Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 35:13
Pace: 8:47 min/mi

Comments: This was not one of the more intelligent things I have ever done. I wanted to get an afternoon run in but I knew there was an almost certain likelihood of storms. I got ready and saw some nearby rain and dithered a bit.

I finally just decided to go and, sure enough, it started raining heavy. I expected that but I had decided to go because there didn't seem to be any nearby lightening. I got to the halfway point and that changed dramatically.

There was one really close bolt at the turnaround but all the rest for the run were out of range. But that still didn't make it safe. I got it done -- faster than planned -- but won't be doing that again.

Long Run

Distance: 15 miles
Time: 2:39:49
Pace: 10:39 min/mi

Comments: Alrighty. The big boy on a short week and under extreme humid conditions. I moved the long run forward a couple of days this week because of weekend plans. Then, since I was in Florida, I had to get out early because of the heat but that meant maximum humidity. Things turned out about as I expected.

It was dark and very very humid getting going. I deliberately kept things slow and didn't look at the Garmin to make sure I would keep it that way. This route was along a local highway so the hills were long and gradual. The kind that eventually suck the life out of your legs.

At about the halfway mark I was still feeling pretty good but the sun was finally up and I could tell it was going to get rough. A few miles later and the heat went up to "oppressive" and my pace slowed considerably. Chafing turned out to be a real problem on this one.

I planned to do just 14 miles but had a bit over an extra half mile at the end so just got the rest to make it an even 15.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 36:01
Pace: 8:59 min/mi

Comments: Got up and out the door a bit later than I wanted and paid for it. The heat in Florida was about the same as the mornings in Texas but that humidity is no joke. I was a sweaty mess by the end of the first mile.

Outside of that, the run went fine. The last time I ran this was the first time I ran this and the hill at the end was not particularly pleasant. It hasn't gotten smaller but I was able to handle it a lot better.

This was a good warmup for the big effort tomorrow which I am by no means looking forward to.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 35:15
Pace: 8:48 min/mi

Comments: Yesterday afternoon my lower back on the right side started feeling stiff. I thought it was just from sitting a lot of the day but it kept getting worse. By bedtime I was wondering if I would be able to run today.

It felt better this morning but still very stiff. I decided to nix the interval run and try for four miles but with the possibility of cutting it off early if the back became unbearable. Happily, it wasn't a real hindrance but it was clearly still present the whole way.

My legs felt good with this run. I warmed up quickly and had no problem holding pace the whole way. I didn't get it quite up to race pace but close enough to make it a good effort.

Recovery Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 40:33
Pace: 10:08 min/mi

Comments: Not so much a recovery run as a little trip on the struggle bus. The warm up was a creaky slog and, although I got a bit more into it, the effort was a bit of a battle the whole way.

One of the weird things about recovery runs is the fact that even though I am significantly slower, my heart rate is far higher over the course of the workout than even my fast runs. And I can feel the difference.

This will be an irregular week with an early long run. I'll see how the intervals go tomorrow in deciding how to handle the training runs on the schedule.

Marathon Training Summary: Week 4

Distance: 35.2 miles
Time: 5:25:55
Pace: 9:16 min/mi

Comments: Stacked six runs in a row this week for the first time. I wasn't sure if the lack of rest days in the week would leave me fatigued to the point of exhaustion but it actually worked out pretty well. The upshot was a weekly max for mileage and time running while still keeping my tempo in the right range.

The big event this week was finally registering for the Hartford Marathon in October as well as the Walt Disney World Marathon in January. I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to add the half marathon to the latter and go for the "Goofy." Not the smartest thing I've ever done.

In terms of training it doesn't change much for now. The strategy is to stay on track for the October race and, after that, look at what needs to be done for the January races. One big factor for my going all-in for WDW is the fact I don't feel compelled to go for a record time in either of them. It's a matter of just getting the miles.

Long Run

Distance: 13.1 miles
Time: 2:05:50
Pace: 9:36 min/mi

Comments: I wasn't sure what my performance would be like today given the five-straight days of runs and insane heat. I was up pretty early and, even though I didn't get a full night's sleep, I felt pretty rested. My legs weren't excessively fatigued either.

I started out with the goal of 10 min/mi pace for the first nine miles and then 9 min/mi pace on the last four if it were possible. My pacing turned out to be pretty chaotic over the course of this one but I got under the time goal of 2:06:00 that would have given me.

I felt pretty strong with this one up until the last two miles which were more challenging than I expected. I decided to throw on the .1 at the end to allow a half marathon comparison.

Pace Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 34:21
Pace: 8:34 min/mi

Comments: Day five of a six-day workout streak. I'm definitely running on tired legs but I've got to get used to that at some point. The long run tomorrow is intimidating though.

The start was expectedly uncomfortable but I got warmed up much faster than I expected. The target pace was somewhere between 8:30 and 8:45 which I cheated on the fast side the last mile to make up for the warmup.

I really focused on associative running, keeping focused on the effort. At the end I felt pretty good, not worn out or burnt. All good signs.

Training Run

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 56:10
Pace: 9:21 min/mi

Comments: Slept badly last night and woke up stupid early. The result is I headed out on this one not feeling 100% at all. The target was 10 min/mi but I was willing to settle for less if my legs didn't have it in them.

The warm up went pretty well and, after the first mile, I tried to increase my cadence while cutting my stride. The idea being expend less energy for a more efficient effort. I also tried to improve my focus and associative running technique.

I was slightly behind pace at the turnaround so I increased the effort slightly over the next two miles. I kept this up on the last mile but switched back to a normal stride. Overall it was a good effort but I was less than enthusiastic about it.

Training Run

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 37:41
Pace: 9:24 min/mi

Comments: I felt good after the run yesterday but, as the day wore on, my legs got a little achy. That came back a little bit in the warm up portion of this run. There are a lot of miles this week so I need to keep an eye on that.

I was a bit tired getting going today but not nearly as bad as yesterday. I just wanted to keep it under 9:30 pace. So I didn't worry too much about pacing on the first half but watched it closer on the second half. My splits were all over today but I guess that's fine for now.

Tomorrow is gonna be much the same but at six miles. I'll try and take it easy the rest of the day to prepare.