Road Racing and Training Thread - Week Ending 10-28-18

R3, ha, well unfortunately for you the race is a half marathon... I’m definitely not completely ruling out your chances vs AJ, but don’t forget to keep an eye out for Stonecutter running you down in the final stretch.

Runner Sam- those 1600s are blasting man. You are very fit right now.

Runnersfix- seeing this training makes me feel that my “light version” of similar training this week was headed in the right direction.

Still Improving- I think you’re in a good place and still some more time to improve fitness.

Jewbacca - Fingers crossed about that calf.

RRR - Congrats! Looks extremely well paced as well. Good job.

th3bt - Sorry to hear about the race. I've never run a good marathon, ever. I know the feeling all too well. Next time.

slo - You got it. I've been talking to a few of the older guys around my training groups and they all think that sub-15 is not only eminently achievable but also the most sensible 'big' goal. So that's that. Obviously I'll keep racing up to HM but it's a nice feeling, no pressure on other results. Just for fun. 14:59 is what I really want. And at my age, having only started running at all at 30, I'd be over the moon.

Pewow - Congrats. Although I'm always taking the veggie side. Can't be helped!

RunnersFix - Ouch. I struggle at half that volume.

JamesTheAmateur -LOVE that Wednesday.

My week -

M - 7m easy

T - 7 x 800 off 200m jog in 90s. 2:24 (what?!) then all in 2:30-31. Just got overexcited first rep. 11.5m total

W - 4/6 both easy

Th - 10m easy

F - Off

Sa -6k up to park run, 16:51 5k, 5.5k home. Probably fine going slower but paced a club mate to a PB. Felt so so easy. Surprised.

Su - 20m easy

Total 70

Good week. Decided to cut my Thursday workouts for a bit and try and just stay above 70 MPW with a real long run every week.

Next race is 10th November (Surrey League XC Match 2) with London XC Champs on 17th, Inter Financial Service XC Race on 21st and South of Thames 5m XC on 23rd or 24th. So just spending the next two weeks staying consistent and healthy before a period of 4 races in 14 days. Although now I have a true running goal, I can go into the XC stuff nice and relaxed and just enjoy it.

You sure have a lot of confidence for a guy whose excuse-laden half PR is slower than both of my chicago splits.

angryjohnny wrote:

runrincerepeat wrote:

The vaunted slo speed cycle that couldn’t get AJ a PR even .. was more to AJs chagrin than RRRs I would say. But glad to see you back in the swing. Was afraid I was gonna have to run the whole thing alone instead of the last 10k.

You sure have a lot of confidence for a guy whose excuse-laden half PR is slower than both of my chicago splits.

I have yet to seek out a perfctly flat "slo approved" race with competition.. but its coming baby!

what’s the course certification status on those recent 5ks?

* correction... “5ks”

haha touche... to find a certified course 5k around here is like a needle in a haysack,.. now the Trot is certified.

All of us can't live in the highly metropolitan areas of the country!

Goal Race Board

Theodore - 10k 11NOV18 10k 24FEB19 HM 7APR19

Stone - Houston HM 20JAN19

TDR - Miami HM 27JAN19

Jewbacca - Houston Maathon 20JAN19

RRR - Orlando HM 1DEC18 Houston HM 20JAN19

Coach Jeff - HM 4NOV18

SLO - Philly Marathon 3 weeks

OR - Richmond 10NOV18

KidB - Dallas Marathon 9DEC18 Houston Marathon 20JAN19

SUB6 - Boston 2019

AJ - Houston HM 20JAN19

Allen - HM May 2019 Marathon Nov 2019

Cocoon - Marathon 7 weeks

Runners Fix - CIM 2DEC18

Bruin - NYC Marathon THIS FREAKING WEEKEND!

James - 10k 1DEC18 Mile 8DEC18

Still Improving - CIM 2DEC18

Lanc - Turkey Trot (Gobble Gobble MFers!)

Thats all I have atm .. if want included holler. Mostly got those from the various posts. I will work out a better template and organize them in order for next week... better at least get a modicum of work done this morning.. "work"

And the time and date way is the Army way .. i like it but if you dont we can change it up

Theodore - Better pacing just requires experience and practice. It's laudable that you could hang on after that quick start.

Stone - I see how a couple doubles and no rest days can really boost the overall mileage -- 70 miles with a long run of only 15. Looking at sub-1:22 for the HM?

TDL - Anyone running with you before you ran that 5:55 final mile?

RRR - It's impressive to see how your fitness has improved, but also your confidence and patience in races. Congratulations, again!

Coach Jeff - Looking forward to your upcoming race report. You have prepared very well; the "pop" will be there on race day.

Coyote - Congratulations on your 15K, and your M60 sweep of the USATF championship races. You started the year with that goal, and got it done! The horrendous weather for your April marathon has been the only negative ... Do you have a marathon on your 2019 schedule?

th3bt - Getting through the adversity and finishing strong is a victory. How do the legs feel today?

Slo - So, will it be a race day decision whether to target sub-2:30 or 2:32?

OR - Two weeks! Sure looks like you are ready to roll. Re: Bib 203. Wasn't that your 20-mile time?

Kid B - Congrats on the MPW PR. Massive race PRs are on the way. Sub-3 in Houston is possible.

Smoove - How many more races in the local series? Vying for overall win?

Sub 6 - Thought of your situation as my knee hit the pavement last Tuesday. Still hurts today. Guess I will take another day off.

pewow - Nice racing! Were you sub-16 back in high school?

stratmos - At 5'11", I have also been at 180 a few times over the years. 165 makes a big difference. Good luck!

AJ - Yeah, some strong running so soon after Chicago.

cocoon - You're the second guy posting an MPW PR this past week. And, hey, what a perfect job pacing that HM!

Bruin - Big PR coming in six days! Enjoy a nice taper week, and good luck on Sunday.

GFMAH - A good week for you, especially those 1000m alternations.

James - Keep at it. Late 20s through 30s can be especially challenging to schedule training. I remember trying to run laps around the twins' playpen in the backyard (didn't work). When they started preschool, I finally had two hours, two days a week ...

RunGuy - Our 2019 racing schedules are similar. Now, if I can just match your marathon. And, yeah, I will probably race a 5K this weekend.

Still Improving - Not a bad week. Yesterday's long run workout is really impressive. Sub-3, man!

LancRunner - Yes, a very solid week. Those workouts tell me sub-17 is not far off. I can relate to your goal ... in my 40s, I was chasing 16:59 ( only managed 17:10 - aargh).

Runner Sam - Those 1600 repeats -- Wow! Sub-2:45 in two weeks. Looks like we have a race that day between you and OR.

team1 - Have a great race!

Working Harder - That "special block" is brutal. Are you scheduling anything like that again in this cycle? Enjoy the 10K.

HHH - What are those XC courses like? Grassy hill and dale? .straw bale jumps? wooded trails stream crossings? Have fun!

Theo - The pacing will come. It is def something I have struggled with.

Stone - Looking good that mileage I am liking!! H-Town will be a great time.

TDR - Glad you rebounded well from the summertime difficulties, nice looking week and win.

Jewbacca - Baller week. on a side note the kid that won the 5k Saturday was wearing the SAME Flyknit streaks in the RIO colorway that we have...

Coach - Cash money yo! I had no pop on saturday morning until the gun.. sometimes it just shows up .. dont worry

Coyote - Really really really impressive..

th3bt - Hard conditions but hanging in there builds that mental stamina.. how was the post race Beer?

SLO - another hundy my man.. how many 90-100 mpw weeks have you strung together now? 5x3mile is a whale of a damm workout. Still thinking about Houston?

OR - You are gonna be ready to throw down in a couple weeks.. how is the achilles?

KidB - There will be some of us at the West Alabama Ice House post race in Houston FYI

Smoove - Nice race on tired beat up legs and body.. Looking forward to seeing ya come Dec 1 (if the race goes the way I think it will...the beer will flow Sat evening)

Sub6 - Glad the knee is better. Seems like the paces are picking back up.

Pewow - Very nice 5k.. def have the speed! I was able to hit 5 flat on my .1 kick but def was about maxed out leg wise.

Stat - I saw your tempo on Strava ... that was a WHALE of a hill

Stratmos - The gainz will come fast.. stay healthy!

AJ - Very fast on those 800s .. and the volume is back baby! i like it.

Allen - Hope the knee is fine from the fall. Were you on a soft surface?

Cocoon - Exact pacing on that HM

RunnersFix - Smoove and Myself will both be highly interested in the CIM tracker the day after the Orlando Half!

Bruin - You are gonna be so far below 2:45 ...

GFMPH - Try the KT/Rock tape length wise along the plantar bow string tight... helps a ton

James - Hang in there.. good things can happen over a few weeks of training.

SI - Those long Q runs look tough to me.

Lanc - looking good for that sub 17. Your average E paces are strong.

RunnerSam - Good luck in a few short weeks in the first full 'thon

Team1 - am glad I wont have your quads after the downhill race!

WH - I cant remember if your race is a half or a full?

Okay seriously I am going to work... the run this morning in perfect conditions (45 sunny no wind) got me all fired up!

runrincerepeat wrote:

... to find a certified course 5k around here is like a needle in a haysack,.. now the Trot is certified.

I generally boycott noncertified courses, but may go ahead and run the local "Home for the Holidays 5K" in November. Admittedly, that's just to go for the overall win -- it's such fun to see people's reactions when a broken down, feeble, elderly man finishes first!

RRR - Thanks for assembling that list! For final version, maybe set it up chronologically? To simply, list only the next goal race for each runner? And, if available, maybe show the goal time in parenthesis -- fun to see who is chasing the same results.

Had a decent week. Mostly walked with 3 miles of running. Son's CC season is over. Daughter came home yesterday for a surprised visit. RRR PR'ed again in the 5k. Nothing to complain about besides the knees which surprisingly feel good today.

Theodore: Welcome to the thread if I didn't mention it before. I take it that since you are here you would like to get better. Not trying to sound like a jerk but 4 days a week is not enough. Your workouts are about right but you may need to add more volume on other days to get more benefit from them.

Stone Cutter: Your base period. So many different paces, so many different types of runs. Personally I enjoyed following it. Although it doesn't look conventional everything is there. Looking forward to following your specific phase.

TDR: Woohoo 5k Champ!!! That turned around quick. Keep it up.

jewbacca: Nice week. Hope the calf continues to improve.

RRR: Big week. Congrats on the 5k PR.

th3bt: No need to apologize. Your race description reminded me a lot of Boston. Very few did good there with that type of weather. The time may not of been there but even finishing in those conditions proves you're more than capable of a really good one next time.

Coach Jeff: Nice week. I'm not going to bother looking for your pop. Tapering is weird. It always seems like the pop disappears and then magically shows up on race day. I'd not worry to much about it. Probably just wants a vacation until you work it's butt off.

Coyote Montane: Great job in the 15k!!! Glad to hear the foot is OK.

slo-twitch: Thursday and Sunday down right impressive.

OR: Another great week. Enjoy the taper. Looking forward to seeing how you do it.

Kid B: Very nice week. I always thought it wise lowering intensity some when raising mileage. Are you following Tinmans approach to training?

Smoove: Good job in the 5 miler. Definitely shows you haven't lost much at all. Are you going to start getting ready for Houston?

Sub 6:00: glad to see the knee is coming around. Very good week in spite of it.

Pewow: Great job on the 5k!!! How is that ladder run? Even pace? Good luck beating those guys next week.

Stat: Impressive week!

stratmos: I like the week. Keep at it. What type of mileage are you looking to build up to?

angryjohnny: Very nice. Glad to see you have bounced back from Chicago so quickly. Houston is going to be fun. Thanks for posting the slo-speed cycle again. Great training there.

Allen1959: Nice week!!! Glad to see the knee is ok. Strides will be good to bring back.

cocoon: Awesome week. If I ever can seriously run again I hope to find someone to pace me so well. Spot on.

RunnersFix: Very impressed.

Bruin1996: Very nice! Good luck next Sunday.

gfmah: Great week! The shuffle is always good.

JamesTheAmateur: Nice weeks! Would you mind me posting later on some things that might help?

Still Improving: great week! Some big workouts.

LancRunner: Great week!!! Always nice to have another in the chasing sub17 catagory. A lot of guys hit it this year I'm sure you will be soon.

RunnerSam: Nice week!

Team1. Best of luck in the DH marathon.

Working Harder: Nice week. As for that special block. After reading a lot of Canova's stuff I think half of his Special Blocks have the sole purpose of increasing the amount of natural pain killers in a runner. If that is the case I'd say it served its purpose.

HHH Runner: Nice week!!! Great job Saturday! Always cool helping someone get a PB.

Who all is going to be at Houston? I wish I were able to go just to watch the race. RRR has a long way to go but I think AJ is beginning to realize he will have to do more than just show up. I'm not sure who will win and not going to count out Stone Cutter either. I just don't think Bdubs I believe it was, will be showing up to easily pace his buddies. 3 PR's would not surprise me at all.

Allen - Will do .. I fig'd the first one would be a "rough draft" that I could tinker with. Also When I post it on the front page going forward I will have it in order and the racers running the following week in bold. Than you for the input.

Pappy - and as always thanks for your coaching .. it has been really fantastic. Also a little smack talk with AJ and Stone is just to try and get everyone training hard hard hard! I believe we all want the best versions of each to show up as that will insure some fast AF times. ( weather depending.. Houston is unpredictable)

RRR - 95% of my running is in soft dirt/crushed stone (bike trail and road shoulders). I was running on the shoulder when my trailing leg must've caught the edge of the pavement. And of course, the knee came down hard onto the hard freaking road. I was kicking in the last few miles, and running downhill ... Wham!

runrincerepeat wrote:

Stat - I saw your tempo on Strava ... that was a WHALE of a hill

Ha - yeah. I thought it might be RRR approved while I was working/crawling my way up it.

Allen1959 wrote:

HHH - What are those XC courses like? Grassy hill and dale? .straw bale jumps? wooded trails stream crossings? Have fun!

Luckily it's been fairly dry here so far - so unless we have some bad weather between now and then they should be reasonably firm. Unlike what I'll be racing on in January/February where it's mud-on-the-face territory. No streams luckily!!

Most notable course is London Champs at Parliament Hill, which all British runners regard as the single most important XC venue in existence. A quick google image of Parliament Hill cross country gives a good impression. It's extremely steep and constant hills. Big ones.

But London Champs are only 10k, whereas the South of England Champs there in January will be 15k and the mens race is the 7th race of the day. So the course will have had a good 2-3 thousand runners churning it up before we get to suffer on it.

Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park courses (for Surrey League and Inter-Financial) are huge, fantastic parks in London. Both fairly wooded and revolve around 1-2 really big hills over 2 laps. Wimbledon is really tight in the trees and starts with a massive wide downhill and a steep narrow climb back up. Richmond is wide open and has wild deer in the park. Also in the trees but big wide paths, more epic. Ends with a 800m downhill out of the trees into the open fields so you can suddenly see the entire field in front of you.

A far cry from golf courses with hay bales! Almost none are particularly accurately measured though!

Stone, do you have your entire cycle planned out already? If so, mind sharing?

I ran my goal HM yesterday. GIven the 5 week "taper," I had no idea what to expect.

I trained with 525-530 /mile as my goal. I knew this wasn't realistic, so I took it out easy.

1:15:03 was my chip time. STrangely, this was the first time I got through halfway feeling good. Onc e it got hard though, it was rough. 5:37 was my fastest mile, 5:52 was the slowest.

Pretty sore this AM. I'm going to take this week down, then gear up to kick AJ's a$$ in Houston.

runrincerepeat wrote:

RGM - Jan/Feb 2016 I started. Kind of had a 5 year plan in my head and the first year was just gonna be about getting the miles in and getting lean (started around 210-215).

2016 - 2000ish miles

2017- 2700

2018 - at around 2600 (injurious summer)

5k progression was

Fall 2016 19:12 and 18:12

Fall 2017 17:56 to 17:12

Fall 2018 17:4x (off injury) to 16:44 (so far)

Happy with the progression. Never satisfied! Always hungry nom nom nom

Looks like a good rest week. Congrats on the Chicago acceptance.

Kind of obvious what the next two years look like:

Fall 2018 17:4x to 16:12

Fall 2019 16:56 to 15:12