Every Run is a Great Run!

Thought perhaps I'd start posting my workout plans for the week here in a Sunday rest day entry. I've had a couple people ask what I was planning on doing leading up to Striders 1/2 so I figure this is a logical place to post that info publicly. Also I think this will help motivate me a bit to be accountable and not to cheat on any of the planned hard workouts.

This week is kind of messed up since I'll be spending much of the week up in Salt Lake at Novell's Brainshare trade show. Normally I would be doing my mid-tempo/long-tempo runs on Tues/Fri. but with the Brainshare schedule it works better to do them on Mon/Thurs this week.

Mon: 12-13 miles with 8 miles tempo at half-marathon pace (6:15-6:40).

Tue: 8-10 mile recovery run (all miles above 8 min/mi).

Wed: 5-6 miles AM, 5-6 miles Noon. Easy pace (7:20/mi or slower)

Thu: 15-16 miles, 11 miles at marathon pace (6:40-7:00)

Fri: 8-10 mile recovery/easy run

Sat: 10-14 mile recovery/easy run

Went out just before noon, did a few miles warmup then 8 mile tempo in the 1/2 marathon pace range. Legs felt pretty good today and I was pleased with the run, although it took my brain a couple of miles to get in the game. I was quite happy to have enough gas left on the last mile to push a bit and get the 6:16.

I wore the Adidas Adizero racing flats so that might have bought me a few seconds. But I need to remember I have to wear the right socks with these shoes or I get nasty blisters on the balls of my feet. Unfortunately I did NOT wear the right socks today so I've got a huge one on my left foot. Hope it doesn't bug me all week.

Finished the 8 mile tempo in 51:32. Ave pace 6:26. Splits were 6:31, 6:29, 6:26, 6:24, 6:26, 6:27, 6:29, 6:16.

Also did some circuit/weights afterward.

Morning run with Kim for 6 miles then a few more solo. Pretty much uneventful, no Prehistoric Monster sightings :).

Legs feeling pretty good after the hard run yesterday. I was also happy the foot blisters from yesterday didn't bother me, however the lower abdominal muscle strain was a bit uncomfortable at times. I need to watch this closely. Kim had no knee troubles so that was a good thing. Now off to SLC all day for Novell Brainshare conference. Yahoo.

With my modified work schedule this week I was able wait until the sun came out to do the 6 mile morning run with Kim. The SF canyon breeze was a bit crazy at times but with the sun shining brightly it wasn't so bothersome today, and ended up being a super run. Ave pace somewhere around 10 min/mi.

Then less than 3 hours later did the Lakeview 10K loop and had another great run with Paul and Will. This was officially my 1st day this year wearing a singlet! Yahoo! Spring really truly is on it's way! Afterward did a quick circuit/weights workout. Ave pace 8:15.

Sure nice getting the double dose of sun today but it made want a nap. Going to the Collective Soul concert tonight as part of the Brainshare festivities with Kim, Kim's brother and our 2 youngest boys. Hope I can stay awake :)

Pretty much uneventful run from my house out to Zephyr and back. Legs feeling pretty good but I felt like I was sleep running and couldn't get my head into the run. I think 2 consecutive nights of not much sleep was the main problem. Lower abs pain still buggy. Ave pace 8:35.

Well the Collective Soul concert ended up being a lot of fun. Many of the concerts I've been to at the Delta Center / ES Arena haven't been that great just because so many bands insist on have the volume so loud and the ESA is so echoey that it doesn't sound like music, more like a big loud screech like a jet engine or something. And with my ears being fried a bit back from the high school and college rock band days I usually leave concerts with ear ringing that lasts for days with a big loud-music hangover the next day. So I was very pleasantly surprised that CS kept the volume level reasonable and with the exception of the first song or 2 the sound quality was pretty good considering the location.  

Also before the concert, comedian Frank Caliendo entertained us for about an hour. He was a hoot. 

I did the long run I had originally planned for Thursday today in the late afternoon. With the way my work schedule ended up and with being really tired this week with Brainshare conference and not the best sleep, this was the most logical time for this run. I didn't have big expectations what with being exhausted from standing all day the last few days with not enough sleep. Also I usually don't seem to ever enjoy running in the afternoon so I was very pleasantly surprised the marathon pace tempo run OK. Perhaps the near perfect weather conditions helped. I was able to run in shorts and singlet again.

Did 2 mile warmup then 11 miles at MP then 2 mile cooldown. I passed JohnA tri-guy riding his bike toward the end of my cooldown. Total time for the 11 miles 1:14:58. Ave pace 6:48.

Splits were 6:50, 6:47, 6:45, 6:51, 6:52, 6:43, 6:45, 6:55, 6:47, 6:57, 6:39.

I did stop for a moment between miles 5/6 to wash down an AccelGel. Ran from home down to the bottoms, up to by Prestwich Farms then back down river bottoms road to the ballparks then over Leland way and finished at the ballparks.

I have to mention the dumb dream I had last night that was one of reasons I didn't sleep good because the dream made me mad and woke me up. I dreamed I was running a marathon, trying really hard to get a good time but various obstacles kept slowing me down. At one point I was needing a GU but they weren't giving them out you had to buy them. The guy selling the GU kept trying to get me buy this huge breakfast instead (bacon, eggs, etc.) so finally I just said "ALL I WANT IS JUST 2 GUs PLEASE!!!". So finally he sold me the GUs but then he kept teasing me and took forever to give me the change. Then when I finally got back running trying to make up the time I had lost I got stuck behind a row of not-so-skinny women who were walking the race. Then I got mad and woke up. Sigh......

Kim and I slept in a bit again this morning as we needed the rest and also enjoyed being able to run in the sun for most of the run. It was another glorious beautiful day to be out for a run. This was Kim's longest run prior to the 1/2 marathon and she did great. She was especially strong on all the hills and held up pretty well the entire distance. Good job Kim!

I was pleased to feel pretty good despite the hard long run late afternoon yesterday. Hopefully we are both peaking just in time for the race. My legs feel great and the lower abdomen pains seem to be diminishing the last couple of days. I think this was my highest mileage week ever.