PREFONTAINE

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/143839960

513D015

New Route…tpke to skiff to dixwell to left at Hamden HS and back (5 miles) along with local loops (2.3 miles). 

At 11:42am: 7.3 Easy Miles done in 1:07:56 at 9:18/mile.  318 feet elevation gain.  YAKTRAX again.  A Progressive run was done.  Some snow…not as much as yesterday though (additional plowing).  The pace was faster than yesterday and in line with Easy Miles.  Easy Pace is 9:35/mile and I put these together at 9:18/mile.  Pretty decent pace given the conditions. 

I am now in Week Four of the 18 week schedule.  I have fifty miles scheduled for this week and recognized a bit of backsliding last week with regard to putting in the scheduled miles.  How to address?  Simply think in terms of running daily this week.  Run about seven miles daily…which is about an hour to seventy minutes depending on the workout.  Given a 13 miler is scheduled for Saturday…this would put you well over the 50 miles.  Let’s see how this goes.  Getting down to it, putting in an hour daily should not really be a problem…how motivated are you???  How committed are you???  Do you want to improve and get faster?

Of note, there are five weeks to Colchester Half Marathon with mileage being 50, 50, 39, 55, and 50 for week 4-8.  Given there should be a taper prior to the Colchester Half, I will think about how to amend those miles.  For now…week 4 and 5 can see 50-55 miles.  Maybe even week six can see 50 miles.  Do 40 miles week 7 and 30 miles week 8.  Thus will be short 19 miles overall for the five weeks…perfectly acceptable.  This is what I am currently considering at least.  

But for now…get through week four and see if you put the 50 miles in…as always, assess as you go. 

Also…week 5 will see VDOT value increase from 41 to 42…thus training paces will be amended…monitor how that feels as well.  For example, are you putting together the splits at the faster pace with minimal increased effort? 

Should be an interesting 5 weeks!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/144420203

514D016

Another Progressive run.  5.99 miles done at 4:45pm in 54:30 at 906/mile. 

Thus Easy miles…the pace was between MP (8:35/mile) and Easy (9:35/mile). 

Mark A. recently emailed me (Athlinks member).  He is planning to run the Colchester Half Marathon also.  We arranged to run together Saturday for a ten to fourteen miler at 9:15 to 9:30/mile pace (or around that pace). 

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/145267002

515D017Q

Quality Workout: At 10:16am ran 14.51 miles done between Marathon (8:35/mile) and Easy (9:35/mile) pace.  Did the 14.51 miles at 8:59/mile in 2:10:15.  7.51 Marathon Pace miles (with elevation gain being factored in) and 7 miles Easy pace.  Marathon pace miles highlighted in blue.

Ran with Marc A, Athlinks member.

Route: Canal Trail.

Week Four Summary: Speed workout not done this week.  Also 1 of 2 Quality workouts were done.  Ran 3 of the days this week.  Ran 28 of 50 scheduled miles (56% of scheduled).  OKAY…Not the best week.  I agree.  I find I get up, go outside the front door and experience the beautiful warm weather, and then go back to bed!  Yep, cannot even use the dang cold weather as an excuse for not running.  Somehow, sleeping another hour seems more appealing than running.  I know - CRAZY - right???

Not the end of the world though.  I will continue to work on getting better.  I am recognizing the error of my ways early enough in my training program.

PLAN: Week 5-8:

Scheduled is 50, 39, 55 and 50 miles (194 miles).

Plan is 50, 50, 40 and 30 miles (170 miles).

Will be off by 24 miles.  This is due to my planning a taper for the Colchester Half Marathon to be done in Week 8.  The taper will not compromise my scheduled mileage to a significant degree.

THE FOUR WEEK CHALLENGE:

Do the Miles.

Do the Quality and Speed workouts.

Identify best times to run and how to fit in schedule.

Schedule runs with running partners.

You have been consistent for extended periods: BE CONSISTENT FOR FOUR WEEKS.

Oh.  And not VDOT 41 training intensities...move to VDOT 42 training intensities.

Simple goals really.