track fan

2:42:01.  A little longer than 18 - I did three loops near where I ran last weekend, though this is an easier run.  About 24 mins of long uphill and then downhill to flat for a little less than 30 mins ... it was breezy, but not windy.  Each loop is a little shy of 6 miles so I added on a 8:42 min loop (down to a picnic area) to ensure I got in 18 miles.  Loop splits were 52:20, 52:04 and 48:49.  A little faster than when I ran this in January (by a few seconds) -- my two first splits were slower than that run but my last one today was faster by over a minute.  I am glad, I really thought maybe I had been losing fitness (because I just haven't felt "good") - but I think I am mis-remembering that I did not really feel "good" before either.  Anyway ... I am happy and think I am ready for my first 20+ milers in the next few weeks (next week is more of a speed week).

Happy Sunday bloggers!

AM: (10 miles, 1:30:09).  What a difference a day makes.  Yesterday I felt really run down, my leg was sore and I was plain ole burnt out.  Today I got started on my run and felt so good I did not want to turn around when it was time.  45:43/44:25. 

PM: (4 miles easy).

Have a good day bloggers!

1:05:23 (33:07/32:16).  A little sluggish today ... I am trying to think positive, recovery thoughts for my first workout on the track in over a month tomorrow!

Happy Wednesday bloggers!

AM: (12 miles, 1:39:20).  8 x 1000 w/200 recovery + 3 x 200 w/200 recovery.  Glad to get the first track workout out of the way -- let's just call this my benchmark workout. 

2.5 mile wu + strides (25:50).  1K splits (with mile equivalents): 4:25 (7:05), 4:28 (7:08), 4:24 (7:02), 4:22 (6:58), 4:22 (6:58), 4:23 (7:00), 4:23 (7:00), 4:18 (6:52) -- recovery jogs were 1:10 average.  200's (:50, :47, :49) with 1:06 average recovery.  2.5 cd (23:52).

My target range is 4:18-4:24 but Greg wanted me to start out on the slower side to "fatigue myself with the duration of the workout, not the speed".  So, I was targeting about 4:25-4:27 for the first few, and then my plan was to get faster with each repeat.  I had such a hard time "finding pace" the first couple that it sort-of didn't workout quite that way - although I actually found that 4:23 (7:00 min pace) was actually pretty comfortable for me for this distance ... so, I am pretty happy.  It does mean that my fartlek workouts have been much faster than I had thought they were - since I am sure I had been running them harder than most of these repeats.  I was still laughing at how slow my 200's are!  Jeremy Warnier would have finished his 400 meter race and have caught his breath before I finished the 200!!

PM: (4 miles).  Very slow!

1:07:44.  Recovery run.  Did not feel good at the start - never got better, but luckily it never got worse either.  Goal was to be out on my feet for more than an hour and this was accomplished.

I have told you I live on the edge of the wilderness -- well, there is a coyote that lives in a wash near my house.  I saw here this morning walking right in front of me (less than 50 meters away).   I was worried about her being so close to "people" and cars, but I stopped and talked to some people who were out with their dogs  and supposedly she has lived her for a really long time.  Her mate was killed by a car a couple of weeks ago (I saw him on the trail and was worried about him because he kept running toward the busy street).  According to these people the female has either just had a litter of pups or is about to, they could tell by the way she acted when their dogs walked by (the dogs avoid the coyote after the first time they ran up to her thinking she was a dog, they got pretty close and then just slowly walked away - I guess she did not smell like a dog after all!).

Happy Friday bloggers. 

AM: (8.5 miles, 1:14:20).  Easy run -- ran into Kelly Liljeblad (Keane) again today.  Actually ran with her a bit (yup me and an elite 2:31 marathoner) ... ok, she is three weeks out from foot surgery and was jogging super slow, but heck I did run with her! ;-).  I felt pretty good today, I was surprised that I recovered from my Thursday workout by today ... we'll see how well recovered tomorrow for my progression run.  I have some tough Sunday's coming up after tomorrow.  So even though tomorrow will be sort of tough on the speed side, I know there are some even tougher ones up ahead ...

I ran home, hurried and cleaned the pool and jumped on the internet to see how Snoqualmie did  - yippeee a 3 minute PR in the 5K (that is so huge a minute a mile!).

PM: (4.5).  Best run in the whole week ... I love this course.

Happy Weekend bloggers!