Training Week 2/20

Training for the week 2/20 through 2/26 was fairly muted due to Hyannis Marathon at the tail end of the week. The goal was to rest up in hopes that if the weather was good I would rev up engine for a steady shot at getting under the three hour wire of the marathon.

Although Hyannis only hit my race schedule a month earlier, I upgraded it from a C- to a B-race, even though my training wasn’t there for a peak performance, because my focus and motivation was indeed there. Sometimes you have to go with how you feel, and that’s how this race shaped up to one in which I would run hard.

All of this dictated an easy, restful week. And it paid off with a solid performance at Hyannis. I didn’t get under the three hour wire, but I did run strong in rather tough conditions made slow due to 20 mph steady winds. Race report to coming soon.

Week 2/20:

Mon: 4 miles, easy – road
Tues: 5.65 miles, easy social – road
Wed: 4 miles, easy – road
Thurs: 4 miles, mild-tempo – road
Fri: 4 miles, easy – road
Sat: 2+ miles — road
Sun: 27 miles, Hyannis Marathon, 3:03:41, 12th place overall of 400, 2nd place Masters — road

Total miles: 51

Goal for the coming week will be to recover from Hyannis. Nothing hard.

Training Week 2/13

Training for the week 2/13 through 2/19 went well. The goal was mid-week speed session with longer intervals for closer-to-marathon pace work. As a bonus, I also got in a solid long run with some more speed, all of which have me confident for a shot at Sub-3 hours in Hyannis.

I say “confident” for a shot at a three hour marathon, but what I really mean is that I am confident in my ability to race hard at an aggressive pace, and I really feel as if I can hold on longer that I did in Ocala a few weeks ago.

I am not any faster, per se, but with some marathon pace work between the events, and with a more smooth paced effort per mile in race, I feel I can hold on yet longer… and maybe for 26.2 miles!

Either way, as long as weather holds for this C-turned-B race (A being a race that you set your season around), I will give it my all.

Week 2/13:

Mon: 4 miles, easy – road
Tues: 7.5 miles, easy social (plus 3 hill repeats) – road
Wed: 14 miles, speed 3 x 3 mile – track
Thurs: 5 miles, easy – road
Fri: 3.5 miles, easy – road
Sat: 16 miles, speed (6 x 2min @5K, + 4.5 miles @ 7:00) — road
Sun 1: 5.5 miles, easy social — trail
Sun 2: 8 miles, easy-to-pace work – trail

Total miles: 63

Quality workouts…

Wednesday: 14 mile run speed session at local track in 1:46:
o WU – 2 mile jog to track
o 3 x 3 miles @ 6:30 pace w/half mile recovery jog
o CD – 2 mile jog to tempo back home
*Splits were:
1 – 6:31, 6:28, 6:28
2 – 6:28, 6:33, 6:31
3 – 6:40, 6:42, 6:39
**Pretty weak splits on the that last three mile interval. You can tell that lactate was building. By then I was at around 9 miles in, so understandable.

Saturday: 16 mile run with speed intervals as follows:
o WU – 5 miles – Sub 8:00 pace
o 6 x 2 min @ 5K pace on the mile (pick up starts each mile from 5 to 10)
o 4.5 miles @ 7:00 pace or under
o CD – 1 mile
*Total run was 2:04 including water stops (I let clock run), avg pace according to one was 7:38.

With Hyannis on Sunday, the goal for the coming week will be to chill the heck out so that I hit the starting line feeling spunky and fast. Call it a one week taper.

If weather turns such that it has an impact on performance, I will not race; weak, I know, but truth is that Hyannis hit my race schedule only a few weeks ago, and when it did it entered as a C race. But since I ran well in Ocala, and since I had a few good weeks of work, I upgraded the race from C to B.

I am ready to lay down the law!

Training Week 2/6

Training for the week 2/6 through 2/12 went well. The goal was to get in mid-week speed work plus have some quality in the long run. If I could do that, the rest is extra — and I am happy to report that the rest was extra even though I would have liked a little longer on the long run.

Week 2/6:

Mon: 3.5 miles, easy – road
Tues: 5.65 miles, easy social – road
Wed: 12 miles, speed 5 x 1 mile – track
Thurs: 5 miles, easy – road
Fri: 8.5 miles, social easy – road
Sat: 15.5 miles, speed (8 x 2min @5K) — road
Sun: 6.5 miles, easy including 5 x grassy hill (20%) repeat — trail

Total miles: 56

Quality workouts…

Wednesday: 12 mile speed session in 1:31 total time:
o WU – 2 mile jog to track
o 3 miles @ 6:20 pace (splits: 6:22, 6:22, 6:14) w/half mile recovery jog
o 2 miles @ 6:18 pace (splits: 6:17, 6:18) w/half mile recovery jog
o 2 miles @ 6:30 pace (splits: 6:24, 6:35)
o CD – 2 mile jog home
*Temperature at 18F seemed to rob me of my recovery in flushing out the lactate acid.

Saturday: 15.5 mile long run with speed play with friends:
o WU – 6 miles @ ~8:00 or under
o 8 x 2 min @ 5K pace each mile with the rest of the mile recovery
o CD – 2.5 miles
*Pace was roughly 5:40 on the pickups.

With Hyannis now less than two weeks away, and with me leaving open the option of racing it, the goal for the coming week will be to get in mid-week speed work with special focus on longer intervals at slightly faster than MP. Insert a tempo run here or there and be done. Weekend long will be whatever seems most fun.

Training Week 1/30

Training for the week 1/30 to 2/5 went according to plan. The goal was to get in speed work and to continue feeling good. Although my speed is on the weak side right now, I am feeling good in the body. The hamstring attachment issue I’ve been nursing for almost a year is talking far less — though it is still an issue, just not limiting me in anyway at this time.

Week 1/30:

Mon: 4 miles, tempo – snowy road
Tues: 5.65 miles, easy social – road
Wed: 10 miles, speed 5 x 1 mile – track
Thurs: 4 miles, easy – road
Fri: 6 miles, mild tempo – road
Sat: 16 miles, speed — road
Sun: 8.5 miles, easy including 8 x grassy hill (20%) repeat — trail

Total miles: 56

Quality workouts…

Wednesday: 10 mile speed work run at track:
o WU – 2 mile jog to track
o 5 x 1 mile w/1 lap jog recovery
o CD – 2 mile jog home
*Mile splits: 6:18, 6:09, 6:07, 6:13, 6:18
**Although I went into this not trying to “kill” these mile repeats, this over all was pretty weak. I should be at 6 flat or a touch over for the effort put out. Felt okay but speed just not there. 33F in fog.

Saturday: 16 miles speed play w/Tina, La Machina:
o WU – 3 miles @ ~7:30
o 3 miles @ 6:45 w/2 min water break
o 3 miles @ 6:30 w/2 min water break
o 4 miles broken up as 30 sec @ 6:00 w/1:30 recovery jog
o 3 miles @ 7:10

Goal for the coming week will be to get in quality running with mid-week speed work and at least one other run of the same. Will put off hill work until after Hyannis.