Week 13 Summary

Monday: off
Tuesday: 8 miles along Pacific Ocean
Wednesday: off
Thursday: 7 miles before work (in the dark)
Friday: off
Saturday: 16 along Parkway
Sunday: 7 miles with Fleet Feet group

Miles this week: 38
Miles in 2011: 828

I actually did exactly what my training plan said to do this week! Well, I did switch the order of the last two runs, but I did the mileage. That might be a first this fall. 

Pacific Grove: What a Beautiful Place

Photo credit: VisitAsilomar.com

I had the opportunity to run eight miles along the Pacific Ocean in Pacific Grove on Tuesday morning, after the cold fog had mostly cleared. It was beautiful.

I stayed at the Asilomar Conference Grounds for the Rural Housing Summit, and wasn't sure if I'd be able to run while I was there. I didn't know what facilities will be available at this pseudo-camp facility, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a decomposed granite trail along the beach once I left the conference grounds and crossed the road towards the ocean.

Photo credit: www.montereypeninsula.info

I was scheduled to do eight miles, but had decided that I'd be fine with four if there wasn't a good place to run. I went out, expecting the trail to end and force me onto the windy, oceanside road. But it didn't really (it ended a few time, but picked back up a few yards later). So I kept running, and turned around at about four miles, after running around the curve of the Monterey peninsula.

Photo credit: runplo.yolasite.com

Waves crashing, beautiful landscaping, and well-kept trails. I was in vacation running heaven.

Week 12 Summary

Monday: off
Tuesday: 6 miles speedwork with Buffalo Chips
Wednesday: off
Thursday: 4 miles easy before work
Friday: 7 (9min pace)
Saturday: off
Sunday: 10 miles (9min pace) with Fleet Feet group

Miles this week: 27
Miles in 2011: 790

Need to get faster, be motivated

Again, I went to Buffalo Chips this Tuesday and ran with the C group. I kept up well most of the time, but didn't really feel that I was being challenged to go fast. When I wasn't keeping up, it was because I was tired, I'd had a bad day and didn't care, not because it was too difficult of a pace to maintain.

The challenge is that I don't want to join the B group and not be able to keep up (like, actually be unable to keep up, but ne lazy). I'm not as concerned with looking like a fool, as I am concerned about slowing down or annoying the group. I don't really feel like I'm part of the group yet (and I haven't officially joined), so I'm not comfortable being a nuisance.

The solution seems to be to be motivated and push myself more. I just need to have the willpower to do it (and not be too depressed from my string of bad days).

Here was our workout on Tuesday: 1.5-2 mile warm up/6 x 800′s with 400 recovery/1-2 mile cool down

First Twenty This Fall

Yesterday morning, I was determined to do my first twenty miler of the fall. After being a bit of a slacker about my workouts, I was anxious about how it would go. I got up super early (okay, 5:45, but it felt early) and left for Howe at around 7.

I got out on the Parkway around 7:20, with the sun just up and clouds still covering the sky. I wore my glasses instead of sunglasses, which was a bummer when it was sunny by mile 5 or so. But the air was crisp, and I actually felt great. I started out at a good clip, and only slowed when I ran into someone I knew from the gym and CIM training last year, and ran with her for a few miles.

I was ecstatic throughout the run. I felt great, the miles flew by, and I generllay didn't feel as worn down as I have in previous weeks. It helped to be on a familiar part of the Parkway (after being confused in Folsom last week), and it helped that the weather cooperated.

I started to feel pretty crummy around mile 18. Perhaps it was the fact that I planned my Gu intake wrong: 6 miles, 12 miles, and 18 miles? What was I thinking? I ended up skipping the last Gu, because it seemed pointless by then. Perhaps, it was the fact that I jumped from 16 to 20 without doing 18 in the middle. Or, perhaps it is just that 20 miles is really f###### far! Who knows!

But the bottom line is, I did 20 miles, in 3:15 (or 9:50 average overall), which is a solid start for my high mileage training. I'll set goals for my next set of long runs, but for now I'll take comfort in the fact that I still can run that far without keeling over.

Weekly Summary: Week 11

This week I only got three runs in, but two were great quality. I'm happy that I did my first twenty miler for this fall's training. More on that later.

Monday: off
Tuesday: 7 miles speedwork with Buffalo Chips ( warm, strides, 5x1200 w/200 jogs, jog 5 min., strides, cool)
Wednesday: off
Thursday: 3 miles easy after work
Friday: off
Saturday: off
Sunday: 20 miles on the Parkway

Miles this week: 30
Miles in 2011: 763

Look what we just signed up for!

Visualizza Maratona di Roma: racecourse 2011 in una mappa di dimensioni maggiori

Hint: it is the Rome Marathon!

1200s are brutal

I dutifully went to the Buffalo Chips Tuesday speed workout this week, and did a set of grueling 1200s. I'm still running with the C group, and continuing to be challenged. Maybe if I keep it up, I'll be faster in time for CIM.

The workout this week was:
Tuesday Night Speedwork - 1.5-2 mile warm up, 4 x 20 sec strides, 5 x 1200 (.75 miles) at goal 10K pace with 200 (2 min) slow jog recovery, 5 min jog, 4 x 20 sec strides, 1-2 mile cool down

I did 7 miles total, and scarfed Chipotle on the way home. 

Weekly Summary: Week 10

Monday: off
Tuesday: 5 miles speedwork with Buffalo Chips (5x600, 200 jogs, jog 3 minutes)
Wednesday: elliptical 30 minutes
Thursday: off
Friday: off
Saturday: 16.25 at about 10 minutes per mile (Nimbus to Dam and back)
Sunday: 6 with Fleet Feet Sunday group

Miles this week: 27
Miles in 2011: 733

Weekly Summary: Week 9

This week, I did three quality workouts and a race.

Monday: off
Tuesday: 5 miles at Fleet Feet McKinley group
Wednesday: weights
Thursday: 7 miles
Friday: 4 miles
Saturday: off
Sunday: Urban Cow Half Marathon +1 mile warm up

Miles this week: 30
Miles in 2011: 706

Race Report: Urban Cow Half Marathon

Well, now I know that if I'm going to skip the speed part of my speed workouts for two months, that I shouldn't be surprised when I can't keep up with the 1:40 pace leader.

As I mentioned in my last post, I had a hard time determining if I am better trained than last year or not. Overall I'm stronger, but I think the lack of real speedwork was a real hindrance today. I also didn't feel fantastic, but I think a majority of my issue  today was my training.

I decided to go out with the 1:40 pace group. Keep in mind, my PR is 1:43, so 1:40 was ambitious on its face. I held on for about two miles, then really felt the kind of cramp coming on that requires walking. So I slowed down gradually. The 1:45 pace group caught me at about mile 6, right before an uphill. At the uphill, I let them go, and figured I'd try to keep them in my sights, but I wouldn't be heartbroken if I matched my time from my most recent two half marathons (in the 1:46-1:49 range). At least that is a good long run, faster than I'd normally go on a long run.

And I did just that. I didn't really worry about my time, and ran at a somewhat comfortable pace. I felt a little crummy, but tried to maintain in the ballpark of 8 minutes per mile. Coming in towards Land Park (mile 11 or so), I started worrying that the 1:50 group might be close behind.I picked it up a bit, and they didn't catch me.

I came in at a somewhat respectable 1:49:12, or 8:20 average per mile. It is actually my slowest time in a half this year, but only by 18 seconds. So it counts as a good tempo long run.

Now, I need to dedicate myself to speedwork if I plan to have a good race in December.