The past two weekends I've raced two completely different distances. My first track race of the season was an 800 at the Wake Forest open. Coming into the race I knew I was strong but was unsure in my ability to run a P.R to start the season. In my last post I talked about strength and how important it is for middle/long distance runners. Although I had not done any real speed work up to this point I still managed to run a 1:52.75 P.R. In the process I almost won the race. I just didn't have much of a kick the last 200. With that performance I knew great things were ahead in the upcoming weeks. After the race my allergies really began to act up and have been bothering me ever since. It's that time of year I guess. Not much I can do about it... Just take care of my body and hopefully my body will adjust.
At the beginning of last week my allergies were becoming a real issue. I would wake up at night choking and couldn't sleep for shit. I did however get a great speed workout in on Monday and come cruise interval k's on Wed. My legs have been feeling tired but this is the most demanding part of my training cycle. Unable to find a ride to Raleigh for the 5k Friday night, I knew I was on my own. I had my 1 credit Pilates class at 1pm and left shortly after. This class is really starting to get in the way. Our grade is based on attendance so I decided to go. It's a great class but not ideal for race days. Driving down to Raleigh the weather was rather shity. It was a chilly, rainy, windy type of day. I arrived around 5pm and the race was scheduled to go off at 8pm. It took a while to park but I found a free spot not too far away. The weather was still shity but the track sits really low, like the shape of a bowl. When picking up my packet they informed me that the meet was running 45:00 behind schedule. Immediately I'm thinking I wont get home till 2am. I walked back to my car to get out of the cold wet weather. I tried taking a nap in the back seat but thoughts of the race were going through my head. Everything from can I run what my fitness indicates to feeling sorry for myself. What I mean is all the things I have to do in order to continue racing without the help from others. It's not easy having to get into your own races, paying a $25 entry fee, transportation, and then having to perform at a highly competitive level. You really have to love the sport. Anyhow, once returning to the track I watched some of the action before warming up. On the warm up my legs felt tired, but then again they always do before I race. I got a good 20:00 in then made my way to the infield for drills and strides. The wind was still there but not nearly as bad. Once I was moving around I become more confident in my ability to run a fast 5k. Before I knew it everyone was stripping off their warm-ups and toeing the line. The gun was off and I tucked in behind the Zap fitness guys. This was all off instinct. Coming through the first 200 in 33, then the quarter in 66. This pace didn't feel uncomfortable but I knew it was fast. Before I knew it I hit2:13 at 800, and 2:46 at the k. I knew this was too fast. Two NC State guys went by and I tried working off them. I was 4:28 at the mile and my legs were getting heavy. On a positive note my breathing was great. I thought that was going to be an issue with my allergies. The next two laps were still good. Both in the ballpark of 68. Then the wheels started coming off. Just like every 5k of my life. You would think I would figure it out by now. I know I'm training for the 1500 but there is no reason this should occur. A few more guys went by. I just told myself to relax through 3200 behind Evans Kiegan from Liberty, then make a move with everything I've got the last mile. Coming through 3200 in 9:10 I instead slowed down even more. That chase pack got away and I was soon running in no mans land. I gave up on myself which is something I can't afford to do. If I'm going to sacrifice my life I must not give up on myself when it's go time. I finished the race in 14:31.... A 15 second P.R. That's about the only good that came of this performance. If I was feeling like shit then I could say it just wasn't my day. I'm in 14:10 - 14:20 shape and I have a feeling the 5000 and me will see each other again this year. I got a solid 30:00 cool down in before leaving to head back home. I had to be back in Richmond to help out with the 10k tom as well as working at the running store. I got lost in Raleigh and didn't get home till 2am. What a great way to start the recovery process from a hard 5k. Lets just say I wasn't good for shit come Saturday and even into Sunday. Congrats to everyone to ran the Monument Avenue 10k. It was great to see everyone out there! Running is a great sport and I hope everyone continues running going forward.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Strength
Strength can mean a lot of different things. You have to be physically and mentally tough in order to be a great runner. Over the years I've come to realize that running hard at a decent pace over a duration, also called tempo pace builds strength. This is something I never worked on in the past and would always think, hell I'm a middle distance guy, why do I have to do 10 mile progression runs or 4 - 8 miles at tempo / threshold pace. I would always wonder why I would feel great the first half of a race then all of the sudden somebody puts bricks on my back. For a distance runner this is what I call strength. Being able to maintain a pace that's tolerable but annoying at the same time. You have to also be mentally tough to sustain an honest effort throughout these sessions. This weekend I've decided to forgo the 8k in Va beach and open my track season with an 800 at Wake Forest. I have yet to do any fast repetitions But believe I can pr simply off strength. I've been having lots of problems over the previous two weeks, which is my reason for racing a shorter distance this weekend. In addition I would like to run around 3:45 for the 1500 in two weeks at the colonial relays, so a fast 800 is not a bad idea. Since I want this blog to concentrate on more than just running I will share some of the struggles I've had to endure over the past few weeks. I've stated this before and will say it again. Being successful in life is about making the best of bad situations and holding your head up high. I've been through a lot of shit in my 25 years of life. I'm not saying that entitles me to anything. Everyone goes through tough times. That's what makes us strong. It's not how many times you get knocked down, it's how quickly you get up and keep pushing forward. I'm still figuring things out. This brings me back to strength. I've talked about what makes a strong runner, but these are the things that make a strong person. Over the past two weeks I've had the scare of testicular cancer, IT band problems and the most hurtful has been my relationship with Laura. Letting one things bother me has caused other things to bother me even more. Laura and myself have been split up for about 2 months now. At first I though I could just run through the emotional pain like I always have in the past. It has not been that simple. I really thought she was the one which is unlike anything I've experienced or felt in the past. Although we still talk and I've tried everything to make her realize, but nothing seems to work. You can say whatever you want but when a person makes up there mind that it's over, then I guess it's over. If I knew of the perfect things to say or do, I would. In addition I was experiencing a lot of pain in my lower abdomen and testicles. Very painful at time I might add. This had me worried so on Monday I went the ER and they did some testing. I had a bacteria infection in the epiditimis causing all my pain. They gave me some pain medication along with some antibiotics and a shot in my ass. By Tuesday the pain had subsided although I have felt fatigued from going through the process and taking all the antibiotics. Lastly the pain in my left IT band and knee is still there but not too bad while running. So with all that said things are looking up. I however thought the 800 was a smarter decision based on the events that have transpired recently. Life can get crazy but it's all about staying strong. Below is a strength workout that I did at Pocohontas state park last Friday.
Time of day 3:00 PM
Distance 11.50 mi
Duration 1:06:00 @ 5:44 min/mi
Shoe Zoom Vomero 4
Route Pocohontas State park
Temperature 55°F
Wind Light
Conditions Light Rain
Intensity Hard
Overall Feeling Good
Comments I've been feeling down this week with my IT band hurting, my lower abdomen and balls have also been aching for days. I went to student health to get checked out and they want to refer my to a urologist. She didn't know much so if it keeps up or the pain gets worse I'll see someone soon.
I went out to Poco with the "dream team" to get a tempo/progression run in. I was going to do some reps on the track but figured the continuous left turns could further aggravate my leg. As soon as we got out of the van it started raining. Nobody was really sure what coach wanted them to do so after the first mile I began to turn the run into a tempo effort. With all the hills at poco this is a great workout to get strong without over doing things. There was a group of 5 or us going around beaver lake. At this point I was running just under 6:00 pace. There were some rolling hills and sharp turns making it impossible to run any faster. Once we climbed up to Old mill It was just woodchuck and myself. He is Piotrek's buddy from Poland who is visiting for the week. He seems to be in great shape from the two workouts I've done with him this week. We then hit a series of rolling hills. I was feeling tired but I know how strong my body is right now. I would have taken a lot to drop me. Towards the end of old mill I took a wrong turn. I soon realized it 90 seconds later. We turned around and got back on track. Now Tyler and Justin were a good ways in front of us. We picked up the pace for the last 20:00, which included a lot of climbing the last 10. Up the final climb to the van we finally caught Tyler and Justin. After that we settled in the last couple minutes, finishing together. I'd say the effort the last few miles was close to threshold. So the overall pace doesn't do the effort given any justice. It turned out to be a solid workout so I don't feel bad for not going to the track today.
Time of day 3:00 PM
Distance 11.50 mi
Duration 1:06:00 @ 5:44 min/mi
Shoe Zoom Vomero 4
Route Pocohontas State park
Temperature 55°F
Wind Light
Conditions Light Rain
Intensity Hard
Overall Feeling Good
Comments I've been feeling down this week with my IT band hurting, my lower abdomen and balls have also been aching for days. I went to student health to get checked out and they want to refer my to a urologist. She didn't know much so if it keeps up or the pain gets worse I'll see someone soon.
I went out to Poco with the "dream team" to get a tempo/progression run in. I was going to do some reps on the track but figured the continuous left turns could further aggravate my leg. As soon as we got out of the van it started raining. Nobody was really sure what coach wanted them to do so after the first mile I began to turn the run into a tempo effort. With all the hills at poco this is a great workout to get strong without over doing things. There was a group of 5 or us going around beaver lake. At this point I was running just under 6:00 pace. There were some rolling hills and sharp turns making it impossible to run any faster. Once we climbed up to Old mill It was just woodchuck and myself. He is Piotrek's buddy from Poland who is visiting for the week. He seems to be in great shape from the two workouts I've done with him this week. We then hit a series of rolling hills. I was feeling tired but I know how strong my body is right now. I would have taken a lot to drop me. Towards the end of old mill I took a wrong turn. I soon realized it 90 seconds later. We turned around and got back on track. Now Tyler and Justin were a good ways in front of us. We picked up the pace for the last 20:00, which included a lot of climbing the last 10. Up the final climb to the van we finally caught Tyler and Justin. After that we settled in the last couple minutes, finishing together. I'd say the effort the last few miles was close to threshold. So the overall pace doesn't do the effort given any justice. It turned out to be a solid workout so I don't feel bad for not going to the track today.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Workout Wednesday
Time of day 2:00 PM
Distance 4.50 mi
Shoe Air Zoom Katana Racer 3
Route Sport Backers Track
WUCD Shoe Zoom Vomero 4
Distance WU/CD 4.50 mi
Temperature 73°F
Wind Significant
Conditions Cloudy and Humid
Intensity Hard
Overall Feeling Good
Comments Intervals at sports backers... Met with the Vcu guys at Franklin street gym ready to go at 2. Of course we didn' leave for the track till 2:10. If I were coaching this team a lot of changes would take place. No structure whatsoever. Anyhow we were off for a warm up over to the track. It was nice to socialize with all the guys on the way over. I really miss the team aspect of things. It was darn right hot today as temps reached the mid 70's. I've been use to working out with layers on and today was a no shirt day. Once arriving at the track I did another half mile or so before drills. My knee had that burning feeling but I knew that would all go away once I started. I was initially going to do 6 x 800 with 2:00 rest. i decided if those guys were doing something similar then I would switch. Most of the guys were doing 2k, 1k, 2k at Interval pace. This was perfect because the 800's were suppose to to be done at (I) pace as well. It started to become really windy, but again that was nothing new. After a few strides we were off. On the first Interval Piotrek led the first two laps and I took over the last three. We were really consistent with the pace as we hit 70, 70, 69, 69, 70. While running behind piotrek I felt comfortable. I didn't really feel discomfort till 500 to go. I kept the entire interval controlled which is the point of working out. This is something I've learned to do over the years. No point racing in workouts. In my opinion we took way too long to start the 1k. We were waiting on some of the other guys so it was just a pain in the ass. If you need to take more recovery than the time taken for that interval then your running too fast. The 1k felt really good as I took over after the first lap, running 2:45. I bit quick, but again this is due to the long recovery. I went 67, 66, 32... We then took around 4:00 before starting the next 2k. Piotrek again led this time the first thousand before I took over. We came through in 2:54 which felt good. Once I took over the wind was eating me up on the home straight but I just told myself to relax and then open it up running with the wind. The last 200 I could hear a few guys as three of us crossed the line in 5:47. After the first lap the pain in my knee went away, so I was pleased with that. I know it will act up later tonight. After the last 2k I slipped on my spikes for 4 x 200 with 200 jog between. I was running 29 to 30 and it felt rather comfortable. I was feeling tired on the cool down and could have really used an ice bath. It's been months since I've had one of those. Maybe sometime soon. I saw that the Puma mile is on April 17th, with 10,000 and a year contract going to this years winner. I remember gearing up for that race last year and my foot caused my to miss a month of training. We will see how things are going, but I have a feeling I'll be ready to run with the best here soon! I have some big races before that, so time will tell.
Distance 4.50 mi
Shoe Air Zoom Katana Racer 3
Route Sport Backers Track
WUCD Shoe Zoom Vomero 4
Distance WU/CD 4.50 mi
Temperature 73°F
Wind Significant
Conditions Cloudy and Humid
Intensity Hard
Overall Feeling Good
Comments Intervals at sports backers... Met with the Vcu guys at Franklin street gym ready to go at 2. Of course we didn' leave for the track till 2:10. If I were coaching this team a lot of changes would take place. No structure whatsoever. Anyhow we were off for a warm up over to the track. It was nice to socialize with all the guys on the way over. I really miss the team aspect of things. It was darn right hot today as temps reached the mid 70's. I've been use to working out with layers on and today was a no shirt day. Once arriving at the track I did another half mile or so before drills. My knee had that burning feeling but I knew that would all go away once I started. I was initially going to do 6 x 800 with 2:00 rest. i decided if those guys were doing something similar then I would switch. Most of the guys were doing 2k, 1k, 2k at Interval pace. This was perfect because the 800's were suppose to to be done at (I) pace as well. It started to become really windy, but again that was nothing new. After a few strides we were off. On the first Interval Piotrek led the first two laps and I took over the last three. We were really consistent with the pace as we hit 70, 70, 69, 69, 70. While running behind piotrek I felt comfortable. I didn't really feel discomfort till 500 to go. I kept the entire interval controlled which is the point of working out. This is something I've learned to do over the years. No point racing in workouts. In my opinion we took way too long to start the 1k. We were waiting on some of the other guys so it was just a pain in the ass. If you need to take more recovery than the time taken for that interval then your running too fast. The 1k felt really good as I took over after the first lap, running 2:45. I bit quick, but again this is due to the long recovery. I went 67, 66, 32... We then took around 4:00 before starting the next 2k. Piotrek again led this time the first thousand before I took over. We came through in 2:54 which felt good. Once I took over the wind was eating me up on the home straight but I just told myself to relax and then open it up running with the wind. The last 200 I could hear a few guys as three of us crossed the line in 5:47. After the first lap the pain in my knee went away, so I was pleased with that. I know it will act up later tonight. After the last 2k I slipped on my spikes for 4 x 200 with 200 jog between. I was running 29 to 30 and it felt rather comfortable. I was feeling tired on the cool down and could have really used an ice bath. It's been months since I've had one of those. Maybe sometime soon. I saw that the Puma mile is on April 17th, with 10,000 and a year contract going to this years winner. I remember gearing up for that race last year and my foot caused my to miss a month of training. We will see how things are going, but I have a feeling I'll be ready to run with the best here soon! I have some big races before that, so time will tell.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Recovery run
Time of day 10:00 AM
Distance 13.50 mi
Duration 1:34:00 @ 6:57 min/mi
Shoe Wave Rider 13
Temperature 55°F
Wind Light
Conditions Sunny and Dry
Intensity Easy
Overall Feeling Average
Comments I was out late last night at Piotrek's party so I didn't meet the EF crew at Westcreek this morning. I was feeling a bit beat up. My knee got really tight after the race yesterday and it didn't help that I was standing all day at work then stayed up late. Laura ran to my house and then I ran with her for 25:00 before splitting off. It felt really good to start off easy and she did a really good job at keeping a solid pace. She is a lot better runner than she gives herself credit for. It was finally a beautiful day and everyone was out enjoying the weather. Laura and I left my house and headed down to the bottom trail, a loop around bell Island before we separated at the canal walk. I picked up the pace a bit, getting into a good rhythm as I ran east on the canal walk then cut up bank street to Franklin. Once on Monument I continued past Boulevard to Malvern. From there I cut through the Windsor farms community and ended up on Douglasdale near Byrd park. My IT band and knee were bothering me and my shoes felt dead. As soon as I got home I stretched and took care of my knee. Hope this doesn't turn into anything serious. Overall a good run although I was feeling beat up and tired towards the end.
Distance 13.50 mi
Duration 1:34:00 @ 6:57 min/mi
Shoe Wave Rider 13
Temperature 55°F
Wind Light
Conditions Sunny and Dry
Intensity Easy
Overall Feeling Average
Comments I was out late last night at Piotrek's party so I didn't meet the EF crew at Westcreek this morning. I was feeling a bit beat up. My knee got really tight after the race yesterday and it didn't help that I was standing all day at work then stayed up late. Laura ran to my house and then I ran with her for 25:00 before splitting off. It felt really good to start off easy and she did a really good job at keeping a solid pace. She is a lot better runner than she gives herself credit for. It was finally a beautiful day and everyone was out enjoying the weather. Laura and I left my house and headed down to the bottom trail, a loop around bell Island before we separated at the canal walk. I picked up the pace a bit, getting into a good rhythm as I ran east on the canal walk then cut up bank street to Franklin. Once on Monument I continued past Boulevard to Malvern. From there I cut through the Windsor farms community and ended up on Douglasdale near Byrd park. My IT band and knee were bothering me and my shoes felt dead. As soon as I got home I stretched and took care of my knee. Hope this doesn't turn into anything serious. Overall a good run although I was feeling beat up and tired towards the end.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
First race of the year!
Time of day 8:00 AM
Distance 3.11 mi
Duration 15:07 @ 4:51 min/mi
Shoe Air Zoom Katana Racer 3
WUCD Shoe Wave Rider 13
Distance WU/CD 7.00 mi
Temperature 35°F
Wind Significant
Conditions Sunny and Dry
Intensity Very Hard
Overall Feeling Good
Comments First race of the season. Coming in I knew I was really fit but didn't know how I would race since I've been training hard and just did a workout on Thursday. I've been having a issue with my left knee since completing my workout on Thursday. I think I have some inflammation on the lateral side of my knee. It's where my IT band connects so that makes sense since I've been having issues. While warming up I felt decent. It was suppose to be a nice morning compared to the previous days this week, but a strong wind continued to blow. I did the course as a warm up then some drills over in the grass. That lump of a feeling started to come about 30 or so minutes before the race. I missed that feeling you get right before it's time to perform. I've been busting my ass for months, so it was time to prove to myself that I'm ready to roll this season. I didn't have a race strategy, just wanted to get out the first 800 and test myself. Another great runner in the area, John Molz was also out there. I knew I would have some competition with a $250 first place prize. I did a few strides then stripped down to my singlet, shorts and arm warmers. It was really chilly with the breeze. We were gathered around at the starting line waiting for the gun to go off. When it did John and I were running side by side. We were sizing each other up and I was just trying to relax and get into a nice rhythm. Around the 3/4 mile we turned left and started running into a strong head wind. I've been here before. Most of my workouts have been worst than this the weeks leading up to the race. We came through the mile in 4:45 or so and I was feeling better than I did at the start. I could sense that John was having trouble with the pace and I was soon only hearing my own breathing and footsteps. I was in a groove running alone into the wind. From 1.5 to 2.5 I felt like I was running slightly faster than tempo pace. My workouts had been much harder than this effort so I knew what to expect. I came through 2mi in 9:45. I fell off pace but that's to be expected into the wind. Plus it's a road race and I've learned over the years that you can't trust the accuracy of road races for shit. With a half mile left I picked it up trying to test myself a bit. I didn't really start feeling a lot of discomfort till the last 1:00 or so. I was very pleased with my first effort and winning $250 is a great way to kick off the year. I chatted for a few then did 4 x 200 on the grass to get some extra work in. Duncan was cooling down so we did a small loop that took 18:00 or so. After the awards I was off to work to stand up all day. Not the best recovery but it has to be done. Shamrock is in two weeks. Sub 24:00 is in sight. The question is just how fast can I go.
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Distance 3.11 mi
Duration 15:07 @ 4:51 min/mi
Shoe Air Zoom Katana Racer 3
WUCD Shoe Wave Rider 13
Distance WU/CD 7.00 mi
Temperature 35°F
Wind Significant
Conditions Sunny and Dry
Intensity Very Hard
Overall Feeling Good
Comments First race of the season. Coming in I knew I was really fit but didn't know how I would race since I've been training hard and just did a workout on Thursday. I've been having a issue with my left knee since completing my workout on Thursday. I think I have some inflammation on the lateral side of my knee. It's where my IT band connects so that makes sense since I've been having issues. While warming up I felt decent. It was suppose to be a nice morning compared to the previous days this week, but a strong wind continued to blow. I did the course as a warm up then some drills over in the grass. That lump of a feeling started to come about 30 or so minutes before the race. I missed that feeling you get right before it's time to perform. I've been busting my ass for months, so it was time to prove to myself that I'm ready to roll this season. I didn't have a race strategy, just wanted to get out the first 800 and test myself. Another great runner in the area, John Molz was also out there. I knew I would have some competition with a $250 first place prize. I did a few strides then stripped down to my singlet, shorts and arm warmers. It was really chilly with the breeze. We were gathered around at the starting line waiting for the gun to go off. When it did John and I were running side by side. We were sizing each other up and I was just trying to relax and get into a nice rhythm. Around the 3/4 mile we turned left and started running into a strong head wind. I've been here before. Most of my workouts have been worst than this the weeks leading up to the race. We came through the mile in 4:45 or so and I was feeling better than I did at the start. I could sense that John was having trouble with the pace and I was soon only hearing my own breathing and footsteps. I was in a groove running alone into the wind. From 1.5 to 2.5 I felt like I was running slightly faster than tempo pace. My workouts had been much harder than this effort so I knew what to expect. I came through 2mi in 9:45. I fell off pace but that's to be expected into the wind. Plus it's a road race and I've learned over the years that you can't trust the accuracy of road races for shit. With a half mile left I picked it up trying to test myself a bit. I didn't really start feeling a lot of discomfort till the last 1:00 or so. I was very pleased with my first effort and winning $250 is a great way to kick off the year. I chatted for a few then did 4 x 200 on the grass to get some extra work in. Duncan was cooling down so we did a small loop that took 18:00 or so. After the awards I was off to work to stand up all day. Not the best recovery but it has to be done. Shamrock is in two weeks. Sub 24:00 is in sight. The question is just how fast can I go.
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Friday, March 5, 2010
Training for March 4th
Time of day 9:00 AM
Distance 5.00 mi
Duration 25:31 @ 5:06 min/mi
Shoe Zoom Streak Xc
WUCD Shoe Wave Rider 13
Distance WU/CD 5.50 mi
Temperature 35°F
Wind Strong
Conditions Sunny and Dry
Intensity Hard
Overall Feeling Good
Comments Cruise Intervals at Saint Chris. I was debating working out today since I'm racing on Saturday. I figured I'm training through the next few weeks and need to stay consistent with things. The workout went as follows ( 5 x mile w 1:00 rest at Tempo pace) My legs are been tired lately but that's why it's called training. I was off for the typical warm up down to U of R to use the restroom then back to the track. The wind was blowing at 15-20 mph which sends a chill through your body on a cold morning. After 20 or so minutes of drills and a few strides I was off... The back stretch was unbelievably windy. These were done a T pace so I was telling myself to relax and let things come. I hit the first one in 5:07. Felt good and a minute later was back at it again. I kept running the first quarter in 75 so I had to tell myself to relax and slow down. The race is this weekend and running fast today was not the goal. My legs were also heavy so no need digging myself a bigger hole. I continued to hit 5:07 on the next two and then went 5:06, 5:04 on the last two. I was soon off to cool down and get the hell out of the cold. Workout stats below:
warm up - 3mi
Drills / strides
5 x mile @ T pace with 1:00 rest (5:07, 5:07, 5:07, 5:06, 5:04)
cool down - 2.5mi
Distance 5.00 mi
Duration 25:31 @ 5:06 min/mi
Shoe Zoom Streak Xc
WUCD Shoe Wave Rider 13
Distance WU/CD 5.50 mi
Temperature 35°F
Wind Strong
Conditions Sunny and Dry
Intensity Hard
Overall Feeling Good
Comments Cruise Intervals at Saint Chris. I was debating working out today since I'm racing on Saturday. I figured I'm training through the next few weeks and need to stay consistent with things. The workout went as follows ( 5 x mile w 1:00 rest at Tempo pace) My legs are been tired lately but that's why it's called training. I was off for the typical warm up down to U of R to use the restroom then back to the track. The wind was blowing at 15-20 mph which sends a chill through your body on a cold morning. After 20 or so minutes of drills and a few strides I was off... The back stretch was unbelievably windy. These were done a T pace so I was telling myself to relax and let things come. I hit the first one in 5:07. Felt good and a minute later was back at it again. I kept running the first quarter in 75 so I had to tell myself to relax and slow down. The race is this weekend and running fast today was not the goal. My legs were also heavy so no need digging myself a bigger hole. I continued to hit 5:07 on the next two and then went 5:06, 5:04 on the last two. I was soon off to cool down and get the hell out of the cold. Workout stats below:
warm up - 3mi
Drills / strides
5 x mile @ T pace with 1:00 rest (5:07, 5:07, 5:07, 5:06, 5:04)
cool down - 2.5mi
Training for March 3rd
Time of day 5:00 PM
Distance 8.00 mi
Duration 51:00 @ 6:22 min/mi
Shoe Wave Rider 13
Temperature 38°F
Wind Light
Conditions Light Rain
Intensity Easy
Overall Feeling Good
Comments On Wednesday's I intern from 6-10am. Once returning home I was starving so I made a huge breakfast then laid down for a few. Next thing I knew it was 4pm. I had taken a 4hr nap. These things don't happen on accident. My body was trying to tell me something. Jason got home in the evening so we went drove to cary street gym and ran from the car. I was below 40 with a light rain. Not exactly the perfect running weather but we got in a solid 8 mi before hitting the gym. During the run Jason showed me the 5k layout of a race he is trying to organize for next fall. The course was nice and seemed to be fast. Once getting back to the gym I did a nice strength routine for 45 to 60 minutes.
Distance 8.00 mi
Duration 51:00 @ 6:22 min/mi
Shoe Wave Rider 13
Temperature 38°F
Wind Light
Conditions Light Rain
Intensity Easy
Overall Feeling Good
Comments On Wednesday's I intern from 6-10am. Once returning home I was starving so I made a huge breakfast then laid down for a few. Next thing I knew it was 4pm. I had taken a 4hr nap. These things don't happen on accident. My body was trying to tell me something. Jason got home in the evening so we went drove to cary street gym and ran from the car. I was below 40 with a light rain. Not exactly the perfect running weather but we got in a solid 8 mi before hitting the gym. During the run Jason showed me the 5k layout of a race he is trying to organize for next fall. The course was nice and seemed to be fast. Once getting back to the gym I did a nice strength routine for 45 to 60 minutes.
Training for March 2nd
Time of day 8:00 AM
Distance 10.50 mi
Duration 1:09:30 @ 6:37 min/mi
Shoe Wave Rider 13
Temperature 34°F
Wind Significant
Conditions Sunny and Dry
Intensity Easy
Overall Feeling Average
Comments Early morning recovery run with Jimmy. Legs are feeling a bit beat up from yesterdays workout. It's another cold and windy day in Richmond. Can't wait for things to warm up a bit. Anyhow Jimmy and myself started the usual route down through forest hill park, from there we ran the flood wall connecting to North bank trail. It was nice having access to all the trails once again. With all the snow cover the previous two months the trails have either been icy or very muddy.
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Distance 10.50 mi
Duration 1:09:30 @ 6:37 min/mi
Shoe Wave Rider 13
Temperature 34°F
Wind Significant
Conditions Sunny and Dry
Intensity Easy
Overall Feeling Average
Comments Early morning recovery run with Jimmy. Legs are feeling a bit beat up from yesterdays workout. It's another cold and windy day in Richmond. Can't wait for things to warm up a bit. Anyhow Jimmy and myself started the usual route down through forest hill park, from there we ran the flood wall connecting to North bank trail. It was nice having access to all the trails once again. With all the snow cover the previous two months the trails have either been icy or very muddy.
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Thursday, March 4, 2010
Goals
Wow, I can't believe it's been almost two months since returning from Colorado. My last blog was when returning home waiting in the Chicago airport. I have lots to share since my last post. When training in Colorado I was going through a rough patch of injuries and not feeling at my best. Like I always say, that's part of the game. If you want to be great at anything you have to find that perfect balance. That varies from person to person. My first week back from altitude was a disaster. I arrived home fairly late and had to be up at 5am for my internship at Endorphin Fitness. During that first week my sleeping patterns were off and I just wanted to do nothing but sleep. Since I was nursing some injuries I thought it would be best to take a few days off. Since settling back in that first week training has been great! Life has been nuts been I'm doing the best I can. That next week Richmond got hit by a huge snowstorm which was a pain in the ass, literally. I slipped on some ice, falling directly on my hip. I didn't take any time off but decided to hit the treadmill over the next several days. The next week we received more snow, and the pattern has continued for a while. I didn't get the workouts in I would have liked so I decided against racing till March. For once I resisted the temptation in order to prepare my body to deliver to the best of it's abilities when the time is right. I mean yes it would have been nice to see what I could have run after coming down from altitude, but I have some lofty goal and want to achieve those goals by seasons end. So since returning I've put in 8 solid weeks of training. My mileage has been between 70-80 miles a week with a down week every 4th week of the cycle. During that down week I've still been around 65 or so. My workouts have been incredible the past several week. I've also been doing drills several times a week and hitting the gym twice a week. Things I never did consistently in the past. I believe all the small things will help build a better foundation which in return minimizes injuries and helps maximize performance. I've been posting my training on a new site called runpartner.com. I really like the way it's set up and will be sending links from my training log daily to my blog for those interested. Anyhow I'd like to share my goals with everyone. People may think I'm crazy because some of these things I've never come close to doing before. That's my reasoning for sharing with everyone. I'm not scared to put everything on the table and take risks. First I want to stay healthy and enjoy the sport. Yes competing and running fast is important to me, but being happy is my main focus. Next I'd like to run sub 24:00 at the Shamrock 8k on March 20th. That next Friday I will be competing in the 5k at the Raleigh relays. My goal for that race is sub 14:00. After that I will drop down and race a slew of 1500's. I will either compete at the Colonial relays on April 2nd or the Duke invite. This will be my first 1500 of the season. I'd like to run sub 3:45 but time is not the issue at this point. Every race I enter will be to win. I love racing, so putting myself in position to win is what it's all about. The USATF championships are at the end of June. The A standard for the 1500 is 3:41 and the B standard is 3:45. Everything I do this season wil be geared towards qualifying and racing well at the USATF champs in June. My fist race of the season is this weekend at a local 5k in Richmond. I've been feeling tired but hitting all my times while working out. The first place prize is $250! I could use the extra cash and a good solid effort before Shamrock. Like I mentioned I'll be posting my training daily. Hope everyone is having a great year and living life to it's fullest.
Guy
Guy
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