My legs were like lead

November 30, 2009: 3 Rustin loops
4:10 half-mile
8:15 mile
16:15 2 mile
17:50 2.19 (1 loop)
21:25 2.69
25:20 3.19
33:20 4.19
34:55 4.37 (2 loops)
38:40 4.87
42:18 5.37
49:38 6.37
51:09 6.55 miles (3 loops)

My legs were like lead. This run was yucky. Yikes!!

The marathon

Sunday, November 29, 2009--ran to Penn Oaks, after getting back from Westchester County, NY. 6.6 miles: (3.3 in 24:40 en route to PO, 23:38 en route home)


Saturday, November 28, 2009--warmed up 1.1 miles. The workout: the marathon-->18 200s. Came into the workout with sore, dead legs, but I made it through. After a rough start, I decided to chunk my runs into 6 sets of 3: 36,35,34,33,32,31. 36, 37, 35; 34, 35, 34; 34, 34, 33; 33, 33, 32; 32, 31, 32; 32, 31, 31. I walked 200 meters somewhat swiftly for a 2:00 break. Cooled down 1.1 miles. Total: 4.5 miles.

Quick run-down

Saturday, 11/28--Even I am a little sore, I am thinking about 4x(4x200m) @ 35-34-33-32 w/2:00-1:45-1:30-1:15 sec interval by set (w/no additional recovery between sets!!)

Friday, 11/27--6.2 (foot bothering me). Used combination of Rustin XC course--2 loops--and road. Hospital for finger.

Thursday, 11/26 (Thanksgiving and anniversary)--played football in Havertown. Injured finger.

Wednesday, 11/25--5.2 in 40:15. Used combination of Rustin XC course--1 loop--and road.

Tuesday, 11/24--2.2 miles (overslept)

Late start

Monday, 11/23/09--Got a late start. Was supposed to workout at Henderson, as tomorrow's workout was switched to today. Wound up doing only a relaxed 2.2 in 17:39. Perhaps tomorrow I will go to Westtown and do an interval workout or begin hill work. We'll see.

Sit 'N Kick

November 21, 2009

I had set out to do Sit 'n Kick Reps at 5x (400m @ 68 . . . rest 30-sec . . . 200m @ 32) jog 1200m btw sets. This would be the start of an affair towards 5x (400m @ 65 . . . rest :30 . . . 200m @ 28) jog 1200m btw sets. 6.8 miles

Actual: I made my way to the Westtown track. It was about 55 degrees. I warmed up 1mile, stretched pretty well, and did some drills. I wound up doing 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. The last time I did such a workout was March 14th: 65, 21; 63, 20; 60, 22; 63, 21; 61; 21. That day, I rested 1:00 minute between 400s and 150s and jogged 1200m btw sets. Cooled down 1200 m. 6.25 miles. Before then, I did this workout was 2/28: except I did 4 and gave myself a 2-min rest period: 64/21; 64/21; 63, 21; 61, 21.

I'd say the workout at Westtown was a success. I'd like to try to do the whole workout with "full" integrity.

Today, I will run to Penn Oaks and lift. Perhaps a report later.

I was left to do roughly the last 3 miles alone

Thursday, 11/19/09--a bit of a late start but made it to the Borough in time. Same 7.9 loop, but the pace was slower. John Manion was back and nursing his plantar fasciitis. We were joined by Pete about 1.5 miles into the run. We took it a little easier, it seemed. John peeled off at the 3.75 mark. We hit the 4 mile mark in 30:20(7:35/mile pace) Someone else turned off at the 4.15 mark. Pete turned off at the 5 mile mark. So I was left to do roughly the last 3 miles alone. I finished up at 59:30, which means the last 3.9 miles was in 29:10, or about 7:28/mile. The average pace of the run was 7:32/mile. Overall, I felt good.

The Archives: Ain't We Lucky We Got 'Em

Wednesday, 11/18/09--I drove to Westtown School's track for my first real "speed" workout. Notice the quotes; I use the word "speed" loosely. I did a 1.1 mile warm up and stretched before tackling a 8x200 with a 200 meter jog rest in-between each. I had planned to do 10x200, but I got a late start. This workout felt pretty good, particularly since I ran in regular flats, the same shoes I use for road mileage. My times were 32,32,33,33,33,32,32,30 (32 sec avg). My rest wound up being 2:00.

The Archives
Looking back at last year, on Thursday, 12/4/08, I did 9 x 200: 33,34,33,32,32,32,31,31,31 (avg 32 sec) with a 300 meter jog rest in-between and a 400 meter jog after the 5th one. Even though the average times are the same and I did one less 200 than last year, I would rate today's workout higher and for a few reasons: 1) relative to last year's, it's earlier in the season, 2) the rest between repeats for today's workout was shorter, 3) I used flats, and 4) there was no 400 meter jog after the 5th repeat.

On Thursday, 12/18/08, I did 8x200 in 32,33,32,31,31,30,30,29 with a 300 meter jog/3-min rest and a 400 meter jog after the 5th one. Even though the average in this case was 31 sec, I would rate today's workout as being on par with this one. The number of repeats was the same, but last year's workout offered greater recovery between repeats. Also, I wore flats today, unlike last year.

Perhaps I am a month ahead of where I was this time last year. My workout this past Tuesday--and other Tuesdays for the matter--have made me doubt this possibility. I will learn more over the next few weeks leading up to the first meet in December. I will try to sneak in similar workouts as those from December 2008 for comparison.

Caveat: The truth is that none of these workouts are that impressive, but they are useful for comparison sake.

For my next interval workout--this Saturday or Sunday, depending on the weather--I plan to do one of my staple 800 meter workouts. That will give me some good information about my fitness for the 800.

Today's total: 1.1 warm-up; 1 mile worth of 200s, 1 mile worth of recovery, .9 cool down. 4 miles