Pool Running is Fun

8 easy + standard core routine

finally ran again today. I was getting antsy. I have some remaining mucous but have practiced keeping better hydrated.

new runner rankings from spring. I did pretty damn good considering the caliber of the people around here.

https://potomacriverrunning.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/spring-2015-runner-rankings-updated.pdf 

12 easy. Still a little sinus fog after the run today. Everytime I think of calling the doc I end up feeling better and the cycle continues. I'll see how I feel this coming week.

9 easy + standard core routine, foam rolling, stretching

hot but not humid at all. pretty comfortable 92 degrees

AM: 2.5 WU 2x (1600, 800) 3.5 CD   5:21, 2:31, 5:14, 2:29

First workout in awhile. It's hard to run a workout with two guys who just ran 15:15 for their respective 5Ks last weekend. They are in great shape. Me? not so much after the sickness and shoddy training. I cut it short from 3 sets to 2. Had to hit the john a lot, something in my stomach didn't like the fast running but other than that I'm working on getting back into it. Going to have to get up earlier and drink some tea to clear the system. It's a long road to marathon fitness. One day at a time.

PM: 4.6 mile recovery run + alternate core routine, foam rolling, stretching

AM: 8.6 easy + standard core routine, foam rolling, stretching

PM: 5.4 easy with a half mile barefoot.

feeling much better this evening. This morning my stomach was acting up again.

AM: 9 miles + standard core routine, stretching, foam rolling, 

PM: 5 easy

nice and cool this morning.

AM: 2.5 WU 8K tempo on track 2.5 CD  (5:36, 5:30, 5:26, 5:29, 5:24--1600m splits)

actually not too bad this morning. I'm not in great shape but it's much better running and I feel much better than I've been lately. Ran by myself. Doug, Greg, and Tom were half a lap ahead of me. I just let them go, like I should. I felt slow at first then realized that it was not me running shitty but those three running well. One day at a time. relax, enjoy the run.

AM: 12 easy. nice and cool out

PM: 4 easy + 4x100m strides, a couple drills

I wasn't going to run again but the weather was so nice and I didn't want to go to the pool. Plus I feel really good today.

AM: 14 with a progression the last five miles at marathon pace.  I decided to progress but I ended up running what I thought was marathon pace but it was much faster as it turned out. True it is (mostly) a slight downhill the whole way but I've run this section quite often and today I ran it pretty quickly. last five miles were 5:42, 5:27, 5:40, 5:25, 5:30. The great thing is that I felt much better again today. looks like I'm back.

PM: 46 min. pool run. I haven't been in the water in awhile. felt like I was sinking.

AM: 9 miles + standard core routine, stretching, foam rolling

PM: 5 miles

Nice and cool. Feel good

AM: 2 WU 4x0.81 mile at 10K to 5K effort with 2.5 min. jogs 3 CD

went to the track this morning and we were kicked off by a school official. apparently they closed the track because the infield reconstruction was messed up or something so we had to make due running around the block. Actually a decent workout. According to my Garmin, I did the .81 mile reps at 5:28, 5:17, 5:12, 5:05 per mile pace. We did not do five reps. no need to kill myself this early, best just to get in some decent work.

PM: 5 easy + alternate core routine, stretching, foam rolling

AM: 9 easy + standard core routine, stretching, foam rolling

PM: 5 easy

beautiful weather this morning and less humid than yesterday. Felt my first allergy sneeze session today. Three sneezes in a row. This will turn into about 5-7 sneezes in the thick of allergy season at the end of the month. Allergy sneezes are distinct from cold and common sneezes. Not sure how to explain that but you know it when you feel it.

AM: 9 easy + standard core routine, stretching, foam rolling

PM: 5 easy

very lovely weather today, nice and cool with low humidity. However, my allergies are starting. No big deal right now but they will slowly creep in over the next few weeks and stick around half way through October. I'm hoping this is a light season.

2.5 WU 8K tempo on track (26:55) 2.5 CD 1600m splits: 5:37, 5:22, 5:16, 5:22, 5:18

As usual, I begin slowly and run my pace by feel. I only use splits to gauge my effort. It was very cool this morning and I felt strong. Started slowly and progressed but seeing how fast the third 1600 was I backed it down on purpose so that I kept it at tempo effort and not racing it or turning it into an interval effort. Tempo means tempo so I have to control my exuberance for running faster on beautiful mornings like today

running makes you skinny bro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQs4SqirpzY&feature=share

AM: 12 easy 

AM: 16 progression with last 5 at marathon effort.

8:17, 7:32, 7:57, 7:30, 7:12, 7:10, 6:47, 6:38,

6:17, 6:45, 6:18, 5:44, 5:41, 5:35, 5:37, 5:36

first workout of the marathon cycle. Ran most of it before the heat became a problem, humid and soaked with sweat, but well hydrated and cool. Unlike the loop, in which the last 5 miles are slightly downhill with no turns, the 5 mile section above is uphill. It was a good run and Greg ran with me, 5:30s are easy for him. Allergies after were sniffles and itchy eyes but not yet bad enough to really piss me off. I'm praying that this heat wave we are going to get isn't too bad this week.

PM: 45 min. pool run

AM: 9 easy + standard core routine, stretching, foam rolling.

PM: 5 easy + 4x10sec steep hill sprints.

Allergies are starting to get annoying and it was 94 hot degrees on the run home

How much fun would the US Half Marathon Champs be? http://www.capitalcityhalfmarathon.com/champs-standards.shtml the entry standard is sub 1:08 half...that sounds extremely fast for a club runner with average talent (at best) with a full time job and other priorites. At the same time I've learned there are benefits to dreaming of the impossible and living each day slowly making it a reality. That's what running is all about. You really think I put in 100+ for 14 weeks for my health? 

AM: 2.5 WU (400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800, 400) 2 CD 

75, 2:33, 3:49, 5:00, 3:44, 2:24, 66

very warm this morning. not so much the temp but the dew point/humidity is back into typical DC nasty territory. As a result paces were a bit slow since it felt like we were working really hard. Legs are pretty dang tired now and it was a good workout

PM: 4.5 recovery + alternate core routine, foam rolling, stretching

AM: 9 easy + standard core routine, stretching, foam rolling

very humid again with dewpoints around 72

PM: 5 easy

pretty tired, sweaty humid mess

AM: 9 easy + standard core routine, stretching, foam rolling.

extremely humid tropical weather. dew point 74-fit for turtles, snakes, and crocodiles, not northern European descended humans. pretty hard to stay hydrated

PM: 5 humid miles.  tired today. Body is beginning to learn the adaptation process.

AM: 2.3 WU (1600m splits: 5:44, 5:25, 5:23, 5:16, 5:14) 2.5 CD

much better weather this morning but I am tired from the mileage and the heat yet still ran a decent tempo without overextending myself which is always the goal.

PM: 4.5 recovery.  did not have time to do core or foam roll before gym closed. What kind of gym closes at 6:00 pm on a Friday? oh yea a college gym.

AM: 12 easy + standard core routine

PM: 4 easy

much less humidity today but with the lower humidity comes the terrible onset of ragweed induced insanity. Allergies were so bad today.I bought some Flonase and that seemed to calm my attack but gave me dry mouth like none other. 

first week, 103 miles. I'm tired and I need to get back to doing some strides. I'm still feeling fine and my body should adjust right before I ramp up the intensity.

AM: 18 mile progession run with the last 6 at marathon effort.

8:10, 8:06, 7:40, 7:30, 7:28, 6:53, 6:53, 6:46, 6:43,

6:20, 6:23, 6:26, 6:14, 5:42, 5:35, 5:44, 5:34, 5:15

Legs were tired this morning. It took a little extra time to get them to warm-up and go. Even on the marathon pace part I felt good then slow then great...typical feelings you get when doing a workout or long run with big mileage. Went a little too fast on that last mile but I felt good so I figured why not. I've got to be careful doing that though because I could crash and burn later on by running harder than the prescribed paces combined with lots of miles. It's a balance.

PM: 50 min pool run + foam rolling

AM: 9 easy

PM: 5 easy+5x10sec hill sprints + standard core routine

The gym is closed at work this week. You may ask what kind of gym closes for an entire week? Well a college gym does the week before classes. I had the pleasure of washing my hair in the sink and cleaning everything else with those wipes they make for babies. I smelt of clean baby this morning and I was surpised at how effective they were in cleaning off sweat.

Run fast not hard:  http://www.runningwritings.com/2012/03/brief-thoughts-are-hard-workouts.html

AM: 2.25 WU 3 x (1600, 800) 2 CD

(5:14, 2:30) (5:04, 2:26) (4:52, 2:25)

started slowly. We were talking and I mentioned that we should probably go faster than 5:20 on our first one and the guys sped up and made it 5:14. Ran that 4:52 and was amazed-fastest split I've ever done in a workout. I then backed off a bit in that last 800. The rest of the guys were 50 meters ahead but I didn't care, no need to destroy my legs anymore at that point. Great workout all the same.

PM: 4 recovery + standard core routine

AM: 9 easy

PM: 5 easy + standard core routine, foam rolling

cooler this morning but ran a little slower since my legs were tired from yesterday. Allergies still annoying of course.

AM: 9 easy. nice and cool

PM: 5 easy + 4x100m speed strides w/ full drill set

AM:  2.5 WU 3200m, 1600m cruise intervals 2.5 CD

10:32, 5:09. Very short workout this morning because we will be doing a long run workout Sunday morning. This is fine for me because my legs still need time to adjust to the higher mileage. I feel pretty decent. Nice and cool today but it's supposed to get hot again by Monday.

PM: 5 easy, foam rolling

AM: 12 easy

PM: 4 easy + standard core routine, foam rolling

decent day. Was pretty dang tired this afternoon and didn't do much today. I can feel my body adapting, however. 105 for the week--great!

AM: 2 warm-up/easy-4MP-1E-3MP-1E-2MP-1E-1MP-2E

8:25, 7:40, (5:36, 5:32, 5:38, 5:37),

7:27, (5:33, 5:41, 5:42),

7:23, (5:30, 5:39),

7:27, (5:36), 7:40, 7:37

The first 4 marathon pace felt very easy, splits only varied slightly due to the second mile being slightly downhill. Effort was even. The second set was harder since the 41 and 42 were slightly uphill and into the wind. By the third set I was super sweaty and my legs were turning to crap. I should have gotten a drink of water sometime during the run but I forgot about the water bottle we dropped. You can see I slowed down on the seconf mile. The thing to learn here is to take it slightly easier during the firstfour mile segment. Keep in mind, however, that this was the fastest 4321 workout I've done and I did a decent job of keeping the effort in control. I would love to run a marathon at 5:36 pace the whole way. only time will tell. My legs are pretty dang tired now though.

PM: 1 hour pool run

AM: 9 easy + alternate core routine, stretch trainer, foam rolling

PM: 5 easy

feels good to have my gym back in the morning. Humidity is back which means my allergies aren't too bad. It still is not as relaxing to run in thick sweaty temps vs. cool crisp days. Not too bad though. legs aren't sore, just tired. the pool running helps to recover for sure.