Pool Running is Fun

A beautiful morning for a run. About 30 degrees but the wind was more or less calm and I felt great--first time in a long while.  Pinned the bib, warmed up, lined up and we were off.

First mile with Charlie: 4:57, the mile with the turn-a-round in the middle: 5:01. At that point I surged hard because they pace was really not that difficult. I found it rather interesting the I was going 5 flat pace and my legs didn't feel heavy.  I was ahead enough not to hear anyone behind me. I gunned it, then again, then again. Jab, jab, punch--attempting to bury anyone who thought about passing me. I was in the lead in an actual race with legit club competition. I just told myself to focus and dig and I ended up having a great race.

There's nothing quite like breaking the tape. Even in a local 5K it's a very rare and great event in running.  Running is hard so you end up having more bad and just ok days by far than great days where it all comes together but when it comes together is so worth it. A big PR and a fun time to boot. I'm pretty lucky to be healthy and am looking forward to a solid month of half marathon training. I'll post a legit photo here when they come out.

PM: 4 recovery

splits: 4:57, 5:01, 5:00

Results

AM: 8 easy + standard core routine, stretch, foam rolling

PM: 5 easy

AM: 3 WU (1600, 800, 1600, 800, 1600) 5:15, 2:28, 4:59, 2:25, 4:57

PM: 4 easy + alt. core routine, stretch, foam rolling

wet snow/rain about 37 degrees. Pretty crappy weather really. too warm for solid snow and cold enough to make you wet and your hands cold.

Here's an interesting thought to ponder. I ran my recent 5K at 4:59 pace.  In order to make the Olympic Trials B standard through the half marathon, I'd have to run this exact pace for 13.1 miles, or more than 4 times the 5K distance.  That's some legit running. It's hard to imagine having the stamina, endurance, and speed to conquer that. Then again,  I never thought in a million years I'd break 15:30 in a 5K either, and here we are at 30 years old.

AM: 8 easy + standard core routine, stretch, foam rolling

PM: 5easy + 6x10sec hill sprints

cold and very windy. Some real wintry shit--single digits--coming down for the weeked. It sucks

AM: 8 easy + standard core routine, stretch, foam rolling

PM: 6 easy with 4x200m included. Windy cold

cold this morning, with windchill of 13. It could be worse, and it will. Sunday morning wind chills could very well be below zero with actual temps in the single digits. For this area that's damn cold.

AM: 3 WU 3200m,1600m 2 CD  10:45, 5:10

PM:

Very cold this morning. The one saving grace was the wind was calm but it was 20 degrees. I'm not sure why but I felt incredibly cold and the legs were stiff and times were slow. I wasn't in a very good mood. It was one of those days you just had to force yourself to get out there and deal with it.  The next two days will be like this. I have a big long run Sunday but the temp will be single digits with a -10 windchill.  Things start to happen in that weather. Legs don't want to move, your feet will go numb, you won't be able to feel your face, all the while running slow as shit but putting in a lot of effort.  Just have to keep with it and accept the weather and deal with it.

AM: 12 easy. Frozen ice in my beard. The wind at 20 degrees air temp is just a preview for tomorrow's workout with a 13 degree air temp and a wind chill of -5

PM: 3.5 with .5 straights and curves. Down right cold as F&%k out there in that wind