Going Long (again) in 2024

Speedwork at the track today.

4 x 1200 with 400 recoveries.

Splits were:  4:52  4:47  4:55  and 4:49

I was aiming for 4:50, so am pleased with the results.  For me, it was hot.  Up to 21C/70F which is 26C/78F with the humidex factor.  Not much wind.  Not terrible, but not my normal 'cool' running weather either.

Anyway, to compensate, I took an extra bit of recovery time after the second and third splits to drink water.  

Tempo run today - worked out much better than last week, but I'm not sure why.  Couldn't go hard for more than 3 miles last week, but I hit my 5 mile tempo pace goal today without a problem.  

Splits were:  7:00  6:49  6:57  6:48  6:43

It was actually warmer today than last week:  21C/69F compared to last week's 18C/65F.  Of course, last week it was 96% humidity, and just 76% today.  The only other difference was I ran with sports drink this time, so maybe I was dehydrated a bit last week.

As far as the run goes, I was actually in a bad mental place, and I didn't think I would pull the run off.  I decided to just run it easy and relaxed and take whatever came.  Maybe that helped, I don't know.  Guess it doesn't matter a whole lot - at the end of the day, I did it.

Hey, maybe I'm getting used to runing in the heat!

Easy recovery run; 8:41 pace.  

Had my monthly massage yesterday.  I was really tight in the left hamstring and my right hip had been sore for more than a week.  Well, whatever Jasmine did - I felt great when I left.  She released something in my hip that was all balled up.  Really noticed it felt better in my run today.

Easy run in the rain.  8:34 pace.  The rain was nice, as it was 21C/70F, and with the humidex factored in it was 29C/84F.  I'm hoping the humidity breaks for tomorrow's long run.

12 mile long run; 1:33:24 paced at 7:47.

Cooled off over night to 16C/61F, so a lot easier to run.

Super easy recover run; 9:04 pace.

Heading down to Toronto this afternoon for a few days.

I'm into what the Hansen's call the Strength Training portion of my program - done on Mondays now instead of speed work.  6 miles at various intervals 10 seconds faster than race pace.

I still haven't quite figured out my race pace, so I'm going with 6:55 - 7:00.  So, goal pace today was around 6:45.  6 x 1 mile intervals with 800 recoveries.

I drove down to Toronto yesterday; there is a dirt track not far from the apartment I'm renting, so I headed there for the run.

Ran my intervals strongly:  6:38  6:37  6:40  6:38  6:30  6:30

The last 2 were way faster than they should have been, but a cute girl started running laps and - well - I just ran them too fast.  Enough said.  A good workout in the heat though, and I felt strong throughout.

Was supposed to run 6 miles at Tempo Pace, but it didn`t happen.  I likely should have gone easy today and saved this workout for tomorrow.  I had a 12 hour drive back from Toronto (Jays beat Tampa Bay at the game I was at on Monday, but lost on Tuesday on my way home).  And I got home late - close to midnight to bed.

Anyway, I ran one mile at 7:04 and realized it was not going to happen today.  So I turned it into an easier run.  Ended up running the nine miles at an average pace of 8:14.  I think at my age, I need more than one day recovery after a hard run.

Easy recovery run; 8:48 pace.

Easy run; 8:49 pace.

The heat finally broke.  It rained all night and continues this morning.  Down to a much easier to bear 16C/61F.  97% humidity though.

Easy run today; 8:27 pace.

Easy run; 8:35 pace.

Off later today for my annual spiritual retreat, so no posting until next weekend.

Up extra early to head to the University track.  It's a 15 drive from the retreat house.  I found out last year that there are NO level stretches of road around here - great for hill work, if that's what you want.

Today calls for 4 repeats of 1.5 miles with 800 m rests.  My goal is somewhere around a 10 minute split.  I end up doing well, running 9:45  9:49  9:43  and  9:49.  That's a 6:30/mile pace - faster than I should have, but it felt good.  Tomorrow I'm off.

Back to the track today for tempo pace work.  Based on last week's experience, I was going to go easy today and do the tempo work tomorrow.  But I felt good on my rest day and I woke up feeling strong in the morning.  I figured part of the problem last week was the very long day on Monday - ball game and getting home late - and then the long drive home on Tuesday.  This week, I basically rested all day Tuesday.

So, I went.  And I was wrong.  Should have waited the extra day.  Did the 2 miles of warm up, and then knew right after the 1st lap that there was no way I was hitting tempo pace today.  Ended up running a 7:24 mile and decided to go back to the retreat center and finish off the last 6 miles running easy on the hills.  I just don't have the legs for speed today.

HILLS!  I had forgotten just how hilly those roads are.  I ran the 6 miles at an average pace of 8:53, but I was working hard to do it.  But I justified the hard effort by the fact that it was supposed to be a tempo day anyway.

Next 2 days are supposed to be easy recovery runs, but that's next to impossible on these hills.  I ran the 5 miles at an average 8:14.  And the legs are really taking a beating.

Same as yesterday, but I managed to slow it down just a touch and ran the 6 miles at an average 8:27 pace.  Tomorrow is a long run, so in essence I'll have run 5 hard runs this week - not good.

Long run today.  I'm home from my retreat, so back to the relatively flat roads I usually run on.

It's not terribly hot - just 20C/69F - but it's humid at 98%.  I felt it.  Plus, I found out just how much I had pounded on my legs this week.

I started okay, and ran the first 6 miles at a consistent 7:48 pace, but then it was like someone pulled a plug.  Nothing left down there.  Pushing was an invitation to an injury, so I just coasted the final 8 miles.  Ended up with a run time of 1:55 and change and an average pace of 8:16.  

So, I'm not sure if I'll even attempt intervals on Monday.  I'm wary of pushing to the point of injury, and I know I pushed too hard this week.  I'm going to take it day by day.  

There are a number of Saturday races coming up which I may or may not run in September - Toronto, Mackinac, Sault - don't know if I'll run them or not, as I've not even decided what my October 1st race will be.  I'm toying, however, with the idea of running a 5k fast in Toronto on Sept. 10th OR the 8 mile Mackinac race the same day.  Then, the following Saturday, I'm thinking of running a Half in Toronto.  If I do, then I'll run the trail race in October.  There's also the bridge run in the Sault on the 24th, so lots of options for racing.

AND, four weeks from now, I can finally register for the Boston Marathon.  Woo Hoo!

Easy run; 8:41 pace.  Nice to be back on the flats.  Legs are heavy today.

Okay, today I took stock.  My resting pulse rate is good - 48.  So I'm not overtraining.  But I am concerned about the pounding on my legs in the string of workouts last week.

So, although scheduled for 3 x 2 mile fast repeats, I opted instead for 10 easy miles.  I had to fight the urge to go faster, so I guess that's a good sign.  I'm going to just skip that workout this week, take tomorrow off, run easy on Wednesday, and then see if I can keep my tempo pace on Thursday.

The hot weather finally broke - this morning it was just 8C/46F.  But I ran in the afternoon for a change, and it's a very nice 21C/71F.

Easy run; 8:41 pace.  

And some decisions:  I registered for a 5k in Toronto on September 10th, and the 25k trail run near Cambridge on October 1st.  

I still plan on running a half in between those two, and am looking at the one in Toronto on September 17th, and also the Sault Ste. Marie bridge run on September 24th.  That would make four races on four consecutive Saturdays, but I don't plan on racing all of them hard.

Not the run I wanted.  Aimed for 6 miles at tempo pace, and figured it would be easy enough, after having gone easy this week.  Not so.  After 2 tempo miles, my legs just threw in the towel.  Like rubber.  So, I ran the rest easy.

Ah well.  I'm guessing a combination of not having fully recovered from last week's hills, and the simple fact that at my age, my racing times are not likely to get any faster.

On the bright side, yesterday I booked a room in Boston for the three nights around the Marathon in April!

Easy run; 8:28 pace.

Easy run at an 8:21 pace.

Easy run in a light mist; 8:27 pace.

2 repeats of 3 miles with a 1 mile recovery.

Aim was to run about 10 seconds faster than half marathon pace.

First set was 6:49  6:49 and 6:44  =  20:22

Second set was 6:48  6:48 and 6:46  =  20:22

So, happy about that.  Sore going into the run, because I'm back (as of Saturday) into my plyometric jump squats which I've been neglecting to do.  Aim to do strength work 3x/week, and I've been slacking off.  It shows - I felt it when I woke up today.  The good news - a one hour massage today at Noon!

Easy run; 8:43 pace.

Normally my rest day, but decided to go easy today, take tomorrow off, and then see if I can nail a tempo run on Thursday.

Had to wait for a big thunderstorm to pass by before I set out.  Some rain off and on, but I got home just before the big downpour, which is happening right now.