Wednesday, September 27, 2017

A Little Tired

Wed, 9/28-

Did an easy 3.27M in 25:00.  Legs are a little tired.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

This series was better than last week's.


Like last Tuesday, on tap today was 6 x 2:00 at 5K goal pace with a 2-min jog recovery between efforts. 

I was wondering if I should do 600s or stick with 2:00.  I chose to stick with 2:00 so that I could do the workout as designed, but also make my way to being about to do 2-min 600s with a 2:00 jog recovery comfortably.  2:00 600s is much faster than my goal pace.  My goal is 17:30, which is 5:38/mile.  At this pace, I should have covered 571 meters per repeat.

#1: 590 meters in 2:00

#2: 595 meters in 2:00

#3: 590 meters in 2:00

#4: 590 meters in 2:00

#5: 585 meters in 2:00

#6: 580 meters in 2:00

#7: 600 meters in 2:00

#8: 600 meters in 1:55 (I could have kept going to cover another 20 meters of so to get to 2:00)

This series was better than last week's.  I averaged 10 meters or so longer per repeat.

Monday, 9/25--4M

Sunday, September 24, 2017

the suggested long run pace

Sun, 9/24/17-

On tap today was supposed to be a 60-min long run.  Instead, I chose a 70-min long run!  9M.  I made my way to South Bound Brook and hit the canal.  I exited several miles later, eventually making my way to Schoolhouse.  I reached the 9M mark (which was 150m or so into the apartment complex property) at 70:00.  Pace: 7:47, which seems to be within the suggested long run pace for me.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Comfortably hard

Sat, 9/23-Went to Duke Island Park with V, knowing I have a race there next weekend.

On tap today was a 6-6.5M run, 20 min of it tempo.

Did an easy preview of the course, the middle portion of it with V.  I covered more than 3.1M on the preview loop, on account of two things: 1) I made two wrong turns, and 2) the course measured a little long.  Then did a second loop, at tempo.  The tempo pace was designed to be 30 seconds per mile slower than recent 5K race pace or 40 seconds per mile slower than 5K goal pace.  Comfortably hard, tempo pace is supposed to be a pace I could hold for an hour. So some say.

Mile 1: 6:20
Finished up 3.13M in 19:34... 6:15/mile pace.

I am not sure I could hold 6:15 pace for an hour.  Maybe I ran too fast.

Per Jason Fitzgerald, "If you run any faster, you won’t be able to clear that lactate and you’ll be running beyond your threshold. You’ll then experience the familiar burning sensation of acidic muscles and fatigue that is felt at the end of a short, hard race. The goal then is to straddle the lactate threshold and not run any faster."  http://strengthrunning.com/2016/04/a-step-by-step-guide-to-tempo-runs/

A tool I have used is the train pace calculator: http://www.chicagoendurancesports.com/runcalc.htm.


Thursday, September 21, 2017

As Intended

Thurs, 9/21-

Went for a 7M run today (Colonial Park), but I sort of succumbed to the humidity.  I covered the first two miles in 15:20, and I hit the turnaround point at 25:55.  I stopped at 32:00 and walked for a bit.  I then ran the last 2.2M.  Mile 6 was in 7:00, mile 7 in 6:00 as intended.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

I was wondering

Wed, 9/20/17-

Did another easy run today. 5.4M in 42:20.

Tues, 9/19/17-

On tap today was 6 x 2:00 at 5K goal pace with a 2-min jog recovery between efforts.

#1: Ran an entire 600m in 2:04.  I was wondering whether I should do 600s or stick with 2:00.  I chose to stick with 2:00 so that I could do the workout as designed, but also make my way to being about to do 2-min 600s with a 2:00 jog recovery comfortably.  2:00 600s is much faster than my goal pace.  My goal is 17:30, which is 5:38/mile.  At this pace, I should have covered 571 meters per repeat.

#2: 585 meters in 2:00

#3: 580 meters in 2:00

#4: 580 meters in 2:00

#5: 575 meters in 2:00

#6: 575 meters in 2:00

#7: 580 meters in 2:00

#8: 600 meters in 1:57 (I could have kept going to cover another 10 meters of so to get to 2:00)


Mon, 9/18/17-

Did an easy run today. 5.4M in 42:30.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Steady state/long run

Sun, 9/17-Did a 8M+ steady state/long run today.  I intended to run for an hour, or an average overall pace of 7:30, which I did!  I started out at 7:55 min for the first mile, 7:50 for the second mile.  The next four miles, most of it along the canal, averaged about 7:30.  I covered the last two miles in 14:05, with the last mile in 6:45.   My legs are a little, but I'm pretty good otherwise! 

Plans for the week:
-Mon: 45 min run
-Tues: 8 x 2 min @ 5K pace, with 2 min jog recovery between efforts
-Wed: 45 min run
-Thurs: 30 min run, with last 10 min at 10K pace
-Fri: rest

http://www.chicagoendurancesports.com/runcalc.htm

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Nicely

Sat, 9/16-Ran an easy 7M on this humid morning.  The plan was to run 8:00 pace, finishing up at about 56:00.  I ran 8:05 or so pace for the first two miles, but I must've warmed up nicely since I finished up at 54:40, for an overall pace of about 7:49.

Friday, September 15, 2017

Running hard solo is tough going!

Fri, 9/15-took off

Thurs, 9/14-Went for my 7M run to, and through, Colonial Park from the Ave.  My idea was to run the first two miles at 7:30/mile pace, and then run the balance of the route, 5M, at 6:30 pace.  It didn't quite turn out this way, however.

I reached the mile mark at 7:35, and the two-mile mark in 15:15.  Argh.  I then dropped the pace to what I was hoping would be 6:30.  And the pace may very well have been 6:30...for a mile or so.  Who knows?  I reached the turnaround point at 25:25 and the two-mile-to-go-mark at 35:15.  I realized that running 48:00 would be unlikely, as my body wasn't ready for a 12:45 (6:22/mi pace) last two miles.  Unfortunately, I slowed quite a bit, covering the sixth mile in just under 7:00 (42:12).  I finished up at 48:33, meaning my final two miles were run in 13:18, the final 6:21.  Running hard solo is tough going!

Pace over first two miles (15:15): 7:37
Pace over the final five miles (33:18): 6:39
Overall pace over the seven miles: 6:56

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

effort

Wed, 9/13-

easy 5.5M in 42:30

Tues, 9/12-

Used Pingry's track for the very first time 6AM-ish to do 6x800 with a 2:00/200-meter jog rest.  Goal pace was 2:45.

effort 1: 2:47
2: 2:48
3: 2:49
4: 2:48
5: 2:47
6: 2:45



Monday, September 11, 2017

34:34, 08:08

Mon, 9/11-

Did a nice and easy run of 4.25M in 34:34, about 8:08/mile pace.

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Felt good

Sunday, 9/10-

Did a 8M recovery run today after yesterday's race.  It felt good!  I intended to go at 8 minute/mile pace, but I wound up going a little faster (avg. 7:40).  I started out at 8:05 min/mile for the first two miles.  The next two miles, most of it along the canal, averaged 7:50.  The third two miles averaged about 7:35.  The last two miles averaged 7:20.

Saturday, September 9, 2017

good for now


Sat, 9/9-On this beautiful late summer morning, I ran the 9/11 Heroes Run 5K in Bridgewater this morning. Having had a long but great time last night (rich food, deep drinks, etc.), I wasn't sure I was going to compete today.  I woke up groggily, but then decided to compete after I felt better.  I arrived early enough for a thorough warmup.  In fact, I ran the three miles of the course as warmup, at a slower pace, of course.  The course was all road and featured a couple of gradual hills, nothing really arduous.  I believe I ran a very even race, winning my age group and placing sixth overall in a field of a couple of hundred people.  Even though the announcer said 18:43, the unofficial time listed on the website was 18:54 (6:05 pace).  This mark, if accurate, is passable for now, particularly since the course was long at 3.17M (5:58 pace).  

After the race, I bumped into Charles (Chip) Chavalier, who wound up placing second in our age group.  We were called to the stage and accepted our medals together, as well as enjoyed a photo opp. 

Fri, 9/8-took off


Thurs, 9/7-Ran 7M at 6:00 AM in 54:15, or 7:45 per mile pace.


Wed, 9/6-ran about 4M at 6:15AM in the pouring rain.

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

my old self

9/5/17-Today at Bound Brook High School I did 5x1000 with a 200 meter jog-rest after each. I ran with an 18:00 5K in mind.  It was tough, though.  My runs were a little slower, but that's ok: 3:44, 3:41, 3:37, 3:34, 3:27.  I have been trying to work on my breathing and not labor while running.  I have to imagine that I am on my way to keeping up with my old self.

Monday, September 4, 2017

Beautiful morning

Mon, 9/4-Did a relaxed 7M today.  Ran to beautiful Colonial Park on this beautiful morning and headed along the walking path until I reached the end (3.5M/28:15, 8:05/mile pace).  Turned back around and headed home (7M/55:10, 7:53/mile pace).  Second 3.5M run in 26:55, 7:41/mile pace.

Sun, 9/3-took off

Saturday, September 2, 2017

Matched what I did in 2014

Sat, 9/2-

On this cool, 53-degree morning, I went to Bound Brook HS today at 7:30 and did the same workout I did with Justin on about this date three years ago in 2014.

400--38s/200 for 76s 
800--42s/200 for 2:49
1000--43s/200 for 3:38 
1600--44s/200 for 5:53 
600--40s/200 for 2:01 
400--37s/200 for 74s 
200--30s 

I took between 3:30 between each run, slow-jogging 400m.  Given how sluggish I felt while warming up, I was pleased with this effort, which matched what I did in 2014.

Friday, September 1, 2017

That fresh September weather!

Fri, 9/1-That fresh September weather! 6M at Johnson Park.  48:35.  (8:06/mi pace)

Thurs, 8/30-4.25M, most of it Bartlett (30s, 60s, 90s).  30:45.