I only run on days that end in a "y."

Started from the springs and stuck to the trail today as my shin is still a bit sore.  It was really hot and muggy which made the run tough, esp towards the last few miles.  Typical long run for me, first couple slow and then 7:10's - 7:30's with the last 6:40 or so.  Glad to be done - jumped in the springs afterwards to cool down.

Met Dan at the springs for an easy run on the trail.  No watch.  Cooled off afterwards in the springs.

hot and muggy.  Strange run today - around mile 6 I had to stop and walk a bit because of my shin - but then started and the pain disappeared and didn't really come back, did not bother me the rest of the day.  Typical run - 8:15 first mile, 6:45 last mile - 7:25 AP.

When I got home and my wife saw me she asked me if I had rinsed off with the hose, I was that soaking wet. 

When will we get a break in the weather?? 

hot and muggy - same run as the last three but with some hills thrown in.  7:30 AP.  Last mile MPG.

core workout at the gym - armstrong workout - this time did 2 sets of 20 step ups on each leg with 2 x 35lb dumbells, plus 25 each leg x 2 sets of bulgarian one legged squats (body weight only) and 15 x 2 sets of side lunges. 

78 degrees at the start - went to BS pool and did the 11 mile loop, dropping to low 7:00's with a couple of sub 7:00s at the end.  Legs are only mildly sore for Tuesday's leg workout, which is much better recovery than the previous week.

Injury is almost gone - I picked up some Saucony Ride 5's and the increased cushioning definitely helps the shin splint.  I walked into Academy on Monday and they had the shoes on clearance for $49 bucks!  These are $110 shoes.  I need to go back and get another pair. I wasn't sure I would like them but they are great shoes.  Cushioned but quite responsive, with only an 8mm drop.  What a deal.

5 easy miles.

A bit cooler this morning with some wind blowing in - it took out the humidity but it was still 73 degrees.  Did 12 miles with some MGP paced stuff in there.  A couple guys I ran with started their MGP fartleks after 6 miles (10 mins MGP + 2 min rest x 4 sets) and I ran the first 10 mins and the next 5 with them before stopping for water.  Still fighting this nagging shin split so  I didn't push it.

If I were training for a marathon though I believe I would do a workout like theirs.  Seemed like a great way to start getting in some MGP. 

Nice in easy - around 8:00 pace when my watch died, probably ran a bit below that for the remainder of the run.

63 degrees this morning!  Wonderful.

Oh, and I registered for Boston today!  One of the benefits of turning 45 next year is that my BQ time drops 5 mins and my time puts me over the 20 minute qual time, so I get to register on the first day! 

4.5 easy on the trail @ lunchtime. 

Another cool morning, a bit humid though as I had to wring my shirt out once during the run.  Stopped for water at mile 4 and 7.5.  

Nice progressive run - out and back from the house - 9:20 first mile and 6:45-6:50 last 2 miles.  AP of 7:20.

Legs and core at the gym during my lunch break. 

5 easy at lunchtime - 90's and sunny.

Met up with the group for 1000's on the track.  I thought I would test out the injury and well, I just can't pass up a good track workout.

It was 82 degrees at the start and humid as well, so we all decided to run the first ones around 10k pace and speed up for the last ones.  Then we did 5 x 200m sprints with the last 2 turning into a foot race.  

My injury held up and didn't bother me really at all.  I developed a bit of stomach cramp on the run back so took it really slow back to the annex.

 1.7 miles warm up to the track followed by 6 x 1000m with 200m active recovery followed by 5 x 200m with 200m active recovery.

1000's - 3:55, 3:53, 3:51, 3:47, 3:37, 3:32

200's - 40, 40, 37, 37, 36.

1.65 easy back.

Article of the day - some very taxing marathon training runs!  I will incorporate these into my Boston training.

http://running.competitor.com/2012/09/training/take-your-marathon-long-runs-to-the-next-level_58406

A sample of one of the workouts:  For a 3-hour marathoner, the workout would look something like this: 22-mile long with 8 x 90-second surges at 6:15/mi pace with 5 minutes at marathon pace (6:45/mi) for 4 to 5 minutes in between surges, starting at mile 12. Finish the run off with a few minutes of easy jogging.

This long run will include 40 minutes of running at marathon pace and 12 minutes at 10K pace. That’s 52 minutes of hard running between miles 12 and 20. This is a workout that combines the best benefits from two very marathon-specific workouts.

5 miles at lunchtime. 

Met up with the group at 6 am.  A splinter group of us decided to run a 11 mile progressive run around the trial.  I thought that would be good, I didn't feel like a 14 mile slog.  It was cooler but the humidity was still high so the temps were deceiving.  

The last couple were a bit of a struggle - I kept thinking of the 10k coming up and how hard that is going to be if this was giving me fits.

9:24, 8:39, 8:06, 7:40, 7:43, 7:15, 6:54, 6:44, 6:30, 6:25, 6:16.

6 x 25 second strides at the end @ 5:25 ish pace. 

Met up with the Sunday group for some easy miles around the trail.  Soaked the legs in Barton Springs afterward.

No watch but was moving at a good clip.  5.25 miles at lunchtime.  Considerably cooler with some clouds now and then.

My first evening run with the new group.  I ran around a mile and a half to the track from the office to meet up with the group.  The evening group is pretty sparse right now but I found them no problem.  I got the workout for the evening but while the coach was talking to me the group took off for a warm up.  I then went out for a couple miles and came back and there was one other runner who was going to run on the track.  The others already hit the trail.  I wasn't too worried about not knowing really what to do since it was my first time.  I figured it would end up like this.

The workout was 4 miles on the track with each mile having different fartleks - first mile was 30 sec hard and 30 sec easy, next mile 60 seconds hard and 30 seconds easy, next mile 90 seconds hard and 30 seconds easy and the last mile back to 30 seconds hard and 30 seconds easy.

I ran with someone that had a bit slower pace than me so I had to slow down on each easy bit for her to catch up. (My watch was DOA so I had to stick close so I would know when to start and when to go.) Overall it was a pretty good workout though I could have run the hard bits harder.  She was really breathing but I wasn't working that hard.   Still, miles 2 and 3 were around 6:20 and 6:10 pace and that was with the easy bits that I slowed up a lot on. Mile 4 went down some since it was 30-30.  I can't remember what she said the pace was for that mile.

Saturday is 3 x 2000s on a loop some downhill, uphill and then rollers.  Should be fun!

5.25 easy on the trail at lunchtime - faster than I should have since some guy passed flew by me as I started out so I thought I would try to hang a bit.  I don't know what pace he was running and I did not have my watch, but by the time I warmed up some he was gone...until around mile 3.5 I saw him at the waterstop just ahead and then he took off.  I got a quick drink and went as well, thought I had lost him again until I turned the corner at the bridge and saw him walking up the stairs.  I knew he was toast at that point.  I caught him at mile 4 and passed with easy - he was breathing pretty hard - it was warm out so maybe the heat had something to do with it.  Anyway, endurance is a beautiful thing. :-)

The games we play.  lol. 

Easy out and back from the house.  Cool but a bit humid - can't wait for some nice 50's and no humidity.  

5.5 super easy on the trail at lunchtime.

First hard workout with the new group.  This was the last hard workout before the 10k coming up which most of the runners were training.   So we did 3 x 1.4 mile loops with 3 minute recoveries.  The first part of the loop was downhill, then we turned right up Riverside and another right straight up a hill and then rolling hills back to the start.  I ran with 4 others and let them take off a bit down hill and then would catch them on the hills.  Most ran out of steam on the final lap on the hill and I was able to finish strong.  It was a good confidence booster.

1.5 mile warm up 

3 x 1.4 mile @ 6:04, 6:04, and 6:02 pace.

1.5 cool down 

11 miles on the trail this morning with Dan.  Got there a bit early to get a mile in, ran the 8 mile loop with Dan and then continued on the greenbelt trail for a mile and then back.  Great morning.

4.5 recovery-ish type miles at lunchtime.

Met up with the group after work at Austin High.  90 degrees but a nice breeze helped keep things manageable.  

I ran 1.5 easy to the track, then 2 miles more with the group.  3.5 miles warm up.

We then did 4 sets of 600m, 100m float, 600m with 400m active recovery in between sets. All run at 10k pace in order to get a good feel of 10k pace for the upcoming race.

I ran the first 3 sets with a couple other runners and we were very consistent with the 600m sections @ around a 6:05 pace.  The last set the other runners stopped for water and I kept going, the coach said to run them faster so I did.  Not sure she meant that much faster though, as I ran the last 2 x 600m around 5:40 pace.

5 x 100m strides at the end at sub 5k pace, followed by 1.5 miles cool down. 

Good workout all in all. 

Core workout at the gym - 2 sets of 20 step ups each leg, 35lb dumbells.  2 sets of 25 each leg of Romanian squats, 2 x 10 side lunges each side holding 25lb weight.  Planks on balance ball and back extensions on Roman chair.  

8.5 easy this morning - 7:45 AP with 9:00 and 8:10 first 2 warm up miles.  Felt good though I started to feel my legs during the last mile from yesterday's workout.  Quite warm and humid out this morning.  The sprinklers were on when I got home so I stood in the middle of the yard and cooled off.

6.25 easy in the am - felt like summer out there.  4.5 easy at lunchtime.

Made a game day decision with the weather this morning.  Everyone thought we would have a downpour but it turned out not to be the case.  I was a light rain and when I checked the radar it looked like it was clearing.  I am not a big fan of running around a track with puddles so I was all set to wait until tomorrow.  Fortunately I did not have to.

Met up with the guys at the track.  We did 3.5 miles warm up and then some repeats.

3 sets of 1200m @ 10k pace with 100m float and then 400m a bit faster with 40mm recovery in between each set.  No stopping!

On the 2nd repeat the sky opened up and it rained pretty hard but then it was over.  It actually made it kind of fun.

1200m in 4:38 (6:12 pace), 100m float, 400m 1:29 (5:58 pace), 400m recovery

1200m in 4:35 (6:08 pace), 100m float, 400m 1:26 (5:46 pace), 400m recovery

1200m in 4:27 (5:58 pace), 100m float,  400m 1:21 (5:25 pace), 400m recovery

Then 4 x 100m at 5:30-5:20 pace with 100m recovery in between.

We then hit the trail for 2 miles cool down - running through all the big puddles we could find.  Kinda childish but fun.

Met up with James aka the Limey and his friend Tom for 8 easy on Townlake trail.  Great morning, even better run.