Start time: 7/3/07, 6:00pm
Location: McLean High School
Distance: ~4.25 miles
Average pace: 10:00min/mile & 7:00min/mile
Ah, a return to the LTRs! I ran these with Laura and Julie and it was a lot of fun; it’d been a while since I’d been able to do so, and we had a real blast. We hit all the splits at just the right time, and afterwards had a nice good cool down and stretch that made me feel really good about the entire experience. Great, great way to spend an hour or so after work.
Start time: 6/29/07, 8:00am
Location: Thomas Jefferson Community Center
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:50min/mile
Well, I ended up taking several days off—lots of stretching, though, and just taking it easy. My knee was actually feeling better on Wednesday, but I decided not to chance it and took it and Thursday off as well. (I actually got up Thursday morning, decided the weather was putrid, and climbed back into bed.) Today was supposed to just be a 4-mile “EZ” run, so I headed over to the gym a little later than normal and knocked it out on the indoor track, since it was supposed to rain this morning. The run went great (a tiny bit fast actually); only problem I really had was starting half an hour late meant a new wave of senior citizens arrived before I’d finished up, and using the equipment afterwards was no longer an option. Oh well!
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: 6/17/07, 8:45am
Location: Greenfield Lake, Wilmington, North Carolina
Distance: 10 miles
Average pace: 8:58min/mile
I was vistiing friends in Wilmington, North Carolina this past weekend, so I tackled my two scheduled runs at a nearby park that had a 4.25-mile trail running around a lake. Well, a lake full of alligators, apparently. That’s an incentive to not stop, huh? The run went well, though. I did have to stop twice, though. It started to rain on me halfway around the first loop, so when I completed the loop I stopped at the car and put my glasses inside because there’s nothing worse than water hanging on the lenses. I also took a quick bathroom break at mile 8, because when you’re by yourself and there’s no one to disract you, it’s two ugly miles othewrise. But a good run, and right on pace. Yay!
Start time: 6/18/07, 8:00am
Location: Greenfield Lake, Wilmington, North Carolina
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:52min/mile
A pretty unremarkable “EZ” run for Monday. I had no idea if I was actually on pace at first, but thankfully that was the case. It’s hard to tell the day after a long run what’s really going on!
Start time: 6/12/07, 7:30pm
Location: Thomas Jefferson Community Center
Distance: ~4.25 miles
Average pace: 10:00min/mile & 7:00min/mile
Ok, back to the LTRs. Last week I was supposed to do 8 bursts of 2 minutes at the faster pace; I’d managed four and a half before I gave up. Today was supposed to be 8 again, and I figured if I got 6-7 then I would declare it a victory. There was a huge storm threatening to hit, so I headed to TJ once more to use their 1/8th mile track. I did a warm-up 10min/mile, then went to town. After 6 LTRs, it suddenly hit me that I’d actually be able to do all 8 of them. It’s such a nice feeling to not feel like you’re never going to get back up to speed.
So yeah, a very good time, and on pace for all of them. There was one other guy on the track that was being a bit of a jerk (when I was running my warm-up mile, he shot around and in front of me so close I almost tripped on his heels), but he couldn’t rain on my parade. A very nice time.
That said, after three days of running in a row, it’s nice that Wednesday only had weights and a spinning class planned. Bliss.
Start time: 6/11/07, 7:30am
Location: Thomas Jefferson Community Center
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:53min/mile
I got up this morning and headed over to the gym for a combination run/weights day. The run went well; I actually ended up with the exact same finishing time (35:35) as I did the last time I used the track here on Friday. (8:46, 8:55, 9:00, 8:53) I quickly changed and then used the weights for a bit before heading home to get ready for work. I’m quite enjoying the one-two punch of a 4-miler and then weights, I must say.
Start time: 6/8/07, 6:30pm
Location: Thomas Jefferson Community Center
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:53min/mile
I didn’t run VO2 Max runs on Friday because I knew I wasn’t up for it. Instead I went for what was supposed to be on my “off weeks”—in this case a 35-minute 9min/mile. It was in the mid-to-high-90s on Friday so I ran it on the gym’s track, which worked out pretty well. My splits were 9:01, 8: 50, 8:48, and 8:55. Only the vaguest of soreness, which was a very good sign. I’ll take no chances and this Sunday’s 9-miler will probably be with the 10min group instead of the 9min group, but provided that goes well I should be back up to my full steam next week. Yay!
(Afterwards, I used the weights for a bit and then realized I was running late and that Charlie might possibly make it to the apartment before I did. Oops.)
Start time: 4/21/07, 2:00pm
Location: Arlington
Distance: 2 miles & 2 miles
Average pace: 8:40min/mile & 9:06min/mile
The idea was a pretty simple one; run to the gym, use the weight machines, run back home. I’d mapped out a route that would be exactly 2 miles each way (I had to add on an extra quarter mile spur to do so but what can I say, there’s something slightly more comforting about whole numbers when tracking progress) and headed on out. Two things I didn’t count on, though:
1) It’s been so long since we had a real warm day that I should’ve brought my water bottle with me. Oof, I must have hit the water fountain ten times at the gym itself.
2) It’s more uphill on the way back than on the way there, which wouldn’t have been that big a deal except I had, of course, just worked out at the gym. Heh. Definitely felt those hills on the way home.
Still, very happy with my progress, especially since on the way back I was really trying to take it easy. A nice run! After not getting much running in for April (a combination of visitors, work, and just wanting a bit of a breather before marathon season returned) it was a good way to get back into the swing of things.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=880854
Start time: 4/10/07, 7:00pm
Location: Clarendon and the Custis Trail
Distance: 4.25 miles
Average pace: 8:59min/mile
I was really excited a month ago (the last time I was able to make it to the Tuesday Pacers run) to get a 38:48 finish time for this hilly, hilly, hilly course. Tonight? 38:07. That was a very nice surprise. (I should let Chris know we’re doing so well!) Oh, and new shoes starting today. More Brooks Beast, this time the ’07 model. The metallic bright blue better fade soon, it hurts my eyes to look at them.
Start time: 3/18/07, 11:00am
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 4 miles & 4 miles
Run:Walk Ratio: 6:1 & none
Average pace: 10:31min/mile & 9:18min/mile
One last long run before the half marathon on Saturday… I headed out down the W&OD Trail with Carla, MJ, and Randy for a nice four miles. They were pretty consistent, and thanks to running through their last walk break because of a bathroom stop at mile 4, a good final mile. (10:29, 10:49, 10:45, 9:58)
They were going to run 10 miles, so I turned around at that point and dropped the walk breaks for a slightly faster four miles back. It went ok, but I was running right into an amazingly strong headwind (my hat started lifting off several times!) and I started to feel like I was struggling the further I went. Hopefully it was a matter of the wind (or just not feeling the run) and not a bad omen for the race on Saturday. (9:05, 9:20, 9:25, 9:20)
Fingers crossed!