Interval Run

Distance: 5.36 miles
Time: 55:05
Pace: n/a

Comments: Since I nixed the fourth mile last week I decided to just stick to that regimen this week and next. So this worked out to six half-mile intervals with two minute rests in between plus the requisite .75 mile warmup and cool down.

The heat and humidity are still holding strong and making my running life miserable. There is supposed to be a change in the next few days but that means a good possibility of rain runs. For now, another sweaty mess of an effort.

1	0.5	3:57
2	0.5	3:24
3	0.5	3:34
4	0.5	3:26
5	0.5	3:28
6	0.5	3:33

Bottom line, I'm not doing these any faster. I'm trying to improve on cadence and mental focus but the fatigue of all the recent miles and the weather are making it unrealistic.

Interval Run

Distance: 5.28 miles
Time: 52:19
Pace: n/a

Comments: This was a delightful nightmare to start my day. Got out and got started in simply oppressive humidity. I felt OK in the warm up but certainly not "perky" by any means. Still, I felt willing to try and get the eight half mile intervals I had planned.

The first two went pretty good and the third one as well but number four was met by the struggle bus. I pushed number five with the intention on gritting my way through the second half of the planned workout but... no bueno. Called it a day after one more.

1	0.5	3:42
2	0.5	3:24
3	0.5	3:30
4	0.5	3:24
5	0.5	3:37
6	0.5	3:37

So not only did I fall short, these were noticeably slower than my other recent efforts. And, when I got back to my car, I discovered my battery had died. Fun from start to finish.

Interval Run

Distance: 5.6 miles
Time: 43:49
Pace: n/a

Comments: After two weeks of putting it off, I finally got in my interval run. Not gonna lie, I had been dreading it and the ongoing delay had only made it worse. But it went far better than I expected and I'm very relieved to have it in the books.

I started extra early so the first mile was in the pitch dark. The heat wasn't impressed and it didn't dent the humidity either. The weather this morning was as stifling as I have come to expect over the course of this summer. Still, it only has minimal impact on a run like this.

WU	0.75	7:59
1	0.5	3:30
2	0.5	3:33
3	0.5	3:19
4	0.5	3:22
5	0.5	3:19
6	0.5	3:12
7	0.5	3:12
8	0.5	3:18
CD	0.75	7:27

The first mile was enormously slow but I got warmed up after that and just cranked out a couple of the later ones. My cadence was significantly faster on the last two miles as well. My Garmin and Strava are still giving me fits tracking these but I think the general trend is pretty spot on.

Interval Run

Distance: 4.5 miles
Time: 35:30
Pace: n/a

Comments: The first day in a week without rain or soaking wet shoes. Needless to say, I won't be taking either for granted any time soon. It was plenty humid out today though, so summer still has some fun left in it.

Interval day. So speed is on the menu. I tried to set up my Strava system to automatically record my performance on the segment I run these and it worked for about half. I ended up having to go back and figure them out from the heart rate info.

WU	0.75	8:20
1	0.5	3:18
2	0.5	3:15
3	0.5	3:19
4	0.5	3:19
5	0.5	3:17
6	0.5	3:22
CD	0.75	7:05

And, of course I messed up the first split by not having the damn watch on. Anyhow, it was a solid effort with pretty good consistency until the very end. 

Interval Run

Distance: 4.5 miles
Time: 35:18
Pace: n/a

Comments: After a few weeks of skipping speed work, I was pretty determined to get this workout in today. The key to making progress with this is consistency over time so I needed to get on the stick to get some payoff in the time I've got left.

I was still a bit sluggish during the warm up run but not as bad as yesterday. The first interval went well but I knew I would need to push things as the workout progressed. I made it a point to focus on increasing cadence rather than just "run faster." And I held it in the 180 spm range for most of these.

WU	0.75	7:39
1	0.5	3:28
2	0.5	3:19
3	0.5	3:20
4	0.5	3:42
5	0.5	3:23
6	0.5	3:17
CD	0.75	7:10

The fourth interval was a mess. I lost concentration and didn't start the Garmin. I tried to improve on the final two and did a decent job of getting back into form. Overall, these times compare decently with my last interval effort but there's a ways to go on this front.

Interval Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 32:12
Pace: n/a

Comments: Interval workout day. I was rather apprehensive. I felt exhausted after yesterday's run and took a nap that did nothing but leave me bleary. Getting up today was difficult. I warmed up OK but my legs didn't feel ready for the effort. I put that aside and just got into the intervals.

This was five half-mile efforts at 5K or better pace with about a two minute break between. I felt I was running hardest the first one which was the slowest. After that I worked on focus, keeping my attention on the run for the whole of the interval.

WU	.75 mi	7:46
1	.5 mi	3:31
2	.5 mi	3:22
3	.5 mi	3:19
4	.5 mi	3:25
5	.5 mi	3:20
CD	.75 mi	7:28

My first interval was exactly the same time as my first one last month. After that, I was a good ten seconds faster on each of these compared to last time. Finished pretty worn out but pleased with the effort.

Interval Run

Distance: 4 mi
Time: 34:27
Pace: 8:36 min/mi

Comments: I have been toying around with actually putting together a training plan for attempting a marathon. I don't want to attempt anything really technical but a formalized guide to improve speed and stamina while ramping up the distance is gonna be a requirement.

I'm prolly gonna keep tinkering with the idea but, for now, I've decided to start implementing "hard" workouts during the week. Specifically, intervals and hills. First up, the former.

It was raining softly and mist most of this run but that's fine for speed work. I did a reasonably relaxed warmup mile then went after the intervals. I broke each half-mile up with a one minute rest in between. The end was a one mile cool-down

WU	1 mi	10:07
1	.5 mi	3:31
2	.5 mi	3:35
3	.5 mi	3:33
4	.5 mi	3:29
CD	1 mi	10:07

Overall, not too bad an effort. I was pretty consistent in the splits and pushed pretty hard but not all-out. The times seem reasonable for now but I'll do some more research on what I need to aim for in the future.

Training Run

Distance: 2400 meters (1.5 miles)
Time: 8.53 minutes
Surface: dirt track
Weather Conditions: cool, overcast, 60s, morning run
Location: Barranco, Lima, Peru

Comments: Got back out on the track and, once again, it was every bit as horrible as I expected. It's not that my running was particularly bad, I simply don't like running for speed.

Anyhow, whining aside, it went relatively well. I jogged the mile to the track and then spent a good 20 minutes warming up. I then ran three 800's (or two laps) with a single lap in between. 

I did the first one in 2:59 then the second and third both came in at 2:57. So I pretty much matched my effort from last time. The three-minute half-mile seems to be my speed range.

No real injury or pains or anything except for a tightness in my right shoulder. But that's probably from all the time on the computer lately, not the training.

Interval Run

Distance: 2400 meters (1.5 miles)
Time: 8.58 minutes
Surface: dirt track
Weather Conditions: cool, overcast, 60s, morning run
Location: Barranco, Lima, Peru

Comments: This was my first day doing speed work. Instead of intense workouts focusing on speed I have decided to implement "long repeats." 

These are interval workouts done at race pace or a bit faster. I am going to begin doing a limited number at a faster pace and then extend the distance (and repetions) while trying to fix the speed on my race pace. After I implememnt a few races, I will be better able to guage that and fix my workouts with better accuracy.

So I got up and did a mile warmup jog to the track in Barranco. It's a dirt oval track and cost just one sole, or about 30 cents, for an hour workout. I then did my stretching routine in the infield.

For the workout, I jogged one circut then ran three 800 meter intervals with a 200 meter rest/walk between them. My splits were 3:01, 2:56 and 3:01. In each case, instead of shooting for my 'race pace' I was pushing about as hard as I could for the distance. 

I then jogged the mile back home. While it was nice to push myself with some speedwork but the experience was not pleasant. It is clear this is a part of my running I need a LOT of work on.

A couple of local schools use the facility for their gym workouts so there were a lot of kids there. I was worried at first but it turned out good - really took me back to those old track workouts in high school.

Interval Run

Distance: 1.2 kilometers (.75 miles)
Time: bah
Surface: asphalt/concrete
Weather Conditions: cool, overcast, 70s, morning run
Location: Miraflores, Lima, Peru

Comments: The suckitude of my run today is emptying my apartment of oxygen. A pathetic effort in just about every respect.

I have decided to intergrate speed work into my training to a limited degree. The guru advised 20 minutes at race pace or slightly better for today. I decided to switch that for 'long repeats' which are slightly-faster-than-race-pace runs of shorter distances. 

The marathon book i am taking this from suggests starting at 3 x 1/2 mile to start and build up to 5 x 2 mile by the last month of training. I got 1.5 x 1/2 mile before giving in and, if my guestimated time is any indication, my speed wasn't any great shakes either.

Obviously this is a bit expected since speed has never been my forte but I added to the problem with 1) eating unwisely yesterday 2) staying up way too late and 3) doing this run on a somewhat hilly route. I also have a long run planned for tomorrow and I felt that if I pushed myself to finish this workout I would likely fry myself for that.

So I think I need to find a track and start with 400 meter sprints until I can get a feel for my form and pace at this pace. The problem is, I have no idea where to find one I can use here in lima. This effort might have to wait till I get back stateside.