Rhett

Rhett's New Year's Day Marathon

I've been planning on going 26.2 today for a few weeks.  When I saw Andy had pulled it off on Christmas Day I was glad to see I wasn't the only crazy runner out there and to have the same idea as Andy made me happy.

It was 40 degrees with a light breeze coming out the north so I decided to wear my CWX tights, a singlet, light gloves, and my Boston 2009 running cap.   I headed north out of town along the lake shore for the first 8 miles which are pretty flat, averaged 7:44.  Then I took a dirt trail/road which ran up towards the small mountains.  It was an uphill grade and it took a little getting used to the rocks and slippery dirt.  I hit the turn around point (13.1) at 1:46:30, averaging about 8:45 for those 5 miles uphill.  On the way back I realized just how steep the trail was when my splits were pretty fast with less effort, averaged about 7:15 for those next 5 miles.  I was very happy to be back on asphalt at the 18 mile mark and just ran what felt comfortable to the end.  My splits for the last 8.2 were: 6:59, 7:01, 7:21, 6:53, 7:11, 7:48 (my legs started tying up a bit on that mile), 7:59 (just focusing on keeping things smooth, only 1.2 to go), 7:39, 7:12 (pace for last .2).

Total run 3:22:53, 26.2 miles, AP 7:45, 10:07 negative split

First Pace Overall  :) 

I was happy to be done, but not feeling too beat up.  After showering up, I took the family to Golden Corral for the all you can eat buffet.  We then went and helped a lady I home teach move.  My kids were so cute trying to help out.  It was fun to do a family service project.  Now I just plan on crashing on the couch and watching football.

Happy New Year everyone. 

1 hour on stationary bike.

Legs feeling really good considering I ran 26.2 yesterday.

MP tempo run on TM

2 mile warm up @ 8:00

9 miles MP @ 6:48

1 mile cool down @ 8:00

I was suprised how good my legs felt after my New Year's Day Marathon 3 days ago.  I had no soreness and no dead legs.  Yea!!!!

PM

30 minutes jump roping while watching TCU blow the perfect bowl season for the MWC. 

Cardio Core Class

Lower Body weights and ab work

20 minutes elliptical 

PM

Upper body weights and some ab work 

Today I set out to do some hill sprints.  Since I was running outside in freezing 45 degree weather, I warmed up for a few miles before the first hill sprint.  I ran my hill loop 5 times and then did one extra hill on my way to the cool down run for a total of 16 hills sprinted.

Approximately 2 miles of hill sprints

10 miles easy

Total run 12 miles  AP 8:18

I think I might feel this run in my legs tomorrow. 

Lower body weights.  I really made my legs burn this morning with high reps/ low weights.  It felt good.  3 sets of 20 with each exercise

Core work

30 minutes stair speed intervals

PM

Upper body weights with some ab work

I woke up this morning and the themometer read 53 degrees!  I had to check the other one we have and sure enough it also said 53 degees!  What a great morning for a great run!

Today I had a 16 mile fun run planned.  On my 16 milers I like to run what I call my fun pace.  It's the pace where I don't feel like I'm holding back like I do on longer runs and I don't feel like I'm pushing hard like I do on shorter runs.  I do it on a seriously rolling hill course, so my mile splits fluctuate a lot.  After the 15th mile I decided to let my legs go and run a comfortably hard pace.  I did the last mile in 6:31 and still felt pretty good, but was glad to be done.  And guess what.  I had a great, fun time running this morning.

Total run 16 miles, 1:57:26  AP 7:20

PM

30 minutes jump rope

ab work on the fitness ball 

1 hour stationary bike

I was feeling good this morning so decided to try a mp pace hill run on the TM

2 miles warm up @ 8:00

9 miles mp @ 6:40  (1 hour)  I did the first half on hills level 4 and then decided I was working too hard and ran the second half flat

2 miles cool down @ 8:00

Total run 13 miles    1:32:00

PM  30 minutes jump rope

Cardio Core Class- she worked our shoulders pretty hard today.  I may not be able to lift my arms tonight.

Lower body weights

Ab and Core work

20 minutes elliptical

PM  Upper body weights and ab work

Mile Repeats today!!!!!  TM 1% incline

3 miles warm up @ 8:00

6 x 1 mile @ 6:00 with 3 min walk breaks at 3.8mph

2.9 mile cool down @ 8:00

Total run 13 miles   1:39:00

PM- 30 minutes jump roping

Lower body weights

Ab and core work

30 minutes stair speed intervals.

PM-  upper body weights, ab work 

Yesterday I tried to work my legs really hard so I could experience running on tired legs during my long run today.  Unfortunately I did a good job of that.  

My legs felt pretty tired right from the start this morning, but I got going anyways and just kept putting one foot in front of the other.  I actually starting feeling stronger as I went on.  I ran completely by feel this morning, just focusing on running a strong yet easy pace.  

After finishing I was pleasantly surprised with my times and just like I felt, my splits did get faster the farther I ran.

Total run 20 miles,  2:32:03  AP 7:36

 I just booked our Boston flights!!!   Looks like everything is set now, except for the training part.

PM- I usually get home from work around 3:00 on Fridays and it was so beautiful outside. around 70 and sunny, so I jumped on the trampoline with the kids for like a hour and a half.  I'll call that my PM workout.  It was nice and easy on the joints.

1 hour stationary bike while watching Sports Center.  Legs felt great this morning.  My feet will be happy to go a few days in a row without the pounding of running.

TM Tempo run

2 miles warm up @ 8:00

6 miles @ 6:18

2 miles cool down @ 8:00

Felt good to run good and hard for a decent amount of miles.  The last mile I had to break up mentally into quarters to convince myself to keep going.

30 minutes jump rope

ab work

Light lower body weights.

TM 1% incline

2 mile warm up at 8:00

20 x 1 minute fast running at 11 mph (5:27) with 1 minute easy jog recoveries at 5.5 mph

2.4 mile cool down.

Total run 10 miles 1:15:00

I felt very comfortable at this speed and considered going faster, but with the half marathon this Sat., I decided to keep it at 11mph.  Next time I do this work out I'll probably pick it up some.

I can't figure out what all this wet stuff falling from the sky is.  Good thing today was a scheduled gym workout.

Lower Body Weights

Core Work

30 Minutes Elliptical

I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday.

30 minutes elliptical

Just enough to get the blood flowing and the legs awake.  I sure hope the weather behaves tomorrow. 

My family and I went up to St. George Friday evening and stayed at my cousin' house.  When I woke up Saturday morning and saw white on the grass and wet streets I was nervous, but when I went outside and saw that nothing was falling from the sky and there was absolutely no breeze, I figured we where in for some good race weather.  

Doone ran the 5 k and did great!  We showed up about 15 minutes before start time. Doone stayed in the car while I did a quick 8 minute warm up run.  I decided to go with a long sleeve running shirt, running cap, shorts, and gloves.  We headed over to the start line.  I looked for anyone I recognized, didn't see anyone, said high to the guy next to me and they announced the race would start in a minute.  Perfect timing!

They said go and and off we went.  I still didn't have a race plan accept to run comfortably hard and not worry about time.  I set my watch so I could see what my pace for the mile I was on was, but so that I couldn't see my overall time.  I had to force myself not to go out too fast early.  It always seems so easy in the beginning.  When I got to the first big hill on the 5th mile I backed of a tad so that I wouldn't red line.  That hill is where I lost Fly last year.  What a difference a year makes.  I had such a cloudy head while running last year.  I never felt good.  This year I always had my head about me and never felt too uncomfortable. 

Right about mile 5 the women's race leader caught up to me and was receiving big cheers from the fans looking for the first woman.  I said to her that I didn't know I had so many fans.  It was fun running with her for about the next 3 or 4 miles, but then she faded off some and looks like ended up finishing about a minute and a half behind me.  

With about 2 miles to go I could see a little group of 3 runners up ahead that I seemed to be slowly catching.  I finally got to about 10 yards behind them with about half mile to go and once I got that close I sped up and ran right past them hoping that none of the would be able to go with me, and it worked.  I ran my hardest to the finish and was amazed to see my overall time when I turned the corner to the final stretch.  I sprinted in completely spent, but with a new 1/2 marathon PR of 1:24:09.  AP 6:25  And it was a much tougher course than my previous PR.

I was surprised at how even my splits were considering the hills: 

1  6:21

2  6:30

3  6:17

4  6:24

5  6:45  The first big hill

6  6:11  Coming back down

7  6:23

8  6:30  Climbing again

9  6:41  Still climbing

10  6:20

11  6:30  Starting to get tired

12  6:25  Good thing I had that small group of runners to focus on

13  6:16  Dug deep on the last mile

0.1  5:35 pace,  sprinting to the finish

The race was fun, but it was great to see everyone at the Forum Flyers Union for lunch.  Teena and Smooth, Doone absolutely adored the two of you.  How could she not?  Thanks for encouraging her on her running and congrats to everyone on their great races. 

I decided I better just do a nice easy recovery run since my calves were still sore for the race Satruday.  I'm guessing they were sore because I wore my Hyperspeed racing flats which I haven't been training in.  I guess I better start doing some training in them if I want to wear them to race.

TM 1% incline @8:00 for 1 hour.  Total run 7.5 miles

I really wanted to do some jump rope in the evening but with the sore calves I talked myself into letting them rest a bit more.

My calves felt much, much better this morning. 

Lower body weights

Core and ab work

40 minutes elliptical

Hopefully I'll get in a good quality run tomorrow.

PM-  Upper body weights and ab work

Busy, Busy, Busy today.  Just getting around to blogging my morning run.

My calfs felt much better this morning so I decided to get some hill work in.  I did about a 4 mile warm up before hitting my hill loop.  I ended up getting in 16 hill sprints at an average of about 200 meters each for  about 2 miles of hill sprits and ran easy between each hill.  After the last one I was about on mile 10 so I then did 3 miles cool down. 

Total run 13 miles  1:41:29  AP 7:48

PM- 35 minutes jump rope and ab work while watching my Cougs go down to New Mexico.

Lower body weights

Ab and core work

30 minutes stair speed intervals

16 very slow but very hard miles this morning.  Good thing running doesn't feel like that very often or I wouldn't do it.

AP 8:33

1 hour stationary bike.

My legs needed that.