Road Racing and Training Thread - Week Ending 7/15

target: sub 17 5k and sub 35 10k

date: September - October 2012

monday: 6

tuesday: 3x1600m/200m rec - 5:36,5:33,5:40

wednesday: 0

thursday: 5

friday: 6

saturday: 6x800m/200m rec - 2:41,2:42,2:41,2:42,2:41,2:40

sunday: 8

37 miles total

few notes to add: the mileage is low considering my targets as i am returning from a 2 month injury lay off... will be into the 40s next week, my rest day would have been friday but wednesday was a busy day so had no time to get a run in, plus i am fairly pleased with the track workouts especially the 800s - was hard but worth it in the end

Hartford Marathon 10/13, Goal: 2:59

M 6 easy 7:46

T 6 easy 7:42

W 3xmile intervals 6:11, 6:08, 5:54, first 2 net uphill, 3rd downhill, .5 mi slow jog recovery, 8 total

Th 8 easy 7:38

F 7 easy 7:43

Sa 4 Mile Race, 24:49, hot and muggy, wasn't feeling 100%, realize I've got work to do to get into sub-3 marathon shape

Su 11 on flat trails 7:58

Week total: 50, 2012 total: 1101

hi all, i've been away for about 5 weeks. i was down with a knee for a week then hovered in the 40-60 range but am back.

race: Baystate

time: TBD

m: 12

t: 18

w: 13

th: 10

f: 12+

sa: 12+

su: 12+

90

sure is hot out

Goal Race: January Marathon

Next Race: July 28th - 10k

BRUM- That's a killer week even despite not hitting the tuesday session. You got four quality workouts in that work on four different areas. I'm hoping to see some big fitness gained for you, and good luck in the 5k.

DCRUNNER- Nice two sessions.

This week was supposed to be similar to last week as far as workouts. Only two weeks out from the 10k now so I kept the 10k paced intervals, along with a little shorter of a workout. After this, I'm planning on doing some real 15-5k workouts and start ripping out the repeats. I was going to cut back on milage this week, but felt good. I decided to cut back slightly the next two weeks as a taper, which will also little more fresh for the speed stuff. All in all, a good week for me and I'm getting more excited to race every day.

Mon: AM-8 easy (8)

Tues: AM-5 easy...PM-4m Tempo/3k, 2k, 1k + 2 m WU/CD (16.75)

Wed: AM-12 easy (12)

Thurs: AM: 10 easy (10)

Fri: AM-5 easy....PM-6x800 Progressive + 3 WU/CD (14)

Sat: AM-7 easy (Planned 12, but felt heavy) (7)

Sun: AM-18 long (18)

Total: 85

THE 3k, 2k, 1k: Started off with a 4m tempo just to shake out and start rolling in 21:22. This idea was to run race pace on tired legs, so I took 3min rest after and went into 3k, 2k, 1k @ 10k pace with 90 seconds recovery (9:30, 6:22, 3:06). Was able to pick up slightly on the last one, but this was a very difficult workout. Not that you're in oxygen debt, but overall I was just tired in my legs.

THE 6x800: First one at 5k pace, and the rest of them were just supposed to be faster each rep. Went 2:24, 2:22, 2:18, 2:17, 2:15, 2:13. Another hard one that got down a little quicker than 3k pace. The worst part was the rest. A major confidence builder though.

Awesome two sessions, and felt good on the long run today. Just felt a little lethargic yesterday and had to call it quits after 7. Still just very excited to race, and am gaining fitness so quick. Having what was essentially a ~6 month base period actually helped even though I was working back from an injury. Nw comes a much needed decrease in mileage over the next two weeks as a small taper.

Goal Race: Jacksonville Marathon (12/16)

Goal Time: 2:25?

Next Race: Vesctor Bridges 5k (7/28)

I finally have a week worth reporting! After the "down" week last week, I felt good all this week, with a number of quality sessions also thrown in there. The 20 miler wasn't intended, but the guys I ran with were going 20 and since I was already planning on 16-17, I thought "why not?"

M: am - 8 easy (7:32) / pm - 6 easy (7:19)

Tu: am - 6 easy (8:04) / pm - 10 total w/ 4 miles of in/out 400's (avg 76.5/90.8)

W: am - 6 easy (8:10) / pm - 6 easy (7:10)

Th: 6 easy (7:32)

F: am - 11 total w/ 6 x mile w/ 30s recovery (5:46, 5:39, 5:33, 5:24, 5:23, 5:23) / pm - 6 easy (7:20)

Sa: 6 easy (7:45)

Su: 20 easy (7:00)

Weekly Total - 91 miles

YTD - 1,562 miles

Though the paces were pretty tame on the workouts, it felt really good to be actually able to run one again. I was very pleased that this week came without putting in too much effort. I've got a 5k (first race in 4+ months) in two weeks. Don't really know what to expect, but it'll probably be my slowest 5k in 2+ years. I think I'd be really happy with a sub-16.

Boy do I feel out of sync with the group. Nice weeks you guys. Bit of a down week for me in some ways. Nothing wrong, just time issues and a minor motivation issue on Tues.

Next Race: Track Pentathlon Aug 12

Mon - 6 (7:31 easy)

Tues - 7 (4 w/u c/d. 20 minutes of diagonals on the soccer field)

Wed - 6 (7:17 Easy)

Thurs - 8 (7:40 Tough trail - good effort)

Fri - Off

Sat - Off

Sun - 15 (7:40 Included a major climb and some trail.)

Total 42

YTD 1892

Tuesday it was hot and I just didn't have the motivation to run for time by myself on the track, but I still wanted to get some speed in. I was pretty wiped out by the end. It came out to roughly 2.5 miles hard and .5 easy. Fri and Sat I meant to run but just ran out of time and energy as we prepped for our daughters annual B-Day BBQ bash at our house. I guess hours of cooking/cleaning/yard-work was this weeks cross-training.

brumrunner - Those are some really quick 200's! I think you'll be surprised how fresh your legs will feel if you don't do any quality sessions until the race. Good luck this week!

Young Guy - Same story, different week. What was the recovery on those 800's? That's a great progression of paces throughout the workout!

VF- I love the diagonals workout and others like it, I used to do those ever 2 weeks or so in HS.

PABLO- MAN. What a week, thats so far ahead of what you've been doing, glad to see it. I'd expect under 16 for sure. The rest on the 800's was half the time spent running, so it was 1:0x-1:1x the whole way. BRUTAL. 30sec recovery on the 6xmile for you seems tough though. Cruise Intervals?

Goal: NYC marathon sub-3

Still running easy mileage with no planned workouts. I basically have been running by feel. I am not sure when i will start structured workouts. I am going to be in NYC for an August weekend when NYRR has one of their Central Park organized long runs (20M), which will be fun.

M: 9.5 (8:03)

T: 4 (9:00) / 8 (8:18)

W: 9.5 (8:08)

R: 9.5 (8:25)

F: 4.5 slow / 7.5 with strides

S: 8 (7:35) with some at MP

S: 16 first half 8:00-8:10 second half 7:29

Week: 76.5

YTD: 1684

Decent week, decent mileage despite the heat. Saturday and Sunday both felt great.

Goals: 16:30, 34:00, 1:15:00

M - 4

Tu - 0

W - 8 (progression, 7:00-6:00)

Th - 6

F - 4

Sa - 0

Su - 12.5 (@ 6:45-6:15)

Total - 34.5

The bad:

Pretty half-assed total. I hate to blank two days in a week, especially with those tiny four-milers. Serious time constraints. I think it's better to get out the door for half an hour than not at all, though, so there you go.

The good:

Got in the mid-week medium-long run I'm hoping to build up. I threw some long strides in the short runs just to feel more productive and the legs felt snappy. Will start workouts in earnest next week and looking forward to it. Long run felt great, probably from doing so little all week, so I let it roll a bit and had fun.

brumrunner - Nice to see you hitting those consistent miles every week, as well as getting in a lot of quality. Impressed!

dcrunner0910 - Two nice workouts, looking good for your goals, which are similar to mine. What's your usual long run like?

Edgemont Dave - I think you've got enough speed that if you keep cranking those 50-mile weeks you will be set for 2:59. 3x1 mile is a short marathon workout, though. (I realize you may have been sharpening for that 4-mile race.) For marathon prep, I like to do sets like 8-10x1, 4x2, 3x3 (any combination with about 10 miles of running) at between marathon and half pace. Sorry for the unsolicited ideas but I really think this stuff and the long run are the bread and butter for going sub-3 for the first time.

themack - Crushing it. Solid strong of 12-milers!

Young Guy - I like that 3/2/1 set. Going to try that this summer, but admittedly might go up to 2:00 rest. Solid week, and it sounds like pulling the plug on the easy 12-miler was the right decision to recover and keep getting after it!

Pablo - Nice week back up in the miles. Looks like you had plenty in the tank on the 6x1 workout with only short rest. I'd predict faster than 16:00 for your 5k, but what do I know? Enjoy!

VF Runner - Legit week. Diagonals can be a great stimulus, especially 20 minutes' worth, so go for you on pulling something out when you weren't feeling it. What is a track pentathlon, btw?

CTA - 76.5 miles and your goal is sub-3? I have total faith you are going to absolutely destroy this. Will be interested to know what you bring in later in the summer. Lots of time to NYC though.

young master, thanks for the unsolicited advice! Yes, I was sharpening for the 4 mile race. Have a 5 miler in 3 weeks for which I hope to earn points for my running club, so will continue shorter faster workouts until then, but will definitely take your advice in the weeks that follow. Also plan on upping my mileage to the 55-75 range and introducing doubles soon.

CTA, good luck with breaking 3 in NYC. It's not an easy course (at least the second half) but with the mileage you're putting in so early in training, you'll be prepared.

YOUNG MASTER- The 3/2/1 is a great session for sure, just a little short. If you're doing it alone (without the 4m tempo warmup) I'd recommend doing it at GOAL 10k pace. It'd be a nice indicator of fitness knowing how hard it felt for you since it's not THAT much running like 10x1k is etc...

Young master - it's a track event to find "The best runner". 5 events on the track all scored based on age grading tables - highest total wins. In order it is 3000, 100, mile, 200 and (400 or 800). It used to be just 800 but it was always won by a distance runner, the choice of events gives sprinters more of a chance. There should be about 35 minutes between events. Enough to be ready to go again, but not enough to truly need to warm up again.

I'm guaranteed one PR since I have NEVER raced a 100 for time.

Aim: 2:44 in October.

Mon.—5 mi. (2.5 to Lake Michigan, 20min. swim, back)

Tues.—8mi. (7:25).

Wed.—10mi.

Thurs.—am. 4mi./ pm 10mi.

Fri.—9mi.

Sat.—am. 8mi. including 3mi. @6:19/ pm. 8mi. easy.

Sun. 17 miles in hills.

Week: 79 miles (ytd: 2214). Travel early in the week meant lower volume. Otherwise this week was ok, though I know that I now need to get more serious about preparations if I am to be ready in the fall. Fortunately the worst of the summer heat where I live seems to have passed and it will be easier to get the long runs in.

brum - that's some really nice speed! Good luck for Thursday!

I like the looks of that tempo/3-2-1 workout Young Guy. Two good workouts.

pablo - good to see things returning to normal for you.

VF Runner - the pentathlon sounds fun!

Edgemont Dave - a 24:49 for 4m would be in the ballpark for a sub-3 imo. That said though, the 3 x 1m workout would imply you could do run 4m quicker than you did, so possibly the heat/mugginess cost you a bit of time?

Mon: midday: 23m - 21m easy, last 2m @ 5:44.

Tues: am: 14.2m very easy, but hilly. A little tired at the end.

pm: 6.1m jog.

Wed: midday: 6.2m jog.

pm: 12m - wu+strides, then 2 x {1200m, 1200m, 1600m} @ 10k (recs: 1 lap, 1 lap, 2 laps), cd.

Thurs: am: 7.1m jog. Stiff.

pm: 10.6m slow.

Fri: pm: 11.1m very easy

Sat: midday: 5.2m slow

Sun: wu+strides, Half Marathon race - hilly: 74:40 - 2nd, cd.

Total: 113m.

After 8 haphazard weeks of training I was determined that this week would be better, and the result was my biggest mileage week since pre-knee-op (so in well over 2 years).

Workout was supposed to be 10k pace (it was actually my first time on a track for almost a year - I'd forgotten how bouncy they are!), so I figured on 80s per lap (that was my 10k pace 8 weeks ago, but I've lost a bit since then). Very pleased to hit: 3:54, 3:57, 5:16, 3:57, 3:58, 5:14 - basically all 79s laps, bar a 76 to start the first rep and a 77 to finish the last. It was a little more than 10k effort, but I was enjoying it, so I just rolled with it.

The Half was a bit of a lumpy affair - huge hill covering the first 2m and a nice rise over miles 10-12, with some undulations throughout, plus a slight headwind from about 8 on.

I was in 3rd at 8m, about 15s down on 2nd and assuming I wouldn't catch him as the gap had been pretty constant from about 3m. At 8.5m I saw him glance around and realised he was struggling. I caught him at 9m and passed him. He came with me, so I put in a surge. I left him come back to me, and as he regained touch and just after he settled onto the back of me to recover, I put in a longer, more sustained (and really bloody painful) surge and managed to gap him. It cost me a few seconds over the last few miles, but worthwhile as if he had managed to stay with me on that one I'm not sure I had anything left.

First place was a (soon to be) double Olympian, who is running the marathon for Sri Lanka (over 7mins up the road!), and there were also 2 female Olympian marathoners a bit behind (one GB, one Chilean).

Because my conversion is in the double + 3-5mins range, this race, run flat-out, gives a good indication of current marathon pace for me. If I shift a couple of the extra weight I put on over the last 2 months and manage to keep my training good for the next 11 weeks, I should be nicely set up for a sub-2:30 as a minimum at Berlin.

young guy: I too like that workout you did. Eight miles at roughly 5:05/mile pace with only 90 seconds recovery is very solid. Reminds me of a more reasonable version of the Daniels killer session of 4M/3M/2M/1M (starting at tempo and increasing) which i think someone on this thread did last year.

young master: I've gone barely sub-3 before but on flat courses. For NYC, i am not putting too much pressure on myself to PR. If i go sub-3 with a negative or modestly positive split, i'll be very happy. I am almost 45 and i am not certain if i have another PR left in me.

Edgemont Dave: Your workouts are similar to what i have done when i went sub-3. Push up your mileage and do longer tempo workouts (6M of work) and you should be fine.

Funny how dcrunner and young runner and I all did the same session this week (6x800). Like young runner I did it off short recoveries, though unlike him I didn't run any quicker than 2:23. Great session mate. A very impressive week in general.

pablo - a big increase in volume. Good work.

VF - the track pentathlon sounds like a really interesting idea.

kr - Good half marathon at the end of a big week. We also had an Olympian turn up at the parkrun on Saturday (I should have chased him given the time he ended up running but I had promised myself not to do an all out effort). He ran 15:52 which must be pretty close to marathon pace for him. What do you think the purpose of this would have been a few weeks out from race day?

I wish I had your endurance kr. For me, I'd have to get myself in sub 70 shape at a minumum for 2:30 to be possible!