Of Mice and Marathons

AM: 5 miles, moderate progression (8:10-6:35) averaged 7:21

PM: 8.25 moderate trails.

After getting into some areas that are badly maintained, I found some decent sections. Ended up being okay. No Wissahickon Valley Park, but serviceable single track. There's a skeet shooting range in the park, so I got to listen to gun shots at the beginning and at the end. I grew up around guns. A lot of them. But I now find the noise unnerving, especially in a public park. No shortage of pizza places, liquor stores, or places to shoot around here.

AM: 4.5 miles + strides

PM: 7.5 miles w/ 1 mile @ 5:42 to take the Spencer Park Strava CR. It hurt a little but I recovered quickly.

AM/Lunch: 14 miles firm, averaged 6:52

90 minutes moderate to aerobic threshold, then easy and short CD to 14.

About 7:05 for the first 7 miles, then 10k tempo @ 6:28, .75 easy

Same pace as last week, stronger and longer on the way out, longer on the way back for same pace. Finished 13.25 miles in 90 minutes

Tempo splits: 6:40, 6:25, 6:31, 6:26, 6:25, 6:24

PM: 8 miles recovery. HR 140.

Exhausted this week, but I had two really solid naps the in the last two days, which I haven't been able to do for a while. I love me a good nap.

PM: 12 miles moderate progression, averaged 7:38. HR 159.

Did the last mile in 6:10. It was harder than I hoped it would be. Felt kind of meh overall. Warmer than it's been since cooler weather came in (about 86 or so but dry). Did some pullups at the playground after.

AM: 7.8 miles. HR 138.

PM: 4.7 miles. HR 144.

Lunch: 8.6 miles at survival pace with 8-minute progression/pickup at the end. Pullups and pushups. HR 144.

Dew point at 74. I took it slow.

PM: 9.5 miles moderate with 2-mile pickup in 12:47. HR 165?

PM: 8.8 miles. HR 143.

Good run except for two different cars beeping at me within a quarter mile. I haven't missed the Midwest one bit. So far I have had one airhorn blown at me, someone yelled at me yesterday, and two weeks ago someone yelled "[breasts] jiggle." The language in Indiana was a bit more colorful, but it's coming I am sure. The "Run, Forrest, Run" is back as well. I think I ran 7000+ miles in Philadelphia in just over 2 years and the incidents were rare and very mild (usually catcalling women, which I find neither funny not flattering). I'm gunshy to run around town much, so I stick to the 1.5 miles to and from Spencer Park and run the 1-mile loop or I go to do longer runs and workouts on the Paint Creek Trail, which requires driving.

PM: 16 miles moderate to uptempo with 8 miles at marathon effort, averaged 7:00 overall. HR 159.

Went to Rochester Municipal Park and they were charging for an event. And everyone else was trying to get me to pay to park everywhere I went. I don't really like driving to run and I will not pay to park and run. The neighborhoods have basically lots of space but almost no parking. I did find a spot eventually. I managed to pick up the trail just a piece down the road and got rolling.

It was overcast and cooler but still not fall conditions. I did get some rain, which was nice. The trail was not crowded. I did see the usual squirrels (both black and grey), a few turkeys, which I inadvertently chased, and a fawn, which was very cute.

I turned on my auto split to keep the pace honest and so I could have some feedback to keep me focused and so I could try to run a progression on the way back at marathon effort down to AT and LT if I was feeling okay. 7:15 felt reasonable for cruising speed on the way out and 6:35-6:40 was about all my legs could turn out on the way back. Assuming my monitor was right, I nailed the effort at just under 165 BPM average. I recently decided to continue to use my monitor but turn off the feedback. Too much distraction. It turns out I've got fairly accustomed to sensing marathon effort.

6:46 (159), 6:39 (162), 6:38 (163), 6:37 (163), 6:40 (162), 6:43 (167), 6:30 (170), 6:35 (173)

6:38.5 average and just under 165 BPM

I didn't cool down, which might be why these moderate to uptempo efforts the last few weekends have been destroying my stomach. Or maybe its the cheap beer.

Pleased with the effort given current fitness and training. I am not sure what I am doing for racing this fall as I work most weekends, but I might fit in a couple 5k and/or 10ks. Hoping for a marathon in March or April with a half marathon PR attempt during the buildup as my longer short-term goal. I think I am content to run every day and run some decent mileage (70-80) and see where things go and wait for things to settle.

PM: 9 miles recovery pace. HR 130.

PM: 10 miles easy. HR 141.

PM: 10.3 miles easy to moderate then with Megan for a few at the end. HR 145.

Around 80 degrees, dry, and breezy. Perfect fall running weather.

PM: 10 miles w/ 5-mile cutdown, averaged 7:41. HR 154 but slightly off I think.

2.3 up, said why not a tempo? Got moving from ~9:15 pace to 6:40 fairly quickly. Went with feedback from auto split, thinking 6 miles around 6:40-6:25 would be a brief but satisfying workout. I hit right on to start and kept cranking it down as I felt good.

6:41, 6:33, 6:23, 6:07, 5:54 (6:20 average)

Last mile finished a bit hard, but I cut down a little too quickly the last two. Feel in decent shape for running rather training.

Cooled down to 10.

PM: 8 miles recovery. HR 132.

The Canadian geese are being jerks. They move to one side of the path, then have to move back every time I come around the 1-mile loop. One of them was hiding behind a trash can and jumped the crap out of me by fluttering its wings just after I had passed. They hiss, I swear at them. I much prefer the ducks. Pretty sure I saw a swan swimming in the pond too. I apparently just missed Megan. She's been running outside as out complex treadmills are children's toys.

I got my forklift certification yesterday. I still have to make some corrections, but I am getting it. We shall see how I handle a double load of pressure treated lumber when it's 20 feet off the floor.

PM: Impromptu Long Run - 17 miles easy to moderate, averaged 7:35. HR 163??

Picked up the pace at the 2-hour mark to LT for 9 minutes. Did 8-10 pull-ups after every five laps of the lake.

Decided to do my long run today. 3 hours of tutoring and 8.5 hours at work tomorrow. Lighter on Sunday but I'd like to long some extra tutoring hours.

Off. Long day of work. Barely noticed I didn't run.

AM/Lunch: 5.7 miles stressed and time crunched, averaged 6:44. HR 177.

Slept in a bit and just didn't think I had any time for a run, which made me mad. So instead of enjoying the hour or so I had, I ran like an idiot and finished 38 minutes and that was about it. I used to run hot like this once in a while when I started running. It taught me a lot about effort and taking easy runs pretty easy.

PM: 10 miles easy. HR 145.

AM: 10 miles, easy to moderate. HR 153.

AM: 10 miles progression. Moderate down to LT, averaged 6:53. HR 157.

Last 4 miles at a decent pace: 6:36, 6:31, 6:23, 5:51

Good run. Got out at a decent hour before work and 55 degrees felt very refreshing. Not too many people at the park. Mostly me, the swans, and the deer.

AM/Lunch: 4.4 miles. HR 134.

Didn't leave myself time for any more. Long day.

Pm: 17 miles, averaged 7:14. HRM battery died.

5 up, 10-mile tempo, 2 down

10-mile tempo in 63:10 (6:19 average), which might be my second or perhaps third fastest 10-mile tempo. I think my PR is 1:02:low or 6:13 pace from last fall.

The last mile or so I was wheezing/rasping a good deal and finished around end of half marathon effort. I checked my overall tempo average pace briefly at 5 miles, 8 miles, and 1 mile to go. Otherwise totally by effort.

6:28, 6:26, 6:22, 6:22, 6:19, 6:18, 6:20, 6:13, 6:14, 6:06

AM: 6 miles slow recovery. HR 129.

PM: 11 miles mostly easy. HR 147.

PM: 9 miles in a little over 61 minutes. Averaged 6:49. Got out hot and kept pushing to squeeze in the miles. Pretty much aerobic threshold the whole way. A rare sub-7:30 first mile.

Had to work at 5:00AM. I didn't get to bed until after 1:30. Strange shifting hours. Had a decent nap though. I unloaded a truck of pressure treated lumber in the cool rain with the fork lift. A much different gig than teaching, but it's interesting.

PM: 10 miles.

AM/Lunch: 15 miles, averaged 7:22. HR 166.

3.5 up, then Did 60 minutes AT effort, 2 down. Might have been a little high on the effort today. Assuming my HR monitor was on I was 177 beats for 9.45 miles, which is pretty high but would be difficult to sustain solo and in a non-race situation for that length of time.

Cover 9.45 miles in the 60 minutes or 6:21 pace. Don't have exact splits because I didn't take them and I started on the half mile.

Strava splits with the absorbed half miles look like:

6:38, 6:23, 6:20, 6:14, 6:18, 6:21, 6:19. 6:19, 6:33

So pretty much held to the average pace throughout after the first 1.5-2 miles.

PM: 7 rainy and slightly windy recovery miles.

PM: 10 miles. Rain.

Cross country has comandeered the park once again this week.