I only run on days that end in a "y."

With these cool mornings I HAVE to get out early and run.  They won't last much longer!

Parked at the Y on Town Lake - as soon as I came up on the trail Mike Woo was running by - I mean at the exact moment.  Not planned at all.  We ran together for 3 miles and talked about Boston the whole time.  Nice surprise.

Ended up with 6 miles total.  No watch.

Thinking of a 5k on Saturday - I run it almost every year and this year is the last time they are running it.  

Decided to run this race on Thursday.  This is the last time they are going to run this race after 30 years - it's a shame.  Not only that, but the weather was predicted to be in high 50's - low - 60's with very little humidity.  Probably the best conditions that I have seen for this race.  It's usually 70's and 80% humidity.

I had very low expectations for this race - looking at the pace calculators I figured it would take a miracle to run below an 18:20.  Coming off a marathon 2 weeks ago my legs still didn't feel fully recovered as late as Wednesday this week.  That and the lack or proper marathon training and zero work below threshold pace - I wasn't expecting much.  In fact, I just didn't want to look too bad and was hoping for at least sub 19.  

I got there early so I could register and then went off for an easy mile.  I wanted to scope out the finish again to see how long it took to get to the finish after turning the final corner.  It seemed far.  :-)  

I met another runner and we went off for another easy two miles - this time on the course - the first mile is an ever so gradual incline and then shortly after the first mile there is a right turn into a neighborhood and that is the last any hill - there rest is flat an a every so slight down on the last mile.

I saw Sam at the start and he was going to try to break 18:00.  I figured I couldn't hang but decided to try to keep him in my sights and see how I felt.

The gun goes off and I am running 5:40 after a short while and it doesn't feel that bad.  I see Sam about 40 feet ahead and decide to trail him.  My watch goes off a bit before the mile marker and shows 5:45.  Not bad.  But not sure what's off - my watch or the marker.  

It's getting harder, of course, but I make it to mile 2 - again the watch goes off a bit early - and shows 5:51.  

Now I am thinking I can actually run a pretty good time if I can hold things together.  Honestly, after running seeing 26 mile markers 2 weeks ago the thought of mile seeeing 3 and then finishishing makes the pain more berable.  

At this point I don't know what my pace is but I am holding on to the guy in front, slowly gaining ground.  But I can't catch him.  Sam is about 50-75 feet in front - I can see him but no way I can catch him.

The last turn is into a shopping parking lot - lots of trees and you can't see the finish until a final curve.  But I glimpse it and hang on while trying to push.  

I hit stop on my watch but don't see until later that it didn't take.  So I don't know what my time is.  Sam says he ran 18:13 and it seemed like I was right behind - maybe 7-10 seconds.  

Well, the timing system has issues and a lot of runners are not even in the results.  My bib # in the system shows 18:25 and I am a bit dissapointed as I thought I got under 18:20.  I think this course ran a bit long and over heard the timing guys at the start saying it's wasn't certified.  Sure wish I would have hit stop on my watch. 

My watch shows the last mile at 5:57 so I slowed down at the end.  Hey, without training for a 5k I managed a pretty good time, only 20 seconds off my PR when I was in top shape.  Makes me wonder why I am not training and running 5ks which seem to be my strength, and instead doing these marathons for which my body is not really meant for.  I see no reason I couldn't get into 17:50's with the proper training.  Could be a good fall plan if I dont' get into St. George. ;-)

Went out for an evening run as my wife took the morning to do her Tri race.

Someone I lost count of the miles and did over 7 instead of the 6 planned.  Oh well. 

7:30's.

5 easy in the evening - it's all I had time for.

5.5 easy at lunchtime.

Oh Fartlek - why do you hate me so?  76 degrees at 5:45 am and high humidity.

10 x 1 min hard with 1 min recovery.  This would be easy, right?  Wow, for some reason these are always hard for me.

Warmed up for 3 plus miles then we started - averaged around 10k pace with a couple just under 6 min mile pace, coach came along and ran the last 6 with us which was cool - but my legs kind of lost it after the last one and I slowed down a bit and let the group go on the cool down.  Maybe still feeling it from the 5k?  Not sure.  

oh well, I have a base line now so we will see how these go in the future - seems there is a fartlek on the schedule at least once a week.

6 miles in the am before work.

Too much going on today - no run.

Got out early while everyone was still sleeping.  Decided to run a progressive with a could of faster miles at the end.  We are going to start running these on Saturday and I want to get used to it.  I didn't wan't to kill myself but thought a mile between 5k and 10k pace would be good for finish.

5 miles at 7:20-7:30 pace, then 6:40 and 6:08 then was going to run a cool down but that ended up being 6:40 just because it felt easy after that 6:00 mile.  

Then ran 5 steep hill sprints and 1 x 100m stride for some quick turnover.

Spoke to the coach on Friday for about 20 mintues - if I don't get into St. George we are going to shoot for 17:40 ish 5 k in September.  It's going to be a lot of painful workouts to get there. :-)

May try to get into Houston 2015.  

6 easy around 8 min pace.

Oh yeah - this just in:  (so much for my 5k PR this fall ;-))

Decided to ease myself into LT pace work and continue to work on the faster stuff this training cycle vs the tons of base I did last summer, and well, I have a marathon I need to start getting ready for.  I will conitinue to push the distance of these over time.  

Fortunately the storms had stopped around the time I woke up.

3 miles warm up followed by 4 miles at LT and then 2.5 back to the house.  I was going to break it up into 2 x 2 but kept going to 3, took 90 sec break and finished the 4th.  

3 miles around 7:40 pace

4 @ LT pace - 6:18, 6:20. 6:11, 90 seconds recovery, 6:18.

2.5 easy back to the house.  

Nice and cool morning - 57 degrees/ 98% humidity.  

Finding a new affinity for those fastwich shoes. 

Met up with the group for some track work.  Ran easy mile to the track followed by drills.

My legs hurt bad from the torture personal training session I had on Tuesday.  That was 30 mins of some of the hardest leg stuff I have done.  I woke up today and wondered how on earth I was going to run as I hobbled out of bed.  But I digress ...

Today was 2 sets of 1200, 800, 400 with 2 mins recoveries.  

I jumped in with the first group as it was all runners I have run with before.

These felt good - the last 400 hurt a bit and I was stuck behind a larger group that had taken off before us, but managed to get through them and hammer out a good final 100m.

Splits:

1200 - 4:14 (5:40)

800 - 2:44 (5:29)

400 - 1:18 (5:21)

1200 - 4:12 (5:37)

800 - 2:40 (5:21)

400 - 1:09 (4:37)

Took the long way back for 3 + miles.

Overall pretty happy with my splits.  Legs very sore though.  lol.

5.5 at lunchtime - sunny and 79 but low humidity - nice.

Did 4 x 45 sec - 1 min pick ups on the last mile for turn over.

Met up with Gilbert and some others for a 10 mile progressive run on the trail.  We started a 7 am.  This was a lot tougher than I thought it would be, but the around mile 7 my legs felt like mile 24 at a marathon.  Some runners fell off completely so I felt OK. I did hit the legs pretty hard this week so I should not be surprised.  Nothing to push on those last 2 and just held on.

Had to make an emergency stop between 6-7 and then got water at mile 9.  

Finished with 4 hard strides.

8:12, 7:42, 7:04, 6:51, 6:47, 6:32, 6:36, 6:37, 6:48, 6:43. @.75 cooldown.

Went to the gym because I needed to get some strenght training in.

20 mins spinning to get some blood flowing and then 45 mins super easy on the indoor track.  Legs feel very beat up.

Did some core and upper body work after.

45 minutes easy at lunchtime - no watch but going to approximate.  

Fairly nice morning - 60's with a stiff breeze, but it didn't seem like the humidity was too bad.

3 mile warm up and then 3 x 3-2-1 with 1 min recoveries between each.  Messed around getting everything into my Garmin and then when I hit start it said workout completed!  After a few choice words I decided I would run these and keep track of the time on the watch and manually hit laps.

3 x (3 minutes @ HMP, 2 minutes at 10k pace, and 1 minute at 5k pace.) 1 min easy between each

3:46 min @ 6:23 pace (went a bit long)

2:02 min @ 6:06 pace

1:00 min @ 5:50 pace

3:00 min @ 6:21 pace

2:02 min @ 5:59 pace

1:03 min @ 5:43 pace

3:01 min @ 6:15 pace

2:00 min @ 5:50 pace

1:12 min @ 5:48 pace

3 miles - 7:30's back to the house.

No time for hill sprints as I had to get the kids ready for school.

5.5 easy at lunchtime.

Traveling to Galveston today - no running.

Run on the island this morning - 70 ish heat index - and nice stiff breeze coming off the Gulf.  Ran out 4 and back 4.  Tried to pick it up a tad coming back - seemed to be heading more into the wind on the way back.  

8:45 first mile, then 7:50s, last 3 - 7:05, 6:44,, 6:32, final .2 @ 5:14.

Decided I had to try and get a 10 miler in - didn't get out until after 7 - hot and humid - I got off the coast for a couple miles around mile 5 and that was a mistake - it really felt hot without the breeze.  Was very happy to get back to the coast for the final 4 miles.

A couple of 8:00 miles and then 7 around 7:30 pace with final .30 miles at 6:13 pace.

Last day in Galveston - didn't feel like running along the Seawall today - 5.5 on the treadmill. 8:40's.

Back home - yay!  Decided I would try to start getting some runs in close to MGP - say MGP + 15-20 - just to get the legs close to running at that pace without killing myself.  No need to start running to hard this early in the training cycle.  Additionally, I want to get my mind around finishing strong and not stopping.  Did 5 miles out and 5 miles back fron the house. 

8:17, 7:06, 7:01, 6:58, 7:00, 6:56, 7:02, 6:54, 6:51, 6:21.  

Followed by 6 x steep hill sprints.

Alarm went off at 5:10 and I awoke to lightening, thunder and rain.  I went back to sleep. :-)

5.5 easy at lunchtime.  Section of the trail was pretty muddy - I fogot how heavy shoes can get.

the plan was to sleep in but I woke up at 5 and could not go back to sleep.  My wife had to leave early for work so all I had time for was 5 miles.

Lunchtime strenght training session with personal trainer - these are the hardest workouts I have ever done.  Getting stronger though.

Met up with the group @ 5:45 am for the 3 x 3.2.1 Fartlek - the problem with a group run is you have a few of us at various levels of fitness and therefore have to go with the pace of the group or fall off a bit and stick with what one's personal plan is.  So I talked to them saying what did last time - hmgp, 10k and 5k paces, but again, some of us are close and a couple are not, e.g. one runner just ran 17:30 at the same 5k I ran 18:25.  So I fell back a little bit on the second set but just a little, and then I had to stop and tie my dang shoe before the last set but even so they didn't get to far ahead and I made up some ground. 

I think the paces are fine - it was on the trail and it was pretty warm out there this morning.  I felt I improved compared to the fartlek I did with the group 3 weeks ago.

Oh, and I finally changed my weight training day so it does not preceed a hard running day.  Smart, eh?

3 miles or so warm up (my watch wasn't going)

Then:

3mins @ 6:23 pace , 2mins@ 6:12 pace, 1 min@ 6:04 pace.

3mins @ 6:25 pace, 2mins@ 6:10, 1 min@6:10 (wow, really fell off this one)

3mins@6:11 pace , 2mins@ 5:57 pace, 1 min@ 5:38 pace. (vindicated)

about 1.5 miles cool down.

5.5 at lunchtime on the trail - hot out there!

Showed up for a 10 mile progressive and it had changed to Mt. Bonnel with the last few fast.  We didn't get going until almost 7 am which made the last 2 miles pretty warm.  

Haven't done some good hills in a while.  We started with 4, one dropped and turned around at mile 5, the other decided to be a hero up Mt. Bonnel and paid the price later.

This is the first time we didn't stop at the top and just kept going - wasn't easy but after a couple minutes we were recovered enough to start picking in up.

The other guy I ran with pulled away with 2 miles to go, and even though I ran a 6:30 mile I couldn't keep up.  Had to make emergency pit stop with a mile to go and then just held on to MGP.  

Thought this was interesting - guy I have been running with went sub-3 at Austin (and 17:30 at the Chuy's 5k) - no easy feat - and is shooting for 2:50 at Austin next year - highest weekly mileage?  He's never done more than 57 in a week.  Lots of progressive and quality runs though.

Finished with some good strides.

I'll put my paces in later.