Race prep

On Sunday, I'll be running the Urban Cow Half Marathon. It is supposed to be a race prediction/tune up race for CIM. The problem is, I've been a bit light in my speed training. I did well at Buffalo Chips last week, but was pretty slim in the speedwork department for the month or so of training before.

What does this mean? My first guess is that I won't achieve a PR, or perhaps even match my time from last year's race (my current PR of 1:43). After considering my training last year versus this year, I'm not as certain.

Last year, I took most of the summer off, and started the CIM training in early August at very low mileage. Plus, I had done a few half marathons and no marathons. I'd never done speedwork before.

This year, I've trained consistently (aside from March and April), run two marathons in the past year (December and March), and consistently kept up my weekend long run mileage at at least 10 miles. Plus, in the past two months I've done much more mileage than I had at this point in my training last year.

So am I better prepared, or worse? Only the race will tell.

Race Goal 1: Break 1:40
Race Goal 2: PR (Under 1:43:13)
Race Goal 3: Under 1:45

Bottom Line: Understand where I am in training, and how hard I need to work for the next two months.

CIM Training Week 8-ish Summary

I did a pretty good job this week! This was one of my easier weeks in my training plan (6 miles easy four time), but I didn't pay attention to that- mostly because taking it easy this week (before the Urban Cow Half) makes more sense. Here is what I did:

Monday: abs
Tuesday: 5.5 speed work with Buffalo Chips (warm, 12x200 at ~6:15/mile pace with 1 minute recovery, jog 5 minutes, 1 mile at marathon pace ~9:15, cool)
Wednesday: weights and legs
Thursday: off
Friday: 8.5 on the Parkway (in 85-90 degree heat)
Saturday: off
Sunday: 10 on the parkway

Miles this week: 24
Miles in 2011: 676

And as for my goal of running 1000 miles in 2011 (before CIM)... That means about 300 miles plus the CIM by the first week of December.Ten weeks, average of 30 miles a week will do it, and my training plan will get me there before CIM! Yes!

Still alive, but my legs hurt!

I went to Buffalo Chips yesterday after work, and I'm glad I did. The workout was tough, and I slacked a bit, but I think it is a huge improvement over the easy runs I've been substituting for my speed workouts.

The 12x200s were not too bad. I was with the C group, so I was with the group most of the time (as opposed to lagging behind). We averaged about 6:15 per mile pace for the 200s. Then I got a bit fatigued at about repeat nine or so. It was about 95 degrees out, and the one minute rest wasn't really enough. I was happy when the five minute recovery jog came, and even the two miles at marathon pace didn't seem too hard.

I decided to stop at about one mile at marathon pace (okay, a bit slower at around 8:45-9:30, but that's okay for my first try), and did the cool down. I did a total of 5.5 miles in 45 minutes, including warm up and cool down. This includes stopping the watch for the rest breaks, of course.

Not too bad. Now I have to decide my strategy between now and the Urban Cow half. Take it easy (my legs were still tired from Sunday when I went yesterday), or do a long run Sunday then Chips speed workout Tuesday, then take it easy. We'll see.

World of Pain

That is what I fear I will be in for tonight, if I stick to my convictions and start working out with the Buffalo Chips on Tuesday nights. I think the speed workouts I did with them in the spring really helped my Napa race, and I keep thinking that I should join up, and stick with them for at least the Tuesday speed workouts.

I enjoy the Fleet Feet Group on Tuesdays- and running with John- but I'm slacking on speed work. Meaning, I'm not doing it. And that is bad news. So I think I'll go to the Chips workout tonight.

Here is what I'm in for: "15 min warm-up, 12 x 200 fast/1 min easy (if you are not at workout, you can do 12 x 1 min/1 min easy)  5 min jog, 2 miles at goal marathon pace, 10 min cooldown plus 4 x 20 sec strides at end."

Ouch. I'm not sure if I can even manage that, especially if I stick with the B group they assigned me to earlier this year, Those folks are fast!

Weekly Summary: CIM Training Week 4 (?)

Honestly, I've lost count of how many weeks I've been officially "training" for CIM. I started, then felt I wasn't meeting my goals, so I ran a new training plan and "started" again. Either way, I have at least four weeks under my belt (I think).

Last week (Sept. 12-18) I did the following:

Monday: off
Tuesday: 4 miles at Fleet Feet McKinley group
Wednesday: off
Thursday: 4 miles after work
Friday: 5 miles before work
Saturday: off
Sunday: 15 miles with the Fleet Feet Parkway group

John even ran with me the whole way Sunday! Way to go John for completing his longest run by far, ever! He was such a trooper for running with me, even in the heat. I was his water and Gu sherpa.

Miles this week: 28
Miles in 2011: 652

Weekly summary

I had a very productive week, even while on vacation:

Monday: weights and abs
Tuesday: 4 miles in evening
Wednesday: 5 miles in morning
Thursday: "off" but really walked a lot on vacation
Friday: 5 miles on Seattle Watertfront
Saturday: "off"
Sunday: 12 miles on Parkway


Miles this week: 26
Miles in 2011: 624

Our first real vacation run

John and I always talk about how nice it would be to run in a new city, while on vacation. We will see people running when we're out of town, and think that it looks nice. But then the reality sets in: we'd have to pack a whole extra bag to go running. And we usually walk a lot on trips, so we might not get a good run in anyway, or our walk would be tortourous. So we don't run.

Paris is a good example. How nice would it be to run along the Seine? Around the Eiffel Tower? Down the grand boulevards? But alas, we did not run in Paris. We walked miles and miles each day, and didn't have time to run.

For our trip to Seattle for our anniversary (Number Four!), we decided things would be different. We didn't have much we wanted to accomplish (like we did in Paris), and best of all, our hotel would be close to a nice running trail. So we brought the extra bag, and planned the time. And we went running.

We arrived Thursday morning, and walked maybe five or six miles that day.

On Friday, we got up and went running just after seven. We went down the Harbor Steps, to Alaskan Way, and towards the Olympic Sculpture Garden. Along the way, we ran on the waterfront, past the piers with the cruiseship, ferry boats, and the like. Once we got to the Sculpture Garden, we got on the waterfront trail. We took that along the water, on a nice paved trail with waterfountains and lots of other runners. We saw the views across the Sound, the ships and the far away mountains. It was beautiful.

We ran two and a half miles, then sat at a bench for a while to take in the view. I would never do that on a "real" run, but it was the real purpose of the vacation run. To see something new, something beautiful, while running in a new city. Then we turned back, and ran back to the hotel. Had breakfast in our running clothes. Got ready for our day, and started out our sightseeing recharged and accomplished. What a nice feeling.

Harbor Steps Photo: EquityApartments.com

Olympic Sculpture Garden Photo: Archinect.com

Waterfront Trail Photo: Flickr User Luton

Here is the route we took:

Overtrained?

I was reading the new issue of Runner's World a few days ago, and happened across an article on overtraining. I read the general criteria they suggested for determining if one is overtrained, and I met all of them! How is that possible?

I'm tired, irritable, sluggish (heavy legs when running, etc.), and a bit crabby. John suggested this had more to do with the whole picture (i.e. work, other life stuff) than just running. But he also pointed out that I did a three day a week plan for the Napa Marathon, and I'm doing four days a wekk now. Maybe I should think about cutting back...

I have been doing a little bit less on each run (except Sundays)- four instead of five for example. I just feel tired when I run, and I'm so busy that I don't feel like I have enough time. My real downfall will be the lack of speed workouts- I did a bit of a speed workout this morning, but it was nothing compared to what I did last fall.

Maybe I should do quality over quantity- do three workouts- a long, a speed, and an easy. But I still want to keep my mileage up. Who knows.

Another week down...

I guess I forgot to do an update last weekend, with all the Labor Day lounging around. The week of August 29th to September 4, I did...

Miles this week:24
Miles in 2011: 598

Now I need to try to update more often...