Wesley Hunt

2 Mile warmup followed by 2 Miles at 7:03, 2 Miles at 6:41, and 2 Miles at 7:03; treadmill, 1.0 incline; overall, it was a nice tempo run mixed with 4 miles slightly below MP (7:15/mile).

I continue to have issues with blisters on my heels, but I'm managing my training with 2nd Skin and athletic tape.   

Wesley 

8.5 Miles at 7:07/mile on a cool, rainy morning in Little Rock; started out with a light mist in the air, but grew to a steady shower through the latter half of the run; no gel.   

My feet (and wet shirt) also got a little heavy during the latter half of the run, and I was not able to maintain even splits.  In fact, I ran the first 4 miles at 7:00/mile and the the last 4.5 miles at 7:15/mile (right at Marathon Pace).

As a closing thought, I have no doubt that running in tough conditions makes you stronger in the long run...pun intended.  

 Wesley 

2 mile warm-up followed by 10 Miles at 7:12/mile with 1.0 incline on treadmill; half-mile cool down; took gel and a couple of swigs of water after Mile 6 (warm-up + 4 Miles at MP). 

Fueling/hydration has been better on noon runs since I started drinking a Gatorade mid-morning every day.  Also, I typically eat lunch (peanut butter & honey sandwiches) about an hour before my treadmill workouts, and this has generally worked out pretty well.  On morning runs, I have not been eating anything prior to the run, nor have I been using gels.  That said, for the most part, I have felt pretty good and been able to maintain my target pace during those runs.  Of course, I have not ventured past 9 miles at Marathon Pace on the road, but with a more structured 16-week training plan on the horizon, those longer weekend runs will be here soon enough!

Wesley 

8 Miles at 6.49/mile, comfortably under Marathon Pace, on a beautiful afternoon in L.R.; 54 degrees and windy.

I ran one of my old routes today with some pretty serious hills, but I felt good throughout the run and finished strong.  Again, my energy level was fine, so I did not force gel.  

Wesley 

5X1 Mile repeats with 60-90 seconds rest between repeats:  

Mile 1 - 5:57

Mile 2 - 6:10

Mile 3 - 6:15

Mile 4 - 6:15

Mile 5 - 6:15

My ultimate goal is to be running Mile repeats comfortably at or under my 5K pace (6:00/mile), and though I'm in the ballpark, certainly, I still have a lot of room for improvement in regard to my speed work and fast race pace.  I was pressed for time this morning (daughter's first birthday party!!!), so I actually did this particular speed workout in my neighborhood on the road rather than the local high school track.  As such, there were some moderate hills, but it was a beautiful, 50 degree morning, and overall, I was pretty pleased.  

Wesley 

2 mile warm-up followed by 7 Mile Tempo Run on treadmill set to 1.0 incline; 2 Miles at MP (7:13), 3 Miles at 6:40, and 2 Miles at MP; 1 mile recovery jog; used gel prior to warm-up.   

My legs feel a bit fatigued after three weeks of increased mileage in preparation for my 16-week, L.R. Marathon training starting on November 15th.  I plan to back-off a little this week in order to fully recover as I head into next week.  With respect to today's workout, I actually felt stronger toward the end of the run as I worked through some initial soreness that carried over from yesterday's speed work. 

Wesley 

4 Miles at 6:51/mile on a cool, beautiful morning in Little Rock; 40 degrees.

Wesley 

6 Mile Progressive Run on Treadmill at the following splits:  

7:13 (Marathon Pace)

7:03

6:53

6:40

6:31 (10K Pace)

6:00 (5K Pace)

I was planning to do a longer run today on the treadmill before hitting the road tomorrow morning, but it has been a busy (albeit productive) week at work, and I had limited time. Nothing like showing up to a 1:30pm meeting after running during your lunch break...only to realize that the 90 second shower you took didn't really slow down the profuse sweating.

I love it. 

Wesley 

10 Miles w/ serious hills at 6:57/mile on a beautiful morning of 50 degrees in Little Rock; gel 15 minutes prior to run and after Mile 6; felt great throughout the run.  

Wesley 

1 mile warm-up followed by 10X400 Repeats at 90 seconds/repeat (6:00/mile); 100m jog between repeats and 1 mile easy recovery jog following repeat 10; 50 degrees and extremely windy on an overcast, gloomy day in Little Rock.

My dad ran with me today, and he's getting the itch after 40 years of running to run his first marathon.  After watching me run the Little Rock Marathon in March, and seeing my brother accomplish his sub 4:00 hour goal (go Luke!) in the Marine Corp Marathon last month, his competitive nature is kicking in and he can't resist.  As I've mentioned before, he's a great runner, and for a decade, he was routinely running sub 17:00 minute 5Ks all over Arkansas.  We're going to talk more about it over the weekend, but if he commits to doing it, I know he'll do well.   

As I was finishing my workout this morning, a pee wee football game was about to start at the track/field where I was running.  A couple of kids were trying to kick field goals, and I couldn't resist showing off my skills.  Barefoot 30 yarder!!!  It brought back memories of my glory days playing football in the small town of Fordyce, Arkansas in South Arkansas.  Go Redbugs!

 Wesley 

First day of 16-week training schedule for 2011 Little Rock Marathon!  When I hit the front door this morning, I was greeted with cold, steady rain (42 degrees), but there was no way in hell I was moving my first "official" training day inside to a treadmill.  It ended up going pretty well, though my cloths and shoes were completed soaked after about 20 minutes.  As to the workout itself, I ran 2 Miles just below Marathon Pace (7:03), followed by 4X1 Mile Repeats at the following splits:

Repeat 1 - 6:25

Repeat 2 - 6:14

Repeat 3 - 6:19

Repeat 4 - 6:14

I was targeting 6:19, so with the exception of the first repeat, I felt pretty good about my pacing.  In between repeats, I recovered by walking for 60-90 seconds, and following repeat 4, I ran 2 miles easy to recover.  Also, I took a gel when I woke up, about 15 minutes before I started my run.  

Finally, as I mentioned over the weekend, my father, Mark, has long been considering running his first marathon, and he has decided to take the plunge.  He'll be running the Little Rock Marathon this March as well, and like me, he actually starts "official" training today.  Go Dad! 

Wesley 

4 Miles at 7:13/mile on treadmill set to 1.0 incline; short, recovery run with no issues. 

Wesley 

Any mileage was a moral victory today.  Battling a stomach bug that forced me home from work later in the afternoon, I struggled through 6 Miles, three easy and three at Marathon Pace (7:13) on a treadmill set to 1.0 incline.  

Today's training called for 2-3 miles at tempo pace (6:40) as well, and I am pretty frustrated because tempo runs are such a critical part of any serious race training schedule.  The last thing I want to do is fall behind, but a faster pace was not going to happen today...and it probably would not have been particularly safe to push my body much beyond the little I was able to accomplish.

It is early yet, and hopefully, I can get back on track over the weekend with a couple of nice, moderate-to-long outside runs.  The weather forecast for Little Rock looks great with temps climbing toward 70 degrees on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.   

Fellow blogger Rob Murphy once asked (through a blog post) if he could take credit for a half mile of jogging...on a day like today, I know exactly what he is talking about.  

Wesley 

10 Miles at 7:01/mile on a foggy (100% humidity), cool morning of 43 degrees; felt pretty good after fighting off a stomach bug and the inevitable frustration that accompanied my relative inactivity over the last couple of days.  In other words, I needed that!  

I ate a small bowl of cereal about 30 minutes before my run this morning because I was waiting for my son, Max, to wake up.  I've found (particularly on the weekends) that it is easier to get him situated with breakfast and a cartoon before my longer runs, which (1) gives me the opportunity to say good morning and give him a big hug; and (2) allows my wife a much deserved extra hour of sleep (Max will generally hold off on waking Isabel up if given a big cup of milk and a nice dose of Handy Manny and Special Agent Oso).  

No gels today out of an abundance of caution...didn't want to risk stomach cramping.  

Wesley 

10 Miles at 7:00/mile on a hilly 5-mile loop through my neighborhood, including a couple of nice, half-mile trails connecting the different developments.  I really enjoyed this afternoon run on a mild (69 degrees) day with a nice breeze.  My stomach felt fine today, so I took a gel 15 minutes before the run and after the first 5-mile loop.  I also had a few swigs out of a water bottle I had staged at the beginning/half-way point to wash down the gel.  

All in all, it was a good effort, and I pushed it pretty hard and finished with a strong sub 6:30 final mile.  Hopefully, the hill training will pay dividends down the road.   

Wesley 

2 Mile warm-up followed by 4X1 Mile Repeats at 6:15 on treadmill set to 1.0 incline; 60 seconds rest between repeats; 2 Miles easy to cool down for a total of 8 Miles.  

I  felt descent this morning despite being rushed for time and battling through some indigestion following a late, big meal last night.  When I plan to run in the morning, I need to make an effort to move up dinner the evening before.  The issue, of course, is that my wife and I prefer to eat (and enjoy) dinner after we get the kidos to sleep...so this is something I'll have to work through over the next few weeks.  

Wesley 

4 Miles at 7:04/mile on a cool, but humid, morning in Little Rock. 

Wesley 

2.5 Mile warm-up, including 4X100m accelerations;

Marathon Pace / Tempo Run:  2 Miles at 7:00, 3 Miles at 6:39, 3 Miles at 6:59;

0.5 Mile cool-down.  

Great run to kick-off my Turkey Day as thunderstorms move toward Little Rock; mild and humid; breakfast and coffee prior to warm-up, restroom pit-stop and gel after warm-up.  

I hope everyone out there has a great Thanksgiving.  Enjoy the time with your loved ones...and relaxing in front of the television for some great football!

Go Hogs!  Beat LSU!

Wesley 

After a great evening enjoying a second Thanksgiving dinner with family, and a wonderful night's sleep, I was glad to be back on the road this morning.  

I treated myself to 8 Miles at 6:49/mile on a chilly, 31 degree morning; breakfast and coffee about an hour before run; felt really good and comfortable throughout on a planned "easy" day per my training schedule; cool weather certainly aided me considerably in running a solid pace.   

Wesley 

11 Miles at 6:57/mile on a beautiful Fall afternoon in Little Rock.  Today, I ran from my home in West Little Rock downtown to the First United Methodist Church in the Quapaw Quarter.  My Sunday School class is involved in an ongoing community service project known as "Stone Soup", during which we typically feed 100 - 150 of the City's homeless.  It is great to be a part of something that helps so many, and it was a great day of running and service that lifted my mind, body and spirit.   

Part of this overwhelming sense of joy came as the result of a "Rocky" moment I experienced when running through a neighborhood near historic Central High School, a beautiful school and site of one of the most significant events of the Civil Rights Era, the "Little Rock Nine" saga.  Out of nowhere, and completely unannounced, a young boy with a hooded sweatshirt ran out of his front door and joined me for a couple hundred yards, pushing me to a near dead sprint, and fist-bumping me before I took a right and left his street.  It was actually pretty inspiring stuff (and just damn cool), and it made me proud to be a runner!  

Wesley 

9 Miles at 6:50/mile on a blistering, windy afternoon in Little Rock.  Today's run included the toughest 3-Mile leg of the Little Rock Marathon, which starts at the State Capitol at Marathon Mile 13, and continues west down Markham and up Kavanaugh, a brutal stretch that can make or break a race.  Of course, my pace reflects the fact that I started my run on this stretch as opposed to Race Day when I will have already logged a half-marathon.  Regardless, it was a nice run despite the brutal conditions.  I took a gel before the run and didn't feel the need to take another during the run.  In retrospect, I probably should start forcing the issue to get in the habit.

Wesley