Road Racing and Training Thread, Week Ending 12/24/17

*for Monday, I finished 6:34, 6:16, 6:10.

Another A-/B+ week for me. Missed my run on Friday because of work obligations. First day off this month and only my second day off since October 27th.

M - 11 easy

Tu - AM: 5 easy; PM: 4 x 1200 (3:43, 3:41, 3:42, 3:38) w/2:15-3:00 rest

W - 6.25 easy

Th - 10.75 easy

F - off

Sa - 1.5 up; 4 x 1600 w/1:00 passive rest (5:09, 5:13, 5:19, 5:19), 10.5 easy for 16 total

Su - 10 easy

Good solid, if unspectacular week. Tuesday workout was pretty strong. Saturday was okay, very good considering my hangover (stemming from the client entertainment obligation that kept me from running Friday). Overall volume was a little lower than I intended though - I was shooting for 72 miles.

This turned into more of a workout week instead of building up mileage. I decided to add hill sprints to my training this week. Starting with only 2 reps to start since my body is not quite used to this intensity.

Mon. 5.8mi Extra easy couples run + 2x100m hill sprints w/ slooow jog recovery downhill.

Tues. 7.8mi Easy

Wed. 5.9mi Extra easy couples run

Thurs. Track workout 2x2mi. w/ 3min slow jog recovery(6:51, 6:33, 6:37, 6:35) + 2mi up & 2mi down

Fri. 7.4 Easy

Sat. 12mi Hilly long run, A bit of a workout with steepest section ~12% grade

Sun. Core and hip work.

Total 47.3mi

Merry Christmas All!

Merry Christmas guys!

My week was pretty good. Finally got that long run in that I had problems with the past 2 weeks (hangover first week, stomach issues the next). I'm happy with my mileage now.

M: 7mi @ 7:13 + 2x100m + 0.5mi cool down

T: 8.1mi @ 7:20

W: 10mi @ 7:40

T: 14.3mi @ 7:23

F: 9.0mi @ 7:43

S: 9.0mi @ 7:33

S: 18.1mi @ 7:23

Looking forward to replenishing those calories from the long run at tonight's xmas dinner :)

Oh, btw, that was a new weekly mileage record for me! 76.1!

Actually with how my week turned out considering all things

Mon 6. Bout got hit on my bike and locked up the brakes pedals spun and caught my Achilles. Major pain

Tues 8 Achilles started getting very stiff/sore

Wed 4/3 slow recovery run Achilles very painful

Thursday 6 started slow and finished stronger Achilles very sore still

Friday took off w soreness. Company Christmas Fiesta and many beers were had.

Sat morning 4. Achilles felt perfect! Evening 6 w last three miles 6:2x

Sunday. 13 finishing strong. 7:27 overall average. Achilles is perfect!

50 total

Week started bad w the accident. Got worse in the middle but finished strong and great. Was just a deep bruise on the Achilles that worked out. Glad I kept pushing thru it and keeping the blood flowing.

Merry Cheristmas everyone. Or whatever holiday applies to you!

Today, 12/24: 5.8 easy. Snowy/slick, 7:50 average

12/23: 15.2 total. 7xx for 6 miles, 6xx for 7 miles, 539/535 to finish. Very cold

12/22: 8 easy

12/21: 8 easy

12/20: 3 up, 7 MP (608 average), 3 down

12/19: 8 easy

12/18: 8 easy

Winter is here, and I'm not happy about it!

A pretty spectacular week!

M: Injured

T: Injured

W: Injured

T: Injured

F: Injured

S: Injured

S: Injured

Only about 85km short of the weekly goal!

Smoove- blazing 1200's wow; looking good for the Houston half!

Still improving- 2x2 miles is a great session; good workout man; hoping to do those for tempos when I start base building

Diet bacon: putting in the work damn that's gonna pay off down the road! Great name too lol

OR- as usual, monster week; wish I was finishing daily runs at that pace haha!

Bdubs- thanks friend I hope you're right haha; I think my times start to drop around in rep sessions around the 800m mark; the relative decline starts at 400m but I can still string together a fairly fast session of those; of course it doesn't mean anything if it doesn't make you faster in time trials or races so I'm hoping to raise my mileage by s meaningful amount when I start base building again late January.

Sorry I missed last week guys, been very hectic the past few weeks for me but back at it; last week I did 4 days of easy running and 2 workouts

8x200m with 1:00 rest in 36.4 average

10x300m with 1:00 rest in 59.6 avg

This week

Monday: 30 minutes easy

Tuesday: rest

Wednesday: 40 minutes easy, 4x100m strides

Thursday: 30 minutes easy

Friday: rest

Sat: 30 minutes easy

Sun: 40 minutes easy, 4x100m strides

Was a down week this week, hoping to get some final workouts in the next 2 weeks and finally test myself at 800-1600. Then will return to base in mid-late January where I hope to run more mileage so I can work on my endurance which is my relative weakness.

Merry Christmas everyone; been a privilege to follow you guys on here; it's kept me more consistent and hungry to reach at least a fraction of the standard that's produced here, good luck with training and racing!

OR - Thanks for starting the thread. Enjoy your vacation

Smoove - great week & looking strong for Houston

still improving - I like the hill sprints

DietBacon - Solid week & nice long run

RRR - funny how sometimes the best thing for an injury is too keep moving

Bdubs - Good long run, especially in the cold

Theo - bummer about the injury, are you able to do any cross training?

misser - You and I have similar plans, I'm running an indoor track meet in Jan then going to hit the roads.

Training for indoor track meet in January, might do New Year's 5 mi if the weather isn't bad. Kind of ended up being a big week for me, but I'm feeling good.

M: 9.5 w/ (3x10", 2x30") (3x10", 30") flat sprints

T: 9 w/ (60", jog, 4x15" on/ 30" cruise), 2-3' jog (45", 30", 2x23" w/ equal distance jog) ~800 effort for the on segments. I was a little over cooked (especially with the ski race last weekend). The original plan was two sets of 400-4x(100/100) then the cutdown, but I wasn't feeling on fire today so I nixed the middle set. Looking forward to an off day tomorrow.

W: strength (med ball hop & throw, power snatch, back squat, pull ups, lunges), 1 hr nordic skiing

Th: 9 w/ 2x5x10" hill sprints, 40 min nordic skiing

F: 9 w/ (3x 1:45 w/ 2:15 jog), 6' jog (90", 70", 50", 35" w/ 90" jog) ~1 mile effort, tried to accelerate through intervals so I got to the "line" with 30 sec left. strength after (jumping, DB high pull, deadlift, circuit (pull ups, squats, DB press)

S: 8.5

S: 10 w/ an old friend, Beautiful day for Christmas Eve, 15, snow & no wind

Yeah...15, snow, and no wind...perfect for a Christmas run. Merry Christmas, pewow.

I'm pretty sure 15 is still shorts weather for throes far north Yankees! It was only 28 on my run but a stiff northern wind.

Yeah, I bet those crazies can run it in shorts. Single digits is about the lowest I go, and I dress warmly. Wind makes a huge difference.

How is your Chritsmas Eve going, RRR? All the best to you...

26 is my cutoff on shorts. My eve is going well. Thankful the year went well work wise, family wise , running wise as I stayed healthy and improved.

Having a couple beers and actually just started watching the Boston marathon documentary. Was a pretty inexpensive rental on Amazon.

Lotta good weeks out there!

Pewow - how are you feeling on the increased volume?

Bdubs - another good week

Diet bacon - I like seeing those runs pop up on strava and a lifetime high week is always a good week!

Smoove- another strong week! See ya in Houston soon. Should be some fast times laid down.

Indeed, a lotta good weeks out there. Mr. Smoove is looking really spiffy right now. I am expecting a strong run from him in Houston. I wish I could be there to see you guys (and gal).

I can't understand how you people can run in shorts when it gets under 32 I tried that once and I couldn't feel my leg skin after. Also I went once in like 35 degrees in shorts with no underwear and my dick froze. That was a bit painful afterwards

This week was better mileage wise but I got a bit carried away with the workouts, my legs feel it a bit

M: 10.5k easy with uphill strides in the middle

T: Total 16k, 2x2000, 3x1200, 4x800, rest 3,2,1 minutes standing. Did them in 7:55, 4:36, 3:00. I'm starting to add some faster workouts as I get near end of base. This one was around race pace, so nothing too hard with the complete rest. May have been a bit too much volume but I felt good

W: 9.3k + 7.7k + drills

T: 11k, Went to Adidas Runners and I got dragged into holding 4:00/km pace for 8k which was stupid of me but my ego was too big.

F: 9.3k+5.2k very easy

S: 22k a bit faster than easy, a bit progresive 5:10 > 4:30

S: 10.4k very easy

Total: 101 km (63 miles).

My ankles hurt a bit since I ran really hilly this week but I reckon I would be fine.

Merry Christmas everyone! Santa has been here already and the gifts have been opened and my daughter is on her way to school... yes, Christmas Day is a work/school day here!

OR: Two new record miles in one week is quite a week!

Smoove: I admire that you guys can put in such good workouts while maintaining such a hectic work schedule!

Still Improving: The buildup must be going well since your body feels ready for an increase in intensity!

DietBacon: Congrats on the new mileage mark!

BDubs: Take care in those slippery conditions.

moj: Glad to see yer back at it

pewow: A lot of good work this week... and it's good that you know when to scale back a workout. Took me a long time to figure that out.

My week:

Mon: Post-race soreness, but not too bad

Tue: More of the same

Wed: Nice nice weather so I shouldn't resist getting out for an easy 5-6km jaunt

Thu: Feeling better

Fri: Feeling about right

Sat: Feeling ready

Sunday: About 9 km easy on road and trail

Next Race: 3/18 Wan Jin Shr Marathon (the only IAAF race in Taiwan (Bronze))

Not sure how I feel yet about this upcoming race. After a big step forward and a successful marathon training cycle, do I have the desire to push hard for another 80 odd days for another breakthrough? Treat it as a victory lap and just enjoy the next few months by training less seriously? I had a teenaged monkey on my back, but now, after 15 years of aiming at a BQ, of aiming at this or that time, I totally shattered my expectations of myself in a single race. I don't have new expectations yet, I guess, and that is at the root of my uncertainty. I open to thoughts on the subject when everyone's lives calm down after holiday festivities.

It's been a good year...

Coach Jeff - I understand completely, and, yes, it has been a good year for you, me, RRR, and many others here. And for a runner, there is nothing more imprtant than good health.

I, too, am undecided about a spring race. I might end up running the Shamrock (full?). Give yourself a week or two, and see how you feel. In destroying your PR, it chnages things, right? You have a different perspective now. You probably could tread lightly for a month or so and then get in 7 or 8 weeks of good training. Does that interest you? If so, then run the March marathon. As an older runner, it is difficult to make this type of decision, as we always think that time is running out. In a way it is, but everybody needs a break now and then. I never thought I would have a shot at running 2:40s, and so for me I am tempted to get back in another race. A fall marathon would be fine, too. Decisions, decisions...

All the best to you...