4/18- Can't wait for soccer season to be over so I can run at Vestavia. I had to go to Hoover again and didn't even get started on my workout until almost 6 and didn't get home until after 8. Workout was a short pyramid: 200-400-600-800-600-400-200. R was 1 min after the 200, 2 min after the 400, 2:30 after 600 and 3:00 after 800 which is pretty generous. I don't think my legs were quite ready for it after the thrashing 2 days ago but I still did okay. Unlike tall pyramids, I allowed for myself to slow down a bit in the longer reps but my pace faded a bit more than I had hoped but came back pretty strong at the end. Stats were as follows:
2 mile warm in 15:30. 200-33, 400-75, 600-1:58, 800-2:46, 600-2:04, 400-76, 200-33.
Overall pace was 5:13, which was 3 seconds down on my goal but still not bad.
1 mile cool untimed. I have to force it a bit early this week because I'll be out for sure on Wednesday and possibly Thursday as well due to the prolotherapy.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=5.0
Edit: As for the 1:30 goal for 13.1, if I'm not there right now, I am VERY close. 4 more weeks of good training and hopefully better body chemistry by then and I like my chances.
4/19- Long tempo. Lakeshore 10 in 70:57 (7:06 pace). Just a hair slower than my half mary PR pace and done on tired legs with damaged connective tissues. Gotta be pleased with this one. Only downer was that my pace slipped a bit in the 2nd half. (35:02/35:55) (7:00 vs 7:11). I had planned a progression run but when I took off at sub-7 pace, I had to see how long I could hold it. This is very hard training over the last 4 days but I meant it to be because I expect to out the next 1-2 days.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=10.0
4/20- Prolotherapy in Nashville, lunch at Wild Horse Saloon, traffic jam. Home at 7:30. Running is out of the question today and I may be out tomorrow as well.
4/21- 2 mile junk run indoors in 17:13 (8:37 pace). Absolutely no cause for alarm.
Grade:Pass/0 credits/distance=2.0
4/22- Easy 6 indoors in 46:06 (7:41 pace). Still some soreness but I won't complain. 3 times longer distance at a pace nearly 1 minute faster. I'll take it.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0
4/23- Overslept and missed the group run. By the time I finished, the temp was about 75 and humid but not as bad as it was 2 weeks ago. Moderate Lakeshore 11.5 at a pretty steady 7:32 pace. 10 out of 11 miles were under 7:40 and finished the last .5 at sub-7 pace. I did take 3 extended drink stops but I had to. Pain at the site of the injection is still there and starting today, I am a little concerned but again, it was an improvement over yesterday.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=12.0
4/24- Trak Shak 7 tempo in 48:49 (6:58 pace). Strong performance. 85 degree temp at the start. Only 1 water stop but it was a long one. It takes time to adjust to warm weather and it's difficult to go much longer than 10 if it's too hot. Injection site pain has clearly diminished but is still not 100% gone. Race day is in 5 days and the early weather forecast looks good.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=7.0
Weekly summary:
Low mileage but very pleased with the high quality. Aside from the junk run and the cool down, every mile was below 7:45. When I get nothing below a "B-," I'm pleased with the consistency. I sure hope that temps in the 90s will not occur until early June.
Distance= 42.0/GPA= 29.2/9= 3.24
Monday, April 18, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Statue2Statue 15K RR
Preparation:
It's rare that I go into a race and really don't care how I do but I usually end up pleased with the results when I treat a race as a training run. I actually had a mixed drink with dinner and ran a 2.5 mile warm up prior to the race so I could log a distance comparable to a weekend long run. I did not feel particularly well warming up and had some soreness in the hip/groin area so it seemed as if it might be a mistake to run today. I had only signed up the day before and it was pretty much a race day decision. If this had been a goal race at a shorter distance, I may have bailed in favor of an easier long run.
Course:
It's a point to point race starting at Vulcan Park and finishing in Liberty Park so we parked at the finish area and took a bus to the start line. There would be no return transportation back to Vulcan Park. I awoke on time and had a smooth uneventful morning. Another severe storm came through the previous night and the forecast called for temps in the low 50s with strong winds. I took a tank top and a long sleeve shirt but felt comfortable enough to run in the tank top because the wind did not seem to be as strong as predicted. The course had been described to me as a "nice 10K" through the beautiful Mountain Brook neighborhood followed by one humongous hill that is so steep that even very good runners resort to walking. After that, there is some downhill followed by a second killer hill. Most of the final 1.5 miles are sharply downhill but there are a few uphill portions, most notably a quarter mile stretch late in Mile 9. My plan was to go out relatively hard (near 6:50 pace), walk the big hills then bring it home strong.
Race:
I took off among the leaders for the first 100 meters downhill then we made the turn on to level ground. I wisely dialed it back and hit the 1/2 mile mark around 3:15. Maybe it was a slight incline but it was early enough that it did not hurt at all. We hit a small downhill just before the 1st mile marker which was passed comfortably in 6:46. It turned out that this "nice 10K" had at least 3 or 4 steep uphills before the killers ahead but fortunately, they were relatively short, maybe a tenth of a mile each. There were plenty of flats and downhills as well. I gained quite a bit of ground in Mile 2 and passed several runners who had gone out too fast. I thought to myself, this course doesn't seem so bad. Just then, we hit our first steep uphill just after 1.5 miles. Downhill would follow, which allowed me to hit a solid 6:44 2nd mile. At this point, I was running mostly with the 2 female leaders and we would pass each other several times over the next 3 miles. I was very pleased with how even my splits were and how comfortable I felt at the halfway point.
6:46-feel good
6:44 (13:30)- solid pace, gaining ground
6:34(20:04)- maybe a little fast, back off some, 5K in 20:50.
6:47 (26:51)- passed female leader on steep hill.
6:46 (33:37)- strong.
We hit another steep hill just after turning on Stone River at around 5.1 miles. After a nice recovery downhill, it would be slightly uphill for the next 3/4 of a mile or so but it was manageable. I figured that I was on pace for a sub-42 10K, less than a minute from my PR. At about 5.9 miles, the first killer hill began. My plan was run it as long as I could but if my Garmin pace went above 10:00, I'd be better off walking. I would make it a little over a tenth of a mile before my resolve weakened. Mile 6 was 7:06 for a total time of 40:43. The 2 female leaders passed me again as they attempted to run the hill. Their resolve did not last much longer than mine. I would be walking for most of the next 3/8 of a mile with a few short spurts of jogging but the hill was so steep that my competition was not gaining very much ground on me. Maybe I could have managed to jog up that monster but walking would be part of my strategy. As we neared the summit, I received a word of encouragement to pick it back up since we were almost to the top. I started running again, passed the female leader and would not see her again. The walk break must have refreshed me because once we hit level ground after a short downhill, I was back to sub-7 pace and feeling strong. Mile 7 was 8:26 (49:09), which really wasn't too bad considering that I walked about 25-30% of it. I thought I could make up some ground at the end and still manage to finish below 7:00 pace. We made a turn to hit some more downhill and I enjoyed it while it lasted because I had heard of another killer ahead. It had a short and fairly steep first part then it turned into a gradual incline. To make matters worse, there were 2 curves in the road which revealed more incline ahead. I managed to keep my pace pretty strong in this section. I was in the 7:20s each time I looked at the Garmin. Next, we made a turn to find another monster hill that was every bit as steep as the previous monster but mercifully, it was not as long. My strategy was the same. I ran as long as I could in relative comfort before walking for maybe 15-30 seconds. When we got close to the summit, it was time to get moving again. By this time, there was about 1.5 miles to go and about 75% of it would be sharply downhill. Time to really let it loose here. I gained ground quickly on a competitor who appeared to me near my age but whenever the terrain flattened or went slightly uphill, he pulled away again. My split for Mile 8 was a respectable 7:25 (56:34) and I still had a shot at the sub-7 pace finish. It would be an exciting race to the finish, I actually passed him once on a steep downhill but as we passed Mountain Brook High School, it was a moderate uphill into a headwind and I was left at least 20 yards behind. When we crested the final uphill, it would be about half a mile to the finish and sharply downhill for about 650 with level ground to the finish line. Mile 9 passed in an impressive 6:07, which put me back under 7:00 pace overall (62:41) and it was time to fly to the finish. I made up much of the ground that I had lost on the previous uphill but the finish line would come just a bit too soon. Another 100 meters and he would have been mine.
Final time for 15K (9.33 miles) was 64:22 (6:54 pace). My last 1/3 of a mile was 1:41 (5:10 pace). Downhill or not, that's some serious speed after 9 miles and I actually felt that I left a few seconds on the course as well.
Aftermath:
The windy conditions came shortly after the race and I was sure glad that I had that long sleeve shirt. I was in good spirits as I chatted with other runners. The only downer was that competition in the 30-34 age group was fierce. I finished 13th overall but only 5th in my age group. My time would have been good enough in the 25-29 division. I posed the following question: If I can run 6:54 pace on this course, can I run that pace or better for an additional 3.8 miles? The consensus was yes. Those of you that have run this course before, I'd like your honest opinion, was this performance equivalent to a sub-1:30 half (13.1 @ 6:52) on a flat course?
Grade:A-
Edit: Official time was 64:15 (6:53 pace)
It's rare that I go into a race and really don't care how I do but I usually end up pleased with the results when I treat a race as a training run. I actually had a mixed drink with dinner and ran a 2.5 mile warm up prior to the race so I could log a distance comparable to a weekend long run. I did not feel particularly well warming up and had some soreness in the hip/groin area so it seemed as if it might be a mistake to run today. I had only signed up the day before and it was pretty much a race day decision. If this had been a goal race at a shorter distance, I may have bailed in favor of an easier long run.
Course:
It's a point to point race starting at Vulcan Park and finishing in Liberty Park so we parked at the finish area and took a bus to the start line. There would be no return transportation back to Vulcan Park. I awoke on time and had a smooth uneventful morning. Another severe storm came through the previous night and the forecast called for temps in the low 50s with strong winds. I took a tank top and a long sleeve shirt but felt comfortable enough to run in the tank top because the wind did not seem to be as strong as predicted. The course had been described to me as a "nice 10K" through the beautiful Mountain Brook neighborhood followed by one humongous hill that is so steep that even very good runners resort to walking. After that, there is some downhill followed by a second killer hill. Most of the final 1.5 miles are sharply downhill but there are a few uphill portions, most notably a quarter mile stretch late in Mile 9. My plan was to go out relatively hard (near 6:50 pace), walk the big hills then bring it home strong.
Race:
I took off among the leaders for the first 100 meters downhill then we made the turn on to level ground. I wisely dialed it back and hit the 1/2 mile mark around 3:15. Maybe it was a slight incline but it was early enough that it did not hurt at all. We hit a small downhill just before the 1st mile marker which was passed comfortably in 6:46. It turned out that this "nice 10K" had at least 3 or 4 steep uphills before the killers ahead but fortunately, they were relatively short, maybe a tenth of a mile each. There were plenty of flats and downhills as well. I gained quite a bit of ground in Mile 2 and passed several runners who had gone out too fast. I thought to myself, this course doesn't seem so bad. Just then, we hit our first steep uphill just after 1.5 miles. Downhill would follow, which allowed me to hit a solid 6:44 2nd mile. At this point, I was running mostly with the 2 female leaders and we would pass each other several times over the next 3 miles. I was very pleased with how even my splits were and how comfortable I felt at the halfway point.
6:46-feel good
6:44 (13:30)- solid pace, gaining ground
6:34(20:04)- maybe a little fast, back off some, 5K in 20:50.
6:47 (26:51)- passed female leader on steep hill.
6:46 (33:37)- strong.
We hit another steep hill just after turning on Stone River at around 5.1 miles. After a nice recovery downhill, it would be slightly uphill for the next 3/4 of a mile or so but it was manageable. I figured that I was on pace for a sub-42 10K, less than a minute from my PR. At about 5.9 miles, the first killer hill began. My plan was run it as long as I could but if my Garmin pace went above 10:00, I'd be better off walking. I would make it a little over a tenth of a mile before my resolve weakened. Mile 6 was 7:06 for a total time of 40:43. The 2 female leaders passed me again as they attempted to run the hill. Their resolve did not last much longer than mine. I would be walking for most of the next 3/8 of a mile with a few short spurts of jogging but the hill was so steep that my competition was not gaining very much ground on me. Maybe I could have managed to jog up that monster but walking would be part of my strategy. As we neared the summit, I received a word of encouragement to pick it back up since we were almost to the top. I started running again, passed the female leader and would not see her again. The walk break must have refreshed me because once we hit level ground after a short downhill, I was back to sub-7 pace and feeling strong. Mile 7 was 8:26 (49:09), which really wasn't too bad considering that I walked about 25-30% of it. I thought I could make up some ground at the end and still manage to finish below 7:00 pace. We made a turn to hit some more downhill and I enjoyed it while it lasted because I had heard of another killer ahead. It had a short and fairly steep first part then it turned into a gradual incline. To make matters worse, there were 2 curves in the road which revealed more incline ahead. I managed to keep my pace pretty strong in this section. I was in the 7:20s each time I looked at the Garmin. Next, we made a turn to find another monster hill that was every bit as steep as the previous monster but mercifully, it was not as long. My strategy was the same. I ran as long as I could in relative comfort before walking for maybe 15-30 seconds. When we got close to the summit, it was time to get moving again. By this time, there was about 1.5 miles to go and about 75% of it would be sharply downhill. Time to really let it loose here. I gained ground quickly on a competitor who appeared to me near my age but whenever the terrain flattened or went slightly uphill, he pulled away again. My split for Mile 8 was a respectable 7:25 (56:34) and I still had a shot at the sub-7 pace finish. It would be an exciting race to the finish, I actually passed him once on a steep downhill but as we passed Mountain Brook High School, it was a moderate uphill into a headwind and I was left at least 20 yards behind. When we crested the final uphill, it would be about half a mile to the finish and sharply downhill for about 650 with level ground to the finish line. Mile 9 passed in an impressive 6:07, which put me back under 7:00 pace overall (62:41) and it was time to fly to the finish. I made up much of the ground that I had lost on the previous uphill but the finish line would come just a bit too soon. Another 100 meters and he would have been mine.
Final time for 15K (9.33 miles) was 64:22 (6:54 pace). My last 1/3 of a mile was 1:41 (5:10 pace). Downhill or not, that's some serious speed after 9 miles and I actually felt that I left a few seconds on the course as well.
Aftermath:
The windy conditions came shortly after the race and I was sure glad that I had that long sleeve shirt. I was in good spirits as I chatted with other runners. The only downer was that competition in the 30-34 age group was fierce. I finished 13th overall but only 5th in my age group. My time would have been good enough in the 25-29 division. I posed the following question: If I can run 6:54 pace on this course, can I run that pace or better for an additional 3.8 miles? The consensus was yes. Those of you that have run this course before, I'd like your honest opinion, was this performance equivalent to a sub-1:30 half (13.1 @ 6:52) on a flat course?
Grade:A-
Edit: Official time was 64:15 (6:53 pace)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Training 4/11-4/17
4/11- Unplanned rest day. Still not feeling well
4/12- Lakeshore 8.5 naked (no watch) and it was not a pretty sight. The groin continues to get worse. I believe that it is the pills. I've been going steadily downhill for almost a week. Is it the copper or the magnesium or both? We shall see how I perform tomorrow. Any improvement will be a plus. It was not just the groin. I was sore all over so that is a sign that it's the pills. I was getting passed by slow runners on the trail. Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=8.5
4/13- After cutting both the copper and magnesium, I saw significant improvement today. I hope that it's the copper that's the problem and my research leads me to believe that it is indeed. Magnesium should help but will it be enough to stave off the chromium dependency? Workout was Trak Shak 8 with a moving time of 57:10 (7:09 pace for an even 8). Pretty even pace. 7 out of 8 miles were 7:15 or below. 1st half 28:28, 2nd half 28:42. That's still 20 seconds/mile down on my course PR and I had to make 2 pit stops. Nothing to write home about but it was a nice improvement. Also, the groin/hip was about 60% better today.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=8.0
4/14- Veteran's Park 4 for the first time in a while. It's a slow gravel trail so I don't put too much stock in my time. First and last quarter mile were fast but the rest of the run was around 7:40 pace. Overall time was 29:54 (7:29 pace). Felt about the same as yesterday on all counts. Both the energy level and groin soreness were comparable to yesterday. Not a bad showing overall but I was hoping for a little better.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=4.5
4/15- Planned rest day. I am listed as "probable" for Statue2Statue. This one is nothing more than a fun run. I'm not 100% and really don't care how I do. Update: The copper may have messed with my thyroid so I took 1/2 a thyroid supplement and it pretty much knocked me out last night. I expect to be ready tomorrow.
4/16- Statue2Statue 15K in 64:15 officially. 6:53 pace for 9.33 miles.
2.5 mile warm and 2 mile cool.
Grade:A/3 credits/distance=14.0
4/17- Just your basic run of the mill easy 6 on Lakeshore in a time of 47:50 (7:58 pace). No, I would not have cared if it had been over 8:00. Ran it at 2 PM in pleasant 70 degree conditions and this may be the last time I'll be able to do that until Fall. Splits were very even (7:54-8:02) and the 2 miles that were over 8 were slightly uphill. No complaints for day after a tough race.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0
Weekly summary:
Good and uplifting performance at Statue2Statue and managed to hit a decent mileage total on just 5 days of training. I'm going with the magnesium and ADHS and sticking with it. Made the honor roll with a "D" grade. LOL.
Distance=41.0/GPA=25.3/8= 3.16
4/12- Lakeshore 8.5 naked (no watch) and it was not a pretty sight. The groin continues to get worse. I believe that it is the pills. I've been going steadily downhill for almost a week. Is it the copper or the magnesium or both? We shall see how I perform tomorrow. Any improvement will be a plus. It was not just the groin. I was sore all over so that is a sign that it's the pills. I was getting passed by slow runners on the trail. Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=8.5
4/13- After cutting both the copper and magnesium, I saw significant improvement today. I hope that it's the copper that's the problem and my research leads me to believe that it is indeed. Magnesium should help but will it be enough to stave off the chromium dependency? Workout was Trak Shak 8 with a moving time of 57:10 (7:09 pace for an even 8). Pretty even pace. 7 out of 8 miles were 7:15 or below. 1st half 28:28, 2nd half 28:42. That's still 20 seconds/mile down on my course PR and I had to make 2 pit stops. Nothing to write home about but it was a nice improvement. Also, the groin/hip was about 60% better today.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=8.0
4/14- Veteran's Park 4 for the first time in a while. It's a slow gravel trail so I don't put too much stock in my time. First and last quarter mile were fast but the rest of the run was around 7:40 pace. Overall time was 29:54 (7:29 pace). Felt about the same as yesterday on all counts. Both the energy level and groin soreness were comparable to yesterday. Not a bad showing overall but I was hoping for a little better.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=4.5
4/15- Planned rest day. I am listed as "probable" for Statue2Statue. This one is nothing more than a fun run. I'm not 100% and really don't care how I do. Update: The copper may have messed with my thyroid so I took 1/2 a thyroid supplement and it pretty much knocked me out last night. I expect to be ready tomorrow.
4/16- Statue2Statue 15K in 64:15 officially. 6:53 pace for 9.33 miles.
2.5 mile warm and 2 mile cool.
Grade:A/3 credits/distance=14.0
4/17- Just your basic run of the mill easy 6 on Lakeshore in a time of 47:50 (7:58 pace). No, I would not have cared if it had been over 8:00. Ran it at 2 PM in pleasant 70 degree conditions and this may be the last time I'll be able to do that until Fall. Splits were very even (7:54-8:02) and the 2 miles that were over 8 were slightly uphill. No complaints for day after a tough race.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0
Weekly summary:
Good and uplifting performance at Statue2Statue and managed to hit a decent mileage total on just 5 days of training. I'm going with the magnesium and ADHS and sticking with it. Made the honor roll with a "D" grade. LOL.
Distance=41.0/GPA=25.3/8= 3.16
Monday, April 4, 2011
Training 4/4-4/10
4/4- Easy 8 indoors in 61:43 (7:43 pace) just before a severe t'storm. Felt good. Strong performance. Good news and bad news is that the groin pain has diminished but I think it was due to the copper supplements. The bad news is that I am counting on the copper to neutralize the zinc, which causes the chromium dependency. I sure hope that I can tolerate it at a lower dosage. Without the copper, there's still a chance that magnesium will work. If I can make it 6 weeks without the chromium, I'll feel a lot better about my situation.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=8.0
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=8.0
4/5- Strong downward ladder at Sanford track. Groin/hip issue is manageable but still not quite right. I may yet opt for more prolotherapy. Good news is that I feel less dependendent on the ADHS and that means that maybe I can cut my dosage safely if the chromium issue does flare up. 3 months is a long time to wait for the next medical report.
2000: 7:36 (that's an even 19 pace for 5K, 6:05/mi)
1600: 5:58 (hard effort, banked a few ticks early)
1200: 4:28 (Ditto the 1600)
800: 2:55 (coming easier now)
400: 86.1 (sandbagged it to save energy for dessert)
400: 68.14 (less than 4 off my best of the year) Overall 5:53 pace. Better workout than the 3x1600 2 weeks ago. Finished with a cooldown on Lakeshore that was not a struggle.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=6.0
4/6- Easy 9 from the Shak in 69:20 (7:43 pace). Just about what I planned to do. A bit sore but I had a reason to be. Tight at the beginning but loosened up nicely. Even pace (7:37-7:51). 1st half was 34:34, 2nd half was 34:46. Hoping to do short intervals tomorrow and am on track for back to back 50 mile weeks.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=9.0
4/7- 2 mile warm, 8x200 in 32 and a 1.5 mile cool at Hoover. Not a bad showing especially on tired legs but I was hoping to do a little better. The first 200 was 34 then the next 6 were all in the low 32s and an all out effort in #8 resulted in a 30.07. I really hoped to run a couple under 30 but could not. In my defense, I had tired legs, no spikes, no competition and all were self timed with no rolling start. The realistic goal was a 32 average, which I made. I still think I'm good for a 63 400 right now but no faster. More of these workouts will allow me to get faster.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=4.5
4/8- Planned rest day
4/9- Long run in warm and humid conditions. I won't be able to go more than 10 for much longer as the heat index climbs further. It was about 68 at the start of the run and over 75 at the end with high humidity. I ran with a group and stopped many times for water and Gatorade. The moving time was 1:59 flat for 15 miles (7:56 pace). Pace was very uneven. A few middle miles were below 7:30 but by the end, I was struggling at about an 8:15-8:20 clip. Groin was very sore and I have made another prolotherapy appointment for 4/20. I'm most upset about that. Will I have to do this twice a year for the rest of my life? That's still a small price to pay to avoid a debilitating condition. Very tired and worn out. Dreamed that I had to steer an actual car with a video game controller and wrecked twice.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=15.0
4/10- Struggling. 5 miles at a steady 8 flat pace then limped in untimed and barely finished the workout. Groin remains very sore. Probably no worse than yesterday but based on the trend, it appears to be getting worse.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=7.5
Weekly summary:
Some high quality workouts early in the week but it ended on a sour note and I will need a sharp cut back week next week with planned lower mileage the next 2 weeks. As for my training intensity, yes it's been hard not the killer schedule of last Fall but my body still broke down on me. I may have to skip Statue 2 Statue but that was only for fun anyway. Prolo is in 10 days and I likely have a rough 2 weeks ahead.
Distance=50.0/ GPA= 27.5/9= 3.06
2000: 7:36 (that's an even 19 pace for 5K, 6:05/mi)
1600: 5:58 (hard effort, banked a few ticks early)
1200: 4:28 (Ditto the 1600)
800: 2:55 (coming easier now)
400: 86.1 (sandbagged it to save energy for dessert)
400: 68.14 (less than 4 off my best of the year) Overall 5:53 pace. Better workout than the 3x1600 2 weeks ago. Finished with a cooldown on Lakeshore that was not a struggle.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=6.0
4/6- Easy 9 from the Shak in 69:20 (7:43 pace). Just about what I planned to do. A bit sore but I had a reason to be. Tight at the beginning but loosened up nicely. Even pace (7:37-7:51). 1st half was 34:34, 2nd half was 34:46. Hoping to do short intervals tomorrow and am on track for back to back 50 mile weeks.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=9.0
4/7- 2 mile warm, 8x200 in 32 and a 1.5 mile cool at Hoover. Not a bad showing especially on tired legs but I was hoping to do a little better. The first 200 was 34 then the next 6 were all in the low 32s and an all out effort in #8 resulted in a 30.07. I really hoped to run a couple under 30 but could not. In my defense, I had tired legs, no spikes, no competition and all were self timed with no rolling start. The realistic goal was a 32 average, which I made. I still think I'm good for a 63 400 right now but no faster. More of these workouts will allow me to get faster.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=4.5
4/8- Planned rest day
4/9- Long run in warm and humid conditions. I won't be able to go more than 10 for much longer as the heat index climbs further. It was about 68 at the start of the run and over 75 at the end with high humidity. I ran with a group and stopped many times for water and Gatorade. The moving time was 1:59 flat for 15 miles (7:56 pace). Pace was very uneven. A few middle miles were below 7:30 but by the end, I was struggling at about an 8:15-8:20 clip. Groin was very sore and I have made another prolotherapy appointment for 4/20. I'm most upset about that. Will I have to do this twice a year for the rest of my life? That's still a small price to pay to avoid a debilitating condition. Very tired and worn out. Dreamed that I had to steer an actual car with a video game controller and wrecked twice.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=15.0
4/10- Struggling. 5 miles at a steady 8 flat pace then limped in untimed and barely finished the workout. Groin remains very sore. Probably no worse than yesterday but based on the trend, it appears to be getting worse.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=7.5
Weekly summary:
Some high quality workouts early in the week but it ended on a sour note and I will need a sharp cut back week next week with planned lower mileage the next 2 weeks. As for my training intensity, yes it's been hard not the killer schedule of last Fall but my body still broke down on me. I may have to skip Statue 2 Statue but that was only for fun anyway. Prolo is in 10 days and I likely have a rough 2 weeks ahead.
Distance=50.0/ GPA= 27.5/9= 3.06
Monday, March 28, 2011
Training 3/28-4/3
3/28- Easy 7 indoors in 53:13 (7:36 pace). Pretty solid performance. That's still a little faster than my normal easy pace but I intended to push it a bit. 7:30 was too much of a struggle so I backed off. Weight is down 2 and now stands at 155. I do NOT want to lose any more. 155-160 is my target range. I am still unsure of how much power I'll have in a hard workout. I hope to do Johnny's workout tomorrow if the weather cooperates. March is normally the wettest month here but this is wetter than usual.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.0
3/29- Did something I've never done in training before which was an interval workout on a road rather than a track. Soccer game at Vestavia so I headed to South Lakeshore, which is actually a fairly common training ground for intervals. It's a straight stretch of road with minimal traffic but it does have a slight slope to it. My workout was 6x800 with a 2:30 rest. I averaged 2:54 (5:48 pace) with a range of 2:50-2:56. I was surprised by how even my times were given the slope. In fact, I was actually slightly faster on the incline than the decline probably because I had a slight headwind going down and a tailwind going up. Not a bad workout but I "used to could" do this workout at 2:45 so that's 18 seconds slow per mile. 3 mile cool down in which I felt some foot pain that seemed to stem from the nerve. That could be the magnesium inhibiting calcium so I'm cutting that from 2 to 1. Not a big deal yet. Jury's still out on the new formula.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=6.0
3/30- Trak Shak 8 mile hilly loop. This time, the Garmin measured it at 8.10 with a time of 55:28 (6:51 pace). Slightly slower than last week's magic but I've proven that it was no fluke. That's 1 second under 1:30 half mary pace. The power is back on and I am more confident in my plan. The foot was okay. I'm sticking with the magnesium but at a lower dosage. Please God, no more chromium dependency! As long as I can tolerate the ADHS, I predict that I will be balanced. Weather was only in the low-mid 50s with wind and drizzle. IT'S RAW, MAN! With a wet shirt and cold wind, it was freezing out there. Fortunately, I had a jacket.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=8.5
3/31- Planned rest day. I've done a fast MLR, a short GMP (goal marathon pace), an interval and a long tempo since the disappointing 5K. My body is tired and worn out but the muscles are not especially sore. For the first quarter and its ups and downs, I scored 2 PRs, ran an even 500 miles and had a cumulative GPA of 2.91, which was skewed by a bad first 2 weeks.
4/1- Mild disappointment today. Oak Mountain 400 in 64.6. Best time of the year by a healthy margin but that's a full 3 seconds down on last year's best and in the 400, that's a lot. I need 1.2 seconds per 100 to reach my goal. That's daunting. That said, I did not have my best stuff out there. There was no spring in my step and I faced a BRUTAL headwind in the homestretch. In still air, I could have run in the 63s but even that is a long way from a sub-60. Have I lost sprint speed in the last 2 years? I would not think that being 30 instead of 28 would make any difference. It is clear that I need more sprint training. Perhaps, I was not fully fresh even after one day off. Finished the day with a 5 mile jog at the Shak with Chilton at 8:30 pace. Sore muscles have kicked in today.
Grade:C/2 credits/distance=6.5
4/2- Groin was sore today. That's not good. I have 2 more bizzare dreams to report. The first involved urinating in front of a gas station that had an open bathroom. The second involved getting busted for DUI and becoming friends with the arresting officer. I wasn't expecting much in my workout today but did surprisingly well. Trak Shak 8 mile loop twice with a time of 2:07:10 (7:57 pace). 1st loop was just under 64 and the second was just over 63 with a last quarter mile near 5K pace. This was my longest run of the year. Pretty solid performance. Probably good for 7:45-7:50 on Lakeshore. 54 miles in the last 7 days, which is pushing my upper limit. Easy tomorrow.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=16.0
4/3- Still a bit of groin soreness but no worse after yesterday. I really don't want to have to go back for more prolotherapy. Uneventful easy 6 in 46:42 (7:47 pace). Did what I set out to do today and nothing more. Tacked on a cool down mile at junk pace. Weight is still 155.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=7.0
Weekly summary:
Pretty good week overall. I do think that I forced a bit too much quality and if I do want to train for a 59.9, I need to be fresher for the short intervals. Next week probably will not be as intense or as long in terms of distance. The groin/hip area had better improve soon.
Distance=51.0/GPA= 30.7/10= 3.07
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.0
3/29- Did something I've never done in training before which was an interval workout on a road rather than a track. Soccer game at Vestavia so I headed to South Lakeshore, which is actually a fairly common training ground for intervals. It's a straight stretch of road with minimal traffic but it does have a slight slope to it. My workout was 6x800 with a 2:30 rest. I averaged 2:54 (5:48 pace) with a range of 2:50-2:56. I was surprised by how even my times were given the slope. In fact, I was actually slightly faster on the incline than the decline probably because I had a slight headwind going down and a tailwind going up. Not a bad workout but I "used to could" do this workout at 2:45 so that's 18 seconds slow per mile. 3 mile cool down in which I felt some foot pain that seemed to stem from the nerve. That could be the magnesium inhibiting calcium so I'm cutting that from 2 to 1. Not a big deal yet. Jury's still out on the new formula.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=6.0
3/30- Trak Shak 8 mile hilly loop. This time, the Garmin measured it at 8.10 with a time of 55:28 (6:51 pace). Slightly slower than last week's magic but I've proven that it was no fluke. That's 1 second under 1:30 half mary pace. The power is back on and I am more confident in my plan. The foot was okay. I'm sticking with the magnesium but at a lower dosage. Please God, no more chromium dependency! As long as I can tolerate the ADHS, I predict that I will be balanced. Weather was only in the low-mid 50s with wind and drizzle. IT'S RAW, MAN! With a wet shirt and cold wind, it was freezing out there. Fortunately, I had a jacket.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=8.5
3/31- Planned rest day. I've done a fast MLR, a short GMP (goal marathon pace), an interval and a long tempo since the disappointing 5K. My body is tired and worn out but the muscles are not especially sore. For the first quarter and its ups and downs, I scored 2 PRs, ran an even 500 miles and had a cumulative GPA of 2.91, which was skewed by a bad first 2 weeks.
4/1- Mild disappointment today. Oak Mountain 400 in 64.6. Best time of the year by a healthy margin but that's a full 3 seconds down on last year's best and in the 400, that's a lot. I need 1.2 seconds per 100 to reach my goal. That's daunting. That said, I did not have my best stuff out there. There was no spring in my step and I faced a BRUTAL headwind in the homestretch. In still air, I could have run in the 63s but even that is a long way from a sub-60. Have I lost sprint speed in the last 2 years? I would not think that being 30 instead of 28 would make any difference. It is clear that I need more sprint training. Perhaps, I was not fully fresh even after one day off. Finished the day with a 5 mile jog at the Shak with Chilton at 8:30 pace. Sore muscles have kicked in today.
Grade:C/2 credits/distance=6.5
4/2- Groin was sore today. That's not good. I have 2 more bizzare dreams to report. The first involved urinating in front of a gas station that had an open bathroom. The second involved getting busted for DUI and becoming friends with the arresting officer. I wasn't expecting much in my workout today but did surprisingly well. Trak Shak 8 mile loop twice with a time of 2:07:10 (7:57 pace). 1st loop was just under 64 and the second was just over 63 with a last quarter mile near 5K pace. This was my longest run of the year. Pretty solid performance. Probably good for 7:45-7:50 on Lakeshore. 54 miles in the last 7 days, which is pushing my upper limit. Easy tomorrow.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=16.0
4/3- Still a bit of groin soreness but no worse after yesterday. I really don't want to have to go back for more prolotherapy. Uneventful easy 6 in 46:42 (7:47 pace). Did what I set out to do today and nothing more. Tacked on a cool down mile at junk pace. Weight is still 155.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=7.0
Weekly summary:
Pretty good week overall. I do think that I forced a bit too much quality and if I do want to train for a 59.9, I need to be fresher for the short intervals. Next week probably will not be as intense or as long in terms of distance. The groin/hip area had better improve soon.
Distance=51.0/GPA= 30.7/10= 3.07
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Rumpshaker 5K RR
Training:
It was a great training cycle until Thursday when I faced yet another shift in body chemistry. This is the 3rd such occurence in as many weeks and something must be done to prevent this from happening on a regular basis. I overcame it 2 weeks earlier in Atlanta but this time, it proved to be too much. My medical report is a bit better than it was in January but I am not nearly as balanced as I had hoped. It was just a matter of time before the symptoms would re-appear. On Friday morning, I felt flat out awful but got better as the day progressed. On race morning, I did not feel too bad so I decided to give it a shot. I was conceding nothing. This was still a PR attempt.
Course:
This one is possibly the fastest in the area. It has only one hill to speak of , which is a bridge climb. By the half mile mark in the race, it's over and time to head back down. The remainder of the course was not pancake flat but had just a few minor inclines and declines. There was a chance of rain in the forecast but it held off until the afternoon. Conditions were overcast with temps near 60 and moderate wind. That's not far from perfect conditions for a fast time.
Race:
I have a very high tendency to go out too fast in 5Ks and did it again today. This time however, I had little choice. I lined up in the 3rd row but still got stuck behind some slow folks and had to do a quick sprint to find some open space or else I could have been way too slow. I saw how fast I was for the first 200 so I backed off a tad then we hit the bridge climb. I was out around 86-87 so that's a little fast but not a reason for concern. After reaching the top, I saw a 3:01 for the first .50 then picked up a couple of ticks on the way down for a 4:30 split at 0.75. Here, I allowed myself to relax a bit and that was probably a good call because most of my energy would be spent before too long. 6:07 at the mile marker. I need to maintain this pace for a PR. We turned a corner around 1.3 where we ran into a headwind and up a slight incline. It was at this point that I knew this would not be my day. For most of the 2nd mile, I was targeting a runner ahead of me but kept losing ground. I checked my watch again at 1.55 mile and was disheartened with a 9:38 split. No way I can run a negative split so no PR today. I would have to struggle just to get a sub-20 and that would become the new goal. The 2nd mile marker came and I estimated that all I needed to do was hold this pace but I could not even manage that. 2 runners passed me here then another 2 came by just before the homestretch. The 3rd mile seemed to have more declines than inclines but it did not seem to help my pace. My 3rd mile would be slower than my average pace for 10K 2 weeks ago but I still had a chance to secure that sub-20. I tried to sprint and found that there was not much there. As the finish clock came into view, I knew that it was going to be close. I made one final drive. Can I get there in time? No, I just missed it.
Stats:
20:01 (6:25 pace) 18th overall, 17th among men. 3rd in age group.
Splits were 6:07-6:28-6:40-46 (last .14)
Final thoughts:
This was not horrible and under the circumstances, it's acceptable but I can't be pleased with finishing over 20 even if I just missed the barrier. It is certainly a downer considering how great the workouts were earlier in the week. To put it in perspective, I ran the first half of Silver Comet in 20:15 then hung on for a 20:40. Today, my 3rd mile was about 20:50 pace for a whole 5K. My strategy was sound and I did the best I could but just did not have my "A" stuff today.
Next month offers a chance for redemption.
Grade:B minus.
It was a great training cycle until Thursday when I faced yet another shift in body chemistry. This is the 3rd such occurence in as many weeks and something must be done to prevent this from happening on a regular basis. I overcame it 2 weeks earlier in Atlanta but this time, it proved to be too much. My medical report is a bit better than it was in January but I am not nearly as balanced as I had hoped. It was just a matter of time before the symptoms would re-appear. On Friday morning, I felt flat out awful but got better as the day progressed. On race morning, I did not feel too bad so I decided to give it a shot. I was conceding nothing. This was still a PR attempt.
Course:
This one is possibly the fastest in the area. It has only one hill to speak of , which is a bridge climb. By the half mile mark in the race, it's over and time to head back down. The remainder of the course was not pancake flat but had just a few minor inclines and declines. There was a chance of rain in the forecast but it held off until the afternoon. Conditions were overcast with temps near 60 and moderate wind. That's not far from perfect conditions for a fast time.
Race:
I have a very high tendency to go out too fast in 5Ks and did it again today. This time however, I had little choice. I lined up in the 3rd row but still got stuck behind some slow folks and had to do a quick sprint to find some open space or else I could have been way too slow. I saw how fast I was for the first 200 so I backed off a tad then we hit the bridge climb. I was out around 86-87 so that's a little fast but not a reason for concern. After reaching the top, I saw a 3:01 for the first .50 then picked up a couple of ticks on the way down for a 4:30 split at 0.75. Here, I allowed myself to relax a bit and that was probably a good call because most of my energy would be spent before too long. 6:07 at the mile marker. I need to maintain this pace for a PR. We turned a corner around 1.3 where we ran into a headwind and up a slight incline. It was at this point that I knew this would not be my day. For most of the 2nd mile, I was targeting a runner ahead of me but kept losing ground. I checked my watch again at 1.55 mile and was disheartened with a 9:38 split. No way I can run a negative split so no PR today. I would have to struggle just to get a sub-20 and that would become the new goal. The 2nd mile marker came and I estimated that all I needed to do was hold this pace but I could not even manage that. 2 runners passed me here then another 2 came by just before the homestretch. The 3rd mile seemed to have more declines than inclines but it did not seem to help my pace. My 3rd mile would be slower than my average pace for 10K 2 weeks ago but I still had a chance to secure that sub-20. I tried to sprint and found that there was not much there. As the finish clock came into view, I knew that it was going to be close. I made one final drive. Can I get there in time? No, I just missed it.
Stats:
20:01 (6:25 pace) 18th overall, 17th among men. 3rd in age group.
Splits were 6:07-6:28-6:40-46 (last .14)
Final thoughts:
This was not horrible and under the circumstances, it's acceptable but I can't be pleased with finishing over 20 even if I just missed the barrier. It is certainly a downer considering how great the workouts were earlier in the week. To put it in perspective, I ran the first half of Silver Comet in 20:15 then hung on for a 20:40. Today, my 3rd mile was about 20:50 pace for a whole 5K. My strategy was sound and I did the best I could but just did not have my "A" stuff today.
Next month offers a chance for redemption.
Grade:B minus.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Training 3/21-3/27
3/21- First long interval workout of the year was a success. 3x1600 in 5:58 (5:59-5:58-5:57) then walked a lap to recover fully. 400 for dessert in 69.6, which missed my best of the year but I was satisfied with the sub-70. My goal for the workout was a 6:00 average and a 70 last 400. I barely made the goal but I get a plus for running each interval on time. ZERO pills today and the excess may not have cleared my system so I may feel better tomorrow. This is my last hard workout before race day. In my current condition, I predict that I will fall short of the 19:13 but barely make the 19:27.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=5.0
3/22- Had to go to the dentist today because of a mild toothache. Fortunately, it was just a cavity, not a root canal. The workout came at 4 PM with temps pushing 80 degrees. There was a headwind in the first half and a tailwind on the back half. The workout was a moderate 6 miler on Lakeshore with a fast finish. 1st 5 miles in 37:02 then closed with a 6:37. It was slightly uphill and just 3 ticks shy of my 10K race pace so that's pretty impressive. Overall time was 43:39 (7:17 pace). Tomorrow's workout will be similar then it'll be rest and junk until Saturday.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=6.0
3/23- Trak Shak 5 at moderate effort for the first 4 then a fast finish. Splits were 7:06-7:12-7:20-7:10-5:46 for an overall time of 34:34 (6:55 avg). Felt unusually strong and yes, this was a very good workout but not THAT good. I had to take a 5 minute break around 3.75 miles in a Mexican restaurant because of an "extreme emergency." I'll spare my readers the details but you can guess what it was. Because of this, I was fresher than normal entering Mile 5. Still, I think I could have pulled out a sub-6 or at least goal 5K pace of 6:10. I'm going for the all time PR on Saturday. I want to go out no faster than 90 in the first .25, be at 6:10 for the first Mile then try for a negative split. Today's grade unfortunately gets a minus because of the you know what.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=5.0
3/24- Planned rest day. Not tired out at all after yesterday's run.
Update: The medical report has been sent and the results are not as good as I had hoped for. If I keep off the pills, a relapse is just around the corner and my body is feeling too loose this afternoon. Screams of frustration!
Felt worse and worse as the day progressed. I must go back to ADHS and down the road, I'll need chromium again. I can't try anything new until after race day. I do know that chromium won't work now. I'll just have to load on ADHS until the gun goes off and hope to hit it on the nose again. I decided that I needed a test so I popped 2 ADHS and hit the track at Mountain Brook for a 400, where I clocked a 67.92 (best time of the year). That's not good. Even on slightly tired legs, I should have managed at least a 64. This may never end.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=1.0
3/25- Rest day. Not feeling well at all and there's a chance of rain at race time. I may just bag it.
3/26- Went ahead and did the Rumpshaker 5K in 20:01 plus warm and cool
Grade:B-/4 credits/distance=5.0
P.M- Eager to see how I felt after taking some magnesium and copper. Of course, I was not fresh enough to put out race effort but a sub-7 pace felt good early. Ended up with a quick 6:25 first mile then rested and ran an easy 6 laps around 7:45 pace then closed with a 33.8 final 200 with no rest. It looks like I've regressed to early February form and the climb back will be slow. I can be patient with slow progress but it must be steady with no massive shifts.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=3.0
3/27- Trak Shak 10 at moderate effort with a time of 75:07 (7:31 pace) with a solid 6:43 last mile. Not a bad showing out there today but it still feels like the power source has been switched off. It may be a while before I show the form I did early this week.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=10.0
Weekly summary:
Up and down week. Very high quality and a pretty solid distance for a race week. Of course, the medical report is a huge disappointment and it may be a few weeks until I recover from this setback. Let's hope that the progress will be steady with no major adjustments just like January. It was close but just like the race, I fell short on the GPA. The streak of 8 straight weeks over 3.0 has ended here.
Distance=35.0/GPA= 35.8/12=2.98
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=5.0
3/22- Had to go to the dentist today because of a mild toothache. Fortunately, it was just a cavity, not a root canal. The workout came at 4 PM with temps pushing 80 degrees. There was a headwind in the first half and a tailwind on the back half. The workout was a moderate 6 miler on Lakeshore with a fast finish. 1st 5 miles in 37:02 then closed with a 6:37. It was slightly uphill and just 3 ticks shy of my 10K race pace so that's pretty impressive. Overall time was 43:39 (7:17 pace). Tomorrow's workout will be similar then it'll be rest and junk until Saturday.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=6.0
3/23- Trak Shak 5 at moderate effort for the first 4 then a fast finish. Splits were 7:06-7:12-7:20-7:10-5:46 for an overall time of 34:34 (6:55 avg). Felt unusually strong and yes, this was a very good workout but not THAT good. I had to take a 5 minute break around 3.75 miles in a Mexican restaurant because of an "extreme emergency." I'll spare my readers the details but you can guess what it was. Because of this, I was fresher than normal entering Mile 5. Still, I think I could have pulled out a sub-6 or at least goal 5K pace of 6:10. I'm going for the all time PR on Saturday. I want to go out no faster than 90 in the first .25, be at 6:10 for the first Mile then try for a negative split. Today's grade unfortunately gets a minus because of the you know what.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=5.0
3/24- Planned rest day. Not tired out at all after yesterday's run.
Update: The medical report has been sent and the results are not as good as I had hoped for. If I keep off the pills, a relapse is just around the corner and my body is feeling too loose this afternoon. Screams of frustration!
Felt worse and worse as the day progressed. I must go back to ADHS and down the road, I'll need chromium again. I can't try anything new until after race day. I do know that chromium won't work now. I'll just have to load on ADHS until the gun goes off and hope to hit it on the nose again. I decided that I needed a test so I popped 2 ADHS and hit the track at Mountain Brook for a 400, where I clocked a 67.92 (best time of the year). That's not good. Even on slightly tired legs, I should have managed at least a 64. This may never end.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=1.0
3/25- Rest day. Not feeling well at all and there's a chance of rain at race time. I may just bag it.
3/26- Went ahead and did the Rumpshaker 5K in 20:01 plus warm and cool
Grade:B-/4 credits/distance=5.0
P.M- Eager to see how I felt after taking some magnesium and copper. Of course, I was not fresh enough to put out race effort but a sub-7 pace felt good early. Ended up with a quick 6:25 first mile then rested and ran an easy 6 laps around 7:45 pace then closed with a 33.8 final 200 with no rest. It looks like I've regressed to early February form and the climb back will be slow. I can be patient with slow progress but it must be steady with no massive shifts.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=3.0
3/27- Trak Shak 10 at moderate effort with a time of 75:07 (7:31 pace) with a solid 6:43 last mile. Not a bad showing out there today but it still feels like the power source has been switched off. It may be a while before I show the form I did early this week.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=10.0
Weekly summary:
Up and down week. Very high quality and a pretty solid distance for a race week. Of course, the medical report is a huge disappointment and it may be a few weeks until I recover from this setback. Let's hope that the progress will be steady with no major adjustments just like January. It was close but just like the race, I fell short on the GPA. The streak of 8 straight weeks over 3.0 has ended here.
Distance=35.0/GPA= 35.8/12=2.98
Monday, March 14, 2011
Training 3/14-3/20
3/14- I wanted to run intervals today but had to postpone that effort until tomorrow because of a storm. Moderate 7 miler indoors in 51:50 (7:24 pace/3:14 marathon). Very strong. Started out at 7:10 for the first 2 miles then backed off to a more sensible 7:30 pace for the last 5. Took no ADHS and 600 mg. of chromium. It seems as if I can't get enough chromium right now so I'm sticking with it until further notice. I hope that sometime soon I won't need it anymore and I also hope against hope that the ADHS dependency will not return. A bit of soreness in the calf and knee is the only reason this is not a solid A.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.5
3/15- Johnny's workout. 7x400 all in the upper 70s then he threw in an 800 for dessert. I was hoping for a 2:30, which I missed by 1 tick. Recovered then put out moderate effort in an 80 second quarter to make it an even 10 laps plus warm up/cool down. Hard but measured effort all the way. I want another quality day tomorrow at the Shak for the first daylight savings time run. Overall pace for this workout was just under 5:15. Felt strong and relaxed.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=5.0
3/16- Trak Shak 8.05 in 54:54 (6:49 pace) on a very hilly route. 7 out of 8 miles were below 7.
This is 1:29 half marathon pace. In competition on a flat course with another good 2 months of training, I like my chances. The only irritation was that traffic was very heavy today and I had a bit of a sore knee when I finished. I can rest tomorrow. This is a new course PR by more than 2 minutes. UNBELIEVABLE! This course has been measured before at 8.17, which would be a pace of 6:42.
Grade:A+/2 credits/distance=8.5
3/17- Planned rest day that is well deserved. I am a little concerned about my knee. The rest of me is almost as sore so that's good. I get another easy week ahead of my 5K next Saturday then it's a welcome break from racing. Medical report may arrive by the end of next week. I need lots of chromium and nothing else.
3/18- Mountain Brook speed session. 2 mile warm up in 14:44 which was too fast. 4x200 all out with full recoveries. (32.8-31.6-30.5-29.5). Average of 31.1, which was short of my goal of 29.9 by roughly 10 seconds per mile. It was comforting that each 200 got progressively faster but I am not yet in shape to run 59.9. It would probably be 63 or 64. In fairness, this is my first such workout of the year and I really did not feel my best. I found out today that indeed I can get too much chromium. I took one after the workout and felt much worse. In order to have a shot, I need enough raw sprint speed to run under 28 for 200 and the strength to do 8 of these with an average of 30.0, which would be a 4 minute mile. I'll strive for 5 under 31 in 2 weeks. Finished with a 6 lap cool down.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=4.0
3/19- Interesting adventure. Nobody from the group showed up at the Shak so I went down to Oak Mountain for the start of the 50K then proceeded to run Peavine Falls Road. I did want to do this run sometime before the race on the 4th of July. It's nearly all uphill for 3.75 miles then back down with a short trail thrown in there. The first mile isn't so bad but there's a brutal stretch between about 1.0 and 2.75. I managed the climb at just over 8:00 pace then turned on the speed for a 6:30 mile but could not find the right trail to the finish. The overall workout was 8.75 with an average pace of 7:45. My pace slowed on the trails because some were hilly and rocky plus I wasn't feeling my best. I popped a chromium to see if it would make things better or worse. The answer was worse. I slogged through 3 cool down miles at 9:35 pace. My goal is to run this course (8.2 miles) under 60 minutes on race day. That would be about a 7:21 pace.
Grade:C+/2 credits/distance=11.75
3/20- Easy Trak Shak run without a shirt (70 and sunny). I forgot to charge my Garmin so I ran naked for the first 7 then turned on the watch for the last mile (7:56 at an easy effort) so I figure that my overall pace was near 8, which is okay. FYI, running naked is runner's lingo for no watch in case you didn't realize that. The big news is that I took ZERO pills for nearly 24 hours and survived the workout with an average performance. If I am no longer dependent on them, it would be a MIRACLE. I've been hurt so many times in this area so I will not get my hopes up too high. The medical report should arrive by the end of next week.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=8.25
Weekly summary:
I did what I planned to do this week. This is pretty much what my training will look like in the Spring and Summer. Mileage will be cut just a tad by the intensity goes up for 5Ks. My all time PR is 19:13 and that's the one that I want the most. I would not mind falling short of the trifecta because I never raced longer than 5Ks in high school. This next 5K will give me a good shot. It's a fast course with a competitive field and the weather will not be too warm. Many people believe that it is impossible to come back from adrenal fatigue. I'm already better at longer distances but have yet to beat my high school times though I am comparable from the 5K all the way down to the 400. Beating just one of those times would be a major victory and the 5K is my best shot.
Distance=45.0/ GPA= 29.3/9= 3.26
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.5
3/15- Johnny's workout. 7x400 all in the upper 70s then he threw in an 800 for dessert. I was hoping for a 2:30, which I missed by 1 tick. Recovered then put out moderate effort in an 80 second quarter to make it an even 10 laps plus warm up/cool down. Hard but measured effort all the way. I want another quality day tomorrow at the Shak for the first daylight savings time run. Overall pace for this workout was just under 5:15. Felt strong and relaxed.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=5.0
3/16- Trak Shak 8.05 in 54:54 (6:49 pace) on a very hilly route. 7 out of 8 miles were below 7.
This is 1:29 half marathon pace. In competition on a flat course with another good 2 months of training, I like my chances. The only irritation was that traffic was very heavy today and I had a bit of a sore knee when I finished. I can rest tomorrow. This is a new course PR by more than 2 minutes. UNBELIEVABLE! This course has been measured before at 8.17, which would be a pace of 6:42.
Grade:A+/2 credits/distance=8.5
3/17- Planned rest day that is well deserved. I am a little concerned about my knee. The rest of me is almost as sore so that's good. I get another easy week ahead of my 5K next Saturday then it's a welcome break from racing. Medical report may arrive by the end of next week. I need lots of chromium and nothing else.
3/18- Mountain Brook speed session. 2 mile warm up in 14:44 which was too fast. 4x200 all out with full recoveries. (32.8-31.6-30.5-29.5). Average of 31.1, which was short of my goal of 29.9 by roughly 10 seconds per mile. It was comforting that each 200 got progressively faster but I am not yet in shape to run 59.9. It would probably be 63 or 64. In fairness, this is my first such workout of the year and I really did not feel my best. I found out today that indeed I can get too much chromium. I took one after the workout and felt much worse. In order to have a shot, I need enough raw sprint speed to run under 28 for 200 and the strength to do 8 of these with an average of 30.0, which would be a 4 minute mile. I'll strive for 5 under 31 in 2 weeks. Finished with a 6 lap cool down.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=4.0
3/19- Interesting adventure. Nobody from the group showed up at the Shak so I went down to Oak Mountain for the start of the 50K then proceeded to run Peavine Falls Road. I did want to do this run sometime before the race on the 4th of July. It's nearly all uphill for 3.75 miles then back down with a short trail thrown in there. The first mile isn't so bad but there's a brutal stretch between about 1.0 and 2.75. I managed the climb at just over 8:00 pace then turned on the speed for a 6:30 mile but could not find the right trail to the finish. The overall workout was 8.75 with an average pace of 7:45. My pace slowed on the trails because some were hilly and rocky plus I wasn't feeling my best. I popped a chromium to see if it would make things better or worse. The answer was worse. I slogged through 3 cool down miles at 9:35 pace. My goal is to run this course (8.2 miles) under 60 minutes on race day. That would be about a 7:21 pace.
Grade:C+/2 credits/distance=11.75
3/20- Easy Trak Shak run without a shirt (70 and sunny). I forgot to charge my Garmin so I ran naked for the first 7 then turned on the watch for the last mile (7:56 at an easy effort) so I figure that my overall pace was near 8, which is okay. FYI, running naked is runner's lingo for no watch in case you didn't realize that. The big news is that I took ZERO pills for nearly 24 hours and survived the workout with an average performance. If I am no longer dependent on them, it would be a MIRACLE. I've been hurt so many times in this area so I will not get my hopes up too high. The medical report should arrive by the end of next week.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=8.25
Weekly summary:
I did what I planned to do this week. This is pretty much what my training will look like in the Spring and Summer. Mileage will be cut just a tad by the intensity goes up for 5Ks. My all time PR is 19:13 and that's the one that I want the most. I would not mind falling short of the trifecta because I never raced longer than 5Ks in high school. This next 5K will give me a good shot. It's a fast course with a competitive field and the weather will not be too warm. Many people believe that it is impossible to come back from adrenal fatigue. I'm already better at longer distances but have yet to beat my high school times though I am comparable from the 5K all the way down to the 400. Beating just one of those times would be a major victory and the 5K is my best shot.
Distance=45.0/ GPA= 29.3/9= 3.26
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Silver Comet 10K RR
Pre-race:
I had been coming off an excellent training week and had been fresh off a new half marathon PR. Now was the time to attack the shorter distances. In the 3 days before this race, I faced a massive shift in my body chemistry. I will not get my hopes up too high but there is a chance that I could be free from all pills very soon. That would be a miracle. Without a doubt, I will see improvement in my running as a result.
I have nothing major to report in terms of pre-race adventures. I left work early and headed east on I-20 to Atlanta. I arrived at my buddy Nick's place just after dinner and was soon ready for bed. Unfortunately, Nick could not run because he was getting over a case of bronchitis. I cheered him to a big half PR last year and hoped that he could return the favor. I woke up very early without an alarm and simply went about my normal routine. I felt strong warming up but seemed to get just a bit of tightness just before the start. Probably, it's just last minute paranoia so I would take no action.
Course and strategy:
Very fast course. The first 1.6 miles or so were mild-moderately rolling on the road. There was really only one tough hill and it was early enough in the race that it did not cause too much pain. The last 3/4 of the race was run on the Silver Comet trail, which was almost perfectly straight with no significant hills. In fact, the next 2 miles were all flat-very gently downhill. The final 2 miles had a mix of slight inclines and declines with a slight uphill finish. This has got to be one of the fastest 10Ks in the country and the perfect place for a PR. The plan was to go out near 6:30 pace and try to hold on. If I could hold that pace, I would come through the first half in about 20:10. My pipe dream was a sub-40 but I knew that was probably unrealistic. If I came through the first half with a shot, I would go for it. Most likely, I would be hanging on. Under 41 would be great but I'd settle for a baby PR of 41:14 or under. Based on last year's results, that time might be good enough to place in my age group.
Race:
I executed the plan to near perfection. In a good 10K, the pace feels like a hard short tempo for the first third of the race. Sometime in mile 3, I will start feeling the effort and it will be pretty much all out to the line. It was a good clean start and I was able to rein in my energy fairly well. The first quarter mile passed by at about 6:15 pace. That's a little quick but I maintained an even effort and just waited for the pace to slow a bit. The first mile was gently up and down and I passed through the first marker just a hair ahead of schedule. Next, we headed up a pretty significant climb for about a third of mile. It was here that I made up a lot of ground and by the time we hit a downhill that led us onto the trail, I was in 19th place and holding the pace very well. I passed a man who appeared to be my age and set my sights on another runner who appeared to be 10-15 seconds ahead. As expected, the effort began to take a toll in Mile 3. I would be passed by one runner here then another just at the halfway point, which I passed in approximately 20:15. I made a brief attempt to pick up the pace here but I just did not have a sub-40 in me today. Soon, it would become a painful affair with an earnest hope for a sub-41 but a small PR all but assured. The 2 runners, both of whom appeared to be over 35, would gradually pull away over the last half of the race. My pace slowed just a tad over the next 2 Miles but there would be no brutal fade. My breathing was pretty well controlled but I had some tightness in my calves with lots of lactic acid buildup. Actually, since the last 2 miles contained a few small inclines, I'd say that I held the pace pretty well. After passing Mile 6, I tried to get on my toes and sprint but there just was not much there. The sub-41 goal was within my reach and I wanted it badly so I charged up the slight incline to finish banner. Nick was right there at the line exhorting me to "get under 41." I made a last drive for the line to ensure that I made it just before the clock turned. My watch showed that I had it comfortably but I wanted to leave nothing to chance. Yes!
Official result:
Gun time: 40:58, Chip time: 40:55 (6:34 pace). 20th place. 3rd out of 30 in age group.
Final thought:
This is a PR by 19 seconds and I am now within 9 seconds/mile of my lifetime goal of a sub-40.
I will NOT be going to New Orleans in April for another crack at it. If training goes well, my next attempt will be at the Senior Bowl in Mobile in November. Next race is a local 5K with a flat course and good competition. Sub-20 should be a cinch but I'm looking to get close to 19. I will probably need more speed work to get there but I should have a shot at my comeback PR of 19:27, which was set in July of 2009. Time to update that one.
Splits:
6:29 (6:29) just a hair fast
6:32 (13:01) perfect
6:35 (19:36) starting to hurt
6:35 (26:11) slight downhill all the way
6:42 (32:53) hang on. don't let it slip away
6:45 (39:38) not much left
1:17 (40:55) 6:01 pace for last .22. Yes!
Grade on the day is a solid A.
I had been coming off an excellent training week and had been fresh off a new half marathon PR. Now was the time to attack the shorter distances. In the 3 days before this race, I faced a massive shift in my body chemistry. I will not get my hopes up too high but there is a chance that I could be free from all pills very soon. That would be a miracle. Without a doubt, I will see improvement in my running as a result.
I have nothing major to report in terms of pre-race adventures. I left work early and headed east on I-20 to Atlanta. I arrived at my buddy Nick's place just after dinner and was soon ready for bed. Unfortunately, Nick could not run because he was getting over a case of bronchitis. I cheered him to a big half PR last year and hoped that he could return the favor. I woke up very early without an alarm and simply went about my normal routine. I felt strong warming up but seemed to get just a bit of tightness just before the start. Probably, it's just last minute paranoia so I would take no action.
Course and strategy:
Very fast course. The first 1.6 miles or so were mild-moderately rolling on the road. There was really only one tough hill and it was early enough in the race that it did not cause too much pain. The last 3/4 of the race was run on the Silver Comet trail, which was almost perfectly straight with no significant hills. In fact, the next 2 miles were all flat-very gently downhill. The final 2 miles had a mix of slight inclines and declines with a slight uphill finish. This has got to be one of the fastest 10Ks in the country and the perfect place for a PR. The plan was to go out near 6:30 pace and try to hold on. If I could hold that pace, I would come through the first half in about 20:10. My pipe dream was a sub-40 but I knew that was probably unrealistic. If I came through the first half with a shot, I would go for it. Most likely, I would be hanging on. Under 41 would be great but I'd settle for a baby PR of 41:14 or under. Based on last year's results, that time might be good enough to place in my age group.
Race:
I executed the plan to near perfection. In a good 10K, the pace feels like a hard short tempo for the first third of the race. Sometime in mile 3, I will start feeling the effort and it will be pretty much all out to the line. It was a good clean start and I was able to rein in my energy fairly well. The first quarter mile passed by at about 6:15 pace. That's a little quick but I maintained an even effort and just waited for the pace to slow a bit. The first mile was gently up and down and I passed through the first marker just a hair ahead of schedule. Next, we headed up a pretty significant climb for about a third of mile. It was here that I made up a lot of ground and by the time we hit a downhill that led us onto the trail, I was in 19th place and holding the pace very well. I passed a man who appeared to be my age and set my sights on another runner who appeared to be 10-15 seconds ahead. As expected, the effort began to take a toll in Mile 3. I would be passed by one runner here then another just at the halfway point, which I passed in approximately 20:15. I made a brief attempt to pick up the pace here but I just did not have a sub-40 in me today. Soon, it would become a painful affair with an earnest hope for a sub-41 but a small PR all but assured. The 2 runners, both of whom appeared to be over 35, would gradually pull away over the last half of the race. My pace slowed just a tad over the next 2 Miles but there would be no brutal fade. My breathing was pretty well controlled but I had some tightness in my calves with lots of lactic acid buildup. Actually, since the last 2 miles contained a few small inclines, I'd say that I held the pace pretty well. After passing Mile 6, I tried to get on my toes and sprint but there just was not much there. The sub-41 goal was within my reach and I wanted it badly so I charged up the slight incline to finish banner. Nick was right there at the line exhorting me to "get under 41." I made a last drive for the line to ensure that I made it just before the clock turned. My watch showed that I had it comfortably but I wanted to leave nothing to chance. Yes!
Official result:
Gun time: 40:58, Chip time: 40:55 (6:34 pace). 20th place. 3rd out of 30 in age group.
Final thought:
This is a PR by 19 seconds and I am now within 9 seconds/mile of my lifetime goal of a sub-40.
I will NOT be going to New Orleans in April for another crack at it. If training goes well, my next attempt will be at the Senior Bowl in Mobile in November. Next race is a local 5K with a flat course and good competition. Sub-20 should be a cinch but I'm looking to get close to 19. I will probably need more speed work to get there but I should have a shot at my comeback PR of 19:27, which was set in July of 2009. Time to update that one.
Splits:
6:29 (6:29) just a hair fast
6:32 (13:01) perfect
6:35 (19:36) starting to hurt
6:35 (26:11) slight downhill all the way
6:42 (32:53) hang on. don't let it slip away
6:45 (39:38) not much left
1:17 (40:55) 6:01 pace for last .22. Yes!
Grade on the day is a solid A.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
More thoughts on road trips
On Memorial Day weekend this year, I'll be racing a half marathon in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho which is located in the northern panhandle near the Canadian border. I'll be flying into Spokane, Washington, which is about 40 minutes west. From CDA, it's only 2 hours to Missoula, Montana and I heard that it is a beautiful drive. After the weekend, I will have visited every state in the continental U.S. Everyone says that's a really cool idea and a few people have asked for tips about how to go about doing it without burning too much fuel. The most important thing is to take small detours from your destination city. Here are some examples:
-Using Boston as your hub, you can quickly sweep through the 6 New England states
-Tour the Gulf coast starting in New Orleans and make a 3 hour drive to Pensacola passing through Alabama and Mississippi
-Take a trip to Chicago and head up and down each side of Lake Michigan crossing into Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan.
-Tour Memphis and cross the Mississippi river into Arkansas and Missouri with Kentucky just minutes away
-See a few shows in Las Vegas then check off California, Arizona and Utah
-Fly into Denver and take in the Rocky Mountain scenery with easy access to Wyoming and Nebraska.
Even if you only take one such trip per year, you could be halfway there within 6 years even if you've never previously left your home state.
Other must see destinations include the following:
Texas, NYC,DC, the Pacific coast highway, the South Atlantic coast (Charleston, Savannah), Blue Ridge Parkway and Smokies, Mount Rushmore, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone.
This would take you up to near 40 states.
Now, which is the toughest state to see?
The most common answer to that question is North Dakota and you could make a case for it. The neareast large city is Minneapolis, 4 hours away and how I got there. Yes, I chose the Fargo marathon in 2009 because I saw little chance of going to ND outside of running. However, it's just 2 hours from Mount Rushmore so that would be an easy side trip.
Most people check off Idaho and Montana by visiting Yellowstone but there are no major airports nearby. If not for the CDA race, I doubt that I would have been to either state.
Other potentially tough options are Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
Ohio was easy for me because I used to live in a state that shared a border. Cincy, Cleveland and Columbus are all major cities but are not major tourist attractions. There are some good marathons both in Ohio and nearby states.
Kansas and Oklahoma were not too difficult because both are within easy reach of the Ozark Mountains in NW Arkansas.
Only Iowa and New Mexico required me to go very far out of my way.
You could say that I've cheated on few states because I was either too young to remember or was only there for a few minutes. As long as you were awake and aware of your surroundings, you can count a state even if you only saw the highway.
Arizona, Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island fall into that category. I am most likely to return to AZ, MI, and MA.
-Using Boston as your hub, you can quickly sweep through the 6 New England states
-Tour the Gulf coast starting in New Orleans and make a 3 hour drive to Pensacola passing through Alabama and Mississippi
-Take a trip to Chicago and head up and down each side of Lake Michigan crossing into Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan.
-Tour Memphis and cross the Mississippi river into Arkansas and Missouri with Kentucky just minutes away
-See a few shows in Las Vegas then check off California, Arizona and Utah
-Fly into Denver and take in the Rocky Mountain scenery with easy access to Wyoming and Nebraska.
Even if you only take one such trip per year, you could be halfway there within 6 years even if you've never previously left your home state.
Other must see destinations include the following:
Texas, NYC,DC, the Pacific coast highway, the South Atlantic coast (Charleston, Savannah), Blue Ridge Parkway and Smokies, Mount Rushmore, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone.
This would take you up to near 40 states.
Now, which is the toughest state to see?
The most common answer to that question is North Dakota and you could make a case for it. The neareast large city is Minneapolis, 4 hours away and how I got there. Yes, I chose the Fargo marathon in 2009 because I saw little chance of going to ND outside of running. However, it's just 2 hours from Mount Rushmore so that would be an easy side trip.
Most people check off Idaho and Montana by visiting Yellowstone but there are no major airports nearby. If not for the CDA race, I doubt that I would have been to either state.
Other potentially tough options are Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
Ohio was easy for me because I used to live in a state that shared a border. Cincy, Cleveland and Columbus are all major cities but are not major tourist attractions. There are some good marathons both in Ohio and nearby states.
Kansas and Oklahoma were not too difficult because both are within easy reach of the Ozark Mountains in NW Arkansas.
Only Iowa and New Mexico required me to go very far out of my way.
You could say that I've cheated on few states because I was either too young to remember or was only there for a few minutes. As long as you were awake and aware of your surroundings, you can count a state even if you only saw the highway.
Arizona, Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island fall into that category. I am most likely to return to AZ, MI, and MA.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
