Today's easy run was a bit of a death march. Tired. But I know that this weekend is the beginning of the end, so I'm ok with it. It was not a lot worse than many of my Thursday runs. Just 7.5 mi at 8:18 pace. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/470695347
I ran my 6th straight day today, and the legs are holding up. I ran15 miles with ENer Claudia Langarica at the Morton Arboretum again. She ran 20 in total, and I joined her for the last 15 after she did a 5 mile warm up (I sat in the car and read the Sunday paper). In total I average 7:55 pace for the 15 miles. We followed her plan which is the EN Advanced marathon plan. It called for 5 miles at Z1pace (her warm up), then 7 miles @ Z2 pace, which we ran at about 7:35/mile pace, then 4 Z1 miles at 8:25 pace, then 2 x 1 mile (1 mile EZ) @ Z4 pace. These last 2 mile intervals really hurt and I was pacing her to pull her along. We couldn't quite hold the target pace of 7:03. We hit 7:10 and 7:20. But WTF, running 7:20 pace for mile 20 for her aint bad. She is really ready for Boston, and I'm very happy with my running fitness too. Probably the best running condition I've been in since I joined EN in 2010. Tomorrow is complete rest day.
@ Al-that post added a lot of clarity! I am down to one out of three, intensity. I placed 2nd in age group in a little 5k last sunday so felt good. I'm not planning anything long until I start IM training in august. And, I gave up frequency when I drank the EN koolaid (except the christmas week challenge). What I have added is a strength training program (not CrossFit) designed to aid me in getting faster at swim/bike/run, started 2 weeks befopre JOS. We will see.
As for today's run, only had time for warmup and the 6x400s, as I had to get to work. I almost skipped it totally since I was so wiped yesterday. Thankfully, I didn't because I felt fully recovered. Like Al, I totally overachieve on these 400s (z5 7:57): 7:21, 7:23, 7:28, 7:16, 7:07, 7:20. HR 150s
Another beautiful Sunday run day in Chicago. Only this week it was 10 degrees warmer, around 40 or so. Really nice. I'm still ramping up the running so repeated my same LT run from last week, 3x 1.5-mile intervals (run by time, i.e. 3x10.5'(4') so the intervals ended up being ~1.6mi). The first interval and a half was into a gentle breeze and then I enjoyed the opposite for the return trip.
My LT is clearly improving by the day as I continue running so the 6:45/mi I was targeting is probably too slow already. That said, I still have a ways to go to get back to where I was. But I'm improving a lot and my mileage this week was back at a respectable 30 (comprised of 5 runs, 3x 30' runs and 2x 60' runs)...the weekly progression has been: - 10 (run/walk) - 12 (run/walk) - 20 - 26 - 30
I will target leveling off at around 30 and gradually increasing my long run beyond 60'. But really gradually at this point.
Overall today was 8.77 miles in 1:00:01, avg 6:50 pace, avg HR 167, max HR 183, avg cad 176 (low!!), avg vertical oscillation 9.9cm, avg ground contact time 224ms, avg stride length 1.34m.
So much speed here in the Haus! William, I'd love your death march pace!!! And Paul, I'd take that 5k pace any day, and would TOTALLY be a PR for this girl!
Had a much better feeling brick yesterday than expected after an indoor TT which basically had me at FTP for almost 45 minutes. Oooof! But the tempo runs that were killing me a few weeks ago have been manageable the last couple weeks. I'll take it!
Today I ran a half marathon (my longest run this OS after my slow rolling start) and my goal was just to negative split ending at tempo or faster for the last 5k. BUT...a teammate who was shooting for sub 2 hours was not doing well. I caught her at mile 5 and decided my run would be to help her any way I could. We ran the rest together at her pace. Tummy troubles were present and after a potty break (I was a great sherpa and held her handheld and race belt for her) we carried on. She was a bit deflated though and never picked up her pace when she realized her goal was out of reach. I tried to get her to neg split the last 5k, but she had some hip issues and needed to walk and stretch. So we did. I had her draft off of me as the last couple miles were windy. Some days ya got it, and some days you don't. I'm just glad I was there to get the miles and pace wasn't a driving factor for me today, so I could help a friend out.
SUN BRICK Plan [Out in cold wind and rain] was to do 60' Z1 maybe some GRP....actual=
9:21,8:31,8:23,8:40,9:49 5.2m total 45:10 time HR AVE:151/MX168 Z4-5 (Pace Z3-4)
SAT: Got out to WKO way too late -not getting enough sleep with extra duties so took 4 HR nap before errands....Run vs Bike due to trainer tier needed changed and it was too late for 3 HR planned ride.
Strong 12 mile trail run yesterday including 2 x 2.1 mile (loop of the lake) and 2 x .5 mile. I ran the 2nd and 4th lake loops as hard tempo. I passed a guy about 1/2 mile into the 2nd tempo loop and about 200 yards later he came charging past me...and a race was on! I closed the gap, he opened the gap, repeat several times, but after a mile of this, he broke and walked. Oh sweet Jesus, did that make my day. I got on the drainer Sunday night for a Z2 ride...and THAT was hard!
Comments
As for today's run, only had time for warmup and the 6x400s, as I had to get to work. I almost skipped it totally since I was so wiped yesterday. Thankfully, I didn't because I felt fully recovered. Like Al, I totally overachieve on these 400s (z5 7:57):
7:21, 7:23, 7:28, 7:16, 7:07, 7:20. HR 150s
My LT is clearly improving by the day as I continue running so the 6:45/mi I was targeting is probably too slow already. That said, I still have a ways to go to get back to where I was. But I'm improving a lot and my mileage this week was back at a respectable 30 (comprised of 5 runs, 3x 30' runs and 2x 60' runs)...the weekly progression has been:
- 10 (run/walk)
- 12 (run/walk)
- 20
- 26
- 30
I will target leveling off at around 30 and gradually increasing my long run beyond 60'. But really gradually at this point.
Overall today was 8.77 miles in 1:00:01, avg 6:50 pace, avg HR 167, max HR 183, avg cad 176 (low!!), avg vertical oscillation 9.9cm, avg ground contact time 224ms, avg stride length 1.34m.
W/U 10' – 7:11
3x 10.5'(4') – 6:34, 6:26, 6:23 (last week: 6:46, 6:36, 6:28)
Remainder 6.5' @z2 – 6:51
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/470303423
Had a much better feeling brick yesterday than expected after an indoor TT which basically had me at FTP for almost 45 minutes. Oooof! But the tempo runs that were killing me a few weeks ago have been manageable the last couple weeks. I'll take it!
Today I ran a half marathon (my longest run this OS after my slow rolling start) and my goal was just to negative split ending at tempo or faster for the last 5k. BUT...a teammate who was shooting for sub 2 hours was not doing well. I caught her at mile 5 and decided my run would be to help her any way I could. We ran the rest together at her pace. Tummy troubles were present and after a potty break (I was a great sherpa and held her handheld and race belt for her) we carried on. She was a bit deflated though and never picked up her pace when she realized her goal was out of reach. I tried to get her to neg split the last 5k, but she had some hip issues and needed to walk and stretch. So we did. I had her draft off of me as the last couple miles were windy. Some days ya got it, and some days you don't. I'm just glad I was there to get the miles and pace wasn't a driving factor for me today, so I could help a friend out.
@ Betsy...strong effort. Well done.
@ Matt...you are making great progress. just be careful you don't add in too much mileage too soon.
@ Trish...nice effort to help a friend. The racing Gods will smile upon you some other day!
Two Runs to post late:
SUN BRICK Plan [Out in cold wind and rain] was to do 60' Z1 maybe some GRP....actual=
9:21,8:31,8:23,8:40,9:49 5.2m total 45:10 time HR AVE:151/MX168 Z4-5 (Pace Z3-4)
SAT: Got out to WKO way too late -not getting enough sleep with extra duties so took 4 HR nap before errands....Run vs Bike due to trainer tier needed changed and it was too late for 3 HR planned ride.
2ml~9:30
6X 0.25 ml @ ~6:20-6:30
Then 2 ml @ ~9:30 48' 5.5 mls MX HR 172