January Summary

Month one of 2009 is complete.  I think I have got back to reasonable training, but didn't really get started with my marathon training plan.  I think that having a half marathon 2 weeks into the polan isn't really conducive to a structured plan.  After tomorrow's activities I will get serious on the marathon plan - it's still 16 weeks to go so I have plenty of time.

• Miles - 191.9
  
• Biggest week - 52.76
• Long runs - 16.5, 13.5, 2 more 10+
  
• Track - 2 workouts
  
• Tempos - 4 runs
  
• Hills - lots
  

February should be around 240 miles, with a big week of about 65.  Weekend long runs getting up to 20, starting to do midweek medium runs (12-15), a couple track workouts and continued weekly tempos (but stretching them out to 6-7 miles at pace).  I'm going to keep the rest day on Monday, as I think that will help me avoid getting injured quite so quick.  

Pre Race Tune-Up

I'm a little worried about this half marathon on Sunday, and wondering if I am doing something dumb thinking I can get under 1:30.  Training is going well, but I haven't been back long and I haven't done a lot of long runs.  So this morning I looked back over my training log to just before the first time I broke 1:30.  In terms of weekly mileage, I'm doing about the same.  The first time I'd been training solidly for about 3 months post injury, this rime it's only been about 2.  

Last time I'd kept up my fitness with some pool running, whereas this time I just got lazy and fat.  Weight wise, I'm a couple pounds heavier, but that's OK.  Speedwise, I was running my workouts slower back then.  No real trackwork, and tempos were 6:50, vs 6:30-6:40 now.  So that's good.

As a scientific comparison, this morning I decided I'd mirror my pre-race tuneup from before that first sub 1:30 race.  It was about 6 miles, with the middle 3 at an average 6:52 pace.  I have GPS tracks for all my runs so I could run the exact same route and had detailed splits.  Here's how it went....

• Split, Last time, this time
  
• 0-0.5m 6:56 6:41
  
• 0.5-1m 6:52 6:42
  
• 1-1.5m 6:45 6:40
  
• 1.5-2m 7:00 6:43
  
• 2-2.5m 6:50 6:43
  
• 2.5-3m 6:49 6:40
  
• Ave 6:52 6:42 - Heartrate was about the same for both runs.

So bottomline is that I am better shape than I was when I did my first sub 1:30, and this is a faster course (Kaiser this time, first half of CIM last time). Plus the weather looks like it will be good (51 with no wind).  So I need to stop wussing about and just go for it!

I'm going to pace for 6:52 for the first 5 miles, then we get the easy 2 downhill miles, which should be good for 20-30 seconds, then go back to 6:52 pace thru mile 10 and see how I am feeling.  If it's bad, I should be able to drop back to low 7s and still hit 1:30.  If it's good I could try to get down to 6:40 and have a shot at 1:29.

Weekly Summary

First official week of marathon training is done.  It was probably the least structured week I've run ever.  No real plan at all, but overall some good running.

• Monday - was a day off so did a hilly 14 miler in Rancho San Antonio
• Tuesday - took my rest day
• Wednesday - work got in the way and I took another rest day
• Thursday - 5x1,200 in 4:36 at the track
• Friday - easy 5 miler
• Saturday - 10 miles with 5 at 6:42 - good workout
• Sunday - very hilly 12 miler in Marin Headlands - great run
• Total - 49 miles

Next week will also be a weird one as I have the Kasier Half Marathon on Sunday.  I'll skip tomorrow, do a short tempo Tuesday, some pace miles on Friday and the rest will be easy runs.  Still picking my goal for Sunday, my brain is saying that 7 minute pace (1:31:46) is the sensible thing to do, but that seems real close to 1:30 so I suspect I will end up starting fast and then going for sub 1:30.  That may well end badly, but will at least give me a real read on my fitness level.

Back to the Track #4

After skipping a couple days of running due to work getting in the way, this evening was track time.  The plan was 5x1,200 meters, with a short 90 second rest between each.  Goal time was 4:41, which is 6:17 pace.  So a little slower than the 800s I did the week before, but obviously it's 3 laps instead of 2.

• #1 was 4:39 and felt OK
• #2 was 4:38 and felt OK too
• #3 was a little tougher but came in at 4:37
• #4 was not too bad and was 4:36
• #5 went out fast in 1:27 and decided to keep going, ran a 4:29

Average of 4:36 and each was getting faster - very happy with that.  Personally I find these easier than the 800s, even with the shorter rest.  I think the difference between 6:00 pace and 6:15 is pretty key for me right now.  

That's my last track workout before the Kaiser half when I will get my first real test of how much of my fitness has returned.

Weekly Summary

A week of running in perfect weather has come to an end.  The temps have been getting up to over 70 during the day, but it's still been chilly in the mornings (somedays down to the mid 30s).  So you have a great range of weather to run in and no matter when you run, it's been sunny with zero wind.  Compared to the current weather in much of the world right now I am very spoiled here in California.

• Monday - rest day.  this is becoming a regular thing and will probably help a lot
• Tuesday - tempo day.  did 3.5 miles at 6:33 and then another 1.5 at 6:40 - 7 overall
• Wednesday - easy 5.5 miles
• Thursday - track day - 6x800 in 2:59 with equal recovery - hard, but fun
• Friday - skipped a day.  busy with work, cricked neck, shins hurt
• Saturday - easy long run of 13.5 miles.  felt very comfortable.  best long run since surgery
• Sunday - easy 7.5 miles - 8:15 out, 7:45 back - very relaxed

Overall a good week.  I feel better than I have since surgery and the week included 2 solid workouts.

It is now 18 weeks to Ottawa.  I booked my flights, hotel and regsitered for the race this weekend, so I'm going.  Training starts tomorrow officially, although I am yet to completely define the plan.  It will probably be something out of Daniels of Pfitzinger, with a little more speedwork than before but less mileage. 

Back to the Track #3

I decided to run at the track again this week.  I was going to do 5x1,200 but my friend was also planning trackwork and wanted to do 800s.  So I figured I'd do them with him instead.  He's faster than me and was planning to do 6x800 in 3:00, with 3:00 rest.  (he's been doing these in the past with 90 seconds recovery but decided to extend the rest as he increases the reps - ultimately up to 10).  These are the standard Yasso 800s that most people have heard of. (Google "Yasso 800" if you haven't)

I figured I'd start at 3:00 and see how many I could hang on for.

• #1 - 3:00 - last 200 was tough
  
• #2 - 3:00 - last 300 was tough
  
• #3 - 2:59 - last 300 was tough
  
• #4 - 3:00 - last 400 was tough
  
• #5 - 3:00 - last 400 was tough
  
• #6 - 2:55 - tough from about 300 in, but still decided to kick for last 200 - ouch.

I was happy that I managed to hang on for all 6.  I was nowhere near as comfortable as my friend, who ran most of them in 2:55-2:57.  And there is no way I could have run 4 more today at 3:00, but by Ottawa I intend to get up to x10 at something round about 2:50.

Another week rebuilding

One more rebuilding week is over.  One more togo before I start on an 18 week training program for Ottawa.  Still need to work out exactly what that plan is but it will certainly be lower mileage than I was running before.  I am going to keep the rest day in the plan for now, and keep double days to a minimum.  That should keep the mileage down in the 55-65 range, with perhaps a few peak weeks in the low 70s.  With the lower mileage I'll probably have a little more fast paced stuff, which will be a change for me.  Will be interesting to see if it works for me or not.

This week was OK, a couple reasonable runs and the rest was just easy miles.  I started the week feeling the effects of last Sunday's long run and for the first time since surgery was feeling a little pain in my abs.  It was still there after Tuesday's tempo run so I was getting a little worried I'd strained something.  When it was still there after Friday's easy miles I was thinking that I was in trouble.  But after Saturday's longer run it seems to have gone away.  And Sunday was completely back to normal.

Last week looked like this......

• Mon - rest
  
• Tue - 3.5 miles tempo at 6:33 (8 miles overall) - probably a little fast for me right now
  
• Wed - recovery 5 - super slow and really sluggish
  
• Thu - easy 7 - ran with a group, but still felt sluggish
  
• Fri - easy 6 - felt OK, but not exactly sprightly!
  
• Sat - 10 miles w 3.5 miles at 6:40 - this was a struggle clsoing out that 3.5 section
  
• Sun - easy 7 w 1 fast mile (6:40) - felt really good
  
• Total 43 miles

Next week should be 45-50 with a tempo on Tuesday, possibly a visit to the track Thursday for some 1,200s and around 14 on Saturday.  Everything else will be easy runs in the 5-7 mile range.

Weekly Summary

Training is back to normal, so I am going back to weekly summaries on the blog.

• Mon - rest day - decided to spread these out this year, instead of doing them in a big 3 month chunk in the fall
  
• Tue - 5.5 miles recovery (9:28 )
  
• Wed - 5 miles tempo (6:48 ), 7.4 miles overall
  
• Thu - 8.8 miles easy (8:03 )
  
• Fri - 6.9 miles easy (8:15 )
  
• Sat - 7.62 miles easy (8:09 )
  
• Sun - 16.5 miles easy (7:53) w 1.6 miles at HMP (6:45)
  
• Total - 52.76 miles
  

A good week, although I skipped teh track workout that I had planned for Friday.  Was feeling a little tightness in my achilles so decided against it.

Similar plans for this week.