Timed with a calendar

Sunday: 21 miles
3@8.24
(7+7)@8.34
4@8.15

So after a hiatus, back on the road tow path. Still did not feel ... with it. But managed to keep up with some of the guys on their recovery runs from recent marathons (as they happily chatted away about their Boston plans ).

Best description of my state right now ...it's like a car where you step on the accelerator (gas!) and nothing happens. With the car this was a bad tank of petrol/gas ... with me I suspect it the result of poor diet for a few weeks with travel/work etc.

Still ... got out and did it.

Week: 40 miles .... could have been worse. Hoping to resume normal service next week.

Dory Dory wrote: »

^^^ If there's one thing I've learned about diet, it's - garbage in, garbage out. There is no doubt a correlation between what we eat and how we perform.

I guess the pistachio and cranberry ice cream was a mistake .

Monday: 7.5@8.18

Got some disappointing news so said "screw work" and took the opportunity of a warmer morning to dodge work and head for a trot down the canal. To my surprise the spillway from the canal to the river that I had to wade through last week still had water flowing over it. This time I was heading the opposite direction so I encountered it at mile 4 instead of mile 13 ... so this time I just turned around and headed back !

Tuesday: 9miles w/6*1200m (I think !)

Ok ... so we have traveled back in time to pretend that last week never happened. So let's try this one again. Slight mishap on rep 5 - I think I hit the stop rather than the lap button on the watch so I was a bit confused when I looked at the lap time. I thought I must have stopped early - thought I could not reconcile this with my place on the track... so I added one more rep. Looking at the lap times afterwards the I realized the truth as there was a missing "lap".

Time(Rest), Pace
4.43(4.12), 6.12
4.39(3.59), 5.58
4.39(3.58), 6.05
4.40(4.01), 6.02
????(4.04), ????
4.40,

---

6.02

Happy with that ... now if I can nail a tempo in two days we'll pretend next week did not happen.

Monday: 7.5 @9.xx

A very gentle run, with a few breaks for sight seeing !

Tuesday: 10 w/4*(1M +4min recovery) + 2*(0.5M @interval pace +2 min recovery)

Ok so the plan called for 3*1 mile + 3*800m. A combination of aged memory and weather led to the actual intervals. Rain meant the track was slippy so I decided on .5 mile interval instead. Memory meant the I thought is 2*800m, and ambition led me to add another mile rep.

Interval pace is 6.31. In the back of my mind was the McMillian 10k sessions (6*1M, etc). So I was curious to see what these intervals suggested about 10k pace. I don't think I could have put in 6 of the 1M reps even with the 4 minute recovery. So short answer ... a return to sub40 is a fair bit away still !

6.28(4.04), 6.25(4.02),
6.30(4.01), 6.31(4.04)
3.10(2.00), 3.16

10miles


Wednesday: am : 60 mins bike
pm: 3 @9.xx+

Heavy rain/holiday duties means that there will be no little running today. Bah humbug !

EDIT: Ok nipped out for 3 miles pm before renewed rain and darkness finished me off.

Happy Christmas to all !

Thursday: 12 miles with
4M@tempo w/4m recovery
3M@tempo w/3m recovery
2M@tempo w/2m recovery

It was obvious pretty soon that I was not going to hit the usual paces. There was a strong wind out cutting diagonally the route. Also, iIt felt like the bike session on Wednesday left the legs heavy ... strange as I thought I had kept it easy. However there was no alternative to trying to tough it out and not pay too much attention to the pace. So here it is : the ok, the bad and the ugly. At the end I was completely out of gas ... the cool down was short and the pace was glacial !!

6.56, 7.03, 7.04, 7.03
7.01, 7.12 , 7.04
7.08, 7.18:eek:

Saturday: 12@9.52

After Thursday, I figured the legs needed to regroup a bit so I took Friday off completely. and we travel down to the weekend handout (aka traiing camp #2). This run was going to a gentle run accompanied part way by Mrs P. However, it turned out that the canal spillway was still spilling so we diverted off to explore a new path. In the course of this I found a entry way to botanical reservation and then a route to a revolutionary war lookout ( that the DukeOfD had mentioned to me). So I decided to run to it .... well I should have realized that this would involve a serious climb ( it was a lookout after all!), so I was not unhappy to have to stop on the way up to make room for a car! Views - especially with the leaves down were spectacular. Too hard/too far for a recovery session.

Sunday: 18 miles (3@8.52+11@8.04+4@8.25)

Joined up with the Sunday group. They decided to run a route new to me that wound through some amazing scenery, and by an old covered bridge. However it was hilly which I did not need after Saturday's run and I was hanging on during some of the early miles. However, thanks to one upset stomach and one mild groin strain in the group I was able to hang on until I could slowly shift my way through the gears.

Week: 62.5 miles. A decent week but I am concerned about the failing to hit paces.

Should old runners be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old runners be forgot,
in the name of old lang syne?

CHORUS
For old lang syne, my dear,
for old lang syne
we'll take a run at PRs yet,
in the name of old lang syne

And surely you'll run your best!
and surely I'll run mine!
And we'll set a pace o' quickness yet
in the name of old lang syne

We look about for races to pine,
and pick the fast courses fine;
But, we bounded a many weary feet,
since old lang syne

CHORUS

We too have muddled by in pain,
from morning sun til dine;
But seas exist 'tween the elites and thine
since old lang syne

CHORUS

And there's a race my trusted friend!
Please give me pace o' the finish line!
And we'll take a right good draught,
for old lang syne

CHORUS

A less successful week.

Monday: 8 miles slow.

Cold ! Had to dig out the shoes with the screws in the soles to try to stay upright but it was pretty nice once I got onto the towpath. The last few miles of this run involved a stop off to try to buy a usb headset to avoid travelling to the office. Oddly not stocked in any of the computer stores so several miles added on trying one place after another before I finally scored.

Tuesday: 40 mins bike

Way too cold to try anything outdoors (though to my shame I did see a runner pass the house).

Wednesday: 30 mins eliptical
Thursday: am 30 mins eliptical
pm: 45 mins eliptical

Saturday was supose to be a 10k, but basically with it being the first city race since we sold the apartment, and since I no longer have a city office, I made a horses ass of the logistics and got there too late for bib pickup :mad:. My own fault - though ~40 mins waiting on a subway did not help.
Really p*sed to start the year with yet another DNS on my record. At race time it was 8F (about -13C) so I had wondered about the wisedom of racing ... but having committed to it and got up at 4am I was really wondering if my head was in the game at all.

Sunday: 19 miles

tbh - motivation was low and if not for Mrs P I would have probably skipped a run. Anyway first three miles with Mrs P, then north on the tow path. Amazingly the Delaware was covered in floating ice (not solid) which given how fast it flows (we are close to popular spot for whitewater rafting) is amazing. Even more surprising was meeting a guy skating down the canal ... didn't the ice was thick enough for that. Luckily he was going the opposite way so there was no urge to race him ! At some point I looked at the watch and saw 3.45pm ... Yikes, had do a quick turn around and pick up the pace before the rest of the light was lost. About 5 miles from home I met a guy I knew and we joined up for the last few miles. He's a recent entry to the sub3 club so we were doing sub 7.15 pace for the last few miles which I found hard enough.

Week: 27 miles :o:o:o. Even with the weather this is a bit of a disgrace. In my defence the weather and Mrs P starting a new job did not help, and there was a bit of cross training involved but still....

I'm annoyed at missing the 10k because it would have given me some kind of marker about where I am right now. I feel I have put in a solid block of work and I would like to be able to tell if it has been effective or not.

Dory Dory wrote: »

You'll have to be looking for another 10k then!

Not too much doing this time of year. Besides I am signed up for a marathon in February.

Monday-Tuesday: Pretty cold out there so I got back on the eliptical twice a day for the 30 minute "intermediate" and 45 "advanced" program. Post this I could feel the strain in my quads but did not think too hard about it ...

Wednesday: am core/Eliptical
pm: 4 miles @9.00-10.00
...until I finally went to the gym got on a treadmill and struggled through 4 miles unable to break 9mm. Now I really hope that the tm calibration was well off ... otherwise either the patchy last few weeks have really taken a toll or the elliptical kicked my butt big time.

In addition I had a small accident a few weeks ago, where I wrench my arm falling on a wet stairs ... this is still bothering me and impacting any core work I do (not that I do too much). The deep freeze has broken so I am planning my first outside run this week today. We will see how the legs go.

Friday: 7.5 miles

With no running water we retreated to our weekend spot. So I decided to explore a new route and ran the "Old Goat Road". Not as hard as "the beast", but a hard enough hilly (but really beautiful with no leaves on the trees) 3+ miles.

Saturday: 7 miles @8,38

Keep this slow along the the tow path (because of the long run Sunday ... right ?)

Actually ...no. Left the house to join up with my Sunday buddies. There was a very light rain falling but I figured I could get a run in before the forecast heavy rain later. I did notice that the car was covered with ice but did not think too much about this .... and almost fell on my ass three times before I was out of sight of the house. Bottom line - road surfaces meant no running (or even walking) even with my screw enhanced soles.

Really annoyed - I could have got in a long run Saturday if I had known this was coming.

Week: A whopping .... 24 miles , no sessions, with a few elliptical sessions. After decent consistency this is disappointing.

Hope to get out today if I can find a safe stretch.

Today (Monday)

Monday I took as a complete rest day.

Tuesday: am : 45 mins elliptical
pm: 30 mins bike

Wednesday: 6.5 miles
pm: 30 mins bike

Running out of ways to mix up the 1.5 of road that is realistically open to me. (going to the gym really does not appeal and requries digging out the car ).

Thursday: 90 mins elliptical (b2b 45mins)

Went out for a run ... but it was simply too cold. I gave it a shot but it despite four layers it was so damn cold I decided I was really taking risks. Oddly the temps on my phone looked pretty good (just below freezing iirc), but the experience was a real shocker. So tried an ambitious back to back "advanced" programs on the elliptical. Tough enough !

Friday: 9.5 miles (731ft gain)

Fate intervened to cancel my Friday morning meetings so I travelled down to our weekend spot on Thursday night. Yes, the prospect of getting out on a "real run" and being reunited with my wind proof jacket motivated me to chip the car out of the deep freeze. Interesting the road here are in better shape than in the city. So put on the high vis vest and took for for hilly narrow routes south of town. This is largely country roads with some clusters of houses set back off the road. I startled a deer at one point (actually if scared the living **** out of me) and despite crossing the road the poor thing panicked and in a mad scramble to get away from me slipped on the snow and slide on it's backside down into the ditch along the road. Other than it's dignity it seemed to recover once I had passed. Glad to someone else has problems staying upright at this time of year.
On the return having completed the tough climb I decided to extend the run with a mile out-and-back on a side road. I was just enjoying the level route when just before the turn around I heard furious barking and saw a dog (large boxer) heading directly for me over the snow :eek:. I really thought I was in serious trouble and hoped if I carried on maybe he'd lose interest before he got to me. In fairness someone did call to the dog and when I checked again it had broken off. *Whew* ... but now I had to figure out how to get home without passing the house again. So I had to take a main road when luckily there was just about enough snow free room to let me take the couple of miles before I got back to the outskirts of town again.

Saturday: 8 miles (700ft gain)

With the doggie drama in mind I decided to try a new route which would allow me route around the trouble spot. This meant navigating the major road again (also the first 2 miles of "The Beast"). But the real shocker was that the unfamiliar part of the route involved a fall and climb the the Tour de France would be proud of. Holy s**t. This was the first run in years where I started to think I would end up walking home. I did survive ... but I was so relieved when I spotted the sign that marks the high point on the final climb. MapMyRun shows the total gain for the run as 700ft ... but I would say this was a hillier run than yesterday.

Monday: 30 mins bike

Tuesday: 7.5 miles

Wednesday: 7 miles w/8*150 strides
The strides were designed to wake up a few fast twitch fibers after a lengthy snooze.

Thursday: 5.5 miles

Very, very easy run just managed to slip this one in before the snow started.

Friday: 60 mins bike.

Temps showed 8F (-12C) with the wind chill -3F(~-20C). Not going out in that let alone running.

Sad news mean I need to fly to Ireland tomorrow so while I still plan to run next week simply to avoid yet another DNS ... I am wrestling a bit with my conscience on this one.

Well, it's been a while ! Life got a bit out of hand.
In short since February I lost my mum, my job, my father's health has collapsed and he's entered a nursing home, and we've spent five months fighting the construction of a three story office block right next to the idyllic future retirement home just bought 18 months ago in what is supposed to be a protected historic district.

Running has continued, and in fact been pretty much the only plus. I focused on shorted distances for a while with one track session per week, and raced a fair bit - basically trying to race myself fit.

Quick summary in date order:
5k: 20.45, 19.44, 19.58(20.02:(), 19.24(short:( - probably 19.4x)
5m: 32.13
10k: 39.54(39.57), 40.03:(
15k: 1:03.13 (state masters - tough course!)
10m: 1:08.36

Pluses:
Not to tempt fate, but I have stayed healthy for the last year. Some of this is that I am aware of the source of my injuries (though dont have a solution) and can "manage" it. Another part is that I am doing much of running on soft surfaces - packed earth.

Nice to finally see sub20 for the 5k and a sub40 for the 10k for the first time in four years (bit disappointed I failed to nail a second consecutive sub 40 last week)

Negatives:
My flat out pace has plateaued. Need to look at new training impetus. But later in the year.

Schedule:
My February marathon was cancelled after a snow storm the night before left the roads unsafe. So I signed up for an August marathon alone the Delaware Canal towpath. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Now, with temps with the 80s with humdity I am wondering what I was thinking. Actually I was hoping to - yet again - get a BQ, and BQ-5 is the limit it my ambition in this race unless we get really lucky with the race. Also I think the packed earth surface costs me 4-5 seconds a mile off my paved road pace.

In October - I am hoping to return to the 18 miler I ran last year - I think I have some unfinished age group business to take care of !

And finally in November - there is NY marathon - another of my "bad luck" races. How seriously I take NY is questionable. It is only 4 weeks after the 18 miler and not a PB course ... so might be cruising this one. In any event it will be a reverse taper approach after the October race.

Current plan:
Basically in the last few weeks I have started to take the core ideas from P&D. Specifically a medium long run (12-16miles) - shorter if hilly - and/or steady state tempo + long run (16-20miles) each week to prep for the August effort. Everything else is easy.
Right now hitting 60+ miles a week.

My heart rate these days seems consistently elevated - RHR = 50 instead of the low 40s I would hope for. Could be just general stress or could be a sign I am pushing too hard. The guys I train with on the week end include a few former college runners who like to push the pace beyond what I am comfortable with.

Yesterdays 18 miler was a worrying struggle ... so I've revived the log here to try to get some perspective ... and feedback. I know I am not training optimally and have too many races on the agenda, but I very seeing this year as building for next year. If I qualify, and the winter cooperates, maybe finally I can break my personal "Boston curse" ?