Pool Running is Fun

10 easy on the treadmill + standard core routine. shoot me now. I have a scratchy throat and feel like crap from the change in my routine. something about fresh air, the outdoors, and exercise heals my soul. Without it--like in a blizzard-- something is missing.

AM: 8 easy on the treadmill + standard core routine, ab work, dips

PM: 4 easy over snow drifts, banks. had to walk at times to get over waist high piles of snow

AM: 5 easy through the middle of the side streets. Had to dodge some cars but the only decent place where I don't have to climb snow drifts is the middle of the street. So much snow needs to melt.

PM: 2.5 WU 7x3min on w/1.5 min off. 2 CD + alt core routine, foam rolling. light workout, I didn't push the ons too much. Just needed to get the treadmill legs to go away. it was warm-about 50 degrees so with mountains of melting snow there were pockets of freezing air then hot air. 

AM: 7 easy + a little stair climber with higher weight

PM: 5 easy

legs feel a little more in the groove today. Treadmill legs suck ass, they just didn't feel right after three days on the dreadmill.

AM: 6 easy dodging black ice. I fell once but it wasn't serious. I still had to hurdle some snow banks and slow at other sections.  Just biding time with each day's snow melt.  It will probably be another week before the snow goes. I'm so happy to see 60+ degrees in about a week. Lets hope February proves mild this year. I had the same thought last year and February was winter hell on earth.

PM: 6.3 miles with a 5:10 picku-up mile then some strides

Running the 5,000 meters at the University of Maryland Indoor invite this weekend against some college runners.  My speed/specific endurance is not where I want it to be--it took a hit with the blizzard, but it's very early and as such I'm not expecting much. Getting my body ready for some tough workouts in February with main race targets in late March and early April, when the weather will be glorious, and sub 5 miles aplenty.

6 easy + stretch, foam rolling.

tired of running over snow. It's better though

I ran an indoor track meet for the first time in over a decade against a bunch of college kids. It was a lot of fun but felt a little odd. This was no road race. I had a hard time with taking splits so I ran by feeling and raced against guys.

This is a college meet so of course the gun goes off and I'm in last place on the first lap. I work myself up to half way through the field and then at the front of the chase pack. By then it was half way through the race cruising at 5:00 pace then my legs start getting that lactic acid heavy burn and fail to respond much for the rest of the race.

This is just the lack of fast interval work in my training. That is normal this time of year.Too much of the potent fast interval workouts now, and a burnt-out heap I willbe come April.  But that does make it frustrating when I expected to run in the 15:20s...and no doubt that I could with a few more workouts and an actual taper. Never mind the blizzard and subsequent treadmill running that de-railed the great running streak I had going. At any rate, I had a good time. But for a marathoner coming back down, fast short races and pushing through pain is the only recipe for success. On to an outdoor 5K next week

Results

the first 200m splits are telling. I really held my pace a lot better than those younglings. I'll chalk it up to experience.

PM: 5 easy