How Much Discomfort Can I Tolerate?!

Weather - 34 degrees, cloudy.

Ran 4 easy miles to the Zendo, meditated 2.25 hours, then ran 3 miles back to town.

This coming week will be a hard one - tomorrow a hill session, along with bike intervals. Wednesday a track session with the 2nd Wind club. And Friday a 2.25 hour long run.

The next race is the 12K Lake Run on May 3rd, which is in 3 weeks. It is a flat road course circling Lake Bloomington. Last year I ran it in 52:04, which was an exact 7:00 pace. I was happy with that effort and time, but this year I should be able to do better. I ran a tough 15K course last month averaging a 6:57 pace, so I should at a minimum be able to run a 6:50 pace for this race, which will put me at 50:49.

Since I am 3 weeks out until the next race, I will be able to train hard for 2 consecutive weeks, which should further boost my speed and fitness.

#149

z.m.- #63

Weather - 50 degrees, sunny, windy.

My body and mind were desiring a workout of high intensity, a challenge of the spirit, and fortunately, a hard hill workout and bike intervals were planned for the day. While sitting at my desk at the park district I could feel the excitement in my blood growing as each hour passed. 30 minutes before punch-out I began to visualize the hill, running in the sun, feeling my heart working to maximum capacity.

It is a feeling of peculiar satisfaction to yearn for something which will tax all of my resources, and still, to have the confidence that I am ready for the challenge. I ran an easy 2 miles to the arboretum, stretched a bit, set my watch, and began the workout. I started at the ball diamond backstop and ran 100M at 5K pace to the base of the hill, then bounded up the 100M hill on the odd intervals, and ran up at race pace on the even intervals. After cresting the top I ran 150M full speed down the hill, trying to get my leg turnover going as fast as possible. I jogged 350M to the backstop, and repeated the sequence 18 times. When finished I was not tired, but rather refreshed, ready for more work. Without a break I jogged 1.5 miles to Cardinal, got on the stationary bike, and did bike interval session #7. I once again increased the wheel tension past the previous workouts setting, with short rest periods of 30-60 seconds. When I got to the final interval I tried setting it at level 26, but found that 25 was the highest tension possible. I laughed, and ripped through level 25, pedaling with all my strength, sweat dripping onto the bike, my breath heavy and audible. Upon finishing I still felt strong, ready for more running. Thinking this not wise, I did 5 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 10 minute walk home.

I believe I have reached a new fitness plateau. I can't recall feeling such strength and stamina, being able to complete hard workouts with a pleasant mixture of exhaustion and strength. This is good....

#150

z.m. = #64

AM : Weather - 32 degrees, clear.

Ran 4 easy miles before work. This afternoon will run 6-7 more easy miles.

PM : Weather - 58 degrees, sunny.

Ran 8.25 miles, mostly around the Busey Woods loop. Toward the end of the run I ran 5 x 200-400M accelerations.

Today was an easy day, I am hoping 12.25 miles is not too much work. Tomorrow is a track session with the 2nd Wind club. They will probably be doing short intervals, such as 12 x 200M with a walking rest. If I am feeling tired I can stop there, but if my energy level is sufficient I should try to achieve 24 X 200M run at 5K pace with a 200M jog between each. That is a total of 3 hard miles, which equals my last track session 10 days ago of 8 x 200M and 8 x 400M.

#151

z.m. - #65

AM : Weather - 42 degrees, clear.

Ran 4 easy miles to work. I usually walk to work, but I am finding that running instead makes me feel livelier once at work, and the more I can practice running, the better. I will observe later on today if running easy early in the morning will have an effect on how I run a hard track session on the same day.

PM : Weather – 68 degrees, sunny, windy.

Beautiful day, a bit breezy on the track, but the sun sure felt nice. Ran 1 mile to Carle Park, did 3 sets of strength exercises and stretching to get warm, then ran 400M to the track. Saw Matt, the leader of the 2nd Wind track sessions, we ran 1.25 miles together. He told me about the River to River Relay going on this weekend, he seemed excited about going.

The track session called for 5 x 100M accelerations, 12 X 200M with a 200M jogging recovery + 30 seconds standing on the line, followed by a final 1 x 400M. Not too long distance wise, so I told Matt if I was feeling strong I would be doing 20-24 x 200M. Matt brought a time chart which gave recommended 200M and 400M times based on 5k time. For 19:00 it gave 40-41 seconds for 200M, and 85-86 seconds for 400M. I was happy when I read those times because those were the times I was hitting in my last track session 11 days ago. My goal for today was to hit 40 seconds consistently for the 200M. I was concerned that running with a group would make me run too hard, and I was correct in my worry, as I went under 40 for all 12 200’s. Here are the times : 

1) 38 seconds

2) 38

3) 39

4) 38

5) 37

6) 38

7) 38

8) 38

9) 38

10) 39

11) 39

12) 39

I ran the 400M in 82 seconds, which matched my fastest 400 from the last track workout. I was still feeling strong following the 400M so I decided to go ahead and do 12 more 200M. I gave the same perceived effort, but my times went up a few seconds, which exhibits the strange phenomenon of running in a group versus running alone :

1) 42 seconds

2) 40

3) 40

4) 41

5) 40

6) 40

7) 41

8) 40

9) 42

10) 41

11) 41

12) 38

I handled the 2^nd 12 pretty well, never really tired, and was able to give a harder sprint effort for the final 200M. This was a successful workout, I am still in a bit of shock at this new fitness level I have achieved, last year I ran this same workout in mid-April and was vanquished by 12 x 200’s. I am sold on the power of building a winter base.

Afterwards I ran 1 easy mile around the track, then walked 45 minutes home. 

#152

z.m. = #66 

AM : Weather - 50 degrees, clear.

Ran 4 easy miles to work. Only a little stiff from yesterday's hard track session.

I am worried that I am putting in too much mileage in a week where I am doing 2 hard workouts and a long run. It looks like I am threatening to go over 70 miles, which is fine, I was at 70 a few weeks ago, but to have that high mileage in a hard week may not be smart. Well, I have just the long run left, maybe I should put it off until Saturday to give myself an extra recovery day.

PM : Weather - 74 degrees, sunny.

8 gentle miles run around Busey Woods and Crystal Lake park. This was the first day of the year where I felt hot on a run - nice!

 #153

z.m. - #67 

AM : Weather - 56 degrees, clear.

Ran 4 easy miles to work. I have decided to lay off the long run today and rescheduled it for Sunday. I will proably be running with Melinda and Michelle at Homer Lake, weather is supposed to be sunny and 70 degrees, should be a great trail run.

Instead of being awoken by my alarm clock this morning, I was instead shook from my sleep by an earthquake. I was actually already conscious before it hit, I was laying in bed breathing deeply, thinking about training, when I felt the bed start to move a bit. I thought my wife was shaking her leg, and thought nothing of it. A few minutes later the bed began moving vigorously, the bedroom window began to rattle, and the dishes in the dining room made noise. My first impression was somebody was trying to break into the house. Then I thought some kind of explosion had occurred. My wife sat up in bed and said - "Earthquake!". As usual, she was right....

PM : Weather - 71 degrees, cloudy.

Ran an easy 8 miles around the park and Busey Woods. Afterward 5 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 35 minute walk home.

Today ends a difficult week of training - 5K race, hills, track intervals, and double runs. My legs are feeling a bit weary and sore, but next week will be moderately hard, followed by an easy week, so they will recover shortly, and hopefully become stronger.

#154

z.m. - #68

Weather - 48 degrees, clouds.

Ran a gentle 5 miles through the park and Busey Woods. I don't plan on running a double today, but my body is already desiring a second run. I will hopefully refrain, though, and allow my body to recover from this hard week of training.

I am looking forward to doing more doubles, it is a good way to get in a lot of running practice. And, it seems to have brought me back to my childhood days - I can recall when I was 12 years old always being active - baseball, basketball, running, I was doing 5 to 6 hours of active training a day as a child. No wonder I had so much energy back then.

Two of my favorite memories from childhood :

1) I would walk to my friend Rocky's home every morning before school. We would eat breakfast together and watch cartoons, and then walk to school together. One day as I was walking I decided to start running, and from that day onward I would run to his house. It gave me a feeling of joy to be running by the houses, block by block, the early morning air silent and subdued.

2) One hot summer day I went to my friend Ramon's apartment. He was inside, enjoying the air conditioning. I asked him if he wanted to play baseball across the street at the school yard. He said no way, it was too hot. I left his house soon after, wondering what I could do by myself. I put down my glove and ball on his stoop and started running around his apartment. I wasn't sure how long I was going to go, but before I knew it I had gotten to 25 and decided I was going to try to run 40 times around (probably 1 block, so approximately 4 miles). When I finished I sat on his stoop, sweaty, exhausted. Ramon came out and asked what I was doing. I told him I just finished running 40 times around his apartment building. "No way! Your lying!" "No, Ramon, I did run 40 times around, it's true" I pleaded. He wasn't buying it, so I walked home, feeling proud that I did something so hard that Ramon thought it impossible.

#155

z.m. - #69