The Long Run

9.22@8:45   HR   150 bpm

8x800m  with 0.25 jogs between, was able to do the job - 3:09, 3:09, 3:05, 3:06, 3:08, 3:10, 3:08, 3:05

Looping in Westlake Village.

5.55@9:01

Wednesday night run from Starkey Market with the Wed Night run club.  Arrived a few minutes late.  50 minute run, most of it with Daisy.

3.81@9:02   HR 144 bpm

Easy run with 12 x 20 second stride repeats with goal in steps per minute instead of pace - can't look at watch during the strides or else it throws off the steps per minute unless wearing the chest strap.

14.1@8:31     HR   149 bpm

Started run just after 7:00, schedule called for two hours of "easy" pace range 8:19-9:19.  Felt relaxed and eased into pace.  After 5 minute warm up , first mile was 8:52, then next 12 miles in range between 8:40 and 8:00 pace (last mile), 5 minute cool down to finish.

This was an improvement over the run where I wanted to do 13 miles at 8:35 pace which I had to cut short to just over 11 miles due to big toe hurting, heart rate too high even with taking a couple of stops  (11.09 miles@8:33 pace, HR 159 bpm, elapsed pace that day 9:16).  Today's run was straight through (average moving pace and elapsed pace the same) and mostly a steady increasing faster pace after starting slower.

Did not run yesterday due to CD's cheer competition held at USF's Yuengling Center, followed by afternoon spent at Busch Gardens.

4.91@9:12      HR 142 bpm

Easy run day, 45 minutes.  Felt a little rough since my long run was just yesterday which although it went well, felt tired for a good part of the day.

7.63@8:37   HR 144 bpm

Workout 4 x 4 min, goal 6:09-6:29

Paces: 6:23, 6:20, 6:18, 6:20

Followed by 5 x 30 seconds at 5:09-5:29, made the pace range on all but one of them, but still pretty close (5:35 pace so probably within device error range)

Warmup and cool down each 15 minutes.  Ran in Westlake Village.  Cold front came through last night so was in much cooler feeling 60's for weather after having had a few days of warmer weather.

4.93@9:10   HR  153 bpm

Wednesday night run, formerly the Humpday Hustle which merged with the Starkey Market Wednesday night run.  Arrived about 30 minutes late, had given Andy a ride to get his vehicle from the shop but couldn't leave early enough from work.

Did a loop course from the market and around the lake via the Huckleberry shuffle, and then just past the market to get 45 minutes of running.

Saw Joe when I got there as well as Brad and then talked a little with Evan and Stacey after the run.  Was a nice and cool evening for running.  I did not take advantage of the free 4oz pour of beer.   Stopped by the house and visited with Esperanza before heading back to Palm Harbor.

5.06@8:55   HR   142 bpm

Easier feeling run around Westlake Village, lower heart rate and slightly faster pace than last night, must've gotten fully recovered.  Nice and cool morning for running.

10.23@8:19    HR   144 bpm

Progression run workout with just over 1 hour running between 8:19-9:19, then ten minutes @7:09-7:29 and finally five minutes @6:19-6:39 pace.

Weather was perfect, set out from Westlake Village first doing the big square loop around the outisde of the neighborhood, and then the 3 mile loop inside the neighborhood.  With less than 10 minutes to go of the easy part, used the water fountain outside the pool to wash down a gel (Frog Fuel), then finished the rest of the easy part.  Next up the ten minutes at about Half marathon goal pace went will, although slowed down a little after finishing a mile (was looking at average pace so I didn't think I slowed down much , but really I had gone from 7:13 to 7:37.

I guess I was preparing for the acceleration.  For about the first minute of the fastest part was just under  6 minute pace, gradually backed it down but then found myself slower than the pace range and had to struggle a bit to bring it back and made it to 6:36 pace for the last 5 minutes, just inside the goal range.

After the run, went for a walk on the causeway with Jacob (back for the weekend), Jessica, and the two little ones.  After the walk, Charlotte wanted a shaved ice from the Tiki hut and they wanted to sit down.  That somehow turned into Jacob and I each having a Sailor's Rum Punch.  Thought about passing on it but haven't gotten to see Jacob that much and looks like he will barely be back durning the summer between classes and work.

6.78@8:52    HR  147 bpm

For a Monday morning, felt pretty good and the weather also very nice.  Wanted to keep it easy but also secretly hoping I'd just speed up without realizing it.  That didn't happen but it was still a pretty good run.  Easy run days have just shifted to 60 minutes.

Garmin rewarded me at the end of the run by saying I was back at 53 for VO2 max

9.46@7:56    HR 150 bpm

45 minute tempo run with goal pace between 7:09 and 9:29, plus 15 minute warmup, 15 minute cool down.  Tempo portion broken up with 30 minutes for the first part and 15 minutes for the second part with no rest between, so still 45 minutes straight but just timed as two sections.  A good run is where I feel I can get on pace right away and hold it or better yet speed up, the whole time being in control and inside the pace range.  Sometimes I'm just short of the slow end then go just fast enough only to lose it again until finally pull it together and finish just inside the pace.

But today's run was the good run feeling, 7:07 for the first mile, just a little too fast making me worry I might struggle later, relaxed just a little and was 7:08 for the second mile.  Next two miles were 7:14 and 7:17, but I was looking at average pace so that didn't change.  After the first 4 miles, there was 1:13 left of the first 30 minutes where apparently I was at a 6:53 pace.  Then the next 15 minute segment was 7:17, 7:08, and again 6:53 for the leftover time (33 seconds).

The other good thing that happened on the run, was early on, garmin watch said my performance condition was +7 (whatever that means), usually on a very good day it would be +4 at best, with the rest of the days being between -1 and +1.

6.8@8:50    HR 147 bpm

Wednesday night run with old humpday hustle group and new Starkey Market run club.  Ran with Daisy and Joe and eventually caught up with Evan, Jeremy, and Chad.  I was doing prescribed one hour run with easy range between 8:19 and 9:19 after 5 minute warmup.  Out and back to Cunningham Park then I did some more on my own after getting back to Starkey Market to finish off the hour.

I felt pretty good on this run as sometimes it feels like a struggle on these Wednesday night runs until I'm more warmed up (usually after about 2 miles).  But tonight I felt good to go after 5 minutes and the so called easy pace actually felt easy.

This was my first run with Joe in a while.

6.05@8:17

Progression run consisting of 5 minute warmup, 30 minute easy pace then 10 minutes at 6:19-6:39, finally 5 minutes cool down.

Did the 10 minute portion at 6:34 pace and felt reasonably in control and steady.

14.12@8:30   HR   149 bpm

Two hour run with pace range between 8:19-9:19, gradual progression run as I started out on the slower end and finished up the last two miles a little faster than planned at a little faster than 8:00 pace.

Similar results to run two weeks ago.  Two weeks ago it felt like a big jump forward in improvement, today it felt like no progress but at least holding steady.  This was a bigger mileage week than I've had a non race weekend.

After the run, Jessica, myself and the little girls drove up to FSU for an overnight visit.  Jessica needed to give Soph a hug.  Wanted to see Jacob but he took off with friends to Gainesville to get out of town.  We might've taken Soph back with us but she was waiting on word about whether there would be finals (turned out they were either canceled or made optional). 

6.71@8:58   HR  144 bpm

One hour run consisting of the square loop around the outside of Westlake Village and then a smaller loop inside the neighborhood to finish off the time.

5.54@8:08  

Warmup, then 15 minutes pace range 6:39-6:59

Stayed solidly within the pace range although near the slower end for most of it, coming out with an average pace of 6:50 due to a slight speedup at after the first mile.  Hoping to really nail this one with a feeling that I had to hold back, instead I did the job and at least wasn't wavering in and out of the pace range.

It was a little bit on the warmer side compared to what it had been, but still a pretty reasonable 72 degrees - going to miss those sub 75 degree mornings once the summer hits.

6.59@9:06   HR  143 bpm

Wednesday right with the Starkey Market run club.  Ran part of it with Joe, Daisy, and Evan.  Daisy split off after we returned to Starkey Market while I kept on going to get the extra time to make it to one hour of running.

3.75@8:45    HR 137 bpm

Ran on Starkey Gap trail, run was easy pace plus 10 by 20 second strides in the middle of the run with goal in steps per minute to practice leg turnover.

11.35@8:23   HR  149 bpm

Ran in Starkey Park on the bike trail, 1:10 running easy then progressing to 7:15 pace for 10 minutes, then 6:35 pace for 5 minutes followed by 5 minute cool down.

Able to successfully switch gears to the faster paces after running a reasonably paced easy part (8:16 to 8:57 range for those miles).

This was also the Striders "Spring Fling" - first get together since Christmas which I had missed due to being out of town.  I got there too late for the group picture but said hi to a number of people I hadn't seen in a while.  Weather was nice but it's feeling like those nice mornings with cooler temps are few in number.

5.05@8:56

45 minute easy run in Westlake Village to start the week.

7.16@8:06    HR 149 bpm

30 minute tempo run with goal range between 7:09 and 7:29, actual pace came in right about 7:08.  I had started out a little bit on the high side for pace as first half mile was downhill and figured I'd settle into a slightly slower pace.  Watch was set up to time 20 minutes and then 10 minutes but no break between, it's just they way Garmin coach sets it up in case you need to cut it short.

So splits looked like this:  7:06, 7:03, 0.79@7:18, 7:02, 0.42@6:59

So, a little bit of a slowdown after the first two miles as the 20 minute timer counted down.

Felt good about this run, but then I saw that next week it's supposed to be 30 minutes at 6:50 pace.  That run scares me a little but I think I can do it and if I can it will be my fastest over 4 mile tempo run in a long time.