So it has been a while since I've been here. Welcome back, me.
Hope you're all doing well. I'll try to come back soon and catch up on the past 5 months.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
peaks, valleys and plans - posted September 16
So my tempo run 2 weeks kicked some butt. I felt good and was really trying to keep my level of effort (breathing/turnover) hard and yet still smooth. It panned out. I don't run w/GPS so I don't have a clue what pace I'm running at any given point. Management of my run is all by feel and paying attention to my effort level. I really try to pay attention to my breathing and turnover and keep them relatively the same for the run - factoring in hills and getting tired towards the end of the run which obviously will decrease turnover and increase breathing. The course I usually run my tempo (at work) is a long gradual uphill, followed by ~3/4 mile slight downhill and then more rolling hills that are mostly up (so they seem). It's not 'ideal' for a tempo workout but good for varying my effort and trying to keep a consistent pace.
The workout:
warm-up 1.6m 8:16mpm
tempo 1.8m 6:42mpm
tempo 0.8 6:43mpm
tempo 2.1m 7:05mpm
cool down 1.7m 8:52mpm
7.94m total (7:36 mpm avg pace)
Nice! I did peter out at the end of the tempo but really felt okay about my effort. The tempo pace is faster than I have done before - by about 20 seconds.
Note to self: that does not translate to a marathon pace of 20 seconds faster!
----------------------
So while I was out on my long run this past Saturday I again caught myself thinking that I could lop off another 9:21 from my marathon PR. This would put me at 3:20:59 and thus a BQ. My mind was really spinning as I struggled along.
I eventually came to the conclusion that I'm fu#king high if I think that's possible. That's a 7:40 pace - for the whole race! After struggling through the 22 miles, I looked back at my splits from Boston 2009 and I only ran 3 miles at a sub-7:40 mpm (see below). Also, if my past marathon performances have been any indicator, I'd have to bank 5-6 minutes (at least) to account for the late race fade.
(I have noticed that faster marathon times help me avoid late race cramping. I guess I can call that incentive to run faster.)
This may be a bit of a surprise, but I never really set a specific target pace or put a race plan together (scheduled splits) for any of my previous 9 marathons. Granted I had an idea of what time I wanted to run, but never really set a 'goal' per say. I actually mentioned this to a friend just before Boston and he said he could never run a race without a plan. I don't know if I could follow a plan to any level of precision just because there are so many unknowns that can and do occur in the course of a marathon. I have always had an idea of what I wanted to run but I typically ran at a level that I felt comfortable at and tried to hold it for as long as possible. Running to a specific plan seems like a situation ripe for disappointment. The scenario plays out sort like this...
- a goal pace is missed for a mile
- okay, make it up in the next mile
- miss the new goal time and have to make up even more
- repeat
- get tired and fall apart from mental exhaustion
(This doesn't really hold true to my 5K PR - I latched onto 3 guys who were running a 6:30 pace and held onto them until about the 2.9 mile mark. I ran a PR but not the sub-20 I was hoping for. Die another day I guess).
Now I'm pondering the thought of 1) a BQ and 2) running to a plan in a marathon? Not to mention, this will be on a course that I'm completely unfamiliar with (a few bumpy hills, portions that are dirt/wood chip paths and the potential for heat being that it's in NC)?
I just can't figure out if I'm serious about giving it a legitimate shot. I think it's too much pressure to put on myself and might detract from the level of satisfaction I get from running (I dare not call it enjoyment.) There's still just under 2 months to convince myself to try and go for it...or not.
I know what the eventual plan will sound like - run like hell, see if the 7:40ish pace is manageable and try and hold on. Let's see if we can execute it.
Boston '09 splits and the time I'd have to carve to BQ
Mile 1: 8:14 (-34)
Mile 2: 7:46 (-6)
Mile 3: 7:46 (-6)
Mile 4: 7:45 (-6)
Mile 5 : 7:51 (-11)
Mile 6: 7:48 (-8)
Mile 7: 7:49 (-9)
Mile 8: 7:47 (-7)
Mile 9: 7:46 (-6)
Mile 10: 7:36 (stet)
Mile 11: 7:39 (stet)
Mile 12: 7:44 (-4)
Mile 13: 7:48 (-8)
Mile 14: 7:48 (-8)
Mile 15: 7:27 (stet)
Mile 16: 7:44 (-4)
Mile 17: 8:09 (-29)
Mile 18: 8:09 (-29)
Mile 19: 8:08 (-28)
Mile 20: 8:12 (-32)
Mile 21: 8:47 (-1:07!)
Mile 22: 8:05 (-25)
Mile 23: 8:39 (-59)
Mile 24: 8:57 (-1:17!)
Mile 25: 8:41 (-1:01!)
Mile 26.2: 8:43 avg (-12 or limp home)
The workout:
warm-up 1.6m 8:16mpm
tempo 1.8m 6:42mpm
tempo 0.8 6:43mpm
tempo 2.1m 7:05mpm
cool down 1.7m 8:52mpm
7.94m total (7:36 mpm avg pace)
Nice! I did peter out at the end of the tempo but really felt okay about my effort. The tempo pace is faster than I have done before - by about 20 seconds.
Note to self: that does not translate to a marathon pace of 20 seconds faster!
----------------------
So while I was out on my long run this past Saturday I again caught myself thinking that I could lop off another 9:21 from my marathon PR. This would put me at 3:20:59 and thus a BQ. My mind was really spinning as I struggled along.
I eventually came to the conclusion that I'm fu#king high if I think that's possible. That's a 7:40 pace - for the whole race! After struggling through the 22 miles, I looked back at my splits from Boston 2009 and I only ran 3 miles at a sub-7:40 mpm (see below). Also, if my past marathon performances have been any indicator, I'd have to bank 5-6 minutes (at least) to account for the late race fade.
(I have noticed that faster marathon times help me avoid late race cramping. I guess I can call that incentive to run faster.)
This may be a bit of a surprise, but I never really set a specific target pace or put a race plan together (scheduled splits) for any of my previous 9 marathons. Granted I had an idea of what time I wanted to run, but never really set a 'goal' per say. I actually mentioned this to a friend just before Boston and he said he could never run a race without a plan. I don't know if I could follow a plan to any level of precision just because there are so many unknowns that can and do occur in the course of a marathon. I have always had an idea of what I wanted to run but I typically ran at a level that I felt comfortable at and tried to hold it for as long as possible. Running to a specific plan seems like a situation ripe for disappointment. The scenario plays out sort like this...
- a goal pace is missed for a mile
- okay, make it up in the next mile
- miss the new goal time and have to make up even more
- repeat
- get tired and fall apart from mental exhaustion
(This doesn't really hold true to my 5K PR - I latched onto 3 guys who were running a 6:30 pace and held onto them until about the 2.9 mile mark. I ran a PR but not the sub-20 I was hoping for. Die another day I guess).
Now I'm pondering the thought of 1) a BQ and 2) running to a plan in a marathon? Not to mention, this will be on a course that I'm completely unfamiliar with (a few bumpy hills, portions that are dirt/wood chip paths and the potential for heat being that it's in NC)?
I just can't figure out if I'm serious about giving it a legitimate shot. I think it's too much pressure to put on myself and might detract from the level of satisfaction I get from running (I dare not call it enjoyment.) There's still just under 2 months to convince myself to try and go for it...or not.
I know what the eventual plan will sound like - run like hell, see if the 7:40ish pace is manageable and try and hold on. Let's see if we can execute it.
Boston '09 splits and the time I'd have to carve to BQ
Mile 1: 8:14 (-34)
Mile 2: 7:46 (-6)
Mile 3: 7:46 (-6)
Mile 4: 7:45 (-6)
Mile 5 : 7:51 (-11)
Mile 6: 7:48 (-8)
Mile 7: 7:49 (-9)
Mile 8: 7:47 (-7)
Mile 9: 7:46 (-6)
Mile 10: 7:36 (stet)
Mile 11: 7:39 (stet)
Mile 12: 7:44 (-4)
Mile 13: 7:48 (-8)
Mile 14: 7:48 (-8)
Mile 15: 7:27 (stet)
Mile 16: 7:44 (-4)
Mile 17: 8:09 (-29)
Mile 18: 8:09 (-29)
Mile 19: 8:08 (-28)
Mile 20: 8:12 (-32)
Mile 21: 8:47 (-1:07!)
Mile 22: 8:05 (-25)
Mile 23: 8:39 (-59)
Mile 24: 8:57 (-1:17!)
Mile 25: 8:41 (-1:01!)
Mile 26.2: 8:43 avg (-12 or limp home)
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
just catching up
Okay, I have to get back into it - this blog thing and running in general. Work, life, etc has been pretty demanding lately so my mileage has been way down - much to my marathon "training" detriment. So with 10 weeks left until OBX, I have to start cram-training.....again. My mileage totals for the past few weeks:
Week Ending - mileage total - long run
7/5 - 18.9 - 8
7/12 - 28.5 - 10
7/19 - 26.7 - 12.5
7/26 - 26.8 - 12
8/2 - 35.5 - 14.3
8/9 - 21.8 - 10
8/16 - 41.1 - 16.6
8/23 - 18.4 - 6+ (no LR)
My mileage was way down last week b/c of vacation and all of the driving we did. I did get 2 speed workouts so maybe that makes up for some of the slacking. Tuesday's workout was 4X800 +/-. I ran at a good clip for ~3:30 figuring it would be about 800m - only problem was I forgot which street I started and finished at after my turnaround (I ran an out & back). So, I wasn't really running for consistent pacing but more just to get some speed done.
I'm hoping for some solid weeks in the high 30s and 40s over the next few weeks. We'll see how that all pans out. No matter how hard I try, I just can't get my weekly mileage up there. I'm hoping that the 41-mile week wasn't an apparition.
I did have a nice hill workout today at work (2 mile run to get there & then back). Five repeats with splits of 1:19, 1:20, 1:21, 1:22 and 1:24. By far the speediest I have run the hill despite the extra baggage I'm carrying. I guess it provided a little shot of confidence - a badly needed shot of confidence. With all of the hot weather running lately, it's so hard to gauge my fitness level. I'm still feeling lost and everything feels slow and sloggy - even the speed workouts (today included). I'm waiting for that first light-on-my-feet run to happen. Not to mention, my running plan is so redundant. I try to mix it up with hills, intervals, tempo runs but I think I need a little more excitement in it.
Sorry for not being around lately and not checking in on you all. Work has been super demanding and there have been rumors that the IT police are at their old games again of public hangings.
Screw 'em.
Lots of travel lately as well.
Time to start cross training - this one dimensional thing will kill me. I have to force myself away from my desk on Thursdays for a swim/bike/lift session.
Got a bunch of personal stuff going on - dad getting 1/2 of his thyroid removed this week, uncle w/shoulder reconstruction, co-worker's wife has stage 2 breast cancer (I just found out today) and is in for several weeks of chemo, then surgery, then radiation...
Yikes. Life is starting to hit.
Good runs all.
Ciao
Oh, and I think a BQ attempt is out of the question for me. Just not enough time to get myself adequately prepared to give it a legitmate shot.
Week Ending - mileage total - long run
7/5 - 18.9 - 8
7/12 - 28.5 - 10
7/19 - 26.7 - 12.5
7/26 - 26.8 - 12
8/2 - 35.5 - 14.3
8/9 - 21.8 - 10
8/16 - 41.1 - 16.6
8/23 - 18.4 - 6+ (no LR)
My mileage was way down last week b/c of vacation and all of the driving we did. I did get 2 speed workouts so maybe that makes up for some of the slacking. Tuesday's workout was 4X800 +/-. I ran at a good clip for ~3:30 figuring it would be about 800m - only problem was I forgot which street I started and finished at after my turnaround (I ran an out & back). So, I wasn't really running for consistent pacing but more just to get some speed done.
I'm hoping for some solid weeks in the high 30s and 40s over the next few weeks. We'll see how that all pans out. No matter how hard I try, I just can't get my weekly mileage up there. I'm hoping that the 41-mile week wasn't an apparition.
I did have a nice hill workout today at work (2 mile run to get there & then back). Five repeats with splits of 1:19, 1:20, 1:21, 1:22 and 1:24. By far the speediest I have run the hill despite the extra baggage I'm carrying. I guess it provided a little shot of confidence - a badly needed shot of confidence. With all of the hot weather running lately, it's so hard to gauge my fitness level. I'm still feeling lost and everything feels slow and sloggy - even the speed workouts (today included). I'm waiting for that first light-on-my-feet run to happen. Not to mention, my running plan is so redundant. I try to mix it up with hills, intervals, tempo runs but I think I need a little more excitement in it.
Sorry for not being around lately and not checking in on you all. Work has been super demanding and there have been rumors that the IT police are at their old games again of public hangings.
Screw 'em.
Lots of travel lately as well.
Time to start cross training - this one dimensional thing will kill me. I have to force myself away from my desk on Thursdays for a swim/bike/lift session.
Got a bunch of personal stuff going on - dad getting 1/2 of his thyroid removed this week, uncle w/shoulder reconstruction, co-worker's wife has stage 2 breast cancer (I just found out today) and is in for several weeks of chemo, then surgery, then radiation...
Yikes. Life is starting to hit.
Good runs all.
Ciao
Oh, and I think a BQ attempt is out of the question for me. Just not enough time to get myself adequately prepared to give it a legitmate shot.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
sucking wind
So today was the first attempt at speedwork I have made in several weeks. I was running a lot of hill repeats in preparation for the Mt Washington race but no real speedwork to speak of.
Since I missed yesterday (work BS) I opted to stretch today's run from my 'scheduled' 5 miles to 8 miles and for the hell of it, I was going to shoot for a few tempo miles, just a few, mixed in. I figured my tempo pace would be ~7:30 +/-. As I was mushing along, my breathing was heavy and my level of effort was pretty significant, but I felt strong. Turns out my tempo pace was between 7:08 and 7:12 for 3 miles. Nice! It's definitely a lot more work hauling around ~9Lbs more than I have been for the past 2 years but I'm psyched that the pace was there. Gives me a good place to start.
And the last 3 miles I ran as recovery felt fairly effortless - except the last 200 yards. My form was good, my breathing didn't feel labored and the miles just melted away.
This was the first run in 2 weeks that I can say I feel okay about. Progress I guess.
I have to get some of these projects off my plate at work to free up some time. It's really cramping my style.
And I have to find a fall race. Damn, OBX looks fun.
Since I missed yesterday (work BS) I opted to stretch today's run from my 'scheduled' 5 miles to 8 miles and for the hell of it, I was going to shoot for a few tempo miles, just a few, mixed in. I figured my tempo pace would be ~7:30 +/-. As I was mushing along, my breathing was heavy and my level of effort was pretty significant, but I felt strong. Turns out my tempo pace was between 7:08 and 7:12 for 3 miles. Nice! It's definitely a lot more work hauling around ~9Lbs more than I have been for the past 2 years but I'm psyched that the pace was there. Gives me a good place to start.
And the last 3 miles I ran as recovery felt fairly effortless - except the last 200 yards. My form was good, my breathing didn't feel labored and the miles just melted away.
This was the first run in 2 weeks that I can say I feel okay about. Progress I guess.
I have to get some of these projects off my plate at work to free up some time. It's really cramping my style.
And I have to find a fall race. Damn, OBX looks fun.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
drawing a blank
I guess I'm just drawing a blank and don't have much to write about. I have been pretty busy with that necessary evil - work but that's not a good enough excuse. It just seems to suck the life and creativity out of me.
I have been pondering a lot lately - mostly about 'where do I go from here'? Not in life but in running/exercise. I have managed to pack on some padding over the past few months - and boy was it evident on the Mt Washington race. I faded so fast and so dramatically and near passed out after mile 5 it was pretty frightening. My time doesn't really reflect my crappy level of fitness but I really felt like a pile of sh!t during the race. I need a goal.
I am debating on a fall marathon but haven't really picked one out. I suppose I should make a choice and draft up a plan. The possibilities and time remaining:
TCM - 12 weeks
Mohawk Hudson = 13 weeks
MCM = 17 weeks
OBX = 18 weeks
Richmond = 19 weeks
Philly = 20 weeks
I'm guessing that I'd get to make one trip so I have to make it count.
The other question is to try and bq or not. I'm not off to a very good start to even make this a remote possiblity.
We'll see what the next few weeks bring.
I have been pondering a lot lately - mostly about 'where do I go from here'? Not in life but in running/exercise. I have managed to pack on some padding over the past few months - and boy was it evident on the Mt Washington race. I faded so fast and so dramatically and near passed out after mile 5 it was pretty frightening. My time doesn't really reflect my crappy level of fitness but I really felt like a pile of sh!t during the race. I need a goal.
I am debating on a fall marathon but haven't really picked one out. I suppose I should make a choice and draft up a plan. The possibilities and time remaining:
TCM - 12 weeks
Mohawk Hudson = 13 weeks
MCM = 17 weeks
OBX = 18 weeks
Richmond = 19 weeks
Philly = 20 weeks
I'm guessing that I'd get to make one trip so I have to make it count.
The other question is to try and bq or not. I'm not off to a very good start to even make this a remote possiblity.
We'll see what the next few weeks bring.
Friday, June 19, 2009
The Course...
The Course: The Mt. Washington Auto Road is 7.6 miles in length, has an average grade of 11.5% with extended sections of 18%, and the last 50 yards is a 22% "wall" to the finish. There are mile posts along the course, but these posts represent mileage from the Auto Road office across Route 16 . Mile one is thus actually 0.9 mi. from the start. And mile posts 2 - 7 are thus 1.9 - 6.9 miles. From milepost 7 to the finish is 0.7 mi. There will be a digital clock at the exact halfway point of the race (3.8 mi.). The course rises 4650 vertical feet from start to finish. Relax, there's Only One Hill!
bring it on.
bring it on.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
long time....no post
My knee still has some minor swelling but not as bad as it was a few weeks ago. The thing w/the Baker cyst is that it never goes away. As far as I know anyway. So, it's still swollen but not painful.
2 days until Mt Washington and I'm ready to get my ars kicked. I was ready but now I'm feeling like I gained some serious weight. Extra tonnage on the hill climb is a killer. We'll see what happens. I'm hoping to PR but the weather looks wet which means the dirt section of the road will be extra slick. Hopefully the wind isn't too bad....but it is what it is.
My times running my hill repeats improved significantly when compared to my repeats in previous years. I'm also happy that they improved steadily as I was doing them this year. Hope I didn't use it all in training. I wish I had one or two more weeks to run a few more repeats.
2009
5/11 - doesn't really count, I was running w/a friend and running to her (injury recovery) speed
18:21 - 18:42
6/3 - 15:11 - 15:52 - 15:50
6/10 - 14:42 - 15:35 - 15:14
2008
nada
2007
4/30 - 16:44 - 17:18
5/14 - #1? - 16:21 - 16:19
5/21 - 15:49 - 16:33 - 16:22 - 17:11
In other news, my weekly mileage has dropped way off.
this week: 11.8
w/e
6/14 - 19.5
6/7 - 28.5
5/31 - 27.9
5/24 - 33.3
Looks like maintenance mileage, doesn't it? Work has really been killing me lately and I don't see it letting up at all.
After the race on Sat and some time off, I think it'll be time to assess what I want to do. I was thinking about jumping into a tri (sprint) but that doesn't look plausible. My bike is in horrid condition and I haven't been swimming at all.
The new decade seems to have sapped my motivation.
Nice.
Sorry I have neglected all of your blogs lately. I'll try to be a better virtual commenter.
Cheers
2 days until Mt Washington and I'm ready to get my ars kicked. I was ready but now I'm feeling like I gained some serious weight. Extra tonnage on the hill climb is a killer. We'll see what happens. I'm hoping to PR but the weather looks wet which means the dirt section of the road will be extra slick. Hopefully the wind isn't too bad....but it is what it is.
My times running my hill repeats improved significantly when compared to my repeats in previous years. I'm also happy that they improved steadily as I was doing them this year. Hope I didn't use it all in training. I wish I had one or two more weeks to run a few more repeats.
2009
5/11 - doesn't really count, I was running w/a friend and running to her (injury recovery) speed
18:21 - 18:42
6/3 - 15:11 - 15:52 - 15:50
6/10 - 14:42 - 15:35 - 15:14
2008
nada
2007
4/30 - 16:44 - 17:18
5/14 - #1? - 16:21 - 16:19
5/21 - 15:49 - 16:33 - 16:22 - 17:11
In other news, my weekly mileage has dropped way off.
this week: 11.8
w/e
6/14 - 19.5
6/7 - 28.5
5/31 - 27.9
5/24 - 33.3
Looks like maintenance mileage, doesn't it? Work has really been killing me lately and I don't see it letting up at all.
After the race on Sat and some time off, I think it'll be time to assess what I want to do. I was thinking about jumping into a tri (sprint) but that doesn't look plausible. My bike is in horrid condition and I haven't been swimming at all.
The new decade seems to have sapped my motivation.
Nice.
Sorry I have neglected all of your blogs lately. I'll try to be a better virtual commenter.
Cheers
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
