My first LSD (Long, Slow, Distance run), nope this isn’t a good thing…

This would be a good thing and a great accomplishment as a beginning runner training for my first road race. However, neither am I a beginning runner nor am I training for my first road race. But, those things aside, this could be commendable if I was actually going for a slow run. In fact, most training plans call for Long Run’s to be done at/around your Easy Pace,  but my Training Plan calls for all of my Long Runs to have quality (faster, pre-determined speed) runs in them. Happily, I didn’t have any problem with the quality of today’s training run.

When I started running this morning, I took a glance at my watch, and saw a ‘10’ in the minute-per-mile block, I was pretty shocked. I started to think that today’s run might actually be a waste. The ‘non-quality’ portions of today’s run should have been run at either a moderate or easy pace (9:20-9:25/9:40-9:45) but I could not get the times below that dreaded 10min/mile for the first few miles. Odd. I figured if I couldn’t run easy at 9:xx how could I do sprints and strides? But my uphill strides came through really well. Odd; why would running fast be really easy but running slow be hard? So, I continued with the workout and began the section for flying sprints. Again, spot on! The running felt relatively easy. Oh well, I kinda gave up thinking about it. After all, I’ve still got some Marathon Effort coming up.

My Coach wanted me to do 30-45 minutes worth of Marathon Effort running. She took special note to make sure that I knew to run on effort not pace. Cool. For training, she defines “Marathon Effort” as: “moderate hard but comfortable, breathing is labored but able to continue pace for an hour or more in training” (not to be confused with tempo runs). I figured I’d start out around 9:00 min/mile and adjust for the feeling of what I could hold for this length of running. Let’s back up a bit. How much of this was I gonna do? 30 minutes or 45 minutes, some undetermined distance (because I'm a rebel)? It worked out that I was ready for this part of the workout right before the 10 mile mark. I decided to run through until either 13 miles or 30 minutes, which ever came last. I managed to get in a little over 4 miles with an average of ~8:54 min/mile. BTW, the 13 miles came last. I finished the workout thinking that I could have (maybe even wanted) to put in more miles. That is the right way to leave a workout…I think???

Upcoming workouts:

Monday, 28 June

3 miles easy

Tuesday, 29 June

4 miles easy

Wednesday, 30 June

8 miles moderate with 4 x (1mile @ HM Effort followed by 400m @ 5k effort)

Thursday, 1 July

Rest (or 2-3 recovery miles)

Friday, 2 July

3 miles easy

Saturday, 2 July

16 miles moderate with 4 x Strides, 10 x Sprints, then 5 x 200m, 3 miles at LT-HM Effort, finish with 5 x 200m

Sunday, 2 July

2-3 recovery miles

"Man imposes his own limitations, don't set any"

~Anthony Bailey

Mulligan; Re-do, Make-up…This workout went very well….

Today was my first quality workout since my horrid run on Monday. While this run may have been 10 miles shorter (well actually 6 miles shorter), I needed to hit it re build my confidence. The planned workout called for a total of 6 miles with a ladder of 7,6,5,4,3,2,1 minute runs, with active recovery for half the distance of previous interval. Simple right? Damn right! The workout should be run at 10k pace (8:10-8:15) but because I’m pigheaded and because of my crappy run on Monday, I decided to make each interval beat that time. And so I did, the splits for the run were 8:10, 8:07, 8:10, 8:14, 8:03, 8:06, 6:25 (Max HR Test).

In the thought of even-pacing and training, this workout sucked. I beat my goal on each interval, but that was all I did right! However, this workout was even more effective than you could think. Why? Simple; because I completed it. Not only that, but I did really well running the paces on a warm desert day. I gained back the confidence I lost on Monday. Also, I played with the paces a little. The first two sets I went out hard and just held on through the full time. The next three I ran steady through the time. The last one I started out slowly and blasted the end of the run. I tested my system on this short run and built some well-needed validation that my training is paying off and that my coach knows what she is doing.

One of the odd things about this run is that I hadn’t prepped like I planned on. I tried to get to sleep early last night, but I didn’t. I did drink a little better, but not as much as I wanted. I had crackers by my bedside, but I didn’t eat them. I need to work on these little things continuously in order to improve. I’m well satisfied with my performance and I look forward to more of it.

“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life”

~Muhammad Ali

My first actual bad workout.

I think that I actually mean my first bad workout ever. Even while in training for the RnR Chicago last year I never had to actually stop a workout short of the goal mileage. I could usually adjust pace and be ok. Even with some of the hard workouts in the Hall HM Training Plan, I was able to complete each workout.

Today I was not so lucky. Today’s (actually yesterday’s) schedule called for 16 miles with a 30 minute Progression Run and some Hill Sprints. I was able to get in all of the ‘quality’ work, but my wheels fell off as I was finishing the workout mileage. I made it to a little over 12 miles when I stopped for the day. I had drunk 2 liters (about 67.5 ounces) of water during the run. I meant to check the weather after the run but it slipped my mind; although at 1200 pm it was 111 degrees. Yes, that is One Hundred and Eleven degrees. Damn! Also, I seemed to be very tired this morning after the run. I escaped to my room to rest after lunch and ended up sleeping for about 3 hours, oops.

Originally I was really upset that I wasn’t able to finish the workout. I thought I had given up on the training but after the really long nap this afternoon, I realized that my body just wasn’t into it today. Hell it is surprising that I was able to push through as far as I did. All in all, I guess all wasn’t lost. I will start all of my LR’s way earlier from now on as well.

Workouts this week:

Tuesday, 22 June

Rest (or 2-3 recovery miles)

Wednesday, June 16

6 miles moderate with ladder of progressions

Thursday, June 17

Rest (or 2-3 recovery miles)

Friday, June 18

5 miles easy with strides

Saturday, June 19

3 miles easy

Sunday, June 20

13 miles moderate run with uphill strides and then sprints. Full Recovery 30-45 min @ Marathon Effort

"The long run is what puts the tiger in the cat.”

~Bill Squires

 

Relatively speaking ~ Newton’s Third Law of Motion…

As I mentioned before, I had not planned to run a Marathon so early in my running career. However, after the opportunity to deploy to Afghanistan for a year had been presented, it just seemed silly not to use this year to train for my debut Marathon. My grand scheme had been to use the whole year to train; maybe I could even surprise myself and debut with a BQ. Ha, as the title suggest though, things don’t always work out as planned. The opposite reaction here was simply that I didn’t run a lot for my first 4 or 5 months.  I averaged maybe 20-25 miles a week. I wanted to use the Fall, Winter, and Spring to safely move my mileage up above 50 mpw (preferably 60). I wish I had some grand reason (read: excuse) that kept me from my goal, but no, I just didn’t do it. On the positive side, I did manage to keep my fitness going. I spent a little more time than usual building my strength, which will ultimately help me be a better runner and healthier person in general.

There are several big positives about training over here:

I am able to do a year’s worth of training at altitude.

I am able to train relatively free of other interruptions.

I can train at my own speed and do my workouts to my ability without the pressure to over train.

There are no late night parties to keep me up all night.

I am limited to what I can eat and how much of it.

Lastly, I make my own schedule so I am really only responsible to myself; there is no one to blame if I flake on a workout.

On the other hand:

I don’t get many opportunities to race and test my fitness.

Let’s be real Time Trials suck.

I don’t get to come home to my family everyday and I do miss them terribly.

I don’t get the camaraderie of a running group to push through the hard workouts.

Social interactions are almost non-existent. And "There are no late night parties to keep me up all night."

I am not able to eat good food. I am at the mercy of whatever the Dining Facility serves. They don’t have “Large Mocha Lattes with Skim Milk and no Whip Cream” for post Long Run re-fueling

Lastly, I make my own schedule so I am really only responsible to myself; there is no one to blame if I flake on a workout.

All in all, though, I can’t/won’t complain (too much). I do get to live and train like an Elite Road Racer; although at a way slower paces. I do have a good group of co-workers that run and I can talk with about training. One of the Officer’s in my shop is running the Seattle Marathon and another officer is running the HM there. Another runner in the shop is running the Malibu Marathon. In addition, there are a host of other people who run just for fitness or fun. I could have it much worse.

Well I guess we will be able to see how this works all works out on 19 September, at RnR Philly. By then I should only have been back from Afghanistan a few days. I am looking forward to a great race if I’m able to be recovered from the time change and flights.

Workouts this week:

Monday, 21 June

15-16 miles moderate run w/ progression run. Then 8-10 x 1 min @ 3k effort w/1 min jog rests

Tuesday, 22 June

Rest (or 2-3 recovery miles)

Wednesday, June 16

6 miles moderate with ladder of progressions

Thursday, June 17

Rest (or 2-3 recovery miles)

Friday, June 18

5 miles easy with strides

Saturday, June 19

3 miles easy

Sunday, June 20

13 miles moderate run with uphill striders and then sprints. Full Recovery 30-45 min @ Marathon Effort

"Once you're beat mentally, you might was well not even go to the starting line."

~Todd Williams