Start time: 8/7/07, 6:15pm
Location: McLean High School
Distance: ~3.25 miles
Average pace: 10:10min/mile & 7:20min/mile
Well, we were supposed to do ten sets of LTRs yesterday. The heat finally and truly got the best of me and Laura, though. We quit after five, and our warm-up and cool-down runs were so slow that we knew we’d made the right decision. What a hideous mess outside.
(I’m already about 95% sure that I am cancelling my Thursday run plans because of the weather, in fact. Too hot!)
Start time: 7/20/07, 6:00pm
Location: McLean High School
Distance: 3.25 miles
Average pace: 9:30min/mile & 6:15min/mile
I seem to be doing just dandy at only attempting every other VO2 Max run. Problem is, I’ve been feeling like I’ve been starting over each time. At least this time I got all four reps initial in, and only the fourth was slipping off of the prescribed 6min/mile pace. But, four is better than none, right? I’d have liked to get the prescribed distance in (eight!) but next time I will push up to six and we’ll just go from there. Or at least, that’s the idea. I don’t mind starting over on the VO2 Max runs if I actually stay on track from now on.
Start time: 6/21/07, 7:30am
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:31min/mile
Thursday’s tempo run (an 8:30min/mile pace) started out well enough; a bit fast, even, with the first three miles being 8:09, 8:28, and 8:33. Then somewhere around mile 4 I started slowing down bigtime, finally hitting the marker at (oof) 8:51. It was at that point I ended up declaring it quits. I was just tired and worn out; frustratingly because last week’s 5-mile tempo run had gone so well. I ended up walking about a quarter mile back, then jogged the rest in at a 10min/mile pace. Ah well, some runs are good, some… not so much.
Start time: 6/22/07, 7:45am
Location: Washington & Lee High School
Distance: 3 miles
Average pace: 10:00min/mile & 6:00min/mile
Today’s schedule was a VO2 Max run. Now, I’d only ever done one of these before, six weeks ago before the injury. So I knew eight reps was going to be right out. I’d figured if I could do six, though, I’d be delighted. Actual total? Three. It was through the third that I suddenly realized what I’d done horribly wrong, though. I hadn’t taken my allergy medicine (or my multivitamin but that’s not as much of an issue). Which would explain my breathing difficulties. Argh. Oh well, under the circumstances, getting three reps (exactly one mile at that speed) was a victory. Next time I’ll plan this out a little better.
After two great runs in Wilmington, though, two crappy runs? Pretty discouraging. I hope this does not bode badly for Sunday.
Start time: 5/31/07, 9:00pm
Location: Arlington Boulevard Trail
Distance: 3 miles
Average pace: 9:15min/mile
Start time: 6/3/07, 8:00am
Location: Capital Crescent Trail and Georgetown
Distance: 8 miles
Run:Walk Ratio: 10:1
Average pace: 11:00min/mile
So! When we last left off over in this journal, I was getting ready to take some time off from running due to an injury. I saw an orthopaedist and he diagnosed the pain as being a “strained achilles mechanism” which consists of the three muscles in my lower calf. He sent me off to physical therapy, which I started on May 30th. There, the physical therapist did a thorough look over and said, “I think I’ve found your problem. Did you know the big toe on your left foot isn’t flexible?”
Yeah, I know. Not the response I was expecting. Apparently while my right toe can move up about 60 degrees, the left toe gets about a 30 degree range of motion. As a result, when I run I lift my left heel much faster than I should be in order to compensate, and that’s putting a strain on those muscles in my left calf. (Which would explain why all three injuries have been in the left calf and never my right one.) She told me to go out running on Thursday and see how it felt, just 3-5 miles. That run went ok, with a little stiffness and soreness around mile 3. Unfortunately, my dinner did not cooperate with me and I had to stop a mile short of my planned 4 miles, in order to keep from heaving my dinner up all over Arlington Boulevard. (Don’t worry, I didn’t.)
I reported back and she gave me some calf stretches (while still working on the toe) and said it was ok to run this Sunday if I took it easy. Well, I’d already planned on running slower until I got that back up again anyway, so it gave me a great opportunity to run with Julie once again, yay! As an added bonus, Doug was running a recovery run with us. So it was a really nice run in a bit of a drizzle, but nothing to complain about. The 11:00 group takes a one-minute walk break at each mile marker, which was a great way to get back into the swing of things (I wholeheartedly approve). Best of all? No pain while running whatsoever. This gives me hope!
Start time: 5/11/07, 6:00pm
Location: McLean High School
Distance: ~3.25 miles
Average pace: 9:30min/mile & 6:20min/mile
Start time: 5/15/07, 6:00pm
Location: McLean High School
Distance: ~3.7 miles
Average pace: 9:30min/mile & 7:00min/mile
Last Friday was my first VO2 Max run, which was like last Tuesday’s Lactate Threshold Run… only faster. Well, that was the idea. Laura and I did it together again, but we were never able to nail our projected 6:00min/mile pace. We were always about 5 seconds off at the quarter mile mark, which actually places us around a 6:20min/mile pace. Still, not bad for four 2-minute bursts of speed the first time out of the gate.
Then, yesterday, was the return of the LTRs, but with 6 2-minute reps instead of just 4. That went really well… aside from the lower-calf problems I’ve been having for a few weeks with a general soreness/stiffness. I suspect that I’m going to have to take a couple of weeks off and see if that does the trick, as frustrating as it is. (It’s really hurting today, which is not good.) I’d rather have to take time off now than right before the marathon. *sigh* Not happy.
Start time: 5/8/07, 6:00pm
Location: McLean High School
Distance: ~3 miles
Average pace: 9:30min/mile & 7:00min/mile
Yesterday, Laura and I ran the first of our “Lactate Threshold Runs” which involve short bursts of running at a faster pace, with slight breaks between them. The schedule was as follows:
10 minute warm-up jog
4 2-minute bursts at a 7:00min/mile pace, separated by a 1-2 minute walk
10 minute cool-down jog
We headed over to McLean High School to use their track, since it’s nice and flat, has no traffic, and is easy to figure out distance since it’s a quarter-mile loop. So we did the warm-up, then headed around for our first lap. At our correct pace, we should run one lap in 1:45, with 15 more seconds to go. So we took off along its wonderful bouncy surface (I do love new tracks) and the first loop was done in… 1:30. That’s a 6min/mile pace. Oops! We were more on track for the others, though, and Laura was a great person to run with.
Once we were done (amidst the occasion dodging of the women’s soccer team which was setting up for a game), we hit our warm down jog for another mile, then headed on out. A good time! As the LTRs continue we’ll be having additional loops to do, but for now it was a nice start.
Start time: 5/6/07, 8:00am
Location: Capital Crescent Trail
Distance: 3 miles
Average pace: 7:55min/mile
Empowered & Fit started their training season this morning; I’ll be doing some assistant coaching this season but on the days I’m not, I’ll be out there running. So, it was time trial morning where you figure out what group you’ll be in. I was in the first group to head out, and while I wasn’t the first one to finish (that was Andreas with his 6min/miles… good lord…) I was quite pleased to knock out a 23:46, which means that on my training days I’ll be with the 9min/mile group. I’m happy with that. Even better, on the days I’m running on Sundays, I’ll get to do so with Laura and Dave and Paul and the rest. Yay!
Start time: 3/15/07, 7:30pm
Location: Thomas Jefferson Rec Center
Distance: 3 miles
Average pace: 8:21min/mile
It’s raining and the temperature is dropping significantly, so instead of going to Pacers I decided to head to the gym. I worked out for a bit on the weight machines with various upper body workouts (twice in one week? What is this world coming to?) and then decided to run 3 miles on the indoor track. The track is only an eighth of a mile, so my game plan was to hit my chrono every other lap and take quarter-mile splits home with me. This was about consistency, something I feel like I’ve lost in the last month and something I’d had back in 2005 thanks to speed workouts with Rick Weber. So, here’s how the three miler broke down:
Mile 1: 8:27 (2:03, 2:08, 2:09, 2:07)
Still finding my sea legs (so to speak). The big question would be what the next two miles were like, though.
Mile 2: 8:17 (2:05, 2:06, 2:01, 2:05)
A nice surprise; speeding up a bit but not feeling like I was going to collapse, and more importantly a lot more on the mark.
Mile 3: 8:19 (2:05, 2:04, 2:04, 2:06)
Really, really happy with this. Now we’re talking.
I may have to see if I can start incorporating this into my workouts again. I’ve missed it.
Start time: 3/1/07, 7:30pm
Location: Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center
Distance: 3 miles
Average pace: 9:15min/mile
Well, I was supposed to go running with the Pacers group again, but it had started to rain and was supposed to keep getting worse and wose. So, instead I went over to Barcroft and used one of their treadmills. I took the first mile a little slow (9:35), then the next two at a slightly faster pace (9:05 each). I’d have cheerfully run more, but there’s supposed to be a 24-minute time limit on the cardio equipment. Since I was at 27:45 and all the treadmills were in use, I decided to be nice and stop there. (Or before someone waiting complained and got me kicked out!)
I’m not a treadmill fan, but it sure beats running in the cold rain.
Start time: 2/17/07
Location: LAX Marriott Gym
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 11:00min/mile
Start time: 2/19/07
Location: LAX Marriott Gym
Distance: 3 miles
Average pace: 9:50min/mile
Well, after injuring myself on January 31st, it was time for a little rest. So, two and a half weeks later, I decided to give running another whirl. Even though the temperatures were nice outside in Los Angeles, I used the hotel gym for two reasons. First, that way if the injury returned I didn’t have to limp all the way back. Second, the further you head away from the hotel, the slightly sketchier it got. So, no running outside.
Saturday’s run went well; I wanted to take it easy so I did the first mile at a 12:00 pace, the next two at an 11:00, and the last at a 10:00. All with no problems, phew! Monday night I felt the need to work off some dinner, so it was two 10:00 miles and then (feeling brave) a 9:30. Still no problems. Yay! This Saturday I’ll run with my old pace group and pick up some longer mileage at a slightly slower pace. With any luck, the National Half Marathon is still on!