M'kay

LM warmup, 6 mi easy+ run in 45:28, 7:34/mi, HR 153, stretching.

A nice morning...65F & pleasant.  Ran with a co-worker (Jim) so we wound up pushing the pace a bit.  Fortunately, it's a recovery week and tomorrow is only a 4 miler, so when my legs are toast later today, I won't be dreading tomorrow morning too badly.

LM/LL warmup, 4 miles easy in 32+ min, 8:15-ish/mi, 9 x 8 sec hill sprints, & stretching.

Legs feeling the effects of running in VA, despite the recovery week. 

LM warmup, 8 miles in 1:04:08, 8:01/mi, HR 134, last 2.5 miles moderate, & stretching.  

Ran w/ Jim.  First 5.5 miles at very easy pace which still felt less than easy.  Accelerated for last 2.5 and felt okay (better than I'd expected) to finish the last 2 miles in 7:17 & 6:53.  Flat most of the way.  Tomorrow's a rest day.

LM warmup, 10 miles in 1:19:03, 7:54/mi, with last 2 moderate (7:19, up) and hard (7:00, up).

Ft. Eustis visiting w/ aunt & cousin.  Warm weather and I didn't feel much like running.  Short break on the course to talk w/ my aunt (out for her own run) and to look at a Huey modified with jet engines on the sides that evidently broke (unofficially) a speed record (~ 313 MPH).  Also a short break between the last 2 miles....effort definitely hit the hard area for the last one.  Later in the day, the drive to PA to visit Mom & Dad.

Punted on the scheduled 6 mile easy run.  Slept in (needed it badly) and it was already hot and I was still tired.  Long day of visiting with the family.

LM warmup, 7 miles in 59:55, 8:33/mi, with 2 miles easy warmup, 8 x 1 min hill repeats with jog down recoveries, and 2.33 miles easy cooldown. 

Definitely a hilly run today, even on the easy parts.  Still very tired and a long drive ahead of me again today back to VA via DC & my brother & family.  Focused on running the hill repeats well, but I held some back since it was a similar workout that put me out of action for so many months.  All ended well.

LM warmup, 10 miles in 1:16, 7:38/mi, with last mile moderate in 6:55.  

Got up to run this one at 6am, hit the hotel door, and stopped before stepping out into the downpour with significant gusty winds....just couldn't bring myself to face it.  Fortunately, I got another chance in the pm and the weather was still lousy, but tolerable.  Felt really good to start and started ticking off sub 8 min miles from the start......perhaps the pm start?  Felt so good moved into moderate for the last mile, which really didn't feel all that hard at all....breathing under control at 3-3 for all but the last 0.2 or so.  Aside from a forced bathroom break (fortunately, the library was close and open) at 7.25, no issues.  Now I'm tired.

LM warmup, 6 easy miles in 46:51, 7:48/mi, with 10 x 10 sec hill sprints on a wimpy hill, & stretching.

Legs a bit tired for the first 2 miles but still a decent groove.  Ran the hill sprints a little over halfway thru the run at the only incline I could find....a poor excuse for a hill.  Finished up the run feeling good, all sub-8 miles again.

LM warmup, 9.07 miles in 1:07:51, 7:28/mi, w/ 2 mi warmup, 2 x 15 min threshold (2.3 mi @ 6:30/mi, 2.24 mi @ 6:41/mi) with 5 min recovery, 2 mi cooldown & stretching.

Decent warmup, out a bit too hard for first repeat, but held 6:30/mi pace pretty well.  Second repeat a bit slower but feel pretty good about this workout since it's the first threshold workout in several months.

LM warmup, 11.25 miles in 1:31:29, 8:08/mi, & stretching.

Sunny & hot (75F).  Friday was travel day back from east coast after 2 week work trip.  Saturday, up early to drive 330 miles to E. WA to drop off some furniture and other materials at WSU, then back 330 miles, so no run (or good rest or hydration or fuel).  Today's run went well for about 5 miles, then the heat, lack of nutrition and hydration, all took their tool and it steadily progressed towards death march stage.  Cut it 0.75 short.....more would've just been pure torture.  

LM warmup, 6 miles in 47:42, 7:57/mi, w/ 10 x 10 sec hill sprints, 0.75 mi cooldown walk w/ dogs, 4-step PU/Crunch ladder, Myrtl, & stretching.

Cooler today with some blessed clouds (65F).  Quads are actually sore....rare for me.  Must be the reintroduction of hill terrain after 2 weeks of mostly flat running.  Still recovering from the past 2 weeks, but felt pretty good and kept a good pace/effort.  Hill repeats weren't spectacular....felt strong but not necessarily fast.

LM warmup, 9.73 miles in 1:18:54, 8:06/mi, w/ 3 mi warmup, 15 x 1 min on, 1 min off, 3 mi cooldown, then 0.75 mi cooldown walk w/ dogs & stretching.

Sunny and warm (75F).  Legs stiff in spots but kinks worked out quickly. Fartleks a mix of uphill, downhill, rolling & flat.  Last 5 or so very tough.....walked much of the recovery.  Got it done with the slowest at 6:59/mi pace and the slowest in 5:29/mi pace.  Lungs felt like the limiter for the earlier ones, but tired legs quickly became the limiter on the later repeats.

LM warmup, 6 miles in 47:52, 7:58/mi, 1 mi cooldown walk w/ dogs, & stretching.

Overcast with some rain (68F).  Just an easy run.  Lower left/inside hamstring, almost behind the knee has been bugging me the last couple of day, so attacked it with the roller today.  If it's as bad/worse tomorrow, I may just run a few miles recovery before the race saturday.  Would hate not to get to the start line.  Boy, don't I sound grown-up.

LM warmup, 12 miles in 1:34:16, 7:51/mi, w/ last 3 miles moderate effort in 7:02 (down), 6:50 (down), 7:24 (up), 0.75 mi walk w/ dogs, & stretching.

Lower hamstring felt better this morning, so the run was on.  Decided against tempo intervals with the race on Saturday and coming off 2 travel weeks....since I'll be missing a long run this weekend, settled on a 12 mi progression run to focus on endurance with a side of stamina.  Definitely better than Sunday's attempt at this....sunny and pleasant (68F).  Felt "clunky" for the first 9 easy miles and but I kept the effort easy even when I slowed a bit during 8 & 9.  Once I settled in to the moderate effort for the last 3, started feeling better and didn't really start straining at all until the final 0.5, where I picked it up a bit more.  Breathing was fine, legs just didn't want to go faster.  A day of rest tomorrow before my first race in 11 months.

First race in a year after getting sidelined by my nasty hip/groin injury, so expectations were tempered.  Happy to be at a starting line finally, but I really wanted to beat my previous best on this course of 32:00 from 2 years ago.  Tough to tell what shape I'm in, but I figured it'd be close and if race gear decided to work, I'd get there.

Nice and rainy this morning.  Definitely warmer than previous years (in the mid 60s) but the rain was a bummer.  Oh well.  Did a 0.75 mi easy warmup, 0.5 mi at tempo effort, then 0.25 mi easy.  Tempo effort pace was around 7/min miles.  Ugh.  In consolation, I recalled the 15K I'd run where my warmup tempo felt way too hard and was slow, but I busted a great race.  In some light rain then too, if I recall.  Trying to keep myself positive.

A late bathroom break and I was relegated about 8 rows back.  One row for each second it'd take me to cross the mat, as it turned out.  A combined 5K/8K start, so I felt okay in my positioning before we started, but wound up bobbing and weaving the first mile. 

Since I haven't yet replaced the dead battery in my HRM and I wasn't sure what pace to shoot for, I just ran.  First mile short according to Garmin, and when I looked I was running around a 7:02 mile.  Ugh.  Okay, new strategy....ignore the watch and run fast enough to make it hurt. 

2nd mile also way short according to garmin, in the 6:50-ish range.  Boy, it really felt faster, and was really starting to feel harder.  I'm still managing to reel some 8K'ers in at this point, and am closing in on what I hope is the only 8K chick ahead of me. 

3rd mile hurt worse, now I'm completely ignoring the garmin splits because they're way off from the course, but the pace is around 6:36/mi at the beep.  Better.  Maybe I can still beat my worst time on the course :). 

4th mile.....not worrying about pace anymore.....remembering what it's like to hurt in these races again.  Boy, I need to work on my misery tolerance.  I am managing a decent job of accelerating a smidgen every time my brain asks to back off just a tad. 

Last mile.....the twisty, curvy, hard-to-figure-out-which-way-to-turn, narrow (and somewhat crowded with slower 5K runners), slippery, rolling part of the course.  Aside from breathing, trying not to crash into anyone while passing, staying upright on any number of the 180 degree switchbacks, not much to recall.  When I vaguely recall I'm getting near the finish, I pour the last bit of effort on that I've got left.  Not sure I really accelerated any.

The finish comes in sight.  Of course, a nice stretch of wet, muddy grass is now between me and the finish, so real acceleration is not happening.  Traction also isn't happening.  But wait.....the clock reads 31:xx.  Evidently the garmin differences have managed to delude me into thinking I'm not near my goal pace and yet here I am.  Same course, same distance as last time.  Almost mow down a cheer-leader who decides cheering for me by twirling and moving in front of the finishing chute might be a good idea.  I was either finishing alone or dragging her with me, but I sure wasn't budging from my line.  Fortunately, she didn't quite drift enough to cause a wreck.....I might've felt badly after restoring O2 to my brain, which didn't occur for several minutes.

So, 31:54 on the clock, 31:46 on the chip, and finally, 3rd in my AG at this race (previous 2 times I've been 4th), and a PR at the distance.  Hard to not be happy with that.  Not in the race shape I was in last October, but maybe, just maybe, I can see it from here...

Afterwards, Dianna & I enjoyed one of the perks of the race....a free tram tour of the free-roaming area (well, mine was free, so I guess it was an overall 50% discount for the both of us).  The day actually brightened up a bit, clouds moved off, and I relaxed while seeing some nice nature scenes.  Now, back to see what I've missed in the college football and Seattle Sounders FC games.

LM warmup, 6 miles in 47:35, 7:56/mi, w/ 10 x 10 sec hill sprints (steeper hill), 1.5 mi cooldown walk w/ dogs, PU/Crunches ladder, Myrtl, & stretching.

Sunny and pleasant (63F).  Nice easy run which felt surprisingly good.  Ran hill sprints on a much steeper grade (hill at mile 3)...felt strong and fast the whole time.  Better post-run work & stretching.

LM warmup, 7.57 miles in 1:01:00, 8:03/mi, w/ 8 x 75 sec hill sprints (hill at mile 2), 1 mi cooldown walk w/ dogs, & stretching.

Sunny & warm (70F).  A bit tired to start but warmed up quickly. Good hard effort on the repeats.....most around the 6:00-6:07/mi pace.  Legs definitely tired on the cooldown back home.

10 miles in 1:19:26, 7:56/mi, w/ 1 mi cooldown walk w/ dogs, & stretching.

Sunny and hot (82F).  Adaptations from previous heat wave gone.  Started today's run on tired legs and late in the day.  Really dragging by half-way.  Instead of slowing on the return, decided to push into moderate effort and see if I could hold on to the end.  Felt like garbage the whole way but made it, so I guess that's okay.  Tomorrow definitely an easy day.

LM warmup, 6 miles in 47:28, 7:54/mi, 10 x 10 sec Hill Sprints, then 1 mile cooldown walk w/ dogs, & stretching.

Sunny and hot (83F), although didn't feel as hot as yesterday.  Kept the pace easy.  Legs got tired at 3 miles anyway, so I was running without aerobic difficulty but legs felt dead.  Forgot to do the hill sprints on the steep hill at mile 3, so it was on the more gradual hill at home.  First couple were tough to get turnover going, and even on later ones, power felt okay but turnover was tough.  Why am I starting to dread tomorrow's tempo run already?

LM warmup, 12 miles in 1:30:21, 7:31/mi, with 6 tempo miles in 7:13 - up, 7:27 - up, 7:36 - up, 6:31 - down, 6:34 - down, 6:34 - down, tempo average 6:59.  1 mile cooldown walk w/ dogs & stretching.

Downright chilly (58F) and overcast.  Good sleep last night so I felt rested but legs still not peppy.  Uneventful 3 mile warmup.  Goal was current fitness half-marathon pace (6:48/mi), but since I'm running this on a hilly course, goal was to get 6 miles at tempo effort that didn't kill me (or make me pass out).  Mission accomplished.  3 uphill miles were hard (a comfortably description would be downright lying) and the 3 final downhill miles weren't really much easier.  Last 2 or so was a mental exercise in not letting my brain talk me into quitting.  Plus, some gastro grumbling the last 3 mile cooldown for good measure.  Now I'm exhausted, so I'm glad tomorrow's an off day.

LM warmup, 14 miles in 1:45:45, 7:33/mi, w/ last 3.5 moderate in 3:25 (down), 6:48 (down), 6:45 (down), 7:04 (up).  1 mile cooldown walk w/ dogs, stretching, and some yardwork.

Sunny and pleasant (62F).  Today's run was great....first six miles uphill at easy effort but faster pace than normal.  Mile 6 got pretty steep in spots, but legs felt strong.  Kept the effort easy and the pace faster on the downhill.  Started feeling the distance around mile 10, but even the last moderate section was faster than normal.  One of those runs that reinforce the fact that the training is working.  Did suffer a bit doing the yardwork though.

LM warmup, 6 miles in 47:18, 7:53/mi, w/ 10 x 10 sec hill sprints at mile 3 hill.  1 mile cooldown walk w/ dogs & stretching.

Sunny and pleasant (62F).  Crashed hard yesterday evening.....not enough fuel & hydration, so dealt with a bad headache and just lousy feeling.  Better this morning, but a bit stiff in spots...yesterday's run & yardwork must've taken more out of me than I thought.  Turnover was slow today, but the leg strength is evidently still there, since the pace was still a bit quicker than normal.  1st hill sprint was sluggish, but the rest felt really good and strong.  Hip was giving me some pain today....mostly the upper hamstring attachment, so more rollering it tonite is in order.

LM warmup, 8.86 miles in 1:08:44, 7:45/mi, with 3 miles warmup, 1 set Strides/Drills Ladder intervals of 1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3 minutes on, 1 minute off, 3 miles cooldown.  Intervals were 1 (slight up - 5:25/mi), 2 (up - 6:13/mi), 3 (up - 6:38), 2 (slight up - 6:20/mi), 1 (slight down - 5:52/mi), 2 (down - 5:42/mi), 3 (slight down - 5:52/mi).  1 mile cooldown walk w/ dogs & stretching.

Cool (60F) & breezy.  Last nice day of fall for a while.  Tired again this morning.  Warmup okay, with a pit-stop at 2 miles.  1 set of Hudson style Strides/Drills after warmup was complete....okay, I don't quite get the sideways jumping jacks.  First ladder interval was probably too fast, the remainder got pretty hard, especially the ones uphill.  Felt leg limited on the 3 minute uphill repeat, but most others limited by O2 intake (read that as I was gasping for air badly).  Aside from the 1st recovery interval, the remainder were a mix of walking and shuffling.  3 cooldown miles wasn't the easiest....fortunately, it was mostly flat or downhill. 

LM warmup, 12 miles in 1:34:43, 7:53/mi, & stretching.

Cool (55F).  Rained miles 1-3 and mile 12, with a mix of clouds, wind gusts, and sun for the remainder.  Legs tired from yesterday's effort.  A "twinge" behind and just above my left knee on the back/inside had me stop to massage and stretch it a couple of time......pretty intermittent but it felt like I'd imagine an overtight guitar string being pulled over a lump might feel.  Or a mini-muscle spasm, take your pick.  Seemed to get better for the last couple of miles.  Could it be because it was so cool outside?  It will get some attention from the roller tonight.

LM warmup, 6 miles in 47:02, 7:50/mi, w/ 10 x 10 sec Hill Sprints at mile 3 hill, 1 mile cooldown walk w/ dogs, & stretching.

Legs felt okay.  That "thing" behind my left knee twinged again a couple of times but not painful at all.  Hill sprints were pretty good....got stronger as they went.  Caught myself going too fast a couple of times on the return....hope I don't pay for that one tomorrow.