Penny

First 16 miler. 13 miles at 8:20-30 min/miles. Last three miles at 7:36, 7:19, 7:15 (these are more akin to my goal marathon paces, but at the end of a long run and a hard week, they felt more like threshold paces). 

 I was really proud of this run; it is the longest I have ever run! Again, going on Jake and Andrea's suggestion, I am slowly increasing my longer runs and I feel like my endurance is benefiting enormously. I was not intending to do the progression at the end, but felt strong, so I went for it. 

Rest Day (step back week)

XT Elliptical 60 mins intervals (2min hard, 1 min easy)

1 mile easy, 8x800s at 6:27 min/miles on treadmill (1% incline), with 0.25 mile walk/jog recoveries, 1 mile easy. 

Rest day (this is a stepback week)

Elliptical intervals for 60 mins (2mins hard, 1 min easy) plus core strength

13 miles easy with last mile at moderate pace (my Garmin cut out at mile 10, so I guess it was about 7:15min/mile). 

This marked the end of my "step back week", and I think my muscles are thanking me for it.

Elliptical: 60 mins of intervals with 10 mins warmup and cooldown (2 mins hard, 1 min easy) + arms/upper body

Plyometrics: 3 sets of:

Squat/power jumps (30-45-60 seconds)

Box jumps (x 20)

Switch kicks (for 1 minute)

Side-to-side ski jumps (x20)

Bunny hops from plank position (x20)

10 miles, 8:10 average pace. This is my first mid-week medium-long run of this training cycle leading up to the Las Vegas RnR Half Marathon. I am trying to include the medium-long on the advice of Jake and Andrea. My last half marathon was on track for about a 1:32, until I bonked in miles 12-13... they thought that including a medium-long run and lengthening my long run to 16-17 miles would help with that endurance. With the addition of some progressions onto these two runs (pushing my lactate threshold in the last 2-3 miles) I am really seeing some improvement. 

 I had a day of XT yesterday, with plyometrics. My legs felt "running fresh" as I did my long run on Saturday, so that I could run today and take my rest day tomorrow because I knew I would be unable to run due to the storm tomorrow.

I generally try to keep my easy runs at 8:20 or slower (my conversational pace), though 8:10 felt comfortable today so I went with it.  No progression today, though several miles slipped into the 7:45 arena, due to the wind and some downhills. 

Groin/hip flexor area felt a tad iffy, but generally strong. I think it is responding to the exercise band hip flexor exercises I am doing.  

10x800s (3:12 each @6:27) with 0.25 miles recoveries on treadmill. Ran the 2 miles easy to and from the gym as the subway was still down. 11 miles in total, but I'm only counting 9 because I walked my recoveries :)

This was the hardest speed work I've done. I did a fairly extensive plyo session on Sunday and then followed by 10 miles on Monday, I think my legs were tired even with a rest day in between. It was the first time I really felt lactic acid build up in the later intervals.  Great to be done though.

 Oh and if you do speed work on a treadmill then run outside, it feels like you're flying.

40 mins easy elliptical; just enough to get the heart rate in aerobic zone and get legs warm. A nice looong stretch sesh afterwards. 

8 mile tempo run on treadmill with 1% incline. 1 mile easy, 2x3 miles @ 6:48 (8.8mph), 1 mile easy.  Had 90 calories of gu shot block things about an hour beforehand; I feel very carb depleted in morning workouts, versus evenings.

Oh my holy aunt, this was a tough workout. 

I prefer to run tempos outside so I can get a true feel for what the pace is like, but I don't know how runnable my usual routes are (some were underwater after Sandy). In some ways I can get a better run on the treadmill because the pace is consistent (I can more easily slow down outside) and the psychological challenge is greater, so I feel like I am building mental strength. But in all, I think treadmills are still easier. So while I would usually run my tempo at slower than goal pace, I decided to up the pace a tad to counteract the "treadmill effect".

 Breathing was pretty easy (I get less out-of-breath as my body warms up) but I could definitely feel the legs getting tired, and the last mile of both intervals were really tough.

Really happy to have completed this workout. It has been looming on my plan for weeks, and I was actually kind of terrified of doing it. But as usual, it wasnt nearly that bad, and I am excited to see how far I can go outdoors on next weeks tempo.

XT: 70 mins elliptical intervals (10 mins warmup, then intervals of 2 mins hard, 1 min easy, 10 mins warmdown

Arms: 3 sets of (20 x pushups, 20x bent over rows, 30 tricep dips, 20 bicep curls + shoulder raise (not sure what to call that one)

Plyo: 3 sets of (40 squat jumps, 20 ski hops (jump side-to-side like you're skiing), 20 box jumps, 30 seconds of switch kicks, 20 single leg hops (each side) and 20 plank jumps (in plank position, jump in with legs, and out to plank position again)

I actually love my Saturday workouts because I have the time to hit a bunch of bases. 

Easy miles.

Groin/hip flexor pain is gone away; I think I discovered the source. I rolled my upperhamstring/ butt (the muscles that oppose the front hip flexors) the other day and found a huge patch of soreness/tightness. Now its all tight and sore, but Im taking that as encouragement; at least I found the source. 

I began feeling a pain in the butt/upper hamstring after yesterday's run, and decided to skip the speed work in favor of XT today. I think it was brought on by my two speed workouts last week on the treadmill where I felt my form go down the gurgler. I know I overstride on the treadmill, and don't seem to do well at keeping up a good cadence at higher speeds. 

XT: elliptical intervals: 45 mins + some light strength / core work. 

Another XT day, even though my hamstring was feeling better; I want to be cautious. I cannot get injured now!

 Elliptical: 60 mins intervals + leg strength and lots of stretching/rolling

Still feeling a little stiff in the hamstring/butt area, but decided to go for it on this tempo run.  This tempo run was overall pretty good, though slightly disappointing that I needed to take a short break after the  first three miles. I was not quite at goal pace, but I shoot for around or just under 7 min/miles on tempo runs, especially in the morning (I find it hard to get good results on morning speed work). It was also quite windy.

 2 miles easy, then my splits were: 7:01, 6:54, 6:58, (1 min break) 7:00, 6:50, 2 miles easy.

 I was very pleased with the last mile split. With three weeks until goal race, I think Im doing ok (albeit not brilliant) to get 5 total miles near race pace.

Around 8:20 pace, in place of XT which I should have done (hamstring unhappy). But it was ok, and I decided not to do my following day long run as punishment :)

XT - 60 mins elliptical intervals

Rest!

An unplanned rest day while on a work trip in San Diego. Short leg and core workout in the evening. 

 I had been struggling with hammie/butt pain for a few days. Today was the final day I had no tightness or pain, but an unplanned additional rest day was actually probably well-timed. 

My first 6 mile tempo; it was only 65 degrees in San Diego, but 80% humidity. I ran on the harbor.

 For whatever reason, this was a very hard and disappointing workout.  Planned workout was 1 miles easy, then 6 miles at about 10 second slower than HM goal pace (so around 7min/miles). Actual workout was 1 mile easy, then 6 miles: 7:08, 7:09, 7:04; 7:23 (what??) 7:06, 7:08, 1 mile easy.

My butt hurt but not in the same place; more of a DOMS feeling from my leg workout.

Two miles easy on my new Brooks! 60 mins easy XT on the elliptical. Butt/hamstring feels better hurrah!

Note to self - for the upteenth time. Yes, it is agony when you've been training really hard and hitting all your scheduled workouts to have to take unexpected days off to take care of a "pre-injury" niggle. But remember this feeling; this feeling when you know you just escaped a real injury by taking some time to let your body recoup. It is only a few days. Take it, and you will thank yourself when you are running healthy again in no time. There are no workouts you can accomplish in a few days that could possibly make up for weeks - or even months - of time off that you have to take if something turns into a real injury!

Speed: 1 mile easy, 6x1K at 6:22min/mile (9.4 on treadmill with 1% incline), with jog recoveries for the remainder of each mile (600m?) 1 mile easy cool down.

Light strength workout: 2x sumo squats (20), side lunges (15 each side) and standing lunges (20 each side) + plank and single leg bridges (reverse plank) to strengthen those hammies!

 I decided to change up my usual 800s with walk recoveries at 6:27min/miles. That workout was from Jeff Galloway, and I liked it; though i wasn't sure how beneficial the epic workouts of 12-15 800 reps would be (especially in staving off injury) at this point.

Andrea pointed me to slightly longer intervals with jog recoveries instead of walking. I definitely noticed the difference in lactic acid build up!

The workout I did was actually a slightly longer version of what a Matt Fitzgerald training plan (that I tried for my last HM) had scheduled in the sharpening period (last three weeks before race).  I think I may do one more like it (perhaps 8 reps? too much?) for my final big speed workout then a very truncated version in my last week.

18 miles, 8:15 average pace. My longest ever run and my last really long run before my race in Vegas.

Took the (other) new kicks out. Mizuno Inspires are a great workhorse stability shoe. They are the lightest I have seen in this category. 

Was originally planning to do 16 but the shoes felt great and I was in the zone. It was pretty cool, which is why 8:15 felt completely aerobic and conversational. I ran without any breakfast or gu throughout; and none of my usual water fountains worked! I was going to do 20 but was concerned with bonking and/or cramping because of lack of water.

A bit sore the rest of the day, but otherwise feel pretty good. Taking a rest day afterwards though, as long runs are still hard on the ole legs.

Rest

70 mins easy elliptical in place of easy run. Only doing key workouts at the moment to ensure my hamstring/ butt issue doesnt reappear before the race. I use my heart rate monitor to keep it in an aerobic zone - around 150 or so (60-75%). 

Speed workout on treadmill with 1% incline. Same workout as last week: 1 mile easy, 6x1Ks at 6:22 (9.4 on tready) (which is somewhere around my likely 5k pace, I think) 1 mile easy cool down.

 The only things I changed this time was the last few ks I ran slightly long (around 0.7mile), and I increased the speed of  the recoveries (about 3:30 mins each). Only slightly - from 6.0 to 6.5mph, but I felt a little difference.

 Originally I was going to try to bang out 8 of these. Two weeks before the race, I felt like that was going to be a really effective workout. But I started to get a pain in my calf - lower soleus area -  that I got towards the end of my 18 miler on Sunday. Its not an injury; Ive had it before and it goes away pretty quickly, but I didnt want to push my luck.

I left the workout feeling like I could have done more, and wondering... should I have? It was still really tough, dont get me wrong. But I just felt like I had some gas left in the tank. I thought I read somewhere that the last few speed workouts you do before a race should leave you feeling as though you could run more....I hope thats true, because now Im feeling like I should have gone for it. Though I know I was probably right to play it cautiously and make sure my calf (and hamstring) were ok....

65 mins elliptical easy - XT in place of easy running again.

Strength workout: upper body 

Last tempo workout: 1 mile easy, 1x3 miles @ HM pace, 1x2 miles @ HM pace, 1 mile @10K pace.

 Splits were: 6:57, 6:59. 6:48 (3 min jog recovery), 6:54, 6:54, (3 min jog recovery), 6:30

Thanks to Jake for suggesting this (confidence-boosting) workout. Originally when I checked my garmin splits, some of the "average paces" were a bit slower than the "moving time" or "average moving pace"... I think the average pace must include all the little undulations of the satellite signals, so Im going to go with the (faster) moving times on this one ;)

It was a really hard workout, and for a couple of those miles I was running scared in pitch dark! The last mile felt very tough, but I was pleased that I held on.

XT: 60 mins elliptical + plyo and leg workout

Felt pain in my right foot from Friday's run. Really dont want to be injured right now! So I XTed for 70mins on elliptical in place of easy/long run.

Rest

Final speed/tune-up workout. 2 miles easy, then 2x1 mile at 10K pace (6:31min/miles or 9.2 on treadmill) with about a 4 min recovery, 2 miles easy. 

Felt like I had some gas in the tank. Didn't feel over the top pace-wise, and neither my foot nor hamstring were in pain. 

I gained a few pounds in the last few weeks from (likely) carb (read pumpkin pie)-loading/Thanksgiving, running less and resting to prevent injury. It sucks not being at optimal race weight, but SOOOO much better than being injured or weak before the race.

XT 40 mins easy. Short arm-strength workout (3x pushups (20), bicep curls with overhead lift (20), tricep dips (30), bent over rows (20 each side)).

6 miles easy on the frosty Hudson river trail. Felt good to just run, not worrying about pace, just enjoying the crisp morning blue sky. 

This was my last run before the race. I'm ready to rock. 

Lets just say... it was the worst run of my life.  I ran much, much slower than my first half marathon (which was the longest I had ever run at the time). I ran much, much slower than my tired 18 miler a couple of weeks ago. I ran much slower than people who were much slower than me. In the final miles I felt like I walked more than I ran. I considered a DNF until I realized that the finish line was in the direction of my hotel and I had to get back there somehow. May as well have been via the finish line. I had never hated a run - much less a race - before. Now I have.

FULL RECAP: http://twolittlerunners.blogspot.com/2012/12/las-vegas-rock-roll-half-marathon-so.html

 I have decided to run a 10K next week in NYC.  I'll PR. Not sure by how much, as I haven't trained for that distance/speed. But I wanna get at least one good race time out of all this hard work Ive done!

Treadmill, 1% incline. Started at 8:30 and progressed up to 6:48 (couldnt help myself). Felt easy and aerobic (heart rate went to about 155 at top) and then down for the final 0.5. Quads seem to be fine after the trashing they got in the race, though foam rolling is still agony. A little bit of pain in my inner lower calf (posterior tibialis)... will monitor and give it a good roll and stretch.

40 mins easy elliptical + core and arms workout

Ah this was a great run. I wanted to get in a little speed today given my planned race next week. But just because I didn't feel like I ran a great race last weekend, doesn't mean it wasn't tough on my body. A fartlek workout seemed like a good compromise.

8 miles easy with 6 x 1min intervals. 

 This was such a confidence booster after my race! I ran the intervals between 5:55-6:20 pace (roughly); about 3k-5k pace I imagine. I know they were only short, and I know it is the easiest of all the speed workouts, but it felt great to know I could run fast and have it not feel like death :)

 Felt my hamstring/piriformis pull afterwards, so I am trying to roll it out like I did last time, and will go easy on it tomorrow.

70 mins elliptical, 10 mins stairmaster + 20 mins leg strength 

rest

60 mins elliptical + 20 mins stair master

Tready speed workout. 1% incline.

1 mile easy

1x800 at 9.4pmh (6:22)

8x400 at 9.5mph (6:18)

1.5 miles easy

Felt good to run fast again, though legs still not feeling completely fresh yet. Final speed workout of the year before the Hot Chocolate 10K.

rest

Supposed to be resting but walked about 8 miles with my family visiting from Australia. Lots of fun with them, bummer for my feet though.

Sort-of rest, but more walking around NY with the fam. Sometimes enjoying time with  the people around you is more important than running. Feet and ankles sore though.

Race recap here

XT 45 mins elliptical + leg strength

2x rounds of (15-20): lunges, side lunges squats, stepups, hamstring curls on exercise ball, calf dips. Used the smith machine for the first time - really liked it.

XT 1 hour elliptical 

Rest

First run back since 10K. Ran around Central Park; despite the hills, my splits were a very consistent and easy 8:00 pace.

Felt that little pull in my butt from (I think) my upper hamstring again. It went away for a couple of weeks with abstaining from stretching too hard, taking a tennis ball to my butt, and doing some hamstring and glut exercises.  Im going to take it easy in the hopes it goes away by itself again.

60 mins elliptical, 20 mins stairmaster. I like the stairmaster because I feel like it works my butt, hams and calves a little more than elliptical (which is almost solely).

 3 rounds of 20x calf dips, 20xhamstring curls and 20xleg raises (all the crap that usually gets left out of my regular strength routine).

Easy miles at about 7:55-8:15 min/mile.

Still feeling the twinges in my hamstring and pull in my butt. Its not really pain, but its not really right either. Seems like the more I leave it alone, the better it is; the more stuff I try - particularly stretching, the more it complains.

Insanity DVD - pure cardio

Treadmill run; mostly 8:00 with 1.5%-2% incline

Butt twinge... hamstrings felt ok, but got some kind of weird leg-lock, that sort of took my leg out of my control. I think it originates in the sciatic nerve. Lots of piriformis stretching and tennis ball rolling in my future.

XT - 40 mins elliptical. Strength: eccentric calf dips, clam shells, hamstring curls on stability ball

Easy miles. ABout 8:30 pace. Still feeling a tug in the ole butt, but its loosening up with some excruciating tennis-ball-to-the-glut action.

XT: elliptical 60 mins

Treadmill progression run. Started at 7mph (8:30min/mile) and went up 0.1 every half mile. Last mile at 8.5-9mph (around half marathon pace/10K pace).

 First treadmill run that I felt no butt pull, no hamstring twinge and NO LEG LOCK.

 Very exciting. Stretching /rolling regime (in addition to what I normally do) is working. Involves:

• Very LIGHT standing hamstring stretch
• Moderate hip flexor and groin stretches; these are tight and I need to go gradually with them to avoid pulling something;
  
• Deep IT band and quad stretches;
• LOTS of tennis ball to upper glut area; almost none to piriformis. Although the pain/pulling felt mid-butt, I think it was my upper glut that was the problem.
  
• LOTS of foam roller to the hamstrings, quads and IT band.
  

Also concentrated on form on this run, which had become a complete disaster on the treadmill. For example:

• Cadence/overstriding. Counted my steps and they were shockingly much longer than the recommending 180 per min (more like aroun160). Shortened my stride and quickened my turnover. Really felt the difference when I put the speed up.
• Moving my hip flexors. They were really tight from sitting at a desk all day, which I think forced my hamstring/glut to work harder than they should have. Stretching released them to move with my leg more.
• Slight lean forward. I tend to lean back on the treadmill on an incline which helps me to overstride and land in front of my body.
  

Im feeling very little in hamstring and nothing in my mid-butt now, despite this being a pretty hard run. Upper glut and hip flexors feeling tight, but I know what to do with them now.

LESSON: identify the painful area, but don't necessarily look there to find the problem. Tightness in one area can pull something somewhere else, that was otherwise working fine. Analyze the problem area from (literally) all angles, and you will address the root cause, rather than trying to treat the symptoms.