Road Racing and Training Thread Week Ending 9/22

Hahaha, well-played. I had a feeling you would be the one. :)

Hello everyone!

week 11/12, goal race sub 62 10 miler next weekend

M - 0

T - 8.5 (7:20) moderate

W - 7.5 (8:21)

T - 8.5 (7:55)

F - 13 6x1m w/1 min standing rest (6:04,08,09,05,07,07)

I hit my paces but the moderate runs I did last week left me a bit tired, so I felt I wasn't relaxed as I wanted to. Also, I planned to do 15 but at 13 I was cooked.

S - 0

S - 12.5 (7:12) moderate

This should have been a recovery run of 7.5 miles but I was already at 7:30 pace at mile 2, so I opted for another moderate effort. I think 7 days are plenty to fully recover from that. Two weeks ago I did a micro taper of 3 days after a big workout, I was feeling very tired and I wanted to recover for a 5k, but the race was cancelled. I felt 100% recovered after 3 easy days, so I guess 7 are going to be enough.

Tot 50

Ok, it's tapering time. Very happy with this training cycle, I feel more fit and my shins/feet have been completely pain free. Now it's "only" a matter to translate it into a good race. Planning to go out at 6:15 and see how I feel in the late stages.

Hope everyone had a great week!

Hey everyone,

I had an amazing week. Last Sunday I started taking a multivitamin and a mineral supplement and also Epsom salt baths daily in addition to my stretching and massaging every day. My foot pain immediately started improving and now it's almost 100%! Maybe I was calcium deficient or something...oh well I'm stoked. I generally do all runa as progression runs...

M-5 8:17 steady

T- 6 8:12. L ast mile just above mp

W -6 8:07

Th 6 8:12

Fri 3 10:09 with my roommate

Sat 11.4 755 first half 8:16 pace second half 737 pace

Sun 6 755 last 1.5 at Mp.

Total 43.x

I feel amazing. My goal is sub 3 and marathon pace is starting to feel doable now that the weather is cooling (ga summers suck). My race is Nov 17. Till then ill inch my long run up to 20 and get in a mile or two of each run at Mp.

With some luck ill hit my goal.

Hey everyone, I've been AWOL for a couple of weeks, so here are the last 2 weeks of my training.

GOAL: chicago sub 3

Next race - Crosstown 10k - sept 29.

Last week -

Mon AM 6 @ 8:17

PM 4 @ 7:45

Tues 9 miles w 6 600 m repeats

2:08, 2:10, 2:08, 2:09, 2:10, 2:09.

Wed 14 @ 7:51, pickup to 7:30 at the end

Thurs 7 @ 8:07

Fri 6 @ 7:55

Sat 1 mi warmup, 10k race - 38:42 and 1st OA.

Weird race. Not many people showed up, and I ended up running the entire thing out front alone. Since there was no competition, I ran this race as a slightly faster than tempo pace controlled run. I also missed the turnaround because the volunteer let me run right past him (what the heck) and ran 6.5 miles. Still won, so whatever. total time was 40:45, but I stopped my watch at 6.2 miles.

Sun - 18 long. rainy. ran it at 7:38 per mile.

Total - 72 miles

This week

Mon 6 miles @ 7:45

Tues AM 8 @ 7:50

PM 4 @ 8:00

Wed 12 w 6 1200 meter repeats and 400 m jog rests.

This workout hurt/sucked/wasn't good.

repeats in

4:20, 4:18, 4:22, 4:20, 4:21, 4:20.

Thurs AM 15 @ 7:48

PM 4 @ 8:03

Fri 8 @ 7:54

Sat 6 @ 8:03

Sun 22 @ 7:51, last ten working down to 7:30 ish.

Total mileage - 85

.....And that's all she wrote! I'm into my taper tomorrow. Feels good to be done with all of this hard training, and I am looking forward to seeing how great I feel when I am rested and ready to race hard.

Second time posting here. Hoping to keep it going so I can share my training and also learn from everyone else's training. This week was a down week for me since Philly was on Sunday. Took 5 days off. I'm thinking the next big race for me will be USA half marathon champs in Houston. But will still do some smaller races in preparation. I have some goals in mind but I'll wait to post those. Hope everyone had a good week of training. I definitely enjoyed my time off doing nothing!

I've been AWOL for 6 weeks. This is because I was diagnosed with two stress reactions. I've been cross training hard to come back for XC, despite knowing I won't be the national elite I had believed I could be if I stayed healthy. This week was as follows:

9 hours total pool running.

And I'm about to head out for a short bike ride, with 4x4 minute all out intervals with 2 minute rests. Should be a good VO2 max workout. I have am X-ray tomorrow to find out if my feet have healed.

Hey guys. Sorry for not commenting too much last week. I've been on-call at work for a week and a half, so it has been really difficult to have a life outside of work and running, and I've been spending relatively little time online.

XC meets (6K): 10/12, 10/19, 11/3, 11/23, 12/14

Major goal for 10/12 is to outrun my performance from last year on the same course

Back to training!

Monday: 7.5 miles at 8:06 pace, early since I had to do an early morning interview. Tired, slow, sore.

Tuesday: 6 at 7:50 pace. Felt very good and strong. Strides after.

Wednesday AM: 5 at 8:07. A bit tired, but took it very easy.

Wednesday PM: Practice, 10.5 total with 2 x 15 minute hilly tempo going for 6:20 pace, 3:00 in between, then a 12 minute jog into 5 x 30 second hills. I got a little too optimistic about my first full workout back and threw myself into my normal group only to get dropped during the last 5-6 minutes of the second one. I wasn't too upset, and mostly just felt silly for trying to do that. Strength after.

Thursday: 8.5 at 8:08 pace. Tired and sore, super slow and relaxed, felt good to just chill.

Friday: 8 at 7:57 pace. Got paged at 5:30AM, worked for an hour, downed a cappuccino, then ran out the door. Started off slow, tight, tired (8:10 pace) and picked it up gradually, feeling good for the last few miles (probably once the caffeine kicked in). Pick-ups at the end instead of strides.

Saturday: XC practice, 9.5 total with 3 x 2K hilly loop, 2:30 rest. Ran 7:48 / 7:49 / 7:43. I felt kind of bad for the first one, then progressively better as I went. Those times are good for me for XC, so I am excited for this season. 3 x 150m strides after. Strength after.

Sunday: 16 at 7:56 pace. Led the long run for my club. Had company for 13 miles. Felt fantastic.

Total 72 miles. Felt kind of out of shape earlier in the week, but really sharp by the weekend, so that was nice. I finally feel like myself again, which I haven't felt since pre-illness in early August.

To put Saturday into perspective, my best 6K time on an XC course a year ago was 24:41. I used to be really terrible at hills and at XC. I don't want to get too obsessed with times because that's not what XC is about, but it's clear that I'm a totally different runner from a year ago, and I'm excited to revisit some of those courses and crush them.

Worked an obscene number of hours this week. But I was just really serious about getting to bed early this weekend and it worked out fine. I only missed one workout, my core training on Thursday, and I was going to make up for it yesterday but I basically dozed off on the floor trying to do a plank, so I decided bed was more productive at that point.

Goal Races:

5k on 9/29 (aiming for 18:10-18:25)

Half on 10/27 (aiming for 1:25-1:27)

M: 5 min @ Easy, 20 min @ ~6:30, 5 min @ Easy (4.5)

T: 7.5 miles @ Easy / 4 miles @ ~7:20 (11.5)

W: Strength/Conditioning (0)

T: 5.5 miles @ Easy (5.5)

F: 4 miles @ ~7:20 (4)

S: 3 miles @ Easy / Intervals @ Track (9)

Interval workout:

1.5 mile WU w/ strides

10x400 with 45s rest (1:26 1:27 1:25 1:24 1:25 1:23 1:23 1:23 1:21 1:16)

1.5 mile CD

S: Long run @ Easy (15.5) - This was actually a bit ugly around mile 9. My stomach (and possibly something I ate the day before) didn't seem to agree with the run. Ended up jumping off the path and into the woods for 5-10 mins for a bit of relief.

Total: ~50 miles

Hope everyone had a great week. I've hardly left any comments since I'm fairly new to this, but I'll try to drop by tomorrow and leave a few.

M - 5/5 double

T - AM: 5. PM: 3.1 w/u. 10x800. 3.1 c/d.

W - 7/7 double

R - 5/5 double + Hill Sprints

F - 5/3.75 double.

S - AM: 2 shakeout. PM: 3.1 w/u. 5mi 25:54. 3.1 c/d.

S - 7/3 double

Total: 83

Tuesday: 10x800m with 2:00r. Way better than last week. Still on the same grass loop. Splits: 2:36, 2:31, 2:29, 2:29, 2:28, 2:28, 2:27, 2:28, 2:29, 2:21. Last one was on the track because I wanted to close a bit harder. Felt pretty decent all the way through.

Saturday: I was originally going to run an XC meet in the morning, but the weather was terrible. The course had like 2 feet of standing water at multiple points so I ran a hard 5miler by myself instead. Did 6x.83 hill loop. Laps(MilePace) of 4:25(5:16),4,22(5:12),4:17(5:06),4:18(5:07),4:17(5:06),4:13(5:01). Converts to 25:44 8k which is my first time under 26!

9th straight week at 80+. Full week of training next week then a XC race coming up the first weekend in October. Have a great week everyone.

I hope everyone had a great week of training and StoneCutter I hope you enjoyed some well deserved downtime if you happen to read the thread this week. Hopefully you are eating some wings and drinking beer right now watching football:)

I'll post my week for now and comment tonight while I watch TV.

Goal: Originally Chicago but now Savannah--just hope to PR (sub 2:43)

Weekly: 80.8

YTD: 2,301.0

Pretty good week, my shin is finally feeling back to near 100% so it's nice to get some good work in for once.

M: 60 min aqua jogging AM, 4mile recovery PM (still sore from the half marathon)

T: 8.5 E AM @ 7:15, 4 on treadmill (7:30) + core PM

w; 8 E AM @ 7:16, 4 E pick up run PM @ 6:55

T: 12.06 total interval, see below. core and foam rolling

F: 8 E AM @ 7:27 + Core

S: 10 E AM 7:13

S: 22 E, 6:54 with fast finish: final 8 were: 6:54,52,59,29,33,36,25,34

Thursdays workout was a good benchmark to see where I was. Since I am following the same plan as Boston, it was interesting to compare the two workouts, which both occurred 3.5 weeks before the marathon. Not sure I have the endurance but I am in almost the exact same shape as March. Given the two injuries and off and on training since June I'll take it at this point:

2 mi E + 3 x (1mi T with 1 min E) + 3x (1000m I with 2 min E) + 3 x (400 R with 3 min E) + 2 mi E

Thursday -- rest are in parenthesis.

5:36(1:09),5:35(1:24),5:42(3:00),3:34(2:07),3:30(1:53),3:34(3:09),77(2:44),76(2:45)78

Same workout before Boston:

5:38 (1:11) 5:45 (1:20) 5:44 - walk 100m, jog 1:05, 3:37 (1:56) 3:26 (153) 3:30 (2:39) 77 (2:11) 77 (2:15) 76

Week 2 of marathon cycle. On 12/7

Mon: 6+5 (11)

Tues: 4.25 + 17 (21.25)

Wed: 5+6 (11)

Thurs: 5 + 13 w/ 9 BP (18)

Fri: 5 + 5 (10)

Sat: 23

Sun: 15

Thurs: 9mi building pace started at 605 down to 532. 550avg.

Sat/sun: felt really good. Ran with a couple friends sat and a hell of a group sun. 2:18? 65, sub 14, and some other solid guys.

Enjoying my downtime. Through Thursday, I thought taking 10 days off would be a piece of cake because I was just starting to feel normal again after Sunday's race and running was the last thing on my mind. Saturday came, though, and I started getting the "antsy's". Took everything in my power not to go out for an easy jog today in the beautiful fall weather. At least I will be working longer days the next three days to make the rest of the planned 10 day break more manageable. Writing "rest training" in my log each day also helps - makes me feel like I am doing something positive toward my long-term goals...hahaha. :)

Muebele - I like your weekly format, too. String a few of those together and you'll get to where you want to be.

Slartzio - perfect last full week of training! You're ready. I think if you go out at 6:15s (which I think is a great idea), you'll come home with some (sub)6:00s. Best of luck next weekend!

renewed marathoner - congrats on turning a corner. Hope you can get a nice 6-8 week block in now for your marathon.

King hobbyjogger - very nice last two weeks - you've had an awesome cycle as a whole. Now it's time to reap the benefits of your hard training and just make sure you stay healthy and don't do anything silly like decide it's time for a nice easy trail run and trip over a root and almost face-plant (which I did the week before Philly but never told you guys!). :)

Runnersfix - glad you came back for more! Looking forward to your future posts.

A High Schooler - bummer about your feet this summer. Hope you get some positive news with your X-ray.

xenonscreams - damn, girl, you tore it up this week! I would definitely say the illness is past you. You are going to TOTALLY DESTROY that 6K PR this season!

elif - very solid week of training. You clearly have the speed for sub-1:25 based on your interval workout - now if you can just extend your 6:30/mi tempo efforts (like 3x2mi w/.5mi jog, or 2x3mi w/1mi jog) I think it will be a slam dunk.

forcerunner - yet another great week of training from you. Congrats on the unofficial PR! Like xenonscreams, I think you are going to tear up some XC courses this fall. :)

cmm268 - wow, maybe that hard effort at Philly was all you needed to bust the training rust - that's a monster week you pulled out of your hat! That moderate fast-finish long run shows your endurance is a bit stronger that you had previously thought.

I am enjoying the "football-on-the-couch" scene, but I am trying to be "semi-good" with the diet - no wings today. :)

NP1112 - let the building pace and long run madness begin. :)

The Stone Cutter, re: rest training. One day I want to develop a Fitocracy-like game that's specific for running and rewards you for strategic rest. Like on Fitocracy you can log "sitting on my butt" but you get negative points as a joke. I feel like one for competitive runners would acknowledge that that's actually really hard to do and give us a ton of points for sitting on our butts after races, haha. It helped me a lot, so trust me, what you're doing is productive!

xenonscreams - I am with you, I totally "know" rest is productive. (I actually took 14 days off after Gettysburg, and by design I schedule two longer rest breaks during the year.) It's just the "doing" it that's hard, especially when so much of my training is based on how my body feels, and right now I feel SO good and just want to go for a run. God, we sound like addicts don't we? :)

Goal: Chicago Marathon, 2:45

Mon: off

Tues: 9 with 5.6 at 6:01 pace, gear shifting between 5:4x and 6:0x pace.

Wed: am: 9. pm: 7

Thurs: 7 easy. No time to run except real late.

Friday: Left work early to run 10 at MP. Total fail. Couldn't hit pace and was walking within 4 miles. Legs felt heavy, breathing hard, nothing working. Decided to bag it and try again on Saturday. 8.5 total.

Saturday: 13.5 with 10 at 6:12 pace, under MP goal pace of 6:18. Hard, but got it done. Wore different shoes (Kinvaras), and thinking I may wear these for the marathon instead. Feel much faster than the NB 870s, but can't blame the failed run on Friday on the shoes.

Sunday: 22.5 easy (7:20 pace). Got real tired at the end.

Feeling real tired now, but realize that from last Sunday to this Saturday, I ran around 26 miles at MP or under. Will scale back this week, doing just two workouts. Everything's in one piece, and looking forward to the start of my taper.

I'm really starting to get tired of being so busy, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Post now, comment later?

Goal: 1:20?

Race: AC Half

Mon - off

Tues - 2.5 am 8.5 pm (Am easy. Pm included Planned 6x1 mi. Ended up with 3x1 + 2. 5:57,6:07,6:14. 12:53 (6:42,6:11). Legs just didn't have any more go. The continuous 2 started as as "well, may as run back at a decent pace" and turned into a cut down. After the miles, I was shocked I hit a 6:11.)

Wed - off

Thurs - 6 (Included 5mi MP tempo at 6:30)

Fri - 7.5 (6:57 avg. 8 first, then next 4 were at a 6:38 average.)

Sat - 5 (7:28. Easy)

Sun - 15 (7:16 avg. kind of a fartlek long run. 7:32,6:42,7:11,6:46,6:55 to start. Next several were on trails. 7:30-45ish? Threw down a 6:30 from 9-10. Steady after that with a lot of uphill to get back to home.

44.5 total

I'm really doubting I'll get all the way down to 1:20 for the half, but we'll see. I'm not giving up on that goal, just realizing this cycle may not quite be going the way it needs to to get there.

muebele-Nice week, I think your format of 2 workouts + long run is solid. How did you feel today before the run? The only thing that jumps out at me is back to back harder days but again this could work to your advantage, doing your long run fatigued (i.e. Hansons)

Slartzio-Good luck next weekend, enjoy the best part of the plan in tapering:) Based on your past few weeks I think you are in great shape to hit 6:15 and maybe dial it back over the last 3 based on feel.

renewed marathoner- What multivitame and supplement did you start taking? I like your strategy of trying to put in the faster paces towards the later part of the runs. Regarding the long runs, do you plan to do a run with 6-8 MP at the end of a 16-20 miler?

King Hobbyjogger-Welcome back, congrats on the race and winning it even with running the course long! Nice long run today in the ran after a 10k yeserday. Lots of good speed/tempo work this week. What corral are you in Chicago? what plan did you follow?

Runnersfix-Glad to see your rest week, you had a great race last weekend.

A high schooler- Although it sucks, I should be a case study for aqua jogging. I just came out of the pool after 4 weeks of no running to run Philly and basically have maintained my fitness. Intervals and time in the pool will pay off for you, stick with it.

xenonscreams-great to see you back and at it healthy again with a solid week to boot. Stupid question coming from someone older who never ran in college--is 6k a typical distance for XC?

elif- I dont leave any worthwhile comments either since I dont have a long running background like most on here but enjoy relaxing and reading what others say and posting here and there:) Good luck in your 5k next weekend. Based on Mondays workout I think you are looking solid for your goal if you can run 20 min sub 6:30 in training.

forcerunner- 9 weeks above 80? awesome consistency. Do you plan any taper for your first race or just hit it full throttle?

NP112- Are you doing the Delaware marathon on 12/7 by chance? I happened to notice it was 12/7 last weekend and am thinking about driving out there to "check off the state" after Savannah. My a$$ would definitely be dropped running with the crew you ran with this weekend:)

StoneCutter-glad to hear you took the week off, I know it's tough but seems like the motivation is right back to run. I forget, what's next for you?

Napper-awesome job on the long run today after a hard effort yesterday. It sounds like you have your shoe situation squared away, hopefully 1-2 more runs in the Kinvaras confirms it. I am a Nike LunaRacer guy myself...

Cmm: no this is a trail marathon in indiana. They made me work to keep up. 640 avg and they were talking/telling stories like they werent even running lol

Goal - PR in the 5K and Half this fall

M – 5am / 11pm - Repetition workout (16)

T – 10pm

W – 13.5 - Threshold workout

T – 10pm

F – Off (planned)

S – 5pm

S – Half Marathon (17)

Total Mileage – 71.5

Monday's repetition workout:

3 mile warm-up/3 mile cool down

10 x 400m with 400m active recovery (~2:10):

65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 64, 64, 64

Wednesday's threshold workout:

3 mile warm-up/3.5 mile cool down

5000m with 600m active recovery (2:58) - 16:14 (5:13, 5:12, 5:11, 38)

3200m with 400m active recovery (1:56) - 10:19 (5:09, 5:10)

1600m - 5:09

Saturday's Half Marathon:

2 mile warm-up/2 mile cool down

13.1 - 1:10:06

Not my best effort. The course was extremely windy and I gave up a bit mentally when I realized I couldn't PR. I did walk away with a little prize money but that's about it.