Road Racing and Training Thread - Week Ending 10/14

Goal race: Spring 2013 marathon (Pocono?)

Goals: stay healthy, pr? (2:59.50)

M - 6k easy

Tu - 4k easy

W - 6k steady

Th - 4k easy

F - 10k easy on trails

Sa - 6.5k easy

Su - 5.5k easy

Weekly Total: 42km (~26mi)

I finally hit almost the entire distance of a marathon this week! Now all I have to do over the next 7 months is shorten the recoveries to zero and increase the pace by 45 secs/km. If only it were that easy. :)

Nice week, Brum. Have fun at your HM next week. Local races without great expectations are my favorite kind of races. Say hello to Tadese and Kipchoge for me.

Brum - cracking run a the 6-stage mate, there's no doubt it's a fiercely competitive race. Best of luck next weekend, I hear that Tadese is quite handy at the half ;-) Saw him winning the world half in Birmingham in '09, he was hammering it around the 11 mile mark, had dropped the field and was giving it the beans, it was quite something to see.

Numbersguy - sounds like everything is going in the right direction.

M - sick

T - sicker

W - sickest

T - bit less sick

F - still a bit sick

S - 6M easy

S - 10M easy

Total: 16M

Had some sort of virus, high temp, very tight chest, auditory hallucinations etc. Took 3 days off work which is the first time that's happened in quite a few years. Guess that's one way to log a "down" week ;-)

Shoe question - just interested to know what you are all training and racing in? Over the last couple of years I've been gravitating towards lighter weight shoes and currently train in Brooks Green Silence & Pure Flow and also use the Saucony Kinvara 3 for quicker running. What are your current favourites and why?

brum That's a pretty damn deep relay race! Nice run and solid week.

Numbersguy Plenty of time until Pocono. Just keep heading the right direction.

marmite Yuck. Hope this week is way better. As for shoes - Pure Connect for main runs + long (3rd pair, love 'em), NB 890v2 for easy days, NB 1400 for speed (light, great fit for me, enough cush for regular use and even pretty durable for a flat).

Fall goal:

Goal: sub 2:30 at NYC

M - 3am/10pm

T - 3am/Michigan workout (12pm)

W - 3am/10pm

T - 3am/3 x 5K threshold workout (19pm)

F - off (planned)

S - 8pm easy

S - 22am @ 6:41 avg. pace

Total: 93 miles

Tuesday's Michigan workout:

Michigan = 1600m, 1200m, 800m, 400m hard with 1600m up-tempo as active recovery

3 mile warm-up/3 mile cool down

Michigan splits - 4:47 / 5:52 / 3:34 / 5:49 / 2:18 / 5:48 / 1:04

Thursday's 3 x 5K threshold workout:

3 mile warm-up/5.5 mile cool down

3 x 5K with 600m active recovery (2:48) - 16:04, 16:09, 16:18

*Felt great for the first two 5K, but died on the second half of the last one.

I hate when I get sick. But it made me laugh how you had it listed out day by day (sick, sicker, etc.) I dont know if I could jump into a race with no watch, goal, etc. Its hard for me to even do an easy run without keeping time, just to know.

Goal race: Indianapolis Monumental Marathon 11/3

Mon: 17.5 easy double

Tues: 17 easy double

Wed: 15 easy double with accelerations

Thurs: 13.5 total w/ 3mi building pace + XT

Fri: 14 easy double

Sat: OFF

Sun: 24.5 total w/ 21 @ MGP

Total = 101.5

Thus workout sucked. Very tired from work and bumping up mileage. Waking up at 0400 and 0645 at the latest every day in over a week. It was my slowest 3mi building pace all year 620, 603, 539. Not happy

Sun workout went really well, it is amazing how much things can turn around in just a couple of days. WO was 21 @ MGP broke up into 9-6-6 with 1 mi easy jog. Fastest was 603 slowest 622. Recovery jogs @ 820. Pushing hard at the end but was trying my hardest to neg split the workout and I think I did.

Nick

marmite wrote:

Shoe question - just interested to know what you are all training and racing in? Over the last couple of years I've been gravitating towards lighter weight shoes and currently train in Brooks Green Silence & Pure Flow and also use the Saucony Kinvara 3 for quicker running. What are your current favourites and why?

I train in Nike Structures and race in Nike Lunar Racers. I'm a Nike fan. I like the Structures because they're very supportive and cushioned and I have had a bad history of injuries when I was younger. However, the added cushioning does make them very heavy... But I've been running in them for so many years now that the weight no longer bothers me.

I don't know why my posts keep showing up incomplete.

Let's try this again.

Fall goal:

D*** computer!

Fall goal: sub 29 8K

Spring goal: sub 2:50 Boston & Pocono

Mon - 12 (7:05 Just cruised after taking Sun. off)

Tues - 0 (2x7k+ but golf course yardage doesn't count)

Wed - 7.5 (Included 5mi. tempo/accel. 7:30,12:28,6:00,5:56 - 24:24 for the 4mi. that I was really running as a tempo.)

Thurs - 8.5 (3+ am, 5+ pm All about 7:25 pace)

Fri - 6 (7:05 Not quite easy, but not too far off)

Sat - 14.5 (7:30. One of the most perfect crisp fall morning runs I've ever had. Rolling roads and trails around Valley Forge in the bright early morning sunlight. Eased into it, then mostly 7:10-15 pace feeling super comfortable.)

Sun - 12 (7:02 Ran the first 8 with my High Schools coaches (One a former D3 4x800 Natl. Champ, the other a sub 4 miler. Both 7-8 years younger). After a very easy first mile + I realized we'd picked up steadily and were at about 6:40 pace. After 4 into the wind we turned at 29. Proceeded to come back in 26. Especially humbling since the one coach ran 11 to get to where we started. Finished with 4 "cool down" miles at about 7:10-15.)

Total 60.5

Very pleased with this week. The pace of the tempo on Wed. was a complete shock. I expected to see 13-13:15 at the 2 mile point given how I was feeling. To be able to keep accelerating was a huge bonus. I was wiped out by the end of today's run, but to be able to hit that pace on tired legs was a huge motivator.

Hope everyone's weeks were great!

VF Runner wrote:

I don't know why my posts keep showing up incomplete.

Might be the message board software truncates your post when it finds a character or sequence of characters that it doesn't like. (Sending malicious character sequences is a common way to "attack" a server.) Both of your incomplete posts ended after "Fall goal:", maybe after that you typed the same thing both times?

I did make a small change. Initially I used a less than sign. When I changed it to "sub" it worked.

NJ Truth: That Michigan workout is simply sick. Plus, you did the 3x5K two days later. Great stuff.

Goal: NYC sub-3

M: 6 (8:40)

T: 4 / 6 (8:44)

W: 10 (7:55)

R: 9 (8:06)

F: am 10 with 2x3M (6:32, 6:31) with 2:30 water/walk

F: pm 4 (8:35)

Sa: 9 (8:00)

Su: 18 (7:45) 7:50 out and 7:39 back

Total: 76

Year: 2656

A blah week. Not feeling bad but not feeling great on my long run today. I haven't really been varying my weekly mileage much, just a steady mid-70s per week. Probably would be better to have some bigger weeks and some smaller weeks. I am ready to taper but unfortunately i have one more week to push. Friday's 2x3M was pretty decent though. I felt fairly comfortable especially on the the second rep.

Hartford Marathon, yesterday 10/13, Goal: sub-3

Goal: Accomplished! 2:58:34, 54th place (of 2515), 2nd in my age group (of 219). Great race. Well organized, cold at the start but no winds at all, felt great throughout despite a cough I\'d developed earlier in the week. Ran pretty even splits and knew pretty early on that I had it. Broke into full sprint in the final stretch, passing two guys in the last 30 seconds and doing the last .2 at 5:30 pace. What a rush!

Thanks everyone for all the inspiration. It was really great to post weekly runs here and talk about everyone\'s weeks. See you guys again come Christmastime, when Boston training begins. For now, time to relax!

21@GMP three weeks out? WTF? I would die from that. ;)

I just wanted to get through this week. This was going to be my last big week. I'm dropping down to the 12/55-70 Pfitz plan for the last 3 weeks because I want to get my legs fresh and I don't want to annoy my left hamstring that I've been running through. I've been feeling some positive signs in my legs after I've warmed up which is encouraging, but probably too late in the game. However, maybe a good sign for Boston 2013.

I've also been Garminless this week (in for exchange for crappy battery). I think I might run faster with just a stopwatch.

M: 6.15 @ 8:48/ 3.85 @ 9:01 (TM)

T: 9.68 @ 8:23/ 3.32 @ 9:13 (TM)

W: 10 @ 7:52 (TM) 6 x 0.75 (9.2 to 9.7mph) / 3.28 @ 9:08 (TM)

R: 12.54 @ 8:16 / 4.18 @ 9:06

F: 9.68 @ 8:17 / 3.32 @ 9:13 (TM)

S: 6.15 @ 8:37

S: 20 @ 7:54

Tot: 92.2

Wasn't expecting to run that pace today for today's easy 20, but it was nice....

marmite As for shoes - Pure Connect for main runs + long (3rd pair, love 'em), NB 890v2 for easy days, NB 1400 for speed (light, great fit for me, enough cush for regular use and even pretty durable for a flat.

Great choice in shoes. That's pretty much my setup. I ran a race in the new NB RC 1600 today. Basically the same as the 1400 just lighter. Probably cant get as many miles out of them. But worth looking into for races.

Another: I still think you are going to step up on race day. You will probably beat me. In the meantime, i think we are ready to hear your race strategy for the NYC course. I recall you went over this in previous years but i never really paid close attention because i wasn't running it. But now....

What do you think of this article?

http://harlemrunner.blogspot.co.il/2007/10/new-york-city-marathon-course-strategy.html

Congrats EDGEMONT DAVE

Running 10/21 Baystate Marathon

Maybe 11/11 Manchester Half

Hopefully 11/18 5Mi Turkey Trot

M: 12

T: 12 workout with old college team. 4xmi, 800 2min rest (538, 28, 18, 08, 227)

W: 12 recovery

Th: 12

Fr: 12

Sa: 12 after celebrating a buddy's bday-ouch

Su: 20

~93

Back to back 90's finally. feeling good, only 2 missed days in about 6 weeks.

NP112 That is one heck of a long run!

Edgemont Huge Congrats. Awesome run and enjoy your well earned rest!

Redux If I didn't already have a fresh pair of T6's waiting, I'd get some 1600's

themack You screwed up today. Should have run 12am and 12pm.

Excellent stuff Edgemont Dave!!! Congratulations :-)

Nicely done on the 6-stage brum.

Glad you're feeling better marmite. Got your mail. Will have that ready in a day or two I'd have thought. Trainers currently on the go: Brooks Racer t7, Brooks Green Silence, Asics Hyperspeed. The t7 are my racing shoes.

Love that Michigan workout NJ truth - what equivalent race paces do you do the effort levels at? Very nice 3 x 5km workout too.

21 @ MGP NP1112? Blimey. Recover well and you'll fly on race day!

You're almost there CTA. Keep focused.

Nice week themack.

2nd week off here. Tomorrow I become a runner again and I can't wait. Really ready to go!!! :-)

Some stats comparing Berlin 2012 to Berlin 2011 for those interested in such things......

Berlin 2011 (2:34:03) v Berlin 2012 (2:30:19)

Time Period: 84 days v 92 days

Avg Weekly Mileage: 70.3mpw v 85.9mpw

Effort Days (incl strides): 30 (35.7%) v 17 (18.5%)

Effort Days (not including strides): 23 (28.6%) v 14 (16.3%)

Total # of sessions (not including strides): 27 v 15

# of Mara specific workouts (% of total workouts): 4 (14.8%) v 8 (53.2%)

# of quicker miles (% of total): 97.5 (11.9%) v 117.2 (10.6%)

For Berlin last year I opted to do more shorter, quicker stuff, whereas this year the focus was on more specific sessions. Conclusions are, as I suspected beforehand, that fewer, bigger volume, easier paced sessions give me a better result. If I can get the pre-Specific phase in this time I should be rocking come London.

Oh, and as a lot of post mileage to date, I did have a look at mine. Total for the year so far is: 2983. 536 of that was up to mid-March when I wasn't really running though (I'd knock out a good week and then little or nothing for a few weeks). I'm interested to see what effect bringing the mileage back up will have for London.

Goal Race: NAIA Marathon

Next Race: Mount Marty 8K

Monday: 16x500m + wu&cd (8)

Tuesday: 8.25 easy + 4.75 (13, gps found me an extra mile on these routes)

Wednesday: 8 x 1000 w 3 min rest + wu+cd (10)

Thursday: 8 easy (windy and alone)

Friday; 8 easy (meant to do 4, what coach doesn't know won't hurt him muahaha )

Saturday: workout: 2x2.5mi tempo w/10 active rest,+wu&cd (10.5)

Sunday: 10 easy + potential second run

Total: 68-7x

16x500m- This went really well, I ran them all consistently at 1:39ish, last one I went up against our 800m guy who had been back of the pack on the previous 14, didn't let him get it and finsihed around 1:25, getting some turnover back

8x1000m- this went well, team was banged up so only 3 of us did the workout, ran 3:23 as an average, last one was 3:18. I felt confident that it was a solo effort with less than perfect conditions. Got in a car after, sat on a book for the most part of the ride, great tip I saw on LR

2x2.5mi tempo- This was a surprisingly good workout, ran 14:45 for the first one then 14:30 for the second. I felt tired before it as I had drove to get there after I got time to go home. I ran upfront and I felt like it was a true 90% tempo pace, so smooth and easy, even had a kick too!

GPS RIP 1/10-13/10- Well if I haven't made this clear, I bought a GPS watch at the start of the year only to get injured and not use it. In the summer my watch broke due to humidity and not living up to its "water-resistant" billing that it had. I returned it to Nike and finally go a new one 3 months. I started using the new watch 3 weeks ago and on Thursday I saw that it had water inside it like the old one.

After much time in a rice bag and also being put up against my fan on the laptop it looked like it might recover, but didn't. I will now try to return this one. Don't buy the nike GPS watch!!!

This week was a great week overall other than my watch. Got to go to see my gf since we had a fall break. I feel confident I can get my 8K time way down by the end of the season if I keep improving.

Good luck to everyone else!