June 2009

so tonight i tried to find a track in hilliard to do my intervals on, but it turned out to be inaccessible.  then i realized my 6 mi loop from last night would be perfect… i could just sprint for 40 secs, which would be greater than 200m, and then jog for 2x that.  that way i could set my watch to 40 sec intervals, and run 1 and rest for 2.  worked like a charm.  perfect distance, everything.

soaking in a cold bath now.  glorious.  it was cool, breezy and relatively dry tonight.  just amazing.

i was feeling lazy this morning, and didn’t get up for intervals.  i wasnt feeling bad like yesterday, so that was sweet.  just lazy.  body felt light, but i still just wanted to lay … on the floor?  dammit, i’m too used to it now :-P  it feels comfortable.  dumb carpet… i need a hardwood floor to sleep on

during about my 10th interval tonight, i realizes my form was going.  so mid-sprint, i raised my body up again, and i felt like Terminator.  straight up.  it was great.  i was so fluid.  and then after the last one, i had another 800m left, so i shuffle-jogged it.  then when i was 75m away from home, i stopped to walk, and my legs felt so loose.

final verdict… fartlek-ish workout tonight… i LIKE it!!!!  easy way to put 6 miles on while getting a good workout.  i can feel those bursts of speed ready to explode from me during my 10K on 18 jul.  PR?  how about … age-group podium in a good-sized city race for my first race of the year?  that’s my goal now… 5:50 splits for the 10K.  i have 3 weeks, and should be able to NAIL that like a sledgehammer.  i don’t know if that’ll be good enough for podium, even in my age group… but i can just push hard and rock out.

this week is turning out just like i wanted… some time to shock my system and rock it so that i’m locked, cocked and ready to rock post-july 4th weekend.

oh i almost forgot… funnest part of the run was when someone drove past me who knew me.  they were in a green minivan, which i didn’t recognize, but they distinctly said "chuckles, right here!!"   and only my close friends call me chuckles, so it had to be someone who was more than an acquaintance.  so that made me happy.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/30/2009
• Time: 20:15:00
• Total Time: 00:41:00.00
• Calories: 809
• Distance: 6.3 miles
• Average Pace: 6:30.46/mile

and after 3 days of rest… eh, more like laziness.  i took it easy throughout cuz i want to do my track workout tomorrow.  this is the first monday i’ve run in a while.  felt ok.  cloudy and breezy, so temp was ok.

i didn’t run this morning cuz my stomach felt so sick.  i wasn’t close to vomiting, but it was definitely abnormal, and i just couldnt get started.  maybe the environment i’m in . . . probably a lot of it is all the junk food i had over the weekend.  bleah.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/29/2009
• Time: 19:45:00
• Total Time: 00:39:45.00
• Calories: 732
• Distance: 5.8 miles
• Average Pace: 6:51.43/mile

so i had a couple beers friday night, and decided that i would not run saturday.  then i’ve been eating junk food this weekend, so decided to scrap today too.  finally i got to some good pasta tonight, and immediately feel like running again.  funny how my mind is so finely tuned.  i love it.

so yeah, i figured it would be a good idea to skip today so that i can run each day this week.  i’m housesitting for a friend, so this will be my chance to shock my body a little on some unfamiliar courses.  this week officially begins my real marathon training.  i know i only have 11-12 weeks, as opposed to the 16 weeks that everyone prescribes . . . but who cares?  it’s 16 to columbus, give or take a week.  i always have the mental and testicular fortitude to finish 26.2 . . . it’ just a question of how long it’ll take me.

and final news . . . my tempo runs are going to go up to 9 miles.  they’ll be slower initialy, but then they’ll be faster, and the 7-mile course will be even faster.  plus this’ll make me way stronger for that 10K i have scheduled for 18 jul.  and then by the time the end of aug comes around, my tempo runs will be up to 11-12 miles, good enough to have one or two of those before the half.  that’ll be sort of my diagnostic race before akron, it’ll probably give me a good idea of my full time, seeing as that’s what a half did last time for me… it was exactly half (actually a few seconds slower) than my full time at cleveland.  and the full would have been even faster if it hadn’t been my first.  i just cant WAIT to go into a marathon being in good shape physically and mentally.

and i think this is about the point where my resolve usually flags… i’ve been looking forward to something for a little while, and now it’s getting sorta boring and i’m questioning what the point is.  plus the little stumbling block last thursday.  so it’s time to just keep rocking.  i know my weakness, and i know how to fight it. party on.

oh and i totally do NOT appreciate how the western states 100 didn’t give any online updates until the race was over.  not cool.  i was checking it all day looking to see how michelle was doing.

so many fun things about tonight!  within the first 2 miles, i saw a groundhog waddling down the side of the road . . . like, the pavement!  it was amazing :-P  he was willing to stay there as the cars passed him, but right before i passed him, he bolted off the pavement.  that’s RIGHT!

what else… i worse board shorts tonight.  it was also cooler than it’s been this week.  the air felt smoother, like i was cutting through it better.

i didn’[t mention yesterday how i had a hard workout at the pool last night.  i was disappointed in myself, so i really pushed a few laps, something i don’t do, plus i kicked a lot more than usual.  usually i kick 1 lap, this time i did like 10.  i also took the abs to a new level.  all of that was in place of running 4 more miles last night; i knew that running more wasn’t going to help me, in fact it could hurt me, so i settled for a different kind of punishment.

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/26/2009
• Time: 19:25:00
• Total Time: 1:00:00.00
• Calories: 1262
• Distance: 22 miles
• Average Speed: 22 mph

so like i said i would do, i did today’s tempo run in my mara racing shoes.  i was about a minute slower than last week.  but i don’t think it was the shoes.  it was my body.  why?  let’s put it this way . . . from now on, i’m never having sex within 24 hours of a run.  it’s suicide.

but i did well considering the circumstances.  hot, humid, tired… i pushed through.  i got a little boost during 5.2-6 when this other runner turned onto my road about 50m in front of me.  he was going really fast, and i decided to try to catch him.  didn’t, but i succeeded in matching his pace.  which means he wasn’t going really fast :-P  but he looks like he was.  makes me wonder what i look like when i run.

and the success . . . about 1/2 mi from home, i got the worst cramp in my left shoulder, like the one i got in the half mara last april.  but instead of slowing down, i was like . . . this pain isn’t going to kill me.  unless i’m having a heart attack . . . in which case, today looks like a good day to die.  and i just kept pushing hard, and within a couple seconds, the cramp was worked out.  it might have been just some strange pain, cuz it didn’t feel like anything was tight in my shoulder.  but the pain was like a cramp.  maybe something strange in my shoulder from my surgery a couple years ago.  actually, come to think of it, it’s gonna be 2 years to the day tomorrow.

anyhoo, here are the splits, for what they’re worth - 6:58, 6:53, 13:14 (6:37’s), 7:01, 5:29, 6:08.

First was the slowest it’s ever been, second was how it was prior to last week.  3-4 were also how they were prior to last week.  5.2 is again at 7:00, which it has ‘t been for a couple weeks.  that 5:29 was ok.  6:08 for the last . . . fail.

Time for work!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/25/2009
• Time: 06:50:00
• Total Time: 00:45:43.00
• Calories: 902
• Distance: 7 miles
• Average Pace: 6:31.73/mile

got an earlier wednesday bike than usual cuz i want to get as close to 24 hrs rest before tomorrow’s tempo run.  this also allowed me to start the bike while it was still somewhat cool.  i also had more shade than i would have had in the late afternoon — counterintuitive, but it’s true

today was the first time that i could really feel the heat radiating off of the road.  i would feel alternating waves of hot and cool air while going down this stretch of road a couple miles from my penultimate MCOD.

also starting earlier meant that i could let loose a little.  my muscles didn’t feel as powerful as usual in the beginning, i think it’s cuz i didn’t have my spaghetti last night, so didn’t get as many calories from complex carbohydrates.  but my muscles warmed up great.  i had the best attack to date on my usual first attack point.  i did it in a harder gear, maintained a good cadence, and had a great follow-through at the end, instead of just giving out.  and i turned in a decent time.

i’m somewhat disappointed, i don’t have any sore muscles from my track workout yesterday.  just gotta work harder on those 400’s.  but that 72 for the last 400 is way comparatively better than my 34 for the last 200 a week ago.  so i think that means that i got a lot stronger from that track workout over just a week.

i’m feeling like the sky’s the limit, and i’m starting to actually lift off.

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/24/2009
• Time: 11:00:00
• Total Time: 00:55:53.00
• Calories: 1176
• Distance: 22 miles
• Average Speed: 23.62 mph

first things first :-P  did some yoga last night, which i hoped wouldn’t ruin my workout today, cuz i had done yoga for a while.  well it didn’t.  although i was dumb and accidentally erased all my splits, so all i really know are my first and last 2.  the ohter 6 are really good guesses, though, cuz i have a good head for remembering a series of numbers.

90,90, 87, 87, 84, 84, 82, 80, 77, 72

i didn’t push too hard at the beginning, cuz this was my first quarter workout in a while.  breathing was 2/2 for first 5, 2/1 for 6-8, and 1/1 9-10.  i really like that 72 . . . i was just aiming for 75 on the last one.  to actually get a good workout, i need to start my 2/1 and 1/1 breathing sooner.  but this’ll do for this week.

i was thinking . . . i’ve usually only been running 4 days/week.  taking weds/fri/sat off is nice, but i think i’m gonna start adding in a vertical workout of some sort . . . either elliptical, or an easy 3 miler.  something to get me on my feet, and my feet used to some hard work.

no song in my head today.  too focused on the workout.  there were actually a couple of other legit runners at the track this morning.  oh man, i saw this short, burly woman (don’t ask how you get that combination) walking in lane 2.  since 2 runners never overlapped near her, i didn’t say anything, but seriously!  i shouldnt have to even think about saying anything.

anyhoo, work time.  it’s friday again!  oh yeah, final thought.  i realized that this work schedule allows me to only HAVE to go to bed at a reasonable hour 2 days/week.  pretty sweet.

mmm, need some yogurt.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/23/2009
• Time: 06:45:00
• Total Time: 00:41:30.00
• Calories: 818
• Distance: 6.5 miles
• Average Pace: 6:22.98/mile

good tonight.  my body already feels ready for 10×400 tomorrow.  i’m abotu to eat right now . . . yummyyyy . . .

Workout:

• Type: Other
• Date: 06/22/2009
• Time: 19:10:00
• Total Time: 00:30:00.00
• Calories: 200

today was hot, and i wasn’t hydrated enough.  so i refrained from eating my larabar at the halfway point, in favor of staying alive :-P  as a result, i was remanded to 7:35 pace.  not a big deal.  i ran my last mile (the uphill one) in 6:10 … and that’s after dogging the hill.  i started that hill and immediately decided to give up any thoughts of taking the last mile strongly.  but at the top of the hill, i felt a strong cool breeze (i don’t know where it came from) and felt immediately re-energized.  so i strode it out strongly, not only beating the time from last week, but beating it while only giving about 75%, and that over a shorter distance.

the song in my head this week was coheed’s ‘the light and the glass’.  i decided to learn to play it on my guitar yesterday, and it’s in my head and on my fingertips.  it’s set in 3, and the tempo is really good for a long run.  over the last 2 miles, i dropped all pretenses of 3/3 breathing, and went into 2/2.  much better.  then the last mile, i hit 2/1.  2/2 breathing is kinda difficult at first with a 3 song in my head, but i got used to it.

took a cold bath and shower.

oh, i thought about writing this next thing while i was running-

i don’t recommend busting out the last mile of a long run.  it has the potential to ruin the training benefit of the run.  that 6:00 pace is my 10%-greater-than-tempo pace.  if i were to destroy myself, i could have hit around 5:40 on that mile, but i didn’t.  ALSO, i always walk for 6 minutes after my runs, and head straight to a cold bath or shower.  i’m very careful about keeping my body healthy.  i also massage my muscles and other connective tissue.  so many factors go into making me stronger, the coordination of which are the only reason i allow myself to make simple runs like long runs a bit more complex.  well, that plus i’m crazy.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/21/2009
• Time: 11:15:00
• Total Time: 1:15:51.00
• Calories: 1247
• Distance: 10 miles
• Average Pace: 7:35.12/mile

oh my.  89 degrees and really high humidity, like bad.  i was sweating while going 22mph avg.  and when i stopped . . . i definitely flooded the road.  need to start carrying construction cones with me.

other than that, good ride.  relaxing.  i allowed myself some attacks tonight.  taking a cold bath right now.  gonna sit here for a long time… yay for no time constraints!  i might take tomorrow off, cuz as of now i don’t feel like running for some reason.  we shall see . . .

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/19/2009
• Time: 17:15:00
• Total Time: 00:00:00.00
• Distance: 22 miles

really improved on my sets.  i made it REALLY tough.  it was amazing.

Workout:

• Type: Other
• Date: 06/18/2009
• Time: 20:04:18
• Total Time: 00:00:00.00

another personal best.  i was right, i did explode off of last week’s disimprovement :-P  splits - 6:46, 6:41 (usual for first 2 miles, little fast on that second), 12:56 (6:28 avg, 1st time breaking 13:15 on these miles), 6:49 (PR by 3 seconds on this one)/5:33 (12:21, 6:11.5 avg), and 5:38 for last mile (PR by 8 sec).

adventure today!  no time to write, but i’ll update this later . . . you are totally gonna want to read about this, i kid you not!

Ok, it’s 2108 and time to update.  So the run, started out, legs felt sore a little, mostly just my sartorii.  first mile was normal.  second mile was 10 sec faster than normal, but at usual effort.  that was my first inkling that the run would be special.  felt powerful on the trip up the hill on lane avenue.  came into mile 4 20 seconds fast.  continued the trend going into 5-6, not as much as i would have liked though.  last mile was monsster.  came in at 5:46 absolute time, but get this:  as i was crossing the last street, i saw this car coming.  it looked to be coming in hot, but i figured they would stop because they had a red light.  i stepped into the marked crosswalk with my walk sign lit, and still they kept coming.  i curved my path outward and pulled my trailing leg out of the way, or they would have hit it.  i stopped, turned around, went back to the car, hit the window and yelled "THAT’S WHY YOU STOP FOR A F***ING RED LIGHT B****!!!!!" while spitting all over the window (i was salivating because i was going so fast).  Call me crazy (which my roommates already did) but i don’t take kindly to idiot drivers.  anyhoo, i continued after that, the last 15 steps, but i was spent.  the adrenaline was actually bringing me down from my high.  i still came in at 5:46 on that mile.

i wore my small nikes today.  i’m really liking those shoes as short distance/tempo shoes.  can’t wear them 2 days in a row cuz they’re tight in the toebox.  but they don’t cause any stress in my medial tibias.  I’ll have to hit my thursday run in my small racing shoes next week and compare performance.  i might even choose that day to break in my saucony sinisters … i’m kinda dying to try them out, since i haven’t worn them since i bought them last october 18th.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/18/2009
• Time: 06:50:00
• Total Time: 00:44:23.00
• Calories: 875
• Distance: 7 miles
• Average Pace: 6:20.55/mile

i swear, all i’ve done today is eat.  that bike should have only burned 10-1100 calories, but i have been eating nonstop since then.  half a box of spaghetti, 2 larabars, a large bowl of cereal, the rest of my chips and salsa, the rest of my yogurt … i love yogurt.  it’s so good.  i’ve dropped all pretenses of trying to ration it.

guess that’s what i get for having a relaxing day of doing barely anything.  caught up on my TV stuff, developed my meager dr. mario skills, took apart that bike… to realize that fixing it isn’t worth it.  i’m just gonna pick up a bike on craigslist, or save up a bit more for a new road bike.  most likely the former, cuz CL has some good stuff on it.

had quite a headwind in the beginning, but that’s what i love about loops . . . :-P  today was ONLY about getting my heart rate up a bit.  i had no attacks, except for the short steep one up GV hill.  and then some motorpacing over the last mile, but that’s just fun :-P  came in and immediately took a cold shower . . . wanted to do a bath but i don’t like to use all that water, and i just took one yesterday.  so now i’m sitting here writing, burning a candle and some incense.  gonna relax for a few then do some yoga.  rest of the day … gonna hit up the bike shop and start taking apart that bike in the garage (actually, reverse order of that :-P).  i might not even hit the bike shop if taking the bike apart takes too long.  gotta watch last week’s episode of burn notice, and maybe monday night’s jeopardy.  i watch very little TV these days, and i love it.  i love always having something to do, and having a reason to wake up in the morning.

oh yeah, i was thinking of hitting 58 miles today by combining my 36 loop with my 22, but decided against it.  don’t want to push it and take away from my run tomorrow.

this is the first time i’ve burned incense since winter . . . it almost makes me eager to winter to come, so i can buckle down to some hardcore yoga again.  i was so relaxed and in tune during jan-feb.

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/17/2009
• Time: 10:45:00
• Total Time: 1:40:00.00
• Calories: 2104
• Distance: 36 miles
• Average Speed: 21.6 mph

my sartorius muscle is actually sore from yesterday’s track workout!  i get soreness so seldom these days cuz i’m being careful.

and to write this post, i didn’t want to call the muscle ‘the front quad muscle’ so i took a minute and looked up the muscles of the quads on wikipedia.  the names aren’t necessarily interesting, but it’s useful to be specific.

barely did anything.  just a few warmup laps, then some rotations of laps/abs/pushups.  i don’t want to overtax myself.

Workout:

• Type: Other
• Date: 06/16/2009
• Time: 19:00:00
• Total Time: 00:30:00.00
• Calories: 200

38.97, 41.4, 42.59, 38.84, 41.06, 39.79, 39.33, 40.02, 39.1, 40.29, 40.42, 39.67, 40.14, 40.14, 37.45, 33.9

All times except for the last one are long by about .7 because of how i was keeping track of them on my watch.  I did 1-12 on a 2/2 breathing cadence, 13/14 on a 1.5/1.5, and 15/16 on a 1/1.  i aimed to hit 15 really hard and then burn out on 16.  i certainly did, it was great.  finished the intervals faster than i thought i would.  this was sorta rough, because i realized that my 40-sec 200s are like 84-sec 400s on a good day . . . and i ran that 5:23 mile last year with my slowest lap being 88, fastest lap 70, and the other ones were 78/82 i think . . . somewhere around there :-P  so i know i’ve got a long way to go.  but it’s ok.  i was going to use my small nikes from last night, but at the last second changed it up to my mara racing shoes because the toebox in the nikes felt too small.  didn’t want to use the large nikes because those are my longer training shoes.

so now i have work, then i might hit the gym for some swimming and abs… gotta actually remember swim gear today.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/16/2009
• Time: 06:37:29
• Total Time: 00:40:00.00
• Calories: 657
• Distance: 5 miles
• Average Pace: 8:00/mile

my posture is looking fine, as in "that’s one fine-looking posture".  caught a glimpse of myself in some windows for about 30 yards, and the bend at the waist looks to be down to under 5 degrees, as opposed to the 15 i distinctly remember it being.  sweet.  i’m also hitting my calves with my toes a lot less than i used to.  it’s just a party all around.  i just ate 12 oz (dry) whole wheat pasta, so i should be carb-loaded up for tomorrow.  i CAN wait for the tempo run, but i think i’ll be ready for it.  gettin to bed early tonight to make sure.

oh and a couple things i’ve noticed.  my legs are looking leaner than they ever did last year.  and i’m already fitting into my freshly washed 29 waist jeans … back in HS i wore 32’s and weighed 15# less

well, more like an easy lope.  after i got up grandview hill, i opened my legs up a bit.  i broke a nice sweat tonight, but only cuz it was so humid.  i ran in my small nike shoes, and i had no pain.

tonight, i was thinking about myself and the last year or so.  i realized that by this time last year, i’d already run a 2:56 mara, and was WELL on the way to injuring myself through running a few consecutive 90+ mi weeks.  i’d already run my first 10K, the time of which i’m going to better in a few weeks even though i can’t run a 2:56 mara right now (i don’t think).  i was also a couple weeks away from running my thriller weekend when i set PRs in the mile, 5k and 10k distances.

looking at myself now, i’m so happy that i’m recovering, and i’m satisfied with the road i’m on.  i also realized tonight that this job of mine, much as it may suck, gives me exactly what i need to train.  it’s close, so i spend little time in the commute.  it pays (sort of).  i get 3 full days off every week.  and it’s low-stress (for me).  i need to start appreciating it more. maybe

today i felt so scratchy and blurry.  i woke up after a few hours at work, but man.  it’ll be better tomorrow, i know it.  starting the day with a tempo run and a cold bath can’t do anything but jump start it.  and it’s like friday tomorrow!  i love how i get one of those every other work day

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/15/2009
• Time: 19:45:00
• Total Time: 00:29:05.00
• Calories: 516
• Distance: 4 miles
• Average Pace: 7:16.36/mile

this was pleasant.  long run effort that averaged out to 7:20 pace.  i ran my last mile at just under tempo effort, just to see what i could pull off.  it was my uphill mile.  i did it in 6:26 … mind you, this is usually the first mile of my 7-mi tempo runs, the one that usually comes out to 6:45 as a downhill mile on fresh legs.  and i wasn’t even pushing hard, just taking long strides without pushing cadence.

so i think i’ve found the race for me - july 18th, either a 10k or 10-miler.  only $30, and it’s a lead-in to the cbus mara in oct.  there are some other events going on, but that looks to be the most attractive of them.  the triathlons would be nice to do, but the one i looked at is $75.  For a race i’m probably not going to win, or even care about the result of, that’s too much.

today’s run was nice.  for a few hundred yards, i felt like i was breathing canned whipped cream . . . it was tasty :-P  i also deftly avoided getting hit by cars a couple times.  decided to listen to some music today, but ditched it for the last mile.  noticed my form is getting extremely good with minimal effort at maintaining it.  also noticed before i ran that my abs are extremly tight.  now, someone overly vain might be proud of that, but i’m actually not appreciating it.  tight abs mean that when i breathe, i can’t take in as much air as someone with loose abs.  it’s seriously like there’s a belt across my midsection; not cool.

since i skipped the run yesterday, i think i’ll hit the elliptical tomorrow.  oh, and i’ve finally isolated the source of last year’s injury - it’s medial tibial stress syndrome.  everything fits.  use of shoes without adequate support, running on slanted surfaces, weak calves… i’ve always wondered why i didn’t get injured earlier, but it makes sense now - back in college i was always lifting legs, so my calves were strong.  not anymore.  but i gotta start that back up again.  i think my regimen of tiger balm, ice baths, and 4 days/week of running have placed me squarely on the road to recovery, though.  i just have to lift calves.

and as an amendment to my run on thursday, i forgot to note that  ran that 46:00 in my mara racing shoes.  i noted some pain in my tibias, as one might expect, but it faded with distance.  but even though they were my racing shoes, i was still slow.  don’t even want to know how i would have done in training shoes.

and back to work tomorrow after 5 days off!  wish i could say i was excited

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/14/2009
• Time: 18:00:00
• Total Time: 1:15:29.00
• Calories: 1340
• Distance: 10.3 miles
• Average Pace: 7:19.56/mile

nice and easy, get my body back into working out.  mentally i was barely in it at the beginning, but now i’m ready for my long run tomorrow.

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/13/2009
• Time: 19:44:00
• Total Time: 1:05:00.00
• Calories: 1367
• Distance: 22 miles
• Average Speed: 20.31 mph

ok.  so i was tired from the fast ride the day before, so i waited until the afternoon to do my tempo run.  first 2 were 6:46, 6:54.  so last 5 were in 32:24, 6:29 avg.  not too bad.  not too good.

so after that, i was feeling just a touch down about my time.  i think that’s why i let myself have a couple shots with my friends before the OAR concert.  shots of everclear.  and then some beers at the concert.  yeah mistake.  the only drinking i’ve done since early april has been a corona every week or two.  this was a bad decision.  i woke up the next day only for long enough to call off work, then went back to bed.  i’ll spare you the gory details, but i didn’t wake up again till 2pm.  I was still pretty destroyed but at least my hangover was gone.  Watched the stanley cup final, then stayed up late with my friend playing games.  slept over at her house, and then was too lazy go go anywhere until 6pm this evening.  got home, watched some jeopardy, went for a bike ride.  just a nice easy 22, cuz i’m still a little shaky.

so yes . . . i see no need to ever drink again.  i really think the negative energy started when i didn’t run my 10th repeat hard on tuesday.  that got me off so that wednesday i had a little more strength than usual, and was willing to use it on my ride instead of saving it for thursday’s tempo run.

but HOPEFULLY this dip in time will let me come back even stronger.  cuz  ididn’t do a tempo run today, and i have my long run tomorrow.  and i’ve been planning on making next week an easier week, spending more time in the pool and starting up on the elliptical a bit.

can’t wait for july 4th . . . TdF starting up.    finally got around to watching the TT of the dauphine libere tonight.  pretty exciting.  i’ve decided that if (when) i actually realize my dream of running in the olympic trials, i’m going to then set my sights on getting on a team and riding in a TdF.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/11/2009
• Time: 15:00:00
• Total Time: 00:46:04.00
• Calories: 908
• Distance: 7 miles
• Average Pace: 6:34.74/mile

right before i stepped out the door, i said that today was going to be the day i busted an hour.  and it totally was.  total time was 1:00:58, with 4:30 of stoppage time.  Lights, lights, lights.  And no, i’m not going to give back any of that time to account for the resting . . . the stop/starts, if nothing else, should let me subtract MORE time from a constant-paced workout.

i REALLY want some cookies right now.  i came home, had 3 packs of ramen (not all of the powder though . . . so salty), so that’s 1140 calories.  had a larabar earlier.  and … a big bowl of cereal, so that’s another 400 Cal.  1600 … just enough to get me through the day.  I have my tempo run tomorrow.

Funny, i knew i was going fast, but i didn’t have any attacks really in me.  Probably because my pace was as fast as my attacks would have been.  But still, it had me worried a little because the hill 22 minutes in is usually the one where i get an idea of how the ride is going to go, and i was feeling sluggish on it.  But i didn’t let it get me down.

So tomorrow . . . i’m debating about going in to work.  On one hand, it’s 10 hours, so that’s a lot of money.  But on the other . . . i’d have to leave early anyways because i’m going to an OAR concert tomorrow night, and i also need to do laundry, and i want to cancel my cellphone plan and take care of other stuff that didn’t get done today.  Back to the OTHER hand, i have saturday and sunday off … i don’t know.  so conflicted.  i think i’m going to just leave about 4 hours early tomorrow.  That should let me take care of everything i need to, without losing too much money or getting in too much trouble.

i want cookies . . . but i don’t want to ruin my tempo run :-P  maybe i’ll hit 44:00 tomorrow?  I feel like i could.  or at least hit sub 6:20’s for the last 5 miles.  maybe a 5:40 for the last mile?  I got some gatorade yesterday, so i’ll be able to fuel up before and after my workouts now.  I all of sudden remembered that that was one key to my success over the last year and a half.  So i got it.  And now i’ll FINALLY be able to take in some calories after my runs in the morning. I’m never hungry in the mornings, and i feel emotionally terrible (not physically) for depriving my body of what it needs just cuz i don’t feel like eating.

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/10/2009
• Time: 19:40:00
• Total Time: 00:56:28.00
• Calories: 1188
• Distance: 22 miles
• Average Speed: 23.38 mph

Well, let’s see.  I was feeling a little sluggish on the warmup, but luckily that went away on the repeats.  1 was warmup, 2-5 were about 60%, 6 was 70%, 7-9 were 90%, and 10 was kind of a bust.  i learned today that i need to work on my arm strength . . . my arms couldn’t swing fast enough to keep up with my cadence.  maybe it’s that i did supersets of swimming/pushups/abs yesterday, with the intense arm workout from yog sunday.  but i don’t think so.  gotta spend some time punching a bag, i think :-P  a little reverse Rocky . . . punching to train for running

tomorrow - bike ride, swim/abs, yoga.  i bought at least 2 weeks worth of food today, and it looks more like 2 months.  well, at least 3 weeks.  i hope it lasts that long.  i finally found some PB larabars!!!!  so that will keep me happy for a while

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/09/2009
• Time: 06:45:00
• Total Time: 00:00:00.00
• Distance: 4 miles

just like the title says . . . and i ate 2 chipotle burritos!  i’m just about broke, but as usual, luck came through and gave me a $25 gift card to chipotle yesterday.  so i used half of it today.  just right to fuel me up for hill repeats in about 6 hours.  i need to get to bed!!!

i’m watching the movie "the strangers" and i started thinking . . . what if i had a house far away from a population center and something scary happened to me?  i figure . . . i could just run away.  i doubt any evildoer could run fast enough for far enough to catch me and have enough energy to do something bad to me.  yet another reason for fitness.

paranoia . . . a great reason to stay fit! 

ok, here i am @ 10 mi.  i was tired this morning.  should have brought something to eat . . . i need to get a couple boxes of gels.  plus i need to get a bottle for my sunday runs up to 16 mi.  any longer than that and i’ll just run loops so i can stop by the apt and restock.

anyhoo, temp was pretty good.  this was a new loop, and i really like it.  i was just so tired.  i didn’t feel warmed up until about 6.5 in, when i went up this steep grassy hill.  and then when i was done, i didn’t have time for a cooldown or the cold bath i really would have liked.  i took a very fast cold shower, then went to this yoga class i wanted to go to.  turned out to be, in general, a waste of my time.  it’s not the class’s fault . . . just a little false advertising.  it said it was yoga, but the first half was core work using pilates techniques, and the second half . . . we did some warrior variations, that’s about it.  i don’t know if the instructor was dumbing the class down on purpose or what . . . oh well.  doesn’t matter . . . i just need to budget in some money to go to a yoga studio.

rest of the day . . . relax.  i’ve decided that i’m gonna have a chipotle later.  i don’t know about a corona.  we’ll see . . . i’m taking tomorrow off, so won’t really make too big of a difference.  1 beer every week or two shouldn’t make a difference, should it?  not that i really need it, or want it badly.  i just think it might help out recovery a bit.  not a big deal

i was thinking about how i can’t wait for the season to be over so i can eat meat, drink beer, and have all sorts of junk food.  then i realized i’m not looking forward to it at all.  the only reason i can’t wait for this season to be over is so that i can get to do some more basework and be better prepared for next year.

oh and i’ve decided once and for all . . . the wall that is the 6:00 average split over a race is forever dead.  it’s now 5:30.  i know that i could do 6:00 for a 10K right now.  so my if-nothing-else goal is 2:36 and change, which would be 6:00 for the marathon.  and my 10K goal for this year is a 5:30 avg.  5K . . . 5:15 avg.   and the mile . . . maybe a 4:45?

i just realized today that i will only have 12 weeks of preparation for akron.  july, august, and up to sept ~26.  Not the 16 i was sort of planning for.  that’s one reason i’m taking the pressure off of myself to hit 2:30 or faster.  and then i’ll want to hit 2:30 or faster for cbus 3 weeks later.  and then if i decide to do it, rock the trail 50k.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/07/2009
• Time: 08:13:00
• Total Time: 1:19:00.00
• Calories: 1298
• Distance: 10.3 miles
• Average Pace: 7:40.36/mile

i wasn’t quite as strong as on thursday . . . but that’s to be expected.  i only had 12 hours of rest, as opposed to 48.  i also took my 2 warmup miles a couple seconds faster.  overall, i’m very satisfied.  my perceived speed was MUCH slower than thursday.  i set a PR for miles 5-6.2 by a few seconds.  6:19 terminal mile was :23 slower than thurs . . . but not bad, cuz i was feeling dead.  i had no gear to shift into, i was just surviving.  i felt like i was on 7:00 pace.  so to hit that … i actually didn’t see that split till just now, cuz that was a throwaway mile for me — i didn’t want to push too hard and ruin the workout / ruin myself for tomorrow.  overall a very effective and successful run.

splits - 6:48, 6:40, 13:14 (6:37 avg), 6:56, 5:40 (12:36 for 2, 6:18 avg), 6:19.  6:25 avg over the last 5.  Now, it’s 1051, i’m gonna hit my 22 loop easy on the bike, work on my tan.  then take the afternoon easy.  this is my first 2-day weekend since early april, and that doesn’t count, cuz that was a 3-day road trip weekend.

this is my first deviation from the training plan . . . i’m not doing a 5k this weekend.  i didn’t budget it, and i don’t have the money for the ONE 5k in central ohio this weekend.  oh well.  i’ll just do my hill repeats (x10) extra hard.  Plus this 3 days in a row this weekend PROPER (easy friday, tempo saturday, long sunday) will help my fitness.  and, as usual, my diet is rocketing my fitness in the right direction.

i was looking at some north-face sponsored 50k trail races . . . there are a couple this fall, both of them close to important marathons.  definitely won’t do the one before akron.  but there’s one a week after cbus, which i make partake of.  the course record is 4:11, which, if i hit my 2:30 in akron OR cbus, i should be able to crush.  i just need to work on being ABLE to run fast over a whole marathon.  at least i’m patient.

i am a little disappointed/apprehensive that i’ll have to cut the ’spring training’ short in favor of starting a real 16-week mara training program.  i’m really enjoying how ST’s only objective is to build your speed.  but this is a great base to start from.  and i just realized . . . i’m virtually pain-free in my left tibia.  i have a persistent cramp-ish twinge halfway up on the instep of my right tibia, but it works itself out.

worked on posture today . .. it’s so tough to keep my face perpendicular to the ground.  unfamiliar throat position, but not a bad one i don’t think.

mmm, bike ride now.  i all of a sudden can’t wait.  let’s ROCK!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/06/2009
• Time: 07:45:00
• Total Time: 00:45:36.00
• Calories: 899
• Distance: 7 miles
• Average Pace: 6:30.88/mile

i finally rocked an easy run.  i hit 18:00 exactly going out, 17:51 coming back.  i’m all set up for my tempo run tomorrow.  then i’m gonna ride right after that, i think.  i’m soaking in a cold bath right now.

i can’t believe i’m this far along, after only . . . 7 weeks?  from *struggling* to stay near 49 minutes on my 7 mi loop on a good day to rocking sub-45.  this diet is definitely rocketing me along . . . i am getting leaner and meaner every day.  and i’m healthy.  and not running every day.  i’m crosstraining, doing abs . . . the abs is DEFINITELY helping.  i’m concentrating on my posture a lot, and able to do that because my core is very strong.  i think next week will be about getting my posture better than it’s ever been.  when i straighten my back out, i have to tilt my head down because i run slightly bent forward.  easy to fix, and i feel so powerful when my posture is perfect, but i just need to make it a habit.

party on . . . i’m so hungry.  but i put off eating a little while so i could burn a little more fat.  haha, and i wasn’t going to put a distance on there, because i don’t want to see my mile splits, but i want my running distance to keep going up.  so there it is :-P  my snail’s pace . . .

UPDATED - i google mapped my course, and found it was 4.6, not 4.75.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/05/2009
• Time: 19:45:00
• Total Time: 00:36:00.00
• Calories: 591
• Distance: 4.6 miles
• Average Pace: 7:49.36/mile

Splits - 6:42, 6:48, 13:10 (6:35 avg for 2), 12:18 (6:09 avg for 2), 5:56

So without the first 2 warmup miles . . . that’s 31:25 for 5 miles = 6:05 avg.  With a 5:56 terminal mile.

i didn’t expect to see this guy so soon.  hitting my 10K race pace from last year so early in the season.  But i tell ya, that last mile . . . that last 4/800 . . . i was so powerful.  made my day for the day.  i might be PRing my first 10K this year.

and i was dehydrated, running right out of bed.  didn’t eat.  brought a gu with me which i consumed about 30 minutes in.  no water before the run.  it was 55 degrees out, which was PERFECT temp.

i recognize this guy, but something’s different.  about 4 miles in the run, i realized that all my life i’ve been happy with second-best.  i’ve been content with not trying and coming in 2nd.  graduated 2nd in my HS class just skating through school.  placed 2nd in army tryouts and mini-BUD/S, content that someone was always better than me.  i gave a lot, but i didn’t really give it all.  i got mad at myself, and kept repeating to myself for the rest of my run that i was NOT going to settle for ANYTHING less than THE best.  not just *my* best, but THE best.  i am on the path, and nothing’s stopping me.

i also hit a little swimming and some hard abs at the pool tonight.  haven’t decided what i’m doing tomorrow . . . easy 5 at sunset, i think.  then another tempo run sat and 10 sunday.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/04/2009
• Time: 06:45:00
• Total Time: 00:44:55.00
• Calories: 885
• Distance: 7 miles
• Average Pace: 6:25.03/mile

just a warmup, some underwaters, and some abs with laps in between sets to stretch the abs out.  i think i’ll hit a couple miles on the elliptical tomorrow with some strength training after.  then a couple laps in the pool, nice and slow if i can manage to restrain myself.  and yoga.  mmm yoga.

i’m still so happy with my workout from this morning.  impressed and ready to rock some more.

Workout:

• Type: Swim
• Date: 06/02/2009
• Time: 19:10:00
• Total Time: 00:25:00.00

Most notably . . . my xtraining is paying off huge.  It’s not even psychosomatic.  Before starting xtraining, i’d been working on controlling my breathing, taking bigger breaths and such, trying to maintain 3/3 breathing on slow runs.  Biking and swimming are expanding my lungs tremendously.  Swimming, i’m pretty sure, is cuz i’m doing underwaters somewhat religiously.  No matter what, it’s all great.

So i noticed the breathing thing before i even got to the hill repeats.  Then when i was doing them, i did them at a hard pace, but never needed to go beyond 2/2 breathing.  When i finished #8 i realized it, and pushed #9 but still didn’t need more.  Cool . . .  just gotta push a lot harder on all of them next week.

Work . . . then some poolwork tonight, and some abs and yoga.  Have i mentioned how crazy good i’ve been sleeping and waking up?  I’m definitely recommending that EVERYONE sleep on the floor.  Not even kidding, or saying it to seem hardcore.  I have 2 blankets folded double under me for padding, but i can get away with just 1 folded double if i get cold (sleeping under the other one.

anyhoo, shower time.  18 minutes to shower and get out the door.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/02/2009
• Time: 06:12:00
• Total Time: 00:47:00.00
• Distance: 4 miles
• Average Pace: 11:44.5/mile

didn’t keep track of time, but i was damn fast tonight.  i don’t know why . . . i woke up early, barely ate all day . . . but whatever.   my calves are sore . . . i think it’s cuz i like to stretch them at stoplights.  no matter.  hill repeats tomorrow x9!!!  this is the second to last week, then i start track workouts.

i like this work schedule.  day flew by.  and the first half of my work week is half over.  work tomorrow, then a day off.  then 2 more days on, and then 2 days off.

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/01/2009
• Time: 19:10:00
• Total Time: 1:00:00.00
• Distance: 22 miles
• Average Speed: 22 mph