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Chronicles of a fish: the days of surf and turf
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interested wrote: »But isn't that how Longford was brought out of the wilderness ?
Longford was brought out of the wilderness?0 -
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Corresponding and Competing Forces
Plan: 2 miles easy, then 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1 (MP/E), then 2 miles easy
Dory to Ecoli earlier in the day: "right, so....I will be targeting 7:45 to 7:50 min/mile for MP in this evening's session." Famous last words....
Ohhhh-kayyyy....
I'm not sure why I even bother to explain sometimes....things just happen. Basically, the wind and the hills tried to push me around, and I pushed right back. At least that's how it started. Quick synopsis....
First "MP" mile was uphill and I ate it alive...second "MP" mile was into the wind and I shoved through it....and then at that point, the tone had been unintentionally set, and there you go. Whoop whoop? Speaking of the wind...it was insane! Crazy insane! Telephone pole swaying insane! I made sure I did all the hard hills in my "MP" miles so there would be no slacking...and I allowed myself to cruise at a leisurely pace on the easy miles. The thorn-in-my-side hill was conquered into the wind on the fifth "MP" mile, and it was understandably my slowest of the six. It wasn't until I checked my watch at the conclusion of the sixth "MP" mile that I realized I had goofed - I had forgotten the second warm up mile at the beginning of the session! Ugh. Soooo....I just did what any good student would do to please the teacher, I added it to the end of the session.
Here's the lowdown: I felt good....had my new shoes on....legs wanted to get the crud blown off them....I let them be happy. Whoop whoop? I think I'll consult the coach....;)
"MP" paces:
7:19, 7:17
7:29, 7:27
7:37, 7:13
Actual: 13 miles in 1:50:54 for an average pace of 8:30 min/mile0 -
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The Backside...
Plan: 4 miles recovery
I was shocked when I saw this on the plan last night - 4 miles recovery on a Thursday night. OMG, does that mean we're getting close?? :eek: Taper doesn't start for another 10 days, but I guess this marks the beginning of the end. Wow. 20 out of 24 weeks of an awesome training plan almost in the books.
I did this on my trusty treadie in the comfort of my no-wind-zone, warm-and-comfy basement. Incline at 1% and the pace was s-l-o-w. Legs were creaky and achy at the beginning, no doubt the result of the past two nights' spiffy paces...but the creak and the ache vanished after about a mile and all was well with the world again.
Followed up the treadie trot with extra attention to both the upper body and the abs. Abs really need some work - summer (and the pool) are near!
Actual: 4 recovery miles on the treadie, upper body, abs0 -
Damp, dark and drizzly
Plan: 8 miles easy
The mood was dictated by the weather which then dictated the approach and the mindset. This was just a quiet run without my Garmin in the morning rain. I probably thought more about how intimately I know this route than I worried about my pace - I decided that I know every crack and crevice in every sidewalk...I can tell you precisely where every depression or jut is in the pavement....I can warn you well in advance when you are approaching a branch or limb that is hanging dangerously low in the path...and I can anticipate every pole, trash can, bench, or sign that creates a bit of an obstacle for me. Yawn....zzzzzzz.....this was a bit boring, if you must know the truth.
As indicated above, the first 4 miles were a bit like a dirge, but the spirits were lifted and things definitely got peppier after I bumped into and then was distracted by amusing thoughts of one of our local misfits, Roy Miller, who, after his mom and dad had passed, sold (yes, sold!) their bodies to a mortuary school for the students to practice embalming on. I think he only got a couple hundred bucks for each body, but hey, that was a couple of hundred dollars he didn't have in his pocket before he sold them. Plus, he probably saved on having to pay for funeral expenses, and he isn't tied down by obligatory visits to their graves. He may be shrewder than he looks.
Any way...back to me. I forgot to wear my thigh compression sleeves and I could really feel this one in my injured (but recovering) left hams/glutes. I'm not sure I'll be able to leave the sleeves home when I go to Boston, but truth be told I'd really rather not wear them. Other than that, pace was slow but increasing with each mile, and I think I'm in a good place. Would like to lose 1 or 2 more pounds in the next 4 weeks, but if that doesn't happen it won't be the end of my world as I can't start skipping or skimping on meals at the risk of losing strength and energy. Tomorrow is 16 miles steady, so tonight's task will be to decide what route I want to tackle.
Actual: ~8.7 miles about town in I have no idea how long and couldn't care less at what pace0 -
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Kurt Godel wrote: »Here's another task for tonight- what pace will you do the steady 16-miler in tomorrow, and why that pace? Genuine question, and I'm looking for a number rather than a whole load of words:)
Ah...now you've brought me out of my funk.
Are you sure you don't want a whole load of my poetic and sometimes confusing words? Boo. But in a nutshell, I've been instructed to do steady pace at 20 to 30 seconds slower that PMP....so I will say that at this very moment sitting on my couch writing to you I will target an average pace of 8:10 to 8:30. And that's all I'm saying.:):D 0 -
Ah...now you've brought me out of my funk.
Are you sure you don't want a whole load of my poetic and sometimes confusing words? Boo. But in a nutshell, I've been instructed to do steady pace at 20 to 30 seconds slower that PMP....so I will say that at this very moment sitting on my couch writing to you I will target an average pace of 8:10 to 8:30. And that's all I'm saying.:):D
A well-defined average pace has been stated; I can't ask for more than that, cheers and good luck tomorrow. The poetry and verbose confusion we all look forward to reading after your run 0 -
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Oopsie!
Plan: 16 miles steady
Hello, my name is Dory Dory and I am both undisciplined and stubborn.
Well....this run turned into a progression run instead of the intended steady run at 8:10 to 8:30 min/mile pace.
But I guess I never really believed I'd leave the pace where it was supposed to be if I was feeling good. And also, the route dictated a bit of the pace as well...as did the huge @ss 180+ pound Great Dane that came bounding out of the garage with his 20 pound fluffy sidekick in tow to rip me to shreds on mile 4. Dammit!! Same dog that charged me a few weeks ago, but this time he got within an arm's length of me and was much more daring than last time. The owner very nonchalantly called him off, but I let him know I was pissed. My mace was at the ready.....one step closer and BAM! I just need to keep the direction of the wind in mind.
I felt really sluggish at the outset of this run - might have been the wine I indulged in last night with some friends, but I really felt like I was struggling right up until the time of my adrenaline releasing dog encounter, and then things got a good bit better and easier. The weather was crap for this one - cold and windy with a mixture of rain and snow falling, but I was dressed appropriately so no worries in that regard. Other tidbits to note: the first 8 miles were nice ups and downs.....mile 9 was mostly uphill at various grades, so understandably slower....mile 10 was mostly downhill at corresponding various falls, so understandably faster....had a Garmin malfunction on mile 11 so I had to stop for several minutes to sort that out....miles 11 through 15 were done on predominantly flat ground, so understandably I felt very strong on those miles.
I did not set out to do this run as a progression, and it wasn't really until after I hit mile 10 that I started to play the game of "I must make the next mile even faster than the last otherwise it will look like I'm dying and mean that I suck". So...I dug in and made each mile faster. When I saw on mile 14 that my split was 7:01, I made myself a little deal. I told myself that if I could make mile 15 a sub 7 min/mile, then I'd reward myself with a cool down on mile 16 and a shortcut through grass, gravel, dangerous highway and crazy hills to get myself home. Job done.
Splits:
8:14, 7:57, 7:52, 7:32, 7:50, 7:47, 7:45, 7:48
8:10, 7:25, 7:25, 7:17, 7:15, 7:01, 6:50, 8:48, 3:07 (8:11)
Actual: 16.4 miles in 2:06:11 for an average pace of 7:42 mim/mile0 -
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Kurt Godel wrote: »Yeah, sorry for harping on about it all the time. The easier thing to do would just be to say "great job!" on that blistering 7:42 average for 16 miles, but the issue remains that you missed (yet again) another pace-based session. Ideally your MP should be firmly established at this point in time.
(PS Great job on that bistering 7:42 average;))
Ouch.
I think I will send myself to my room now and think about what I've done. 0 -
Ouch. I feel like I've just disappointed someone I didn't want to disappoint.
I think I will send myself to my room now and think about what I've done.
No, far from it! Your pace is fantastic, just it'd be a shame to see something go astray at this stage because you didn't stick to a controlled marathon pace on race day. Running faster than your intended pace seems to be second nature to you. If you can do that for 26 miles, all my clucking will have been unwarranted.0 -
Four Weeks!!!!
Plan: 20 minutes recovery
And the drumroll please......
Actual: A quick and dirty 20 minutes easy peasy on the treadie over lunch
Physio tonight. All is well. Full body this time. Boy he's going to miss my money me when Boston training is over. 0 -
Boy he's going to miss my money when Boston training is over.
Ha... don't you know yet ? It doesn't work like that. It's easier to get off crack ! You're going to live to regret showing him up !
Catching up, I'm with Kurt. Last few miles of Boston is time enough to go sub planned pace.0 -
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Ha... don't you know yet ? It doesn't work like that. It's easier to get off crack ! You're going to live to regret showing him up !
Catching up, I'm with Kurt. Last few miles of Boston is time enough to go sub planned pace.
Regarding the physio...all I can say is I feel like I've just paid for an hour in the red light district as I hand him my wad of cash and leave feeling like a wet noodle.;)
And yes, agreed about Boston. But feel free to remind me gently over the next 3 weeks and 6 days.shotgunmcos wrote: »Looking' forward to a summer of chocolate and swimming?!
I plan on spending a significant amount of time swimming starting in about 4 weeks when my pool opens. But the chocolate? Ya know....because I have the ability to eat disgusting quantities of chocolate in one sitting, I'm actually trying to decide what to do in that regard. If you want to extend the challenge to DCM where you're targeting sub 3, let me know!! We can amend the terms to accommodate you since your May 5th marathon is in jeopardy....and since I'm all signed up for DCM myself! 0 -
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Gone With The Wind
Plan: 8 miles easy
As Marthastew would say....HOLY MERDE!! The wind was frickin' insane tonight!! I literally had to push through it as it was a physical obstacle trying to prevent me from moving forward. I kept telling myself "make yourself small...make yourself small" so I could cut into it like a thin piece of paper, but as hard as I tried, that clever strategy of mine just didn't really work all that well. :rolleyes:;) Periodically, the wind would smile on me and give me a break by taking a momentary breather, but when it did, I would have to catch my body from going head over heels due to the "lean" I was employing. Yikes! All I could think of was how I would die a slow death if the wind happens to be like this for the point to point course of Boston. :eek:
Soooo....the run itself is not one to remember. I didn't feel the love, and my legs didn't feel the joy. There's been a lot of stress at work, so I'll write this one off as that. And perhaps my legs are still feeling a bit of fatigue from Sunday's run...and maybe the cumulative effect of 20+ weeks training. It's funny, though - as tired as my legs were, for the most part I was able to keep my body relaxed and and the legs stayed relatively strong. Pace was a little fast for the first 3 miles (7:44, 7:41, 7:52)...much more in line for the next 3 miles (8:23, 8:10, 8:45)....then a bit of a see saw for the final few (7:46, 8:11, 5:03 (7:53)). Wind and hills definitely helped shape the slower miles. Oh, and the sun was gloriously shining throughout, so that's something positive worth noting.
Followed up this session with love to the upper body and abs. Whoop, whoop!!
Actual: 8.64 miles in 1:09:39 for an average pace of 8:03 min/mile0 -
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The Thousand Decibel Session
Plan: 4 miles easy, 3 miles @ MP, 2 miles @ HMP, 1 mile at 10k
For soooo many reasons, I just couldn't stomach doing this on the streets with the continuing saga of cold and wind tonight, and I'm so glad I didn't. For me, a session on the treadmill can reset my buttons and exorcize all demons that may have slipped in the back door when I wasn't looking....and tonight's session did just that. Last night's 8 miles were yucky and uncomfortable and actually had me not looking forward to tonight's 12 miles (which just about NEVER happens to me!)....but within 2 miles into it tonight, I was a changed woman.
Things I loved about this session:
I loved...
...the warmth of the room...
...the absence of eye burning wind...
...the lack of layers of clothing...
...the lovely steady rhythm of the MP...
...the ease of the transition into and comfort with HMP...
...the delightful slight discomfort of 10k pace...
...the inspiringly awesome moves I busted to Godsmack's cover of Rocky Mountain Way...
...the sweat that was rolling off my body...
...and, the strength of my legs...in particular, the strength of my thighs.
With the treadmill set at 1%, I did the MP @ 7:47 min/mile....HMP @ 7:25 min/mile...10k @ 6:55 min/mile.....and I added a 2 mile cool down to bring me back to earth.
Actual: 12 miles total - 4 miles easy, 3 miles @ MP, 2 miles @ HMP, 1 mile @ 10k, 2 miles easy at the paces noted above0 -
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No Stray Objects Were Flung During This Session:):D
Plan: 8 miles easy
Well.....I had a very dear friend from out of town here on holiday so out the window went the planned 8 miles easy, but in its place was a quick and dirty session in the pool near where he was staying. Because my friend will be doing his first ever triathlon this summer, he asked me to assist him with his stroke technique since he's really never had proper training. In a word, he has much to work on. Wow. In typical male fashion, he's dragging his legs, his hips are too low, and he's trying to muscle his way through the water with upper body. This syndrome seems to be rampant in many males - I assume it's some sort of compensation thingy going on. We worked for about 30 minutes on different aspect of this mess, and I do think we made much progress....and I really didn't mind swapping out my planned easy session for this shorter aquatic one - you know, a friend in need, and all that.
Any way...tomorrow's session will be a quasi dress rehearsal for the big day. I've got my orders, and I'm sticking to them come hell or high-water !!!
Actual: 30 minutes in the pool
Please note: coach was aware of an alteration to today's plan0 -
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Kurt Godel wrote: »Wooot! Spring has arrived, Dory's back in the water! Pretty soon the swim advice faucet will be turned back on!:D
I can't wait, let's start now.In typical male fashion, he's dragging his legs, his hips are too low, and he's trying to muscle his way through the water with upper body. This syndrome seems to be rampant in many males
Soooooo...... How does one get their hips higher in the water? I have tried the float between the legs and it works but don't know how to get that position when i don't have the float??
Great training by the way! Boston will be no bother to you.:D0 -
DukeOfDromada wrote: »I can't wait, let's start now.
Soooooo...... How does one get their hips higher in the water? I have tried the float between the legs and it works but don't know how to get that position when i don't have the float??
Great training by the way! Boston will be no bother to you.:D
Hey there! Hips....basically you probably need to work on your kick to get the lower body higher...and also be conscious of your hip position by being aware of where it is in the water. There are a few other tricks you'll hear/read about....and check that your head is not too high....but it's probably more about the kick than anything else.
Boston - thanks. How is yours going? Aiming for sub 3?? Will be good to see you and the missus there. 0 -
Kurt Godel wrote: »Wooot! Spring has arrived, Dory's back in the water! Pretty soon the swim advice faucet will be turned back on!:D
Wish it would fookin arrive in Ireland
What is your goal time in Boston?0 -
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RacoonQueen wrote: »Wish it would fookin arrive in Ireland
What is your goal time in Boston?
RQ!! Hey there! Truth is, spring hasn't really arrived here either....but it must be around the corner. Must be.....
My goal time has always been a sub 3:30 - I have failed twice to deliver it (Catweazle's stinging reminder still echoes in my head) so we'll see what happens in three weeks. All I can say is, I've put in some honest training and this will be my best shot. Awesome 10 mile run you had. Well done you! 0
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