Category Archives: 08mi

Make or Break, Level II

0, 08mi

Start Time: 6/3/08, 7:00am
Location: Arlington Boulevard Trail
Distance: 2 miles & 6 miles
Average Pace: 10:17min/mile & 8:18min/mile
Total Miles For June: 14 miles

Today’s schedule offered some variety in terms of “Make or Break” runs. Up until now it’s just been 2x2miles, but in addition to opening up another “Level I” workout (3x2miles), other options were from the Level II workouts (2x3miles and 3x3miles). I decided it was time to belly up to the plate and try one of the tougher-looking ones, so 2x3miles was the winner. Because I was going to run on the Arlington Boulevard Trail, I decided the best option was to make both sets the same route. So mile 1 would be running west and uphill, mile 2 is east and downhill, and then mile 3 is half of each. (I’d turn around halfway and head back early.)

Round 1 wasn’t too bad — I knew the first mile would be the toughest (especially that final quarter mile climb) and I was a little bit tired at the end, but ultimately a victory (8:30, 7:50, 8:07). I stretched a little bit, decided it was enough recovery time, and headed back out. OOF. I didn’t feel like I had lost too much ground at first, but that sure caught up with me by the end. (8:41, 8:08, 8:30) Clearly I will need to work on this a bit!

Then again, when I did this workout last week (only just at 2x2mi) my average was 8:14min/mile, and this was 8:18… so, not too bad, I guess.

A little better

0, 08mi

Start Time: 3/15/08, 1:00pm
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 8 miles
Average Pace: 8:50min/mile
Total Miles For March: 30 miles

When I ran my 10-miler eight days earlier, I was… less than impressed with my effort. It had admittedly been the longest I’d run in quite a while, so a lackluster performance was almost a given. But still. I promised myself that this run (since I’d overslept and missed speed training in the morning) would be better and also run smarter. Thankfully, it was just that—I took the first half at a reasonable pace rather than heading out too fast, and then let myself pick up a little bit of speed for the second half. (9:08, 9:07, 8:57, 9:08, 8:42, 8:31, 8:39, 8:23)

If I can do something like this in two weeks for the half marathon, I’ll be quite happy.

Don’t Tread On Me

0, 08mi, treadmill

Start Time: 1/16/08, 6:30pm
Location: Gunston Community Center
Distance: 8 miles
Average Pace: 8:45min/mile

It was too cold out to attack the Custis Trail again, so this time I decided to seek out a treadmill—eight miles on an 1/8th-mile indoor track meant 64 laps, and surely by the end I would be dizzy and throw up. I finally went over to Gunston, which no one seems to know exists, and used their solitary treadmill. No one else wanted to use it while I was there (in fact only two other people were even there while I was!), so hey, works for me.

Back on Track — now with added hillwork!

0, 01mi, 08mi, custis, explosive, meter repeats

Start Time: 1/5/08, 8:00am
Location: Washington-Lee High School
Distance: 1 mile & 4x100m & 4x400m

Saturday’s session was the return to our group workouts, hurrah! For this run we started off with four 100meter runs, the idea that each one pushing a little harder and in a slightly tougher zone. (20.13, 18.06, 16.30, 15.02) Then, we were to replicate those four zones over the course of 400meter repeats, with each quarter of the track faster than the one before. It was fun but tough, ratcheting each segment up a little more. While my times decreased for the second and third, my transitions were getting stronger each time, and it made sense that I was a tiny bit more pooped with each one.

For the fourth, though, Fred said that our goal was to go faster than the first. And… much to my surprise… I did! Hurrah! (1:31, 1:34, 1:40, 1:28)

Start Time: 1/7/08, 6:30pm
Location: Custis Trail
Distance: 8 miles
Average Pace: 9:19min/mile

Back in the day, I used to regularly run part of the Custis Trail as part of a group workout. (About a mile and a quarter of its distance, then back.) But it had been a while, and the weather was so fantastic on Monday that I decided I’d go tackle an 8-miler on the Custis Trail.

Ooooooof.

When I ran with the group on Tuesdays and Thursdays, my times on Thursdays would always be much faster than Tuesdays, and this was no exception with a 9:19 average, even as I felt I was putting in an 8:30/8:45 amount of effort. Phew. That’ll learn me! (9:10, 9:12, 9:04, 9:30, 9:07, 9:22, 9:20, 9:47)

End-of-Year Catching Up

0, 01mi, 02mi, 06mi, 08mi, explosive, indoor track, meter repeats, speedwork

Oops! Whole bunch of updates here.

Start Time: 12/13/07, 6:30pm
Location: Thomas Jefferson Community Center
Distance: 6 miles
Average Pace: 8:49min/mile

Start Time: 12/15/07, 8:00am
Location: Washington-Lee High School
Distance: 1 mile & 4x200m & 3x400m

Start Time: 12/17/07, 6:30pm
Location: Thomas Jefferson Community Center
Distance: 2 miles & 8x200m

Start Time: 12/22/07, 3:45pm
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 8 miles
Average Pace: 9:16min/mile

Start Time: 12/24/07, 9:30am
Location: Washington-Lee High School
Distance: 2 miles & 8x200m

Start Time: 12/25/07, 4:00pm
Location: Vienna, VA
Distance: 5.8 miles
Average Pace: 9:12min/mile

Continue reading End-of-Year Catching Up →

Trial Run

0, 08mi

Start time: 11/4/07, 12:00pm
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 8 miles
Average pace: 9:02min/mile

The attack plan for next Sunday’s marathon is to do a 10/10/10 split; the first 10 miles at one minute above pace (10min/mile), the next 10 miles at training pace (9min/mile), the last 10k/6.2mi at 30 seconds (or more!) below pace (8:30min/mile or whatever I can muster). So for today’s 8-miler I thought I’d try and run the first four miles at the 10min/mile pace to try and get used to starting at that pace.

Well… Here are the splits for the first four miles (heading uphill no less): 9:10, 9:27, 9:33, 9:41. Essentially with each mile I’d look at the chrono, grimace, and try and slow down a little more. On the way back I gave up and sped up a bit (8:51, 8:40, 8:32, 8:22). So it was good to know that I need to work on starting out slow, especially since the beginning of the marathon will be adrenaline city.

Virtually no foot problems to report. Fingers crossed.

Good and Eh

0, 04mi, 08mi, rightfoot

Start time: 10/25/07, 8:00am
Location: Thomas Jefferson Community Center
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:37min/mile

The plan was to run earlier in the week before Thursday, but Monday through Wednesday I had such a horribly bad shoulder/neck pain that even moving my head hurt. So it wasn’t until Thursday that I felt good enough to actually run again. I went to the gym and used their indoor track; the first mile I did at a 9:00, and then without trying to the next three shifted up to 8:30. I felt good, no foot soreness, big thumbs up.

Start time: 10/27/07, 2:30pm
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 8 miles
Average pace: 8:49min/mile

I finally picked up new inserts for my shoes, put them on, and decided to run a 10-12 miler. Before I even started, though, my right foot felt a tiny bit sore. Hmmm. After about a mile things seemed ok, and my pace felt good. (8:41, 8:58, 8:42, 8:52) Four miles in, though… the foot started hurting. Oh, hell. I turned around and headed back; the hurting never got any worse (yay) but didn’t get any better either (boo). At least the pace stayed the same, so that’s better than nothing. (8:47, 8:46, 8:55, 8:47)

So now I’m wondering, maybe it’s the pair of Brooks Beast that I got back at the start of September that are the problem? I was wearing an older pair of shoes for my last two runs (that were also an earlier model, I think) and the foot problems weren’t so bad. At this point I’m thinking I will go to the podiatrist again this week, and also go back to the old shoes through race day. Fingers crossed.

Last Group Jaunt

0, 08mi, rightfoot

Start time: 10/21/07, 8:00am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 8 miles
Average pace: 8:58min/mile

After the last run and my foot problems, I did indeed see a podiatrist, who diagnosed the problem as a tendon strain in the arch of my foot. For two weeks, that meant no running while I let the foot heal, although the elliiptical (being non-impact) was deemed ok so at least my legs were still getting exercise. With all that in mind, I was a little nervous about today’s run.

The bad news is that the foot was a tiny bit sore at the start and end of the run; the good news is that it was nowhere near as bad as it was a couple of weeks ago. None the less, the podiatrist had said that if it was still bothering me to go back and they could inject it with a steroid to try and speed up the healing. So I will probably do that in a bit.

Other than that, though, the run was nice. Dave was sitting out because of heel problems but came by to see us off (the final long run for the group of the season), and Laura, Dvora, and Erika were all there. As a nice surprise, halfway through the run we ran into Paul (who had not realized until the morning that since his partner had the car he was without transportation) who then ran with us for the rest of the 8-miler. A nice way to wind things down.

Leading Up

0, 08mi, rightfoot

Start time: 9/30/07, 8:00am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 8 miles
Average pace: 8:54min/mile

Today was an easy 8-miler, the last run before my final long training run of the season. More importantly, though, it was the last run before Laura heads off to Portland, Oregon to run the Portland Marathon. I remember years ago saying, “You should run a marathon!” and her response involved a lot of laughter. This year she’s been out kicking butt and taking names; I have no doubt in my mind that her finishing time will beat my personal record for the distance, because she is just that good. It’s been a real pleasure to train with her—I can’t wait to hear how she does!

(Same problems as last time with the right foot. Time for ye olde tennis ball stretches!)