RECAP : July 9 - July 15

--- Monday - 07/09/12 ---


OFF


Off day. Part of my new training schedule....week 1


--- Tuesday - 07/10/12 ---


Pineridge - 34:13


Easy jog around Pineridge starting from Maxwell TH. Getting the legs ready for tomorrows mid-week track session.




--- Wednesday - 07/11/12 ---


Track Workout - 30 x 400m with 100m recovery 


Hot - 92 degrees at the start of the workout.

Workout went like this:


1 mile warmup
30 x 400m repeats -- wanting to keep them all between 75-80sec, or no slower than a 5:20 avg pace.
1 mile cooldown

400m Split Summary (sec) -- all with 100m recovery :

-80
-80
-79
-78
-78
-79
-76
-78
-78
-79
-79
-80
-78
-79
-79
-80
-80
-78
-80
-79
-79
-80
-79
-80
-80
-80
-81
-81
-79

...DONE!

I originally had penned in a  50 x 400m session, but 30 was all I had in me today. This had been my first real track workout in over 2 months! So maybe 50 was a little over ambitious.  I do plan to get 50 at some point...maybe next time.

It was super hot out and I had 2 water bottles waiting for me every 200m so I can suck down some liquid goodness during my short 100m recovery, every few repeats.  Still, the heat radiating from the track was brutal.  Probably could have got a few more in if the temps were slightly cooler.

I had never ran this many 400m repeats in one workout before...and with such a short recovery in between each one -- I wasnt really sure how I would feel.  I mean, it was my first track workout in awhile, super hot out, and short recovery.  The plan was to keep the pace at about a 5:20 mile avg (or roughly slightly faster than my most recent 5k pace).

The first handful went by as usual, then once I hit the 15th - 16th repeat....I still felt good, but it felt strange to still be cranking along.  Then 20.....then 25.  It was all a blur after number 25.  I got into a pretty nice consistent groove through the first 25.  Then the last few I was still keeping pace but I could tell my effort to maintain that pace was significantly increasing -- as my quads were beginning to cramp up a bit and had me really trying to dig deep the last couple of repeats.  Once I hit number 30, I was done.  And just in time because about 20 members from the local ROTC started their workout and clogged up the first 3 lanes during my cooldown.

Steve dropped by right after I finished and we ran a mile cooldown on the track, barefoot.

Glad this one is in the books!


--- Thursday - 07/12/12 ---


OFF


--- Friday - 07/13/12 ---

Pineridge - 33:24


Legs were a little tight today. Still feeling the insano track workout from Wednesday.  Easy pace to work out the kinks.

--- Saturday - 07/14/12 ---


Long Run - 2hr 1 min ---- 2 1/2 laps around Pineridge + Foothills Trail (long loop)


Hot -- 90 degrees


Workout went like this:


Starting from the dog park at the end of Horsetooth I ran one lap around Pineridge then ran through Maxwell TH and ran up the hill, to Shoreline (long loop), then back down to Maxwell TH and ran back into Pineridge for 1 1/2 laps and finished back at my truck parked at the dog park.


Carried two handhelds a GU and a few shot bloks that I wanted to test out.


Not sure what was going on this morning.  I kept tripping on stuff and was super thirsty during the first 30 minutes of the run.  20 minutes in and all I wanted to do was down one of my water bottles in 3 large gulps and eat all my shot bloks and GU!
 20 minutes in and I drank half my bottle, as I can only assume I was dehydrated this morning, and chewed on a few shot bloks to give me the calories and hopefully, a burst of energy, to awaken my stupor-like run up to this point.  I guess it worked because I was fine for the rest of the run.  I stopped tripping on things and didnt feel as thirsty or tired the rest of the way.

I would have liked to run for another hour or so, but I was out of fluids and temps were in the mid 90's by the time I finished.....and so I called it a morning.



--- Sunday - 07/15/12 ---


Long Run - 1hr 52 mins


Was sorta crunched for time, so I didnt have the time to get up into the hills like I would have liked. Squeezed this in before church in the morning.


Workout went like this:


Starting from my house I ran onto the Mason st corridor (North) to Spring Creek Trail (West) to the Spring Canyon park, and then ran 1 1/2 laps around Pineridge.  From Spring Canyon Park I ran East- on Horsetooth--past Taft--past Shields...and then home.


Another hot day -- 93 degrees.   Was getting toasty by the time I got to Pineridge.  I didnt carry water or GU this time.  I chugged down a mouthful of water at a water fountain when I ran through Rolland Moore Park and then again as I was leaving Spring Canyon Park.


PM - easy 31 minutes at 9pm. -- Wanted to get in at least 2 hours of running today, so I threw in an easy half hour of running through town at night.

Total Time - 2hrs 23 mins




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This is the first week of my new training program. And for the most part it went well.  I would have liked to get 4 hours of running on Saturday and Sunday as my B2B long days, and wanted to get in 50 x 400m repeats....but settled for just over 2 hours for my long days and 30 repeats at the track.

Ideally this is how the workouts go:

Monday - Off or optional day of running
Tuesday - Off or optional day of running
Wednesday - Track Workout / Hill Repeats (alternating weeks) -- 90min - 2hrs of hard effort running.
Thursday - Off or optional day of running
Friday- Off or optional day of running
Saturday - Long run (4hrs+ or 25 miles+)
Sunday - Long run (4hrs+ or 25 miles+)

There are several reasons why I created this workout schedule for myself: (in no particular order)

• Life is busy!  Working 8-4 Mon-Fri, daycare before and after work, Andreas commitment to her workouts at 6am (6 days a week), and not having time to run during lunch break on busy days at work.... it is sometimes hard impossible to fit in a run. This inconsistency with running here...or there...or fit it a short run before this, and another short run after that....does not work for me.  I need a few quality workouts a week, and I need them to be consistent.
• Track Workout / Hill Repeats -These mid-week runs should last 90 minutes to 2 hrs --- of hard effort running (not including warm up/cooldown...etc). This workout will alternate between speed one week and hill repeats the next.  The goal of these workouts is to increase my stamina and work on even split pacing over a 2hr span of hard running. The track workout will have a short 100m recovery no matter what distance the repeats are.  This will ensure I focus on pace, as all repeats on the track and hill, should be run within a few seconds of each other.  So pace/effort might seem easy during the first half of the workout, but after 90 - 120 minutes holding this pace on a short recovery...it should force my legs into a state of fatigue.  Which ultimately will increase my running stamina/strength.
• B2B Long Runs - For every distance runner, the weekly long run should be a staple to your training. And a B2B (back to back) long run will greatly improve overall endurance.  These runs are intended to cover ground in however long it takes, depending on the terrain, and not to be run with the intent of trying to hold a certain up-tempo pace..or red-lining it at any point.  A conversation pace at a comfortable effort without placing too much emphasis on your current or overall pace -- should be the goal. Getting in some quality time on your feet. I ultimately hope to get in at least 25 miles or 4 hours of running (whichever comes first) during these workouts. At least thats the goal. Long runs on trails with a decent amount of vertical is preferred over flat road running. But if time is an issue with getting up to Horsetooth/RMNP ..etc  Then road running, or pineridge/foothills trail it is!
• OFF or Optional days - I have planned four days a week of optional..or flex days of running.  These are the days that are okay to take off if the day is hectic and allows zero time to get in run, without feeling guilty or frustrated for missing a day of running. These days can also be used as recovery days, or as days to get in additional weekly mileage if so desired, or days of easy running to relieve tight or sore muscles -- if time allows. In theory, this plan allows for up to 4 days off a week.  Which will allow the two long days and speed/hill days to be run on a fresh pair of legs and should hopefully lead to a harder effort on those 3 days of the week. It will also help in the prevention of injury and over-training. Im not a spring chicken anymore....and so a day off here and there to keep the legs fresh is required from time to time.  

Anyway - I hope it will create more balance in my life between work, family and running.  I will give it some time and see how it goes. I might have to make a few adjustments here and there to work out the kinks or to train for a specific upcoming race. But as long as I am able to be consistent with the BIG 3: speed/hill repeats, and two weekly long runs --- I should be fine.

Leaning towards registering for the Run Rabbit Run 100 in late September.  However the part of my brain that thinks that is crazy --- keeps talking me out of it.  hmm...

I kept up with the Hardrock 100 over the weekend and hats off to Hal, Joe and Dakota for finishing on the podium.  That race course looks beautiful...crazy tough --- but absolutely breathtaking views of the San Juans.  Thats another one on my bucket list and I will find some photos of the course and add them to this post soon just to show off the beauty of that area of Colorado.
 Takes nails to finish that race!  Brutal!