Sunday, November 28, 2010

but i was able to rebound

11/28/10--I started to do my usual trek to Penn Oaks, but I bagged it, managing only 2.2 miles, a Rustin loop-plus. I decided that I didn't want to burn 90 minutes when I knew my family wanted to spend some additional time with family before the week started again. I wound up throwing the football with my son and then son and daughter, and then we took a drive around Unionville. What beautiful country roads peppered with horse farms. The estates weren't bad either.

11/27/10--My plan was to do Russian intervals: 5x (3x300m @ 48 w/100m jog at 30-sec) Jog 800m between sets. However, I realized that such a workout was too ambitious for someone who is still trying to get rid of the soreness from Thursday's football game. I also realized that 30 seconds' rest, even under the best of circumstances, would be impossible. So, I decided to do 5x (2x300m @ 48 w/100m walk at 75-sec). I ran 49, 49; 49, 49; 49, 48; 48, 48; 48, 46. I suffered a crisis of confidence early in the workout but I was able to rebound. The next time I try this I'll either do sets of 3 300s with the same amount of rest (75 sec) or I'll do sets of 2 300s with less rest time (e.g., 60 sec). Overall, I felt pretty good about the workout.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

I'm sore

11/26/10--I'm sore! I ran a stretch-my-legs-out 4.4 mile/2 Rustin loop plus. 16:55 for loop 1; 15:55 for loop 2. 32:50.

11/25/10--played football with several families in Havertown. This tradition is one my family has been brought in on these last three Thanksgiving Days. There was brief snow showers, sleet, and rain; thus, it was very slippery. I fell on the ground on every other play. I need better cleats; my indoor soccer ones are for the birds. I'm sore!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

should I do the Turkey Trot?

11/24/10--easy 3.8 in 28:20.

longer run, then football tomorrow. Or should I do the Turkey Trot?

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

I overslept. A coincidence?

Tuesday, 11/23/10

Today, I overslept and did not make it to Henderson for my Tuesday workout. What a bummer! I got up at 5:50 or so. I checked last year's report and learned that I did the exact same thing on this day last year! A coincidence?

I decided to do a fartlek, much like the ones I didlate summer. I began with a 5 min/.6 mi warm up, heading towards the start of the Rustin XC course. I did my standard 15-30-45-60 sec with an equal amount of jog in-between. I kept this pattern for 4.65 miles, covering the distance in 33 minutes. I figure my runs were at 6:15 min pace and my jogs were at 8:15 min pace. I cooled down .6, for a total of 5.85 miles. I felt pretty tired going over the rolling hills in the early morning.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Boy was I!

Monday, 11/22/10--took off.

Sunday, 11/21/10--Long way to Penn Oaks. Tired, heavy legs! 34:40 en route to PO; lifted; 34:00 en route home.

Saturday, 11/20/10
Went to Westtown School to do Sit 'n Kick Reps. It was about 45 degrees and slighly windy. The ideal/goal is 5x (400m @ 64 . . . rest 30-sec . . . 200m @ 28) jog 1200m btw sets. Being able to do this as written sets me up to run 2:00 or better. Since this was my first Sit 'n Kick Reps workout in months and since I know I am in deperate need of speedwork, I figured that I would be a few seconds off pace. Boy was I! I knew from the first rep that it was going to be a long workout, even if I planned to take a minute between the 400s and 200s despite the preferred 30 seconds. My 1200 jogs in between hovered just under 9:00. My runs were:
67,33
67,32
65,NT because I felt my calf tighten. I stretched for a moment, then strided the 200.
65,30
63,29

The last two reps give me something to work from: hope.

With the warm-up (1.05) and cool down (1.05), I covered about 6.8 miles

Total mileage: 11/14-11/20--34 miles

I think i am better off than I was this time last year. NOTE:
On 11/22/09, exactly 1 year ago, I did the same exact workout on Westtown's track. It was about 55 degrees. That day, I did 150s instead of the 200s. My runs were 67/25; 66/24; 65/24; 65/25; 64/27. I kept to 30 seconds between the 400s and 150s. My 1200 jog rest was just under 10 minutes.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

an anemic attempt

Thursday, 11/18/10--made it to WC Country Club on time...finally. After the first two miles, it became evident that the group was going to split into distinct groups, string-out, or both. I found myself with Jen and a couple of others at the three mile mark. We hit 4 miles in 28:30 or so. After an anemic attempt at "the hill," I finished up the 7.9 miles solo in 56:30.

Wednesday, 11/17/10--ran to Stillman's to get my car. Took roundabout way for 4.6 miles. 34:30.

27.25 miles thus far this week (11/14-11/18)

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

I could have run harder.

11.16.10

Today at Henderson the workout was 600, 100 jog, 200, 300 jog—5 sets. I ran the workout with Bob Rimkis, who eventually bailed out due to a sore hamstring. I could have run with Ed et al., but Bob and I had this notion, if only implicit, that they would not respect the recovery (read: they run the recoveries too quickly.).
2:05; 40
2:00; 38
2:00; 38
1:57; 37
1:54; 35

I did the last set and a half solo.

Overall, this workout was fine and was not as taxing as it could’ve been. I could have run harder.

5.75 miles

Monday, November 15, 2010

I need some speed work

Sunday, 11.14.10

took long way to Penn Oaks
4.5 in 33:55
LIFTED
took same route back home
4.5 in 32:30

9.0 miles

Saturday, 11.13.10

Pick-up reps workout: 8x400
warm up 1.0 mile
goal pace: 70 for #s 1,3,4,6,7; 63 for #s 2,5,8 with 400 jog rest of 3:00 in-between runs
My runs: 69,66,71,70,66,69,70,63
cool down 1.1 mile
I need some speed work, and I need to cut back on my recovery.

11/7-11/13--34.3 miles

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Oh well

Friday, 11.12.10
easy 4.4 in 33:30 (loop 1 in 17:20 (about 7:50 pace), loop 2 in 16:10 (about 7:20 pace)) Oh well

Thursday, 11.11.10

got to Borough late for 7.9
group had about a 2-min headstart
spend the first 5 miles of so catching up
hit mile 4 at 28:20
saw people peel off the group as the run progressed
caught up and there were just 2 guys left
the last 2 miles were slow
the hill was slow
finished in 58:10
7.9

Wednesday, 11.10.10

3 miles easy

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

we fell off

Tuesday, 11/9/10--workout was 800 run, 100 jog, 300 run, 400 jog (4 sets). The 800s were supposed to be a bit slower than 5K pace, and the 300s were supposed to be 5K pace or a little faster.
My runs:
2:51, 60 (2:51--5:42 mile pace)
2:48, 60 (2:48--5:36 mile pace)
2:43, 60 (2:43--5:26 mile pace)
2:36, 55 (2:36--5:12 mile pace)


Bob Rimpkis and I started with Ed, Jen, et al. but we fell off after the first 800 because they weren't "respecting the recovery." In other words, they were doing the recovery too fast. Before you knew it, the were 50, then 100, then 150, then 200 meters ahead of us.

I felt okay during the workout, but I didn't feel as strong as I should. That has been the case over the last 2-3 weeks. Perhaps I need to start taking off the Monday before the Tuesday interval workout.


Monday, 11/8/10--XC course running...lead legs. 1.5 miles

Sunday, 11/7/10--XC course running...used portions of the Rustin Run course...5.5 miles; 40 minutes

Saturday, 11/6/10--Was on Swarthmore College's campus this weekend for a meeting of the Alumni Council. Ran about the campus. 40 minutes, 5.25 miles.

10/31-11/6--29.3 miles

Friday, November 5, 2010

pulling back

Friday, 11/5/10-took off

Thursday, 11/4/10--7.9 miles in WC Borough. 57:45.

Wednesday, 11/3/10--3 miles. 22:30

I've been pulling back some.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Time to renew or refuel, whichever's first

Tuesday, 11/2/10--Henderson. Ladder: 1200-800-400-400-800-1200.

Monday, 11/1/10--3.1 in about 23:30

Sunday, 10/31/10--5.5 in 33:35

Saturday, 10/30/10--CHS Hall of Fame 5K. 18:09.
My family and I arrived at Wilson Park at about 8:10 for the 9 AM race. It was cool and in the 40s. I began my warm-up at 8:20, a little later than I had planned. We ran the first .25 mi as a family. Then my son and I ran another mile before stretching. I followed my usual routine; I didn't warm up quite as extensively as I had discussed in a previous entry. With 10 minutes before the gun, we headed back to the pavilion adjacent the start. Many more people had shown up by then, although by most measures, this 5K race is a modest one.

I lined up with my daughter at the front of the pack. The gun went off. The first part of the race is slightly uphill, then slightly downhill. There were three guys in front of me from the start. I decided to let them get some distance on me, but not too much. I heard the mile shout-out at 5:22, 5:23. I was pretty much on pace; I was hoping for 5:20. The leader must've hit 5:15; the two after him probably came across in 5:18.

As we made the turnaround, I lost a little ground but rebounded. Heading up the hill and appraoching the 2-mile mark, I felt myself inch closer to the two guys closest to me. I passed them going up the hill. I then figured I'd eat away at the lead of the leader. I came within about 75 meters, but then he took off and left me in lah-lah land. As I made the twists and turns over the last .75 of the course, I realized that I would be second and have to settle for a slow time. I came upon the 3 mile mark and then the word "finish," except the finish line was more than 100 meters later. As it turns out, the course was actually 3.17. So my 18:09 translates into about 17:45-17:50, which still a ways off of the sub-17:00 campaign I thought I had forged.

Time to renew or refuel, whichever's first!

10/24-10/30--18.5 miles