I've been hammering the miles lately and I've been feeling pretty good. At the present moment, I'm not having any extreme fatigue or exhaustion from running quite a bit more than usual.
Yesterday was my usual long, hard workout day. I went out to Forest Hills (two mile road loop through some neighborhoods) and decided to run a 10 Mile Fartlek. I used my heart rate monitor and the goal was to run for 8 minutes with my HR between 88-92% of it's max (corresponds to about 85% of my VO2 Max). I would then jog easy until my heart rate returned to about 75% of it's max (about 60% of my VO2 Max). I would then pick up the pace again and once my HR got back to 88% of it's max I would start my 8 minute hard segment.
I knew I was pretty fit, but I was having to run VERY hard to get my HR back up to 88%. I also noticed that it didn't' take long for my HR to drop to 75% of it's max (which is a sign of fitness, but it sucks because you don't get much of a break). Ultimately, I was running 8 minutes with my Avg HR at 90% of it's max and 3.5 minutes with my Avg HR at 80% of it's max. I ended up cover the 10 mile distance (including the time spent with my easy jogs) in 1:10:29.... 7:03/mile. Which is an unofficial 10 Mile PR. It is a hilly course and I was very pleased with how it went. I warmed up 2 miles and cooled down 2 mile to give me 14 for the day. Good Day!
Today, I ran 10.5 miles easy around town. This run would not have been significant, however, it put me over 2400 miles for 2009.... which was a goal I set for myself about 2 months ago.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas Workout
Everything has been going great with training. Almost too well. I've been running workouts and mileage runs faster than what I expect to and the effort feels easier than what I expect. I keep trying to challenge myself by setting my target workout times a bit quicker each time, but each run seems too easy. I breeze through most of mileage runs like it's nothing. I've been on a steady diet of 60+ mile weeks and I'm reaping the rewards of that right now. In this final two full training weeks prior to backing off I'm trying to log 80 miles each week.
This morning it was below freezing when I woke up. So I put off my workout for a few hours to let it warm up some. I ended up getting to the track around 11am, but their were still ice in certain spots in the stadium that hold water. It was also a bit breezy down the back stretch, but nothing I couldn't handle.
I ran 4 miles in the track in 26:24.1 (6:36/mile). My average heart rate during the run was 88% of my max and my mile splits were 6:38-6:39-6:33-6:32. I then took a 3 minute rest (400m jog) and did 4x400m with 3 minutes (400m jog) between each repetition. I ran 1:21-1:26-1:26-1:24.
I finished up with a 2.5 mile cool down around campus. It was nice running around campus as their was not a sole out and about. I felt like Will Smith in the movie I Am Legend. Quite unique experience running when it was that quiet out.
*I split 13:05.8 in my last 3200m of the threshold run, which is technically faster than my current 3200m PR. I averaged 6:36/mile for the entire run, which is the pace I average for the 5-Mile Turkey Trot I did on Thanksgiving Day. I'm thinking I should be able to run under 40-minutes for 10k, if I ran on the track (or a flat road course). I never thought I'd be able to do that. I'd like to get into a road race somewhere before the Houston Half-Marathon, but I don't know if that's going to be possible. I may have to settle for a time trial on the track. Hopefully I can talk a couple of my athletes into pacing me for a while. I'm still not sure what distance I want to run. We'll see....
This morning it was below freezing when I woke up. So I put off my workout for a few hours to let it warm up some. I ended up getting to the track around 11am, but their were still ice in certain spots in the stadium that hold water. It was also a bit breezy down the back stretch, but nothing I couldn't handle.
I ran 4 miles in the track in 26:24.1 (6:36/mile). My average heart rate during the run was 88% of my max and my mile splits were 6:38-6:39-6:33-6:32. I then took a 3 minute rest (400m jog) and did 4x400m with 3 minutes (400m jog) between each repetition. I ran 1:21-1:26-1:26-1:24.
I finished up with a 2.5 mile cool down around campus. It was nice running around campus as their was not a sole out and about. I felt like Will Smith in the movie I Am Legend. Quite unique experience running when it was that quiet out.
*I split 13:05.8 in my last 3200m of the threshold run, which is technically faster than my current 3200m PR. I averaged 6:36/mile for the entire run, which is the pace I average for the 5-Mile Turkey Trot I did on Thanksgiving Day. I'm thinking I should be able to run under 40-minutes for 10k, if I ran on the track (or a flat road course). I never thought I'd be able to do that. I'd like to get into a road race somewhere before the Houston Half-Marathon, but I don't know if that's going to be possible. I may have to settle for a time trial on the track. Hopefully I can talk a couple of my athletes into pacing me for a while. I'm still not sure what distance I want to run. We'll see....
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
I'm Still Here
I know it's been a while since my last post. I'm going to blame it on the JW Marriott in Orlando charging $15 a day for internet use and the fact that I'm too cheap to pay that. But no worries. I'm still alive and I'm still running.
Do to my travels last week, I was only able to log 50 miles. Which is my lowest mileage week in 3 months. I ended up taking two days off (the two days I traveled), so I figure a 50 mile week wasn't bad.
I hate traveling as it always throws off my routine and it seems to always take a few days to adjust. Traveling to Orlando threw off my routine, then traveling back threw it off again. I think this, along with running in worn out shoes, had me feeling a bit fatigued and my runs and quality workouts hadn't been going well. But I've re-adjusted, established a routine, and have new shoes. So all is well.
I'm not less than 4 weeks away from the Houston Half-Marathon so I'm in my final prep. My plan between now and then is to put in two of my best weeks of training this week and next, followed by two regular training weeks with lots of mileage, two quality workouts, two sessions of strength training and three sessions of cross training each week.
This morning I ran 12 x 1600m @ 15k Race Pace w/2 min rest. I kept it under control for my first few, which is something I didn't do last time I did this workout. I ran the first 8 on the roads and the last 4 on the track. I averaged 6:40/mile for the first 4 reps, 6:46/mile for the middle 4 reps, and 6:49/mile for the last 4 reps. I was a good workout and one I really feel will help me in the later stages of the race (where I really struggled in my race in October). I totaled 15 miles this morning and was able to get in an hour on the elliptical.
Good day!
Do to my travels last week, I was only able to log 50 miles. Which is my lowest mileage week in 3 months. I ended up taking two days off (the two days I traveled), so I figure a 50 mile week wasn't bad.
I hate traveling as it always throws off my routine and it seems to always take a few days to adjust. Traveling to Orlando threw off my routine, then traveling back threw it off again. I think this, along with running in worn out shoes, had me feeling a bit fatigued and my runs and quality workouts hadn't been going well. But I've re-adjusted, established a routine, and have new shoes. So all is well.
I'm not less than 4 weeks away from the Houston Half-Marathon so I'm in my final prep. My plan between now and then is to put in two of my best weeks of training this week and next, followed by two regular training weeks with lots of mileage, two quality workouts, two sessions of strength training and three sessions of cross training each week.
This morning I ran 12 x 1600m @ 15k Race Pace w/2 min rest. I kept it under control for my first few, which is something I didn't do last time I did this workout. I ran the first 8 on the roads and the last 4 on the track. I averaged 6:40/mile for the first 4 reps, 6:46/mile for the middle 4 reps, and 6:49/mile for the last 4 reps. I was a good workout and one I really feel will help me in the later stages of the race (where I really struggled in my race in October). I totaled 15 miles this morning and was able to get in an hour on the elliptical.
Good day!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Long Run
I ran 15.95-miles on the roads in Huntsville this morning. I wasn't feeling too good early but as I got further into it I started feeling better. My final time was 2-hours 6-minutes 4-seconds. This is the longest continuous run I've ever done, in both time and distance.
I ran my first 7.45-miles at 7:56.7/mile, my second 7.45-miles in 7:52.8/mile, and my last 1.05-miles in 7:47.0/mile. Good day!
This brings my mileage total to 253.05-miles in the past 4 weeks (63.26 mpw) and 595.1-miles in the past 10 weeks (59.51 mpw). I'm definately feeling stronger and fitter than ever because of the progressive and consistancy of my total running volume. WHEN IN DOUBT, RUN MORE MILEAGE!!!!
I ran my first 7.45-miles at 7:56.7/mile, my second 7.45-miles in 7:52.8/mile, and my last 1.05-miles in 7:47.0/mile. Good day!
This brings my mileage total to 253.05-miles in the past 4 weeks (63.26 mpw) and 595.1-miles in the past 10 weeks (59.51 mpw). I'm definately feeling stronger and fitter than ever because of the progressive and consistancy of my total running volume. WHEN IN DOUBT, RUN MORE MILEAGE!!!!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
6 Mile Tempo
I've been hesitant to do any type of quality workouts since last Sunday's 12x1600m workout. That was quite taxing and I wanted to play it safe. I did a "light" quality workout Thursday morning. Consisting of 3 miles easy, 2 miles at my Best Aerobic Effort, and 2.8 miles easy.
However, I really wanted to get in a good long tempo run again today so I decided to run 6 Miles on the track. I used my HR monitor to keep myself at my desired training intensity, versus looking at my watch every lap. I enjoyed this method much more. I ended up running 40:18.4 for 6-Miles. I was quite pleased, especially with how comfortable it was. I won't go as far as to say it was easy, but I definitely didn't overexert myself to run this. My splits were 6:49-6:51-6:52-6:40-6:36-6:30 and my average HR was 175 bpm (~90% of max) during the duration of the run. This tells me I was running right in my Lactate Threshold training zone. This also tells me that my Best Aerobic Effort is somewhere around 6:40/mile (I'm beginning to realize the practical benefits of using a HR monitor as a guide and to get feedback on runs).
I knew I was in pretty good shape as all my runs have been going well. My quality workouts have not been overly difficult and I haven't really come across any workouts that I couldn't complete. However, considering how fast I was able to do the 12x1600m workout (giving the effort I put into it) and that I was able to run at my BAE for a full 40-minutes, I'm beginning to think I may be in better shape than what I've been giving myself credit for. Which is quite encouraging. I'm pretty certain I could run under 41-minutes for 10k, and wouldn't be surprised if I could get close to 40-flat. Which is something I didn't think I would ever be able to. Well see. I leave for Orlando Monday morning for 4 days. I hope the trip doesn't mess up my training much.
However, I really wanted to get in a good long tempo run again today so I decided to run 6 Miles on the track. I used my HR monitor to keep myself at my desired training intensity, versus looking at my watch every lap. I enjoyed this method much more. I ended up running 40:18.4 for 6-Miles. I was quite pleased, especially with how comfortable it was. I won't go as far as to say it was easy, but I definitely didn't overexert myself to run this. My splits were 6:49-6:51-6:52-6:40-6:36-6:30 and my average HR was 175 bpm (~90% of max) during the duration of the run. This tells me I was running right in my Lactate Threshold training zone. This also tells me that my Best Aerobic Effort is somewhere around 6:40/mile (I'm beginning to realize the practical benefits of using a HR monitor as a guide and to get feedback on runs).
I knew I was in pretty good shape as all my runs have been going well. My quality workouts have not been overly difficult and I haven't really come across any workouts that I couldn't complete. However, considering how fast I was able to do the 12x1600m workout (giving the effort I put into it) and that I was able to run at my BAE for a full 40-minutes, I'm beginning to think I may be in better shape than what I've been giving myself credit for. Which is quite encouraging. I'm pretty certain I could run under 41-minutes for 10k, and wouldn't be surprised if I could get close to 40-flat. Which is something I didn't think I would ever be able to. Well see. I leave for Orlando Monday morning for 4 days. I hope the trip doesn't mess up my training much.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Long Quality Day
I've been feeling really good on runs lately and I've been wanting to get in another long quality workout to help me prep for the difficulties I'm going to encounter in the half-marathon.
I originally wanted to do 8 x 2000m again, but at the last minute I decided to "up the ante" a bit and decided to do 12 x Mile w/2 min rest. My original plan had me running about 6:50-7:00 per mile, but as you're about to see, that went out the window very quickly.
I ran on the feeder road near the state park again, as I had practice scheduled with the team at the state park. I couldn't help it, but I ran my first mile in 6:02. YIKES!!!! It didn't feel overly difficult, but I knew there was no way I would be able to maintain that pace. I backed off a bit and averaged 6:28.6 for the first 4 repeats, 6:36.0 for the middle 4 repeats, and 6:43.3 for the last 4 repeats. My last three repeats were pretty rough (much like the last three miles of my half-marathon in October), but I got through it. I ended the workout with a 2 mile cool down, to give me 16 for the morning.
I'm pretty tired!
I originally wanted to do 8 x 2000m again, but at the last minute I decided to "up the ante" a bit and decided to do 12 x Mile w/2 min rest. My original plan had me running about 6:50-7:00 per mile, but as you're about to see, that went out the window very quickly.
I ran on the feeder road near the state park again, as I had practice scheduled with the team at the state park. I couldn't help it, but I ran my first mile in 6:02. YIKES!!!! It didn't feel overly difficult, but I knew there was no way I would be able to maintain that pace. I backed off a bit and averaged 6:28.6 for the first 4 repeats, 6:36.0 for the middle 4 repeats, and 6:43.3 for the last 4 repeats. My last three repeats were pretty rough (much like the last three miles of my half-marathon in October), but I got through it. I ended the workout with a 2 mile cool down, to give me 16 for the morning.
I'm pretty tired!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Monitor Heart Rate
I recently invested some money in a heart rate monitor. I've never used one and I've heard mixed results from people on them. However, I have been curious to see what the practical purposes of it are and if it would be worth it to invest in several for my team.
So far I've done three runs using it.... all longer mileage runs. I've noticed on all three runs that my average percent of Max HR for the duration is 83-84%, which corresponds to about 75-80% of my VO2 Max. Which I would guess to be pretty accurate as I've always felt I run my mileage runs a little faster than most runners with similar PRs would, but still not quite at my Lactate Threshold. I'm still not sold though that this has many practical purposes when it actually comes to improving my running, rather it's just a tool for feedback about my running.
I'm mainly looking to use it on my VO2 Intervals and Intensive Tempo Intervals to help me determine the proper amount of recovery my tracking my heart rate. We'll see how it goes.
So far I've done three runs using it.... all longer mileage runs. I've noticed on all three runs that my average percent of Max HR for the duration is 83-84%, which corresponds to about 75-80% of my VO2 Max. Which I would guess to be pretty accurate as I've always felt I run my mileage runs a little faster than most runners with similar PRs would, but still not quite at my Lactate Threshold. I'm still not sold though that this has many practical purposes when it actually comes to improving my running, rather it's just a tool for feedback about my running.
I'm mainly looking to use it on my VO2 Intervals and Intensive Tempo Intervals to help me determine the proper amount of recovery my tracking my heart rate. We'll see how it goes.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Tempo Run
Yesterday (Tuesday) I ran a tempo run on the service road along I45, starting at the gravel parking lot by the state park. I ran 3 miles out, turned around and ran back. I did this run 3 weeks ago and ran 42:12 (7:02/mile). This time I did the same run, but ran it in 41:17 (6:52/mile).... ALMOST A FULL MINUTE FASTER!!!! I didn't look at my watch the entire run (though I did hit the split button every mile) and I was really surprised I ran as fast as I did. I figured I had run in the mid 42s. My splits were a little all over the place, but I think that has to do with the hills on the route. I ran 6:37-7:00-6:42-7:10-7:00-6:45 (downhill on the way out and uphill on the way back). I made a conscience effort to pick the pace the last two miles and I was surprised how well I was able to pick it up in the end. It felt good and I was quite pleased with how well it went. This is on pace for a 43-minute 10k, sub 69-minute 10 miler, and almost 90-minute half-marathon. I feel my fitness is very good at the moment and I'm looking forward to the winter break and focusing on training (and nothing else).
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