Running Redhead

Treadmill tempo run. Four miles at 9 mph (6:40/mile) with heart rate mostly at 166.

Slow outside with strides to loosen up for 5K race.

Was hoping to go low 19 minutes, but the day was extremely windy and I had tired legs from lots of miles in training and blood donation last Monday. Took a risk by going out in 6:04 and leading the race, but the wind and hills killed me and I couldn't maintain. I have a 10K in three weeks to bounce back.

Recovery miles on treadmill due to pouring rain and thunderstorms. About 44 minutes total.

Progression on treadmill due to rain starting at 6.7 mph and final 4.5 miles at 7.6 mph. Legs still quite sore from race and knee extension nautilus machine.

GA pace outside to get some pavement miles on the legs.

Meant to do 6 x one mile with two-minute active recovery. Warm up of 2.5 miles out Strong Street and back. First mile at 6:27 felt tough but not terrible. Jog nearly .25 miles in two minutes. Second mile at 6:28 was pretty tough. Jog/walk for two minutes. Third mile at 6:32. Two minutes of walking. Fourth mile in 6:36. Two minutes walk and kicked off fifth mile. Struggled for 800 meters at 3:12. One minute walk. 800 meter interval with stomach trouble/bear attack at 3:16. Final two 800 meter intervals with one minute of walk break. Nice weather in mid 50s with a bit of wind (5-10 mph) and sunny. Mile was loop around Coed Drive and out Phelps to Park Street. Tough workout. Might have been able to finish 6 x one mile in 6:30s without the GI issues, but outdoor fitness seems to be a bit less than treadmill intervals, unsurprisingly.

52 minutes recovery jog on Park Street in cloudy, breezy and cool temps. Good to be outside.

Pretty day with temps in 50s and sunny. Ran up to bike path and followed new section to Pleasant Street in Northampton (about eight miles) and back. Tough on feet and some chafing, but finished with 8:12 pace overall.

Six recovery miles in the AM. Cool temeratures, 8:45 per mile.

Four more recovery miles in the PM. 8:50 pace helped loosen up.

Supposed to be a GA run out on Park Street. Warm temperatures over 75 and strong wind made the effort harder than GA/easy effort. Seven in average pace of 7:41. Happy to be doing some runs in the wind though.

Really??!! Blasted bears got me again. I was nervous about this workout;that probably didn't help. Set out for 4 x 2K with three minute recovery jog at 10K goal race pace. Hit the first one on the head with 8:03. Tough second run slowed a bit to 8:08. Third repeat was the bear attack. Made it .75 mile, potty break and then finished up for a total of 8:10. Stomach continued to complain for the final repeat in 8:08. Got it done. Cool cloud cover and temps around 55 degrees. Slight breeze on an angle.

Scheduled rest day

How do I describe this disaster?! My GI tract just doesn't want to let me do what I want to do. Two miles warm up and the tummy trouble started almost immediately. I managed 2.5 miles into the wind in 6:57 pace and average heart rate of a reasonable 161. Would have liked a faster pace at that heart rate, but the wind, heat and stomach issues were tough. Pit stop at Williston. Managed another mile at 6:55 and a low of 154 before more tummy trouble seemed to be arriving. Another 1200 at 6:45 and 152 before the final pit stop and finished with 1.75 miles at 6:55 and 156. This was meant to be six tempo miles around 6:45-ish with the heart rate around 165. Without the GI troubles I think I could have pulled it off. Two miles to warm down on the treadmill.

Slow and easy on the treadmill in 57:30. Right knee very sore going into the run and sore after cooling off again. Ate lunch early and nothing else until running at 3:00. Peach yogurt, chicken nuggets, rackers and granola bar. English muffin with honey for breakfast along with cereal. No GI problems at that pace on the treadmill.

Five laps around a three-mile loop in the neighborhood. Cool temps in the 40s and overcast, bit windy. Felt solid for 12 miles averaging aroun 8:12, then picked it up for the final three miles: one mile at MP (7:15), one mile at HMP (a bit slow at 7:04) and final mile in a hard 10K pace of 6:34. Ran at 11 am with no bear issues.

Warm, sunny and windy day with temp around 60. Tried outside but bear attack after two miles. Finished the last seven miles on the treadmill at 7:50 average pace. Ran in the afternoon at four after a heavy lunch at noon.

Sunny and windy day with temps in the high 40s when I ran (mid-morning). Three miles of warm up in 26:00. One mile at 6:34, two minute jog. 1200 in 4:46 with a two-minute jog. Then 2 x 800 both around 3:09 and five x 400 all between 1:30 and 1:33. First mile was 10K goal pace and the remaining intervals all around or under 6:22. Quite happy with the workout and no bear issues. Three miles of cool down also around 26 minutes.

 Two recovery runs.

AM = Four miles on the treadmill averaging 8:45. A bit of a bear issue, but not terrible. No breakfast except for gatorade before running.

PM = 4.5 miles on the treadmill a little faster around 8:30. No bear issues. Did have some dairy and coffee right before noon.

AM = Six miles starting slow on the treadmill.

PM = Four miles more GA pace (7:53) on the treadmill. Felt nice.

AM = Six miles outside with sunny skies, cool temps and wind. Twice around Phelps-Line-Strong Street loop. No bear issues.

PM = Four miles outside with sunny skies, cool temps and wind. No bear issues. Both runs at GA pace around 7:50 ish.

I finished in 41:13 for an improvement of 18 seconds on my PR. 11th overall and third in the age group. The previous two weeks have been sixty miles with three quality workouts. This past week I did mostly doubles of six and four miles at general aerobic pace to get in the miles while maintaining some leg freshness for this race.

The weather was rough. Temperature in the upper 30s at the start with consistent rain that had already deposited some puddles on the road. Course was an out-and-back that included a 5K group and the 10K runners starting together and finishing in the same spot of course. I warmed up with two miles and some strides. Timed it fairly well so that I only had to wait about 10 minutes under the tent and a few minutes at the start area. Fairly small local race with about 300 total participants, so the start wasn't too crowded. I lined up behind the 5K local competitors.

Some "gently" rolling hills in open area, but fortunately the threatened 15 mph winds failed to materialize. Mile splits on the Garmin were

6:36, 6:32, 6:30, 6:30, 6:37, 6:36, and the final .29 on the garmin was 6:32 pace. Very satisfied with the consistency. Didn't have the drop the hammer final mile I would look for in a goal race, but I'm training through this one, so it was pretty satisfying. Average pace of 6:33. Looking for an average of 6:30 and better tangents next time.

Treadmill hill interval workout. Cranked it up to six percent incline and 8.4 mph. That translates to 5K effort. 8 x 3:00 with two minute recovery jog at zero and 7 mph. Very tough workout, but I got it done. Potty break after the fifth interval. Right knee is a little sore at this point.

Warm temperatures in high 70s, sunny and breezy. Did my Phelps and Strong Street loop twice and out to Park Street and back. Average of 8:20 for eight easy miles.

AM = Four miles on treadmill before school at GA pace.

PM = Six x 1000 intervals on Phelps Street. Some bear issues. Splits were 3:49, 3:51, 3:52, 3:53, 3:53, and 3:41 for a good kick on the final rep. Recovery was 2:00 easy jog. A bit windy, warm and humid. Pace felt doable for 5K.

Easy recovery miles on the treadmill going from 6.7 mph to only 7 mph over seven miles. Twinge on the outside of my left shin, hopefully just tightness that will go away tomorrow.

AM - Treadmill workout at hotel for 4.5 at around 8:00/mile.

PM - Back home on the roads for 5.5 at 8:00 with a couple strides.