Reflections Eternal

on 1st Ave in NYC en route to 2:39:21, photo cred Lisa Kenyan.

Since the year is about up, its about time to take a look back at 2014. I'll start with the quick and dirty...

MILES: Currently at 3,178 miles, but should be at 3,323 miles by the end of the year.

RACES:
-Valentine's Day 5k: 16:11, 12th place
-Mercer Island 1/2 Marathon: 1:14:42, 7th place
-Seahawks 12k: 42:30, 7th place
-Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon: 1:14:14, 5th place
-Fremont 5k: 16:17, 7th place
-Shore Run 10k: 33:23 (PR), 5th place
-Seafair 8k: 25:58, 7th place
-Railroad Days 10k: 33:51, 7th place
-Labor Day 1/2 Marathon: 1:13:14, 6th place
-NYC Marathon: 2:39:21, 110th place (39th US, 95th Male)

Plus an indoor 5k time trial in 15:58 (new PR) in March, and another in December in 16:28.

Not a bad year for me. Apparently I have a stranglehold on 7th place. So when I race, just pencil my name in. Overall I can see lots of improvement. My 5k was right around 16:15 on the roads, with a nice PR indoors (just need an official one now). My 10k was a PR of 25 seconds, and my 1/2 marathon moved down another 43 seconds. Marathon wasn't what I hoped for but there were some extenuating circumstances with that aggressive wind.

Looking at those times, I need to make the next leap from 15:58 to under 15:40, from 1:13 to 1:11-1:12 low. You can't run 2:29 with the PRs I have, even with the mileage I put in during marathon cycles.

Thanks to Brooks Running for the support of the Fanatics, and onward to working with Team Nuun in 2015!

Super goal pace all the way.

String it together

Run where you're at, not where you want to be.

Mileage: 90.8

Workout: (Wed) 4x1 mile with 3 min rest, cutdown style- 5:21, 5:15, 5:14, 5:08.

Race: Seafair Torchlight 8k- 25:58 for 7th (course was .15-.17 short!). 

The challenge of 3, 4, 5 weeks of higher mileage is the cumulative fatigue. The daily runs feel fine- after about 30-40 minutes! The first few miles are "why am I doing this? Sleeping would be so much better!" 

The upside is daily runs are consistently in the 7:00-7:10 range on average. Usually the first mile or two is slow (7:30-7:45) followed by some miles sub 7. The new challenge is to fit in my core work more consistently. I often veg out on the couch, opting to relax instead. If 2-3 of those days had core work I think my running would improve. 

On tap this week: longish runs of 11-16 instead of double days. No real workout- maybe 4-6 miles around marathon pace as part of a longer run. Marathon training is around the corner, so I want to feel fresh.

If I Could Run 100 Miles, Then I...

Turn off the brain and go. Just go.

Miles: 100.04

Wednesday workout: 7x3' hard downhill, 3' rest.

Saturday workout: 3x2 miles (5:20), 3' rest.

The 100 mile week is the mythical barrier. To me it's a nice round number, and the gateway to aerobic fitness. Overall solid week. The Saturday workout was a struggle due to wind and tired legs. Thankfully trusty workout partners rule the day. 

Week ending 7/12

The more you run, the better you'll get.

Total miles: 92

Workouts: Wednesday- 2x1mile, 2x800 with 2 minutes rest. 5:23, 5:24, 2:35, 2:33.

Race: Run of the Mill 5k- 16:17, 12th.

Overall, it was a successful week. Wednesday I hoped to do 3x1mile and work down from half marathon to 5k pace. But the heat made running much faster than 5:20 pretty tough. The 800s were a solid mid workout compromise.

Racing also went well. I've learned to stop checking my watch when I race. I dial in on those around me and get settled. Looking at my watch throws me into a panic- "Am I too fast? Why am I so slow? God this doesn't feel good." The first mile was hard as it was an entirely steady uphill. It's followed by a downhill that isn't down enough, and winds on a path. The last mile is entirely downhill but the damage is already done. I settled into 5:15-5:20 until the final downhill.

The legs are tired but I feel like I'm turning a corner. My aerobic system feels good, and I settle into 6:45-7:00 once I'm warmed up (and awake!).

Onward to 100.