Monday Milers
after a Sunday easy 40 minutes that were not as easy as I had hoped, I pushed ahead with my planned first set of Monday Milers of 2009. it was hot, the pollen count high, and I had spent the last three nights drinking a few more than a few beers with friends. but, as I said, I pushed through it and survived a subpar and disappointing set of mile repeats on a course I mapped out in a local park.
the morning began slowly with me staying in bed to well past 7 AM. had some breakfast, made coffee, and contemplated not running. however, I decided I would head to the shady trails and get in scheduled 3 x 1 mile repeats w/ full recoveries. my rationale for doing so is several-layered: I need to begin getting in race shape and nothing does that better than repeat miles; if I am going to be able to run with the guys in the fall, I need to be in shape before them and not with them; and, summer is my racing season with XC season in the fall for coaching. so today begins that process. hopefully, it will get better. if it does not, my race goals will change significantly. to get to 18:30-45, I need to run 6:00 pace or under. i feel like I can do it. it is just a matter of balancing my training schedule and pick the right races. with next Saturday’s St. Dot’s Challenge, I get a real chance to see where I am on a challenging course. I am running at the request of Sara and looking forward to the race. Sara’s goal is to beat some woman who finished ahead of her last year. it is my first time in the event, so I am going to try and get out and hold on as long as I can. 19:45 would be a good time I think, based on my limited knowledge of the course.
the first mile I ran today was actually mile 2 of the 5k course and I think I added a little too much to it because it has always run fast. I added a little 200 or so meters in the second 800 that made the distance off of a true mile. so I repeated the same mile and eliminated the “poles“ section that I added and my time was truer, but not where I wanted it to be. the high pollen count _ there was white stuff blowing off the trees and bushes that made it look like it was snowing from time to time on an 80 degree morning. running shirtless, the sweat was pouring off of me before the first repeat. with jogging and stretching in between, I considered ending the workout with two milers and then warming down longer. but, I decided to do the finishing mile which is downhill and then totally flat and my time was much better. the high grass and undulating ground of an XC course make for slower times as well. so, all in all, the workout was not as bad as I thought.
I finished with another 15 minutes of easy running and made it home by early afternoon. solitary running has its benefits, but I was not feeling any of them today. looking forward to running with Sara tomorrow…
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the week that was…
have not been able to get daily updates in this week, so I have decided to do a weekly wrap up type posting. harkens back to my days as a Sports Correspondent for a local newspaper. this week’s goal was to run 6 or 7 days, but as often happens, life got in the way and I only was able to get in M-W-F-Sa-Su running days. however, two days, Wednesday and Saturday, were workout days. Wednesday was a speed/hill workout on the trails at a about 85% effort and Saturday was a ladder workout on grass fields that are flat and suited to all out running. Sara and I smoked the Saturday workout on the fields where our team trains during XC season. we did a 200/400/600/800 ladder and ran negative splits for most of the second half or downward ladder. it felt great to get in a legit workout with a partner to push me and chat with on the recoveries. our warm up and warm down time allowed for workout prep and review and then after the workout was complete we sat and talked some more. we also had the opportunity to meet one of our incoming freshman who was out running on a Saturday morning. very nice kid, but he also plays soccer. hopefully, the soccer coaches will allow him to run XC and play soccer concurrently.
legs are a little tight and sore after the best workout I’ve run in years, so today will be a very easy paced 45-60 minutes with Sara. looking forward to an easy running day and then getting some things done as well. I have my first of several Grad parties to attend today. it is for Dave Smith, one of our runners and an outstanding kid. he will attend the University of Notre Dame in the Fall and I am extremely proud to have coached him. he is the kind of kid that makes coaching the best job in the world, whether you are getting paid for it or not….
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three days in a row, and a rest day
Monday marked the third consecutive day of running after a week of mostly rest last week. i had my team XC meeting to get ready for the Fall season at 8, so I ran before the meeting. did a loop through the streets around school and then some barefoot striders on the football field. felt good to run at a slightly faster pace and to run alone again. as much as I enjoy having a training partner, the act of the solitary run is still what most appeals to me. getting out there and not having anything or anyone else to worry about clears my head. It also enables me to run at a faster pace. I was able to push pace at some points of the run, work hills a little harder, and open up full out when I felt like it. with all that, Tuesday became a recovery/rest/weight training day with no running. it keeps my 6 day running week in order and allowed me to recovery before a good training day today on the trails. using today to work on some speed-doing flats (200-300m), undulating paths (300-400), and some hills (150-200m) with Sara. it will be her first trail workout on the course where the kids train in the Summer. it will be good for her to train there prior to our training with the runners so she gets a feel for what the trails are like, what our running loops are there. that will help her ease the trepidation that many of our newer girls may have about running in the park this Summer. it is my favorite local running location and we will be doing my favorite workout. the variety of surface and elevation on the trails makes the workout fun and more XC race like than doing speed work on streets or the track. I am always inspired by nature as well. while the park has an extensive trail network, the area we will run in today is my favorite. the other trails are more technical and some of them will be overgrown in a few weeks and mostly inpassable until Fall.
the only drawback to trail running is the deer tick issue as we live in an area that is a high alert area for lyme disease. and, it is getting to be that time of year again.
just have to be dilligent in checking for any signs after every run.
looking forward to a good workout today.
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Run - 0.5 hours - 05/18/2009
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 05/18/2009
- Time: 18:30:00
- Total Time: 00:31:23.00
- Calories: 515
- Distance: 4.15 miles
- Average Pace: 7:33.97/mile
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the week that was…
this week became a transitional week in my training. it began with an ambitious plan to run 6 days for the first time in months. but, soreness from last weekend plagued me on Monday and Tuesday, so I ran for about 20 minutes very easily on Tuesday. Wednesday became a lost day when I decided that another rest day was in order. so, I ran about 5k on trails on Thursday after a gym session and I felt much better. Friday, I did not run because I was heading the Springsteen show and would be on my feet for 3+ hours of rock and roll.
Saturdays are now Saradays as I run with my assistant coach and friend Sara on Saturday mornings. we’ve added Sundays as well. they are my favorite runs of the week now. Saturday we scheduled a hill workout for 10 AM - I got home from concert at 8 AM after 4-5 hours sleep at a friend’s house. we hit the hill for 7 repeats, lucky #7, and had good fun and conversation. it is refreshing to run with someone who values intellectual conversation and actual running and not jogging. we run at close to 8 minute pace on our medium distance runs and that is perfect for chatting. the hill was a 1:02-1:04 incline with wood chips and gravel mixed with small dirt paths. made for a good workout in a quiet park. Sara worked the hills very well and I was actually impressed with her effort. we did a 10 minute warm up and a longer warm down to make it nearly an hour of training time. it was a great start to a great day. ended the workout with barefoot strides on a grass field. Sara is not a fan of my barefoot strides to end runs, not sure why.
after our run on Saturday, we decided to meet for a run today as well. we decided to run roads in case there was the forecasted rain overnight. I love muddy trails, Sara is not as big a fan. we did an 8k loop with a little added on and had some really great conversation on a variety of topics. it was fantastic. we agreed that our runs were highlights of our week. that is cool. the hilly loop we ran today was a challenge after the hillwork yesterday. we were both a bit sore, so the pace was pretty easy. still not a jog, but easy. after we ran, we had a 24 minute conversation that was filled with laughter and good sharing of stories. we even have created a post run tradition, I put her key back on her key ring. yesterday, I tried to coolly toss the keys to her and they got caught on my hand and dropped at her feet. we laughed at my attempt to be cool. today, I just handed them to her.
we have our team meeting for the upcoming season tomorrow night. we may run together during the week. it is a good partnership that I look forward to developing over the next few months. maybe next time our post run conversation will be over a snack or some recovery food and drink.
bed time. keep on running.
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Run - 0.7 hours - 05/17/2009
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 05/17/2009
- Time: 12:00:00
- Total Time: 00:43:27.00
- Calories: 656
- Distance: 5.2 miles
- Average Pace: 8:21.39/mile
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Run - 0.3 hours - 05/12/2009
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 05/12/2009
- Time: 16:11:00
- Total Time: 00:20:00.00
- Calories: 328
- Distance: 2.5 miles
- Average Pace: 8:00/mile
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back to RTP & Happy Mother’s Day
first run at Rose Tree Park since I moved out of my apartment in March. living close by at the time, (814 meters from the XC course start) , the park was my favorite running destination and ran there two or three times a week. now, driving there is not always convenient, but I am going to have to make time to get back out there regularly to run. today, I was there to run with Sara, my new training partner. I am usually not a training partner guy, but Sara is my assistant coach, so it helps us get some team stuff worked out while we run. if you have read my posts lately, I have mentioned her regularly. the more we run together, the more grateful I am to have her as a training partner. she is becoming a good friend as well as a quality running companion. we are planning more runs together and she is interested in running at places where I have always trained. next week, we are doing hills on Saturday and the Wisshickon Creek Trail or Valley Forge Park on Sunday. that is the kind of training I like to do. running in great locations keeps the training schedule fresh and makes me look forward to going there to run.
today’s run was easy - 40 minutes around the perimeter of the park and through the trails. we talked, and laughed quite a lot, the entire run. we discussed our upcoming season, training philosophy, and other topics as well. having Sara there to keep the pace steady was perfect for me. when I run alone, I tend to really let loose on the down hills and then try to maintain that speed for the next 800-1000 meters. did not need to do that today after a workout yesterday, a run on Friday and a double on Thursday. a total of five runs in four days is a bit more than I have been doing lately.
after the run, we chatted in the parking lot for a bit as well. it was cool to have an interesting conversation with someone for a change. all week, I spend my days talking to kids in 1st-5th grade and that gets old. I enjoy that part of my life, but interaction with grown ups is something I need more often.
after the run and the chat, I headed to the gym for a brief -35 minutes of weight training, 2 sets of my regular circuit and headed home (with a stop for a power bar protein plus and chocolate milk).
now it is off to the cemetary with dad for his first visit since Mom’s funeral in December. woke up today thinking about her. we all miss her dearly. worried about my brother Thom’s ability to deal with it. wish I could talk to him about it.
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 05/10/2009
- Time: 10:00:00
- Total Time: 00:40:02.00
- Calories: 604
- Distance: 5 miles
- Average Pace: 8:00.64/mile
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4 x 400 and some easy running
second Saturday track workout with Sara today. another great day for a workout, sunny and warm with a slight breeze which was tailwind on back stretch. we were planning a ladder (200/400/600/800/600/400/200), but reconsidered once we hit the road for a warm up. I let Sara determine the workout for the day. she decided we would do 4/400 m repeats with 2 minute recoveries. I wanted to run right around 6-flat pace and we hit 85-88 seconds on each 400. it is great to have a running partner who can hit times consistently and enjoys the competitive part of running. Sara is just that. and, honestly, she is also a much more interesting and intriguing young woman than I ever thought during our first season coaching together. like being around her. we are going for a distance run tomorrow on the course our team runs regularly during the Summer and the season. haven’t looked forward to running with someone in a long time, so tomorrow should be a good day to run. additionally, it will give me the boost I need on the first Mother’s Day since Mom passed away in November. the rest of the day will allow me to dwell on the memories of her smile on Mother’s Days past. taking Dad to the cemetery for the first time since Mom was buried there. he requested it, so I am honored to do it.
however, to start the day with a good run and a great running partner will be exactly what I need to get through the day…
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 05/09/2009
- Time: 09:00:00
- Total Time: 00:45:44.00
- Calories: 660
- Distance: 5.1 miles
- Average Pace: 8:58.12/mile
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3 loops, 33 minutes, 3 seconds…
trail run at Smedley Park after a day at work and a 7 AM ART session. easy pace, three loops, one & two the same direction, reversed the loop on third time around. second loop faster than first and third. after a double day on Thursday, felt surprisingly good.
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 05/08/2009
- Time: 15:33:00
- Total Time: 00:33:03.00
- Calories: 542
- Distance: 4.2 miles
- Average Pace: 7:52.44/mile
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