Lost & Found

If you're going to be the king of something, no man's land isn't it.

Week of 8/10

Miles- 96

Race: Railroad Days 10k, 33:50, 7th overall

Tuesday Workout: 6x1k @ 10k goal pace- 319, 318, 318, 318, 317, 315

Saturday workout: 10k race & 3 miles marathon pace (555, 554, 555).

Week of 8/17

Miles: 86

Race: none

Tuesday workout: 3 sets of 4x400 w/ 200 rest (75 average)

Saturday workout: 8 easy (55:00), 2x3 miles in marathon pace (548, 549, 548- 17:26; 5:44, 5:45, 5:44- 17:15)

I missed a week. It was an accident. You'd think I was busy, but not true. I was just plain lazy. I raced on 8/16 and it went ok. In truth, I wanted to run 32:55 or so. But I just didn't have it. I started strong before getting caught in no man's land. I thought I was cruising but I was just losing ground. Then it ended, mercifully. 

I felt really spent at the end of last week. By the end of last week I'd run a 7 week average of 96 miles a week. If you include the 1st 2 weeks of summer where I was still building mileage, my average is 92 miles a week. Coming down to 86 this week felt like a treat. I opted for a mini taper this week and next with the start of school coming, and the drained feeling at the end of last week. 

To cap off the week I nailed the Saturday workout. The 3 mile sets felt like I was cruising. I stopped and felt like I could run another set or two. To be 14 miles in and feeling fresh is precisely how I want to feel.

Things change starting Monday. Summer of run is basically over, as I'm back in my school getting ready for kids. I'm also going to try a run-bus commuting combination to get my mileage in, save some time, and save some money. 

Next up: Labor Day 1/2 Marathon on 8/31. Goal- race well, stick my nose in the thick of it, and launch into a solid 4-5 week block.

If You're Tired, Clap Once

If you're tired, keep going. You're almost there. Almost.

Miles: 106.19

Long run: 18.18 miles

Workout Wednesday: 4x2 miles (5:32-5:36 target) w/ 2 minutes rest. Went 11:09 (5:38, 5:31), 11:08 (5:36, 5:32), 11:03 (5:34, 5:29), 11:08 (5:38, 5:30). 

Saturday Workout: 6-1-2-1, all continuous. (6 & 2 average 5:55), 1st drop mile 5:24; 2nd drop mile in 5:30. Total 10.01 miles in 57:55 (5:47/mile)

Another week in the string is done. This was the most mileage of the year, and most in the cycle. It's a long way to November, so the point is to get the work in without it being overly quick. Job done! The mileage has provided some quality support for my aerobic system, making an hour of hard running feel manageable. Since the marathon is largely an aerobic event, the goal is to work that system and slowly lower the lactate threshold enough to make marathon pace feel very comfortable.

Wednesday was done solo so my wife and I could enjoy our 8th wedding anniversary in the evening. Longish hard-ish reps are not easy when running alone in the morning. But I hit the target, and didn't feel terrible. 2 minutes goes by quicker than you think!

Saturday was great. We had a large group (12) through 7. The continuous work with dropping the pace in the middle does a few things. First it trains the body to run hard when tired. Second it helps you with recovering to settle back to your marathon pace. If you consider water stops and moves by peers, you need to be ready to shift up and down in gears. Thirdly it has some impact on your lactate threshold. By how much, I'm not sure. But the drop mile or two is a tried and true method of our training group. It's not easy, but you get strong.

Coming up: I've got weeks of 95, 103, and 86 planned. I'm excited about losing 10 miles and later 20! Get some fresher legs. Railroad Days 10k is in a week, followed by the Labor Day Half on the Sunday before Labor Day. 

Below is how my miles worked out. I put them in a spreadsheet later. Lots of adding!

Eat run nap rinse repeat

Run, run, run, and run some more.

Miles: 95.8 on singles (no double days!)

Wednesday Workout: 13 miler w/ 6 @ 5:50-6:00 (5:56 avg), and 1 @ 5:14, all continuous.

Saturday Workout: 6 (5:50 avg), 1 (5:35), 1 (5:17)- part of a 13 mile day.

The average number of miles I've run in the last 5 weeks has been 93, which is pretty great. Overall, I've taken to napping a little more and getting to the foam roller. I did get in one core workout consisting of leg lifts, planks (straight, and both sides), side leg raises with the foot turned, and push-ups. I want to do more, but just don't have the willpower to force myself to work on my core after running or in the evening.

The upside is that most of the runs are feeling really good. I'm out in the morning at 6:30 or 7:00 and beat the heat. The first mile or two is a drag, usually 7:30-7:50 min/mi, before it settles into a comfortable 6:40-7:00 min/mi pace. The goal is to make 6:50 feel comfortable so that dropping down to 5:50 for the marathon feels like less of a jump. 

Coming Up: Marathon training has started, and kicks off with a kick in the pants week of 105 miles and two workouts. The original plan was to do 8x1k on Wednesday and a longish race simulation on Saturday. I might keep the race simulation in there for Saturday as my club (Club Northwest) has a series run that includes a half marathon. It would be a good chance to get in 10 at marathon pace and kick the last 5k while getting some fluids support that's more challenging otherwise. But Wednesday I've shifted to a morning run away from teammates for the day, making 3:10 per K a tough ask. Instead it will be 4x2miles at 5:32-5:36 pace and 2 minutes rest. Still hard, but more appropriate for the time of day! 

Seafair 8k Race Report

You need to carefully hone your super-goal pace.

Race: Seafair Torchlight Run 8k

Result: 25:58 for 12th out of a thousand+ people.

I honestly am not sure why I show up to Seafair each year. It has a trifecta I can't stand- warmth (80+ starting in the evening), inaccurate course (never 8k, never ever!), and a bunch of hills (a kid must have drawn the elevation map!). 

All that said, it was fun. As the saying above states: your super goal pace needs honing. So I went out in 5:12, followed by a 4:56 (garmin splits). I'm not in that sort of shape (5:05 average per mile). I paid for it as all super goal pace racers do. That is because super goal pace isn't really a pace you have any business running. Now or in the immediate future. Trust me. On one of the uphills around mile 2.5 I began to eat it. Legs... Have...no... Power....

Being that we strung out early on, it wasn't like there was a group or pack to sit in with. So I did what any sensible racer would do- I slowed down (not on purpose) and tried to not bury myself on the viaduct. 

Upon climbing the hill to the finish, I immediately told my wife "that was awful, and short, but sub 26! No one needs to know. And I'm not doing this again."

I'll need someone to reference this post in about 11 months when the itch to race Seafair arises yet again. 

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.