Pool Running is Fun

A small school 5K, this was an insane course: http://www.aah5k.com/course It was constantly turning and very hilly with part of the course being cross country through the park. I had a lot of fun, not to mention it's nice to win $100 and support a good cause. I'm not ticked or anything with my time given the difficulty of the course. Consider this, no one has even come close to my time in the history of this race: old results obviously all of the hill work I've done is paying divdends to my strength, even if you can't see it in my time on this course. However, I've obviously split 10Ks in faster times. 2 WU, 5K, 3 CD

Results

14 easy with Greg and Evan. Windy as hell, getting colder.

AM: 8 easy + standard core routine and stretch trainer

PM: 5 easy + 5x10 sec hill sprints

2 WU 5x1200 with 500 recovery jogs 2 CD

3:57, 3:46, 3:41, 3:39, 3:39

after the first warm up interval (it was cold this morning) we got to work. I wasn't even pushing that much and I hit :41 and :39 and was amazed. I'm getting into great shape but I would rather reduce the recovery interval and have a little slower splits, but I trust in process and do find value in longer recoveries/faster intervals, but I also need to include greater threshold work. Anyway, I'm going to back it down this week for the 10K Sunday. It's my late day at work so I'm not going to get a pool run in later, but that's ok for this week.

AM: 7 easy + standard core routine, stretch trainer, some additional ab work

PM: 5 easy

Going to take it easy the rest of the week with just a 5 and 5 tomorrow with drills and strides, a complete rest day Friday, and an easy 3 with drills and strides Saturday.  I'm going to race hard on Sunday and I'm looking for a good time so I am doing a little tapering.

AM: 5 easy + alternate core routine

PM: 5 easy with 5 minutes at tempo pace + 5x100m strides with full drill set + 6 min. BF run

zero, nothing, complete rest. Maybe a little stretching. I'm doing this on purpose to heal up my legs for Sunday.  I have not taken a day completely off in awhile and I'm hoping it will allow me to feel fresh.  I did a lot of muscle tension work (i.e. drills, strides, barefoot run) yesterday so I'm hoping that I feel that "pop" in my legs on race day.  I'll run an easy three with some drills and strides tomorrow in order to losen up my legs.

3 easy, light drills and strides.  legs feel a little stiff...not used to complete days off. Hopefully this little run will allow my legs to feel fresh tomorrow.

"Run the first 2/3 of your race with your head, run the last third with your heart"

-Jack Daniels

The many days and weeks of miles, drills, and workouts have slowly changed my body so I can handle a solid pace for a long time.  I knew I was in great shape--my top end speed was there, my aerobic base was there, and now (finally) my specific endurance for the 5-10K was there and it all came together today. These are the types of days that make it all worth it! 

Warming up it was obvious that the race would be a Pacers New Balance and Georgetown Running Company grudge match.  There were a lot of fast guys out there and the weather was great with little wind. I started with the GRC group and when we got to the first mile marker at 5:00 I knew it was completely stupid to run that pace so I just let the pack go and I fell back because I was using my brain! I ran a solid pace based on effort with two other guys after that. Once we got passed the 5K I slowly started running faster...and faster...and by mile 4 I was on the verge of catching that pack that blew up and went out too fast.  In mile 5, I caught all three of those GRC guys who by the way, have some very fast PRs. It was obvious they went out too fast and I made the right decision to wait until mile 4 to make my move.  I gave it everything I had at that point...surge after surge to break the GRC boys and it worked! I ended up coming through in 32:23!! that's nuts considering my PR was 33:01 from 2012.

Start slow, finish with everything you've got, focus on racing, and your time will take care of itself. Lessons from my coach that I actually followed today. It feels so much better to pass people in the last mile than to have them pass you.

I had to let this sink in for a minute after the race...that's two 16:11 5Ks back to back. I would have never imagined that I would have been capable of that back in high school! Aerobic development and miles (with a lot of patience) make winners.

hmm with the perfect weather and flat course I wonder what I could run for a 5K? I think I'm going to hit up the pool later...legs are tired.

Results

AM: 7 easy/recovery + standard core routine and stretch trainer

PM: 5 easy

Went to the pool last evening and it helped me to recover a little. Legs are sore this morning.

AM: 8 easy + alternate core routine

PM: 5 easy

One of those weird fall days. I was freezing this morning on my run to work but I was hot and sweaty on my way home.

AM: 5 easy and some push-ups

PM: 15min WU 6x3min @5K pace with 1min jogs 15 CD

I decided to do an old fashioned workout on my own tonight. I've done buckets of intervals with long rests but I need a taste of specificity this time of year and I felt recovered from my race Sunday.  Will run a tempo with the team Friday morning.

AM: 8 easy + standard core routine

PM: 5 easy + 5x10sec hill sprints

totally ignored the weather today at work and it was windy, freezing and snow/raining on my run home...I really need to start paying attention to that. Busted out my winter running gear from under my bed. It's that time of year.

AM: 2 WU 5 mile tempo (5:58, 5:36, 5:39, 5:27, 5:29) 1 CD

extremely cold this morning and windy...the wind chill was in the low 20s and if today was a day in January or February it would be normal but it was a little crazy running in that crap since I've not been acclimatized to it.  Full gear-tights-underarmor-long sleeve-hat-gloves.  Shit is cold and really uncomfortable.  My legs just did not want to get going (see only 6 minute first mile) and I'm really tired right now for some reason.  I'm taking this evening off.  I really want to take a nap but I am at work and need to get the day started...very stressful at work this week.

AM: 5 easy

I tried to get out and do 14 today but my legs are heavy, tired, and hey hurt...I'm just not recovered. It's not very often that I bag a run, especially an easy one. Maybe it's the cold, all of the extra stress at work last week, not making it to the pool to recover, eating garbage for meals yesterday, or going out last night.  I took a nap and am still tired. I hope I am not getting sick but I am going o take it easy. I only have a few more weeks before my "season" is over and I'm not going to lose all of my fitness from one off day. Also, my new balance 890s suck in the cold and they feel completely worn out after only 338 miles...my triumphs feel like they can keep going for another 300.Once the NB 890s get soaked once or twice, their lifetime wears out.  I'm tossing them.

14 easy to moderate + 5x100m quick strides and full drill set.

Felt much better today.  It helped that it was 45 and I felt much warmer and the wind wasn't as bad. I think I just needed a rest day yesterday after a race, workout and tempo all in one week. I also threw out those 890s...the vs 4 is really kind of shitty compared to the 3 and I am glad I have a new pair of the 3s in the closet which I wore today.

basically the last long run in the season since I'll be racing each weekend here on out

AM: 8 miles easy + standard core routine and stretch trainer

PM: 5 easy

rainy but not too bad since it was warm 50-55.

AM: 2 WU (1600, 800, 1600, 800, 800, 800) 1.5 CD   (5:29, 2:33, 5:06, 2:27, 2:27, 2:27)

you can see from my times that the first 1600 sucked.  It was very cold but not as cold as I thought it would be since the wind was relatively calm. Tights, full hat, double gloves, the works. It was about 26 with a wind chill of 16...but since I wore a lot of layers I was fine. My hands were cold though, I need some warmer quality running gloves.

PM: 1 hr. pool run

AM: 5 easy + alternate core routine, light lifting

PM: 5 easy + 5x100m fast strides, drills, and 6.5min barefoot run

Very cold this morning, was about 25 degrees. It usually doesn't get that cold here until January, and in normal years the highs still get up into the 40s...however, after last winter, we might as well throw out what people around here consider "normal" winter weather, and prepare for single digits in the morning for some days in the winter if we get a cold snap like this in Jan-Feb.  Backing down a bit to recover before Saturday's 5K. Hoping it will be a little warmer then.  My muscles just don't feel fluid and fast in the cold.

5 easy at lunch, a good stretch. Warmer and pleasant, about 50 at run time.  Too bad it's only going to be 28 degrees for my race Saturday morning.  Maybe the warm air will move in more quickly than expected.  However, I'd rather have it 28 and calm than 38 and windy as hell.

4 easy + some light drills and strides

The forecast for tomorrow morning at race time is 26 degrees...but get this, the high for Monday is 74 degrees.  We will have had fall/winter/spring/summer in the course of a week.This weather is f*cked up.  The average hi/low for this time of year is 55/39.  There's a reason we race in November and not in January but I guess in this case the weather forgot what month it is.  Long "warm" up tomorrow before the race.

Brrr....this shit was cold.  Luckily it was not windy.  The course was alright, an out and back but there was a steep overpass to climb twice which slowed things down a bit.  I'm not sure if the mile markers were right but I split 5:05, 5:10, 5:06, xx.  It's still a PR and It was really cold (wearing underarmor, hat and gloves, and compression socks) so I'll take it. However, I thought I would be in the low 15:40s range.  I bet on a warmer day, a faster course, and a little peak work, I will be able to do it. That day will hopefully be Thursday morning for the 5K turkey trot I'm doing. I'm obviously a much better 10K-10mile-half runner than I am a 5K or marathon.  Afterall, my 32:23 converts to a 15:31-35 5K. Of course conditions and course for that 32:23 were near perfect and they were certainly not the best today. Still picked up $75 for my efforts.

Results

AM: 14 miles easy to moderate

PM: 50 min. pool run

Was only going to run 12 miles today but I was a little sad this morning and the weather was ripe for a good long run.

2.5 WU, drills and light strides 1600, 1200, 800, 400 3 CD  

(4:53, 3:35, 2:24, 66)

Versy short and fast workout to put the edge on the knife. Resting up the next two days before the race. I'm hoping it's not super windy or raining on race day. Today was fun and, get this: it was so warm we ended up going shirtless.  Yes, I ran a race two days ago in 25 degree weather but today I ran a workout in 65 degree humidity and went shirtless. WTF weather?

Taking a complete rest day.  The weather looks a little strange over the next 48 hours.  I'm just hoping it's sunny and doesn't snow or isn't windy Thursday morning.  The high today is 62 and there's a few inches of snow in the forecast. 

4 easy + light strides and drills and half core routine.

Put in a little run and strides so my legs won't feel like ass tomorrow. Weather looks better for tomorrow than it was last Saturday.

The weather was a little chilly but 10 degrees warmer than last Saturday.  Warming up I felt awesome and knew I was in for a good one if I could concentrate and really push in the latter half of the race.  Having some guy who I was hunting down was might motivational with regard to helping me PR.

The first mile was interesting.  The horn went off out of nowhere. I turn around and there went all of the high school boys like a bat out of hell. I settled into the pace and by the first mile marker (4:58) it was just me and two guys a bit ahead of me.  At the first turn around I dropped another guy big time and headed into the turny loop.  The lead guy was way the hell up there (100-200 meters).  Second mile was a little slower than I wanted in 10:06. I began concentrating and really gunning it.  The guy ahead was slowing big time.  I dug really frickin deep and went after him and almost caught him but I was out of race to run and finished a few seconds behind.  It sort of bothered me but hey, I PRed and am now faster than the Pacers events standard for a comped entry to future 5Ks. Yes!!

I waited for the awards and they were like "Matt Deters in 16:10"  I took my award but inside I was like "OH HELL NO, they did not just Fu*k up my time."  Went to the timing group and they were able to fix the issue with my chip.  I really dug deep and I'd be damned to let my time read 16:10 after working so hard to get passed that level when I clearly ran 15:42.

I'm happy with this. 32:23/15:42 for this fall ain't bad at all. Still bothers me that dude won....I got straight up mano y mano competitive with that bro...too bad we weren't running a 10K.

Very thankful for my good health and my many blessings this year.

GOBBLE GOBBLE MO^&#$ F&C(#@$!!

Results

AM: 1 hr. 17 min pool run with Cris, Anna, and Susanna

PM: 10 easy at twilight

Legs were a little sore this morning. Went to the pool and was really tired after the pool run.  Trying to keep up with those pool ladies is hard. Arlington was sparse with everyone out of town for the holidays and my easy 10 this evening was rather peaceful. 

off. just really lazy and sore.  I ate way too much crap food and drank a $hit ton of beer...I really need to clean up my diet.

2 WU 6K cross country race 2+ CD

Went out to a low key CC race with the GRC and Pacers guys as a warm up for clubs in two weeks. I forgot how different cross country is from track and road running. I had not even worn a pair of spikes in over a decade. It was hilly, muddy, etc--straight up XC. Myback hurt and my stride was all out of wack. My stomach really hurt too because I've eaten like shit and drank a lot of alcohol these last few days.  I sat around and drank beers with the rest of the guys before going back home.  I need to clean up my diet and get back in routine. I think I ran over 20 min. for the 6K and it clearly wasn't at my best because of the way I felt. Great tune up though.