Distance: 4 miles
Time: 32:58
Pace: 8:15/mi
Comments: And the miles continue to take their toll. I felt stronger than I did yesterday but things are by no means easy at this point. I'm dreading tomorrow's long run a little but the prospect of Monday off is simply glorious.
Started slow and kept it steady. No heroics today. Just a nice easy run to get ready for tomorrow. The most difficult part was having to deal with the usual Arizona idiots on the road.
Today it was teenagers screaming at me as they passed by (at least they aren't throwing anything) and snowbirds swerving onto side streets without looking where the hell they are going.
One of the latter had the audacity to glare at me after almost running me down. Nice to know wherever you are going is more important than my life, asshole.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Friday, December 15, 2006
Training Run
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 49:25
Pace: 8:14/mi
Comments: I am really feeling all the miles now. I woke up kind of sore and I could really feel it on the pavement throughout the run.
Obviously, I let the pace slack a bit. Despite that, I ended up doing it about half-a-minute faster per mile than I was expecting.
I got out to do this one relatively early knowing that if I put it off, due to my soreness, I'd probably not end up doing it. And I really want to pour on the miles these last two weeks to be fully ready for the race.
So, although it wasn't easy, I gritted my teeth and got through it. In honesty, it was no worse than mile 18 and 19 of Sunday's long run.
Time: 49:25
Pace: 8:14/mi
Comments: I am really feeling all the miles now. I woke up kind of sore and I could really feel it on the pavement throughout the run.
Obviously, I let the pace slack a bit. Despite that, I ended up doing it about half-a-minute faster per mile than I was expecting.
I got out to do this one relatively early knowing that if I put it off, due to my soreness, I'd probably not end up doing it. And I really want to pour on the miles these last two weeks to be fully ready for the race.
So, although it wasn't easy, I gritted my teeth and got through it. In honesty, it was no worse than mile 18 and 19 of Sunday's long run.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Training Run
Time: 62:13
Pace: 7:47/mi
Comments: The day got crazy busy and I kept putting the run off knowing my work would be shot once I went out to do it. Finally, even though I had just eaten, I got out at door at about 5 p.m.
Late afternoon and night running bothers me a bit due to the rush hour traffic and the stupidity of Arizona drivers. I feel safe enough on the sidewalk but those corner mall entrances and exits are a nightmare.
But there was enough light most of the way to compensate.
The run went well. No major issues, felt strong. Don't mess with success.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Training Run
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 48:29
Pace: 8:05/mi
Comments: A nice little workmanlike run. I got out there and just put it into a smooth little groove and knocked it out.
The problems with exhaustion and injury have really kept me from having any of these types of runs. They aren't fancy but they give you a feeling of progress. Being able to knock them out without much fuss really does wonders for your psyche.
Time: 48:29
Pace: 8:05/mi
Comments: A nice little workmanlike run. I got out there and just put it into a smooth little groove and knocked it out.
The problems with exhaustion and injury have really kept me from having any of these types of runs. They aren't fancy but they give you a feeling of progress. Being able to knock them out without much fuss really does wonders for your psyche.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Recovery Run
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 31:18
Pace: 7:50/mi
Comments: Kept it pretty low-key due to the residual effects of the 20-miler on Sunday. Despite that I felt pretty good the whole way and really didn't have any problems to speak of.
I deliberately put off the run until the afternoon so it gave me a few more hours recovery and plenty of time for my muscles to limber up before asking anything of them. I didn't stretch before hand (I've been neglecting that for the past few weeks except for trying to work out the problem areas) and started at little more than a jog.
I had to deal with kids coming out of school. Disaffected youth demonstrating their mastery over the sidewalks. Taking it to the man one bike path at a time. t least getting plowed into one of them isn't fatal like the bimbos driving SUV's while talking on the phone.
Time: 31:18
Pace: 7:50/mi
Comments: Kept it pretty low-key due to the residual effects of the 20-miler on Sunday. Despite that I felt pretty good the whole way and really didn't have any problems to speak of.
I deliberately put off the run until the afternoon so it gave me a few more hours recovery and plenty of time for my muscles to limber up before asking anything of them. I didn't stretch before hand (I've been neglecting that for the past few weeks except for trying to work out the problem areas) and started at little more than a jog.
I had to deal with kids coming out of school. Disaffected youth demonstrating their mastery over the sidewalks. Taking it to the man one bike path at a time. t least getting plowed into one of them isn't fatal like the bimbos driving SUV's while talking on the phone.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Marathon Training Summary: Week 11
Distance: 40 miles
Time: 5 hours 22 minutes
Comments: An odd week but pretty important one, nonetheless. The original plan was to recover from the half-marathon and get a solid long run in before the big mileage of Week Five.
But after skipping an extra day due to exhaustion and concerns about the sore calf I decided to just run a consistent week of 5 mile runs and get the long run distance I planned. Then, after setting out on the long run I just decided to go for the 20 miler and see how it turned out.
Well, in retrospect, I probably could have used the extra week to build up but there really is no avoiding the amount of pain that kind of distance is going to deliver. I have a much better idea of how tough that last 10K is gonna be and it ain't pretty.
If I had any doubt about exactly the toll this thing took the post-run pain underscored it rather pointedly. I haven't hurt this much since last January.
The ice bath afterward was downright brutal. Possibly the worst one save the first. But, on the plus side, I now have the recipe down. Take one half-full tub, add 80 lbs of ice in two batches, insert one runner and VOILA! twenty minutes of almost unbearable agony!
That said, I shudder to think the shape I would be in if I had not done it.
The plus side is that having completed this first 20-miler I think I can fit in another long run of that distance in the training time I have left. That should help a lot come race day. I gotta get in the last of my quality miles over the next fortnight and hold my breath for the rest.
Getting the 20-miler in last week took a lot of the anxiety off me. I now know I've got the mininum of one under my belt that most experts reccomend. Now, its a matter of seeing if I can work in another without risking injury.
But the additional mileage means additional issues. Now I have the new shoes that seem to alleviate the calf problem I'm back dealing with the old problem - blisters on the ball of my foot. To address that I'm going to experiment with different lacings.
Because how you lace your shoe dramatically affects how the shoe fits around your foot. Typically, I use the classic 'runner's lacing' where the lace goes through the top of each eyelet and follows a criss-cross pattern. This has the advantage of being one of the strongest patterns you can use but it is unforgiving if your foot has any type of peculiarity.
Following that, I do a few simple alterations such as a loop-lacing lock to hold the ends of the laces firmly throughout the run. (This is also reccomended for runners with a narrow heel since it holds the back of the shoe more firmly as well)
But I might take the advice I found on the New Balance website that suggests using two small sets of laces and lacing the bottom three eyelets with one an the top three with the other. That allows a more custom 'fit' for the lower half of the shoe.
This week is a big mileage week but more due to the amount in the training runs rather than the big bastard on Sunday. Although I'll need a bit to recover from the long run yesterday, I still think I can get up into the 45 mile range.
Time: 5 hours 22 minutes
Comments: An odd week but pretty important one, nonetheless. The original plan was to recover from the half-marathon and get a solid long run in before the big mileage of Week Five.
But after skipping an extra day due to exhaustion and concerns about the sore calf I decided to just run a consistent week of 5 mile runs and get the long run distance I planned. Then, after setting out on the long run I just decided to go for the 20 miler and see how it turned out.
Well, in retrospect, I probably could have used the extra week to build up but there really is no avoiding the amount of pain that kind of distance is going to deliver. I have a much better idea of how tough that last 10K is gonna be and it ain't pretty.
If I had any doubt about exactly the toll this thing took the post-run pain underscored it rather pointedly. I haven't hurt this much since last January.
The ice bath afterward was downright brutal. Possibly the worst one save the first. But, on the plus side, I now have the recipe down. Take one half-full tub, add 80 lbs of ice in two batches, insert one runner and VOILA! twenty minutes of almost unbearable agony!
That said, I shudder to think the shape I would be in if I had not done it.
The plus side is that having completed this first 20-miler I think I can fit in another long run of that distance in the training time I have left. That should help a lot come race day. I gotta get in the last of my quality miles over the next fortnight and hold my breath for the rest.
Getting the 20-miler in last week took a lot of the anxiety off me. I now know I've got the mininum of one under my belt that most experts reccomend. Now, its a matter of seeing if I can work in another without risking injury.
But the additional mileage means additional issues. Now I have the new shoes that seem to alleviate the calf problem I'm back dealing with the old problem - blisters on the ball of my foot. To address that I'm going to experiment with different lacings.
Because how you lace your shoe dramatically affects how the shoe fits around your foot. Typically, I use the classic 'runner's lacing' where the lace goes through the top of each eyelet and follows a criss-cross pattern. This has the advantage of being one of the strongest patterns you can use but it is unforgiving if your foot has any type of peculiarity.
Following that, I do a few simple alterations such as a loop-lacing lock to hold the ends of the laces firmly throughout the run. (This is also reccomended for runners with a narrow heel since it holds the back of the shoe more firmly as well)
But I might take the advice I found on the New Balance website that suggests using two small sets of laces and lacing the bottom three eyelets with one an the top three with the other. That allows a more custom 'fit' for the lower half of the shoe.
This week is a big mileage week but more due to the amount in the training runs rather than the big bastard on Sunday. Although I'll need a bit to recover from the long run yesterday, I still think I can get up into the 45 mile range.
Long Run
Distance: 20 miles
Time: 2:53:11
Pace: 8:40/mi
Comments: Ok, I know this isn't the wisest or best thought out thing I have done during my training but I decided to put in my first 20-miler today.
I just have had too many setbacks and problems recently. Not only physically but mentally I've been a mess. I got out on the run today and just told myself, 'To hell with it.' If my leg blows out due to this run it really wouldn't matter since not having these long runs dooms my goal time effort anyway.
I'll finish the damned race no matter what, even if I have to crawl by my lips across the finish line.
So I got out on the road today planning to put in the 18-miler. Felt pretty good. So I pushed it a bit further. Things went relatively well. The first has was great. The third fourth was less so but pretty smooth and the last five miles were not too fun. I think I got my first brush with "the wall" since I was running track in high school.
Overall the effort was a strong one. I tried to concentrate on keeping a strong pace with good form rather than speed. I came in just under the three-hour limit I set for myself. The hope being I can improve that a bit in two weeks and then smash it on race day.
Time: 2:53:11
Pace: 8:40/mi
Comments: Ok, I know this isn't the wisest or best thought out thing I have done during my training but I decided to put in my first 20-miler today.
I just have had too many setbacks and problems recently. Not only physically but mentally I've been a mess. I got out on the run today and just told myself, 'To hell with it.' If my leg blows out due to this run it really wouldn't matter since not having these long runs dooms my goal time effort anyway.
I'll finish the damned race no matter what, even if I have to crawl by my lips across the finish line.
So I got out on the road today planning to put in the 18-miler. Felt pretty good. So I pushed it a bit further. Things went relatively well. The first has was great. The third fourth was less so but pretty smooth and the last five miles were not too fun. I think I got my first brush with "the wall" since I was running track in high school.
Overall the effort was a strong one. I tried to concentrate on keeping a strong pace with good form rather than speed. I came in just under the three-hour limit I set for myself. The hope being I can improve that a bit in two weeks and then smash it on race day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)