Pool Running is Fun

Today was my "comp" day from work since I worked two other events. I had to use it by the end of the week and since I had a doctor's appt I figured I would. The crappy thing is we had a big deadline today so I spent last night working and all day working until 2:00 today then I went to th doc's. 

I'm really tired and stressed from the volume of work lately and my legs are tired from the months of 90+ MPW with workouts. I felt like I needed a rest or risk that tingle in my calf blowing up and wasting my entire spring season. I'm taking a down week the rest of the week.  No exercise today.

Noon: 5 miles at noon in the crazy wind. Leg feels 40% better after an easy 5 and a day off

AM: 5 miles with a few strides

windy again, but feeling much better. Calf is 90% better than Wednesday. I think I nipped this one in the bud. Still really busy and doing some work at home today. Racing a 10K tomorrow. Feeling weird after taking a day off and running so light the last few days.

AM: 3 WU 10K race 5 CD

PM:

very windy out there.My splits were all over the place. I felt like I raced well but in actuality my time was very slow. Hopefully this has more to do with the fact that it was windy and thus times were slow vs. I'm slow because I'm heavy or out of shape. I think it has to do with the wind. It also could have something to do with the fact that I've been stressed and slacking off the last part of last week.

This is actually the slowest I've ever run at this race but I feel like I raced well. That's odd. I was beaten by a Strava track club member, and a guy who used to be on the NYMJ track club. God I hope I can run faster than this at Shamrock.

Results

PM: 1 hr. pool run

AM: 7 miles

PM: 5 miles + standard core routine

feel ok this morning, no sign of calf trouble. It feels much better now that I've raced on it. Still ticked at my slow time yesterday. I hope I'm still in good shape going into Shamrock.

AM: 9.5 miles + foam rolling, core work

PM: 5 miles with a stride + standard core routine

decided not to attempt the workout this morning because I was still too beat up from the race. Will try to get in some lighter 400s tomorrow and then do a tempo on Friday

AM: 2.2 WU 1600,4x800, 2.6 CD + core, foam rolling

PM: 5 miles + standard core routine

still trying to recover from Sunday. I ran like crap at that race but my legs were still tired today. Getting old I suppose. I just did the short workout the rest of the team did yesterday. The benefit was that I got an extra day of recovery and I can keep my interval recoveries to a reasonable time instead of jogging longer than the interval itself like we end up doing in big groups. Nothing too fast today. 5:12,2:29,2:28,2:27,2:26

AM: 8 miles

PM: 5 miles with 5x20sec strides + standard core routine

Felt much better today

AM: 3 WU 6.4K Tempo 2.7 CD

PM: off. Felt the need to rest

felt better. Ended fast but it didn't feel too fast. Felt much better than last week's race. 1600m splits: 5:30,5:20,5:13,5:03

AM: 12 miles + standard core routine, foam rolling

Beautiful day for a run 

AM: 14 miles with the last 5 MP+: 5:47,5:37,5:30,5:25,5:21. Felt easy running fast. Slightly shorter run since I'm running a halfway week. 

PM: 1 hr. Pool run + foam rolling

AM: 8 miles + some core, foam rolling

PM: 5 miles with 5x20sec strides + standard core routine

AM: 2.8 WU 6x800m 2.7 CD + some core, foam rolling

PM: 4.5 miles

Very cold this morning for this time of year with a stiff winter wind on the back stretch. I believe the wind chill was 20 degrees and it was about 32 degrees. As a result our splits were slower but the effort is what is important. We didn't do too many since most of us are running the Shamrock Half marathon this weekend. 2:33,2:32,2:32,2:31,2:29,2:29.

Although I really enjoy running tempos and long runs with Greg, I find that I like doing intervals alone most of the time. For whatever reason I feel like I have more control with the amount of recovery time I'm getting, the intensity I'm going, and the volume of the overall workout. After recovery from Shamrock I may venture out to the hills again in place of a track V02 day.

AM: 7 miles

PM: 5 miles + 5x10sec hill sprints + standard core routine, foam rolling

Windy and cold

PM: 10 miles + standard core routine, foam rolling

Very windy again

PM: 5 miles with 5x20sec strides

Windy as all he'll again. Racing Sunday, feeling good

PM: 4 miles + a few strides and stretching 

AM: 2 WU Shamrock Half Marathon (1:09:56) 1 CD

Although not a PR, it's been awhile since I've had a good race and I had a good race today. Great weather, great course. Happy with it. Didn't quite have the strength to keep in contact with Tom, who is in fine shape.

Going in I knew I'd probably race well but wasn't sure if I was in PR shape. Took it out conservatively with Greg and Tom with/behind a pack of 5-6 other guys. By mile 5 there were only two others with us, by mile 7 Greg made a move. I increased my speed as well (5:13) but was hesitant to be so reckless so early. Tom was not afraid and made a move. Then some guy who used to run at Georgetown surged by me at around mile 8 and caught up to Greg and Tom. Tom started to fall back while I maintainted. I made up some ground and pulled Tom in slowly but was not able to get him.

Take-away 1: my PR was 1:09:44 set three years ago when doing heavy marathon training, which included 21 mile progression runs and 100 MPW mileage. This gave me a little more strength to actually go sub  16:00 in the last 5K there. I was not as strong today because a half is the max range I've been training for with my longest long run being 16. 

Take-away 2: I ran alone for the last 4-5 miles. In 2015 I had Doug there to work with and really get after the pace. We pushed incredibly hard. If I had someone working with my today I may have been able to squeeze 12 seconds out.

Take-away 3: Tom is in fine shape for Boston and I feel like he's ready to break 2:30. Out men's team was 1,3,4 today. Our conservative training approach works pretty well for the half.

This bodes well for my assault on my 10 mile and 10K PRs next month. Looking at my splits that slower 12th mile cost me a bit.

Splits from auto-lap GPS: 5:24,5:25,5:20,5:24,5:18,5:23,5:17,5:15,5:18,5:13,5:18,5:22,5:15, (4:51 pace for the last .15)

Results

PM: 8 miles slow recovery + light core, foam rolling

Beautiful day but alas I woke up sick this morning with a cold. Immune system was racked after yesterday's race. Body is pretty tired. 

off. I have a bad cold and it's 35 degrees with a windy freezing rain.

8 miles trudging through snow covered trails. Cut it short since I was soaked and in a pissy mood. Probably good to get rid of this cold which is getting better. Snow should melt tomorrow

AM: 8 miles + some core, foam rolling

PM: 5 miles with 5x20sec strides, standard core routine

Icy this morning and cold. This whole week it will be in the 20s over night. Feeling much better though as my cold seems to be fading. Time to get back into training

AM: 2.7 WU 3200,1600 2.3 CD  10:53, 5:16 + stick rolled the legs

PM: 5 miles + standard core routine. 

legs are still not recovered from the race. Felt like running in quick sand. I think a few things led to this feeling. The main thing was that I normally would have drank a recovery shake, foam rolled, do a pool run, and take a nap after a long hard effort such as last week's race. I did none of these things last week but instead drank more coffee in order to drive back home. I then woke up sick the next day, only ran 8 miles, then took the next day off, then trudged through 4 inches of snow on my run Wednesday.  I basically threw off my recovery routine and my running was off an on for a few days. That obviously is not good for my recovery. I need to focus on recovery as I get older.

Felt much better running easy pace home

AM: 12 miles + 5x20sec fast strides

Feeling good again. Waiting for it to get warmer 

AM: 14 miles progression with the last five in 5:43,5:32,5:31,5:30,5:29

PM: foam rolling + 1hr.2min. pool run

Felt good until last mile which I think is normal a week out from last week's race. I wanted to do 16 but George thought it unnecessary given I am only racing 10M/10k the next two months. Hopefully I can get a little extra work in during my interval day and tempo day this week.

AM: 8 miles

PM: 5 miles with 5x20sec strides + standard core routine

chilly this morning. It's going to warm up finally on Wednesday.

AM: 2.7 WU 1600,4x800,2x400 2.7 CD + stick rolling, light core    

PM: 5.3 miles

Sluggish and heavy again this morning. Felt really cold, it was in the low 30s. Never really felt relaxed. Felt like my legs just wouldn't move. Got the work in though. 5:14,2:29,2:27,2:27,2:26,69,69

AM: 8 miles

PM: 5 miles + 5x11sec hill sprints + light kettlebell

AM: 7 miles

PM: 6 miles with  4x20sec strides + standard core routine

Very warm at 76 degrees this afternoon. Being used to afternoon highs in the 40s, this seemed hot.

AM: 2.9 WU 8K tempo (26:33) 2.2 CD

PM: 5 miles + alt. Core routine 

warm this morning-67. Went shirtless on the tempo since it was humid. Tomorrow morning will be in the low 30s again. Strange-ass weather. 1600m splits: 5:28,5:24,5:16,5:13,5:12. Felt alright and fell back from Greg a bit in the last mile but got some good work in without over-cooking myself

Noon: 12 miles with 5 x 200m + standard core routine, foam rolling

Beautiful spring day