Boston Strong

11 mile loop on Garmin - 9 miles running.  Decided I would feel good this run ... could run fast, slow, or walk ... whenever I wanted for however long I wanted!  Couple MP miles early, then interspersed walking & jogging.  Really just a reflection time, found out this afternoon my mom was diagnosed with acute leukemia, will know more after full lab results in next day or two.

Tonight reminded me of a quote I put on my HS yearbook senior page by Joe Theisman (long before he was ever an announcer!)  Something like, "I would never want to be a coach because I would be afraid I would have to coach someone like myself."

 So, at 10:00 tonight, I figured I need to get out there & get a run in.  Wasn't sure what, but was thinking maybe 6, maybe 9.  My legs are tired, there are too many damn hills around here!  As I exited the neighborhood, I decided to turn into a new development that has a lolipop shape of a half mile of freshly paved road that is relatively flat.  Set my drink down & figured I would do some mile intervals on flat, screw the hills.

 Ran the first mile in 5:58.  Figured that was good, so I grabbed my water bottle & jogged the 1/2 mile back home!  My legs are tired, and really need a day or two of rest ... but it was good to break a sweat & turn the legs over fast for a mile ... after 2 days of hills.

Last week was my highest mileage week at 57 & this will be my highest mileage month of the year ... no need to push the envelope too far.  So in the end, 2 miles it was, and I am happy with that!!

Took the day off from running, so I visualized my race plan for my October marathon based on the elevation profile, so I would have a clear picture of where I need to be in 18 weeks … I guess the next step would be to build an 18 week training plan!  Lol  Officially, I have until Saturday to do that, then the countdown begins.

Stage 1:   First 6 miles @7:10        43:00     Gentle rolling hills

Stage 2:   Next 8 miles @ 6:20     50:40     Steep Downhill

Stage 3:   Next 6 miles @ 7:10     43:00     Mostly Flat

Stage 4:   Last 10k @ 6:54              42:55     Gradual Downhill

Finish @ 6:50 Overall Avg Pace:  2:59:35

I am confident in my ability to nail the first 3 stages, actually think they are conservative.  The last 10k I have no idea, I am sure I will be feeling effects of 8 downhill aggressive miles, not to mention one never knows what is going to happen the last 10k anyway!  It is a gradual downhill finish, that helps.  Figuring out to make myself do long runs would help too!

Hard to get up and run when you are not getting much sleep!  Hopefully I can get some miles in later this evening & thru the weekend to try to salvage a respectable mileage week - 2 miles in 3 days won't get it done!  Sometimes there are much larger issues in life that dominate the mind though, & I am sure running will probably help me to get through some of those!

I am working on putting together my 18 week training plan for my October marathon ...          (re) reading a book by Brad Hudson & Matt Fitzgerald - 'Run Faster - How to be your own best coach'.  I have never been a believer in cookie cutter training plans, as I think everyone has different strengths/weaknesses & responds to different training methods differently.  This book give a great understanding of how to put together a plan based on one's individual characteristics & goals ... while also providing some basic guidelines.

 I think having a plan will help tremendously, I try to mix up my workouts a lot right now, but there is definitely little rhyme or reason as to how I approach it!

Update: 

Another day with no run, but got some exercise ... and have first draft of my training plan ... still need to see how it looks detailed out over 18 weeks in a spreadsheet:

I think I am going to go with:
Sun:  Long
Mon: Rest/Spin Class
Tue: Track work
Wed: 6-11 tempo, progression w/ some MP
Thu: 4-8 easy
Fri: Hills & Fartlek
Sat: 4-8 easy/Spin Class

Obviously, that will alter some when I have Saturday races - but that will be my baseline - 3-4 Quality workouts, 2-3 easy, 1 day rest.

I am going to put estimated mileage/details for each workout in an excel spreadsheet to get a feel for mileage bulidup/taper, but only as a guideline.  One of the things Hudson talks about is "Individualized training schedules must be adapted daily, based on the runners response to recent training and other factors that may affect the runners readiness for planned training."

One of my favorite paragraphs, goes on to state, "Training for a peak race is kind of like undertaking a long sailing trip.  The shortest distance to your destination is a straight line, but the fastest way to get there will involve many zigzags.  You will encounter unpredictable winds and currents on your journey.  In responding to these factors, you may find yourself heading a little to the left or right of your final destination some days, but your overall progress in the right general direction will be much greater than it would be if you stubbornly insisted on heading straight toward your destination regardless of winds and currents."

The goal of the book is to help one understand how to make these adjustments, and the reasoning behind it.

This was a fun race that finished inside Turner Stadium, sponsored by the Atlanta TrackClub, so lots of speedy folks there!  It did not feel too hot at the start, but could really feel the effects of the humidity once we started running.  I wanted to try to go sub 25, but realized pretty quickly with the hills & the fact that I have not run all week, an all out aerobic effort was going to be tough.

Hit the Mile split at 6:16, right on target for my goal, but knew there was no way I would be able to hold that pace.  Ran Mile 2 at 6:26 pace, but walked through water station just before marker, so officially ran it in 6:41 ... I was sweating buckets, so wanted to make sure I stayed hydrated!  After that point, I did not have it in me to kick it back into high gear ... Mile 3 was 6:45 & Mile 4 was 6:49.  At this point we were entering the stadium, so I threw in a big kick to pick a couple runners off just before the finish.  My Garmin read 4.04 meter, ran the .04 (roughly 65 meters) in 7 seconds, a 3:25 pace ... sure would be nice to be able to hold onto that longer ... but it was all I had.

Once I get through my marathon training cycle, I really want to work on my shorter distances.  I hit my aerobic threshold too early when I push the pace hard, and once that happens I am spent.  As long as I do not hit that threshold, I can hold a pretty good pace for a long time.  I am sure consistent weekly track workouts will probably improve that immensely.

All in all, I am pleased with my race, all things considered.  May try to get some more miles in later today.