sub-3 or blow-up trying

Ran 7 miles on the TM:  1st 3 @ 9min pace, then 12 x 6min/pace for 1 min alternated w/jog for 1 min, and then 1 mile "cooldown".  It was a very managable workout and my first taste of getting turnover back into the legs.  20 min. weights as well.  Hope to do a few more miles in the evening.

7 miles on TM, including 4 @ a 7:30 pace (I'll call them slow mp at this point).

Ran 6 miles on TM, including 2 mile repeats @ 6min/pace.

Made it outside today- low 30's, windy, and snowing just a tad.  Ran 1-mile warm-up and then ran a mini-tempo (6:57,7:04,6:59), jogged a mile and then did 2-mile tempo in the hills (7:05,7:07), jogged another mile and did a final "tempo", but not really that fast (7:26), jogged the final 6 back to the gym.  By mile 12 it got pretty windy/cold and I was also pretty depleted.  Worked hard on the final 3 miles even though it was around a 10min/pace. 

TM @ gym...3-mile warm-up, 24 minutes-alternating 6min/pace every 2 min, and then .75 mile "cooldown"...7-miles total. 

5 on TM @9min pace.

Headed outside, low 30's, windy, and felt cold.  2-mile warm-up, 3-mile "tempo" (6:50,7:04,7:36/hill)...2 more slow miles, 2-mile "tempo" (7:03,7:12), and finished the rest slow for a total of 11.3 miles.

Ran 3 miles as "warm-up" and then joined Ed for 16.1 miles...total of 19.1 in 2:39 (8:10 pace).

Beautiful out today...ran 9.4 miles at about a 9min pace.

Ran on TM:  1-mile warm-up, 6-mile tempo (6:48,6:48,6:44,6:44,6:39,6:39), .25 "cooldown"- for 7.25 total. 

4.25 more on the TM, including 2x400 and 2x800 @6min pace (.25 jog between repetitions).

7 miles on TM, including 4 slow mp miles (7:30,7:24,7:18,7:13).

Gorgious day- high 40's and sunny!  Didn't feel all that great, but thought I should get a decent run in, considering it is supposed to rain all weekend.  Began with a 3-mile "warm-up" and then put my mind over matter to kick it into a different gear...ran the next 7-miles through Morris at a firm pace (6:46,7:00,6:53,7:17,7:01,7:49/steep hill,7:20), finished off the last 4-miles by veering into White's Woods- ran really slow because my feet would occasionally break right through the spongy surface which was thawing from a winter of being frozen.  14 miles total.  The lungs felt great throughout...still need to firm my legs back into better condition.  Wish I had an extra month to gear up for Boston. 

6 miles @ 9min/pace on TM.

2-miles on TM, felt pretty good, so put on my lightweight trainers and did 3-mile repeats @ 6min/pace w/.25 mile jog in between...6 miles total.

Was supposed to rain all day, but hadn't started yet.  Got outside and decided to go by how I felt.  Jogged .25, felt good, so stepped it up a bit.  Ran mile 1 in 7:10, so decided to do a tempo (7:10,7:04,7:20/uphill,7:06)...jogged a quarter and still felt energy, so decided to pick it up for a 2nd tempo (6:59,6:55,7:06/slight uphill,6:51).  Jogged that last mile back home...overall, pleasantly encouraged by today's run.

Really wanted to do a long run with Ed outside today, but it was windy and rainy and I've been fighting a bug.  Last year I got strep throat around this time from doing exactly that.  So, I stayed in and gave it a good TM workout under more controlled conditions...2 mile warm-up and then 2 x 1hr @ 7:30 pace (slow mp)- that added up to 18 miles total...and I was totally spent!

9 miles on TM in basement @ 8:40 pace.  Felt fine, yet getting bored of the indoor runs...hopefully the weather will calm down soon and my cold will go away. 

Still nasty outside, so in for another TM workout...started with 2-mile "warm-up" and then decided to play "speedwork" by ear.  800 repeats seemed managable, so I started in with .25 jog between sets...before I knew it, I was on repeat #6, so decide to go for the "Yasso"- ended up with 10x800m @ 6min/pace (.25 jog between sets)...the final one was a killer!  9.75 miles total. 

Added an extra 7 on TM @ just under 8:30 pace.

Gorgeous out- ran in short sleeves for the first time and went for a 7 mile run.  Sore from yesterday, so kept it very slow. 

Another great day outside.  Did a 1-mile warm-up and then went into a 5-mile tempo through Morris (6:44,6:44,6:39,6:54/uphill,6:52/up & down hill), jogged another mile and attempted to go into a 2nd tempo- 7:04- my feet were sore from the light trainers, so I finished up with a slow jog- total of 11.75 miles.  Happy that the times are getting faster on this particular route- hope to do 20 on Friday, so slowed things down when the soreness set in. 

No running today...2 unanticipated deaths this week, so had responsibilities with families and services.

Beautiful day...wish I could say the same about my run.  Ran 10 miles @ about 7:37 pace and then stopped at the usually spicket to get some water- no water!!  I was in no man's land, so realized this would be a test and more of a depletion run.  Ran the next 2 miles @ 7:45 pace and then veered into the woods.  Trails are still sketchy, so kept it real slow for 3 miles (12min pace) and got back onto the road for the final 5.  Basically crashed and burned at mile 16 and kept about a 9:30 pace until 20.  My feet hurt today and I also may have been affected by first real warm weather run (high 60's and sun).  Lack of fluid/fuel didn't help things at all either...maybe the depletion will benefit me in the big scheme of things.  Glad to get this one done with!

Spent the night in Albany with youth for a mission trip.  Got home early evening and put in a quick 8.5 outdoors (just over 8min pace). 

Was able to get outside again for a run.  Warmed up for .5 miles and then decided to give it a mp on the slow side of the marathon pace "zone".  Mile 1 began @ 7:19 pace and I was able to hold it through the hilly course near Popy's and back (mile 2- 7:26,8:02,7:17,7:27,7:01,7:16,6:57,6:46/.25 mile) and jogged the final mile @ about 8:30 pace.  Did the mp zone @ 7:19 pace for 8.25 miles...9.75 miles total. 

Raining out, so made the best of another TM workout in the basement.  Started with 1-mile warm-up, 1 mile mp, and then five 1-mile repeats (6min,5:56,5:52,6min,6min)- each mile had .25 jog in between.  Wanted to do a 6th one, but the TM got too sweaty (starting to slip).  Closed out with .75 mile "cooldown"- 9miles total. 

4.5 miles on TM @ 9min pace.

7 miles @ 9min pace on TM...also, 20min weights. 

Got outside today. Nice temperature, but very windy.  Did the standard Wednesday run- 1 mile "warm-up", 5-mile tempo towards Morris (6:34,6:32,6:29,6:44/uphill,6:40), and then jogged the last 5.5 @ 8:25 pace.  The wind worked to my advantage for the most part (3.5 miles of the tempo).  Overall, felt good.

Ran 10-miles outside with a 3-mile tempo in the middle (6:27,6:48,6:33).  Right achilles is a tad sore.  This is nothing new (felt it since last September off and on), but felt the next to log it as something to look back on.  It's mostly sore after sub-7min type workouts. 

Did my dreaded 22-miler through the hills, but w/a garmin this time only to find it's actually a 21-miler- pretty significant difference.  Still, easily pr'd my time on this route- 2:28:39 (7:05 pace)- which last year I would have calculated as 6:45 pace (22 miles), yet I'm pretty happy with my actually garmin-paced time @ 7:05 pace (21 miles).  Pretty tough hills and I cut my run from last year at this time by 7 1/2 minutes.

7.5 miles on TM @ just under 8:30 pace. 

Another rainy Monday, another speedwork on the TM, and another day of encouraging progress...

2-mile "warm-up":  2nd mile progressively under marathon pace

- .25 jog-

3-miles @ 6min pace

- quick break to change shirt/socks + .25 mile jog

-3-miles @ 6min pace

Was happy to be able to do two 3-mile tempos @ that speed.  Most definitely does not translate to that speed outdoors, yet it's still getting me faster.  8.5 miles total. 

Logged 5 more miles on the TM @ 8:15 pace.

Rain and flooding throughout the state.  Back on the TM...7.5 miles @ 9min pace.

Went out for my Wednesday routine 5-mile tempo.  Was not feeling quite as spritely as past Wednesdays (probably due to Monday's workout), but I was determined to continue my improvement that has occurred every week for the past couple of months.  1-mile warm-up, 5-mile tempo (6:29,6:29,6:26,6:42,6:27)- I was absolutely spent, so walked for 2-minutes and started to head back.  Normally, I jog back at 8:30-9min pace, but somehow I felt much better today (even though the 1st half was way tougher), so I decided to pick it up a little and see if I could hold it comfortable.  Ran 4 at slow mp (7:09,7:32,7:20,7:19), and then did a 1.5 mile "cooldown".  Feel pretty good about the effort today- 11.5 miles total.