I'm trying to get back in the groove. I have a tentative 5K on my schedule for June 25. I only ran 9 times in May. That's just not good enough. Yesterday being a Memorial Day made it a little easier because I didn't have to get up as early as normal in order to be have time to run and get ready for work.
I had decided on a tempo run to get back in the swing. I didn't want to follow the prescribed pace of 30-45 seconds slower than my most recent race pace, though. I don't want to just beat my last 5K, I want to crush it. I figure if I want to run a race in the low 8s, I'm going to need to train as if that's my race pace. That may be misguided, but as long as I'm injury free, I don't see how it can hurt. I decided to shoot for around a 9:00 mile average for my tempo run.
Mile 1 was a little slow as it has a long fairly steep uphill section at the very beginning. I do get the benefit of turning around and doing that section in the other direction going downhill though, so it worked out. First mile was done in 9:16. I was able to pick up the pace slightly for mile 2. That section is basically flat. I completed the second mile in 9:01. By the third mile, I was feeling the heat and the fact that I haven't been running as much as I should. My heart rate had been steadily climbing and finally reached the 170s during the third mile. I pushed on, though. I'm not going to get faster by slowing down when I'm a little uncomfortable. I finished mile 3 in 8:55. I had it in my mind that I would be able to slow down a bit after I completed the third mile, but it seems like the faster I go, the faster I want to go, so I just kept pushing it out all the way back to the car, sprinting up the final hill with all I could give it and averaged an 8:37/mile pace over the final .6. Probably not a true tempo run, in that I accelerated through the whole thing instead of maintaining a steady pace. I figure it's beneficial, though, as long as I'm not slowing down.
Today's Stats: I did 3.6 miles in 32:27 for an average pace of 9:00/mile.
Next Up: I'll be doing intervals in the morning. My plan is 10 reps of 2 minutes @ 8:00/mile followed by 1 minute of easy jog sandwiched between a one mile warm up jog and a one mile cool down jog. I may skip the cool down as I have in the past.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Three Miles Wednesday 5/25/11
Seems my mileage has been going backwards lately. I peaked back in April and have been steadily running less and less. I've been skipping several days in a row and just generally not running up to my full potential. I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm trying to push myself a little less physically and hopefull that will bring my mojo back.
Most recently I ran 3.07 miles on Wednesday morning. This was an out the door run instead of driving to the park. Part of the reason for my mileage decrease may have to do with boredom of the same old routes. I'm not sure that's it, though.
Anyway, yesterday I did 3 solid miles. Everything felt good. My body felt rested and ready to run. I decided I only wanted to do 3 miles because I could easily do it in 30 minutes and still be back home in time to water the garden before showering and getting ready for work. My first mile was about average for me at 9:38. I sped up a little for mile 2, finishing it in 9:21. About a quarter of the way into my third mile I decided to see how fast I could make it back home. I leaned forward and let my legs carry me as fast as I thought I could get away with and still make it home. I finished the third mile in 8:10. I was pleased with that, and I'm sure it was my fastest mile ever. That little success has boosted my spirits a little and I'm ready for another run tomorrow. I do want to do a full 4 miles, but I want to take it a little easier.
For motivation, I'm going to plan on running a local 5K on June 25. That's one month from yesterday. I'd like to be able to average somewhere in the low to mid 8's per mile for a 26 minute 5K. If I'm going to do that I've got some work to do.
Today's Stats: I did 3.07 miles in 27:41 for an average pace of 9:01/mile.
Most recently I ran 3.07 miles on Wednesday morning. This was an out the door run instead of driving to the park. Part of the reason for my mileage decrease may have to do with boredom of the same old routes. I'm not sure that's it, though.
Anyway, yesterday I did 3 solid miles. Everything felt good. My body felt rested and ready to run. I decided I only wanted to do 3 miles because I could easily do it in 30 minutes and still be back home in time to water the garden before showering and getting ready for work. My first mile was about average for me at 9:38. I sped up a little for mile 2, finishing it in 9:21. About a quarter of the way into my third mile I decided to see how fast I could make it back home. I leaned forward and let my legs carry me as fast as I thought I could get away with and still make it home. I finished the third mile in 8:10. I was pleased with that, and I'm sure it was my fastest mile ever. That little success has boosted my spirits a little and I'm ready for another run tomorrow. I do want to do a full 4 miles, but I want to take it a little easier.
For motivation, I'm going to plan on running a local 5K on June 25. That's one month from yesterday. I'd like to be able to average somewhere in the low to mid 8's per mile for a 26 minute 5K. If I'm going to do that I've got some work to do.
Today's Stats: I did 3.07 miles in 27:41 for an average pace of 9:01/mile.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Easy four miles: 5/20/11
I did an easy 4 miles this morning. I woke up with a mild headache and not really in the mood to run, but I convinced myself to do it anyway. I had thought I might get in a set of intervals this morning, but decided since I wasn't really feeling 100% I would just take it easy and maintain a nice steady pace and keep my heart rate below 160. I was generally able to do that. My heart rate did pick up over the last quarter mile as I tried to keep up my pace up a fairly steep hill and then tried to finish out the run by accelerating to the 4 mile mark.
I felt good better after my run than I did before. It was nice to be out and I always enjoy my runs, I still have trouble with the motivation to get out of bed at 5:45, though.
Today's stats: I did 4.03 in 39:16 for an average pace of 9:45/mile. Just a nice easy 4 miles.
I felt good better after my run than I did before. It was nice to be out and I always enjoy my runs, I still have trouble with the motivation to get out of bed at 5:45, though.
Today's stats: I did 4.03 in 39:16 for an average pace of 9:45/mile. Just a nice easy 4 miles.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Four miles: 5/18/2011
It's hard to believe it's May with the weather we've had the last few days. It was about 40 degrees out when I started my run this morning. I actually put on a long sleeve shirt. I thought those days were over until October or November.
I decided on a run in the part this morning. It's always beautiful there. I like to run beside the water and enjoy the company of the ducks, geese, and squirrels. I wanted to do 4 miles this morning but didn't have any specific goals in mind. I've significantly shortened my warm up walk the last few runs with seemingly no ill effects. I may start out a little slower to let everything get loosened up, but I've lost the patience necessary to walk for 5 minutes. When I'm pressed for time already, it's hard to throw in those extra minutes. I started out after a very brief walk this morning and ran the uphill stretch into the ball park pretty slowly, but sped up as I reached the top and continued to accelerate from there. I finished the first mile in 9:30 but was at a mid 8s pace by the end of that mile. I leveled my speed out at that point and tried to hold in the mid 8s for the remainder of the 2nd mile, finishing mile 2 in 8:49. I pushed my pace up for the third and fourth miles finishing in 8:32 and 8:36. I really expected mile 4 to be significantly slower than mile 3. I felt like I had slowed down quite a bit after I reached the 3 mile mark.
As you can see I pushed myself this morning, running some of the fastest miles I've ever run. There are a couple of local 5Ks and one 10K in June that I might run in. I'd really like to get another race scheduled so I can have something to shoot for. My pace this morning would have easily beat my most recent 5K and I'm pretty sure I could have pushed myself quite a bit harder, especially if I were only doing 3.1 instead of 4.
The Stats: I did 4.01 miles in 35:32 for an average pace of 8:52/mile. My next goal is an 8 minute mile, and then to string 3 of those together for a sub 25 minute 5K. That could be a little further down the road as I've definitely noticed progress is slowing as I get faster. I've abandoned interval training over the last month but hope to get back to it next week, or maybe even Friday.
I decided on a run in the part this morning. It's always beautiful there. I like to run beside the water and enjoy the company of the ducks, geese, and squirrels. I wanted to do 4 miles this morning but didn't have any specific goals in mind. I've significantly shortened my warm up walk the last few runs with seemingly no ill effects. I may start out a little slower to let everything get loosened up, but I've lost the patience necessary to walk for 5 minutes. When I'm pressed for time already, it's hard to throw in those extra minutes. I started out after a very brief walk this morning and ran the uphill stretch into the ball park pretty slowly, but sped up as I reached the top and continued to accelerate from there. I finished the first mile in 9:30 but was at a mid 8s pace by the end of that mile. I leveled my speed out at that point and tried to hold in the mid 8s for the remainder of the 2nd mile, finishing mile 2 in 8:49. I pushed my pace up for the third and fourth miles finishing in 8:32 and 8:36. I really expected mile 4 to be significantly slower than mile 3. I felt like I had slowed down quite a bit after I reached the 3 mile mark.
As you can see I pushed myself this morning, running some of the fastest miles I've ever run. There are a couple of local 5Ks and one 10K in June that I might run in. I'd really like to get another race scheduled so I can have something to shoot for. My pace this morning would have easily beat my most recent 5K and I'm pretty sure I could have pushed myself quite a bit harder, especially if I were only doing 3.1 instead of 4.
The Stats: I did 4.01 miles in 35:32 for an average pace of 8:52/mile. My next goal is an 8 minute mile, and then to string 3 of those together for a sub 25 minute 5K. That could be a little further down the road as I've definitely noticed progress is slowing as I get faster. I've abandoned interval training over the last month but hope to get back to it next week, or maybe even Friday.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Long Run Sunday: 5/15/11
I went out for a long run Sunday morning. The sun was peaking through the clouds and the air was warm at first but soon the clouds took over and blocked the sun completely. The temperature was perfect for running.
I did the 6 mile loop that I had intended to do on 4/16 when I ended up running 10 miles as a result of getting just a little lost. It's a nice loop through mostly farmland. The only downfall is all the dogs. That's just an unfortunate product of where we live. Thankfully all of the scariest ones were tied up, but it's still disconcerting to hear the vicious barking and snarling, especially when you turn around to see the dog running top speed towards you, only to be stopped in its tracks by a chain, cartoon style.
The run was great. I started out pretty fast at close to a 9 minute mile and had to tell myself to slow down and take it easy after about a half mile of that, knowing I would wear out quickly at that pace. I slowed a little for the next couple of miles, trying to keep a fairly steady pace at around 10:00 per mile. At mile 4 I was still feeling pretty good and knew that I only had 2 miles left so I picked up the pace a little trying to keep it in the lower 9s.
The stats: I don't have my exact stats with me, but I did approximately 6 miles in about 58:30 for an average pace of 9:45/mile.
I did the 6 mile loop that I had intended to do on 4/16 when I ended up running 10 miles as a result of getting just a little lost. It's a nice loop through mostly farmland. The only downfall is all the dogs. That's just an unfortunate product of where we live. Thankfully all of the scariest ones were tied up, but it's still disconcerting to hear the vicious barking and snarling, especially when you turn around to see the dog running top speed towards you, only to be stopped in its tracks by a chain, cartoon style.
The run was great. I started out pretty fast at close to a 9 minute mile and had to tell myself to slow down and take it easy after about a half mile of that, knowing I would wear out quickly at that pace. I slowed a little for the next couple of miles, trying to keep a fairly steady pace at around 10:00 per mile. At mile 4 I was still feeling pretty good and knew that I only had 2 miles left so I picked up the pace a little trying to keep it in the lower 9s.
The stats: I don't have my exact stats with me, but I did approximately 6 miles in about 58:30 for an average pace of 9:45/mile.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Wednesday May 11 and Friday May 13
I only ran twice this week. It felt good to try to get back in the swing after an abnormal couple of weeks. Both runs were pretty similar. Both were in the park. I started out slowly and gradually increased my pace until I felt I was near my limits. It was nice to be back in the park. I really enjoy running there.
Wednesday I did 3.76 miles, today I did 4.01. Wednesday's run seemed a little easier. It started out easy and I was able to really push myself down the stretch. Today was difficult. I started out really slow and it seemed like it took my body a long time to get in the groove.
For the first time in several weeks I'm actually looking forward to my next run. I'd like to try to get a long run in at some point this weekend. Long may only be 6 or 7 miles.
Stats: Wednesday - 3.76 miles in 35:30 for an average pace of 9:26/mile. Today - 4.01 miles in 39:03 for an average pace of 9:44/mile.
Wednesday I did 3.76 miles, today I did 4.01. Wednesday's run seemed a little easier. It started out easy and I was able to really push myself down the stretch. Today was difficult. I started out really slow and it seemed like it took my body a long time to get in the groove.
For the first time in several weeks I'm actually looking forward to my next run. I'd like to try to get a long run in at some point this weekend. Long may only be 6 or 7 miles.
Stats: Wednesday - 3.76 miles in 35:30 for an average pace of 9:26/mile. Today - 4.01 miles in 39:03 for an average pace of 9:44/mile.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Two Week Recap: 4/26-5/7/2011
The last couple of weeks have been abnormal and my running has suffered a bit as a consequence. I had planned to run Wednesday 4/27, and then take Thursday 4/28 and Friday 4/29 off before a 5K on Saturday. To be honest, I don't remember if I ran Wednesday morning or not. I think it was already storming and I decided to put it off a day. Little did I know what the day had in store.
Tornadoes took the lives of many in our area on Wednesday 4/27. The water was out at our house for most of a day and the power was out for about 5 days. These were just minor inconveniences compared to what some experienced and are still experiencing. Trying to go for a run was one of the last things on my mind.
The rest of my family packed up and spent a few days in our hometown waiting for power to be restored to our house. I left after work Friday to join them. I took my shoes with me intending to get in a run while there. Saturday morning (4/30) came and despite the lack of motivation, I strapped on my shoes, watch, and HRM strap and hit the road. I ran around my old stomping grounds - places I played and rode my bike as a kid. It was a pretty good run, but my heart wasn't in it. I managed 3.38 miles in 30:21 for an average pace of 8:59/mile.
I came back home Sunday evening and didn't even think about running Monday morning. I was home alone, and my mind and heart were just not in it, so I skipped it. A similar scenario occurred both Tuesday and Wednesday before I decided I was going to have to force myself to get back on the road Thursday morning. I got up later than I should have, but was determined to run anyway, so instead of driving to the park, which adds about 15 minutes to my morning routine, I just stepped out the front door and took off. There's a water tower near our house and I knew it was somewhere around 1.5 miles away, so I planned to run to it and back, figuring I could do that in less than 30 minutes and still have plenty of time to get ready for work. It was a brisk morning, and I noticed there was frost on my car as I left our driveway. The route to the water tower is a straight shot, but fairly hilly. From my house it starts out pretty flat for the first hundred yards or so, then there's a pretty good downhill stretch and another uphill stretch up to the highway at the end of our road. Soon after crossing the highway the uphill continues for a few hundred feet and then crests. From there, there's about a quarter mile downhill stretch followed by 3/4 of a mile almost all uphill to the water tower. Here's a graph of the route elevation. The water tower/turnaround is right at the peak in the middle. The blue line is my speed in minutes/mile. The spike on the right is where I had to stop at the highway for traffic on my way back. I did 3.1 miles in 37:57 for an average pace of 9:22. I didn't really push myself until the last quarter mile or so when I kicked it up to about 7:30/mile.
Saturday 5/7 I wanted to run a little farther but wasn't in the mood for a really long run, nor did we have the time due to a planned very busy day. I did the same route as above but kept going for another half mile past the water tower to make it a full 4 miles. I took it fairly easy and kept a 9:30 pace until I came to the final hill before our house when I picked up the pace to around 7:30-8:00/mile. I did 4.05 miles in 37:57 for an average of 9:22/mile.
I'm hoping forcing myself to get back in a routine will help me gain some of my motivation back. I had worked pretty hard to get my speed up for the 4/30 5K. Then all that happened with the storms just took the wind out of my sails. I'm not complaining. I'm blessed to have my family and my home safe and all in one piece. I haven't decided yet what my future running goals are going to be. I don't know if I want to schedule another 5K or if I just want to start taking it a little easier and running more for pleasure than for competition with myself. The runs I have really enjoyed are my weekend long runs. I want to try to get a few more of those on my schedule. There's also a half marathon in October that sounds like a blast.
I feel like I'm in running limbo. I enjoy getting out and running, but pushing myself to go faster every time I strap on my shoes is starting to wear on me.
Tornadoes took the lives of many in our area on Wednesday 4/27. The water was out at our house for most of a day and the power was out for about 5 days. These were just minor inconveniences compared to what some experienced and are still experiencing. Trying to go for a run was one of the last things on my mind.
The rest of my family packed up and spent a few days in our hometown waiting for power to be restored to our house. I left after work Friday to join them. I took my shoes with me intending to get in a run while there. Saturday morning (4/30) came and despite the lack of motivation, I strapped on my shoes, watch, and HRM strap and hit the road. I ran around my old stomping grounds - places I played and rode my bike as a kid. It was a pretty good run, but my heart wasn't in it. I managed 3.38 miles in 30:21 for an average pace of 8:59/mile.
I came back home Sunday evening and didn't even think about running Monday morning. I was home alone, and my mind and heart were just not in it, so I skipped it. A similar scenario occurred both Tuesday and Wednesday before I decided I was going to have to force myself to get back on the road Thursday morning. I got up later than I should have, but was determined to run anyway, so instead of driving to the park, which adds about 15 minutes to my morning routine, I just stepped out the front door and took off. There's a water tower near our house and I knew it was somewhere around 1.5 miles away, so I planned to run to it and back, figuring I could do that in less than 30 minutes and still have plenty of time to get ready for work. It was a brisk morning, and I noticed there was frost on my car as I left our driveway. The route to the water tower is a straight shot, but fairly hilly. From my house it starts out pretty flat for the first hundred yards or so, then there's a pretty good downhill stretch and another uphill stretch up to the highway at the end of our road. Soon after crossing the highway the uphill continues for a few hundred feet and then crests. From there, there's about a quarter mile downhill stretch followed by 3/4 of a mile almost all uphill to the water tower. Here's a graph of the route elevation. The water tower/turnaround is right at the peak in the middle. The blue line is my speed in minutes/mile. The spike on the right is where I had to stop at the highway for traffic on my way back. I did 3.1 miles in 37:57 for an average pace of 9:22. I didn't really push myself until the last quarter mile or so when I kicked it up to about 7:30/mile.
Saturday 5/7 I wanted to run a little farther but wasn't in the mood for a really long run, nor did we have the time due to a planned very busy day. I did the same route as above but kept going for another half mile past the water tower to make it a full 4 miles. I took it fairly easy and kept a 9:30 pace until I came to the final hill before our house when I picked up the pace to around 7:30-8:00/mile. I did 4.05 miles in 37:57 for an average of 9:22/mile.
I'm hoping forcing myself to get back in a routine will help me gain some of my motivation back. I had worked pretty hard to get my speed up for the 4/30 5K. Then all that happened with the storms just took the wind out of my sails. I'm not complaining. I'm blessed to have my family and my home safe and all in one piece. I haven't decided yet what my future running goals are going to be. I don't know if I want to schedule another 5K or if I just want to start taking it a little easier and running more for pleasure than for competition with myself. The runs I have really enjoyed are my weekend long runs. I want to try to get a few more of those on my schedule. There's also a half marathon in October that sounds like a blast.
I feel like I'm in running limbo. I enjoy getting out and running, but pushing myself to go faster every time I strap on my shoes is starting to wear on me.
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