Can't settle for anything over 17!

I think it about time a had a serious self evaluation and go out and try to run a respectable 5k. This may actually be the first 5k I have ever raced on the road, or maybe even ever? Nontheless, the course is flat and perfect for a fast time. A sub 17 is 528's and I think I am very capable of that.
I plan to have a good speed workout on Tuesday, I hope. I am not sure what the Doc has in store. After Tuesday my plan is to do runs between 60-80 minutes from wed to Friday. Then an easy 30-45 min on Sat.

The new long run

I guess Boston was the last time I ran longer than 2 hrs. That is still the case today. I headed out not expecting to run for any longer than two hrs. I didn't feel too bad, but at 90 minutes the run became a lot of work.

100 minutes for the day.

Hardest race in a long time, if not ever.

I have never really really felt like I had to stop during a race. Though the thought has crossed my mind during a couple of races, I have never felt like my legs just couldn't go. That is until about 18min and 30 sec into the Wachusett Mt road/trail race.
The first 1.5 of the race was a climb up an auto road which wasn't so bad, then some technical dwn/flat trail until we came back to the second "hill". This part was all technical uphill trail, with roots, rocks and steep inclines. Kinda like a natural stair well, with out the consistant, even, clean steps. After fighting 3/4 of the way up this section, the real pain started to set in. Heavy breathing, but worst of all was the quads. They were on fire! At this point I had no choice but to start the power walk. Most of the people in my pack were doing the same, because the climd was getting pretty tough. Everyone except the group of 4 chicks that passed us at the 19 min mark, and they were doing a walk/run on and off type exercise during the real steep parts. SO after doing my walk/hop/skip/big step/very slow jog thing from 18:30min- 21:45min we made it out of the woods and onto the dwn hill dirt road to the finish. This is where I made up most of my time. We had a 2 mile section of nice gradual dwn hill with a couple of places with pretty steep dwn hill.

Hard race. I am hoping that since mt washington is all auto road it will not be as tough, but it is still going to suck. After all it is 8 miles of climbing 4000', not two 500' sections. If nothing else this was a good test in prep for mt washington.

Time 37:57, distance 5.1 miles.

Wachusett Mountain road and trail race.

Should be an interesting morning.

Blue HIlls Auto Road version 2

Got in a good run from the apt on Wednesday 72 minutes.


TR was hill repeat day. NOt near as hard this time. Not sure why. Maybe it was a bit cooler or something.
4 repeats this time. 745.736.726.730.

Friday, not running. I am not 100% committed to my running at this time.

Saturday: Planning to run the Wachusett Mountain race in prep for Mt Washington.

10k relay

Teams of 2. One runs a 400m, then rest the the other runs a 400. It works out to equal rest. it wasn't a true 10k, but it was 12 laps each. Most of the 400s were in the 72-75 range with one 68 (8th 400) and a 77.
This was a hard workout and I can feel the tight hammies and calfs, but I think it was a nice change from the milers. Next grand prix race is rhody 5k in Lincoln RI, on June 6.

56 min

Slow hard run.

I am so so from runnin.

Woke this morning and my legs were very soo. Hammies, quads, calfs, u name it. So I spent most of the day loading and unloading he Uhaul for our move to the burbs. After the move was finish I dropped off the uhaul and made the 10 mile run home. Nice and relaxed.

Bedford 12k

NOt a bad race, although my legs did feel a bit lethargic from the hill repeats. Went out in 548 then 549, then i didn't feel so good. As we got into the rollers my pace dropped into the 60x is pace with one 615. at the 4 mile marker settled into pain preparation mode and started pushing it. I was heavy berathing and anaerobic for the last 3 miles it seems. Just keep running.

44:35. I anticipate major imporvement here forward.

Real Hill Repeats

Wed: easy 10.

TR: Hill repeats.
This was a very strange workout. I went to the Blue Hills with a GBTCer to do some auto road hill repeats. The blue hills auto road is .95 miles up. It it is about a 450' climb. We ran 3 repeats. I initially hoped to do 4,but since I am racing on Saturday and as a result of the way I felt during #2 and #3 I settled on 3. This is probably the steepest consistent climb I have ever done and I don't know if it helped build my confidence for Mt Washington. At the 430 min mark of each climb my breathing was nearly out of control and I felt horrible. It was more of a cardiovascular exercise than anything else. I'm not saying my legs didn't feel heave, but the breathing was the limiting factor here. I did feel like things got better as the intervals went on, but they were still hard!!!!
Each climb was 8min, 730, 725. So they got faster, but were no easier as they continued.
The most unusual part of the workout was the end. I didn't feel bad afterwards. My legs didn't feel tired, I recovered easily from each one during the run down, and the cool down felt fine. I guess it was just the intense climbing that was a shock to the system.

8 miles

Finished and feelin fine

Tuesday track workout with a little twist. We were to run 1600's at 10k pace with one lap at mile pace. Which lap and who led the fast lap was decided by Tom before each interval. The first mile didn't have a fast lap, 543. During the second interval the second lap was the fast lap, 537. For the 3rd interval the last lap was the fast lap. 532. The last and final interval the second lap was the fast lap, it was 534. After the 4th interval I felt pretty good, but I thought it would be nice to end the workout feeling good and just benefit from the intervals.
Next race is Saturday, Bedford 12k in Bedford NH.

Nothing more nothing less

I have been consistently been hitting the 70-90 minute mark for the last several days. With the exception of the off day this saturday and the Tuesday workouts. These no pressure runs are quite enjoyable.

That old feelin'

Today was a rough run. I never felt like I could control the run or the pace. It was just a run. 69 minutes of running.

89 minutes

Met a couple folks at coolidge corner for an evening run. I guess the warm days of spring couldn't last forever. Today was about 45 deg all day with a slight drizzle here and there, but thankfully no precip during the run.
We didn't really have a plan for the run, just running. I ended up with 89 minutes for the day.
I was a little sore from the track practice, but felt pretty good after about 30 minutes.

Back on track

Oh Tuesday how I missed thee. First outdoor track practice of the season for me. I rode the 5 miles to the track. This was new and my legs certainly aren't used to that. This was followed by the fresh pond warm up. 22 minutes. Then 5*1200. 4 min, 4 min, 4.10, 4 min, 3.55.
Then 15 min cool down followed by a hard 20 min ride home. I forgot how tough the ride home was.

Catching up

Saturday no run
Sunday 83 minutes
Monday 76 minutes

How do be a great runner

Becoming a great runner is no easy feat, but through consistency and commitment one can acheive their own level of greatness within their capabilities. I was thinking about this today while running and I think I have solved it!
It takes commitment, 100% commitment to the act and practice of running. Many people may say they are committed to running. I know I have said the same. The truth of the matter is that I have never truely been 100% committed to a training. Nor do I thinkg that will I ever be able to for a consistent period of time. TAs a result of this 'Theory" I was compelled to relate commitment to running to one's mileage. I'm not talking about taper mileage or injured mileage, I am talking about week over week base mileage. The kind of mileage that results in THE running transformation. It's as simple as that.
Knowing that one's life will sometimes interfere with training/running, that person is in my book not 100% committed to running. Since Commitment by definition - the trait of sincere and steadfast fixity of purpose.


Mileage

100+ MPW - This is 100% commitment, and will likely lead to great results and great running. I don't distinguish between 100-120 because at the moment I don't see any benefit from going over 100 or esp 120 for that matter. Kind of like living/training at elevation, 5-6k' is great, but over 6k' has litte extended benefit. The 100mpw runner almost always trumps those who run less mileage.

90-100MPW - A really good runner. Trains alot, but still can't quite call themself 100% committed to running for whatever reason there is a barrier in the routine or lifestyle that prevents reaching 100+. Maybe just not enough experience to handle the mileage and constant pounding.

80-90MPW - The good runner who shows up, does the work, but has other things going on to prevent hitting the "big" miles. May be one of those 6 - 6.5 day a weekers.

70-80MPW - A dedicated runner but not truely committed to attaining the best that there is to offer from running. Lets face it this is running 10 miles a day and then a long run one day a week. I hear lots of people say that this is where they feel the best during there training, I am guilty of that myself. the truth is that getting past 80 is hard, and staying ontop of 80 is even harder. I know because I haven't been able to do this yet! Yet is the key work. This is where I found myself much of the last training season.

60-70MPW -Doing just enough to make slight improvements..

I wish I had the time to break this dowm in more detail. But I am not 100% committed to this blog either.

80

80 minutes which included 4, 4.5 min hill repeats. It was good to change things up a bit and push it up the hills.

Trainers

At $85 I couldn't pass up the opportunity to save $15 and try out a
new pair of running sneaks. Tried on the old faithfuls(wave riders)
and these. These cradley foot nicely, similar to the wave rider. Not
only that, but they also have a more responsive feel on the roads and
are a bit softer. I find it very hard to find that combination
I see durability being a major problem. I am not known for changing
out shoes after a mileage point. The approach I take is more like
whenever I make it to the shoe store or find a sweet deal. These will
prob make it a month before going "flat".
For our first date we went to the arboretum to get them used to my on
the road off the road running routine.
I am sure that Nike will do something stupid and discontinue or change
them so that the next version really sucks. I just hope I can go back
to the WR with no probe if that does happen.

Coming back.

Ran the 60 minute loop in 57.36. Felt pretty good at the 26 min point so I decided to push it a bit for the rest of the run. Feels good to feel good again!

Mas bueno que nada

Was short on time this evening because I had to be at Fenway at 6 to meet some customers for the game.
So I did an easy 10 min wu to the track, 4*400, 77,77,74,73. then ran home. Call it an easy day?

and it went a little something like this.

GOt in a 63 minute run today and was able to do it an a pretty decent pace, at least it felt like a decent pace. NO idea how fast or how far.

The first mile of the Boston marathon was in about 625, but I'm not really sure because I started my watch about 10 seconds before I got to the mat. Once I passed the one mile mark I reset the watch and let game began. The paces went like this: 634 629 634 632 634 638 638 640 634 637 636 621 636 641 629 639 655 619 609 613 622 634(.2miles).

At the 4 mile mark I was passes by a little guy wearing a mini mouse costume, and I told my self I would never run another marathon again if a man in a minimouse costume beat me. I let him go but was really hoping I would see him later so that this wouldn't be my last 26.2. I was feeling pretty good here and it almost felt like a weekend long run. The pace didn't feel forced, and I was really relaxed. THis continued until about mile 11 where I began to get nervous about how my legs felt. My legs felt a bit fatigued and the hamstring that has always been pretty tight started acting up again. But, hey its a marathon, there are many stages and things happen. The most important part is realizing that the fitness is there and once the training is complete mental strength is what really makes the marathon. I continued to have this strange feeling of uncertainty until the right turn, eventhough I was starting to pass many of the people who passed me in the first 6 miles, including minimouse.
When I made the right turn I knew I had this thing , but I wasn't goint to let things get nasty until after the hills. SO I made sure to stay relaxed through the hills and not feel like I was giving a really hard effort. This was by far the best part of the race, eventhough it was mentally challenging to hold back. People around me were starting to drop like flies by the last hill. Once I saw the BC campus and realized that I was through the hills I was amazed that the hills were already over. Even after all of the times I have run those hills I could have sworn that there was one more left. I guess not. At this point it was on. NO one around me looked like they wanted to go, as a matter of fact it was quite the opposite. Except for one girl who blew by me on the down hill at the BC campus before the second right turn. I couldn't believe she was closing the way she was. I figured I'd hang on to this chick and see what she was all about. This was probably the best thing I could have done at this part of the race. She was rolling on the down hills but didn't have the strength on the ups and couldn't hang with the pace. She got dropped at coolidge corner, but I think she was still on my tail, at least that is what I kept telling my self. The last 10k of the marathon was the only time felt like I was in race mode, and it was all about how much can I take, and how hard can I push this. Even with the constant hamstring and calf cramping throughout the last 6.2 it was just about relaxing, pushing through and running the last 10k as fast as I could. This is the part of the marathon I really enjoy. I knew I ran the first 20 the way I was supposed to, everyone else is hurting I'm hurting too, but I know from my past shorter races what the hurt feels like and how long I can endure it. I have run faster paces for longer, so 6-620pace should be a breeze. During the last 2 miles of the marathon I felt like I had constant crampiing in my calfs and hamstrings. Serious knots, clemintine orange size knots in my hamstrings that were only relived by me mashing my middle finger into the knot while running. It would go away only to return 20 seconds later. Then in the calf only I couldn't reach this knot so it was just relax and run through. THis is how the entire last 2 miles went, but thankfully they were sharp and quick cramps that went away, and not cramps that completely locked up my legs. They only locked up my legs for seconds at a time.

Then we crossed the finish line and it was all over. THe pain was very great, but it was a good pain that was worth the 2hr 51min and 36seconds.

Just running

Saturday got in an easy 45 minutes then a hot and miserable hour on Sunday. The weather said it was 83 degrees, but felt like 115. We may be approaching the can't run any time of the day due to the heat season.


Also how about the new american 10k PR. Dude is a soldier!

http://www.flotrack.org/videos/coverage/view_video/236854/331184

What is next?

Since the marathon I have gone on 2 runs. One was a 40 minute run during by trip to Barcelona, and the second was yester day in the arboretum for an hour. The latter made my legs pretty sore and the calfs were nice and tight after the run. I think this is expected, but in all it is nice to be back on the training train.
Then next set of events won't start till mid May, when I feel like it should be safe to give a good racing effort. I hope to run in as many grand prix road races and some of the outdoor meets. Probably just the 5k and 10k's, and maybe a mile. In that mix will also be the Mt Washington race, which will possibly be harder that the marathon, but hopefully not take the same amount of time.