It was an intervals day. I decided to go ahead and increase my interval time. I bumped it up to 2:30 from 2 even for the fast portion and 1:15 from 1 even for the rest, effectively increasing the time by 25%. My goal was to keep my pacing the same as I had been at when I was only doing 2:00 fast and 1:00 rest. I did pretty well, but I quit before I finished the work out. My heart rate climbed into the 180s and I was starting to feel a little light headed, so I threw in the towel a little earlier than I had planned, but hey - nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Looking back, I wish I had pushed through the exhaustion and finished up the workout. I was in the middle of the next to last rep when I got to the car, and I just decided I had done enough. I'm sure I could have finished rep # 9 and then done one more. I'll resolve to do better next time.
The weather is still humid, but not too terribly hot if I get out before the sun gets much higher than the trees.
Today's Stats: I did 4.11 miles in 35:54 for an average pace of 8:44/mile.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tempo Run: 7/26/11
I skipped a few days running. Partially due to scheduling conflicts and partially due to sore legs. I don't know if I pushed myself too hard last Friday or if my shoes need replacing but I has some strange soreness over the weekend. Specifically, my left knee was problematic. I just had a dull ache for a good part of the day. It's possible that I twisted it slightly while working in the garden Saturday morning. It felt better Sunday and Monday and I had no pain today, so I'm thinking I'm okay.
Today's run was planned to be a tempo run. It turned out to be a pretty good run. I started out a little slow for the first half mile. I used the first half mile or so as a warm up and it was mostly uphill so my pace suffered a bit. From there on I planned to keep it in the 9:00/mile range, pushing faster if I could. I did well. First mile was 9:22, 2nd was 8:47, 3rd was 8:57, 4th was 8:49, and the final .35 mile was 8:27/mile. I was breathing pretty hard. I forgot my HR strap so I have no idea what my pulse was. I'm sure I was over 180 by the end of the run. I pushed myself pretty hard, but that's what I enjoy most about running. I like pushing my limits because I know that's what makes me stronger.
I'm going to start trying to increase my mileage over the next few weeks til I'm up to 5 miles twice a week and then a long run of 7-10 miles during the weekend. I don't want my pace to suffer, though, and I expect it to be a challenge to add another mile to my runs while maintaining the same 9:00/mile pace. I added .35 today without a problem. For my intervals, I plan to lengthen the duration of the intervals rather than adding additional intervals.
Today's Stats: I did 4.35 miles in 38:55 for an average pace of 8:57/mile. I'm consistently able to run 4 miles or more at a sub 9:00/mile pace. My next goal is to get my distance up to 5 miles and my per mile pace down to 8 minutes.
Today's run was planned to be a tempo run. It turned out to be a pretty good run. I started out a little slow for the first half mile. I used the first half mile or so as a warm up and it was mostly uphill so my pace suffered a bit. From there on I planned to keep it in the 9:00/mile range, pushing faster if I could. I did well. First mile was 9:22, 2nd was 8:47, 3rd was 8:57, 4th was 8:49, and the final .35 mile was 8:27/mile. I was breathing pretty hard. I forgot my HR strap so I have no idea what my pulse was. I'm sure I was over 180 by the end of the run. I pushed myself pretty hard, but that's what I enjoy most about running. I like pushing my limits because I know that's what makes me stronger.
I'm going to start trying to increase my mileage over the next few weeks til I'm up to 5 miles twice a week and then a long run of 7-10 miles during the weekend. I don't want my pace to suffer, though, and I expect it to be a challenge to add another mile to my runs while maintaining the same 9:00/mile pace. I added .35 today without a problem. For my intervals, I plan to lengthen the duration of the intervals rather than adding additional intervals.
Today's Stats: I did 4.35 miles in 38:55 for an average pace of 8:57/mile. I'm consistently able to run 4 miles or more at a sub 9:00/mile pace. My next goal is to get my distance up to 5 miles and my per mile pace down to 8 minutes.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Intervals: 07/22/2011
Intervals this morning seemed easier than last week. I'm not sure why. I averaged a faster time over the course of the whole workout, mostly because my rest portions weren't nearly as slow as last week. That's not to say it was easy. I was pretty worn out by the end of the run. It was very humid again.
Today's Stats: I did 4.09 miles in 36:50 for an average pace of 9:00/mile.
Today's Stats: I did 4.09 miles in 36:50 for an average pace of 9:00/mile.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tempo Run: 7/20/11
I was less than motivated to run today. My running honeymoon is over, I'm afraid. The new has worn off. I'm looking for new challenges to keep me motivated. I have an 8K planned soon, and then a possible half marathon in October. I haven't really trained in earnest for either, though I'm regularly running 4 miles, so I don't think an extra mile for the 8k is going to make that much difference. I've run 7 miles as recently as Sunday morning, so I don't think it's going to be a problem. I'll probably try to stay with L for the half marathon, which means I won't be running the whole thing. I'm sure it will be a breeze. After that, I might try to start training to run a half, and then maybe a full. I don't know. I just don't know that I'm that into it. I enjoy 5Ks and think I would be satisfied with increasing my participation in those to about 1 a month.
It was hot and humid this morning. Like I said, I didn't really want to run but I got up and did it anyway. I knew I wasn't going to do intervals this morning. My legs are still a little achy from last week. I think it's time for some new shoes. On top of that, I just didn't feel like pushing myself that hard. I decided on 4 miles, trying to come as close to 9:00 miles as possible. With the exception of a fairly slow first mile at 9:20 I did great for the rest of the run. Mile 2 was 9:00, mile 3 was 8:58, and mile 4 was 8:58. My pacing is getting much better. The first mile was slow because I didn't really take any time to warm up before the run. It wasn't a bad run, and I was glad I got out to do it. My chest was burning after running up the last hill. I parked next door in the ball park at the top of the Big Hill, so the last mile included two pretty challenging hills. I still pushed out the final bit though and kept my pace at about 9:00/mile. I might start parking there. I think the challenge at the end of the run is good for my endurance.
Today's Stats: I did 4 miles in 36:21 for an average pace of 9:20/mile. Slower than last Friday, but more in line with what a tempo run should be.
It was hot and humid this morning. Like I said, I didn't really want to run but I got up and did it anyway. I knew I wasn't going to do intervals this morning. My legs are still a little achy from last week. I think it's time for some new shoes. On top of that, I just didn't feel like pushing myself that hard. I decided on 4 miles, trying to come as close to 9:00 miles as possible. With the exception of a fairly slow first mile at 9:20 I did great for the rest of the run. Mile 2 was 9:00, mile 3 was 8:58, and mile 4 was 8:58. My pacing is getting much better. The first mile was slow because I didn't really take any time to warm up before the run. It wasn't a bad run, and I was glad I got out to do it. My chest was burning after running up the last hill. I parked next door in the ball park at the top of the Big Hill, so the last mile included two pretty challenging hills. I still pushed out the final bit though and kept my pace at about 9:00/mile. I might start parking there. I think the challenge at the end of the run is good for my endurance.
Today's Stats: I did 4 miles in 36:21 for an average pace of 9:20/mile. Slower than last Friday, but more in line with what a tempo run should be.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Long Run Sunday: 7/18/11
I set out Sunday morning for a 7 mile run while the weather was not quite blazing hot. It was actually quite pleasant as I started out. The sun hadn't been up long and the air still had an almost cool feel to it.
As I started out, I had two options. I had a 5 mile route and a 7 mile option. My decision point was at mile 3. At that point I could make a turn toward home, which would be about 2 miles away, or continue my loop which stretched the route home 4 miles. A good portion of the first 3 miles were uphill. I knew this going in. I also knew that if I made it to the 3 mile mark and was feeling pretty good, the next 2.5 or so were almost all down hill. The first 3 miles did feel good, and though I had a slight urge to make the turn to home I kept going. I needed a good long run. I did the whole 7 miles at a pretty easy pace. My thought as I left the house was that I would like to keep the pace around 10:00/mile. I quickly realized that the humidity was going to keep me from achieving that pace, so I slowed to a comfortable jog and just maintained that. I was faster on the steeper downhill stretches and slower on the steeper uphill stretches, but I managed to stay just a little faster than 11:00/mile on average.
It was good to get in a long run and not have to stop and walk. My last two attempts at long runs turned into alternating walking and running. I think most of that is due to the heat and humidity. Sunday morning was a short-lived, but pleasant break from the heat, if not the humidity.
Today's Stats: I did 7.05 miles in 01:16:38 for an average pace of 10:52 per mile.
As I started out, I had two options. I had a 5 mile route and a 7 mile option. My decision point was at mile 3. At that point I could make a turn toward home, which would be about 2 miles away, or continue my loop which stretched the route home 4 miles. A good portion of the first 3 miles were uphill. I knew this going in. I also knew that if I made it to the 3 mile mark and was feeling pretty good, the next 2.5 or so were almost all down hill. The first 3 miles did feel good, and though I had a slight urge to make the turn to home I kept going. I needed a good long run. I did the whole 7 miles at a pretty easy pace. My thought as I left the house was that I would like to keep the pace around 10:00/mile. I quickly realized that the humidity was going to keep me from achieving that pace, so I slowed to a comfortable jog and just maintained that. I was faster on the steeper downhill stretches and slower on the steeper uphill stretches, but I managed to stay just a little faster than 11:00/mile on average.
It was good to get in a long run and not have to stop and walk. My last two attempts at long runs turned into alternating walking and running. I think most of that is due to the heat and humidity. Sunday morning was a short-lived, but pleasant break from the heat, if not the humidity.
Today's Stats: I did 7.05 miles in 01:16:38 for an average pace of 10:52 per mile.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Tempo Run: 07/15/2011
I set out today to do a tempo run. It turned into a see how fast I can run. I decided to skip the drive to the park and just head out the front door this morning. I like this less and less as I do it more, mostly because of some troublesome dogs that live along me preferred running routes but also because I just like running beside the water at the lake.
I headed out the door with the intention of maintaining about a 9:00/mile pace and I did well for the first mile, finishing it in right at 9 minutes. I sped up just a bit for the next two miles, averaging 8:46/mile for each of those. As I started mile 4 I was on a long slightly downhill stretch, so I let my momentum carry me at a faster pace, probably averaging around 8:15/mile. I wasn't really thinking about my pace at this point, but I did happen to look at my watch and noticed I was at and average pace of 8:15 for the last mile still with about 2/3 of a mile to go. I wanted to push to see if I could do the last mile in less than 8 minutes. I knew it was going to be hard with the final 1/3 of a mile being uphill all the way to my house. From there I pushed the pace up as fast as I thought I could and still be able to finish the run. I took advantage of a short downhill stretch, letting gravity pull me along as much as possible. When I hit the final hill before the house, I just let it all out. I wasn't at an all out sprint, but I was pushing pretty hard to climb the hill as fast as possible. By the time I hit the driveway I was running at about 6:20/mile and breathing very hard. I didn't leave much, if anything, in reserve this morning, finishing the last mile in 7:53.
I was pleased with today's run. I thought I had maybe hit my limit because I've not seen much improvement over the last few weeks but I did 4 miles today averaging a better pace per mile by a full 9 seconds than my best 5K. I know I can push myself harder, now. If I work at it, I'm hoping I can pull off a sub-25 minute 5K before the end of the year.
Today's Stats: I did 4.01 miles in 34:29 for an average pace of 8:36.
I headed out the door with the intention of maintaining about a 9:00/mile pace and I did well for the first mile, finishing it in right at 9 minutes. I sped up just a bit for the next two miles, averaging 8:46/mile for each of those. As I started mile 4 I was on a long slightly downhill stretch, so I let my momentum carry me at a faster pace, probably averaging around 8:15/mile. I wasn't really thinking about my pace at this point, but I did happen to look at my watch and noticed I was at and average pace of 8:15 for the last mile still with about 2/3 of a mile to go. I wanted to push to see if I could do the last mile in less than 8 minutes. I knew it was going to be hard with the final 1/3 of a mile being uphill all the way to my house. From there I pushed the pace up as fast as I thought I could and still be able to finish the run. I took advantage of a short downhill stretch, letting gravity pull me along as much as possible. When I hit the final hill before the house, I just let it all out. I wasn't at an all out sprint, but I was pushing pretty hard to climb the hill as fast as possible. By the time I hit the driveway I was running at about 6:20/mile and breathing very hard. I didn't leave much, if anything, in reserve this morning, finishing the last mile in 7:53.
I was pleased with today's run. I thought I had maybe hit my limit because I've not seen much improvement over the last few weeks but I did 4 miles today averaging a better pace per mile by a full 9 seconds than my best 5K. I know I can push myself harder, now. If I work at it, I'm hoping I can pull off a sub-25 minute 5K before the end of the year.
Today's Stats: I did 4.01 miles in 34:29 for an average pace of 8:36.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Intervals: 07/13/2011
I took yesterday morning off so L could take advantage of the cooler morning air for her own run. I celebrated my runiversary today with a set of intervals. I did the same old interval routine and pushed myself through the whole thing.
I started out with about a mile of warm up jogging then started into the interval sets trying to keep my fast pace at 8:00/mile or faster. I was able to do that on all but 3 of the reps. After the first two sets I was feeling pretty wiped out and didn't know if I would make it through the whole workout but I kept pushing anyway. My first 5 sets averaged 7:51/mile during the fast segments. I paid for this on the last 5 sets, though. I was really exhausted by the time #8 rolled around. I pushed through it anyway and was just barely able to make it through number 9. Rep 9 was seriously slow at 9:30/mile. After that I decided to go all out for #10 and did in at a 7:30/mile pace, my fastest of the day. I had something left after all, and probably could have done #9 faster if I had really wanted to. My average pace during the final 5 fast segments was 8:19/mile - significantly slower than my first 5. Still, I was pleased to be able to finish strong.
Today's Stats: I did 4.32 miles in 39:49 for an average pace of 9:13/mile.
I started out with about a mile of warm up jogging then started into the interval sets trying to keep my fast pace at 8:00/mile or faster. I was able to do that on all but 3 of the reps. After the first two sets I was feeling pretty wiped out and didn't know if I would make it through the whole workout but I kept pushing anyway. My first 5 sets averaged 7:51/mile during the fast segments. I paid for this on the last 5 sets, though. I was really exhausted by the time #8 rolled around. I pushed through it anyway and was just barely able to make it through number 9. Rep 9 was seriously slow at 9:30/mile. After that I decided to go all out for #10 and did in at a 7:30/mile pace, my fastest of the day. I had something left after all, and probably could have done #9 faster if I had really wanted to. My average pace during the final 5 fast segments was 8:19/mile - significantly slower than my first 5. Still, I was pleased to be able to finish strong.
Today's Stats: I did 4.32 miles in 39:49 for an average pace of 9:13/mile.
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