I haven't been getting a lot of time these days to post updates more frequently. Partly, actually mostly, due to the increased demands from marathon training. Today is the long run day and after a couple of calls that I had to make in the morning the temperature got too warm to be comfortable for the long run in the morning and quickly getting warmer. It seemed like temperature in the evening, though in similar range was getting warm to less warm which looked a bit more attractive than running into the heat that is getting hotter and hotter. Not the best of options, but given the choices available I decided to run in the evening as the temperature starts coming down when I am hitting the tiring miles.
This training is keeping me busy 5-6 days a week. Three days running and three days of cross training. I will get into the details so you get a sense of what it is like. In my last post I sort of complained that the training was taking down my longest run from 13 to 10. Well, after three weeks it is now at 17! The three runs are very different and focus on different aspects of fitness. One run is an interval run which has me running somewhere from a half mile to a mile at a fast pace followed by a rest/recovery interval. Repeat 4 times or so. This is targeting the VO2Max and running mechanics. You can read all about VO2Max
here. The second run is slightly slower but at a challenging pace and it targets the lactate threshold - essentially the level at which we can do sustained hard work. This run has me running at something like 30 - 40 minutes at a pace that is challenging for that duration. The third run is the long run pushing your distance limits. This is also run at a challenging pace. Last week the long run was 15 miles at a pace of 9:40 min/mile. This may not sound like much, but my regular long run pace is 10:40 - 11:00 min/mile which may make me look like a snail to you. Let me stop you right there - remember my
half marathon times? They were all in the range of 8:49 - 9:00 min/mile. They were all accomplished with my training runs in that above snail's pace range. Your race effort is best kept for the race. Not for training. Of course, my training route may be harder than some race courses and perhaps a bit easier (I'm not so sure if this is the case, though). The point is it has me running at a challenging pace. After the first couple of weeks I started getting confidence in the paces needed for my first and second runs, but the pace for the long run is still a bit intimidating. For those who are interested, here is my week by week training log.
WEEK 1
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Key Run #3: Sunday 7/17
Target: 10 miles at 9:30/mile
Actual: 10.06 miles at 9:24 @ 8:47, 8:33, 8:56, 9:39, 10:03, 9:35, 9:51, 10:06, 10:26, 8:52, 7:45 (0.06 miles) + 2 miles walk after
Hard effort or higher. Very hard to keep even pace due to hills.
XT-1: Tuesday 7/19
Target: Upright bike - 8 min easy to moderate, 30 min moderate, 7 min easy
Actual: Same
Key Run #1: Wednesday 7/20
Target: 10-20 minute warm-up, 4 x 800 m in 4:05. Take 2:00 for RI. 10 minute cool-down
Actual: 10 min warmup; 4 x 800 m average 3:49 @ 3:53.6, 3:56,5, 3:43.6, 3:42.3 RI’s mostly walked. 7 min cool-down walk/jog
Ran in an athletic field. Not on measured track. Distances tracked by GPS watch. I had no sense of pace when running. So ran at effort level ‘very hard.’ Breathing level at ‘very hard’.
XT-2: Thursday 7/21
Target: 10 min. easy spinning as a warm-up, alternate 1 minute at level 4 resistance (on a perceived resistance scale of 1 to 5) as fast as you can followed by 4 easy (level 1) minutes of fast spinning. Repeat this 6 times. 5 min. easy as a cool-down.
Actual: Upright bike 10 min warm-up. 5 x (1 min at intensity level 20/25, 4 min easy), 5 min cool down. 1 min intensity bursts were done at approx 50 rpm for the first three sets sitting on the saddle. The remaining two were done at approx 60 rpm standing. Yikes! I just realized six reps were specified but I only did five!!
Key Run #2: Friday 7/22
Target: 1 mile easy, 3 miles @ 8:50/mile, 1 mile cool down
Actual: 1 mile downhill @9:14; 3 miles @8:24 (downhill with some moderate uphill and flat sections), 8:37 (first half downhill, second half uphill), 8:44 (uphill with some moderate downhill and flat sections); 1 mile walk uphill - this section is very hard to run/jog.. Doable but I wasn’t sure how it fits in with the training plan focused on improving specific aspects.
Ran mostly at hard and sometimes very hard levels of effort so that I don’t miss the targeted pace.
XT-3: Saturday 7/23
Target: 30 min easy spinning on a stationary bike
Actual: 30 min easy-moderate spinning
WEEK 2
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Key Run #3: Sunday 7/24
Target: 12 miles @ 9:35 pace.
Actual: 12.12 miles average 9:34 pace @ 9:09, 9:28, 9:26, 9:52, 9:53, 9:30, 9:23, 9:50, 10:07, 9:13, 9:38, 9:45, 0.12miles@6:41
Ran in the range of hard-very hard most of the time. I know we don’t go by heart rate in our program, but just wanted to note that the bpm was recorded in the range of 175-181 for the last mile+. I believe my max heart rate is 186 - when I did a ‘uphill run’ test last year.
XT-1: Tuesday 7/26
Target: Upright bike - 8 min easy to moderate, 30 min moderate, 7 min easy
Actual: Same
Key Run #1: Wednesday 7/27
Target: Warm-up followed by 3 x 1600 meters in 8:35. Take a 2:00 walk/jog RI between 1600's. Cool down.
Actual: Warm-up followed by 3x1600 m 8:03 avg pace @ 7:55, 8:07, 8:03. RI’s 2:00 walk. Cool down
Ran at hard and higher effort level, but feeling safe that I would make the target. I was feeling a bit of tightness on the front of the hip at/above the right upper thigh (hip flexor?). I am doing stretches after the runs and also foam roller later in the night, but the right hip flexor has a tendency to make its presence felt, more often than not.
XT-2: Thursday 7/28
Target: 10 min. easy spinning as a warm-up, alternate 1 minute at level 4 resistance (on a perceived resistance scale of 1 to 5) as fast as you can followed by 4 easy (level 1) minutes of fast spinning. Repeat this 6 times. 5 min. easy as a cool-down.
Actual: Upright bike 10 min warm-up. 6 x (1 min at intensity level 20/25, 4 min easy), 5 min cool down. 1 min intensity bursts were done at approx 50-55 rpm. Pedalled standing up for one burst and half of another approx 60 rpm. (This time remembered to do 6 repeats..:-) Those one minutes were strenuous, but in a few hours the upper legs were feeling nice and strong in the front and back.
Key Run #2: Friday 7/29
Target: 1 mile easy, 2 miles @ 8: 45 pace, 1 mile easy, 2 miles @8:45 pace, 1 mile easy.
Actual: Things didn’t go that well today due to a multiplicity of factors. I ran at hard level and thought I would make the target, but didn’t. It was raining, and the GPS watch was off for the mile markers. I thought I could adjust for the calibration and extract more reasonable numbers from the garmin app, but that also didn’t seem to show much of a difference. Also the easy miles were hard due to uphill. So, here are the stats for today - as recorded by the app :-)
1 mile easy downhill @9:15, 2 miles avg 8:43 @ (8:23 mostly rolling downhill, 9:03 half downhill and half uphill), 1 mile easy @10:02 (mostly rolling uphill), 2 miles avg 9:02 @ (8:55, 9:08 - moving pace is showing avg 8:57 - not sure what to report), 1 mile ‘easy’ @9:38 (rolling uphill). Followed by 1 mile uphill walk.
Not very happy - seems like if I had run a bit slower in the early sections I may have had better results.
XT-3: Saturday 7/30
Target: 30 min easy spinning on a stationary bike
Actual: Same.
WEEK 3
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Key Run #3: Sunday 7/31
Target: 15 miles @ 9:40 pace.
Actual: Overall avg 9:43 @ (9:25 9:39 10:01 10:13 10:19 9:37 9:46 10:01 10:05 9:53 9:17 8:35 9:27 9:48 9:44 0.06 miles @8:25) followed by 40 min uphill walk back home.
Tried a different route after 9-½ miles from the usual 2 miles uphill and 2 miles downhill. Mile 11-12 had downhill allowing faster pace, then a couple of miles were flat. Still turned out to be a grueling run. Running 15 miles first time since last November. Rain the first hour, and then high humidity (~97%). Temp close to 80F.
XT-1: Tuesday 8/2
Target: Upright bike - 8 min easy to moderate, 30 min moderate, 7 min easy
Actual: Same.
Key Run #1: Wednesday 8/3
Target: Warm-up followed by 2 x 1200m's in 6:18 (8:24 pace) Followed by 2 x 1000m's in 5:12 (8:19.2 pace). Take a 2:00 RI between all. Cool down.
Actual: Warm-up followed by 1200m 5:38 (7:33 pace) 1200m in 6:08 (8:13 pace); 1000m in 5:07 (8:14 pace), 1000m in 5:08 (8:15 pace). RI’s walked. Cool-down
My pace was all over the place for the 1200m’s.. Need to learning to keep pace at a sustainable/required level. The 1000’s were felt better in terms of keeping a steady pace, but still faster than required. Felt like I was getting better towards the end, but I need to learn to control the pace.
(By the way, hip flexor pain from Sunday’s 15 mile run hasn’t gone away..)
XT-2: Thursday 8/4
Target: 10 min. easy spinning as a warm-up, alternate 1 minute at level 4 resistance (on a perceived resistance scale of 1 to 5) as fast as you can followed by 4 easy (level 1) minutes of fast spinning. Repeat this 6 times. 5 min. easy as a cool-down.
Actual: Same. Tightness in hip flexor area has reduced. Due to late sleep the previous night I wasn’t able to do this in the morning as usual. Did in the evening. Hope it is not too close to tomorrow morning’s key run.
Key Run #2: Friday 8/5
Target: 1 mile easy, 5 miles @ 8:50 pace.
Actual: 1 mile easy @9:40, 5 miles at average 8:34 (mile splits - 8:39, 8:22, 8:50, 8:32, 8:25) Tried to log faster pace on the downhills and flats worried that uphill sections would slow down too much.. I felt the pace was coming under better control and feeling better also mostly. Ran the last mile somewhat harder. Ended up running harder/faster overall :( Cool down - 20 min walk uphill back home.
Felt fair amount of tightness/tenderness from the lower front of the right hip down the thigh. Considered not running, but decided to run hoping it would go away after a warmup. Also a slight discomfort on either side of the right knee perhaps due to the 1 minute bursts on the bike last night (?)
Given the predominantly uphill/downhill route in the neighborhood, I am trying to look for flatter segments to add by taking different routes - also considering traffic (long run on Sunday was not too good from traffic point of view - a couple miles or so with no shoulder or sidewalk and lot of vehicles and 50 mph/+
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I have shifted some of my strength exercises to the cross training days. Especially, some burpees/jump squats, etc. and lunges after the bike or later at home. Also some core work. Added some stretches for hip flexor as well. 'Donkey kicks' seem to make it feel better also!
Well, that should give a good idea about how things are going.
Keep at it, folks.
If I can run, u can run
