Ye Olde Myle Tyme Tryle

After running a non-satisfying 10k race on January 12th (Nookachamps, in Mount Vernon, WA), I decided to write myself a 6-week mini training cycle, in preparation for my next scheduled race; the Smelt 10k, in La Conner, WA on February 23rd. The first three weeks was my base period, building up to just over 34 miles (last week), then backing off on the mileage in favor of some added speed work the final three weeks.

This week is the first speed week, meaning—in this case—track time.

I hadn't run on a track since August 4th, when I ran a slow 3 miles with my sister, before throwing in a 2:58 800m for good measure. About a week before that, I ran a mile time trial on a different track in 6:26. Since then, though, it's been mostly roads (and, recently, my favorite hilly dirt & gravel trail once again.)

I woke up yesterday to a very blustery morning. No rain, but the wind was gusty, and I wasn't sure I wanted to try to run a fast time in those conditions. Fortunately, the wind died down considerably, so I ventured to the track.

After running two clockwise warmup miles on the track, I changed shoes (from my Brooks Defyance 3's into my Brooks Pure Cadence), shed my warmup jacket and long-sleeve tech shirt and stood ready to test the watch in just my shoes, shorts, visor, tank top and gloves. A bit chilly, but streamlined and unencumbered.

I've been running well lately, but haven't done any real speedwork, so my expectations were rather vague. My dream goal was to break 6 minutes, but I knew I wasn't ready for that. I thought that maybe I could go 6:0-something, but even that was wishful thinking. Realistically, I thought I'd have a shot at 6:15.

There was a bit of a tailwind on the back stretch, meaning I'd have to finish each lap running into a headwind. I intended to run my 400m splits as evenly as possible. I crossed the line for the first time in 1:32, which felt hard but relatively sustainable. Lap two came in at 1:35, for a 3:07 half. Doing the math in my head, I knew I'd have to finish strong to even break 6:15. Lap three also came in at 1:35, but I knew I had a little left in the tank. Not much, but I figured I could kick the final 100m to maybe run even 800m splits.

Not having run fast recently, a full-out sprint to the finish felt awkward, but I managed to close out the final lap in 1:28, for a 3:04 second half and a final time of 6:11. Not my dream time, but still 15 seconds faster than last summer's mile time trial, so I'll take it.

After walking a quick 400m, I added 2x800m at 5k race pace...or that's what I intended. I clocked 3:17 and 3:15, both a bit quick. I closed out the session with a clockwise cooldown mile, for five miles total on the track.

The day after, I'm a bit sore in a couple of areas (calves, hip flexors and upper glutes), but otherwise I feel fine.

I fully intend to break 6 minutes in the mile before this year is over.

I've always loved running on the track. I enjoy the roads and trails, of course, but there's something about the track that gets my competitive juices flowing. The variables are minimized (aside from the wind), and it's you against the clock...or other opponents. Boring? I can see how some runners would think so, but being a numbers geek, the track suits me as well as other venues. Maybe it's also the nostalgia factor that appeals to me.

And since I've made this public already, I might as well post it here. At nearly 46 years of age, I still apparently don't have the maturity to leave my high school 5:01 mile in the past. I'm going to take a shot at the stars to see if I can hit the moon (or, tilt at one big windmill, if you will.) One of my goals is to run a sub-5 minute mile by the age of 50. That gives me four years. If I can train consistently and without injury (those are HUGE "if's"), then I believe I can do it. Even if things go perfectly, it'll be incredibly difficult. I do have a couple of things in my favor, though, that I didn't have as a high school runner. I'm physically stronger now, and I know quite a bit more about training, nutrition and recovery. If I fail to reach the goal, I won't be disappointed, but I'm going to give it a full effort. I won't devote the entire four years to doing track intervals, but I'll gradually build a (hopefully) huge base and create "seasons" for myself, during which I'll focus more on speed. It should be fun! If I stay healthy, and even if I fail to reach the goal, I'll be a much faster, fitter runner.

As always, I'll post the incredibly exciting updates right here.

Run happy, my friends!

Wednesday Speed

It was beautifully sunny and cold this morning as I headed down to the Centennial Trail in Snohomish for my weekly speedwork, which consisted of intervals:

1 mile warmup: 8:21
1 mile hard: 6:42
1/2 mile easy: 4:10
1 mile hard: 6:40
1/2 mile easy: 4:05
1 mile hard: 6:39
1 mile cooldown: 8:00

Tough workout! With my lungs being tight & congested, I wasn't sure what I could do. The hard miles ended up being a bit faster than I expected. They hurt, though. This will be my last structured speedwork before my 10k on Dec. 12th.
I just looked back at an identical workout I did on Sept. 23rd, in which I ran 7:16/7:03/7:01 for the hard miles. I'm encouraged that even this old guy (okay, not THAT old) can get faster!

A Bit Of Speed...In A Downpour

On Monday, I ran a little interval workout in the rain: 5 miles, starting with a 1 mile warmup, followed by 4 miles of 1/2 mile fast, 1/2 mile slow. The fast segments were:

3:35
3:27
3:15
3:14

The final two were tough; the last one being slightly uphill.
This is the last "fast" running I'll do this week, until Saturday's Fowl Fun Run 10k, in Mount Vernon, WA...which will also probably be in the rain. 'Tis that time of year here in the Pacific Northwest.

Speed Work...Finally...and a Garmin HR Monitor Issue

Got out to the Centennial Trail in Snohomish and ran a total of five miles, which included a 1 mile warmup, followed by 4x .5 mile fast, .5 mile slow. The fast half mile segments were:

3:24
3:23
3:14
3:25

I tried to keep them at about 5k race pace. Legs felt good, but chest & lungs are still a mess.

Okay, this has been irking me since I got my Garmin Forerunner 305 about a month ago. The HR monitor doesn't seem to settle into an "accurate" reading until about 2-3 miles into the run. Even when I'm running very slowly and KNOW that my HR is likely in the 130-135 range, it immediately jumps up to about 165 and holds there until that 2-3 mile mark, when it suddenly drops down to where it should be. I can remember ONE TIME when it seemed to read correctly the entire run. Does this happen to anyone else? If so, is there a way to get it to work properly? It's frustrating and, obviously, not very helpful.
Thanks!

Nice Interval Run

For the most part, the soreness in my legs is going away. I can still feel it a bit if I get up to walk after sitting for awhile, but during my run today it was a non-issue. Ran a warmup mile, then 1 mile fast, 1/2 mile slow x 3, then a mile cooldown. Felt strong during the fast miles.

I'll take it easy tomorrow, either with a bike ride or short, slow run, then a 14-mile long run on Friday.

Speedwork Thursday

At 10:00 this morning, I ran 6 miles on the Centennial Trail in Snohomish, where it was sunny and about 68 degrees F. Instead of doing speed work on a track this week, I decided to run them as part of this run. I ran the first mile as a warm-up (8:25), then ran 4 x 1/2 miles hard, 1/2 miles easy. Times were as follows:

3:23 hard, 4:13 easy
3:19 hard, 4:19 easy
3:20 hard, 4:13 easy
3:15 hard, 12:31 (1.5 mile cooldown)

These were HARD, but I was happy with how it all played out. First of all, these were true half miles (as opposed to the 800's on the track last week), and I didn't stop and rest in between each, as I did last week. I just slowed down and ran easy half miles until the next hard one. During the last hard segment, I had a nasty side stitch. I was surprised to have run it so fast, for me, anyway (6:30 mile pace). The total time for the run was 47:01 (7:50 mile pace). I'm not currently using a heart rate monitor, but my finishing HR was 150...but that was after the 1.5 mile cooldown. Still elevated above my usual finishing HR, but post-hard segments, it was likely much higher. Overall, this run was a confidence-builder.

My plan is to rest tomorrow, then run 8 miles on Saturday morning. Next week, I'll probably forgo the formal speed work. I may run some hills instead, then bump my long run up to either 11 or 12 miles.

First Track Workout, Plus a Question

Well, I did it. I got back onto the track for a speed workout. First time in many years. It hurt a bit, but I really enjoyed it. After a 1.5 mile warmup, I ran 4 x 800 meters with 2 mins rest btwn each, followed by a 1.5 mile cooldown (5 miles total on the track). My splits for the 800s were:

3:27
3:22
3:26
3:20 (3:23.8 avg)

I wanted to run them in 3:30 (about a 7 min pace), but my track pacing skills are very rusty. As expected, my body was saying "what the heck are you doing? No lo comprendo!" (Yes, my body is often bi-lingual during times of stress). These weren't exactly "race pace" intervals, which they probably should be. There's no way I can currently sustain a 6:46 pace for anything over about 1.5 miles right now (my 5k race pace back in June was 7:12), so I'll probably have to back off the next time I do these. After my cooldown laps, my right IT band was barking a little - probably from the speed, as well as running 20 laps counterclockwise, which put more stress on the outside of that leg, so I stretched, used my foam roller and took an ice bath when I got home.

As my title suggested, I have a question for those of you who have done this: is it smart for me to start doing speedwork while I'm also trying to build up my mileage for a half marathon? Given my history of injuries, I'm a little nervous, but I really want to work on both, if it's realistic. Thoughts?

The Post I Probably Shouldn't Make

What I'm going to write is dangerous...to me, anyway. It's risky on a couple of levels. Number 1 - it's going to sound cocky, and trust me, I know I have nothing to be cocky about. Number 2 - I may "jinx" myself. But damn the torpedoes...here goes. I felt very strong during this morning's 35-mile bike ride. I did 5 x 1 mile hard, 1 mile easy during part of the ride and hardly breathed heavily. My legs felt like iron. There, I said it. Cocky and jinx-worthy. Seriously, I can tell I'm peaking right now. I still wouldn't consider myself a cyclist (and I know most "real" cyclists could ride circles around me), but just comparing myself now to myself 3 months ago, I can FINALLY feel the results of the training starting to pay off. After yesterday's run-hike, I thought I'd be struggling on this morning's ride, but when I finished, I felt like I could turn around and do the whole ride all over again. How will this translate to my race next weekend? I don't know. But I'm finally starting to feel pretty good about it.

I'll probably do my hill repeat ride on Monday (which, I believe, had been THE key workout in my bike training), then probably an easy ride on Wednesday, then stay off the bike until race morning (Sunday, Aug. 9th).

Lots of work to do today, so I'm out. Enjoy your training this weekend, folks!

Another high-effort ride

I rode 35 miles on the bike today (17.5 mph avg), but threw in 5x 1 mile repeats, pretty much all out (with a recovery mile between each). I also threw my chain today for the first time in years. My front derailleur still isn't adjusted quite right, and as the ride went on, it became increasingly more difficult to bump from my middle chain ring up to my large. Finally, at an intersection, a driver stopped to let me go, and when I stomped on the pedal, off went my chain. Had to stop and fix it, obviously, then continued with black, greasy hands. After that, I was pretty much relegated to my middle chain ring. I'll have to fix it before my next ride.

I can tell my quads are starting to get stronger. I haven't been riding a lot (3-4 times/week lately), but have thrown in a lot of intensity in just about every ride. I really sense the need for recovery time, so I'm listening to my body. I could probably do easy rides between my harder ones, but in this case, I don't think there would be much benefit...especially with my race coming up in just three weeks. I could be wrong, but quality is my main objective right now.

Okay, back to work. Have a great Friday night, folks!

Another spin

As I had predicted, I ended up staying inside this morning for a 60 minute spin on the trainer. I included 3x3min of "hammering" after the first 30 minutes. Later this week, I WILL get out for some hill riding. I'll be running again tomorrow morning, possibly back on my recently-found hilly trail which helped me train for my 5k. Any way I can strengthen my legs for the uphill portion of my bike leg, I'll do it.
Also did 3 sets of 25 situps this morning and will do some other upper-body and core work later today, along with some stretching and foam roller work.
I've probably beaten this dead horse one time too many, but I'm finding it really difficult to switch my focus to cycling. After getting a taste of road racing again after so many years, I'm itching to get out and train hard in my running. I've got a 10k planned for September, but I'm kicking around the idea of running an 8k next month. I probably shouldn't, since I'll be tempted to back off on the cycling and focus on the running again...which probably isn't wise, since the triathlon is on Aug. 9th. I'm grateful to even HAVE this little internal battle, having not run for so many years.

Hey, if you can make it, swing by the runner's round table today at 1:00pm PST for an open mike show. I may actually call in!

Interval Ride

Did a relatively short, but intense, ride today: 24 miles (out and back). At the turnaround, I did 10 miles of 1 mile hard, 1 mile easy. Really pushed the hard miles! Legs were screaming! Overall time wasn't impressive (1:26:46), but I wasn't concerned with it. Oh, and I kept up with my average of consuming one flying bug per ride. A little extra protein never hurt anyone, right?
I'll probably do a long, easy run tomorrow. Next week...hill repeats on the bike!

Another 35-mile Ride

Just returned from a really nice 35-mile bike ride on my regular out-and-back course (17.5 mph average). Went out at a moderate pace, then on the way back, from miles 20-30, I did intervals of 1 mile hard, 1 mile easy. Really hammered the hard miles. Not only is 35 miles seeming shorter, but a 17 mph pace seems almost pedestrian...BUT...I haven't started training hills yet. That'll be a new and challenging experience. Maybe I'll do 2-3 weeks more of these types of interval rides, then start pounding the hills. I hate to say it, but my running intensity is probably going to start taking a back seat to the cycling now. I really want to be ready to take on the 12 miles of uphill on the first part of the triathlon bike leg I'm doing in August. Lately, I'm actually enjoying the riding, so maybe I can stay focused. But after the triathlon, much more effort will go into running.

A (very) Little Speed???

Yesterday I did a 60-min spin on the bike trainer, pushing larger gears than I usually do. Today, I headed out into the sun and nearly 60 degree weather for my first "speed" workout of the year. I chose to do a moderate Fartlek workout (3.5 miles total). Ran the first mile slow, then ran segments of 2 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy the rest of the run. I would guess the hard segments were around 7:35-7:45 pace (overall pace of run was 8:15). I concluded that, at this point in my comeback, I have very little speed! I'm still going to focus on building up the mileage, and on cycling, but I may throw in another Fartlek or interval run or two before my 5k in June.