Wednesday, October 2, 2013

KCPD PAL Halloween Fun Run

The KCPD's Police Athletic League (PAL) is hosting a Halloween Fun Run on Tuesday, October 29 at 6pm at the PAL Center (1801 White Avenue).

This should be a family-friendly event, allowing children that participate to run on the outdoor track at the PAL Center. Games and Halloween treats inside the PAL Center await after the Fun Run.

PAL has reached out to our running group to show up and support the kids. It would be a great way for our group to interact with kids doing something we already enjoy. Reply here on the blog or send me a message if you're interested in lending a hand.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Group Run Scheduled - October 20

Hello everyone...

It's time for another northland run and I have a new location for us to try.  I've recently added the loop around Metro North Mall (400 NW Barry Road) to my runs and quickly learned it's a nice place to add some miles with minimal traffic.

Let's get together on Sunday, October 20 at 8:00am.  We can meet on the south side of Macy's, which faces Barry Road.  Here is a map showing where to park:


The loop around the mall is roughly 1.5 miles, making it easy to keep a run as short or as long as you like.  I primarily run on the street surrounding the mall but it's also possible to run the majority of the distance within the parking lots, all but eliminating traffic.

See you there!

Marathon Training - Weeks 15 & 16 Recap

Here ya go...

Week 15 Recap

Total Mileage:  29.7 miles

Workouts:
  • Two bicycle trainer sessions
  • Two-mile tempo run
    • 6:21/mile average pace
  • 21.5-mile endurance run
    • 7:48/mile average pace
  • 6.2-mile/10K tune-up race
    • 41:04 finish time; 6:37/mile average pace
I felt good overall about Week 15, although I would have liked a bit more volume.  I had both a long endurance run and a 10K race lined up, however, so in the end things worked out well.  I was very happy with how I felt during the 21.5-mile run even though I had to cut it a half-mile short due to time.

One thing I am confident made that run so successful was a bit of a nutrition experiment I tried.  I often take a caffeine-based sports supplement before some of my runs, but this time I waited until about 2/3 through this run before taking some caffeine in the form of one of the small shots that are so popular nowadays, such as 5 Hour Energy.

I felt very strong during the final several miles of my run, particularly when it came to mental focus.  This was quite a relief, as you might guess, particularly since the final stretch of my previous 20-mile run was not exactly pleasant.

I'll experiment with another energy shot one more time prior to race day.  Assuming I still have no stomach/digestion issues it may be worth doing come race day, too.

As for the 10K, I was pleased because I not only set a new personal record but I also won the 10K itself!  It's the first time I've ever had a podium finish, let alone won a race, so I was very excited. I'll be the first to admit there are definitely better 10K runners out there but I nevertheless had a good day. Just as important, it was a great confidence boost to gauge my overall fitness, including for my marathon.

I ran the Jeff Taylor Run for SAFE, which was my first time at the event.  The course is very flat and fast, plus it's for a great cause, as I mentioned in my earlier blog post.  I can say for sure I'll be back as years go by.

Week 16 Recap

Total Mileage:  34 miles

Workouts:
  • Bicycle trainer session
  • Four miles of intervals
    • 2 x 2-miles (6:31/mile average pace)
  • Six-mile race pace run
    • 6:56/mile average pace
  • Six-mile maintenance run
    • 7:30/mile average pace
  • Eighteen-mile endurance run
    • 7:41/mile average pace
I was not entirely happy with Week 16, mainly the speed sessions.  The race pace run in particular was disappointing.  Not only was I seven seconds slow per mile, but I was supposed to run 10 miles as opposed to six.  I have no one to blame but myself, though, as the combination of running in warm, windy weather too close to an appointment caused me to have both a physically demanding and shortened run.  In some ways I was pleased with my mental toughness to try and push through the steady wind, but my pace just didn't get to where I needed it to be.

I also had to chop my long endurance run short by a couple miles.  I wanted at least 20 miles, if not 22.  The good news is I was very pleased with my overall pace.  I felt strong the whole way and could have continued running while increasing speed.  Race day is just a couple weeks away, though, so the few miles I didn't run won't necessarily make or break me at this point.  Getting another 20+ miles in a single run would have been more of a confidence-builder at this point.

And speaking of race day, the bulk of my training is already over!  Week 17 still has a couple challenging runs lined up, namely the usual interval and race pace sessions.  After that it's time to start tapering!