I think the 85 degree heat may have had something to do with that. This was my warmest run of the year.
Splits were 6:27-6:39-6:54-6:59(yes)-6:44= 33:44 #4 all time.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=6.5
5/13- Scheduled rest day. If I wasn't racing this weekend, I could have run an easy 6-8 today. I feel good enough. Even if it's just a fun run on Saturday, I want at least a decent showing and at least a new best time of the year (20:44). Edit: The tough workouts caught up with me this evening. My legs don't feel too sore but man, I am conked out. Good call on the rest day. Not surprising that it hit me 24 hours later so good call on the rest day. I predict some crazy dreams tonight and I'll post whatever I can remember tomorrow.
5/14- 3 dreams that I can remember. One involved high school acquaintances that I have not seen and have barely thought of in more than 10 years. The other 2 had to do with wearing special clothes to protect against severe body odor. Ha Ha Ha! Not the weirdest I've had but still pretty funny. I just jogged 2 miles on the 'mill at 8:00 pace. It wasn't as easy as I had hoped and maybe I should have rested altogether. I still should be fine tomorrow. Again, I'm not placing much importance on this race.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=2.0
5/15- AM-Race for Home 5K in 21:06 PW but good enough for my first ever win. This is a D+ according to my grading scale but I get 10 bonus points for the win.
Grade:C+/3 credits/distance=4.0
PM- Conked out early in the afternoon and woke up at 6 feeling awful. I correctly concluded that it was a GABA issue. GABA supplements do not cross the blood brain barrier without taurine or glutamine so I went to Organic harvest, picked it up and headed to Lakeshore. I took glutamine alone which left me only slightly better but when I added the GABA, I was much better within minutes. Trava Cor does contain a small amount of taurine and I was hoping that it would be enough but apparently, it is not. The workout was a Lakeshore tempo 5 miler with a time of 34:56 (6:59 pace). A sub-35 just like I wanted. I would not have made it without a water stop but who cares? I didn't have top form but I am clearly back on the right track.
2 times in a row, I had great workouts prior to the race but could not deliver on race day.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.0
5/16- Rest day. I want to be fresh for a time trial tomorrow. I'm leaning towards the 400 because my best time of the year at 67.9 stands out as soft.
Weekly summary:
These ups and downs are wearing me out emotionally. Maybe I've got it solved for now. Still, a pretty decent week overall. Too bad that my worst day was race day but then again, it was good enough to win.
Distance=30.0/ GPA= 32.9/11= 2.99
Monday, May 3, 2010
training 5/3-5/9
5/3- Vestavia speed session. Pyramid intervals. That's one of my favorite workouts.
400- 89, 800- 2:58, 1200- 4:30, 1200- 4:31, 800- 3:00, 400- 68.0 R was 1:00 per lap of previous interval. Pace per mile was 5:52.
I've done this workout many times and this one was one of my best. I was hoping to get the 1200s under 4:30 but made up for it by dipping under 70 in the last quarter. Narrowly missed my best 400 of the year. I have no doubt that I would have been MUCH better than my 5:53 mile last Saturday. I think I would have been low 5:30s today. I bumped up my TravaCor dosage to 2 (supplement that boosts serotonin) and I didn't need taurine today. YEEESSSSS!
Grade:B+/2 credit/distance=4.0
5/4- 3 miles on the 'mill set to 8:00 pace. Easy run under a time crunch. Felt a bit sluggish during the day but felt okay during the run. Unsure of how I would have responded to a hard day. 2 Trava Cor may be too much. Will 1 be enough? Can I tweak the threonine to make it work? Maybe I need to cut it in half. I want this sorted out now!
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=3.0
5/5- Took only 1 Trava Cor and still woke up feeling sluggish. I'll try cutting out the threonine. Despite the sluggish feeling, I ran quite well today. Trak Shak run in a course PR of 58:41. The course was measured at 8.06 not the 8.2 earlier. Perhaps it was because the trees were in full bloom. Garmin pace was a solid 7:17 and remained pretty even despite the hills. Preston got held up at work. Too bad. I would have been even faster running with him.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=9.0
5/6- I only took 1 Trava Cor and no threonine. I woke up feeling good for the first time in a LONG TIME. However, by the end of the day, I was feeling a bit overstimulated. My workout today was a 1 Mile time trial at Vestavia with a time of 5:32.4 (best time of the year). Splits were 80-85-88-79 (2:45 1st half, 2:47 2nd half). That's 10 down on last year's best and 17 down on my lifetime goal. Still, I am somewhat encouraged by this workout. This is the 4th time in 5 days that I have pushed myself in a workout. If fresh, I don't think I'm under 5:20 but certainly under 5:30 and only a week into the summer speed season. 17 off my goal, 83% grade. Finished with a long cool down at a steady 8:00 pace.
Grade:B/3 credits/distance=4.0
5/7- Took 1 Trava Cor and 1 threonine and it worked out perfectly. Lakeshore 5 in 37:21 (7:28 pace) and it was nearly effortless. That's awfully fast for an easy day but I felt fine and at 40 MPW, my easy runs should be faster than if I was running 60. I hope this will be the last adjustment in a long time. I hope my readers understand how much I hate having to make these adjustments!
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=5.0
5/8- Tough day today. I took a taurine and it left me a little sluggish plus it was humid outside plus I've pushed myself hard this week. Workout was 12 with Scott. I was fine up until Mile 10 then I struggled in Mile 11 and had didn't have much left at the end. My overall pace was an acceptable 7:52. Average performance. I would have been thrilled with this last week but a bit let down now.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=12.0
5/9- Split decision today. I took all the pills that I needed and none of the ones that I didn't.
AM- Hard core speed before church. 6x200 averaging 30.5 (29.4-31.6). On the plus side, I managed 6 reps instead of 4 but on the minus, I was more than 1 second slower per rep or roughly 10 per mile and was only 1 for 6 on the sub-30 challenge (#3 in 29.4). I felt good warming up but a tad sluggish during the workout and beat up afterward although I did recover quickly. 400 time today would have been about 63. Yesterday's run surely took something out of me this morning.
Grade: B-/2 credits/distance=1.5
PM- Veteran's Park 4 in 29:08 (7:17 pace). Not effortless but not uncomfortable in the least. Pretty even pace but did slow just a tad in the 2nd half. Felt much better than the Mountain Brook 4 last Sunday, which was also after hard 200s. Also scouted the 5K course and it's not conducive to a PR. There's a tough stretch near the end of Mile 2 and a nasty steep hill around 2.5. That takes some pressure off. It'll be just a fun run and since it'll be small, I expect to be among the top finishers.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=4.5
Weekly summary:
Good week overall. Nothing less than a B- and I like that. I set a course PR then came back with a 2010 best in the Mile. Maybe a bit too intense even for 5K/10K training. I ran all 7 days, which is a rarity for me. That's why it's a good time for a cut back and a 5K race (fun run).
Distance=43.0/GPA=44.2/14= 3.16
400- 89, 800- 2:58, 1200- 4:30, 1200- 4:31, 800- 3:00, 400- 68.0 R was 1:00 per lap of previous interval. Pace per mile was 5:52.
I've done this workout many times and this one was one of my best. I was hoping to get the 1200s under 4:30 but made up for it by dipping under 70 in the last quarter. Narrowly missed my best 400 of the year. I have no doubt that I would have been MUCH better than my 5:53 mile last Saturday. I think I would have been low 5:30s today. I bumped up my TravaCor dosage to 2 (supplement that boosts serotonin) and I didn't need taurine today. YEEESSSSS!
Grade:B+/2 credit/distance=4.0
5/4- 3 miles on the 'mill set to 8:00 pace. Easy run under a time crunch. Felt a bit sluggish during the day but felt okay during the run. Unsure of how I would have responded to a hard day. 2 Trava Cor may be too much. Will 1 be enough? Can I tweak the threonine to make it work? Maybe I need to cut it in half. I want this sorted out now!
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=3.0
5/5- Took only 1 Trava Cor and still woke up feeling sluggish. I'll try cutting out the threonine. Despite the sluggish feeling, I ran quite well today. Trak Shak run in a course PR of 58:41. The course was measured at 8.06 not the 8.2 earlier. Perhaps it was because the trees were in full bloom. Garmin pace was a solid 7:17 and remained pretty even despite the hills. Preston got held up at work. Too bad. I would have been even faster running with him.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=9.0
5/6- I only took 1 Trava Cor and no threonine. I woke up feeling good for the first time in a LONG TIME. However, by the end of the day, I was feeling a bit overstimulated. My workout today was a 1 Mile time trial at Vestavia with a time of 5:32.4 (best time of the year). Splits were 80-85-88-79 (2:45 1st half, 2:47 2nd half). That's 10 down on last year's best and 17 down on my lifetime goal. Still, I am somewhat encouraged by this workout. This is the 4th time in 5 days that I have pushed myself in a workout. If fresh, I don't think I'm under 5:20 but certainly under 5:30 and only a week into the summer speed season. 17 off my goal, 83% grade. Finished with a long cool down at a steady 8:00 pace.
Grade:B/3 credits/distance=4.0
5/7- Took 1 Trava Cor and 1 threonine and it worked out perfectly. Lakeshore 5 in 37:21 (7:28 pace) and it was nearly effortless. That's awfully fast for an easy day but I felt fine and at 40 MPW, my easy runs should be faster than if I was running 60. I hope this will be the last adjustment in a long time. I hope my readers understand how much I hate having to make these adjustments!
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=5.0
5/8- Tough day today. I took a taurine and it left me a little sluggish plus it was humid outside plus I've pushed myself hard this week. Workout was 12 with Scott. I was fine up until Mile 10 then I struggled in Mile 11 and had didn't have much left at the end. My overall pace was an acceptable 7:52. Average performance. I would have been thrilled with this last week but a bit let down now.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=12.0
5/9- Split decision today. I took all the pills that I needed and none of the ones that I didn't.
AM- Hard core speed before church. 6x200 averaging 30.5 (29.4-31.6). On the plus side, I managed 6 reps instead of 4 but on the minus, I was more than 1 second slower per rep or roughly 10 per mile and was only 1 for 6 on the sub-30 challenge (#3 in 29.4). I felt good warming up but a tad sluggish during the workout and beat up afterward although I did recover quickly. 400 time today would have been about 63. Yesterday's run surely took something out of me this morning.
Grade: B-/2 credits/distance=1.5
PM- Veteran's Park 4 in 29:08 (7:17 pace). Not effortless but not uncomfortable in the least. Pretty even pace but did slow just a tad in the 2nd half. Felt much better than the Mountain Brook 4 last Sunday, which was also after hard 200s. Also scouted the 5K course and it's not conducive to a PR. There's a tough stretch near the end of Mile 2 and a nasty steep hill around 2.5. That takes some pressure off. It'll be just a fun run and since it'll be small, I expect to be among the top finishers.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=4.5
Weekly summary:
Good week overall. Nothing less than a B- and I like that. I set a course PR then came back with a 2010 best in the Mile. Maybe a bit too intense even for 5K/10K training. I ran all 7 days, which is a rarity for me. That's why it's a good time for a cut back and a 5K race (fun run).
Distance=43.0/GPA=44.2/14= 3.16
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
