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May 29, 2010
I did my 10 hour shift last night (4:00 pm to 2:00 am) and crawled into bed just before 3:00 am. I set the clock for 5:30 thinking I would fall into a deep sleep. Well, that didn’t happen. I did manage to doze off and on, but the 3 hours of bed time I did get was very restless. I got up at 5:30 and downed a couple cups of coffee, devoured a banana, grabbed a Gator and was off to the race by 6:15. This was a local race so didn’t have far to go. Once there I picked up my bib# and chip then went back to the car to finish getting ready.
It’s a small race, only the second year and the number of participants was small, but was pretty well organized and looks like it could grow. They had a 5k, 10k and 15k with the 5k having the most runners, probably 150 or so. The 10k had only 49 runners and the 15k had about the same as the 10k.
The 15k went first and about 10 minutes later the 5k and 10k started. It was a nice course, pretty flat with only a few short inclines that ran through three parks and along the river with very little street running.
I really wasn’t expecting to do well considering being on my feet for 10 hours then only 3 hours of restless sleep and had pretty much written it off as a loss before I even started. I felt like a complete zombie waiting for the race to start and when it finally did I struggled to get going and for the first three miles I felt like total crap, but my pace was looking pretty decent and faster than expected, but I was really thinking about backing off the pace because I just felt so fatigued and I just wanted to lie down and go to sleep.
I went through the 4th mile thinking I had actually slowed down because it felt like the pace was beginning to feel a little more manageable, but when I looked at good ole Garmin it showed I was still running the same pace as the first 3 miles so I thought what the heck, no reason to start slowing down now so decided to hang in there and try to keep an even pace for the last 2.2 miles. The last 2.2 mile went as planned and I ran the most even paced 10k ever and the fastest in the last 3 years. My Garmin time was 53:16 and the official time was 53:18.6! Not a PR by a long shot (49:22) in my previous age division, but a PR for my new age division (60 to 64). My previous PR for this division was 53:35 set 2 years ago. I felt really bad for this race so if I’m well rested for the next 10k this PR should fall pretty quick!
Here are some stats:
Placed 14th overall out of 49 runners.
Took 1st place for my division. I had only one other runner to beat in my division and had no problem there. Didn’t know it at the time, but having only two of us in the 60 to 64 division guaranteed me a first or second place, lol!
Distance according to Garmin was 6.23, pretty darn close.
Finish time according to Garmin was 53:16
Official time was 53:18.6
Splits according to Garmin:
Mile 1, 8:37
Mile 2, 8:32
Mile 3, 8:37
Mile 4, 8:31
Mile 5, 8:32
Mile 6, 8:30
Mile .2, 8:21
So, I fussed, stewed and worried about this race and not wanting to go into it feeling the way I did, but turned out to be a really good race and am totally satisfied with the time. It shows me I’m getting some of my speed back after all the set backs from injuries and that I’m fit enough to get a decent time when already fatigued and it gives me the confidence to do a faster time when well rested.
After the race I came home and did another 5.8 sloooow miles to round at 12 miles and top the week off at 40 miles. Tomorrow is a total rest day, mostly sleep.
Monday I have 10 miles scheduled, but haven’t decided what I’ll do Tuesday through Friday yet, but it won’t amount to much because I have the Sunburst pikermi to do in South bend IN on Saturday. I have to work that Friday too, but I learned that I may be able to get off early that day. I sure hope so because even though I did okay in this race I really don’t want to do a second race a week later in the same condition I was in this morning and this being 13.1 miles would make it much harder to go the distance and also it just sets me up for injury. I DO NOT want that to happen.
Have a great Memorial Day weekend and never forget what it’s all about!
Enjoy every step!
Al
May 27, 2010
I work in a gear factory where I run two CNC mills and am constantly on my feet and always on the move. I work a 10 hour shift from 3:00 pm to 1:00 am Monday through Thursday then have a three day weekend IF I don’t have to work overtime which I normally don’t and makes it perfect for race weekends. Well, I found out last night I am scheduled to work 10 hours this Friday night and to make matters worse I’m scheduled to work from 4:00 pm to 2:00 am! It’s a half hour drive so that means it will be about 3:00 am before I hit the sack then back up and on the road to race start by at least 6:15, ugh!
I guess I’ll try to sleep in late as possible Friday then depending on how I feel I may just stay up all night. Oh well, nothing I can do about it and will just have to make adjustments where needed so I can arrive at the race awake. I have a half to do a week from this Saturday (June 5) and found out I will have to work that Friday too so have two tired races coming up. The 10k won’t be so bad, but a half running on fumes is not fun!
This morning I did 6 miles and took it slow and easy for some recovery and tomorrow I’ll do 3 more easy miles before I go to work.
Enjoy every step!
Al
May 26. 2010
Well, I don’t know about tasty cause the bug that flew into my mouth made a bee-line for the back of my throat and stuck there. Tried to hack him back up, but he wasn’t budging so nothing left to do but swallow!
Today I did a short fartlek. Fartleks are nice for speed work when you don’t want to be tied down to a structured routine. This morning wasn’t really an all out speed workout, more of a moderate paced run with some hard, but not all out bursts on flat ground. I chose to do 6 x 30″ fast repeats with varied rest intervals long enough to ensure I would be ready for the next. Average pace for the repeats ended up being 7:23. I did these in the middle of a 5 mile run.
Nice run and a good way to work up to more speed work with longer repeats later on.
Yesterday was a 6 mile easy run.
Still no break in the weather. This mornings temp was 70 and the humidity was 94% and dew point was 68 at 8:30 AM. There is suppose to be a slight improvement for the weekend for the temp, but my biggest hope is that the humidity goes down. I can handle the higher temps a whole lot better than the humidity, but it’s also a matter of getting acclimated.
I have a local10k to run on Saturday so a break in the humidity will sure be a welcome sight. Not planning to race this one, but want to use it for a tempo run, although if everything feels right and the weather cooperates maybe it will turn into a race!
Enjoy every step!
Al
May 24, 2010
That’s an exaggeration, but that’s the way it felt when I was out for my run this morning. Was out just after 7:30 and the temp was already at 70 deg’s and the humidity was 94% with a dew point of 67 and it felt very stuffy. Took 20 oz of water with me and was wishing I had taken more.
My workout for this morning was what I call a foundation run that consist of a moderate and steady pace for however many miles I have scheduled and today was 8 miles. My average pace was 9:30 which is usually feels relatively comfortable, but the effort felt a little harder this time because of the humidity.
All in all, It went well except for the humidity and that is just a matter of getting acclimated. I also did 5 10″ hill sprints on a steep hill after the run was complete.
Tomorrow is a 6 mile easy run.
Hope everyone has a great day!
Enjoy every step,
Al
May 23, 2010
While many have finished or just finishing their marathon training for the spring race season, I’m just getting started for my fall marathon in Chicago. I have been anxiously awaiting for the official start which I had set for May 24th months ago. I had to skip training for a spring marathon because of a severe case of Plantar Fasciitis that plagued me from just before last years Chicago marathon and on into February of this year. I haven’t ran a race since November (5k Turkey Trot) and that race really worsened the Plantar Fasciitis.
That’s all behind me now and the last few months I have been feeling great with no injuries slowing me down as in the past 3 years. I haven’t done any serious training other than having the goal to maintain fitness and keeping a good solid base of 35 to 40 miles with lots of hill work, tempo runs, long runs of 11 to 15 miles on the weekends and strength training with weights. Very little speed work, but doing strides and occasional fartleks @ 5k to 3k pace. Also do hill sprints once a week.
So, I’m in pretty good shape going into training and will start at the bottom and work my way up and hope to be in BQ or at least PR shape by October 10!
My blogging has really suffered, but I’ve been so darned busy and that coupled with nothing to blog about has made it very difficult to post anything. Hopefully that will change. I won’t be any less busy, but will at least have some training goals to share and will try to at least blog a few times a week on how the training is going for those who may be interested.
I do have a 10k race coming up on the 29th of May that I will use as a tempo run then on June 5 I have a Pikermi that I want to use to gage where I’m at pace wise. Much better than doing a time on my own and much more fun!
That’s it for now and thanks for reading.
Enjoy every step,
Al
April 3, 2010
After Mondays tempo on the TM that put me down for the count I was a bit worried about how the rest of the week would go. So, I took it reasonably easy for the next few runs. Tuesday I did 6 mile at a moderate pace then Wednesday and Thursday I did 3 mile at an easy pace with some hill sprints on the TM at the end of Thursday’s 3 miles. Was still feeling sluggish after Thursday’s run so did Fridays 6 miles totally by effort that felt comfortable so I wouldn’t jeopardize my 13 MLR I had planned on Saturday. Fridays run went well and had an avg pace of 9:53 which was better than expected because it felt slower than that.
This morning when I got up I was feeling rested and ready for a run. The temp was in the low 50’s and cloudy with a light breeze, perfect for a 13 miler. Rain was in the forecast so wanted to get out and finish before the rain moved in and it worked out just right because about 5 min after I finished the rain started.
Here are some previous, during and post run stats from today:
- Blood pressure upon rising: 112/60
- Resting Heart Rate: 44
- Weight before run: 142
- Weight after run: 140
- Pre-run Intake: Coffee, 1 banana, 1 graham cracker w/PB & whipped honey and about 8 oz Gator.
- During run: Nothing
- Post run: Smoothie
- Mile 1 thru 13 pace:
- 9:47
- 9:55
- 9:48
- 9:56, starting to feel a bit sluggish and intended to do a 10:00 or slower pace so decided to back off a little.
- 10:03
- 10:04
- 10:03
- 10:05, was feeling much better by now so decide to push it for the last 5 mile.
- 9:54
- 9:59
- 9:47
- 9:36 still feeling strong and not ready to slow down so picked it up a little more.
- 9:30 nice strong finish and feeling great.
- Average pace for the run: 9:53
- Average HR: 145
- Max HR: 164
I missed judged the distance on my Garmin and finished about a 1/4 mile from the house so enjoyed a nice walk with a couple of fast strides to round things out.
So, I ended the week with a nice MLR that went much better than expected. Next week is a cut back week that I do every 4 weeks to get some extra recovery. I like to cut back by 75% of my max mileage which was 35 this week so I’ll be doing 26 next week and will also reduce length of hard days, but keep most of the intensity.
I have been running COMPLETELY pain free since the middle of February and it feels so good to run without an injury nagging me! I haven’t felt this good since the injuries started back in 2007. Things have not went well since then until now. 2006 was my best running year for PR’s at all distances and maybe this will be another 2006 only better! I sure hope so!
All systems are a go for starting marathon training in May for the Chicago marathon and I’ll have a good solid base to start with.
Happy Easter Everyone and Enjoy Every Step,
Al
March 25, 2010
I have not run a tempo since last summers marathon training and as the next marathon training go around approaches I thought it would be a good idea to start incorporating some short tempos to get prepared for the longer tempos that will be coming up. I like to start out with 1 mile tempo repeats with 1/4 mile jog intervals and build up to a continuous run by slowly increasing the repeats and reducing the rest intervals. Last year I was up to 4 mile tempos and wanted to get to at least 8 mile tempos, but was never able to get past 4 miles of continuous running before having to quit. Hopefully this year will be different.
This morning I wanted to do 4 miles with a 1 mile warm up then 2×1 mile @ 1/2 marathon pace (8:49/8:37) with 1/4 mile jog between then the balance of the 4 mile as cool down. I ended up with 8:29 the first mile and 8:32 the second mile. I didn’t look at my Garmin till the last 1/4 mile of each repeat so I could get a feel of the pace by effort. I knew the effort was feeling a bit tougher than what a tempo should be especially during the second mile, but am pleased that I was able to hold the pace even though it was faster than intended. This tells me I shouldn’t have too much trouble holding the correct tempo pace. Last year I struggled to hold an 8:49/8:37 pace for a tempo no matter the length, so things are looking up!
Enjoy Every Step!
Al
March 15, 2010
I don’t do well on Monday mornings with facing another work week on second shift. After working a 1st shift for over 30 years getting adjusted to working from 3pm to 1am just isn’t gettin it. I don’t get to bed untill 2am at the earliest then I’m awake by 7am and usually roll out of bed by 8 so 5 to 6 hours of sleep is about all I get through the weekdays. Fortunately I have running to turn to and even though the ole body isn’t wanting to get out and go on Monday morning I know in my head I’ll feel a whole lot better after a good run and will be ready to face the day with a good attitude.
This morning I did 5 miles at a moderately comfortable pace with an avg of 9:31 and the last mile was 9:08. Do I feel better? You bet! There may be an occasional Monday morning run that might not go so well and not do a lot for my mood, but most of the time I can depend on it.
Over the weekend I went to my local running store and bought two new pair of shoes. No, I didn’t replace my Frees that have 529 miles on them that I mentioned in my last post. Shoot, I can probably get another 100 out of them yet. What I did do was replace my regular trainers that I use for marathons. I always buy the Nike Air Zoom Elite, but unfortunately they have been discontinued so I bought a pair of Lunars which are suppose to be similar to the Air Zoom. I tried them out on the TM and they felt great. I also bought a pair of Brooks Green Silence racing flat. I used to buy the Mizuno Wave Revolver racing flat, but the last time I purchased them it took about two months to get then in so thought I would try these. Had to order both pair bc they didn’t have my size and they are suppose to be in sometime this week. Any feed back on either shoe wll be appreciated.
Enjoy every step!
March 6, 2010
This mornings 10 miler was run under a beautiful blue sky and it was awesome! Another painless run, paces felt comfortable and the weather was perfect, calm and in the 30’s. Other than struggling with a head cold, the past weeks runs were unhindered and reached my goal miles of 30 for the week with today’s 10 miler.
Tomorrow is a rest day and my beautiful daughter will be here from Tennessee for a 5 or 6 day visit so the mileage for next week will be a little shorter so I can spend some quality time with her. My son also lives in Tennessee near Nashville (Antioch) and not able to see them nearly enough. My daughter lives in Decherd.
Here are some stats from today:
- Resting heart rate: 45
- Pre run weight: 146
- Post run weight: 143 (no carbs or fluids)
- 8:00 am breakfast: Coffee, Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats w/raisins, br sugar and plain soy. Yum!
- Start time: 9:42 am
- Total run time: 1:37:15
- Overall pace: 9:43
- Average heart rate:149
- Max heart rate: 166 (last mile)
- Slowest mile: 9:58 (first mile)
- Fastest mile: 9:34 (mile 4)
- Last mile: 9:38
- 45 minutes post run: Fruit smoothie. Um, Um Good!
Now on to the good stuff. Yesterday I commented on ShirleyKo7’s blog and she said that if she wasn’t able to get into NYC, then she would target Chi town again and said if we both cross the finish line uninjured she would give me a “big ole kiss!” I let her know that would be better than a BQ! So, I’m holding her to it! I was really hoping she would get to run NYC, but darn, a possible big ole kiss from Shirley kinda changes things…
Enjoy every step!
March 5, 2010
…and better! Right now I’m comfortably running paces that I was running when I was at the top of my form in 2006 and early 2007 before all the injuries set me back. I haven’t been able to run and hold a decent pace since. The distances at the same pace that I was doing back then are not nearly as long, but the fact I can do a short run of up to 9 miles at the same pace I was doing then is very encouraging. Did a 5 miler this morning at an average pace of 9:32 and wasn’t even really trying. The legs were getting a little fatigued in the last mile, but that was do to a hard fartlek run yesterday and been battling a head cold all week along with short 5 to 6 hr nights of sleep due to work.
All I’m doing right now is maintenance base training with hill repeats on the TM one day a week and a fartlek run once a week along with some strides during an easy run. Total overall mileage for this week will be 30 miles after tomorrows 10 miler. Nothing spetacular about the training just enough to stay fit, but the improvement I’m seeing in so little training in such a short period of time since the plantar fasciitis went away (am running completely pain free right now which is another huge plus) has me really excited. Will this be the year of more PR’s and the ever eluding BQ. God only knows, but for now it’s time to focus on the here and now.
I will continue with the low weekly miles (30 to 35 a week with long runs of up to 15 or 16 ) and TM hills and farklet runs with an occasional tempo and also weights once or twice a week until I start marathon training in May. Will also do some local 5 and 10k’s and a half marathon, mini, half full, half empty, pikermi or whatever the heck you want to call it between now and then.
Have a great weekend everybody and enjoy every step!
Al
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