If it's not one thing, it's another...a recent move caused major delays in my updates on our blog, both for my training recaps as well as more important posts for group runs and that sort of thing.
Week 10 Recap
Total Mileage: 6 miles (yep, only six miles!)
Workouts:
- Easy bicycle trainer session
- Easy six-mile run
Had to take it very easy during Week 10 since I was nursing that borderline injury with my left leg. I ended up taking off four days straight, which was a test in and of itself as lame as that sounds. I'm glad I rested so much, however, because Week 11 was a great turnaround.
Week 11 Recap
Total Mileage: 36 miles
Workouts:
- Two bicycle trainer workouts
- Including an aptly-named workout from the Sufferfest series called "A Very Dark Place"
- Interval run
- 2 x 2 miles (6:31/mile average pace)
- 1 x 1 mile (6:18/mile average pace)
- Nine-mile race pace run
- 1 x 5 miles (6:50/mile average pace)
- 1 x 4 miles (6:41/mile average pace)
- Six-mile maintenance run
- Sixteen-mile endurance run
I was very pleased with how I bounced back in Week 11, although a healthy dose of rest tends to yield favorable results. I made an all-too-common mistake by running outdoors too late in the day for my race pace run, barely making it a few miles out before cluing into the fact it was far too hot and humid to run outdoors.
So I had to bag a few miles initially, but I quickly drove to a nearby gym where I hopped on the treadmill and pushed it for a faster-than-race-pace finish.
My sixteen-mile run was decent, but the weather really started to heat up for the last handful of miles. Still doable and my nutrition lasted for the duration of the run, but only barely.
Time to start getting psyched...I have a twenty-miler coming up next week. Now my training program is really starting to pour it on...
Here ya go...
Warm-up: 5 minute brisk walk or light jog
Main set:
- 4 minutes / Intensity level 5
- 4 minutes / Intensity level 7
- 4 minutes / Intensity level 5
- 4 minutes / Intensity level 7
- 4 minutes / Intensity level 5
Cool-down: 5 minute easy walk
Total: 30 minutes
Late again...been a rough couple weeks of training:
Week 8 Recap
Total Mileage: 21 miles
Workouts:
- Interval run
- 4 x 1 mile (6:17/mile average pace)
- Seven-mile race pace run
- Ten-mile endurance run
- AM run: 6 miles (7:57/mile average pace)
- PM run: 4 miles (8:07/mile average pace)
Not a good amount of workouts for Week 8...I was pleased with my speed workouts but I definitely need to add more volume.
Week 9 Recap
Total Mileage: 23 miles
Workouts:
- Two indoor cycling sessions
- Interval run
- 3 x 1 mile (6:17/mile, 6:15/mile, 6:10/mile)
- Eight-mile race pace run
- Fifteen-mile endurance run
Week 9 was full of highs and lows. Still need to add more volume overall. I was very pleased with my interval run and my race pace run despite being seven seconds slow per mile. Despite being a bit slow I had a great negative split for the run. In fact, I think I missed my target pace only because I started a bit too slow for the first couple miles.
This is good practice for race day but it left me too few miles to compensate for the slow start, forcing me to run even faster than I normally would to make up for lost time. Overall it was a solid effort that re-affirmed the power of smart pacing.
Unfortunately, the issue with my left leg mentioned weeks ago has crept up on me again. It interfered only a bit with my race pace run but was very noticeable during this week's endurance run. I'm pleased overall with the 7:45/mile pace I was able to hold, but I know I could have comfortably ran faster if my leg wasn't bothering me.
Looks like I'll really have to take it easy in Week 10, so now it's time to do the hard part and just rest...too bad resting often takes more discipline than running!
Hello everyone...
Time for a run back in the southern part of the city. Let's meet at Loose Park (W. 51st Street & Wornall Road) at 8am on Sunday, August 18. The KCParks website says the path surrounding the perimeter of the park is 1.48 miles, so plan your run accordingly.
We can park in a decent-sized lot located near the northwest corner of the park, right where W. 51st Street cuts south. Here is a map of the lot, too:
This should be a great new location for one of our runs...hope to see you all there!
We'll keep it simple this week...finish a 5K (3.1 miles). If you can run the full distance straight through, great. If you need to take walk breaks, that's fine, too.
In fact, Jeff Galloway, a famed American runner and Olympian, is a strong advocate of taking frequent walk breaks, even for advanced runners.
As with my post a while back about intensity, USE YOUR HEAD! If a 5K is a long distance for you at this point, use common sense and break it up into manageable portions.
The 5K is a standard distance so be sure to record your time and track progress as time passes.
I can't seem to keep my recaps up-to-date...no frills this week:
Week 6 Recap
Total Mileage: 28 miles
Workouts:
- Interval run
- 4 x 1 mile (6:17/mile average pace)
- Seven-mile race pace run
- Five-mile maintenance run
- Twelve-mile endurance run
Week 7 Recap
Total Mileage: 30 miles
Workouts:
- Interval run
- 3 x 1 mile (6:17/mile average pace)
- Seven-mile race pace run
- AM run: 3 miles (6:48, 6:35, 6:23/mile pace)
- PM run: 4 miles (6:40/mile average pace)
- Six-mile maintenance run
- Fourteen-mile endurance run
Warm-up: 5 minute brisk walk or jog
Main set:
1 minute / 6% incline / intensity level 7
2 minutes / 4% incline / intensity level 4
1 minute / 6% incline / intensity level 7
2 minutes / 4% incline / intensity level 4
1 minute / 6% incline / intensity level 7
2 minutes / 4% incline / intensity level 4
1 minute / no incline / intensity level 2-3
Stop running and do the following based on your ability:
- 10 - 30 squats
- 10 - 30 push-ups
Do the following after the squats and push-ups:
1 minute / 6% incline / intensity level 7
2 minutes / 4% incline / intensity level 4
1 minute / 6% incline / intensity level 7
2 minutes / 4% incline / intensity level 4
1 minute / 6% incline / intensity level 7
2 minutes / 4% incline / intensity level 4
1 minute / no incline / intensity level 2-3
Cool down: 5 minute easy walk
I'll keep this recap short and sweet since it's so late...
I ended up taking an unintentional de-load week last week where I cut down the amount of runs more than usual. Hindsight being 20/20 I'm glad this happened, as I have been meaning to experiment with occasional de-loads during a marathon training program.
A de-load week is essentially a scaled-down taper. Tapering is very common for endurance events such as marathons and middle- to long-distance triathlons, occurring at the very end of one's training.
However, de-loading in the middle of a training program is more commonplace in the world of bodybuilding and weight lifting. I have been meaning to apply it to a marathon plan so we'll see if this accidental de-load week helps or hinders me in the long term.
Enough rambling, though...on with the details of Week 5:
Total Mileage: 21 1/2 miles
Workouts:
- Bicycle trainer workout
- Interval run
- 3 x 1 mile (6:17/mile average pace)
- 1 x 1/2 mile (5:56/mile average pace)
- Six-mile race pace run
- Twelve-mile endurance run
Hello everyone...here is this week's workout:
Warm-up: 5 minute brisk walk
Main set:
30 seconds work / 30 seconds recovery
1 minute work / 1 minute recovery
2 minutes work / 2 minutes recovery
4 minutes work / 4 minutes recovery
2 minutes work / 2 minutes recovery
1 minute work / 1 minute recovery
30 seconds work / 30 seconds recovery
Cool down: 5 minute easy walk
Keep your intensity high, about an 8 or 9 on a scale of 10, for the "work" portions. Slow down to an easy jog or even a walk for your recovery.
Another week of highs and lows. I was a bit disappointed with my race pace run this week since I was behind pace by a couple seconds per mile. That may not sound like much, but spread over the course of a marathon those seconds add up quickly.
I am learning I need to focus on better nutrition before my race pace runs, particularly when it comes to how much I am eating prior to these hard workouts. I don't run on an empty tank but I can tell I don't quite have enough to keep me going at the pace and distance required, so I need to adjust my food intake accordingly.
Thankfully, my long endurance run went very well this week. I used a hilly route and was able to finish within my required pace range, not to mention a solid final mile at close to race pace.
So overall not a bad week...just not quite where I wanted it to be.
Total Mileage: 30 miles
Workouts:
- Five-mile recovery run
- Interval run
- 2 x 1 mile (6:17/mile average pace)
- 2 x 1/2 mile (5:56/mile - 6:00/mile average pace)
- Six-mile race pace run
- Six-mile maintenance run
- Ten-mile endurance run
