Week 5 Training Update

I had a good week on the road. All combined I ran 35.9 miles in the 5 days of training. I also had one day of speed work.

I have had one struggle point with my training that I mentioned in an earlier blog. My average per mile pace has just been too fast. Any runs outside of speed work or Tempo runs have a purpose. They are to be EASY runs and are at a pace that provides maximum value for aerobic conditioning. If the line is crossed your muscles are unable to recover from the speedwork or they won't be "rested" for the upcoming speed session. So, last week I adjust accordingly and slowed it down. For the week I averaged 8:30 /mi for a goal pace of 8:34 /mi.

For my speed day I did 4 x 1/2 mi intervals. I opted to run these on the road during a regular 6 mile route. I ran little over a mile warm up then started into the intervals. Between each 1/2 mile interval was 1/4 mile jog. My times were 3:17; 3:13; 3:06; 3:11. My goal times was 3:12.. So I danced all around it pretty good. I OK with those times.

I say all this, for one reason. I spent some time this weekend looking at some training paces that I was running in 2007 (a very good race year for me). What I saw in the training log was clear.. I was training on non speedwork days entirely too fast. I paid the price of being off my running feet for most all of 2008. I don't want to make that mistake again.

FORE!! A break in training..

Well, I had a abbreviated training week last week. No long run on Saturday. I got some exercise though.. I went on a golfing weekend with some men from my Sunday School class. The fellowship was great but considering my limited amount of playing time, my golf game is bad. So what can I learn from this? Pretty much the same as I learn from my running. Here are some thoughts:

• If you don't practice (train) you will never be good.
• It takes lots of practice to meet your potential.
• Golf is as frustrating as running is therapeutic.
• Golfers talk about fairways and long drives the way that runners talk about races courses and long runs.
• You don't have to be in good physical condition to play 18 holes of golf.
• You do have to be in good physical condition to run a 10k.
• Golf courses sure are pretty.
• Golf course can be a GREAT place for a run.
  

One thing about this past weekend was the weather was perfect. I actually got goose bumps one morning! Goose bumps in July!!! No way!!

Hope your training is going good.. have a goal .. have a plan .. work the plan .. and run.

Wk 2 of 10K Training

I think my training is going good for just two weeks into the plan. I have started my weekly speed training that is mainly in the form of Tempo and 1/2 mile intervals.

I struggle with one thing. I am supposed to run all my training runs during this segment of my training plan at 8:34 /mi. Well, I am running more in the area of 8:15 - 8:20 and sometimes on flat parts of the run it gets more like 8:00 and below.. I know this can come back to haunt me in the form of overtraining injuries.. so I really have to get my mind into the right pace.

Oh yeah.. BTW: I sent in my first entry into theextramile podcast.. I hope that Kevin will be able to use it and post it on the podcast..

A HOT 10K and I don't mean the pace!

Well.. I have been shamed into entering my story about what a couple of us are calling the Clanton, Fuzzy Peach Butt 10k. So I write...

This summer has been pretty hot, but I don't guess any different than the past few years. It just seems to be hotter sooner. But even so the race must go on.
I have become acquainted with a couple of fellow Alabama runners by way of a podcast, a blogspot and tweeter. And as a way to meet in person we all decided to meet in Clanton for a 10k beatdown/showdown.
The two other parties in the meeting of the bama boys are Gordon of runtodisney.com fame, and Mark of bamarunner.blogspot.com. Both of these gentlemen are true lovers of this fanatic habit of running. You can catch both of their links from this blogspot homepage.. I will let them tell there own story. Both are well worth following.

OK.. back to the race... as I state in my previous blogs I am not really in racing shape, but I really wanted to meet with Mark and Gordon. So off to Clanton I went. In addition, James, my Saturday long run partner also come to run the streets. James had a bad week with his back but decided like a lot of us that the entry was paid so might as well run and see what happens. Well.. he won his age class.. we think he was sandbagging! haha!

The morning of the race was hot and humid and you just have to deal with it cause you can't control it.. but man, it can sure make you suffer. Mark and Gordon arrived at the race site in time for us all to ride over the course. We did that and within a few minutes it was race time. I would say there were about 50 runners that included 5 and 10K racers.

The starter gave some instructions that only those on the first row could here and then we were off. The first mile is mostly down a long gradual grade. It gave a false feeling that you could run this pace the whole way. However, the third mile was back up most of that same grade... Things were going alright until about the 3.5 mark then the heat just overcame my ability to keep up the pace. From that point of I just started a run/walk knowing that it would be better for me rather than suffer.

I finished with a time under 48 min and with the knowledge that I have run the same course in less than 42 min... oh well, I'm not down on myself because I know that this year holds in it the potential formy best training and my fastest race times since I got back into running. I'm really not proud of the race, but am SO glad I went and met these two super individuals. It made it all worthwhile.

Hopefully everytime you lace up your shoes.. everytime you run you appointed training run.... you realize that you are truely blessed to be able to take part in this activity of life and you will respect the act of running.