PR and more training

The race went realy well for only my second race since training started in december. I PRed by a minute and ran 27:42. I accomplished one goal but was not able to average 5:30 miles but was close with 5:35. The first half of the race is a graudal up hill and was into a decently strong head wind. I lead a group of 7 runners through the first half of the race and then on the way back the wheels fell off a little and was a able to close in 5:09. mile 3 and 4 were a little rough so I know there is still work to do. I am happy with a minute PR but not satisfied. I want to get faster and run mid 26's for 8k/5mile by either the end of this year or next year at this race. I am also happy I was able to PR off of just base work with little speed work.

Yesterday was just an easy recovery run, but the wind had not let up at all since sunday. Today because it was still windy most of the day I decided to do 12xhoffman park hills. I realized half-way through the workout that I had done hills either as a workout or race the last 3 of 6 days. So next week i will be taking a week off and not doing any hill workout.

Total for last week: 89

Sunday
Human 8k race - 27:34 (5:27, 5:36, 5:43, 5:47, 5:09) Total: 11

Monday
11miles/77mins No PM run because of lighting

Tuesday
AM: 4miles
PM: 12miles 4+ warm up 12x hoffman park hill (55-60sec) 4+ cool down

Tired but Ready

This afternoon I am running only my secnd race since I started training fro twin cities in the fall. The race is in St. Paul, MN and is called the Human Race 8k. I have t goals: The first is to PR (it is only 28:40 which i know isn't the greatest), the second gal is to try and run 530 miles or faster the whole way (have a finnishing time around 27:30). This wuld be a hudge imprvement considering only in the last two weeks have I started doing fast work geared towards 5k-10k. I will post later tonight the results. Here is the rest of the weeks training.

Thrusday
AM: 12miles/83mins (8xhill next to AGSci building on campus with 90sec jog around parking lot asrecvery) - felt tired and crappy. Laegs just never warmed up.
PM: 4miles - felt a lot better

Friday
AM: 4miles - ran in light snow that melt as quicky as it appered
PM: 4.5 mile warm up 10xhoffman park hill (hill is about 55-60sec long and goes from gradual to steep to gradual) cool down until i hit 10 miles for the run. Ran the run in cold/wind/ and pouring rain. Overall workout felt great averaged between 55-60sec per hill which is better than the last time I did this workout which was 2 years ago. The team did less reps in a longer amount of time when we are all in shape.

Sat: 11miles/74mins with Justin. Did Quarry Rd. loop but did a new add on loop that added extra 2 miles or so to the run.

Weekly Total: 89 miles with two good workouts. Overall this was a good week after running 82 the week before. The mileage goal was 90-95 and i almost hit it. I know I would have hit and exceeded without taking sunday supper easy to rest my shin. This weeks goals at to get in around 100 miles, have a good fun race, another workout on thr track, and a tempo/fatleck/hill run also this week.

Getting Stronger

This weeks running is going great. Yesterday was my first outdoor track workout if the year and it went better than expected. I had planned 2x800m 3mile tempo 2x800 with the 800s at 10k-5k pace. Since I was doing the workout by myself I decided to do a workout that has worked well for me considering it was by myself and I ran 13 minday night in 87mins. the workout is 800,400,200,1k at 10k,5k,mile,10k pace with 200m jog between each except after the 200m the only break is 20m jog. The rest is 4-5mins between sets. I ended up doing 2 sets and then 5x30sec hard with 60sec easy around the permiter of the soccer fields. It was pretty windy and only felt it on the turn coming into and the home stretch. The wind got worse through out the day and I was glad I ran in the AM.

Monday
AM: 4 miles
PM: 13miles/87mins over 60 for the first time this year

Tuesday
AM: 3 mile warm up 2x(800,400,200,1k) 4-5mins between sets (5x30sec hard 60sec easy) 3mile cool down
Set 1: 800(2:38) 400(1:15) 200(34sec) 1k(3:19-80,79,39)
Set 2: 800(2:38) 400(1:14) 200(34sec) 1k(3:17-78,80,38)

PM: 4miles

Wednesday:
AM: 4miles
PM: 12miles/80mins Windy

The goals for the rest of the week are to get in either a tempo,hill, or fartleck run, to keep the milage up for the rest of the week, and to have fun and get a good race in on sunday. I haven't realy thought about the race at all and my goal is to PR in the 8k and sake the legs out.

Another Week

Haven't posted in a while and nothing to report on the running fromt other than hopefully getting fitter and sore shin muscles fom walking 3 miles ith 45 lb weight vest to pass my wildland fire fighter fitness test.

Wednesday
AM: 10miles/70mins treadmill. Wind and below zero out
PM: 4 miles outside

Thrusday
AM: 4 miles
PM: 11 total (45mins with 2x8min tempos at 530pace; 1x800m 10k pace 2:38 200m jog 4x200m 36,36,35,34 with 100m jog and cool down)

Friday
AM: 4miles
PM: 12miles/85mins ( windy/nice out ran around town and a little bit on trials)

Saturday
AM: 4 miles
PM: 3 mile walk with 45 lb weight vest in 41mins

Total for the week: 82miles (Short of goal but building back up after down week legs feel good)

Sunday: 4miles shin muscles realy sore from fitness test.

The goal this week is to get in 95 miles with two solid workouts. One on the track and another with a combination of hills and some tempoing. I have signed up to run the Human Race 8k a week from today. Everyone keeps telling me I am in shape but i don't feel it/ or race sharpness. I think all of the training/mileage I have been doing has given me a numb feeling as to how fit I realy am. Tomorrow the plan is to get 12-14 for the main run with possible 2 miles on the track at marathon goal pace 540-600min miles. I know it is the day before a workout but it won't be super fast and I just want to get a feel for the outdoor track again.

Back to the Grind

I haven't been on in a while but my last 3 days in stevens point were busey and I have finaly found time to update on what I have been doing. Last week I ended up only getting 45 miles for my down week and took friday, saturday, and sunday off due to class conflict and traveling. Yesterday I did two easy runs and today did my first workout in over a week. I did 3 sets of 5 hill repeats on three different hills. After a moderate paced warm up I did 5 hospital hills, 5 hills on golf view dr, and 5 hills on the gravel access rd behind my house. Recovery was the distance between the hills. Trough out the run in sleated, snowed, rained, and rained ice out.

Monday
AM: 12.5 miles (Happy Valley)
PM: 4 miles

Tuesday:
AM: 4 miles
PM: 12.5 miles (5 miles warm uo 3x5hill repeats hospital hill, golfview hill, hoffman park hill recovery running to different hills 1 mile cool down)

Flat Run

Today I did my first run in stevens point. I have always heard that stevens point was flat but I didn't believe untill after my 70 min run tonight. Sometimes I would bitch about hills on runs around river falls but I already wish there were hills here. Never knew how much more interesting they made runs. The first 30mins of my run was medium/moderate pace. I tried to slow down and run easy pace but I kept picking up to medium pace ans settle in. Ended up with 70mins and roughly 10.5 miles. I had planned on doing a track workout this week but with sundays run and todays I may not. I will either do one tomorrow night or wait and try to get one in on uwsp's track friday night before its closes. I know I need to get some more 10k-5k pace workout in before the road 8k and uwrf 10k at the home meet. I am ready to hit the outdoor track for workouts.

Wednesday: 10.5 miles/70mins 4xstrides

Down Week

After talking to some of my running friends I decided to take a down week and try and get in around 70 maybe 75 miles for the week. One reason is I have been feeling slightly run down during runs and workouts even though my times are improving, the second reason is because I have 5 weeks between 90-100 for the first time ever with two or three moderate/hard workouts a week, and the third reason is because I am in stevens point right now taking forest fire fighting class till sunday. I have the oppurtunity to run in a new place but also want to focus on why I am here, to get certified to fight forest fires and complete prescribed burns.

Monday: 12.5 miles/85mins with 7x10sec hill sprints on campus hill.

Tuesday: 4 miles travel day to stevens point

Cold Run

I took yesterday off. Its the second saturday I have taken off but I have felt a little flat on a few of my runs so I hope this will fix that problem. I still ended up with 90 miles for the week. I ran with Finch and Tony today and at the start of the run the bank temp said 2 degrees. We did Quarry Loop Extended and ran back to my house to get in 13.5 in 86mins. The run has alot of hills but they are gradual and don't really notice or feel them till you hit the road back into town. Today it was a 20mph cross wind and for 15mins none of us said a word and instead alternated picking up the pace until we got out of the wind and then setteled back into a good rythm.

The pace felt good and was 1.5 mile increase over last weeks sunday moderate run. My goal is to keep increasing (sunday runs/weekly medium pace run) untill I hit 2 hours and/or 20 miles. I also want/will keep this run included after races I am doing through the spring and summer. I few target races I will won;t but the majority I will. Just another step towards the ultimate goal: TC Marathon.

I believe moderate paced/rythem runs (runs slighty slower than tempo and marathon pace) are good training tool to get use to running comfortably at a faster pace over varied terrian and mentaly comfortable at keeping pace when the legs may feel tired like in a marathon. Leading up to the goal marathon, marathon pace will be incorperated into these runs untill marathon paced workouts lasting up to 20miles are completed

Total for last week: 90miles

Sunday: 13.5miles/86mins (6:22 pace)