Pool Running is Fun

7 miles recovery run

well since I didn't run at lunch since I was busy I never fit my run in.  Damn...another week without hitting 70....I've got to get out there everyday even in I only slog a few miles.  I'll work on this.

legs feel sluggish from the 20 miles last saturday even though I didn't run yesterday.

4 easy at 5:00 am

10 min WU

2 x 2 miles, 11:07, 11:02.  I started the third but canned it (I don't know why, possibly lack of motivation or the unwillingness to hurt today)

20 min CD 

wow.  It felt nice out there...that is until I got out in the country around my office in Ashburn VA. Ashburn is like NW Ohio...but with hills.  It's hilly and very very windy. There was a non-stop wind 15-20 mph with gusts of up to 22 mph for most of my run. It is also 2-6 degrees colder here everyday than in DC.  At first I thought it was my imagination until I began to compare the places.  It really is a lot harder to run here.  DC was flatter for the most part and protected from the winds by trees and buildings.  Not so here.  At least when I line up in Hopkinton I will be prepared for all weather.  But man....that wind.

Today I decided to do a tempo run workout.  Instead of using my GPS I decided to go out and run a tempo by feel for 36 minutes (I no longer have the time to go any farther so a 10K tempo will have to be as far as I go during the week.) I did this because I was sick of constantly looking at my watch to see my pace or how far I went.  I was able to focus more on my form and actually running so I think I will ditch the GPS for tempos.

The ironic thing was that when I mapped my route and how far I went it turns out that I went 6.16 miles in exactly 36 minutes so that is about 5:50 pace, slightly faster than the exact pace I was supposed to be targeting! Tempos by feel are the way to go...I'll leave the GPS for the long run days.  Great workout today...felt like like I could keep going for another 6 miles at that pace!

windy and hilly again which in the long run (pun intended) is a good thing.  I noticed my lack of strides, hill repeats, and drills in my legs so I did some drills and some plyos and they felt amazing. I think in training for the marathon in particular you lose some of that quickness that plyos and hill sprints produce since your speedwork is limited to strength and tempo. These are more important now than at the beginning when I was doing traditional speedwork. I'm going to work on putting more Vibram Five Fingers runs and drills into my routine.  Hoping to get a solid 20 in tomorrow. 

ran a warm up mile to meet Lavar at Dupont circle.  From there we proceeded to run up Rock Creek trails and Beach drive.  The plan was an 18 miler.  Windy today but it was nothing compared to what I've been running in in Ashburn so no big deal.  I had to take a piss at one point and at mile 15 after we sped up the familiar feeling in my intestines came to me...too much fiber.  I had to cut off short to make it home.  Once I finished my business I went out and cooled down for two miles to make 20.  Felt strong otherwise.

WU mile, 7:23, 7:10, 6:55, 6:54, 6:46, 6:46, 6:38, 6:38, 6:40, 6:37, 6:30, 6:22, 6:17, 6:11, 6:19, 6:17, 6:30 (bathroom break) CD mile, CD mile.