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Log for August 13 – Training for Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 9th. Goal for the fall and winter marathon season is to break 3:15 for the first time.
Saturday
- 16-Mile Marathon Workout – As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I was really nervous about this workout. The plan was to do 4 sets of 30-minute intervals, 30 seconds slower per minute than goal marathon pace. My goal marathon pace is 7:26 minutes per mile, so today’s goal pace was 7:56. As usual, this workout was put together by Dan Ashmead from our running group. Up to this point, most of our bi-weekly marathon workouts have consisted of shorter intervals at either marathon pace or tempo pace (~20 seconds faster than MP). Dan told us that the purpose behind today’s plan was to allow for longer intervals and more miles. The repeats would still be high effort, but the slightly slower pace would provide for faster recovery after the workout. We were instructed to keep the pacing as consistent as possible throughout all of the intervals.
I was nervous because I knew this would be hard, having already done two tough runs this week on Tuesday and Thursday, plus an 18-miler last Saturday. The slightly lower temps continued this morning, however the humidity was back with a vengeance (it even rained for a few minutes).
We started the first interval after an easy 5-minute warmup. Unfortunately, there was no one else running at my pace today, so most of the workout was done by myself. My legs were a little sluggish at the start, but I think this was mostly due to the short warmup. I settled into a pace around 7:58, and quickly started feeling much better. At the 15-minute mark, my pace was exactly 7:56. On the way back to the staging area I subconsciously picked up the pace a little and ended up finishing the first interval with an average pace of 7:53.We took 5-minutes to hydrate, and then started the next interval. I was feeling really good during this one, and followed a slightly different route. At the halfway point I was just over 7:50 pace, and again subconsciously picked it up on the way back to finish the second interval with a average pace of 7:49. Even though both of these intervals were too fast, I was very pleased with how well I was feeling.
After another 5-minute recovery, I took a completely different route for a change of scenery. While the first two routes were relatively flat, this one was quite hilly. I continued to feel really good, but ended up pushing it way too hard on this interval. My average pace was 7:43, and I was quite winded at the end.
My mistake during the third interval made the final one exceedingly difficult. Both Paxton and Dan said that they wanted to do this one with me, and we hung together through the first 1/2 mile at about 7:49 pace. At that point Paxton began to pull away from Dan and I, and I did not attempt to follow his pace. After almost 2 miles, Dan pulled away from me as my pace began to slow a bit to just over 7:50. My legs were exhausted, and I was struggling. I kept telling myself to not think ahead, stay in the moment, and maintain pace. With 10 minutes to go, Paxton and Dan were well out ahead of me, but my pace remained consistently around 7:50. With five minutes to go, even though my legs were shredded, I again subconsciously picked up the pace and finished the interval with a 7:48 avg (my second fastest).
Overall, it was a really good workout and I learned a couple of valuable things. (1) Early pacing mistakes can seriously affect the amount of gas left in the tank near the end. My poor pacing in the 3rd interval made the 4th one much harder than it should have been. (2) Even though I was really struggling during the 4th interval, I was still able to stay in the moment and maintain pace. This has historically been very difficult for me in marathons, so this is a good confidence boost.
I finished the workout with 16 total miles including the short warmup, with an overall average pace of 7:50 per mile. Even with the mistakes, I’m still happy with the effort at the end of a tough week, on what was a very humid morning.
- Cross Training – Tonight I did P90X: Shoulders and Arms and P90X: Ab-Ripper X. Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed my form getting a little sloppy with the dumbbell exercises, so tonight I cut my weight across the board and really focused on form. Amazing how good it felt.
Log for August 12 – Training for Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 9th. Goal for the fall and winter marathon season is to break 3:15 for the first time.
Friday
- 4-Mile Barefoot Run – Paxton and I ran our normal 4-mile route this AM at a very easy pace after a hard track workout last night. There was a nice break in the temps and humidity which made this an extremely pleasant morning. I broke out my Saucony Hattori’s again after taking a break from the “barefoot” run last week. My big toe is still sore, but it didn’t bother me during the run. Glad this was an extremely easy effort because I’m a little nervous about our workout tomorrow AM. It is going to be 4 X 30 minute intervals at just over goal marathon pace, and I have a feeling it’s gonna be a tough one.
- Cross Training – Tonight I did P90X: X-Stretch. I could tell throughout the day today that my hamstrings were very tight, so I decided to get in some good stretching before the workout tomorrow.
SKECHERS Announces Endorsement Deal with Former NYC Marathon Winner and Olympic Medalist
This is not a new announcement, but one which was issued in a press release on August 3. I’m still baffled that Meb has signed with SKECHERS, and find it very hard to believe they will be able to gain much credibility among serious runners. I for one have always viewed them as a casual shoe company and completely dismiss their claims regarding the fitness benefits of the “Shape Ups” product line. Per the press release, Meb will be running in SKECHERS for the 2011 ING New York City Marathon.
Apparently they have a number of new running products in the pipeline for future release (Holiday 2011). Right now their web site only lists one “real” running shoe, the S R R ProSpeed. These shoes are marketed to be “Super light weight” and equipped with “Smart Shoe™ Mid-Foot Strike design” technology. For one thing, I do not consider 10 oz to 15 oz (range per size) to be “Super light weight,” so I would hate to see a shoe that was normal weight.
It will be interesting to see what they come out with later this year. Anybody out there think they have a chance of succeeding among serious runners?
CNBC has an article today on an upcoming running shoe from Under Armour (UA Charge RC) which they are counting on to rebuild their reputation among serious runners. This is a sweet looking shoe and the author seems to be very impressed after a short trial. I’m still skeptical, but am interested to see them when they come out.
Another clip from my favorite comedian Brian Regan about his adventures in school. Priceless! Worth a listen.
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
Log for August 11 – Training for Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 9th. Goal for the fall and winter marathon season is to break 3:15 for the first time.
Thursday
- 7-Mile Track Workout – While the temps were still in the high 80s at start time, we did get a very welcome break in the humidity today. I didn’t feel great during my 2-mile warmup or during our 6 x 100m stride-outs, but felt really good during the workout. It was an unusual combination of intervals ranging from 200m to 1000m, but overall I really enjoyed it. In the middle we did 5 x 200m repeats with recovery across the infield. This was followed by 1000m of straights and curves. I commented to Paxton that it was hard to gauge how much effort you could put into these repeats and still be able to maintain a consistent pace through the rest of the workout. Overall my pacing was very consistent throughout, though I did push it a little too hard during the last 600m interval. With warmup and cooldown the total mileage was just over 7-miles.
- Cross Training – Tonight was a highly modified version of P90X: Chest & Back. I modified it to focus solely on chest since I get plenty of back work in Legs & Back.
Log for August 10 – Training for Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 9th. Goal for the fall and winter marathon season is to break 3:15 for the first time.
Wednesday
- 6.3-Mile Easy Run – Today Paxton and I got an amazing break in the weather, with starting temps in the 60s. It was quite refreshing to feel a little coolness in the air. After a hard tempo run yesterday, the goal today was just to get in some easy recovery miles. We ran a modified version of our normal “Nature Center” loop on the Harpeth River Greenway and through Bellevue, slowly picking up the pace as we went along. We started at 9:00 min pace and were at 8:25 when we finished. Both Paxton and I commented that our legs felt much better today than expected after the hard run yesterday. I guess some of this was related to the cooler temps which tend to provide a much appreciated “energy infusion.”
- Cross Training – Tonight I missed out on cross training because I absolutely could not put down a book! I had about 150 pages to go in Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, and it had me in a death grip. One of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read.
Log for August 9 – Training for Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 9th. Goal for the fall and winter marathon season is to break 3:15 for the first time.
Tuesday
- 8-Mile Tempo Run – My training program for Chicago this year includes 3 cycles of successively longer mid-week tempo runs. These start at 7-miles and increase one mile weekly to 11-miles. After 11, the cycle starts back over at 7-miles the following week. Each cycle is designed to be done at progressively faster pace, with the goal of doing each run of the third cycle at goal marathon pace. Living in the south in the summer can make pacing these runs extremely difficult. For example, my goal marathon pace is 7:26 min per mile, but what is the equivalent pacing if it is 85 degrees and 80% humidity?
None-the-less, today marked the beginning of the second cycle, so the plan was to start back over at 7-miles after finishing 11-miles last Tuesday. Most of the runs during the first cycle were done between 7:45 and 7:58 min per mile, so the goal during the second cycle is to go below 7:45 as I work my way toward 7:26 (with adjustment for heat & humidity as needed).
I ran today with Nathan and Paxton on an out and back route on Old Natchez and Temple Road in Franklin. This is an enjoyable route, though the first 3 miles are very hilly, and it can be very exposed on sunny days. Fortunately it was overcast for most of the run today with temps in the mid 70s. However, the humidity was ridiculous as usual this time of year. We started off the route with miles of 8:34 and 8:01 while we navigated the hilly section, but then dropped it down to 7:26 for mile three and 6:57 for mile four (too fast).After taking a brief hydration stop at the end of temple road, we started back up with a more sensible fifth mile of 7:42. From there we progressively pushed it faster and faster with miles of 7:33, 7:26, and 6:59 to finish out at 8-miles. Our overall average pace was 7:35, which is right in line with the goal for the second cycle. While 8-miles is one more than I had scheduled, I got in one less than scheduled on Monday, so it all worked out.
My legs felt a little sluggish from the trail run on Monday afternoon, but overall I felt pretty good on a very hard run. I felt especially good on the hills, which has been the case for much of the spring and summer. I’m guessing this is related to adding trails and barefoot running to my program this year. Paxton and Nathan also looked very strong today, finishing a bit of a bigger kick than I was able to muster.
Log for August 8 – Training for Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 9th. Goal for the fall and winter marathon season is to break 3:15 for the first time.
Monday
- 5-Mile Trail Run – Even though I am NOT a morning person, I still hate it when I’m not able to get my training runs done in the AM. This morning I had an 8am meeting at a client that is over an hour away. Since Mondays are my scheduled trail days, I didn’t want to get up extra early and run trails in the dark. Therefore my only two options were to do either an early road run, or a trail run later in the day. Fortunately my schedule was such today that I was able to get home around 4:15pm, so I decided to just do an afternoon trail run.
The bad thing about afternoon runs in August is that it is HOT….just over 90 degrees at the start with high humidity. I started off running the blue trail in Edwin Warner park, and immediately felt the sluggishness from my 18 mile run on Saturday. I ended up doing the blue, yellow, orange, candy cane, and red (partial) trails for a total of just over 5 miles. My legs finally started feeling better about 3 miles into the run, and were feeling quite good as I finished. The soreness that I started feeling in my big toe last week is now becoming more pronounced, and I’m sure that the 51-mile week last week did not help.
Also today, I ran for the first time in my new Tifosi sunglasses that I got for my birthday. These feature red, fototec lenses that change tint based on the level of sunlight. They are also vented to prevent fogging. I was able to wear them on the entire run, even in dense tree cover, and never once felt like I couldn’t see the trails. Also, they never came close to fogging up, even in the high humidity. Definitely a good accessory for the arsenal.
Log for August 7 (MY BIRTHDAY!!) – Training for Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 9th. Goal for the fall and winter marathon season is to break 3:15 for the first time.
Sunday
- Rest Day – Today was my scheduled rest day from both running and cross-training, and it also happens to be my 37th birthday. Amazing how much better I feel at 37, than I did at 27. Overall, this has been a really good week for running. Just over 51 miles completed, and just under 3 hours of cross training activities. Before this training season started, I decided to reduce the number of hours spent cross training, and add that time to running. So far I’m really pleased with this decision, and plan to continue with this through Chicago.
Log for August 6 – Training for Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 9th. Goal for the fall and winter marathon season is to break 3:15 for the first time.
Saturday
- 18-Mile Long Run – Today was another one of those runs where the goal was to maximize my time spent in the aerobic zone and not worry about my pace. I’ve been very pleased with my speed work so far this spring and summer, but endurance is now something that I need to really focus on as I work toward Chicago. Our training group is on a schedule where we do these types of long runs bi-weekly, with marathon and tempo pace intervals workouts on the alternating weekends. Two weeks ago I did my first long run, a 15-miler where I spent a little over 2 hours 15 minutes on my feet. Today, my goal was to push that time to over 2 hours 30 minutes.
Most of our group was meeting at 5:30am to do a series of 4 to 6 mile loops in Belle Meade and Percy Warner Park for a total of 16-miles. Nathan and I decided to meet at 5:00am to make sure that we got in at least 18-miles. We were lucky to get an overcast morning, with temps in the low to mid 70s at the start of the run, and low 80s at the finish. However, I’m not sure I ever remember a running in higher humidity without it actually raining. I had to lose my shirt after 7 miles, because it felt like it weighed 20 lbs. (We looked it up at the finish, and the humidity was at 91%).
I made a small mistake before the run started, because I took a GU gel with 2x caffeine. While this is not unusual, I have recently been trying to cut way back on my overall caffeine intake. After Nathan and I finished our initial 2.5 miles before the group run, it felt like my whole body was shaking. I felt awful, and it was hard to believe how much effect the caffeine had on me. Luckily, this sensation subsided pretty quickly once we started the group run.I felt really good through the first two loops, maintaining an easy pace at just over 9 min per mile. For the last loop, we did the 5.8-mile route through PW park, which is extremely hilly. I still felt pretty good through the first part of this route. However, somewhat predictably, I started struggling once we crossed the 2 hour 15 minute mark, and the last three miles were really a struggle. The total run lasted just over 2 hours 45 minutes, and I was able to finish all 18-miles as planned with over 1,500 ft of total elevation gain.
All-in-all, I’m glad to have this run in the books, and pleased with the overall length of time spent on my feet. My plan calls for three more long runs before Chicago (20, 20, 22), and my goal will be to make sure that I work my way past 3 hours 15 minutes in the aerobic zone, which is my goal time for this fall and winter season.
- Cross Training – Tonight I did P90X: Chest and Back. Glad that I didn’t have anything planned that involved my legs, because they are trashed from the 18-miler this AM.
Do one thing a day that scares you.
From lululemon manifesto
Log for August 5 – Training for Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 9th. Goal for the fall and winter marathon season is to break 3:15 for the first time.
Friday
- 4-Mile Recovery Run – Friday’s are normally my “barefoot” days where I run easy miles in my Saucony Hattori’s. Sometime during the week the big toe on my right foot started to bother me (feels like a strain), so I decided to do today’s run in my normal trainers. This morning’s run was with Paxton through Bellevue, and it was incredibly HUMID. I completely soaked through my running clothes during a run that was barely over 30 minutes, and started at 6am. Also, my legs felt very tired and heavy after a hard track workout last night, but did feel better as the run progressed. We took this one very easy, and it was exactly what I needed.
All week I’ve been joking with Nathan that he needed to setup an “aid station” for Paxton and I during our Friday runs. This is because our normal Friday route goes right by his house, and because he normally does not run with us on Friday. Last night at track, Nathan “apologized in advance” for not leaving out fluids for us during the run. However, this morning Paxton and I were surprised to find that Nathan had generously left water for us by the tree in front of his house. This was very cool, and actually very helpful due to the extreme humidity this morning. Big props to Nathan!!
- Cross Training – Tonight I did one set of P90X: Ab-Ripper X. Didn’t want to go too hard since I have an 18-miler in the morning.
Log for August 4 – Training for Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 9th. Goal for the fall and winter marathon season is to break 3:15 for the first time.
Thursday
- 6.6-Mile Track Workout – Tonight’s track practice consisted of 400m repeats, and I felt REALLY good all the way to the end. I took the first two intervals relatively easy to try and adapt to the heat, which was again in the mid-90s. After these two repeats my remaining “fresh” intervals were between 84 and 87 seconds, and my “good” intervals were 79 or 80 seconds. I was actually surprised how good I felt. While the temps were high, the humidity was a little less than it had been, and we got a little cloud cover for the second half of the workout. With warmup and cooldown the total mileage was 6.6-Miles. It was good to have Nathan back at track after being off for a couple of weeks.
Log for August 3 – Training for Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 9th. Goal for the fall and winter marathon season is to break 3:15 for the first time.
Wednesday
- 6-Mile Recovery Run – After hard runs and cross training on Monday and Tuesday, it was good to run easy this morning with Paxton and Nathan. We ran through the Bellevue community and even worked in a lap around the vacant Bellevue Center Mall. The temps were mild when we started, but quickly heated up as we approached 7am. My legs were really sore when we started, but felt much better as we finished. I told Paxton that feeling better when you finish than when you started has got to be the sign of a perfect recovery run.
- Cross Training – Tonight was a P90X double-header: Shoulders & Arms + Ab-Ripper X. Some of my favorite words in the English language are “You’ve just completed Ab-Ripper X boys and girls” by Tony Horton. That is a great workout, but it is tough. Even after doing it for over a year, it still kicks my tail every time.
Log for August 2 – Training for Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 9th. Goal for the fall and winter marathon season is to break 3:15 for the first time.
Tuesday
- 11.25-Mile Tempo Run – My preparation for this tempo run was less than ideal since I had done a 5.25-mile trail run and P90X: Legs & Back AFTER 5pm on Monday. My legs were already very tired. The run started at 5am with Nathan and Paxton in Edwin Warner Park. We had to start early this morning, because I had an 8am meeting at work. I don’t like to get up that early, but the nice thing was that the temps were very mild, though the humidity was still high. For the first 6.5-miles, we did a modified version of our “Nature Center Loop.” Our pace for the first 3 miles was around 7:45, but after that my leg fatigue caught up with me I struggled to keep it under 8:00 min per mile. Paxton and Nathan were strong, and continued the faster pace. After the first loop, we stopped for fluids, before finishing up the run. The break refreshed my legs slightly, and I was again able to push the pace a little. During the last mile, Nathan and Paxton took off like they were running from a pack of wild dogs. There was no way I could match their surge, so I just hung back and tried to finish smooth. All told my average pace was just under 8:00 min pace for 11.25 miles. Didn’t feel nearly as good as our 10.25-mile tempo run last week, but considering the trail run and P90X the night before, I thought it turned out fairly well. It was still a confidence boost to know that I could do an 11-mile tempo run under 8:00 pace with very tired legs and high humidity.
On a side note, I’m very appreciative of Nathan and Paxton getting up super early to accomodate my 8am meeting. It is such a blessing to have good friends to train with who support each other, and who are a pleasure to be around.